"Hey, what are you doing here?" Erin said, as Hank Voight exited Riley's hospital room.
It was early in the morning, before shift, and Erin was popping in to see how the little fighter was doing. It had been three days since that night and Riley still hadn't woken up. Sometimes her eyes would open for a few seconds before closing again, but she never became fully conscious. The doctors said that was good.
"Same thing you're doing here." Voight answered, as he handed her a coffee.
Erin took it and smiled. "Thanks, I needed this."
Voight nodded and took a sip of his own coffee as the pair turned and looked through the window into Riley's room. A nurse was attending to her.
"They removed the breathing mask." Erin stated.
Voight nodded. "Yep, nurse says her oxygen sats are on par. Kid could fully wake up any day now." He took another sip.
It was Erin that nodded this time. "Thats good." She whispered.
There was a brief pause of silence between the two of them as they sipped their coffee and watched the nurse do her job.
"What's gonna happen to her if...when she wakes up?" Erin asked Voight.
"They'll probably keep her until she's cleared medically and then until the investigation is over she'll go into the system." Voight stated.
"Yeah but with her age, situation, and the money and time it will take to rehabilitate her she'll never get adopted or fostered out... Even if she does make it... no one will want her." Erin said solemnly.
"One step at a time kid.. day by day." Voight said as he finished his coffee. "Come on," he said, turning to Erin. "Time to go to work."
Erin sat at her desk, filling paper work. However, her mind was not on the present but back in the past. She was remembering the day Voight took her in.. adopted her and made her his own. She may be an independent adult now, living by her own set of rules. And she may be his employee but, first and foremost.. she was his kid, his daughter.
She remembered the night she walked into his office and reminisced about the past before choking back tears as she thanked him for the first time for taking her in.
"You're my family."
"You're about the best thing that ever happened to me. I mean that."
She remembered the time she gave her card to Nadia when they first met and how she had asked Voight about how many cards he had given out and how may people had taken him up on the offer.
Erin came back from lunch and marched straight into Voight's office. She opened her mouth to speak but Voight cut her off.
"You wanna take Riley in." Voight stated plainly.
Erin's face froze for a moment as she took a seat. "How did you..?"
"I know you Erin, since you were 13. Raised you since you were 15. ..The same age Riley is now." Voight spoke.
Erin nodded. She didn't even have to ask or say anything. Hank already knew the questions and the words on her mind.
"Erin, I've always been straight with you. I think this a wonderful idea. Its no small thing.. its a big responsibility. Just know that being a parent is hard. Especially in the beginning when everything is new and you haven't know this kid for its whole life, had time to prepare for the coming, the growth, the years. And Riley.. in a lot of ways is like you. She's gonna need healing, structure, time, patients... money is a big thing in raising a child. It is your responsibility and yours alone to provide for this kid and your job to make sacrifices if you cannot, to be able to meet their needs. Cause, although Riley will grow up to be her own person, you will factor into a lot of ways that will happen. You'll be raising her and you'll have to ask yourself can you do that? Are you able? Are you ready? You're 27 years old Erin, are you ready to be someone's mother?"
Erin was silent for she didn't know what to say in replay.
"As I said.. I'm not trying to discourage you.." Voight started.
"I know." Erin said. "Thank you."
Voight nodded. Erin sat there for one more moment before getting up and going back to work. She had a lot to think about.
As the day came to an end, Erin and the rest of the unit packed up their things, turned off their desk lights and started to make their way to the stairs to go home.
"Erin!" Nadia called out from the top of the stairs.
"Hmm?" Erin answered somewhat sleepily from half way down.
"It's the hospital.. Riley's awake." Nadia said.
Erin turned and faced her, eyes opened and suddenly wide awake.
"She's alive... and she's asking for you." Nadia said, with a bright smile.
Erin returned her smile, nodded to her, and turned back down the steps and out into the parking lot.
Erin rushed into the hospital. The lady at the front desk said something about visiting hours being over. Erin simply flashed her badge without even stopping or waiting for a response. She entered Riley's hospital room. It was late, half an hour till midnight. Riley was laying in her bed, with the exception of a bit of color in her face, little Riley looked no different.. that was unitl... Erin saw her rain grey eyes open for the first time.
They didn't flutter open, no, they opened slowly, like princess's eyes did in the movies after true loves first kiss and all that bullshit. But all the same.. thats how Riley's opened. And they weren't dull like Erin thought they would be.. that weren't exactly shining either, but there was a certain brightness to them that was hard to explain.
Erin and Riley stared at each other for what seem like an eternity but was only 33 seconds.
A small broken, yet strong smile appeared on Riley's face. "Hi Erin."
Hope you liked the update! :) Thanks for reading! anddd being patient... forgive me, I'm working 3 jobs this summer. But thank you to all you who read, follow, and favorite this story! and especially thank you to those that Review! It really makes my day and motivates me to find more time to write! As always.. you guys are the best :) R&R and stay tuned!