Adam didn't even flinch, didn't fight back. Actually, relief flooded his face as he gently set her hands back on her legs and stood up, turning to get the box when they both heard a small hand knocking on the door.

"Uncle Adam! Uncle Adam! Uncle Adam!" Amber called out, so fast that neither of the adults in the room had a chance to ask her what was wrong. But nothing was wrong. She was just Amber. "I got all of Drewster's clothes and my's clothes and Daddy's clothes too, since Mommy's sore."

Amber always was her little helper. Sarah opened her mouth to tell Amber to just go sit and wait for them, until Adam said, "Ok, good. Now can you find your shoes and help Drew put his on?"

"YES!" Amber shouted, so excited to help. "I learned how to tie shoes lasterday…" Sarah smiled at how her daughter said yesterday. And then they both listened as her little voice carried through the room as she ran to get the shoes, "Drewster, we're gonna get your shoes on like Mommy taught me!"

"Her nickname for him is pretty cute." Adam had gotten the gauze out.

Sarah smirked. "Rrrrremember the nnnnickname you gave mmmme?" Remembering the past was a welcome respite from her shame of sitting on the toilet while her brother bandaged her up.

In a mock offended tone, Adam asked, "What? You mean you didn't like being called, 'Sarah Beara Boo?" He walked over, having put some medication gel on the bandage, he carefully taped it to Sarah's head.

Wincing, she tried to keep her mind off of the pain while she said, "Nnnnoooo…" The little tomboy who preferred playing with boys and running around with a black eye to any kinds of dolls and frilly dresses, that nickname sure did cause her some mental anguish. Her brother then brought out a few more bandages and wrapped them around her knuckles and fingers, from where Seth had kicked her around where she was trying to protect her stomach.

"Do you think you can stand up?" Adam tenderly asked.

She needed something else. But to ask for it, from her brother… it felt like it was the wrong thing to do with him… but she couldn't bend down and get it. So she simply said, "I nnneed a pad. Rrrright under the ssssink."

His eyebrows came down in confusion, "A pad… for what…?" Then, the embarrassment Sarah knew would come to his face flooded his cheeks, and then he turned around, his hand on his head as he tried to think through what she had said, and now not to make this awkward.

Not another word was said as he handed it to her. "So, umm… "He was just stammering and acting like a complete idiot.

Sarah's little sister role seemed to catch up to her, despite the nine years being apart from it. "Ffffffucking turn aaarround."

She had never seen him whirl around so fast, she wondered if he might fall down from being dizzy. But teasing him and being mean to him was a wat to distract herself from the reason she needed this. The last two months, she hadn't needed one of these. And now – she finished putting it on and threw the paper away – now she needed one and the fact that it was already – not seven months in the future – it hurt. Deeply.

When she was done, he took her hands and helped her to her feet, placing her hands on the sink in front of her and making sure she was balanced before he closed his eyes while she pulled her panties all the way up, and then made sure to pull out the oversized dress shirt that came a little past her panties.

Then he helped her out of the bathroom, but not before she looked back into the toilet – covered in blood… and tissue. And she had to close her eyes and try to get the image out of her mind before she started to cry. Not yet. She couldn't yet. Later.

While they walked out into the room, she said, "Ssssooo cccold, Aaaadam." She had never felt cold like this in her life. Not even when they had visited Seattle and Seth had forgotten to put gas in the car and they were stranded out in the middle of nowhere, while she was pregnant, waiting with the band for a tow-truck to come get them. This was worse.

"Mama!" Drew exclaimed from the playpen where he sat, his head pressed up against the mesh material of the sides, and then he looked down where his sister had her tongue to the side of her lips, concentrating on tying his shoes. And then Drew said, "Shoes…Mama, byebye."

She couldn't move her mouth anymore. She was so cold. Adam then set her on the bed – the other side from where she knew the evidence of her miscarriage lay. And then he pulled one of the blankets off the floor – the one that was quilted from all of Amber's old clothes – that Sarah had stitched by hand during her pregnancy with Drew. And he tenderly wrapped it around her, giving her hands the ends so she could cuddle up in it. Then he said, "Now, sit here and I'm going to get the kids in the car and get everything loaded up and then I'll come and get you."

She nodded, watching as everything seemed to blur by her. Pulling his leather coat over his white t-shirt as he told Amber to get her coat on – something she then informed him she didn't have – she just had her sweatshirt – which he then told her to put that sweatshirt on. Him picking up the bags from the ground and carrying them out into the rain – and coming back in to take Amber out, and then picking up Drew, who, with arms extended, asked over and over for Amber, wanting to be with his sister. How he huddled the baby under his jacket while he ran out into the rain – it made Sarah appreciate her brother even more – despite the way that he had gone about trying to get her to come home.

Then it was her turn. She looked around, making sure that they had gotten everything – but even the few diapers she had left for Drew were packed away by the ever-observant Amber.

He said, "It's still really raining out." Which was pretty evident by the water dripping off of his head and jacket. So he just said, "I'm going to carry you."

She should have protested. The old Sarah would have. In fact, the Sarah a few hours before would have. But her teeth had just stopped chattering, and the chills down her back finally stopped making her entire body shake. And so she just let him slide his arm down under her knees, supporting her back from under her arm, reaching her sore arms up and around his neck. Teeth gritted from the pain in her back, she thanked him as he propped the blanket up over her head before he walked out the door of the motel.

The little bit of rain that hit her bare legs stung from the cold, but it was only for a second while he effortlessly carried her through the rain right to the car, leaning in and laying her down on the seat that had been reclined back for her – so she could lay on her side, facing the driver's seat, curling her feet up onto the seat. Adam then adjusted the blanket so it was covering her entire body and he said, "I turned the heat on high. Just bear with it for a little and it should be warmer soon."

Then he shut the door, the rain on the roof of the car the quietest sound in the place.

Amber was whining, "Mommy, why do I have to sit in this baby seat? I don't like it."

And Drew, from the car-seat Adam must have taken from her car, just cried, "Mama. Want Mama." His hands stretched out towards her from where his seat was in the middle of the backseat.

They were both sitting right next to each other, so that the seat Sarah was in could be reclined all the way back so she could lay down. Amber, sitting in a little booster seat, something that must be Haddie's because Sarah had never been able to afford one – her daughter sat with her arms crossed in front of her, her lips out in a pout.

Holding back her whimpers, she let her hand go out to the little man sitting in the car-seat asking for his mommy. And she cooed, "Drew, buddy, it's ok. Mommy's right here, ok?" And she rubbed his little hand until he calmed down. Which didn't take long, because soon Adam sitting down in the driver's seat distracted the boy from his cries. Touching Amber's leg, she gave her a mommy stare that probably was a little traumatizing with Sarah's black eye. "You need to be thankful to Uncle Adam for letting you be safe in his car."

Her sassy five-year-old just muttered, "I feel like a baby."

"Amber." Was all that Sarah had to say.

Then the little girl said, "Sorry Uncle Adam."

Sarah looked up at her brother, who sent her a little smirk and then said, "It's ok, Amber." Then to Sarah, he said, "Now, you just lay back and rest, ok? I'll get us home in good time."

But rest was not available. Because, as Sarah knew, her children were so very interactive when they weren't afraid. Amber started asking Adam every question under the sun, including where he worked, how many kids he had, why she had to sit in the baby seat, and why the moon looked sad. All the while, Drew just loved to sing out random words when he understood what they meant in a conversation going on around him. Which meant that Sarah needed to tune out not only the sing-song questions of her daughter, but then the, "Shoes!" and "Baby!" and "Mama!" from her son.

Slowly, Sarah began to feel like she could feel her body again. Which seemed like a good thing. Until she started to feel pain that she didn't know she had. All up and down her legs, as they began to thaw, she felt the grinding pain of her skin against her bone as the bruises began to form, or the blood began to pool underneath the surface of her skin. And, through the constant questioning and random word shouting, Sarah's head began to pound even harder, both from the blow to her head from Seth's boot, and, she deduced from common knowledge, from the massive amounts of hormones that must be going wild throughout her body. Stomach still cramping, she tried to keep tears from her eyes, but a few slipped out as she closed her eyes.

She didn't know how long she sat there listening to Amber talk and talk, but she didn't have the strength to tell her daughter to be quiet – not after all the times Amber had to be quiet because otherwise she might get hurt. So, in the freedom of Adam's car, Sarah didn't bother.

But the car came to a slow halt, and Sarah opened her eyes as Amber asked, "What are we doing, Uncle Adam?" The bright lights around her – outside the car, and the sudden absence of rain on the car – a gas station.

Adam confirmed. "I just have to stop and put some gas in the car." He grabbed his wallet from the console, always in the same place, her perfect brother Adam always had been so organized. Then he looked into the rearview mirror and said, "If you two are good, I'll get you a snack."

Sarah actually jumped from pain as the kids started to scream in excitement.

Amber yelled, "A snack? Really, Uncle Adam? A SNACK?" And pumped her fists up in the air.

All the while, her brother just clapped his hands and squealed and said, "Tweat! Tweat!"

Adam nodded, and said, "Yes, Drew, a treat." Then he turned and looked at them straight on and said, "But, you'll only get the treat if you're good and sit quietly. Your mommy needs to rest, so you have to be quiet or you won't get anything."

Amber just sad, "We'll be good. We'll be good." Like she was reassuring him of their promise.

"Ok," Adam said, and then turned back around and asked Sarah, "Hey, do you need anything? Any medicine or…"

The thought of swallowing anything right now – of doing anything – at all – she just shook her head, and closed her eyes in pain as the car door slammed.

She didn't know how long he was gone, because she actually found herself dozing in and out, the kids actually being quiet, except for the one time Drew squealed out, "Treat!" And clapped. But that sound was soon followed by Amber whispering, "Shhh… quiet!" Then her toddler was quiet, and Amber just whispered a little louder, "Mommy, did Drew wake you up?" She must have taken Sarah's silence to mean, "No" and then whispered just a bit quieter, "You're lucky, Drew. Now be quiet!"

She awoke to squeals from her children as Adam opened the back-seat door and gave them something – she didn't even open her eyes, just listened as packages were opened and Amber exclaimed, "Donuts? And chips? And crackers? All of them for me?"

And Adam's calming voice just said, "Shhh.. they're not all for you…" Then he whispered her name, "Sarah, will she share if I give them all to her?" She just nodded. Amber would never keep food from her brother – she was always offering the baby her food when they didn't have much.

"I'll share!" Amber exclaimed, almost in an offended tone if a girl her age could be offended. "He's my brother. I take care of him. That's my job!"

"Shhhh…" Adam again reminded, and then said, "Ok, well share with your brother and here's…" A lid popping off.. "A little bit of juice for you two. I'll set it in the drink holder so you can grab it when you want it, ok?"

Drew was quiet except for his hands clapping, until, Sarah surmised, they were filled with something and he was eating hungrily. She could hear him chewing, well, both of them chewing.

And she drifted off to the sounds of her children being fed and safe in a car with her brother driving and awake. For the first time in a while, she knew she could sleep without worrying about what she would wake up to find.