Authors Note:
Thank you everyone for the encouragement to continue to write. I truly appreciate your reviews and am enjoying telling this story. Updates will be slow. I'm sorry for that, but apparently my muse enjoys long vacations in between brief periods of work. I know it drives me insane when I enjoy a story and they continuously leave me hanging for long periods of time. Not to point any fingers but:
*cough *cough AnEvilRegalFostersFan
*cough *cough Junebugsm
…
"Our baby?" She chokes out.
"Yes, my love. I know we said this was only until they found their forever home, but I can't bear it." Just the thought of the Jacob siblings leaving us is enough to break my heart. "That little girl and her brother were meant to be ours. It just took a little while for them to get here."
Stef
"Well, Momma, it's been three days and Callie's lungs are doing well and she has had little seizure activity. You're little girl will be home before you know it." The nurse tells me as she picks up her gear from Callie's latest respiratory treatment.
If you want to call still in a coma, having a twelve foot needle shoved into her chest to relieve fluid, or daily sessions with that ape that beats on her back to dislodge mucus doing well… I am able to keep my thoughts in my head. The nurse is trying to comfort me I know, but I don't have much grace for anyone but Callie right now.
"Thank you", is all I say aloud, "and it's Mom" I finish in my head. I sigh as I turn back to face my daughter, feeling a little guilty now for my uncourteous thoughts. I know she was only trying to encourage me. Everyone has been feeling my mental ire over the last three days. I've been spending extra time at the hospital just to be away from home and ensure nothing spills over onto my kids and wife. Plus I need to be here with Callie, but I am so tired, so worried, and just so DAMN MAD! What the Hell were you thinking Callie! Running back into a burning building! Who the hell do you think you are, super woman! I worry about all of you every day. Did you do your homework, did you remember you lunch, and are your stressed, worried or scared? Do you have a little pocket money if you need it? Are you cold? AND YOU WANT TO ADD FUCKING HERO COMPLEX TO THE MIX!
The hum of the blood pressure cup filling brings me out of my internal raging, leaving me in tears. I place a kiss to the back of the hand I haven't let go of since I arrived and begin to cry in earnest. "Callie, oh baby, please be okay. I need you to wake up. I feel so broken without you. Come back to me." I am openly weeping now.
"Stef?" I hear my loves voice calling to her arms wrap around me. "Honey, she will wake up. I know it's hard but hopefully within the next week or so they will start bringing her around. Please don't cry"
"Lena, how can I not cry? Our baby almost died. We don't know what her or our lives are going to look like even when she does wake. How much brain damage does she actually have? Will she speak or be able to go to school? Will she need special care for the rest of her life? If she does, can we prove that we have the ability to care for her so the state will let us still adopt her? Can we take care of her? Do you still want to?" I regret the words as soon as they are out of my mouth. This whole situation has me in a whirlwind of despair.
"Stefanie Marie Foster!" I cringe at the use of my full name. I'm so in for it if I don't head this off.
"Adams-Foster, actually" I correct her with my version of a sheepish apologetic look, it doesn't work.
"Cute." She says sarcastically. "Stef, I know you are hurting and worried, but don't you dare to ever ask me something like that again!" She has tears in her eyes as she continues. "That is my daughter. I know you two connect in so many ways because you are so similar, but you better believe that just makes me love her all the more. We will prove that not only are we capable of giving her all the care she needs but that we are the only reasonable choice for offering that kind of care. We are her parents. It couldn't be any truer if she had physically come from our bodies." Lena takes my hand and plays with the ring she placed upon it. "It is like our marriage, for years we weren't allowed to claim each other and it be recognized beyond just words, but we fought for that right just like we will fight for our daughter. When we have that piece of paper we will celebrate it and the lawful recognition of what we have known all along, she is our daughter. This accident doesn't change that." With that she kisses me hard. "I'm not letting you or your mini-me go."
I kiss my wife again, this time the kiss is softer and much shorter, but filled with just as much love. I tug her arm until she's sitting in my lap as we wait for the doctor to appear with today's update.
"Did you have any trouble with Jude this morning?" I asked, finally breaking the silence some twenty minutes later.
"Not really." Lena sighs standing up to go to the other side of Callie's bed and running her fingers though her hair. "He is just worried about his sister. He cried himself to sleep again last night. I'm grateful the weekend starts tomorrow. He is so exhausted I don't think he could handle anymore school this week, but I can't let him miss. He and Callie are already so far behind."
At this my wife begins to shake in an effort to hold back her tears. I quickly stand to envelope her in my arms and she quickly turns into my comfort. "Oh Stef, Callie has fought so hard to catch up and graduate on time. Even if she wakes up soon it could be months before she can start to try and catch-up and we don't know she can. Stef what if she can't, if she can't…"
"Lena, honey listen to me. Callie never ceases to amaze us with her resilience. Hell, she amazed doctor Carlson within the first twenty-four hours remember. He had never seen some ones stats comeback the way hers have after this level of an accident. He said that the only reason we are still in ICU is because she has to be monitored closely while in the induced coma. She is an amazing girl, and if it takes five years for her to finish high school, well that just gives me five more years to make sure she never does something so crazy ever again. Dr. Coulson and Dr. Eisa are satisfied with the direction her recovery is going. Try not to worry." I know I am a hypocrite saying it, but that not the point. Lena doesn't call me on my you shouldn't worry bullshit, because in the same moment we hear Dr. Coulson's calm voice near the hospital room door.
"I'm more than satisfied ladies. I'm going to remove the trach today. The pulmonologist was happy with Callie's last lung scan and is certain Callie will be fine with just nasal cannulas. We will start with an oxygen mask for a twelve hour observation period and if she does well we will change to the cannulas. This has the added benefit of allowing Callie a chance to heal before we begin to wake her in a couple of weeks. It is my hope that if given sufficient time to heal that Callie will be ready to try to speak and eat, physiologically at least. Again, we will not know much more about her mental cognition until she wakes."
Lena squeezes me a little tighter at this news. "It's a small victory, but for now even small victories will keep us going for now." I squeeze her back. Hell, who am I kidding, It will be such a relief not to see a fucking hole in my baby's neck. The elbow to my stomach and Dr. Coulson's cough let me know I didn't quite keep that last statement wholly in my head.
After a few more questions and assurances that Dr. Eisa would be by later in the afternoon Lena and I settled into chairs beside Callie. Lena held our daughter's hand while I held hers. We sat quietly for a few hours discussing the kids and their plans for the weekend. Lena was just telling me that Brandon wanted to go play with his band on an overnight gig. We had debated back and forth for a while about letting him go when my phone rings.
"Speak of the devil…" I say answering my phone. We decided that it would be better for Brandon to go out than dwell on what was happening here. Jesus had another meet this weekend and it would be difficult enough to get Jude and Mariana to leave the hospital as it was. "Hey B, momma and I were just talking about you…"
"Mom! We just got home. There are cameras and news people all around the house. Callie's story is all over the news. That dumb junkie gave her name to the press. Some reporter asked Jude if Callie was dying and he is super upset. He and Marianna are upstairs crying."
"Shit!" I bust out standing. "B, keep everyone inside. Have you called you dad?"
"Yes, he and some other police are here making everyone back away from the house."
I begin to pace, thinking quickly. "Okay, listen to me B do not go outside. Stay there until I talk to Momma and come up with a game plan - nobody leaves the house. Don't answer the house phone, and if you watch TV make sure to keep away from the news stations; it will just upset Jude. I love you my baby everything will be okay."
"Ok, love you too mom." I love this kid so much. He is such a good boy, I know Mike and I weren't half as responsible at his age. I turn to where Lena has been waiting barely hanging on to the last tendrils of her patience.
"Stef what is going on?" With a sigh I pull her back down to our now vacant chairs.
Shortly after recapping everything, Mike calls us to let me know our colleagues have everything well in hand and that our kids will remain safe and unmolested at home. He says the press has been warned non to kindly to give us our space. Apparently the captain didn't take it at all kindly that one of her officers' families were being harassed and quite a show of force came to discourage even the most persistent of reporters. Mike also offered to stay at our house and make sure Jesus gets to the bus for his meet. He will bring Marianna and Jude to the hospital tomorrow morning.
My relief at the neat diversion of the latest would be crises is short lived. Just as I return from speaking to hospital security I hear my wife groan out "Oh no."
I sigh and lean against the door way. "What now my love?"
Lena pinches the top of her nose still looking at her phone and not answering though it is lit up with an incoming call "I forgot to tell my parents about the fire. Everything has just been so busy and I've been so worried I didn't think. And now the news…"
A severe feeling of dread fills my stomach and in that exact same moment my back pocket starts to vibrate. I pull it out, look at the caller ID, and sure enough the name display confirms my fear…MOM.