Simon's Choice
Chapter 7/?
A 7th Heaven Fan Fic by Lucky Star
Chapter 7: Making A Friend
I looked around at everyone, all of us spread out in the small waiting room. Mom stood by the window looking out at the city. Lucy sat on a sofa with Kevin's arms around her, Ben and Roxanne on either side of them. Robbie and Sarah took up the two high backed chairs, both of them looking as uncomfortable and out of place as I felt. The Colonel and Grandma Ruth sat together on a smaller sofa.
Everyone must have felt the gaps where Matt, Mary, and Ruthie should have been. Matt couldn't get away from school because of several big exams, but his wife Sarah came. No one had been able to reach Mary to tell her about the surgery at all. Ruthie couldn't forgive Dad lying to her, telling her just last weekend that he was fine when he already knew he had to have heart surgery, so she was home with the twins.
I felt like Mom expected me to make Ruthie change her mind, and I had let her down because Ruthie stayed at home. Ruthie had a right to her anger. She asked Dad point blank if he was okay, if everything was okay, and he told her he was fine. He looked her in the eye and he lied to her face. She definitely had aa right and a reason to be upset.
I envied her. I have never liked hospitals, and I hated even more to bring Mykaela to one. A hospital waiting room was no place for a baby.
I gathered her things and slung the bag over my shoulder. "I need to get some fresh air." I picked up Mykaela's carrier seat and hustled out of the room before anyone could stop me.
I didn't know where I was going, I didn't care. I just had to get out of that room, away from them, away from the sadness and the uncertainty. We wouldn't know anything until the surgery was over anyway. No sense sitting there going out of my mind with boredom and discomfort.
Mykaela and I ended up sitting on a bench outside the hospital. I wasted time people watching, observing people as they went in or came out of the hospital. I wondered what their stories were, and what the thought of me and my baby, if they even noticed us.
I noticed a girl who looked about my age come out the main doors. She glanced around, her eyes scanning past me. She looked as lost as I felt. I scooted over to make room for her, but she hesitated before she sat down next to me.
"Don't worry, I won't bite."
"I didn't think you would," she answered with a slight tremble to her voice. I wondered what her story could be, why she was here. I wanted to ask her, but it seemed rude and impolite.
"It's a beautiful day." I rocked Mykaela's seat with my foot.
The girl looked down at Mykaela and when she looked up again silent tears ran down her cheeks. She made no move to brush them away, and I couldn't help but notice the eerie, almost metallic tint of her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to cry. It's just...my grandma...she had a stroke last night and...and..."
"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it."
She shook her head spilling more tears as she did. "No. I want to. I want to talk about it. She had a stroke last night and she's not doing so good. The doctor said she might die and she'll probably be paralyzed or something if she doesn't die."
"I'm sorry." The words felt so inadequate.
"I had to get out of there. The waiting room I mean. I just had to get out. I hate hospitals."
"I know what you mean. My dad is having open heart surgery today. Everyone is just sitting around up there, waiting to hear how it went. I couldn't stand it another second in that room."
She nodded and took a deep, shuddering breath. "The smell...and if you're in there long enough everything tastes like that too. And...I know I should be there near my grandma...but, just a little fresh air is all."
"Yeah. Me too. I needed the fresh air. She needed the fresh air," I gestured at Mykaela then leaned down to pick her up. "This is Mykaela, by the way, and I'm Simon."
"Oh, I'm Victoria. She's beautiful," She smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
The way her eyes shifted from Mykaela to me, I know she had to be wondering if I was old enough to have a kid. She probably thought Mykaela was my little sister or something. I didn't see the point in telling her any different. "Do you want to hold her?"
"Okay."
I don't usually just hand Mykaela over to anyone, especially strangers, but something about Victoria made me trust her instantly. And I thought maybe holding Mykaela would help her relax. Something about babies tends to make people loosen up sometimes.
"I think she likes you," I whispered hoping to ease her anxiety a little.
It worked. She took a deep breath and seemed to relax just a little. "She looks new. How old is she?"
"She'll be a month old on Saturday."
"Wow. She is new." She lapsed into baby-talk and mindless cooing for a moment, and she actually laughed when Mykaela reached up and grabbed her nose.
I liked the sound of that, her laugh. Very soft and feminine. And I felt really good knowing I had helped her feel good too.
"Is she your baby sister?"
I shook my head and carefully weighed what I wanted to tell her. I had no obligation to her, no reason to tell her the truth. "No. She's my daughter." The words flowed naturally.
"Oh." She seemed to balk at that, as if the thought offended or frightened her. Her cheeks flushed a bright red and she tried to push Mykaela back into my arms. I resisted.
"It's okay. A lot of people think she's my sister. I'm sixteen, and I have a pretty big family anyway. My twin brothers are only three, so most people just assume Mykaela is just another sister."
"I didn't mean to be so nosey. I guess that's just easier than saying 'Is she yours?'"
I shrugged. I would have to get used to the questions and curious stares sooner or later. "I don't mind either way. I just tell people she's my baby." She nodded and rubbed her nose against Mykaela's. "She really seems to like you. You're a natural with her."
"My sister has a baby and I baby sit all the time."
"I can tell."
She nodded politely and passed Mykaela back to me then stood up and ran a hand through her hair.
"Are you going back inside?"
"I should. My mom...They're probably wondering where I am. I'm going to catch hell for running off anyway. I shouldn't be gone too long."
"Yeah. Me too." I put Mykaela back in her seat and hooked her bag on my shoulder before I got to my feet.
"Well, bye. Maybe I'll see you around more. But...too bad it's here."
"Yeah. Maybe we could..." I started to say maybe we could meet in the cafeteria or something, but I didn't want to seem too forward or pushy.
Victoria took a step back, toward the door. "Maybe. Okay. Well, bye."
"Bye. I hope your grandma is okay."
"Yeah. I hope your dad is too." She offered a little wave and then she was gone.
I sighed and headed inside.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
End chapter 7. I'm so sorry it took so long for this chapter. I had a hard time with it and finally asked my friend Jordan to help me. (She's helping me with If These Walls Could Talk, and Angry All The Time as well) So here it is. Thanks for being patient, thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews! You guys are the best! Lucky Star (JjsLuckyStar@aol.com)
Chapter 7/?
A 7th Heaven Fan Fic by Lucky Star
Chapter 7: Making A Friend
I looked around at everyone, all of us spread out in the small waiting room. Mom stood by the window looking out at the city. Lucy sat on a sofa with Kevin's arms around her, Ben and Roxanne on either side of them. Robbie and Sarah took up the two high backed chairs, both of them looking as uncomfortable and out of place as I felt. The Colonel and Grandma Ruth sat together on a smaller sofa.
Everyone must have felt the gaps where Matt, Mary, and Ruthie should have been. Matt couldn't get away from school because of several big exams, but his wife Sarah came. No one had been able to reach Mary to tell her about the surgery at all. Ruthie couldn't forgive Dad lying to her, telling her just last weekend that he was fine when he already knew he had to have heart surgery, so she was home with the twins.
I felt like Mom expected me to make Ruthie change her mind, and I had let her down because Ruthie stayed at home. Ruthie had a right to her anger. She asked Dad point blank if he was okay, if everything was okay, and he told her he was fine. He looked her in the eye and he lied to her face. She definitely had aa right and a reason to be upset.
I envied her. I have never liked hospitals, and I hated even more to bring Mykaela to one. A hospital waiting room was no place for a baby.
I gathered her things and slung the bag over my shoulder. "I need to get some fresh air." I picked up Mykaela's carrier seat and hustled out of the room before anyone could stop me.
I didn't know where I was going, I didn't care. I just had to get out of that room, away from them, away from the sadness and the uncertainty. We wouldn't know anything until the surgery was over anyway. No sense sitting there going out of my mind with boredom and discomfort.
Mykaela and I ended up sitting on a bench outside the hospital. I wasted time people watching, observing people as they went in or came out of the hospital. I wondered what their stories were, and what the thought of me and my baby, if they even noticed us.
I noticed a girl who looked about my age come out the main doors. She glanced around, her eyes scanning past me. She looked as lost as I felt. I scooted over to make room for her, but she hesitated before she sat down next to me.
"Don't worry, I won't bite."
"I didn't think you would," she answered with a slight tremble to her voice. I wondered what her story could be, why she was here. I wanted to ask her, but it seemed rude and impolite.
"It's a beautiful day." I rocked Mykaela's seat with my foot.
The girl looked down at Mykaela and when she looked up again silent tears ran down her cheeks. She made no move to brush them away, and I couldn't help but notice the eerie, almost metallic tint of her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to cry. It's just...my grandma...she had a stroke last night and...and..."
"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it."
She shook her head spilling more tears as she did. "No. I want to. I want to talk about it. She had a stroke last night and she's not doing so good. The doctor said she might die and she'll probably be paralyzed or something if she doesn't die."
"I'm sorry." The words felt so inadequate.
"I had to get out of there. The waiting room I mean. I just had to get out. I hate hospitals."
"I know what you mean. My dad is having open heart surgery today. Everyone is just sitting around up there, waiting to hear how it went. I couldn't stand it another second in that room."
She nodded and took a deep, shuddering breath. "The smell...and if you're in there long enough everything tastes like that too. And...I know I should be there near my grandma...but, just a little fresh air is all."
"Yeah. Me too. I needed the fresh air. She needed the fresh air," I gestured at Mykaela then leaned down to pick her up. "This is Mykaela, by the way, and I'm Simon."
"Oh, I'm Victoria. She's beautiful," She smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
The way her eyes shifted from Mykaela to me, I know she had to be wondering if I was old enough to have a kid. She probably thought Mykaela was my little sister or something. I didn't see the point in telling her any different. "Do you want to hold her?"
"Okay."
I don't usually just hand Mykaela over to anyone, especially strangers, but something about Victoria made me trust her instantly. And I thought maybe holding Mykaela would help her relax. Something about babies tends to make people loosen up sometimes.
"I think she likes you," I whispered hoping to ease her anxiety a little.
It worked. She took a deep breath and seemed to relax just a little. "She looks new. How old is she?"
"She'll be a month old on Saturday."
"Wow. She is new." She lapsed into baby-talk and mindless cooing for a moment, and she actually laughed when Mykaela reached up and grabbed her nose.
I liked the sound of that, her laugh. Very soft and feminine. And I felt really good knowing I had helped her feel good too.
"Is she your baby sister?"
I shook my head and carefully weighed what I wanted to tell her. I had no obligation to her, no reason to tell her the truth. "No. She's my daughter." The words flowed naturally.
"Oh." She seemed to balk at that, as if the thought offended or frightened her. Her cheeks flushed a bright red and she tried to push Mykaela back into my arms. I resisted.
"It's okay. A lot of people think she's my sister. I'm sixteen, and I have a pretty big family anyway. My twin brothers are only three, so most people just assume Mykaela is just another sister."
"I didn't mean to be so nosey. I guess that's just easier than saying 'Is she yours?'"
I shrugged. I would have to get used to the questions and curious stares sooner or later. "I don't mind either way. I just tell people she's my baby." She nodded and rubbed her nose against Mykaela's. "She really seems to like you. You're a natural with her."
"My sister has a baby and I baby sit all the time."
"I can tell."
She nodded politely and passed Mykaela back to me then stood up and ran a hand through her hair.
"Are you going back inside?"
"I should. My mom...They're probably wondering where I am. I'm going to catch hell for running off anyway. I shouldn't be gone too long."
"Yeah. Me too." I put Mykaela back in her seat and hooked her bag on my shoulder before I got to my feet.
"Well, bye. Maybe I'll see you around more. But...too bad it's here."
"Yeah. Maybe we could..." I started to say maybe we could meet in the cafeteria or something, but I didn't want to seem too forward or pushy.
Victoria took a step back, toward the door. "Maybe. Okay. Well, bye."
"Bye. I hope your grandma is okay."
"Yeah. I hope your dad is too." She offered a little wave and then she was gone.
I sighed and headed inside.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
End chapter 7. I'm so sorry it took so long for this chapter. I had a hard time with it and finally asked my friend Jordan to help me. (She's helping me with If These Walls Could Talk, and Angry All The Time as well) So here it is. Thanks for being patient, thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews! You guys are the best! Lucky Star (JjsLuckyStar@aol.com)