May 18th 2021

Chapter 138
Our Arms Around Her

Gracie was discharged from the hospital on Friday, just under a week following the accident. As sure as she was that her little sister would have understood her inability to be there right when she got to go home, Maya had kept in close contact with her grandparents throughout the day to know just when the departure would happen. She suspected that one or both of them may have done some thing or another so that the actual moment wouldn't come until the afternoon. Because of that, she got to leave school right after her post-lunch period with the freshmen and head to the hospital, to accompany Gracie out of there and on toward home, to settle her in before heading back, giving her end-of-day junior class and finally returning to her family's home. She already had all her things for the Sleepster, and Lucas would be picking up Marianne before bringing her over on his way back from the animal hospital.

"This guy's travelling with you?" Maya asked as she walked into Gracie's room to find her waiting, all dressed up and propped up on the bed, arms squeezed around a fluffy teddy bear.

It had arrived on Sunday morning, a delivery straight from Los Angeles, courtesy of their parents. Their father had gotten it for her, as something of a proxy, until they were able to get to her themselves. He'd sheepishly asked if she was too old now for teddy bears, and Gracie had responded that she would never be, not if they came from him. The bear had immediately been dubbed Shawny, and his namesake had made no attempt to hide his tears. Shawny the bear was always there within reach, especially when Gracie would sleep, holding him close.

"Yeah," she smiled now, hugging the bear.

"And then tomorrow, well… The genuine article," Maya reminded her, as though she needed to. They were finally going to fly in, and they would be home for the next few weeks. The production team on Heal Thyself had been beyond fantastic about the situation, and both Katy and Shawn would never cease to hold them up as the gold standard. Katy's work in the last handful of days, coupled with some other creative workarounds, had made this break possible for her without penalizing the story, the series, or the character beyond measure.

"I liked it when they called. Dad's funny, you know, like when he goes…" Gracie imitated him, and Maya laughed. It was startling at times how much she and Nellie looked like him, more and more as they grew up.

"Oh, yeah, I'm familiar," Maya came and sat on the edge of the bed, giving Shawny a pat on the head. "Happy to get out of here?" she asked, leaning in with conspiracy. Gracie looked around the room, which had been stripped of all her belongings, the gifts, the cards, the drawings from her siblings and her classmates, until it was just a plain hospital room again.

"Yeah," she replied, squeezing the bear as she turned back to her big sister.

"Gracie?" Maya held her gaze as she sensed a gap, something withheld. As good of a 'detective' as she was, Sherlock Hunter didn't have a chance of keeping her own secrets, especially from her big sister. "What's the matter?" Maya asked, coming closer. Nellie would have tried for a 'nothing,' whether she pulled it off or not. Gracie knew it would be a waste of time.

"I… I don't know…" she told her. "I want to go, I'm sick of being here, and at home I get to be with Nellie, and MJ, and Haley, and Grangie and Gramps, and Una, and now Mom and Dad for a while…" Her voice said plenty, maybe more than she knew how to put into words. It said how this was a great thing, and she knew it, no doubt to it. But there was still a 'but,' something that held her back. She might not have been able to express it, but then she kind of did it anyway, in how she tried to reposition herself with so much cautious hesitation that there was no guarding the air of concern in her.

She was starting to come to grasps with how this chapter here was ending and the next one would begin, the real start of her recovery… and it worried her. Maya had seen it, over the past week. They'd all seen it, whether Gracie expressed it or realized it at all. She was observant enough to understand how potentially serious her situation was, and as much as she'd been rolling with everything in the beginning, now it felt bigger, more real. She was starting to think about the future.

"You are going to get through this, okay?" Maya moved to sit herself parallel with her little sister, until she could get her arm around Gracie's shoulders and let her lean her head to her own. "It's not going to be easy, but you knew that. Strong mouse, that's you," Maya kissed the top of her head. "Whatever happens, we've got you, all of us. The grandparents, Mom and Dad… Una can't wait to have you back, she's been climbing at the walls waiting for you," she reminded her, and it made Gracie smile. "MJ and Haley, well, you've seen them, you know they'll be right there, and then Nellie, oh… I don't need to tell you, do I? If anyone's going to be getting you there the most, it's her. Even more than me, and you'll be sick of me when this is behind us," she stated, catching her sister's eye, which made her laugh.

"Am not," Gracie insisted.

"Remember these words," Maya pointed at her before turning herself on her side so she might hug her little sister and be hugged back without risking discomfort.

Seeing how glad Gracie looked to have her there as the two of them and their grandparents left the hospital and started for home, Maya was more relieved than ever that she'd been able to go. She wouldn't get to stay long before she had to head back to school for last period, but she would be able to help her little sister get settled in and that was already something to be thankful for. She got to be there to help in getting her into the minivan, maneuvering around her grandparents' uncertainties and also through Gracie's nerves as they approached home. Maya wondered if being back for the first time, essentially back at the scene of the accident, would affect her, but if it did then it didn't show, not here.

"Alright, you're good?" Maya asked, once they'd gotten Gracie out of the minivan and into the rented wheelchair. Gracie nodded. "Hang on then," Maya hurried to the house. When she opened the door, she wasn't sure what to expect, if the dog would just be right there, primed to pounce. Instead, she was lying on the floor near the door, clearly waiting but also subdued, almost like she felt responsible for what had happened. "Come here, it's okay," Maya crouched and picked her up.

The way Gracie brightened at the sight of her, the dog responded in kind as soon as she saw her. Una was given over to her and immediately set herself to giving as many kisses as she could, to Gracie's delight. She remained in her arms as the chair was taken up the ramp – as constructed by her grandfather – and into the house. Maya was happy to entertain her little sister, telling of how she and Lucas had worked to prepare the house for her arrival, specifically in ensuring that she'd be able to get around with the chair, or a walker, or whatever she'd be using in the weeks to come in order to get around. She recreated the sort of pantomime they'd had to do, to ensure the space was correct, and it made Gracie laugh.

Maya left for school after Gracie was transferred on to the bed in her temporary room. Sure, they were having a sleepover that night, but that was all the more reason for her to rest up as much as possible before the others came. She was still asleep when Maya returned, having picked up the other kids from school. Along with the other little Hunters, naturally, she had the two Russell kids, and then Hunter Matthews. They could have had more, could have invited others of the girls' classmates, but after the ordeal of the past week, it was better to keep it to this smaller group. They'd have Lucas and Marianne, too, once they arrived, and they'd have the Hart-Lane kids back in Tucson checking in over Skype. They were having a sleepover, too, or at least the four of them were going to settle up in the attic overnight, and that'd be close enough.

"Can we go in?" Haley asked, whispering, when she looked into the room and found Gracie was asleep with Una lying next to her on the bed. Shawny the bear was held as ever in the sleeping girl's arms.

Gracie had asked Maya, before she'd gone back to school, to swear that she'd wake her up if she was still asleep when they got here, and much as she'd have preferred to let her sister sleep on, Maya turned to Nellie. Without a word, she knew what to do and she went in. She barely had to take Gracie's hand that she started to stir and open her eyes. She saw her twin and both of them had a look to them like relief. Their separated nights were over.

Soon, Nellie and Haley were joined by Desi, MJ, and Hunter, all of them crowding around the bed without getting too close so as not to overwhelm Gracie. To look at her, Maya felt like she wouldn't have minded them all climbing on the bed with her. She was so glad to be home. The little pack of kids was now making plans for what they would do that evening. Naturally, movies were on the menu, which meant they had to choose. All the others were looking to Gracie to make the choices, with her having just come home and all, but she didn't want to pick anything they didn't want to watch, too, so the conversation went on.

"Mrs. Friar?" She turned from looking in on the kids and found Khalil, standing a couple steps back. Even if she reminded him that she wasn't his teacher right now, he would remain with that mindset, so she let him be.

"Yeah?" she smiled.

"I just wanted to say thanks… for inviting both of us," he gestured to his sister in the room and then himself.

"Wasn't even a question," Maya tipped her head to him, her own version of saying he was welcome, and he understood it. "I'd get in there if you want any say in the movies tonight," she pointed toward the kids, and Khalil went with a chuckle. He was the eldest of the bunch by a stretch, outside of Maya herself and Lucas, of course, but as much as Gracie had needed this night, and Nellie as well, and MJ, and Haley, and Desi… Khalil needed it, too. All week, this past one and the one before, he'd been walking through school, mostly okay but at the same time clearly holding certain feelings in. Tonight, getting to hang out with his little sister and her friends made for a surprisingly effective way of letting go, of taking a breath. It wouldn't fix everything, but same as Maya had been telling Gracie with her recovery, time would do its work. Every little step forward would be counted in the end, and they would get to wherever they needed to be, no matter the source of the pain, physical or otherwise.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners