"Beck Oliver's room number, please," Cat says, rocking Jasper gently.
"Room 31, dear. Along that way and up the elevator, okay?" Cat smiles weakly at the kindly nurse. The nurse smiles too, and begins to speak. "I'm his main nurse. You're taking the wee girl in, too?" She asks, pointing at Olivia and Jade, Jade staring at Cat and Olivia at her feet. Cat nods. "He's awake, but sleepy. Bandaged up," she gestures to her wrists and Cat winces, and the nurse nods. "Yes."
"Okie doke," Cat says, bracing herself for Jade's sake. "Come on, Liv," she says, holding out her hand and not really paying attention. When Olivia does not respond, Cat looks up. Livvy is fully concentrated on pulling out her mother's earring, while Jade remained oblivious. "Olivia," Cat scolds lightly, pulling her hand away, "No."
"But why not?" Olivia asks uncertainly, facing her mother. "Mama?" Jade's head snaps up, but she doesn't answer the little girl who once was her world.
"Let's go," Cat says firmly. "Do you want me to take Olivia?" Jade nods wordlessly. "Do you want to take the baby?" Jade, once again, shakes her head. Letting go of Jade's cold hand, Cat lays Jasper on the hospital chair. She carefully keeps him there with one hand while strapping the sling onto her at the same time. She then slips the baby into it, and takes Olivia's hand. With Jasper in the swing, she has another hand free. She takes Jade's once again. They get up to the second floor and Cat searches for room 31. "Here it is." Taking the handle, Jade opens the door, and rushes to Beck's side, forgetting all about their previous argument.
"Beck! How could you do this to me? How could you do this to your little boy? To your little princess?" Beck glances at Cat, and his eyes fill with tears. He blinks them away and bites his lip.
"I was so stupid," he whispers, ashamed. "How could I ever live without them?"
"I couldn't live without you," Jade states, her face blank, and yet filled with emotion all at the same time. Jade always was a walking, talking oxymoron though.
"Yes, you could." He turns his face. "You'd be better off without me."
"Daddy!" Olivia yells, seemingly just noticing her father. She reaches out for him and she takes him though he winces as she thrashes about happily.
"Calm down," Cat says, smoothing Olivia's hair back. "Sh, sh."
"I missed you, princess," Beck whispers, his head in her long dark hair, so much like her mother. "And our little prince."
"Jazzy's not a prince! Silly Daddy!" Olivia giggles. She then covers her ears. "Stop beeping, Dada."
"Sorry." He says, sighing. "It's the machines, look." Cat takes her back, because she was currently hell bent on pulling Beck's IV out. His eyes follow Cat's arms as she takes his baby away from him. "You're gonna be a good Mom, one day." He says decisively, nodding. "I mean, I shouldn't know that. You shouldn't have had to be the Mom and Dad to our little girl."
"No," Jade says. "But you've been the best one possible. We know that if anything happened to us..well, you'd be there."
"They're not letting him out yet." Cat looks up from her paperwork, and removes her purple glasses.
"Well, no, they wouldn't. He tried to kill himself."
"It was a cry for help."
"Yes, thank god," Cat says, sighing, and pushing her brownish magenta hair out of her face and behind her ears. "You have to make sure he doesn't do this again. You have to tell him, babe. This is his last chance. Your children come first, you hear me?"
Jade nods primly, and then leans on her elbows. "I always imagined, you know, the perfect family life. Picture this:
Two little kids, both smiling ear to ear, the little girl on her daddy's shoulders, the boy hanging onto his mama's hand. The parents lean against each other smiling at each other, looking into each other's eyes...every Sunday, the kids climb into bed and they watch a movie together. Beck plays Barbie with Liv even though she insists he's doing it wrong, and the mom...me. I'm baking in the kitchen, Jasper with cake all over his little face...I turn round to wipe his face but my bump gets in the way..."
"Your bump?" Cat teases. "What, have you got a pillow shoved up your top?" Jade glares, but laughs, as much as she can in the moment situation.
"No, my new baby.."
"You've got a new baby."
"Yes, I know. It's just a shame. I never wanted to be maternal until I had a bun in the oven myself! But I'm still not."
"But you have two smiling kids, and one day Olivia will be on Beck's shoulders...and Jasper will be swinging on his mom's hands. Why can't you watch movies with them in your bed? Olivia doesn't like Barbies yet, Jade." Jade smiles.
"I know."
"Where are the sleeping pills?" Cat looks up, alarmed.
"Huh? We don't have any."
"We should get some," Jade groggily mumbles. "I need sleep."
"It's four in the afternoon. You need to get up."
"Same difference."
"You're as silly as that little girl in there playing peek a boo by herself," Cat grins. "Go play with her." Jade smiles too.
"Fine,"
"Fine!" Cat squeals.
Later in the afternoon, Jade walks into the kitchen and sees Cat clutching the phone with both hands, whispering furiously. She hangs at the door, unseen.
"What do you mean? Oh, for goodness sake! You're an idiot! Well, even if it wasn't personal-"
"I know my rights! You can't hang up unless I swear twice!" Cat pauses. "No, you listen here." Cat pauses once again. "Don't try and be a smart-ass, Mrs Nose in the air," Cat makes a noise of irritation and blows the hair off of her eyes. "What the bloody hell do you mean?" Cat demands. "Hello? Oh, for god's sake! That wasn't swearing! Ugh, I'll give you swearing, you stuck up bit-" Cat is cut off from her rant and her punching in of the numbers, faced by Jade. "You frightened me!"
"What was that about?"
"The hospital. They phoned. Beck has discharged himself. They do not know his whereabouts, and neither do we."