Ratchet's P.O.V.
"Ratchet, can I go back to our room now that I can get up?" Jasmine asks.
"Go ahead; it's a slow day," Jolt tells me.
I help Jasmine get in the wheelchair and take her to our room.
I let her lie on the couch and watch T.V. It's hard knowing the only reason she's doing ok mentally is that she's sick. Even with what Damian, Ryley, and I agree on, I still worry about telling Jasmine how her baby sister is doing.
Damian: did you tell her?
Ratchet: I don't know if it's a good idea
Damian: everything is set, even if Ryley and I are the baby's legal guardians.
Ratchet: I'm waiting until we talk to a lawyer.
I can't hurt her more than she is. What if the legal system can forbid her from seeing her sister? I would have loved to have dealt with Yazmine. The family is in danger until she's dealt with, and the system can use that against us. It's going to be rough once Jasmine is well...
... though it's rough now that the medication wore off. I'm glad I had Jasmine get to bed beforehand, and it's a struggle to get her warm.
I can tell she's scared she's getting worse — even though she knows the flu can make you feel like scrap. She will not want to eat, but she needs something. They gave her little food while held captive, but there was no damage to her digestive system. I want her to eat a little.
"No," Jasmine weakly says.
"You have to eat something. Ok, at least drink a bit of the soup broth."
I knew she wouldn't want to sit up, and just sitting up a little to drink without choking is hard for her.
"You want me to help you get in a warm bath?"'
"No..."
I give Jasmine medicine and make sure she's warm before going to the medbay.
As I walk down the hall, the three soldiers used as bait to kidnap Jasmine approach me.
They were just released from the hospital and worried about Jasmine.
"I don't know how she'll be, but she's sick right now," I tell them.
They want to see her, but I tell them to wait until Jasmine feels better.
"We know you've been pissed you couldn't help us, but you had other important things to deal with. Jasmine has her baby sister rather than the baby in the system
thanks to you," one soldier explains before they all walk away.
It's a rough night for Jasmine. Her fever went up, and she's freezing. This is not what I had in mind for cuddling with my girl as the medicine kicks in. She's finally asleep — hopefully for the night.
Jasmine's P.O.V.
I can't believe I slept all night, but I woke up feeling like shit. Ratchet left to get breakfast, but I didn't feel like eating; I felt like throwing up. I can't even get out of bed to the bathroom. I worry about how I'll be after this flu. I know nightmares will return, but how bad will they be?
Ratchet returns as I need to throw up. I can't believe how fast he got the trash bin.
"This is good; you're getting better," he says as I throw up.
"I'm not eating," I tell him as I lay back down.
I knew he'd argue I have to, though he brought chicken broth for me, hoping I'd drink. I do as he wants but immediately throw it up, and I'm scared there's something seriously wrong.
"You're ok," Ratchet assures me as I cry.
He says he'll get medicine and be right back. Wonder if he's even hungry after all this?
Ratchet returns twenty minutes later and tells me he's putting an IV in. I'm able to hold off needing to throw up until he finishes.
"I'm not leaving you here alone," he says as he puts a cooling cloth on my forehead, "also, I want to wait until you can come with me to see the baby."
"I don't know, Ratchet; I think it's wise to stay away from her, so when the judge rules, I'm unfit to take care of her. The best I'll get is supervised visitation...if I'm lucky," I admit as tears roll down my face.
Ratchet says nothing as he finishes.
Ratchet's P.O.V.
I hate how even while she's sick, Jasmine already thinks she should stay away from her baby sister. Damian told me he and Ryley would talk to the lawyer today. We know the system will be tough on Jasmine and judge her mental state, and I suspect they'll use how Jasmine and I aren't even married against us.
Optimus asks to sit with Jasmine, insisting I go with Damian and Ryley to talk to the lawyer.
"She already thinks we lost, and you know how it's hard to think when sick," I sigh.
I met up with Damian and Ryley, telling them how Jasmine was doing and what she told me. They vow to fight for Jasmine and me to be the baby's guardians, and they'll often visit and help us. I have to hide my fear, and Jasmine is right.
"Hello, my name is Florence Duke. I must inform you that this is a unique case beyond being an alien, Ratchet. I'm sorry, it's my job to tell you all the cold hard truth. It's heartbreaking what happened to the Graham family."
We talk about what we would like to happen and the process. I knew a mental evaluation would be part of the process, but I was also hoping to be wrong. It's scary Florence believes the judge will see what happened to Jasmine as a reason to deny guardianship then adoption. This could last months to a year. Damian, Ryley, and I worry about what will happen to the baby if this takes a long time.
After the meeting, Damian, Ryley, and I visit the baby. The visit with the lawyer has made me afraid to hold her — even if Jasmine and I may visit her often. I sit by the incubator for twenty minutes before needing to leave the NICU and sit on a chair in the hallway, finally letting myself cry.
Twenty minutes pass before Ryley finds me. She sits on the chair next to me and hugs me.
"I know it's hard, but you have to think positive," she says.
"I don't know if I should let Jasmine see her or not. She's going to be struggling mentally, and if she's told to stay away from her baby sister..."
Now that we have a lawyer, my anxiety is high again.