Like Mother, Like Daughter
Chapter 6
"Emma…" Kerry was at a loss for words as she walked over to the bed and sat beside it. The girl stared at her, "you must be my birth mother…" she said softly. Kerry was stunned. How could she know already? "You have the same hair" Emma continued, "and a crutch…" Kerry felt and instant bond to this girl.
"My parents always told me my real mother was a small woman with red hair…and she used a crutch for the same reason I used them…because of genes…you must be Kerry" Emma trailed off. She too could feel a bond to this woman sitting beside her. Kerry smiled, she had wondered so often what had happened to this girl. "Where am I going to live? They told me Mom and Dad…" Emma's eyes filled with tears. "Well, child support services will probably find you a foster home once you get out of the hospital, then you may eventually be able to be adopted." Emma nodded. Kerry could tell the girl was still in shock which explained why she wasn't too torn up about everything. She was also still relaxed from all the medications. "Kerry…can I ask you something?" Emma didn't wait for an answer, "why did you get rid of me?"
Kerry sighed. It was time to tell Emma everything. She explained to her all about Africa and about how wonderful it had been. She told her all about Darryl Weaver and what a great husband and surgeon he had been. Kerry explained how happy he had been when they found out she was pregnant, he didn't care that the baby might be disabled. Kerry's eyes filled with tears when she talked about the last time she saw him. He had kissed her good-bye and then kissed her protruding belly and whispered something to the baby that Kerry didn't hear. She told Emma that after Darryl died she had moved back to Chicago and had been too depressed and unable to care for a child. Emma nodded.
"Kerry, would you be able to adopt me…you are my real mother…" Kerry was stunned. This had been her dream for thirteen years! "Well…I would love to, in fact there is nothing I would like more, I will start looking into it right away." Kerry glanced at her watch. She had been talking for an hour and it seemed like five minutes. "Well…I have to get back to work and you need to get better so you can start physio!" Emma nodded, she was pretty sleepy. "Promise you'll come back…" Kerry promised that she would and also promised to call Children's Services as soon as she had a chance.
She pulled herself to her feet and painfully walked out of the room. Carter was gone, he must have gotten called downstairs. The ER must be quiet or they would have paged her by now. When Kerry got out of the elevator she could see that the ER was basically empty. That was odd. She decided she would take advantage of the quiet and call Children's Services to see what could be done.
She called their 24-Hour line and was connected right away. The lady she spoke to was very helpful and said that due to the circumstances and the fact that Kerry was the birth mother, Emma's parental custody could be changed if she passed a house inspection. Kerry mentioned that she was disabled but the lady said that wouldn't be a problem because she was obviously quite capable if she was working as a doctor. An appointment was set up to have a house inspection the following afternoon and if all went well, Kerry could sign the papers by Friday which was only three days away! Just then, Carter walked in and Kerry explained everything to him. She was so excited she could hardly sit still. Carter put his hand on her arm and started slowly…"We're both off in an hour, do you want to grab something to eat?" Kerry nodded. "John…there is nothing I would like more!"
Stay tuned for more!
Chapter 6
"Emma…" Kerry was at a loss for words as she walked over to the bed and sat beside it. The girl stared at her, "you must be my birth mother…" she said softly. Kerry was stunned. How could she know already? "You have the same hair" Emma continued, "and a crutch…" Kerry felt and instant bond to this girl.
"My parents always told me my real mother was a small woman with red hair…and she used a crutch for the same reason I used them…because of genes…you must be Kerry" Emma trailed off. She too could feel a bond to this woman sitting beside her. Kerry smiled, she had wondered so often what had happened to this girl. "Where am I going to live? They told me Mom and Dad…" Emma's eyes filled with tears. "Well, child support services will probably find you a foster home once you get out of the hospital, then you may eventually be able to be adopted." Emma nodded. Kerry could tell the girl was still in shock which explained why she wasn't too torn up about everything. She was also still relaxed from all the medications. "Kerry…can I ask you something?" Emma didn't wait for an answer, "why did you get rid of me?"
Kerry sighed. It was time to tell Emma everything. She explained to her all about Africa and about how wonderful it had been. She told her all about Darryl Weaver and what a great husband and surgeon he had been. Kerry explained how happy he had been when they found out she was pregnant, he didn't care that the baby might be disabled. Kerry's eyes filled with tears when she talked about the last time she saw him. He had kissed her good-bye and then kissed her protruding belly and whispered something to the baby that Kerry didn't hear. She told Emma that after Darryl died she had moved back to Chicago and had been too depressed and unable to care for a child. Emma nodded.
"Kerry, would you be able to adopt me…you are my real mother…" Kerry was stunned. This had been her dream for thirteen years! "Well…I would love to, in fact there is nothing I would like more, I will start looking into it right away." Kerry glanced at her watch. She had been talking for an hour and it seemed like five minutes. "Well…I have to get back to work and you need to get better so you can start physio!" Emma nodded, she was pretty sleepy. "Promise you'll come back…" Kerry promised that she would and also promised to call Children's Services as soon as she had a chance.
She pulled herself to her feet and painfully walked out of the room. Carter was gone, he must have gotten called downstairs. The ER must be quiet or they would have paged her by now. When Kerry got out of the elevator she could see that the ER was basically empty. That was odd. She decided she would take advantage of the quiet and call Children's Services to see what could be done.
She called their 24-Hour line and was connected right away. The lady she spoke to was very helpful and said that due to the circumstances and the fact that Kerry was the birth mother, Emma's parental custody could be changed if she passed a house inspection. Kerry mentioned that she was disabled but the lady said that wouldn't be a problem because she was obviously quite capable if she was working as a doctor. An appointment was set up to have a house inspection the following afternoon and if all went well, Kerry could sign the papers by Friday which was only three days away! Just then, Carter walked in and Kerry explained everything to him. She was so excited she could hardly sit still. Carter put his hand on her arm and started slowly…"We're both off in an hour, do you want to grab something to eat?" Kerry nodded. "John…there is nothing I would like more!"
Stay tuned for more!