"It's okay baby, it's okay, I'm here, Aunty Livy is here." Liv soothed an unconscious Billie in her arms. She'd gasped seeing Billie, black and blue, bloody and her hair formally reaching halfway down her back had been chopped short. The hospital bed she was in dwarfed her made her look even younger than her three years. "She's been drugged, overdose of dextromethorpham or DXM." The doctor told Liv. "DXM?" She asked. "Cough syrup most likely." The young African American paediatric doctor answered. "We see or more often than you'd think in child abuse and neglect cases. Causes drowsiness in the children, stops them crying."
"Will she wake up soon?" Liv asked.
"I hope not," the doctor answered. "We've done a CT and it's all come back negative. But she's got a dislocated shoulder a broken arm and a few cracked ribs. She'll be in a whole lot of pain and we can't give her any painkillers for at least 30minutes and even then only a reduced dose. Luckily DXM flushes out of the systems quickly. We should be able to dose her normally within a few hours." Liv was torn. She wanted to call Amanda but knew Amanda would struggle to cope seeing Billie like this, especially considering the panic attack she had earlier. "Dr Maddox, would you be able to call the precinct?" Liv asked passing the doctor a business card. "Can you ask to talk to Sargent Tutuola and let him know that Billie and Kim are here and to inform him of Billie's condition" Liv told the doctor. Fin was good with Amanda. He'd be able to tell how Amanda was feeling and decide how much to tell her. "Twinkle, twinkle little star." Liv started to sing to Billie, she started to stir, then started crying hysterically. "It's okay Billie, it's okay, it's Aunt Liv. Billie didn't respond just cried some more. Liv rocked her gently but pushed the call button for the nurse. "She won't stop crying, she doesn't even seem lucid." Liv explained panicked. The nurse called Dr Maddox, who smiled sympathetically at Olivia then gave Billie some painkiller through her IV "since she's awake we can give her something now. She should start feeling the effects and calm down in less than 10 minutes. Call me again if she's not feeling happier in about 15 minutes." The doctor told Liv. Those 10 minutes were torture for Liv and she was glad Amanda wasn't there to witness it. A dislocated shoulder, a few broken ribs and a broken arm. Liv had had similar injuries herself and remembered the pain, but at 3 years old, and without painkillers, it would be excruciating. After a few minutes Billie cries turned to whimpers and started to settle in Liv's arms. She looked up at Liv as if it was the first time she was truly seeing her. "Aunty Livy?" She asked reaching her good arm to touch Liv's face. "Yeah, I'm right here honey. Aunty Livy is right here." Liv told the small girl. "Aunt Kim? Trey?"
"Don't worry honey, they're not gonna hurt you anymore."
"Mommy? Jessie? I want Mommy and Jess." Billie's eyes started to fill. "Mommy's on her way, she'll be here soon." Liv said and Billie visibly relaxed. Liv wanted to know what had happened but knew that right now wasn't the right time. What Billie needed right now was comfort and love. The doctor came back in and was able to give Billie some more painkillers before casting her arm. "What color cast do you want Billie, what's your favourite?" The doctor asked, Billie as ever told the doctor "pink!" "Good choice." The doctor smiled and told Jessie, Liv was thankful for the doctors jovial attitude as she knew that they would have to pop Billie's shoulder back in, another possible traumatic experience for the young girl. Liv had seen plenty of children who had been abused. It was always hard but when it was a child she loved, it was heartbreaking.
They'd given the small girl as much painkillers as her tiny body could handle after all the drugs she'd been given so far that day. "Hey Billie, I'm going to help you okay. I know that your shoulder is hurting you isn't it? Do you know where your shoulder is?" The doctor asked Billie who pointed, with her good arm to her opposite dislocated shoulder. "That's right, gosh you're a very clever girl aren't you? So I'm going to help your shoulder feel better but it might hurt a little bit, but you're going to be okay because your such a brave girl and you've got Aunty Livvy here." The doctor told Olivia to hold Billie still in her lap while she and the nurse would manipulate Billie's shoulder back into position. The little girl cried out at the pain and Liv just squeezed her tighter. "You're so brave Billie, you're doing so well." She was just glad Billie was allowing Liv to comfort her. Liv had sometimes seen children who had been abducted who were scared of being touched or held but Billie despite being in pain just wanted her Auntie Livy. Once Billie shoulder joint was back in place they tied the casted arm up in a sling. "Hey, let's clean your face up a little." Liv smiled at Billie. There was a sink in her hospital room and the nurse passed Liv a washcloth. She knew it would be better for Amanda to see Billie with as little blood on her face as possible. She gently wiped the dried blood from Billie's face. Billie leaned into her touch the gentle movements and warm water soothing her bruises. Liv went towards the door to grab another washcloth. "No Auntie Livy don't go."
"Oh honey, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to get another washcloth and make sure you are all sparkly clean." Liv smiled at the little girl.
"Auntie Livy, my hair is all gone." Billie whined her eyes filling with tears. "I look like a boy."
"No you don't honey, we can get some barrettes or a hair band. Some girls have short hair, I used to have short hair." Liv smiled.
"You did?"
"Yeah, even shorter than yours." Liv assured her as she started to wipe the little girls face again. "Auntie Livy, it hurts." She said clutching her ribs. "Oh sweetie I know, and you're being so brave. Try not to cry." Liv said urgently. "It will just make your side feel worse."
A young blonde nurse came into the room. Saw Billie crying and asked if there was anything she could do to help, although Billie wasn't due another dose of painkillers yet. "Billie's a little bit sad because her hair has been cut and she thinks she looks like a boy, I've told her lots of girls have short hair though, and we can make it look cute with barrettes or headbands. Can't we honey" Liv said to the nurse then looked at Billie at the end. "Of course you can!" The nurse smiled. "I'm Sarah by the way and I have a little girl who's a bit older than you Billie, and she is always wearing barrettes and hair ribbons. I think I have some in my locker, give me 5 minutes." Sarah smiled. Liv comforted the little girl. Holding her in her arms and singing nursery rhymes to her. Sarah came back a few minutes later with a child size purse full of hair accessories. "My daughter Ruby loves these, she's got loads though so I'm sure that she won't mind if you had a few Billie." Sarah smiled and Liv mouthed "thank you so much." And looked down at Billie "what so you say honey?" Liv asked. "Thank you." Billie smiled shyly, her tears drying up. "You're welcome honey, Ruby spends most of her allowance in Claire's Accessories."
"Pretty!" Billie said picking up a pink barrette with a sparkly love heart on. Sarah passed Liv a kids hair brush, Olivia gently brushed Billie's hair, luckily there wasn't too much blood in her hair. She put a barrette in each side of Billie's hair. "You look beautiful Miss Billie!" Sarah smiled then added, "and you're a very brave girl." Liv pulled her phone out and took a selfie of herself and her god daughter. "Here you go Billie." Liv said showing the picture to Billie, "you're very definitely a beautiful girl!"