Sara sighed as she woke up and looked at the time. It was almost 9 which meant it was almost temp check time. Sara really didn't want to do this right now, but they had no choice. Sara just quietly got up as she didn't want to disrupt the sleeping toddler.
She then very carefully picked Mal up as she placed her down into her crib and placed Mal's tablet in the crib just in case Mal woke up so she would be occupied and distracted while Sara would be finding out whether they were doomed or not.
She really didn't feel like dealing with a hyper toddler running around the house right now, especially with the very likely possibility that their grandma had the virus. Just as Sara was about to quietly leave the room Mal started crying as she reached up.
"Sawa upie!" The small toddler cried out making Sara sigh as she knew it was getting closer to 9 but she couldn't leave Mal like this. Sara just quickly picked Mal up as she found Mal's new dragon and handed her to the toddler who smiled as she cuddled up with it and fell right back to sleep making Sara smile in both relief and just from how cute the toddler looked.
"I love you Mal and no matter what happens today just remember that," Sara told the toddler in her gentle voice as she kissed Mal's forehead then placed her back down into her crib and tucked her into her covers.
Once Sara was sure Mal was out again she quietly left the room and prepared herself for temp check. Sara wasn't ready for this at all but it was a requirement and they could both get in serious trouble if they didn't.
Sara just quickly changed her clothes and got her mask and gloves on then she slowly opened the door and made her way to her grandma's room.
Sara didn't want to disturb her grandma who was most likely resting, but she did want to check up on her and she knew that this was a requirement of the lock down.
Sara had to hold back her urge to cry as she opened the door and got a look at how sick her grandma looked. She had never seen her grandma that weak or sick before and it was terrifying, but she had to stay strong.
"Good morning Lita. How are you feeling," Sara gently asked her grandma in spanish as she carefully made her way towards her grandma and helped her to sit up as she could tell her grandma needed help.
Sara wanted to cry even more when she helped her grandma sit up and she was barely even conscious as she just let Sara do all the work. "Okay here we go it's time for temp check okay," Sara gently told her grandma who whimpered a little in pain but managed to nod a little.
"Okay I'll go first okay," Sara whispered to her grandma as she put the phone up to her and let it scan. Sara sighed in relief when she heard the words all clear and no virus detected as maybe she had been wrong.
Maybe there was just something else wrong and maybe her grandma didn't actually have the virus if she managed to pass her test. Sara just held her breath as she placed the phone near her grandma letting it scan her grandma this time.
Sara started crying though when unlike her scan where she was cleared the phone started to beep and they were hit with the four words Sara never wanted to hear. "Virus Check has failed."
Sara couldn't believe this was really happening. Her grandma did indeed have the virus and now they were about to get taken away. She was going to lose everything. There was no way her grandma was going to survive much longer in the state she was in and now they were going to be taken away and Mal would be discovered for sure. Sara felt more tears fall as she started to think about Mal. Her poor baby sister who never even stood a chance in this harsh pandemic world.
She never even got to see the outside world and now she never would because of this virus and the stupid Q zone rules that the sanitation crew set. Sara hated the sanitation rules but she couldn't do anything anymore. It was over. They were coming now.
"Sawa wa go on?" The small toddler asked, breaking Sara from her crying as she looked up to see the toddler standing right by the door to their grandma's room. Sara wanted to just run and hug onto Mal as tightly as she could as it would probably be her last few times with her, but she couldn't.
She was covered in the virus germs from holding onto her grandma and with Mal's tiny immune system she wouldn't stand a chance if she got the virus. "Mal it's fine just go back to your room okay I'll be there in a little bit," Sara quickly lied out to the small girl who shook her head no as she could see the tears on her big sister's face and she could see her grandma needed help causing her to immediately try to run to them for comfort.
Sara was met with a complete feeling of panic as soon as she saw the young girl step foot in the room as she completely lost it. "MAL NO! DON'T YOU DARE! MAL BERTHA GARCIA I SAID GO TO YOUR ROOM NOW! I'M NOT PLAYING! IF YOU EVEN STEP FOOT IN THIS ROOM THE BOTTLE AND YOUR PACIFIER ARE GONE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" Sara screamed out from her panic as she couldn't control it.
Sara didn't like losing her temper especially around the small two year old but this was serious. She couldn't let Mal get close to them right now. Mal just froze as she looked at Sara as her eyes widened in complete fear and Sara could see something in Mal she had never seen from her before.
It was the look of complete fear and terror. And Mal was looking at her. Sara was met with a sinking feeling when she realized that Mal was completely terrified of her. Something Sara didn't even think was ever possible.
"Mal I'm so sorry I didn't," Sara began in her gentle voice again but Mal just shook her head no as she started wailing and backing up. "Nooo! Noooo! Nooo! I no wike you no mow! You a meanie!" The young girl wailed out as she backed up and ran as fast as she could to her room.
"Mal come back! I'm sorry!" Sara called out as she tried to run after the toddler before she remembered she couldn't and had to just watch as her sister ran off crying. "Okay Lita it's going to be okay I promise. I'm going to be back okay," Sara carefully told her grandma as she just carefully got up after she gave her grandma one last hug and then left the room.
"Ugh why does everything have to be such a mess!" Sara screamed out in frustration as she just quickly cleaned and changed knowing she would have to try and make it up to Mal before everything changed as she knew now that the sanitation crew was coming she was most likely never going to see the small girl again and that thought was like a stab to the heart.
Just as Sara was about to try and put on a brave face and go face Mal she heard her door start to pound as Nico had been trying to listen from outside. "Sara what's going on!" Nico quickly asked his girlfriend, making her start crying again as she didn't want to have to tell him what was about to happen.
Sara just took a deep breath as she put her head to the front door. "They're coming," Sara told Nico as she struggled to get the words out making Nico completely lose it as he started pounding on the door and trying to get it open.
He couldn't lose his girlfriend and his basically daughter. He just couldn't do it. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! They can't do that! You're not sick! And what about Mal! What's going to happen to her!" Nico cried out as he began to lose it.
Sara just started crying more as she listened to how desperate and heart broken her boyfriend sounded as she hated hurting him and she was terrified about her future and Mal's. "You know the rules Nico. If she's sick then I'm sick," Sara told her boyfriend as more tears started to fall as she knew it wasn't going to be much longer.
"No to hell with the rules! Sara, let's go now!" Nico cried out again as he started slamming on the door. He just couldn't do this. He loved Sara and Mal too much to lose them. "Nico, I'm not leaving Lita! But I need you to keep your promise," Sara told Nico as she tried to stay strong but broke down again as she didn't want to do this, but she had no choice at this point.
"No Sara I can't do it! I'm not doing this!" Nico exclaimed as he continued to try and get the door open. "It's gonna be okay Nico. Please I need you to keep your promise! Please Nico," Sara told Nico as this was hard for her, but she just couldn't let them find Mal.
"No Sara! I'm not letting you give up! And I'm not taking Mal away from you! She needs you Sara!" Nico cried out as he didn't want to accept this fate but Sara just shook her head no as she continued to cry.
"We were never getting out of here. I have to let you go Nico and I need you to take Mal and go! Please just take Mal and go!" Sara wailed out as she loved her little sister as if she was her own daughter and she didn't want to leave her but she would have to.
Mal didn't deserve to get taken away. She deserved a better and more free life with Nico who was immune and could take better care of her. "No! I'm not doing that! Sara, I'm not doing that!" Nico screamed out as he slammed harder on the door.
"Please say goodbye to me and just please take Mal and go! Nico, she deserves better than this! I could never give her a good life! Please just take Mal and go!" Sara cried out causing the small girl to secretly come out of her room as she heard all the screaming.
"You no wan me?" The small girl cried out as she looked at Sara as if she was betraying her. Sara gasped as she looked at the little girl who she hadn't realized was standing right there.
"No Mal that's not it. I love you very much! You're my baby girl. I don't want to do this, but Mal I have to keep you safe. I have to protect you because I love you so much. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me and I'm going to miss you so much, but I could never give you a good life. Mal I'm so sorry. It's time for you to go live with Nico. He can give you a better life. A life I could never give you," Sara cried out as she pulled Mal close to her and just held on as tightly as she could.
"No! I no wanna! I no wanna! I no wanna! I no wanna!" Mal sobbed out as she latched back onto Sara and refused to let go. "Sara stop, I can't let you do this! I'll get the immunity passes. You don't have to say goodbye to Mal. You need each other. I'm going to get them today. Mal needs you Sara, you're the best thing for her. I can't raise a child on my own. I have no clue how to do that. And she needs you. I'm going to get the passes today I promise," Nico told Sara, who calmed down a little as she nodded.
She didn't believe him, but she would take anything at this point. "How?" Sara asked as she placed Mal down. Just watching Mal was shattering Sara's heart.
"I'll figure it out. I'm coming back okay. And then we can all get out of here and be a family like we've always wanted. I'm coming back for you," Nico told Sara who choked back her tears as she slowly nodded.
"Okay," Sara whispered as she didn't have much hope of that, but anything was better than nothing at this point and Sara was willing to hold onto that small amount of hope. Once Nico got the okay from Sara he didn't even hesitate as he quickly grabbed his stuff and ran off to hopefully find some immunity passes and save Sara and Mal.
As soon as Sara heard Nico leave she completely lost it as she slammed her hand onto the door and slid down it as she fell into a complete fit of sobs. This caused the small girl who had been standing by her to quickly run to her room as she came back with her 3 favorite items as she gently hit Sara to get her attention.
Sara just quickly looked up as she had forgotten that her little sister was still in the house. "You hab! No cwy!" The young girl told Sara as she held her pacifier up to her making Sara shake her head as she just placed the pacifier to the side making the young girl confused.
"Otay ta baba!" Mal told Sara as she held up her bottle to Sara trying to help her as Mal always felt better when she had her pacifier or bottle. Again Sara just shook her head and placed it to the side confusing the toddler even more as she finally got a new idea and held up her new dragon.
Sara just shook her head no again as she didn't want any of Mal's stuff. She just wanted Mal. Mal just looked at Sara giving her a look of complete confusion as she didn't didn't know what was going on or how to help as Sara had denied all her comfort items.
Sara, noticing Mal's confusion, just looked up at the toddler as she held her arms out which Mal finally understood as she ran into Sara's arms making Sara smile a little as she looked at the innocent little girl.
"Mal I don't want anything. I just want you right now," Sara told the toddler as she just held her tightly and let out silent tears as she didn't want to scare Mal anymore but she was terrified of what was coming up.