Finding a New Normal

Diagnosed

TW: Cardiac arrest, not breathing, unresponsive, hospitals, medicine, pain, heart problems, heart disease. 

Taylor had never witnessed something more terrifying than watching her baby girl flatline. They had managed to bring Belle's pulse back for a few minutes. She had been stable and breathing when she crashed again in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Taylor didn't consider herself an academic genius by any means but when the paramedics said that her daughter had gone into cardiac arrest she knew it wasn't good. Taylor knew that her baby's heart had stopped beating and oxygen had not been getting to her brain. Taylor knew that these seconds were crucial and she may never see her princess again. 

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Annabelle had been taken into the emergency room immediately upon arriving at Vanderbilt hospital in Nashville. Taylor and Andrea had been forced to stay in the waiting room, it was an agonizing two hours waiting for any news.

"The family of Annabelle Swift?" 

Both women jumped up and walked towards the young male voice. "Yes, I'm her mom you can call me Taylor. This is her grandmother Andrea. Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor smiled slightly. "Taylor, your daughter is an incredibly strong young girl. She did go into cardiac arrest twice but she is now awake and stable."

Taylor sighed in relief, she had never felt happier, all she wanted to do is see her daughter and kiss her a million times. She felt so bad for how she snapped at her baby on the plane, actually she felt terrible for how she's been treating Belle this whole trip. Her princess needed to know how loved she was. 

"However we'd like to figure out why this happened. As I'm sure you understand it's not normal for otherwise healthy young girls to experience this condition. Has she been experiencing any strange symptoms lately?" Asked the doctor as he started leading them towards Belle's room. 

"Yes! she's been extremely tired and out of breath lately, even when she's just resting," said Taylor. 

"Also her chest she was complaining the other day about it hurting," added Andrea. "And she hardly ever has an appetite." 

The doctor nodded taking in the information. "That definitely adds to my suspicions to what it could be. However we'll need to run a few more tests and I'd definitely like to keep her here a while longer if that's alright?" 

Taylor nodded grateful that these people weren't just blowing off her daughters' symptoms like her pediatrician did, hopefully they would help her baby feel better. 

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When Taylor entered Belle's room she felt like crying all over again. Her daughter was so small hooked up to all these different machines. Like the doctor said the young girl was awake but she still looked quite ill and exhausted like she was barely with it. 

She took the seat next to her young daughter while Andrea took a seat across the room. Taylor didn't want to accidentally touch anything she shouldn't but she was able to hold her girls' hand and reassuringly rub the back of it whit her thumb. 

"Mommy? Nana?"

"I'm right here sweet girl." 

"Hi darling."

"I'm really scared," said the young girl. "I heard the nurses say that my heart stopped beating."

"I know baby, but we're gonna figure out what's wrong, I promise," Taylor said gently, moving some hair from her daughter's face. 

"You just rest honey, let your family and the doctors take care of you," added Andrea. 

"What about tour? Asked Belle weakly.