Chapter Eight

They headed home to shower then went to the hospital. Frank was there with Bella who was letting the world know she was ready to eat from Mommy. "Thanks Frank, how has she been?" Eddie asked, taking her daughter

"Okay," he replied. But she just got upset and won't stop. She wants Mommy.'

Eddie cooed bringing her close, "It's okay, Mommy is right here"

She ducked into the bathroom to nurse Bella while Jamie sat down next to Mary. "Hey honey daddy is here," Jamie carefully took her hand in his. Mary surprised him by opening her big bright eyes.

"Daddy," she croaked out, her voice raw from the tubes and lack of drink. "I'm thirsty."

Jamie smiled, "Okay, baby. Let's have a little water, okay?" Jamie poured some water in a cup and held Mary's head so she could drink. "Where's Mommy?"

"She's feeding Bella, she'll be right here," Jamie told her softly. "She'll be here in just a minute."

Jamie held his breath, he didn't know when she would ask about her brother, but he knew she would. He tried to ward it off as long as he could. "How do you feel?" Jamie kissed her forehead.

"Funny…" Mary replied. "All cloudy like I have a cold. Do I have a cold? I'm not stuffy."

"No, honey," Jamie said softly. "No baby, you don't have a cold, you got a really big and bad boo boo on your legs. Do they hurt?"

Mary shook her head, 'I don't feel it there, my leg. It's all heavy."

Jamie nodded, "That's good it doesn't hurt.' He was scared though, what did it mean she had no feeling? They had to speak to the doctor about that.

Eddie appeared in the doorway with Bella, "Hey, look who's awake! How's my big girl? Are you hungry?"

Mary thought about it for a minute, "Yeah, I'm hungry. Can I have oatmeal?"

Jamie stood up, "I'll go get her some, you want me to take Bella?"

Eddie handed the infant to Jamie so they could have some time. She went to Mary's bedside and gently lowered the side of the bed. She laid down next to her little girl and held her tight. "I love you so much," Eddie whispered. "You rest and you'll get well soon, okay?"

Mary nodded, "I have to go potty." She moved to try to get up but Eddie held her down. "Mommy will help you honey. Let's call the nurse."

It killed Eddie to see her daughter like this, but she would take this over the way she had seen her little boy, in a tiny navy blue suit, lying in a coffin. She would take this a million times over…

"It's really good news that she's started to have enough feeling that she knew she had to go to the bathroom," the nurse smiled. "The swelling is going down, and we'll be able to get a real assessment on what is happening with her leg. The doctor will be by in just a few minutes to discuss the prognosis."

Jamie returned with baby Bella in a clean diaper as the doctor approached. They held their breath as he began to speak softly so Mary couldn't hear him.

"As of right now," he said with a smile. "Mary's legs are officially out of the danger zone for amputation. She is going to have a very hard rehab, there is extensive damage to the vessels and nerves, but with time and work she should regain full use of her left leg. I can't speak for her right leg thus far, it's got a lot more damage than the left and some of the nerves were severed, that will impede its use for life."

Eddie took a breath, life…her baby girl was five and she would have this injury for life. She would have scars up and down her legs for her life…well that she could fix, they'd find a plastic surgeon to fix that, but the superficial scars would be the least of it.

"What can we do on our end to improve that?" Jamie asked.

"Well, as she gets stronger, she'll be starting physical therapy," Dr. Shapiro replied. "The regimen is strict and that's difficult for anyone let alone a five year old child. She'll need your support, physically to do her exercises and emotionally to get through this. I would recommend a psychologist as well to help her with the impact of her injuries and the loss of her brother, but many parents find that five is too young for that part of things. "

Eddie agreed, "We will give her the love and support she needs, thank you for being so frank with us about her condition. When can she come home, I know she's going to ask us."

"Well, I'll be ready to discharge her from here within the week if she keeps improving, then a few month stint at rehab…"

"No," Eddie said firmly. "No rehab hospital. I'll take her every day and bring her home at night. No long-term hospital. Teach us what to do at home, we'll do that and take her to therapy as often as required."

Dr. Shapiro only nodded, he knew that he'd get backlash from the mother, he usually did. He'd count on Jamie to talk Eddie into the rehab hospital, at least for now. "You can go on to see her and I'll be back later this afternoon."

"She's awake more now," Jamie sighed. "She's going to be asking about Joe. They are so close."

"I know," Eddie replied. "I think we just need to talk to her about what happened so that she doesn't feel like we betrayed her on top everything else."

"She's only five, she doesn't know about betrayal," Jamie replied. "But I agree, we should certainly tell her. I'll ask her nurse if we can pick her up and hold her or if we have to lay with her."

The nurse agreed that they could take Mary onto their laps and hold her tight. Jamie gently picked Mary up and laid her in Eddie's arms. She laid her head on Eddie's breast and sighed, already tired. How did they do this? How did they tell their little girl her brother was dead? How?

Jamie's throat hurt with the need to cry, he and Eddie silently agreed he would do the talking. Before Jamie opened his mouth though, Mary beat him too it. "Bella is sleeping on the floor but where is Joey? Is he with Grandpa?"

Jamie took a long breath, "No, pumpkin. No, he isn't. Joey…do you remember what happened in the car when you were with Daddy, Uncle Danny, Joey and Bella?"

Mary shut her eyes to remember, "No," she replied. "I just remember hot dogs."

"Well," Jamie continued. "After the hot dogs and the ice cream, we all got into the car and…there was a very bad…"

Jamie could not go on.

"Honey there was a very bad accident after," Eddie finished watching her daughter.

Mary cocked her head trying to bring back the memory. "No, wasn't. We weren't driving in the car, we were sitting still in our seats."

"I know honey but…" eddie began.

Mary shook her head, "Did Joey get a boo boo too?"

Eddie's eyes watered, "yes honey Joey was so little for the accident."

"Can I go see him in his room" she asked. Her eyes got wide at her mother.

"I'm sorry honey Joey went to see God in Heaven," Eddie said.

Mary pouted at that then squeaked and began to cry, 'but I want Joey here..."

"I know we all want joey here," Eddie hugged her tight

She sniffled and turned her head, the tear running down in a steady stream. "But Joey is still little, old people go there."

Eddie rocked Mary, "Usually, but sometimes little people do too."

Jamie held them both, "Daddy knows how confusing this is, Buttons. It's okay to be angry, scared, confused, okay? Anything you feel is okay."

"It isn't fair joey should be here with us? Why can't he be with us?"

Eddie looked at Jamie, he had the answer to that, the answer was, that was his mistake.

"Because God needed him for a special reason, we all want joe with us honey."

Mary curled as best she could, when she tried to curl her legs up and go fetal she cried out in pain.

"Let it out honey," Eddie soothed rocking her tightly against her chest.

The nurse poked her head into the room and saw them holding each other. "I'm sorry, but we need to take Mary now for tests?"

"Mary, the nurse needs to take you now, but Mommy and Daddy will be here when you're done."

"No..." she sobbed. " No...no...Mommy!"

Sighing Eddie held onto her daughter, "Ssh, Mommy is right here, I'm not leaving I promise."

"Mommy, hold me, Mommy!" Mary tried to kick but she couldn't.

"I'm here baby, Mommy is right here," Eddie cradled her.

Jamie turned to the nurse, "She can't go down right now, she needs a break, and she needs her Mommy."

"Sure, we can give her a few more minutes. I'll stall a bit and then we'll take her down to have the tests done," the nurse said.

Jamie nodded and stroked Mary's hair. "Ssh honey...Mary, please listen baby." Eddie glared at him.

Mary buried her head in Eddie's chest shaking her head side to side.

Everything in Eddie wanted to scoop her baby up and run. She hated all of this, she hated it.

Sighing Jamie leaned down and gave Mary a gentle kiss on her head. "We are here honey."

Jamie took a deep breath, and picked Mary up. We will be here when you come back." Jamie rocked Mary a bit more then handed the crying child to the nurse.

It broke their hearts to hear Mary sobbing all the way down the hall.