Cragens Daughter Ch 10

Don had to search the hospital for nearly half an hour before he found Joanne upstairs by the nursery viewing window. She had been crying and now was watching the babies, most of who were sleeping peacefully. Her face was pressed to the support between the viewing windows and she had folded her arms across her chest. She seemed to know when he arrived there. He came to stand beside her and look at the babys too. "They're all so small and innocent. How can they not know someone is dying? That they will someday too."

"Because all babies should be so innocent. It's not right that some kids grow all the way up before they lose their parents and some have to grow up faster because of it. Some kids never have either parents. You are lucky that you at least had your mother for as long as you have. I would gladly die in her place so you'd never have to lose her if I could, but I can't. You're stuck with me."

"And you're stuck with me." Joanne said softly.

"Happy to have you. Never stuck with you." Don corrected gently.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I understand. Listen, Joanne, there are some things that you're just going to have to take my word for. I know it isn't easy to do, I'll tell you all I can but I'm not going to be able to tell you everything. Will you accept my word that I'll never tell you something just because I don't want to? There will always be a reason why."

"I don't have a lot of choice, do I?" Joanne said flippantly. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded." she hastily assured him.

"I'm glad. Let's go home. Do you have homework you have to do?"

"Some. Not much, it's almost the end of the school year."

"Then we can get that done. I have some paperwork I have to do as well."

"Are you taking classes, too?"

"No. I'm trying to stay afloat in paperwork." Don said taking his daughters shoulders and steering her toward the elevator.

Joanne spread her homework all over half of the kitchen table and worked diligently on hers while he worked on his. Her face was scrunched up with concentration. Don found himself watching her wrestle with english and spelling but breeze through the math. He liked to see her look of intense concentration and her satisfaction when she solved a problem. He tried not to get caught watching her. She got up and went to the fridge bringing back two sodas, putting on on the table by his elbow and went around the table to sit back down at her studies.

"Thank you." he said surprised.

"You looked like you could use something else to look at besides me." she said with a tiny smile at him.

"You've got sharp eyes. I was thinking we might go somewhere this weekend and buy your mom a present. Maybe we can get someone to take pictures of us so she can see."

"I'd rather just stay around here. You know, just in case. I don't want to go too far in case she needs us."

"Alright. Let's take a game to her, one we can all play. I'll let you pick it, and we'll spend the day with her as much as they'll let us."

"Okay. She's pretty good at Trivial Pursuit."

"Okay, let's take that. Choose a second one, too, just in case. Make it an easy one in case she isn't feeling too well. One we can all play."

"Okay."

Don closed up his papers and put them back in his briefcase. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Do you bring home work alot? Paperwork, I mean?"

"Sometimes. I have a big pile of paperwork that I have to do and approve for every case we handle and it's all my responsibility to look it over before I send it on. "

"Don't your officers do that?"

"Yes, but they turn it in to me, I look it over and then I send it on. That way things are done properly. It's what makes our squad so successful. That's my job."

"Are you good at it?"

"I think so. Are you good at your school work?"

"I think I am." Joanne shot back. "I'm going to watch some tv then go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, then." he smiled at her.

She reached up and gave him a shy kiss on his cheek then hurried off to bed. Don was surprised and pleased that she had done that.

He put his suitcase in the living room next to the couch and went in to take a shower and put on his sweats. He sat down to watch the tv in the living room. During a break in the noise he looked up to see Joanne looking at him. "Is there something wrong?" he asked concerned.

She shifted her weight on her feet. "I was missing my mom. I went to her room but she wasn't there. I got to thinking, she isn't coming home and you shouldn't be sleeping on the couch. Not with your job being so important and all. I think you should move into moms room. You and she are married and you should be there. Someone should be in there and you're the parent too."

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Don admitted.

Joanne shook her head slowly. "You're not. It's the right thing to do."

"Thank you. That means alot to me."

Joanne nodded and went back to her bedroom. Don turned off the tv and took his suitcase into the master bedroom. He set it down and looked around. Sues things were all over the room. It was still hers. He put his clothes away in the drawers, hung his suits up and put his suitcase in the closet. He took one more tour of the home to make sure everything was locked up then went to bed. He didn't think he was going to fall asleep but he did have a nice, long, deep, dreamless sleep.

TBC