Home is wherever i'm with you

Shine for yourself

Things finally came back to normal in the Deluca-Bishop house and the picked back up in the routine they have had before.

A few weeks after Carina came back to work, she was working on some charts, mentaly going through all the patients, when someone knocked on the door. "Come in." She said absentmindedly. The door opened and in walked Nina. "Hey." She said and it seemed as if she had done something wrong. "Nina. What are you doing here? How did you get here?" "The bus. I need your help." "Oh. Are you hurt? What happened?" Carina jumped up and walked over to her daughter. "No. I'm fine. I'm good. Cara fell of the beam in PE today. The teacher just told her to sit at the side, but i think she might have a concussion. She was quite out of it after she fell. She hit her head on the beam. She is dizzy and shaky and she has trouble focusing and remembering things." "Sounds like a concussion to me." Carina nodded. "She is home alone this week. Her parents are on a business trip. She has noone to watch her and i remembered when Mom had the bad concussion before Christmas, you were really adamant about her not being alone and waking her ever so often and asking her questions. So i don't know. I brought her here." "That is good, Bellina. Where is she?" "Sitting at the chairs infront of your office." Carina nodded. "Come." She said and they went to look for Cara.

"Cara. Nina told me you fell?" "Yes. But its not that bad. I just stumpled and fell. I don't even remember hitting the beam." Nina stepped next to her friend. "You did hit it. You've stumbled a lot and you asked me like 5 times what class we have next. You always know the timetable." Cara rolled her eyes. "Nina, i am fine. You aren't a doctor." "Cara, but i am. I am working as an OB, but i am also Trauma certified. That means i can tell you propably have a concussion." "Fine." Cara sighed. Carina took a deep breath. "Did you not hit your head, or do you not remember if hit it?" Carina asked and crouched down infront of the girl. "I remember falling and then laying on the floor." "Does you head hurt?" Carina asked. "Yes." "Okay. Would you mind if i check you real quick or i could have one of my colegues do it." "No. You is fine. But its not that bad. I promise." "Okay. Come with me." Carina got up and so did Cara, but her legs shoke and she stumbled. Carina caught her quickly. "Oh. " "Sorry." Cara said. "It's okay. Are you okay?" "Yeah, just got dizzy for a second." "Okay. Come on. Can you walk?" Cara nodded and her, Carina and Nina went over to a examroom.

"So. you have a concussion. I need someone to watch you for the next 48 hours. If your symptomes such as headache, dizzyness and nausea get worse, i need you to come back." "But i am home alone?" Cara said. "Can you call someone to watch you?" "My grandparents live in Tennessee. My parents are in New York." Cara sighed. "When are they coming back?" "I don't know. Next week. The said monday, but they take longer sometimes." Cara looked at Carina. "But i am good on my own. My neighbors look after me from time to time and they have only left me alone since i was 13. I have food and all the money i could need." "Can you stay with your neighbors, that they watch you?" Cara sighed. Nina tapped Carina on the shoulder. "Mamma, can't she stay with us. Its thursday, so yes tomorrow is school, but then its weekend?" Nina wispered in Carinas ear. "Hm. Okay. Yes. Sure." Carina said. "Cara, would you like to stay with us?" Nina asked. "No. Wait. I want you to stay with us. Because you have a concussion and while it is always different my mom had one a few months ago and it was terrible and i want you to be comfortable." "You don't have to." Cara said. "But i do. We are best friends since kindergarden." "Okay. Thank you." Carina nodded. "Okay. Girls. Cara i need you to drink a lot. It helps with the symptoms and rest and sleep and no screens if possible. I am going to call your Mom, Nina,  and see if she can pick you up. I am working tonight, but Mom is home and she will be there if you need anything." Cara nodded and Nina hugged Carina. "Thank you, Mamma." "You're welcome, Bellina." "Thank you." Cara said. "You are welcome aswell. But you need to promise to me, you'll rest and not talk and chat all night like i know you like to do, when you have a sleep over." "We promise, Mamma. We will go to the vending machine and get something to drink. " Nina said and helped Cara up. Carina called Maya and she picked the girls up.

"I am working in the kitchen, if you need me." "We are good, mom. Thank you." Maya smiled at her daugther and left. They had put a matress on Ninas floor and got blankets and pillows for her to be comfortable. "Are you okay?" "Yeah. But i would really like to sleep right now. My head hurts and i am nauseous, i hope that if i sleep it gets better." Cara snuggled in the blanket." Sure thing. I am going to be reading, but i am right here if you need me." "The painmeds your mom gave me should kick in soon, i am good, but thank you."

Nina got downstairs to get something to drink. "Hey, how's Cara." "Sleeping. I will wake her in ten minutes, then its been 2 hours. I am going to ask her questions and have her drink something and then i'll let her rest more." "You really are the daughter of a doctor and a paramedic." Maya said and smiled. "I am, aint i. I should proceed a carrer in medicine." "You still have time to think about that." Maya chuckled. "Right." She left with two bottles of water and a few salt crackers.

Cara stayed at the Deluca-Bishops until her parents came home on tuesday. They took longer eventhough their daughter was hurt, which led to a angry italian and some very heated conversations, between the pairs of parents. It ended up being fine. The first few days Cara was pretty miserable. She wasn't in school in friday, gladly Carina was off and she was still pretty out of it on saturday, but after that she was quite well again. And Carina and Maya had her promise to come, whenever she needed anything.

An: see what i did there. In the chapter children will look to you for which way to turn, Nina learned about the concussion and how to deal with it and now she helps Cara.