"When you're released, you'll be going home, Ryuuko." we heard Satsuki tell her, though, I think Ryuuko was confused by, as she asked her, "With who?" Satsuki told her that she was going home with us. Certainly, social services was coming by that day to further discuss custody of Ryuuko and who'd she most likely go home with. Along with this, there would be a court date to hear Ryuuko's side of it all.
I knew this was coming. Underneath it, I was still afraid. I knew Satsuki wouldn't just take Ryuuko away, no, but I feared Satsuki being absent again and, with Ryuuko being sick enough to be hospitalized for the past few weeks, I don't want Ryuuko's heart to break again. My heart hurt just as much, as, for all that I knew, I was taking Ryuuko away from her sister and Satsuki has no one else. No, there will be a middle ground, a compromise for Ryuuko's best interests
Before the court date, we made a point to spend time with Ryuuko, particularly to get her looking nice. It stung more because I realized she didn't understand fully what this court appearance was for. "Sis says I'm goin' home with you, why're we going to court?" she asked and, for once, I didn't have an answer, besides that we have to. If anything, I secretly hoped she was more perplexed at the idea of being made to look so nice, well, nicer than what she normally would look. If I could have chosen, Ryuuko would have been left out of it but, since this did affect her, she couldn't be.
After the paperwork was signed, Nui offered to drive us all to the courthouse to finalize the paperwork. Ryuuko never knew anything about the paperwork, much less what it would be for.
It was a small hearing and we both gave our sides of the whole thing.
"We've known Ryuuko since the night we found her on our doorstep. We don't know how old she was but we think she was about three, the same age as our daughter. We're the only family she's known in the past years. She's practically our daughter, too. If she's taken from us, I don't know how her health would be or how she'd manage but I do know that it'd be devastating for her."
"We were children when I left Ryuuko on the Mankanshokus' doorstep. Prior to that, I took my sister and we were trying to escape from an abusive home. The alternative was to have her watch me starve and die the streets or to bring her back to that house—I couldn't allow either to happen. As the courts will state, Ryuuko's the only family that I have but she's lived with the Mankanshokus longer than me. The only thing I've done with her in this time frame, aside from paying for her treatment, is sending the Mankanshokus checks for Ryuuko's care. I'll concede that I should have visited or that I should have contacted her for all these years but I will say that I've been looking after her from afar. I'm contented knowing she's loved, safe, and cared for."
After hearing our and Satsuki's sides, they called Ryuuko to the stand to ask her what her wishes were. For a moment, she was little again and she was scared. She was looking at us and then at Satsuki, before going, "What do I do?! and breaking down into tears. When she found herself again, Ryuuko said, almost whispering, "I want 'em both..." before she cried again.
"Because we've had Ryuuko in our lives since she was three, I think it would be best to request that our family maintain primary custody, however, on the same hand, it would be best that she has her sister in her life, so, we ask that Satsuki have joint custody or visitation rights, please."
For a moment, the room went quiet. Everyone, especially Satsuki, was shocked. I told the judge, "It's for Ryuuko's sake. We've cared for her, since she was three, however, her sister is her blood relative. After seeing all that Ryuuko went through with her absence, it would be best that the courts have her sister maintain contact."
Ryuuko barely managed to choke out, "So, I don't have to pick?" Both Satsuki and I told her "No, you don't have to choose."
It was a matter as to how this would be sorted out. It was initially questioned if our family should face legal troubles for not reporting an abandoned child but the courts opted to let it go. It took a lot of paperwork and the final verdict was that our family had primary custody of Ryuuko but she'd go to stay with Satsuki during special events and every other weekend.
This would take some time to get used to, of course, but it was for Ryuuko's sake.
Back at the hospital, things started where we left off, with Satsuki talking with Ryuuko about what was to happen after any of this. Still, I wondered how Satsuki would fare. Honestly, I felt for her, seeing how lonely her life had to have been. Despite the pain she felt afterwards, she gave up Ryuuko to a life she likely didn't think she, herself, would ever have.
Authoress Notes: I know this took a bit.
One, no, I don't really have a track for it, as none fit.
Two, a few more legal things. I did some checking around and, yes, the Mankanshokus could have face some legal charges for taking in a then toddler Ryuuko (I have learned that taking in doorstep babies is technically illegal). That said, I had to do a bit of winging, so, with Ryuuko being teenaged, I opted to go with the courts considering Ryuuko's opinion but, of course, she's indecisive and unable to pick. With that considered, the middle ground is that Ryuuko going between both homes. Yes, there would have had to be a court date for it, because situation is iffy.