Rosalind
This story and all themes and ideas contained in said story are the sole
ownership of J.L. Scott. Any copyright infringements can be prosecuted in a
court of law.
To borrow a phrase: NYPD Blue no mine......no permission..no money, no sue, please?
"Hi, Mommy" Rosalind said quietly as she entered the dimly illuminated room. The light hurt Grace's eyes. John had cautioned his daughter that her mother was in a lot of pain and so might not want to talk for very long.
Grace opened her eyes and though it still hurt her to smile, John could see the sheer delight in her eyes. It was a big improvement over the fear that had rested there hours earlier. He had sat with her until night had fallen and then he'd gone out to find some food and pick up his daughter from Maria's.
"Hi, sweetie!" Grace said, softly, but not with as much pain as she had earlier. John was happy to notice the improvement. He pulled a chair over to the bed for Ros to kneel on so she could hold her mother's hand.
"Oh, I missed you" Grace said.
"I'm sorry" Rosalind answered. Grace smiled.
"It's okay." Grace answered, "It's not your fault"
"Daddy said it was a bad man who hurt you" Rosalind told her.
"That's right. A bad man hurt me because he was angry at me." Grace told her. Her policy was that the truth was the best story.
"Why was he mad at you?" Ros asked. Grace swallowed.
"That doesn't matter right now" John answered for her, "But don't you worry. Daddy and Uncle Andy are going to catch him and put him in jail where he can't hurt anyone else ever again" Ros nodded, complete trust in her face.
"Are you going to be okay, Mommy?" she asked. Grace smiled.
"Yep. I'll get better, don't worry. Daddy and Grandma are going to take care of me" Grace didn't particularly like doctors.
"You'll be okay too. You go to school tomorrow and do your work. Daddy will bring you back to see me okay?"
"Can't I stay and help take care of you?" Rosalind asked. John smiled.
"You can't stay, but you can help" Grace answered with a smile of her own, "You can draw me pretty pictures to put on the walls. Maybe you can bring me my favorite blanky?" Ros nodded gravely, impressed with her important job. They all looked as Paul entered the room quietly. He smiled gently at the little girl.
"Okay, it's time to go now, Ros" John said, taking her by the hand, "Mommy needs to sleep to get better, and you need some dinner" Rosalind stopped walking toward the door.
"Why are you leaving?" she asked suddenly, sounding shocked.
"I'm going to take you home" John answered, slightly confused.
"Then who's going to stay with Mommy?" she demanded.
"I will, don't worry, Acushla" Paul told her, using the pet name her uncles had given her.
"But Daddy has to take care of her" Rosalind said, slipping her hand out of John's hand and putting it in Paul's, "I'll go with Uncle Paul. You stay here and take care of Mommy"
"Honey." John started.
"John" Grace interrupted. He looked over. He could tell she'd rather he stay with her.
"It's all right" Paul said softly, "I'll take her" John sighed and took his keys out. He handed them to Paul.
"She'll need pajamas" he said then bent down and hugged Rosalind.
"You be good okay? I'll see you tomorrow after school?" Rosalind nodded, again with the serious look on her face, and followed her uncle out the door. He walked slowly back to Grace. She gave him a little smile. He pulled his shoes off and stretched out in the narrow bed next to her, and she rested her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her red hair, which was still in plaits, and together they fell asleep.
To borrow a phrase: NYPD Blue no mine......no permission..no money, no sue, please?
"Hi, Mommy" Rosalind said quietly as she entered the dimly illuminated room. The light hurt Grace's eyes. John had cautioned his daughter that her mother was in a lot of pain and so might not want to talk for very long.
Grace opened her eyes and though it still hurt her to smile, John could see the sheer delight in her eyes. It was a big improvement over the fear that had rested there hours earlier. He had sat with her until night had fallen and then he'd gone out to find some food and pick up his daughter from Maria's.
"Hi, sweetie!" Grace said, softly, but not with as much pain as she had earlier. John was happy to notice the improvement. He pulled a chair over to the bed for Ros to kneel on so she could hold her mother's hand.
"Oh, I missed you" Grace said.
"I'm sorry" Rosalind answered. Grace smiled.
"It's okay." Grace answered, "It's not your fault"
"Daddy said it was a bad man who hurt you" Rosalind told her.
"That's right. A bad man hurt me because he was angry at me." Grace told her. Her policy was that the truth was the best story.
"Why was he mad at you?" Ros asked. Grace swallowed.
"That doesn't matter right now" John answered for her, "But don't you worry. Daddy and Uncle Andy are going to catch him and put him in jail where he can't hurt anyone else ever again" Ros nodded, complete trust in her face.
"Are you going to be okay, Mommy?" she asked. Grace smiled.
"Yep. I'll get better, don't worry. Daddy and Grandma are going to take care of me" Grace didn't particularly like doctors.
"You'll be okay too. You go to school tomorrow and do your work. Daddy will bring you back to see me okay?"
"Can't I stay and help take care of you?" Rosalind asked. John smiled.
"You can't stay, but you can help" Grace answered with a smile of her own, "You can draw me pretty pictures to put on the walls. Maybe you can bring me my favorite blanky?" Ros nodded gravely, impressed with her important job. They all looked as Paul entered the room quietly. He smiled gently at the little girl.
"Okay, it's time to go now, Ros" John said, taking her by the hand, "Mommy needs to sleep to get better, and you need some dinner" Rosalind stopped walking toward the door.
"Why are you leaving?" she asked suddenly, sounding shocked.
"I'm going to take you home" John answered, slightly confused.
"Then who's going to stay with Mommy?" she demanded.
"I will, don't worry, Acushla" Paul told her, using the pet name her uncles had given her.
"But Daddy has to take care of her" Rosalind said, slipping her hand out of John's hand and putting it in Paul's, "I'll go with Uncle Paul. You stay here and take care of Mommy"
"Honey." John started.
"John" Grace interrupted. He looked over. He could tell she'd rather he stay with her.
"It's all right" Paul said softly, "I'll take her" John sighed and took his keys out. He handed them to Paul.
"She'll need pajamas" he said then bent down and hugged Rosalind.
"You be good okay? I'll see you tomorrow after school?" Rosalind nodded, again with the serious look on her face, and followed her uncle out the door. He walked slowly back to Grace. She gave him a little smile. He pulled his shoes off and stretched out in the narrow bed next to her, and she rested her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her red hair, which was still in plaits, and together they fell asleep.