Brown Eyed Girl
Chapter 2
Saying Goodbye
Lucia Barba met her son at the door of the emergency room and rushed to embrace him.
"Rafi" She said as she hugged him close.
"How is she Mami?" He asked.
Lucia shook her head, "It doesn't look good, Hijo. The other car hit her right on the driver side door. Thank God it looks like Marisol is all right because her car seat was strapped in on the other side in the back."
"Mari," Rafael whispered quickly it had never occurred to him that his eight month old goddaughter might have been in the car.
"Where are they?" He asked
"Claudia is in surgery. They took Marisol to the pediatric care unit for observation." Lucia told him. "They said Claudia would be awhile and only one person can go in and see Marisol at a time if you want to go check on her."
Rafael nodded, he knew exactly where the pediatric unit was from when Noah had been in this hospital with the measles. He made his way down the hall and showed his ID to the nurse in charge. Luckily he and Lucia were listed as Claudia and Mari's emergency contacts. The nurse showed him where to scrub up and get a gown.
The baby was asleep in a small hospital crib. "Is she going to be all right?" Rafael asked the nurse.
"It appears that she wasn't harmed at all. Of course things can be hard to notice at first when they are this young. So we will want to keep her for twenty four hours for observation." She explained
Rafael nodded and noticed the girl was beginning to wake up. "You should pick her up." The nurse said.
"Me" Rafael said slightly panicked, he had held Mari plenty of times but it still made him nervous especially now with monitors hooked up to her.
The nurse laughed, "Yes, sit here in the rocking chair." She helped him arrange the baby in his arms in the chair. Marisol began to cry and Rafael looked at the nurse with concern.
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked.
"She's probably hungry, I will get you a bottle. " The nurse said laughing again.
The baby continued to cry and Rafael did his best to rock her and comfort her. " No llores Princesa Mari, Rafi esta aqui." (Don't cry Princess Mari Rafi is here)
The nurse quickly appeared with a bottle and handed it to Rafael who once again panicked. "I've never fed her before." Before he noticed Marisol reaching for the bottle.
"She knows what to do, just help her." The nurse told him.
Rafael and Mari sat in the chair until she had finished her bottle and drifted back off to sleep. The nurse helped him settle her back in the crib.
"I should get back to my mother. I will come back and check on her. Will you please call me if she needs anything?" Rafael asked her.
"Of course, , I will say a prayer for her mother too."
"Thank you, it seems like she is going to need it." He told her before leaving to find his mother and see if there was any word on Claudia.
He had just reached the waiting room when a doctor came in and approached them and asked if he could speak to them in the other room. Lucia reached for Rafael's hand as they walked down the hall.
"There is nothing else that we can do for her." The doctor explained, "Claudia is a listed organ donor. We will need to start soon before it is too late, but we want to give you a chance to say good bye."
"No" Cried Lucia feeling as if she was losing a daughter because Claudia was as close to a daughter as she had, especially since her sister Claudia's mother had passed away five years ago.
Rafael pulled his mother close to him, "We have to say good bye Mami. When can we see her Doctor?"
"As soon as possible." He told them
Rafael nodded and then a thought occurred to him, "I would like to bring her daughter down, they should be able to say goodbye to each other."
"Of course, I will call down and ask someone to bring her down immediately."
"Thank you"
"Are you ready Mami?" Rafael turned his attention to his mother.
"I love her the way I love you hijo, there is no way to be ready." She told him.
"I know Mami, I know." He said as he held her closer.
The nurse appeared in just a minute carrying Marisol. 'Take your time." She said sympathetically as she handed the girl to Rafael. He held the baby tightly in one arm while wrapping the other around Lucia as the made their way to say good bye to Claudia.
"Claudia, its Rafi, Mami and I are here and we brought Mari." Rafael said as sat down on the edge of her bed. The baby smiled at the sight of her mother lying there having no concept of what was going on, she wiggled her way out of Rafael's arms and closer to Claudia.
"Marisol, can you give your Mami a kiss." Lucia asked the girl who smiled brightly before placing a wet kiss on her mother's cheek.
Lucia picked up the baby, "I love you, Claudia be at peace." She said before kissing her niece goodbye.
"I'm going to take Marisol back." She told Rafael tear streaming down her face.
Rafael nodded as he stayed next to Claudia on her bed and took his cousin's hand. "My sweet Claudia, I am so sorry. Things were not supposed to end this way. You had so many dreams. You were going to make the world a better place for Mari. Well know this, I will make sure that she has everything she needs. Your girl will be fine Claudia. I promise you, whatever it takes." He said before kissing her and leaving her to the doctors.
Lucia had returned from getting Marisol settled and met Rafael in the hallway.
"What do we do now Rafi? What do we do with Marisol?" She asked him.
"We care for her Mami, there is no other choice. We will do whatever we have to." He told her trying to take it all in.
"Rafi, I don't know that I can raise a baby at my age." She confessed.
"Of course not Mami. Listen, for tonight she has to stay here. We both need to get some rest. Let me take you home." He said putting his arm around her.
"I can get myself home Hijo. I will meet you back here in the morning." She said kissing his check.
Rafael agreed and got his mother a cab and paid the driver in advance before sending it on. He then caught another one for himself. He started to give the driver his address but stopped and not understanding completely why gave him Olivia's instead. It was well past midnight when he reached her building and he knew that she was probably asleep and he hated to wake her.
Are you still up? He texted her.
Yes was her quick reply
I'm outside
Instantly he heard her door buzz, he let himself in made his way to her apartment where she was waiting at the door.
"Barba" She said her voice quiet reading the grief all over his body.
"She's gone Liv, My Claudia is gone." He told her and for the first time that night his own tears began to fall.
"Barba I am so sorry," She said pulling him to herself. They stood there for several minutes as Barba cried on her shoulder.
"There's more Liv, she has a daughter Marisol, and she is eight months old. The father has never been around. Liv, the baby has nobody now except Mami and me." He told her not sure what he expected her to say or do.
Liv scooted back a little and looked him in the face, she didn't flinch or hesitate when she put her hands on his face and told him, "Look at me Rafael. You can do this. I am going to be with you every step of the way. "
TBC