Title: Little Ray of Sunshine
Disclaimer: I won Simone Grace Jones
Summary: Susie looks back on her life with her daughter as she watches Simone lay still in the ICU.
Dedication: Mandy, Manda, Blaire, Nat, Haylz, Chantal, Paige…and whoever else reads it!
Susie sat in the hospital room staring at her daughter. She had tears pouring down her face as she held Simone's motionless hand in her own.
"Hey." Jonesy forced a smile as he walked into the room. He placed a hand on Susie's shoulder. "How is she?"
"There still hasn't been any change." Susie replied. "What if she doesn't get better Jonesy? What am I supposed to do then?"
"She'll be alright Suse. She's like you, she's strong."
"She just looks so still. I just want her to move. She has to get better Jonesy." Susie cried into his shoulder as he held her.
"Do you remember when we found out you were pregnant with her?" Jonesy asked.
"Yeah." Susie smiled. "We never thought it was going to be possible."
"I'm just glad it was." Jonesy hugged Susie close then looked at Simone.
Her father says she has to have a name,
Not the same as her mum's, but a name just the same,
"I'm sorry Mrs Jones but I'm afraid there is very little chance of you getting pregnant. Your ovaries were badly damaged in the accident."
Susie burst into tears and buried herself in Jonesy's chest.
A little ray of sunshine has come into the world,
A little ray of sunshine in the shape of a girl.
"Guess what!" Susie beamed at Jonesy. She was holding something in her hands.
"Is that what I think it is?" Jonesy asked.
"Uhuh." She replied.
"Does that mean?"
"Yes!" Susie screamed and she jumped into Jonesy's arms. "We're going to have a baby!"
"Ahh!" Jonesy spun her around and around then put her down and kissed her passionately.
We'll show her the dress that she'll wear
With the gold flowing hair that nature provided
"Wow, look at that. It's our little baby." Susie squeezed Jonesy's hand.
"Do you want to know the sex of your baby?"
"I think I know already." Susie smiled. "Are we having a girl?"
"You certainly are." The doctor replied with a grin.
"We're going to have a girl. I don't believe it." Susie was crying because she was so happy.
My little ray of sunshine has come into the world,
My little ray of sunshine in the shape of a girl.
"Okay one last push and she'll be out!" the doctor cried. Susie screamed and squeezed Jonesy's hand so hard it went numb. Then a few seconds later they all heard the scream of a beautiful baby girl.
"Congratulations guys. You've got a beautiful healthy baby girl."
Susie once again started crying and surprisingly Jonesy shed a few tears too.
"She's gorgeous."
"She has your eyes." Susie beamed.
"And your hair."
"So have you decided on a name yet?" the nurse asked, taking her away to clean her up.
"Simone. Simone Grace Jones." Susie smiled.
She can make you feel good,
She can make you feel that it's all worthwhile,
Only by her smile, only by her smile...
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Simone. Happy birthday to you!' Everyone surrounded a 5 year old Simone and sung her birthday song. They watched as she blew out the candles, unfortunately she leant in too far and her hair caught fire.
"Simone look out!" Susie cried rushing towards her and pulling her back. Simone screamed out in pain as the fire engulfed her whole head, burning away all her hair.
Jonesy grabbed a towel and threw it over her head.
Have you noticed she's just like her father?
And I think that I'd rather
Her hair was much darker,
Susie ran her fingers gently across the scar on Simone's face. She remembered how hard the few hours of agony Susie went through when Simone was admitted to hospital after that accident at her birthday party. Then the months of pain that Simone went through while she was waiting for her hair to grow back and her burns to heal over. Susie gulped back tears as she remembered more of the events that had happened throughout Simone's life.
When Simone was ten she fell off a fence and broke her leg in three places and fractured her arm, when she was twelve she had to have stitches in her knee because she fell down some stairs and she had several scrapes, bruises and cuts from various falls, most of which had been from playing sports or climbing trees.
My little ray of sunshine has come into the world,
My little ray of sunshine in the shape of a girl.
"I'm sorry I'm going to have to ask you to leave. It's time to change her bandages." A nurse said politely to Susie and Jonesy.
"Come on Suse. Let's go home for a while. You need to get some sleep."
"I can't leave her. What if she wakes up and we're not here?"
"I'm sure we'll get a call as soon as she wakes up. But you need some sleep Susie. You can hardly keep your eyes open."
"I'm fine." Susie said, trying to hide her yawn.
"Come one. We'll come back tomorrow morning." Jonesy tried to pull her up.
"Alright. But I'm coming back first thing in the morning." Susie cried.
"Okay. I'll drive you over here first thing before work."
Susie slowly let go of Simone's hand and followed Jonesy out of the room. She took one last look at Simone before he led her away.
She can make you feel good,
she can make you feel that it's all worthwhile,
only by her smile, only by her smile, only by her smile ...
"Where are you going?" Susie asked Simone.
"To a party." Simone replied.
"It's a school night." Susie cried.
"So."
"What has happened to you? You used to be such a good girl. Now you're just…not." Susie sighed. "It's those new friends you are hanging out with isn't it?"
"Mum leave it alone. I'm sixteen I'm not a little kid anymore. I can do what I want."
"Not if you want to live under this roof you can't." Jonesy warned.
"Well maybe I don't want to live under this roof anymore. I'm sick of you two. You're way over protective of me."
"Because we're worried about you." Susie was almost crying.
"Well you don't have to be anymore. I'm a big girl I can look after myself."
There was a sound of a motorbike pulling up outside.
"That's Jaycee." Simone put her leather jacket on.
"You're not going out tonight. You have school tomorrow."
"I've had these plans for ages and I'm not going to cancel them just because of school."
"You are not leaving this house!" Jonesy stepped in front of her.
"I'm sixteen. You can't make me do anything anymore!" Simone cried.
"If you walk out of that house don't expect to walk back in again after that." Jonesy warned.
"Fine see if I care!" Simone grabbed her bag and pushed past Jonesy then left the house, slamming the front door behind her. Susie heard the motorbike speed off and she burst into tears.
"Why does she have to be like that?" Susie said through her tears. "She used to be such a good girl."
"She's a teenager. These things happen Susie."
"I just wish she would at least try and make an effort at school." Susie sighed.
"It's alright. She'll grow out of it Susie. Don't worry."
Jonesy sat beside her on the couch and the two of them cried together.
Talking 'bout my little ray of sunshine,
My little ray of sunshine,
The phone rang at three in the morning. Susie groaned as Jonesy reached over to answer it. It was his mobile and the caller ID said it was Simone calling him.
"Simone do you have any idea what time it is? If you expect me to come and pick you up you're wrong."
"I'm sorry I'm not Simone."
"Oh…" Jonesy looked twice at the caller ID. "Why do you have her phone?"
"I'm afraid there's been an accident." The man said.
"Accident?" Jonesy cried and sat up straight. "What do you mean?"
"Well I'm afraid it doesn't look good. I've called the ambulance and they've taken your daughter to the hospital. I found her phone in one of her pockets and I thought you might want to know what had happened."
"Where's Simone? Is she okay?" Susie's face went white.
"What happened? What accident? Where is my daughter?" Susie grabbed the phone off Jonesy.
"She's been taken to the local hospital. Her injuries looked really bad."
"What happened?" Susie gulped.
"She was in an accident. I don't know what happened but it looked like she might have come off the back of a bike. The bike was found about ten metres down the road from her and unfortunately the young boy didn't make it through."
"Oh god I have to go and see her." Susie cried. She gave the phone back to Jonesy and jumped out of bed. She threw some clothes on and headed for the car.
"Wait Susie." Jonesy quickly shoved some clothes on and followed her.
Little ray of sunshine,
Little ray, little ray, little ray,
"Mr and Mrs Jones. Thankyou for coming in so late." The doctor looked at Susie who was in tears. They were sitting in the doctor's office after being called in early in the morning. Susie was clinging to Jonesy really tight. She knew exactly what the doctor was about to say.
"She's dead isn't she?" Susie gulped.
"I'm sorry Mrs Jones. We did everything we could."
"Oh god!" Susie burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. Jonesy put his arms around her and tried so hard not to cry.
"Hey it's alright."
"It's not alright. My daughter is dead!" Susie screamed.
"She's my daughter too." Jonesy replied.
"I'm sorry. I just…" She turned to the doctor. "Can I see her?"
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea Suse."
"I want to see her. I have to say goodbye."
"Alright." The doctor agreed and she led Susie and Jonesy towards the morgue.
"Can we have a few minutes alone?" Susie asked.
"Sure." The doctor walked out.
"I'll leave you too it." Jonesy gulped back his tears. "I know you want to say goodbye but I don't think I could bear to see her." Jonesy sighed.
"It's alright. I'll only be a few minutes. I have to do this." She bit her lip.
"Okay. I'll be right out here." He let Susie go and she slowly walked into where they were keeping Simone.
"Hey baby girl." Susie walked up to Simone's lifeless body. "I'm so sorry I was mad at you. I should have tried harder to protect you instead of letting you run off with that…I'm just sorry." Susie cried. She picked up Simone's cold hand and held it tightly. "I'm sorry you won't get to grow up and be happy. I would have loved to see you grow up and have children of your own." Susie had tears pouring down her face. "And I'm sorry you won't get to see your little sister as well. She would have loved you." Susie gently placed Simone's cold hand on her stomach but instead of being cold she felt a warm glow right through her and she smiled.
"You will always be with us Simone. We will love you forever all three of us!" Susie kissed her hand then placed it back down carefully and walked out of the room with a smile on her face for the first time in a month.
Sweet little darlin',
My little ray of sunshine, woa woa woa ... hmmmm...