It was now almost the end of November, and school had finished for the summer. Franky was having her week off between sessions, and Emily's day camps hadn't started yet, so she and the brunette got to spend their week off together. Bridget had to admit that she'd much rather be sharing the week with them than going to work, but unfortunately the correctional system didn't care how nice the weather was, or what your other family members were doing.
It was Monday morning, and Bridget's alarm rang bright and early. She quickly reached over and turned it off, not wanting it to wake Franky, who got to sleep in the next few mornings. She watched the brunette for a minute. She always looked so peaceful when she slept.
The blonde felt herself drifting off to sleep again. She sighed and forced herself to get out of the bed, and into the shower.
She was just getting her breakfast ready when she heard Emily's bedroom door open. She stepped around the corner to see the young girl walking away from her, down the hall still half asleep and rubbing her eyes. "Em, love, do you want some breakfast?"
Bridget heard her mumble something, but the only words she could pick out were "bed" and "Franky" as Emily made her way to their bedroom. She went back to her food and cup of coffee.
Before she left, she decided to check in on her niece and girlfriend. She quietly opened the door and saw Franky curled on her side, and Emily snuggled under the blankets on Bridget's half of the bed.
"So jealous of you both right now," she said, closing the door gently, and heading to gather her things for work.
Franky was vaguely aware of someone's hand on her shoulder, trying to wake her. When she opened her eyes, she was met with Emily's face just an inch from hers.
"Fucking hell!" Seeing someone so close to her when she wasn't expecting it had startled her. Emily giggled. "Not cool Em." Franky reached over and tickled her, causing the young girl to squirm with laughter. "When did you come in here?"
"Just before Auntie Bridge left." Emily snuggled down into the blankets again.
"Oh no no, you woke me up, you're not going back to sleep." Franky got out of bed, and pulled the blanket off her.
The girl giggled again. "I wanted breakfast," she said, reaching out for the brunette.
Franky leaned down, and picked her up out of the bed. "How about brunch? We slept in really late." It was almost ten-thirty, which was way past when Emily normally woke up. "Actually, I have an even better idea: what do you think about having it as a picnic at the Lakes Reserve?"
"Yeah!"
"Alright, go get dressed." The brunette set her down on the floor, and the young girl took off to her bedroom.
Franky found a small tote bag, and packed a blanket, sunscreen, a frisbee, and a couple of Emily's card games. She figured the girl would probably want to run around and play, but it was a hot day, and she wanted to have something that would make her sit for a minute, have something to drink, and take a break. The brunette made them sandwiches, and grabbed a container of mixed berries along with some water.
Franky had always loved this place. It was just across the road behind the house, but it felt like you were in the middle of nowhere once you walked a few feet. She and Emily walked to the pond where they had had their race the last time they were there. Franky remembered the stabbing pain in her side all too well. There were a few other people there, but they were able to get a spot all to themselves in the shade under a large tree. The brunette spread out the blanket and unpacked their food.
"Are you excited for Christmas?" Emily asked as she ate her sandwich.
"I'm excited to spend it with you and Auntie." Franky had never really been big on the holiday. Her parents had never made much of it, and her mother even less so after her dad had left. If she happened to be with a foster family at the time, they didn't usually include her in their celebrations. She did enjoy her Christmases with Liz. They never had many presents, but she liked having someone to spend the day with and have a special meal. This year though she was already thinking of how she could decorate the house, and special dishes that she and Emily could make for everyone.
"What about your family?" the young girl asked as she took another bite of her sandwich.
"My family is you, Auntie and Liz." She saw the confused look on the girl's face. She knew she'd meant her family besides them, but she was hoping to avoid the topic.
"I mean your mom and dad."
"My dad left when I was around your age, then a few years later, I left my mom." Franky looked out across the lake.
"Why did you leave your mom?"
"She wasn't a good mom." The brunette didn't see any point in sugarcoating it since they'd come this far already. "She didn't do the things that moms, or someone who loves you are supposed to do."
"She didn't love you." It wasn't a question from the young girl, but Franky shook her head anyway. "But I love you, and Auntie Bridge loves you."
"I know, bub. I love you guys too. That's why I'm spending Christmas with you." The brunette also wanted to ask Bridget if Liz could join them.
Franky and Emily finished their food, put on some sunscreen, and ventured out of the shade to play with the frisbee they'd brought with them. In the midday heat, it wasn't long before the brunette thought they should take a break.
"Come here and sit for a minute. Have some water." Franky called Emily back over to their blanket in the shade.
After a quick card game and a drink, she asked the young girl if she wanted to play some more frisbee. Emily shook her head and dealt the cards for another game. They spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging out in the shade of the tree, playing games. By mid-afternoon, the young girl looked like she was getting tired, so Franky suggested that they go back to the house.
When they got there, Emily changed into her pyjamas, and laid down on the couch.
"You feeling okay?" Franky asked, sitting on the edge of the couch beside her.
"I'm tired and my head hurts," she said quietly.
"Okay, I'll be right back." Franky thought that maybe she just wasn't feeling well because of the heat, even though she made sure to give her lots to drink. She had finished her whole bottle of water and a juice box while they were at the park.
The brunette grabbed a cold washcloth and refilled Emily's water bottle. She went back and sat on the couch beside her again.
"I want you to keep drinking while you're awake, okay?" she asked, laying the washcloth across the girl's forehead. Emily nodded.
"Will you stay with me?" the young girl asked when Franky went to get up.
"I need to tidy up a bit and do some laundry, but I promise I won't leave the house, and you can just call out if you need me, alright?" The brunette handed her the TV remote. "I'll come sit with you in a bit when I'm done."
Franky kept glancing over each time she passed by the couch to see how Emily was doing. By the time the brunette had finished the few things she needed to do, and was gathering up her final load of laundry, the young girl was fast asleep. Franky kept her promise though, and when she was finished, stretched out on the other section of the L-shaped couch.
The movie that Emily had picked was almost done when the brunette heard Bridget's car drive into the yard. She quietly got up off the couch, and went to meet her at the door.
"Hey, babe." She gave the blonde a quick kiss.
"Hey," Bridget smiled at her. "Why are you whispering?"
"Em's on the couch asleep. She says she's not feeling well."
"Aw, okay, well hopefully she just needs a nap," Bridget said, taking off her shoes.
"I took her to the park. We played frisbee for a bit, then we sat in the shade and played her card games. I made sure she had sunscreen and that she drank something." Franky said following behind the blonde.
Bridget stopped, and turned to face the brunette. "Baby, relax. Do you think this is your fault?" Franky shrugged. "Why would you think that?" The younger woman shrugged again. "You were out for how long?"
"About three and a half hours by the time we got there. We ate lunch, then played frisbee for maybe thirty minutes or so. After that we sat on the blanket in the shade." Franky glanced at the girl still sleeping on the couch. "She drank all her water while we were there, and a juice box, and she's drunk almost half of her water again since we've gotten home. She said she had a headache and was tired, so I got her the cold cloth."
Bridget put her hand on Franky's cheek and gave her a small kiss. "If she ate, and drank that much, and still doesn't feel well, then I don't think it has anything to do with you taking her out. It's probably just a virus." The blonde walked over to the couch and gently touched the girl's cheek with the backs of her fingers. "She might be a bit warm. We should check her temp when she wakes up."
Franky and Bridget went about getting supper ready. When it was time to eat, the blonde went over to wake her niece.
"Love, it's time for supper, and I want to check your temperature." Bridget held up a digital thermometer, and Emily opened her mouth. They waited the few seconds for it to take a reading. "Thirty-eight. Yeah, you've got a fever. Do you want to eat?" The young girl shook her head. "Okay, I want you to drink some more of your water though."
Franky was just getting ready to serve their meal when she saw Bridget signal to her to wait a moment, then head towards her office. She set the pan back on the stove and went to see what was going on. She found the blonde sitting at her desk, reading something on the screen of her laptop.
"Everything okay?" she asked standing behind Bridget and resting her hands on the older woman's shoulders.
"Yeah, well, I'm not sure." She gave a weak laugh. "She's got a fever, and, uh well, I've never looked after a sick child before. I mean, if it was you or me, I know kind of the basics, but kids are different, yeah?"
"You're asking the wrong person, babe, but I would assume they are, yeah." Franky watched as the blonde scrolled through a page all about treating fevers in young children.
"I'll need to pick up a couple things at the pharmacy," she said, writing them down on a small piece of paper.
"I can go. You eat supper while it's warm." Franky reached for the piece of paper.
"I got it, baby, but thank you for offering. It won't take long." The blonde gave her a quick kiss.
Franky sat with Emily while she waited for Bridget to return from the pharmacy. It was only about twenty minutes before she was back, carrying a bag of items. The blonde tilted her head, indicating for Franky to follow her over to the kitchen.
"I talked to the pharmacist," she said, unpacking the bag. "He said to try paracetamol first for the fever. He also recommended these drinks instead of just water all the time. They've got some electrolytes in them, and they're made for young kids. I wrote down a list of foods he suggested that would be easy on her stomach in case that becomes an issue. We have to check her fever every few hours when she's awake. If it lasts more than three days, goes above thirty-nine, or if the paracetamol doesn't work, then we should take her to the doctor. If it goes above forty-one then she needs to go to the emergency department right away." Bridget exhaled, looking over the items on the counter.
"Okay, so we'll try the meds first, then see if we can get her to drink some of this?" Franky asked, holding up one of the bottles. Bridget nodded as she read how to calculate the amount of medicine to give the young girl. The brunette put her arm around the older woman and gave her a kiss on the temple.
Bridget measured out the medication, and sat down on the couch with Emily. "Here, love, I need you to take this. It'll help you feel better. You have to sit up while you take it." The blonde put her hand behind the young girl's back and helped her into a more upright position.
"What is it?" Emily looked at the pink liquid.
"It's paracetamol, a medication," Bridget explained. "Please, love. I promise it'll help." Emily took another look at the medication then drank it. "Okay, good." The blonde moved her hand to let the girl lay down on the couch again. "We're going to have supper. Do you want anything to eat?" Emily shook her head. "Does your stomach hurt, or you're just not hungry?"
"I'm not hungry," Emily said, pulling the blanket higher.
"Okay." Bridget gave her a kiss on the side of her head.
While Franky and Bridget ate, the brunette kept looking over at the couch. Bridget knew that she was checking on Emily, even though she couldn't really see her over the back of the couch.
The blonde reached over and covered the younger woman's hand with her own. "I'm going to call Vera and let her know I won't be in tomorrow."
"It's okay, Gidge. I'm off anyway."
"Franky, I can't ask you to look after her all day alone when she's sick." Bridget knew that Franky was perfectly capable of looking after Emily, but she didn't want to leave her.
"I'll be fine." Franky smiled at her. "Look, if you want to stay home just because you want to or you think you should, then that's your call, but I don't mind doing it, at all. You've got everything the pharmacist told you written out, and I'll text you to let you know how she's doing, and you can call and talk to her whenever you have a chance."
Bridget thought for a moment. "Okay. I mean, I do want to stay and be with her, but I also know that you guys will be okay. Just keep me updated."
"Promise." The brunette squeezed her hand.
After supper, Bridget got Emily to drink one of the electrolyte drinks she had bought. When she checked her temperature again, it was down slightly. She had hoped the medicine would bring it down a bit more than it had. Franky offered the girl something to eat again, and again she refused, saying she wasn't hungry. They decided to let her lay on the couch with them until they went to bed since she just wanted to be near them and she could sleep in in the morning.
When they were ready to go to bed, Bridget carried her into her room. She knew that if the young girl needed anything during the night that she would come into their room and wake them.
The blonde slid easily into Franky's arms as soon as she laid down in their bed. She felt the younger woman pull her closer, and place a kiss on the back of her shoulder.
"Did she stay asleep?" Franky asked, taking Bridget's hand in hers.
"Yeah, she did." The blonde moved back to press herself closer to the younger woman.
Franky laid there thinking about the conversation she and Emily had in the park earlier that day. She was more excited for this Christmas than she could ever remember. She already had ideas for some gifts that she wanted to get for her. She was less sure what she was going to get for Bridget though, but she knew something she wanted to do. Christmas was a time for family, and for once, she was going to have her own little family all celebrating together. She had decided that she was going to ask Bridget to marry her. She knew the traditional proposal of going out on a date somewhere fancy first, but she couldn't think of anything better than to have Emily and Liz there when she popped the question. She wanted to let Emily help her pick the ring out. She knew from the surprise birthday party that the young girl could keep a secret if she had to, so she trusted her this time too. This was something that was going to affect her as well, so Franky wanted her to feel like she was a part of it.
Bridget woke in the night to Emily pulling on her hand. She slowly opened her eyes. "What's wrong, love?"
"I don't feel good," Emily said quietly.
"I know, baby. Is it still your head that hurts?" The blonde brushed a strand of hair out of the young girl's face and noticed that she still felt warm.
"And my stomach."
"Your stomach?" Bridget asked. "Do you feel like you're going to be sick?" Emily nodded.
The blonde was up and out of bed, and leading the young girl to the bathroom. She gathered Emily's hair, and held it for her while she vomited into the toilet.
Franky woke up to an empty bed. When she looked around, she saw that the bedroom door was open, and the light was on in the hallway. She could faintly hear Bridget talking, she assumed, to Emily. She got out of bed, and when she made it to the hallway, she saw that the bathroom light was on as well.
Bridget saw Franky lean against the doorframe out of the corner of her eye.
"Upset stomach now, too?" the brunette asked, giving a look that said she felt bad for the young girl.
"Yeah, she came and woke me up." Bridget rubbed Emily's back. "All done, love?" The young girl nodded. "Okay, go wash your face and hands then we'll go back to bed."
Bridget waited, and washed her hands when Emily was done at the sink. "I think I'll bring her into our bed for the night."
"Gidge, I can go sleep in her bed with her. That way you can get some rest since you're the one who has to go to work tomorrow." Franky stood in front of the blonde, who looked half asleep, and rubbed her arms. "Okay?"
"I should…" Bridget trailed off.
"Shh, babe." The brunette gave her a quick kiss. "I don't mind. I offered, okay?"
Bridget gave a nod, and Franky sent her back to their room. She grabbed the bucket from the utility closet, and went back down the hall to Emily's room.
"Is it okay if I sleep here with you for the rest of the night? I'll keep you company since you're not feeling well?" Franky asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Okay." Emily was already drifting back to sleep.
Franky climbed over the young girl, putting herself on the inside next to the wall so that Emily would be able to get out of the bed quickly if she needed to get to the bathroom again. "There's a bucket on the floor beside you in case you feel sick again and you don't think you'll make it to the bathroom."
"Okay." Emily turned over to face the brunette. "Rub my back?"
"Sure, bub." The young girl moved in closer, and snuggled against her. She ran her hand lightly up and down Emily's back and it wasn't long before she was back to sleep. Franky smiled, seeing that the teddy bear she had won that day at the park, was held tightly in Emily's arms. After a few minutes, she felt herself drifting off again as well.
Emily slept through the rest of the night. Franky, however, found herself waking up whenever the young girl moved. That didn't happen with Bridget, or when Emily slept in their bed with them, so the brunette figured it was her subconscious waking her to make sure the child was okay.
The next thing she knew, she woke to hear Bridget in the kitchen making herself breakfast. Franky wanted to see her before she left for work, so she carefully moved her arm from under Emily, and waited a few seconds to make sure she was still asleep before leaving the young girl's bed.
"Hey, Gidge." Franky gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Morning, baby. I thought you were going to sleep in today," Bridget said as she took a sip of her coffee.
"I heard you out here, and I wanted to see you before you went to work." Franky sat on one of the stools by the kitchen island.
The blonde smiled at her. "How did she sleep?"
"Good, I don't think she woke up again. She still feels warm though."
"Okay, well at least she slept and wasn't sick again. Are you sure you don't want me to stay home too?" Bridget felt bad leaving the brunette with a sick kid on what was supposed to be her week off.
"I'm sure, babe." Franky took the mug of coffee Bridget had poured for her.
"I left her medicine on the counter, and put more of the drink stuff in the fridge to get cold. The list of foods she can have and the things the pharmacist told me are on the counter as well. He said eating wasn't too important, but she really needs to drink. Especially if she gets sick any more." The blonde looked around the kitchen like she thought she was forgetting something.
Franky stood and walked around the island. She wrapped her arms around Bridget. "I'll keep you updated all day. Promise."
"I just feel bad leaving her. And for making you look after her."
"Babe." Franky pulled back so she could look at the blonde. "This is what it's all about, yeah? The whole family thing?" Bridget nodded. "So stop saying that you feel bad about leaving or 'making' me look after her. You're not 'making' me do anything. Maybe next time I'll be working and you'll be the one with time off."
"You're right. Okay. I should get going." She gave the brunette a quick kiss.
Emily woke up not long after Bridget had left for work. Franky was sitting on the couch finishing her coffee, when the young girl made her way out to the living room.
"Hey sleepyhead, how are you feeling?" Franky put her arm out so that Emily would come sit beside her.
"Not good," the young girl said, crawling up on the couch beside the brunette.
Franky placed her hand on Emily's forehead. "You still feel warm. Here, let's check your temp." She held up the thermometer, and the young girl let her put it under her tongue. A few seconds later, it beeped. "Thirty-nine. No wonder you don't feel well. You need to take some more medicine, okay?" The brunette knew that Bridget had said thirty-nine was the cutoff before she had to see the doctor, so she was hoping it didn't go any higher.
Emily shook her head.
"We have to get that fever down, bub." Franky got the bucket from the bedroom just in case. She read the note where Bridget had written how much medication to give her when she figured it out last night. The brunette poured it into the small cup, and sat back down on the couch.
"My stomach hurts," Emily said when Franky passed her the small cup.
"I know. Just try to take it for me?" Emily looked at her again, and the brunette wanted to tell her she didn't have to do it, but she knew the young girl needed to take it. "Come on." Franky rubbed her shoulder.
Emily drank the pink liquid, but the brunette could tell she was already fighting to get it down.
"Okay?" Franky asked her, and the young girl slowly nodded.
The brunette grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, and put it over Emily. The girl leaned against her, watching the morning kids cartoons that Franky had put on the TV. Franky figured she'd give the medication a little while to work, then try to get her to drink something.
When they had watched one more episode, the brunette paused the show. She wanted Emily to drink some of the stuff that Bridget had gotten the night before. She measured out about half a serving. She figured better to start small than to give her too much and make her sick again.
She sat back down on the couch and gave Emily the glass. "It's the same stuff Auntie gave you last night. Since you have a fever, and you're not eating, you need to drink some."
She sipped on the drink, and Franky saw that she had finished about half of what she'd given her. It was a start. The brunette waited a few minutes, then encouraged her to finish the rest of it, which she did.
It wasn't long after that that Emily was sick again. Franky held the bucket for her. She felt bad that she had made her drink when she wasn't feeling well to start with. When Emily was done, she checked her temp again, and it was still thirty-nine.
She texted Bridget with an update:
To: Gidge
Gave her meds when she woke up, then waited about a half hour and gave her some
of the drink. She was sick again after that and her temp is up to 39 this morning.
The reply was almost immediate:
To: Franky
Poor thing :( If she can't at least keep her meds down, she may need to see the doctor. Let me know how it goes after the next dose. xo
Franky sat with her for the rest of the morning. She had gotten sick after the brunette tried to get her to drink some more, so when it came time for her medicine again, Franky wasn't feeling too hopeful that it would go well. Emily drank the medication, but this time it only stayed down for about fifteen minutes. When the brunette checked the young girl's temp, it was up to thirty nine point five.
"Shit." Franky picked up her phone, but this time she called the blonde instead of texting.
"Hey, baby, what's going on?" Bridget knew that the brunette wouldn't have called just to give her an update.
"Her temp is up to thirty-nine point five, and she's not keeping anything down. No meds, no drinks, nothing. I think she needs to go to the doctor." Franky tried to sound calm for Emily, but inside she was freaking out a bit.
"Fuck. Okay, yes for sure take her to the doctor. There's a file in my office with all of her medical stuff in it, and the address of the clinic where she's registered. Same doctor as me. I'll call ahead to let them know she's coming in." Bridget wanted to do nothing other than run to meet them at the clinic, but she told herself again, as she had that morning, that Franky was more than capable of handling things. She knew she was being illogical, but chalked it up to her parenting instinct making her want to be with the sick girl. "And baby, please let me know anything as soon as you do."
"I will, Gidge. I gotta go, I'm going to get her ready so we can leave."
Franky helped Emily wash her face and change into a clean pair of pyjamas. The brunette then grabbed a shopping bag and threw in another pair of pyjamas for the young girl, just in case, a blanket, and some water for them both. Finally, she grabbed the file from Bridget's office.
"Okay, bub, let's go to the doctor and see what's going on." Franky carried her out to the car.
She was quiet for most of the ride there, and the brunette was happy to see that there weren't too many people in the waiting room when they got there. She got Emily to sit in one of the chairs while she approached the registration window.
"Good afternoon, how can I help you?" The receptionist looked up from her computer.
"I've brought Emily Westfall in to see the doctor." Franky waited while the woman typed something into the computer.
"Ah, yes, and you are?" The receptionist looked up at her.
"Franky Doyle." The brunette looked at her, wondering why it mattered who she was.
"I don't have you on file."
"No, I'm not a patient here. I've just brought Em in. She's really sick." Franky put the file up on the counter. "I have all her paperwork here, and Bridget should have called to let you know she was coming."
"Yes, Ms. Westfall called us, but we assumed that she would be the one coming in with the child. We don't have you on file as someone who can authorize treatment."
"She's at work, I stayed home with Em today." Franky looked behind her to check on the young girl.
"I understand that, but if you're not a parent or legal guardian, there's not a lot we can do. Are you a parent or legal guardian?" The receptionist looked up at Franky and the brunette had a moment where she pictured her fist landing square on the woman's face.
Franky took a deep breath, and leaned forward so she could speak more quietly. "Both of her parents have died. Bridget is her legal guardian and my girlfriend. We're caring for Em now."
"But legally, you are….?" Franky hated how calm the woman looked.
"Nothing," the brunette said quietly.
"Then I'm afraid Ms. Westfall will have to come down here herself before the doctor is able to see the patient." The receptionist turned back to her computer, and Franky knew she wasn't going to get any further with her.
The brunette stepped away from the window, and took her phone out of her pocket. She dialled Bridget's number.
"Hey, everything alright?" Franky could hear the concern in the blonde's voice.
"Actually, no. They won't let her see the doctor because I'm not her legal guardian." The brunette kept her voice low even though inside she was upset.
"What do you mean? I told them she was coming in." Bridget began to gather her things.
"They said that I'm not in her file as someone who can authorize care since I'm not related or legally anything to her, so you have to be here." Franky took a deep breath, and tried not to pace too much.
"Fuck. Okay baby, I'm on my way, just do your best to keep her as comfortable as you can until I get there." Bridget threw the last few things into her bag. She texted Vera on her way out, not even bothering to stop by her office to let the governor know that she was leaving.
Franky went back to where Emily was sitting, and sat down beside her. "We have to wait a little bit before the doctor can see you, okay?"
"I'm cold." Emily looked so pale that Franky was even more concerned now.
"Okay, bub, here, I brought a blanket. Stand up." She unfolded the blanket from the bag and wrapped it around the young girl. "You want to sit on my lap?" Emily nodded, so Franky sat back in the chair and helped the young girl onto her lap. She leaned back, letting her head rest against the wall behind her so that Emily could lie against her.
"Why do we have to wait? I don't feel well." Emily's voice was quiet.
"I know you don't, bub. We have to wait for Auntie, she's leaving work now. Why don't you close your eyes and try to rest? I'll be right here." Emily turned her head into Franky's shoulder, and the brunette held her close.
After a few minutes, Emily spoke. "Franky, I don't feel good again."
"Your stomach?" The brunette felt the young girl nod. "Okay, let's go to the washroom."
She took her into the washroom in the waiting area, and Emily was sick again. When they exited, she told Emily to sit back in the chair, she needed to talk to the receptionist again. She had just gotten a text from Bridget saying she was stuck in traffic, and would probably be at least another half hour.
"Hi," Franky gave her best smile, trying not to look too fake about it. The woman behind the desk looked up at her. "I just got a text from Bridget. She's stuck in traffic and could be awhile. Em was just sick again, and she's miserable. Is there no way that the doctor can at least assess her while we wait? Any treatments can wait until Bridget gets here if they have to. Her fever was quite high when we left the house, and she hasn't been able to eat or drink for almost twenty-four hours now."
"Just have a seat. There's nothing we can do yet."
Franky sighed out of frustration then turned and went back to her seat. She took Emily on her lap again, and the young girl snuggled in like she had before. After a couple of minutes, the brunette felt someone sit down in the chair beside her.
"Hey."
Franky turned her head to see the source of the quiet voice. Sitting beside her was a woman probably about her age with brown hair and brown eyes. At first she thought the woman was talking to her, but then the brunette realized she was looking at Emily, so she turned her head back and rested it against the wall again.
"I'm not feeling well," Emily told the woman.
"It's a good thing you had someone to bring you to the doctor then, huh?" The woman glanced up at Franky, then back at the girl.
"She's my Franky," Emily said.
It made the brunette smile when Emily called her 'my Franky'. At career day, she had worried that it meant that Emily was confused about the brunette's role or place in her life, but now she looked at it as a term of affection.
"Your Franky?" The woman gave her a small smile.
"Yeah, she's my Auntie Bridge's girlfriend but she's my Franky. She teaches me how to cook, and she's good at reading stories, and she won this for me at the park." Emily showed the woman her teddy bear.
"Sounds pretty special."
The young girl nodded. "I love her."
It came time for the woman's turn to see the doctor. When she stood to leave, she put her hand on Franky's arm. "I heard what she said earlier." She tilted her head towards the receptionist. "Don't let anyone tell you you're not a parent."
Franky gave a small nod. "Thanks."
A few minutes later Bridget arrived. The blonde looked around the waiting room, and spotted Franky and Emily.
"Hey, baby." She gave Franky a quick kiss. "Hey, love." She gave Emily a kiss on the head. "Let me go see if I can sort this out." She picked up Emily's file and headed to the window.
"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The receptionist looked up from her computer.
"Yes, I'm Bridget Westfall. My niece Emily is here to see the doctor." She waited while the woman typed something into the computer. "Can I ask you something?" The receptionist glanced up from the computer. "I'm just curious as to why you let a very sick child sit here for longer than necessary."
"As I explained to your girlfriend, we need the consent of the legal guardian before any treatment."
"Me calling and telling you that she was coming wasn't enough?"
The woman opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the doctor. "Hi, Bridget, you can bring Emily in now." Franky stood with Emily, and carried her into the doctor's office. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware she'd been waiting for so long."
The doctor was a very soft-spoken woman, about the same age as Bridget. They explained Emily's symptoms to her, when they had started, and what they had tried for medications. In the end, the doctor decided it was most likely something viral, but was concerned by the fact that the girl wasn't able to keep down her medication or electrolyte drink. She gave her an injection of medication that would essentially do the same thing as the paracetamol, but would last longer and had the benefit of her not having to try to keep it in her stomach. The doctor also gave her an injection of an anti-nausea drug so that she was able to have some fluids while the other medication was working on bringing her fever down.
"These things usually run their course in three to five days. Since this looks to be day two, you should see significant improvement within the next twenty four hours or so. If not, by all means, please bring her back. Either of you." She looked at each of the women.
They both thanked her as they left the office. As they walked through the waiting area, they could hear the doctor talking to her receptionist. "I know the rules, but next time use some goddamn common sense…".
Emily was able to have something to drink, and some toast later that evening, and her fever had gone down a bit. She was still very tired though, and they let her sleep on the couch with them again that evening.
"You did good today, baby." Bridget, who was snuggled into Franky's side, stretched up to give the brunette a kiss.
"I felt pretty helpless in that office."
"I know, baby. I'm sorry, I didn't realize they wouldn't let you bring her in." Bridget felt bad that she had put Franky in that position.
"It's not your fault. It's just how the system works. It's total bullshit." The brunette glanced over to make sure that Emily was still asleep and hadn't heard her swear.
"Agreed." Bridget sighed, and they went back to watching their show.
When the episode finished, Franky picked up Emily and started down the hall with her.
"Can I sleep with you guys tonight?" the young girl asked quietly.
Franky turned to look back at Bridget, who nodded. "Yeah sure, bub." The brunette carried her into their room, and laid her on the bed.
Emily was fast asleep in no time once she was cuddled in between the two women.
"Gidge?"
"Yeah, baby?" Franky could tell that the blonde was almost asleep too from the sound of her voice.
"Can we invite Liz over for Christmas morning?" The brunette had been busy making plans in her head, and what had happened today with Emily made her think about them even more.
"Yeah, of course. That'll be lovely."
Franky smiled as she drifted off to sleep.
