A Fresh Start
Chapter 7
N/A: Enjoy this new chapter and let us know what you think of it. Also, we need a DOM please send your sample writing via PM [Private Message] please! Thank you.
Brian
Brian must have fallen asleep with Mia next to him because when he woke up again the room was dark. The only light came in through the windows from some street lamps. Mia's dark hair was spread over his chest like a second shirt.
Slowly he pushed himself up a little but his shifting made her groan so he stopped.
For a moment the American just lay in the hospital bed and listened to her breathing. Despite the dull pain in his arm he was happy. Mia was alright and they had just become parents. How much better could it be?
Yet he felt the need to go to the bathroom and carefully pushed her onto the pillow next to him while he shifted away. Even that little motion had the pain in his elbow flare up like fire.
When he looked over he saw that his IV was gone, which was probably the reason he wasn't feeling so nice and numb any more.
Nevertheless he slowly sat up and placed both bare feet on the ground. His first attempt to stand up failed but the second one worked. His arm felt awkward in the cast that held it at a 90 degree angle and he could already tell that the thing would soon drive him crazy. As Brian walked to the door he could hear voices down the corridor so he poked his head out and almost had a heart attack. Two men in uniform were walking towards his door from further down the hall.
Immediately he pulled his head back and cursed. "Shit!" His heart was hammering in his chest when he ran over to Mia to wake her up by shaking her and searched for an escape route. The only way out was the window, which was luckily only on the first floor.
"Quick, Mia. There are cops out there. Wake up, Mia. We have to run!"
Even if they just found her they'd connect the dots and probably arrest her for interrogation.
***
Mia
One moment she was kissing him and sleeping next to him and then he was shaking her desperately for her to wake up. "What the…" she started to say not really understanding his words until that four letter word came out of his lips. "Damn it, we do have to run...but for how long?" still she didn't hesitate to stand up and try to find a quick route.
"What about our daughter?" she froze not wanting to follow Brian, she just couldn't. "I don't want to leave her but I don't want you to go again…" The officer's footsteps were getting closer and closer. Her feet were glued to the ground but force herself to move following Brian out the window.
She looked at the closed door that led to the hall of the hospital and with a knot in her throat and against her own wishes she stayed behind Brian. At least to make sure he was in a safe place before going back to the hospital to get her baby girl.
***
Brian
For a moment Brian was terrified that Mia wouldn't follow him and the cops would get a hold of her. She had a good point with the baby but for now their little one was safe and nobody knew about her so he decided to jump.
The drop was higher than he thought and his bruised knee didn't appreciate the impact. Neither did his arm or head so he couldn't help but groan in pain when he landed in some dry brush.
A moment later Mia was at his side. So he grabbed her wrist and struggled to his feet.
Like a rabbit he was changing directions in between bushes and trees, stumbled and crawled further until they were far enough away and in the dark so nobody could see them.
Then he allowed himself a Mia a moment to catch his breath. Desperately he wrapped his arm around her. "How did they find me? I must have told them my real name….shit. What about you? Can they possibly know you're here?" Why would their moment of happiness not last longer that a few minutes? Maybe that's what you get for being fugitives.
***
Mia
She felt his hand around her wrist and stood up running with him, they didn't stop until they didn't hear a thing of footsteps or even cars passing by. Her arms tightened around his abdomen pressing her head to his shoulder. She suppressed her anger that started to rise within her. She was getting sick and tired of running; it was not only them running but now that the baby was born. Mia was more alert; she bit her lip before looking up at him to answer his question. She didn't want him to see something was bothering her. "No, I don't think they'll be able to recognize me unless…" remembering she gave her ID to Brian.
"What about our IDs? I gave mine to you that day at the store after I fainted." She sigh and sat on the ground closing her eyes for a moment waiting for someone to wake her up from this dream but she opened her eyes, it wasn't a dream.
***
Brian
"You gave yours to me?" Brian answered because he had no recollection of anything around the time of the accident.
Breathing hard he followed her example and sat down on the dried out soil. "I can't remember. It wasn't on me when that lady found me though, I think. It must still be in the car…"The car that was still somewhere out there on the road, smashed to pieces.
"That's how they found me." Brian gasped.
He didn't carry any form of ID himself any more but they must have connected the points.
"The cops must have found yours in the car and then put out a search warrant for you, me and Dom. Since there was a crash they probably sent it to all hospitals."
His eyes found hers. "Did you tell the hospital your real name? Because if you did…they have our daughter!"
The thought alone made his chest tighten until he could barely breathe. Terrified Brian gasped. "Please tell me you weren't as stupid as I was."
***
Mia
His reaction was something new for Mia to see and only to hear him panic and his words 'please tell me you weren't stupid as I was'. "Brian, stop!" she literally turned to him shaking him a little by placing her hands in her shoulders. "I didn't give them my real name,"
"She'll be fine, ok? I need to contact Rosa so she can take you to her house in the mean time I need to go back to the hospital and take Sienna out of there, ok?" For the first time she revealed the baby's name, after looking and looking through baby books she couldn't find one that define her child other than Sienna and even though it wasn't a wonderful time right now she had to keep him calm.
There was no time for her to shatter too; it didn't work out that way. This time it was her turn to keep him calm as she knew he would do the same if she needed that someone to stop her if she panicked just like now.
"We'll get through this," after a moment of silence she spoke. Her voice firm and not breaking although she was shaking in the inside.
***
Brian
Mia's words somewhat eased his mind but the fact that their baby was in the hospital alone without one of them nearby or even able to get to her terrified him.
When Mia told him their child's name for the first time Brian fell silent and simply looked at her. Then he spoke it like it was some secret password that nobody was ever supposed to hear…quietly and gently. "Sienna. That's an awesome name for her. It suits her perfectly."
Even now he had to smile and squeeze Mia. "great choice.
"Sienna Toretto…or would she be an O"Conner? He had to shake the thought quickly because they didn't have much time for a break. The cops would soon follow them so Brian got up and nodded.
"Let's contact Rosa. I think we can trust her."Together they stumbled further away through the bushes on the dry, dusty soil. Both of them didn't wear shoes and the thorny bushes pricked them in their feet making their walk even more difficult despite their physical condition.
From their position on the hills they could see the parking lot and a the entrance.
"I'm not sure whether it's safe for you to go back inside."
He cupped her face with one hand to turn her chin towards him so he could kiss her .
"Make sure she's okay. Her safety and health comes first."
***
Mia
"I'll be fine," she tried to ease his nerves but she felt those same nerves and a little bit of fear but her most important treasure was inside that place and it was Sienna.
She took one more look at him and kissed him passionately before she nodded to his words and walked slowly to the hospital. She looked at her feet, a little blood was on them from walking without shoes, she had to hurry inside a restroom on the first floor so she could clean her feet.
She walked picking up the pace until she found a restroom looking behind her and thank god there was no blood trail on the white floor of the hospital, she hurried and wash her feet wincing a little as the soap made contact with her small wounds taking a paper towel she removed the drops of water so she wouldn't fall once she got out of where she was.
She walked into the elevator and hurried to where her room was to wear her tennis shoes so the walking became easier, she then entered the elevator one more time pressed number 3 on
the panel.
The doors opened and she was greeted by a single cry of a baby in an incubator, the pink blanket around her indicated it was her daughter and also the only baby in an incubator.
Her hand pressed on the glass that separated mother and daughter and her eyes welled up with tears taking a first look at her daughter, exotic skin just like Mia, brown hair and blue eyes, she smiled looking at her little nose definitely Brian's.
A nurse passed by and she couldn't resist so she stopped the nurse and asked if she could come in the room, the nurse smiled to her and gesture with her hands for Mia to follow her, placing a face mask and a blue gown before the nurse gave her before entering the room.
She entered slowly, her heart pounding loudly inside her chest, an unexplainable happiness running through her bloodstream stopping in front of the incubator.
"Sienna… you're so perfect," she whispered to her baby girl, she wanted to hold her and just to see her in the incubator killed her, two man stopped in front of the room to contemplate the babies inside, Mia's eyes grew wide but quickly focus her gaze on her Sienna, her stomach lurched as she saw the two police men walking around the floor she was in. Were they looking for her too? Her gaze never came back up afraid the cops would recognize her, her hands felt sweaty under the white gloves she wore but one thing she couldn't do again was go without Sienna in her arms.
Brian
A hand lightly touched Mia's shoulder. It was the nurse that had let her inside the room. She motioned for the two cops and said. "There are two police officers outside, who want to speak to you."
The two patiently waited until she came outside. In Portugese they asked her. "According to your patient record you're American. We are looking for an American man by the name of Brian O'Conner." He held up a printed out picture of Brian. "Do you know this man?"
The nurses eyes fell on the picture and widened but she never said a work.
Brian felt the kiss linger on his lips when Mia ran away to make her way back into the hospital to be with their baby daughter. It tore Brian apart not to be able to go back in there with her to be with them but he needed to make sure that he didn't get caught if he ever wanted to be with them.
Silently he hobbled down the hill over the hard soil, stones and brush until he found a spot behind a group of bushes just above the parking lot where he could hide until Rosa would show up after Mia called her.
He sat down and tried to slow down his nervous breaths hoping that Mia would call her soon because the longer he waited the bigger the chances that the cops would find him. Hopefully his future wife got a hold of Vince's widow. If she didn't show up soon Brian would have to run and hide somewhere else which was difficult since he wore nothing but a hospital gown and sported a very impractical cast.
The minutes passed by and all he could think about was the birth. The pain Mia had been in, his fear that the baby would somehow be injured and then that beautiful tiny creature that was his daughter. He longed to hold her and kiss her. Brian needed to find a way to do that.
***
Mia
There was no need to see the young nurse reaction next to Mia. To her surprise she didn't speak about seeing Brian. She looked at the picture and frown she then look at the two officers standing in front of her. "Yes, I am an American. But, I haven't seen this man,"
Her words didn't sound fake, she was a wonderful actress. She wasn't a good liar either but in that moment she became a wonderful one. "But if I see him, I'll be more than happy to let you all know," This was good; if they were questioning about just Brian then they didn't see her ID… right?
"I am so sorry officer, I just have a few minutes to be with my daughter and I'd love to have those last minutes with her," she didn't wait for them to give her an answer she just turn to the nurse and pretended to ask about the baby.
The nurse followed her inside the room where all the newborn were. "Listen to me, I need your help. I need to know how good is my daughter so I can take her out of here, and please you cannot say a word about seeing Brian, please" her voice was more a plea than a question, Mia's nails dig into the nurse's arm.
She wanted to take her daughter out of the hospital but was afraid of what might happen if she wasn't told her baby was okay to go out of that place.
***
Rosa's car came into view; she started to go around the parking lot trying to spot Brian. She knew Mia was inside, but for now she needed to take Brian out of there and take him to her home because she had to come back for Mia.
"Where are you?" she whispered to herself her eyes kept searching for the blonde ex cop.
***
Brian
The nurse told the police men in Portuguese. "Sorry but the baby needs peace and quiet and her mother. Would you please leave now?"
The men watched Mia carefully but then decided to leave. Without a warrant they couldn't arrest random Americans. So they turned and walked away.
From his position behind the bushes above the parking lot, where Brian was sitting on his heels hugging his knees to keep warm, he could see the small car circling around and around. He hadn't paid close attention to Rosas car before but this had to be it. So he carefully made his way down when he spotted the police car with it's engine running. there had to be a cop inside.
He opted for a spot that was as far away from the police car and well conceiled behind a big bus to wait for Rosas next circle.
Then he tip toed his way there and as soon as she stopped climbed in, fell in the passenger seat in his pretty night gown and told her to "Go. Go. Go! there are cops here!"
"What about Mia?" The Latina wanted to know. So Brian worked against the lump in his throat and answered. "She'll stay with our baby."
The small car drove away slowly but surely and Brian let his head fall back against the head rest.
The further they got away from the hospital the more it hit him that he had just abandoned his future wife and kid. So, despite his overwhelming pain, he asked. "Take me back, Rosa. What if the cops know who she is?"
***
Mia
"Thank you. I need to speak with the doctor, I need his help and yours, I want to get my daughter out of here, but I need to make sure she'll be fine. Please," The nurse nodded and hurried to bring the doctor that helped the young American to give birth to the beautiful baby in the incubator.
She looked at the hall where the officers stood once waiting for her to talk to them. A shiver went down her spine as she realized how close she was of being discovered.
She looked down as Sienna started to cry, she wanted to take her baby in her arms and kiss her little head, she felt helpless standing there not knowing what to do, if only the doctor hurried so she could get out of there faster.
"Shh, I'll take you out of here sweetheart, just hang in there for a few more minutes," she caressed the incubator. "I can't wait for you to see your daddy," the nurse entered with the doctor.
"Can I take my daughter home?" Mia started firing questions not wanting to go into more details of why she was in a hurry to get out. "… please" she controlled her breathing, her heart pounding in her chest afraid that the doctor heard it.
***
Brian
Brian wanted more than anything to go in there with Rosa to see Mia and their daughter but he knew that the cops were looking for him and that this would help nobody. He would only end up in jail and never be with them. So he grit his teeth feeling very disappointed but nodded.
When Rosa was gone he gave the clothes in his hands a quick feel. Vince's. Brian was never a big fan of him and the big guy had felt the same even though Brian had saved his life. They just were both into Mia and that simply couldn't work. Nevertheless he had proofed to be a loyal friend and Brian missed him. The man didn't deserve to die and Rosa surely didn't deserve her fate either.
Chewing his lip Brian slipped into the pants, then struggled to get off the gown, which was almost impossible with his arm in a cast up to his shoulder and bruises all over. He groaned loudly now that nobody was around, gave up and let his head fall against the headrest.
Rolling his head to the side he watched the entrance and police car making sure nobody was heading for him. At least Rosa had left the keys in the ignition.
The doctor inside the hospital looked at Mia in awe. Then he shook his head. "No. You cannot take her home. She needs to be warmed in here and tube fed. She's just too little to be taken home yet. Please have patience. If you take her you will do it on your own account."
With that he left to see another patient. The nurse gave Mia a sympathetic look and left as well. Her only option would be to steal the incubator.
Mia
She was so determined to find a way to take her daughter that it wasn't until a few minutes later she noticed the nurse and the doctor weren't in the room with her. Her hands gripped the incubator tighter as she buried her face in her forearm. Hot tears sting her eyes but she swallowed the lump in her throat, she didn't want Brian to see her like this, he hated to see her cry.
She weighted the pros and cons of taking Sienna out of there. If she stayed she was going to have the care she needed and if she took her out even if Mia was doing everything in her power to take care of her, what if something went wrong while in her care? But then what was the other choice she had? With cops starting to ask questions, yes she got rid of them but for how long?
It sounded crazy for her to steal the incubator, the hospital was filled with cameras in every corner but she also had the money, it was impossible but it wouldn't hurt to ask for the hospital to sell the incubator, she was more than willing to follow every step to be the best mother to that little girl.
"You can do this," she spoke to herself. She had some skills in the medical field; she helped her brother every time he got himself in trouble like that time she had to sew his skin because of a bullet he received to his shoulder. Plus, she had a degree to prove she was well train and capable to do this.
She walked out of the room where her daughter was and spotted the nurse looking at some records of other patients. "I am willing to take that chance and take my daughter out of here; I know she needs the incubator that's why I'm also telling you to ask the doctor if I can purchase the incubator my daughter is in,"
She wasn't surprised when the nurse look at her like she (Mia) was a little bit crazy. Mia turned out of the corner of her eye seeing a woman a few two steps from here, Rosa stood there listening to the conversation.
The nurse nodded and went to search for the doctor, it was a crazy idea but she had to know the answer. "Before you go," Mia stopped the nurse. "I'll take a quick walk outside, I need some fresh air," Mia turned to Rosa and both women walked out so that Mia could fill in to Brian.
The moment Mia spotted Brian she recognize the clothes he was wearing, of her second brother Vince. She opened the passenger door and embraced him as hard as she could trying to choose her words, she cleared her throat and kiss his forehead. "The doctor tells me the baby needs to stay, she still needs to regulate her temperature and also is being fed by a tube, he told me to be patient and that's something I can't be or have at this point, not when cops decided to question me about you, don't panic the nurse knew who you were by the picture they show her but didn't say a thing," she took a moment to inhale some fresh air into her lungs.
"I asked the nurse if she could talk to the doctor, it sounds crazy but the incubator your daughter is in isn't small so the nurse is going to ask the doctor if it'll be possible for me to purchase the incubator, it might be a 50-50 chance but I can't keep her any longer here, Brian. Several nurses saw you and I was lucky the cops didn't stumble with one that helped you and sooner or later… word will spread and then we'll be in big trouble" she finished her speech and look at Rosa.
"If it'll help, I have a cousin, he's a doctor and if the doctor here," pointing to the hospital give us the green light then we'll take the equipment necessary home and he'll come and take a look at my niece every day," Mia smiled to Rosa.
"Thank you, Rosa." She looked at Brian.
***
Brian
When Brian saw Mia's slender form emerge from the hospital and runs towards the car he was in he felt relieved because sitting in a parking lot not even 200 meters from a cop car was anything but relaxing. She didn't hold their daughter though. The quick embrace gave him strength to be patient and wait for the explanation but the fact that Mia wanted to take their daughter home even though she needed this 'incubator' and a tube to be fed gave Brian knots in his stomach. He held Mia's hand to get her attention and shook his head. "I don't want to be responsible for our baby to be in danger. She should stay here where doctors can take care of her."
Of course he understood Mia's concern, especially if she's been questioned about him, but their daughters life was more important. "Listen. I'd rather go to jail than cause her harm."
Rosa's suggestion about her friend being a doctor made him listen up and turn to her. "Could he take care of her?"
For a moment he held his breath but then spotted the cops coming from the emergency entrance so he ducked down until his head was on the back seat.
"You have to get me out of here…now. Please." The men's voices were clearly audible but he didn't know what they were saying. When he risked a quick glimpse he saw them search the surrounding bush with flashlights. "Go back and get her, Mia. Rosa will come back for you in a few minutes."
Brian could feel his heart hammer so wildly in his chest that he was afraid it would explode. With shaking hands he reached for Mia's slender fingers. "Our daughter's safety comes first, okay?" For a moment he searched her dark eyes. "If you have to you have to make that choice, Mia."
***
Mia
Rosa's words caught Brian's attention. The Brazilian woman reply to Brian with a smile on her face. "Yes, he'll be able to take care of your daughter," Both Mia and Rosa looked at Brian ducking his head down.
Mia couldn't speak, no words came out of her instead she nodded understanding where he was going. Her eyes then focus on Rosa "Do as he says, ok? And please contact your cousin and let him know we need the equipment tonight, we'll pay for it," her eyes scan the area where the cops were starting to walk around. "Go," she walked back to the hospital and spotted the nurse looking at some records.
"I've made my decision, I'd like to take my daughter home," the nurse made a sign with her fingers for Mia to follow her. Both women walked to the doctor's office and once again Mia explained that she needed more like wanted to take Sienna out of there.
"I'll follow your instructions but please… let me take her with me home," she looked at the doctor. His face was emotionless which scared Mia. She waited to hear a noise; the silence was killing her until the doctor reluctantly agreed to what Mia was asking.
She just had to wait for the doctor to show her how to feed the baby and about the regulation in the baby's temperature after that it was a matter of minutes for her to hold Sienna for the first time.
***
Brian
Brian's heart was racing when Rosa drove the small old sedan away from the hospital. On one hand they were finally putting some distance between him and the cops but on the other hand Mia and their baby were still there.
Brian kept his head on the seat, which smelled like old leather probably 15 or 20 years of use had made it smell like this. His arm in the cast was incredibly uncomfortable and he was starting to feel all the bumps and bruises now that the pain killers and adrenalin was wearing off.
Slowly he lifted his head to see whether there were any flashing lights nearby and was relieved to see that they were almost alone on the road. For once he understood how Dom had been feeling all these years. On the run, worried to loose his loved ones and unable to really care for them.
He sank back against the leather of the seat and caught Rosa's glimpse in the mirror who said. "She'll be fine."
Brian nodded. "Yes, thank you."Rosa gave him another long, strange look, which he couldn't interpret. Maybe because he was wearing her late husband's pants but no shirt because he hadn't been able to slip it on.
"Thanks for risking…you know, your safety for us."
She simply gave him a serious look and replied. "Of course."
At the hospital Mia had to sign the release papers with her fake name before the baby was handed to her in a few warm blankets.
"You have to register her at the city hall. I hope you know what you're doing." The doctor scolded her in Portuguese and then sent her on her way.
The nurse handed her a small bag with the most necessary items and offered her a smile.
"Your husband in trouble…" Her look was sympathizing to let Mia know she meant no harm even though she barely knew her.
"Tchau"
Rosa drove Brian to her small home in the favelas and helped him up the steep stairs. Then she left again.
Except for the voices outside the place was deserted. Silently Brian sat down and winced. He wasn't even aware how much his leg hurt from the accident because he had been too busy focusing on his busted arm. Slowly he looked around the small room with it's simple furniture. The only thing home were a few pictures on the wall which mostly showed Nico but also two which included Vince. He looked really happy. Brian averted his gaze because he felt somehow guilty. If it wasn't for him and Dom Vince hadn't been shot.
**
Mia
It was hard to describe how it felt for Mia now as a mother holding Sienna for the first time. "Hey sweetie," when the nurse handed Sienna lots of emotions began to overwhelm her. It felt natural for her to hold.
She froze hearing the nurse's words. "Yes…he's in trouble," she confirmed Brian's situation. "Tchau and thank you," Mia said her goodbye and didn't pay attention to the doctor who started to scold her, she knew she was going to do her best to take care of her little one. She took the medium size bag with a few things for the baby.
Slowly she walked through the hospital until she was almost outside. There were a few chairs for people waiting to hear from their relatives in the hospital at this moment so she took a seat waiting for Rosa and a few minutes later she looked out the glass doors and saw Rosa's car.
She stood up and walked to where Rosa parked the car. "Ready to go home?" Rosa asked Mia looking at the small bundle of joy Mia held.
"I'm so ready to go… we are so ready to go," Rosa took the bag Mia had on her shoulders and placed in on the back seat of the car. Mia sat on the co-pilot seat and Rosa closed the door and started the car. After 30 minutes Mia was finally in Rosa's house, Mia slowly got out and walked first climbing the steep stairs of the favela, Rosa behind her.
The door opened and he was there watching some TV, when his gaze locked with hers she couldn't help but smile and looked down at her daughter. Mia was finally where she belonged…with Brian and Sienna.
