Every time you make a move

Doing all right, part 2

A&E, Bupa Cromwell Hospital

"How could I allow this to happen?" Monica snivelled, holding the boy on her lap still, keeping a blanket around him to get rid of his chills.

Johnny stopped his crying by the time they arrived at the newly built private hospital (which was fortunately a few blocks nearby), his mother trying to shush and console him throughout the journey. Now, he laid slumped against his mother's chest, clutching his teddy bear and suckling from a small juice box as they all waited for his turn in the X-Ray department together where they'd been directed to; at this stage he was too exhausted to care about how sore his leg was, and he just wanted the pain to end.

"How could I... I should have gotten that hole blocked away immediately... I should've searched harder." Freddie stared blankly across to the wall with the notice boards.

Roshni couldn't be blamed. She was playing on her own, and wearing earmuffs to block his screams when he fell. They'd asked her if she'd heard him but she said no.

"...They've been harder to keep track of these days." Was all she could reply.

She lifted her head and looked back at Freddie with remorse.

The girl was a state. Her clothes were muddy, hair wet, traces of mascara streaming down her lightly made up face. She didn't care about being such a sorry sight, just getting her baby boy on the way to a painless recovery.

Phoebe helplessly sat next to them, and Roshni quickly toddled over to her dad with handfuls of patient information leaflets she collected along the corridor as they waited.

"Now... what have you got there, my little love? Is this for me?" He murmured as she handed him a leaflet on thrush, and she nodded proudly.

She couldn't read, so it was the pictures and bright colours that she was judging by.

"Oh darling," he giggled quietly. "I appreciate the kind gesture but I don't think I will be needing this anytime soon."

She hopped off to further give her mum and Phoebe leaflets on schizophrenia and pregnancy.

"Why have I got this one?" Phoebe pointed at the illustration of an expectant lady. "Is it because I have that lady's big belly?"

Freddie tried to hold back his giggles as Phoebe blushed, and Roshni nodded before handing her distraught brother a leaflet fronted with a microscopic photograph of what looked like a form of louse amongst thick, black hairs-

"Mummy will take that, sweetie." Monica awkwardly snatched it away, cheeks reddening.

"Well, nobody here has crabs, I should hope." Phoebe chuckled slightly and rubbed Roshni's head, trying to lighten the mood.

"Mmm, I very much doubt it..." Freddie flicked through the thrush leaflet, tapping his foot impatiently on the linoleum flooring.

"For goodness sake, Freddie stop looking at those!" Monica hissed, bouncing her son gently on her lap.

"What?! They're only Vaginas!" he lifted his head, startled. "Silly medical drawings, that aren't even realistic because they don't have any pubic-"

"Not in front of them, please!" She reached across and snatched it off him.

"Wots Vaajjyyynnnaaa?" Roshni piped.

"Oh it's nothing, your daddy's just bored waiting so he's... he's making up words!" Monica rubbed her head as the man just rolled his eyes, and the nurse appeared at the door.

"Johnny Bulsara?" He called out.

"That's us" Monica sat up gently with her boy in her arms.

Freddie hauled Roshni up onto his lap, "do you want Phoebe to come with?"