Abby wakes up while Rebecca is in the shower. Her body is aching from the chair and from holding Noah's hand.
She can feel the larger hand in hers, the calluses that cover the inside of his hand. Reluctantly she breaks the contact and stands up to stretch the knots out of her tight body.
She asks Tom where Rebecca went and he points at the bathroom. Looking at her watch, she realizes that she needs coffee and something to eat.
"Tom do you feel up to some coffee and maybe a croissant?' she asks as she is folding her body over touching her feet.
"Um yeah, I am definitely hungry", he hears his stomach growl at the mention of food, "I'll go and get us something from the cafeteria".
"Thanks, I take my coffee with cream and just one croissant is enough for me", she turns to Noah who is becoming restless.
Tom tells her that the nurse said the doctor would be here soon to talk to them and that Noah should wake up anytime now.
"I think I should go get breakfast then, you need to be here to talk with the doctor", she says as she tries to comfort Noah. He is beginning to move around slowly under the covers.
"No you should stay Abby. I don't know how to comfort him, what to say what to do," Tom shrugs as he stares at the floor intently.
"Tom they are your responsibility now, they are going to need you to be strong for them, the both of them", she reaches out touches his arm getting him to look at her.
"This isn't going to be easy for any of you, they are being uprooted to a new home with someone that they don't really know yet", she offers her take on the situation, "all three of you are going to have to learn to trust, to accept, and most of all to be there for each other".
"I know Abby, but I have never had a family of my own. You know what life was like with my parents. I don't know what to do, how to handle them, how to be what both of them need," Tom's voice is close to cracking.
Abby sees the fear in Tom's eyes and shakes her head, men are such hard heads and fearful creatures at the same time.
"Tom you are going to do the best you can, you remember how you wanted to be treated by your parents. Just treat Noah and Rebecca the way you wanted to be treated and everything should fall into place", she tells him as she is picking up her purse. She is walking around the bed as the doctor walks in the door.
"Mr. Watson, Ms. Morgan how are you both this morning?" the doctor is looking at Noah's chart.
"Tired, sore and in need of some coffee", Tom offers a lackluster response. He extends his hand to the doctor. The doctor shakes Tom's offered hand and walks over to Noah.
"Java the morning boost we all need for the day ahead of us", the doctor says with a small chuckle.
"I see where Noah had a nightmare last night, was it bad?", the doctor's tone changing, asks Tom.
"He became very agitated and was fighting something or someone in his dream", Abby answered the doctor for Tom. The doctor made a couple of notes on the chart shaking his head.
"Noah should be waking up soon, the last sedative should be wearing off within the next hour or so. When he wakes up he is going to be disoriented, confused and most of all scared of what is going on. He will have another panic attack but I need for the nurses to gauge it, to see what level it escalates, to be able to prescribe the appropriate amount of anti-anxiety medication. He will need to take the medication daily and if he forgets he needs to take it as soon as possible when an attack occurs." The doctor explains to both Tom and Abby.
"I will write all the information down for the school and his regular doctor. He is going to need a follow-up visit in one week with his regular doctor for his injuries." He looks at Tom with pity in his eyes.
"I know that I am sounding abrupt and cold but I need to have your attention focused on Noah. He is not going to be able to tell you he is having an attack. None of us knows what triggers his attacks entirely yet. You will have to watch him closely as his interacts with family, friends, situations. Don't approach him with your arms outstretched or use any threatening body language when he is having an attack. Get his attention, talk to him, explain to him what you are doing.
Avoid startling him, avoid babying him also. He has to get through this and he has to learn how to cope with this on his own. I am still recommending a therapist and have included his name and phone number on the discharge papers. He is going to need everyone to deal with the fear, the loneliness, the anger that is inside of him."
"When this next panic attack happens please remain as calm as possible, trust the nurses and trust me. It is going to be rough but it has to be done. I will be back around lunch to discharge him." The doctor takes one last look at Noah and starts towards the door.
"Uh doc, thanks for everything. We know it isn't going to be easy, but we will be there for him." Tom voice sounds old and tired.
"Abuse cases are never easy, but with the right people around him, he has a chance to it behind him," the doctor offers as he walks out the door.
Rebecca pokes her head of the bathroom door, "Can I come out now?"
Both Tom and Abby had forgotten the young girl was still in the bathroom.
"Of course Rebecca, you didn't have to stay in the bathroom while the doctor was here", Abby says to her in a soft voice.
"I didn't want to interrupt and Mom always made me leave the room when the adults were talking." Rebecca goes and sits on the edge of Noah's bed.
"Did you understand what the doctor was telling us about Noah?" Tom asks gingerly, he was afraid of the answer.
"Kinda, I know he is scared and that he is hurt", her voice sounding sad as she looks at her brother.
"That's right", Abby says taking her hand, "he is afraid of getting hurt again and it makes him freak out. He is going to need you to help him, to let Tom know if he is freaking out or getting scared, okay?"
"Okay, I'll tell Tom when he is freaking out", she looks at Tom with a small smile, "Tom I'm hungry can we go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?"
"Sure thing kid", he holds his hand out to her and much to his surprise she takes it.
"Abby that was cream in your coffee and one croissant right?" Tom looks at her with a smile, maybe we can survive all of this he thinks to himself.
"Yes, please and maybe add sausage to the croissant?" she asks smiling at the mismatched duo.
"I think you deserve to splurge a little bit, Abby" Tom says his smile growing, "we will be back shortly.
Abby watches as they walk out of the room.
Migration by Mark Salling
You feel it too
You can follow me
To a final destination
Whatever you need
To achieve your salvation
And quite possibly we could
Find a higher power
And finally we'll see the
Flock is the same body