So this chapter clearly got away from me and it is close to 11K words so strap in for a long read.
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"Carina," she said, immediately shaking her, "Car, babe, can you wake up for me?"
Maya, however, got no response. She put her hand on Carina's forehead, feeling how hot she was.
"Shit," Maya said, pulling out her phone as she ran into the bathroom to get a cool rag for Carina's forehead.
"Hello?" Andy said as she answered the phone.
"Andy, is the aid care there?" Maya asked as she ran the rag under cool water.
"Yeah," Andy said, "Why? What's wrong?"
"It's Carina," Maya said, hearing the scramble on the other end of the line, "I got home and she is unconscious and burning up. I can't wake her up and she is covered in sweat. It's bad. Can you please come? I can't get her to Grey Sloan on my own."
"We are on our way," Andy said, hearing the terror in her friend's voice, "We will be there in a few minutes. Is she still breathing?"
"Yeah," Maya nodded, seeing Carina's chest going up and down fairly quickly, "She's maybe tachypneic. And her pulse is there too. Also, fast and a little thready, but there."
"Good," Andy said, Maya hearing the siren turn on in the aid car, "Vic and I are on our way. We will be there in less than five minutes. Call me if anything changes ok?"
"Ok," Maya nodded, "Thank you. And Andy, please hurry. I...I can't lose her."
"We are going as fast as we can," Andy said, "Carina's going to be ok. You aren't going to lose her, ok? We are going to get her to the hospital."
Maya hung up, continuing to wipe down Carina's forehead with the cloth as she pulled the blankets off the bed in an attempt to cool her down.
She then started pulling off Carina's drenched clothes, realizing that her wife had wet herself as she went to pull down her pants which only scared her more. Maya went back into the bathroom, grabbing a pack of baby wipes to get her cleaned up before slipping a clean pair of underwear back on her along with a loose t-shirt, trying to give her sick wife some dignity.
By the time that was done, she could hear Vic and Andy coming upstairs.
"Maya?" Andy called as they came down the hall.
"In here," Maya called, continuing to wipe down Carina's face, "Hurry."
"Ok," Andy said as they came into the room with a med bag and gurney, "We're here."
"She's got a fever," Maya said as Vic set down the med bag, pulling out several things, "Her white blood cells have been trending down this week, but they were still ok on Friday and we were so careful and she was sleeping this morning when I left for work and I thought she was a little warm but she was under the covers so I thought it was just that and then I came home and I can't wake her up and I..."
"Maya, we've got her, ok?" Andy said, moving her friend away from the Italian a little, "We are going to get her to Grey Sloan and they are going to get her taken care of, ok?"
"Her temp is 104.3," Vic said, trying to remain calm as she worked, "She's tachycardic and hypotensive. Her O2 is also a little low."
"Let's get her on the gurney," Andy said, looking at Vic, knowing Carina was extremely sick and they needed to get her to the hospital quickly.
"Alright," Vic said, nodding, "Here's the board." Within a matter of seconds, Carina was loaded up on the gurney.
"Ok, I'm going to start her on some fluids and get some Tylenol in her," Vic said, pulling out an IV kit as Andy got out the oxygen, putting the canula into Carina's nose as Maya stood by her head, just running her fingers through Caina's hair.
"You're going to be ok," Maya said quietly as her friends worked, "You have to be ok. Please be ok."
"We're ready to go," Andy said, "We've got her, ok?"
"Yeah," Maya nodded, "Let's go."
They made their way down the stairs and out to the aid car, Maya holding tightly to Carina's hand as they headed to the aid car. They loaded her up before Andy went up to the front, turning on the sirens as they headed toward Grey Sloan, Vic grabbing a cooling blanket and putting it over Carina's burning body.
Just as they pulled up to Grey Sloan, Carina moaned a little.
"Carina?" Maya said, getting closer to her, "Hey, can you open your eyes?"
"Feel sick," Carina said about two seconds before she turned her head and threw up.
"Ok," Vic said, grabbing some paper towels to clean up the mess, "It's ok."
"Vic?" Carina said, clearly confused, "What...?" Just then, the aid car doors opened.
"Maya?" Bailey said, "What? Carina?"
"She's got a high fever, 104.3" Vic said as she jumped out to help get Carina out, "She was unconscious for an unknown amount of time. Tachycardic and hypotensive. O2 was 89 on room air but is up to 98 on 2 L O2. She vomited once about a minute ago right after she woke up."
"Ok," Bailey said, "Let's get her inside."
"You need to page Dr. Cho," Maya said as she followed them in, "Carina was having some lower blood counts last week from her treatments."
"Already done," Dr. Bailey said as they got Carina into a room, "Carina, are you having any pain or anything?"
"I need to pee," Carina said, shifting uncomfortably, "Really bad."
A nurse quickly grabbed a bedpan as Bailey continued assessing her.
"It hurts," Carina winced as Bailey shone the light in her eyes.
"Your eyes?" Bailey said, confused.
"No," Carina said, "When I pee. It hurts."
"Ok," Dr. Bailey nodded, "Ok. We will get that taken care of. Is anything else hurting?"
"I don't know," Carina said, shivering.
Just then, Dr. Cho walked into the room.
"Hey," she said, scrubbing her hands and pulling on gloves, "What's going on?"
"She's got a fever, pain with urination, hypotension, tachycardia," Bailey said, "And Maya mentioned she had low blood counts?"
"Yes," Dr. Cho said, "I was going to draw more labs today, but she was close to needing Neupogen last week. I just wanted to see if she would start trending up on her own after her two-day break from radiation over the weekend."
"Ok," Dr. Bailey nodded as they continued to work on Carina.
Carina was given some pain meds to help with her pain before being scheduled for a CT scan. However, because of her low neutrophils, Carina was put into isolation, meaning no one was allowed in her room without a gown, gloves, and mask. Maya was just sitting next to Carina, holding her hand as the Italian was in a drug-induced sleep.
The door opened suddenly, Maya looking up and expecting a nurse but seeing Andrew walking in instead.
"Hey," he said, "What happened? I saw her name on the ER board."
"I came home from work after some meeting this morning and she was burning up," Maya said, biting her lip behind her mask, "I don't even know what happened. She felt a tiny bit warm this morning, but I thought it was just because she was under the covers and I was only gone for like three hours and I came home and her temperature was over 104 and she was so sick so I called Andy and she brought Vic and the aid car and we brought her here and I don't even know...."
"That happens when people's blood counts drop like her have," Andrew said, "You did everything right."
"I...I was so scared when I walked into our room and she was passed out in bed," Maya said, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at him, "I...I thought I was losing her. I don't think I have ever been that scared in my entire life."
"Come here," Andrew said, wrapping his arms around Maya as she held in her tears, "It's going to be ok. She is in the best hands. She is going to get treated. Dr. Cho is one of the best. She is probably going to have to spend a few days here to get her better, but she'll be home before you know it."
"This is just so hard," Maya said, voice shaking, "It's not fair."
"I know," Andrew said, rubbing her back, "I know. It's not. Neither of you deserve this."
Andrew just held her, knowing there wasn't much else he could do. About three minutes later, a nurse came in, Maya pulling herself out of Andrew's arms as he handed her a tissue.
"I am just going to take her to CT," the nurse said, "And then she has been admitted to the ICU so she will go there after. I will let you know what room as soon as I know, but there is a waiting room by CT you are welcome to use."
"I think I am going to go to her office," Maya said, really needed some quiet, "Is that ok?"
"Of course," Andrew said, "I'll figure out where she's going and come let you know, ok?"
"Thank you," Maya said as her brother-in-law gave her one more hug before they parted ways.
As Maya walked out of the room, she found Vic standing at the nurse's station talking to Levi Schmitt.
"What are you doing here?" Maya asked, walking over to her friend.
"Oh, I told Andy I was staying in case you needed anything," Vic said, "I'll walk back to the station later."
"You didn't have to do that," Maya said as she and Vic started walking.
"But I wanted to," Vic said, "You don't have to do this alone. Andy was going to stay too, but she has her quarterly meeting with the chief this afternoon."
"Thank you," Maya said as they got to Carina's office, "For coming and for staying."
"Of course," Vic said, "You guys are family. Now, is there anything I can do?"
"I don't know," Maya said, "I probably need to find somewhere for the girls to go tonight. I bet Mason and Laila will take them actually. I should text her. Or maybe I should take the twins home with me tonight? I...I don't know what to do..."
"Why don't you have them go to Mason and Laila's tonight?" Vic said, "That way you can stay here as long as you want and then if Carina has to stay longer, you can decide from there."
"Ok," Maya nodded, knowing Vic was right.
She grabbed her phone, texted Laila, telling her what was going on and asking if she could take the girls for the night. Laila texted back immediately, telling Maya she could take them for as long as need be and asking if there was anything else they needed. Maya told her they were ok for now and asked her to text her when she went to get the twins.
"Ok, Laila and Mas have the girls tonight," Maya sighed as she sat down on the couch, realizing for the first time that she was currently only wearing socks on her feet, "I have no shoes."
"We left the house fast," Vic said, "I'm sure we can find you a pair somewhere. Or I can go get some from the station."
"I think Carina has some in here that are hers," Maya said getting up and opening one of the drawers, pulling out her wife's OR shoes, "These will work."
"Aren't her feet like 2 sizes bigger than yours?" Vic asked as Maya slipped on the shoes.
"So?" Maya said, "It's better than nothing."
"Ok," Vic shrugged, "Do you want me to go get you some coffee or something to eat or anything?"
"I'm ok," Maya said, pacing around the room a little bit, "I just want to be back with her."
"Soon," Vic said, leaning on Carina's desk a little.
"I hate this so much Vic," Maya said, pacing around, her breathing becoming more erratic by the second, "I hate seeing my wife so sick and what if...what if they can't get her better and she...What is this is what takes her away from me? I can't do this alone. I should have stayed home this morning...I should have taken her temperature when she felt warm...why didn't I stay home...I can't be a single parent. I...I need Carina like...like I need air to breathe. I...I don't know how to breathe without my wife...What am I going to do Vic?"
"Ok," Vic said as she pulled Maya into a hug, walking them over to the couch, "It's ok. I've gotcha. It's ok."
Maya sobbed, holding tightly to Vic.
"Even if something happens, you aren't in this alone," Vic said softly, rubbing Maya's back, "You've got the who SFD and this entire damn hospital and Mason and Laila. You have so many people. And you aren't even going to need any of us, you know why? Because Carina is going to be ok. She is going to get treated for whatever is going on with her and she will be back home before you know it, ok?"
Vic knew the kind of fear Maya felt today. She had felt it when she walked into Lucas's room in this very hospital and saw how sick he was. Unlike Maya, she was 100% aware she was going to be losing the love of her life, but she imagined that when Maya walked into her room and saw her wife looking as bad as she did, she probably thought she was losing her.
She knew this entire thing had been incredibly hard on the entire Bishop-Deluca family, and that Maya had been going to therapy and trying to take care of herself for her family, but she also knew that the fact that Carina was sick enough that she was on extended medical leave worried Maya a lot, and this was just going to make it worse.
The two of them just sat there together, Vic rubbing Maya's back as the blonde continued to cry, the sobs eventually tapering off into sniffles before she pulled away, Vic handing her the box of tissues that were on the table.
"Thanks," Maya said, taking the tissues, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes, still sniffling a little bit, "And thanks for staying."
"Of course," Vic said, putting a hand on Maya's shoulder, "I'm here as long as you need me, ok?"
Maya nodded, offering Vic as much of a smile as she could muster in that moment. Vic got up, going over to the fridge she knew Carina kept behind her desk, grabbing a bottle of water and bringing it over to her friend.
"I'm not thirsty," Maya said, shaking her head.
"Drink," Vic said, holding it out, "You need to take care of yourself, and I know you are normally not very good at it and that it gets worse when something is going on with Carina or the girls so I am going to do it for you. Drink."
"Fine," Maya grumbled, taking the bottle as Vic sat back down next to her.
"I am going to go back to your house after this once we find out how Carina is doing," Vic said, "And I am going to get you some clothes and stuff and pack a bag for the girls to take to Mason and Laila's tonight, but is there anything specific you want for yourself or Carina or the twins?"
"You don't need to do that," Maya said, shaking her head, "I can run home at some point and..."
"No, that wasn't my questions," Vic said, "I am going to do it, I just want to make sure you all have whatever you need."
"Can you make sure there is an extra pull-up for Nora?" Maya said, "And clean underwear because of course in the midst of all this, she decided she needed to be potty trained. And don't forget her blankie too. It's in her bed. And there is cream on the Carina's nightstand that we use for her skin irritation. And Carina don't like anything tight right now because of all the irritation."
"Ok," Vic nodded, "I can make all that happen."
"Thank you," Maya said, wiping her eyes again, "Oh, and can you grab my work bag? I'm going to try to get some stuff done because I know Carina is going to be sleeping a lot."
"Of course," Vic nodded, "But only if you promise not to work too hard."
"I won't," Maya said, shaking her head.
The two of them just sat there together for a while, Maya ending up pacing around the office after about twenty minutes because she was just so anxious. Finally, there was a knock at the door and Dr. Cho came in.
"How is she?" Maya asked, going over to her immediately, "Is she ok?"
"Why don't we sit down?" Dr. Cho said, looking at the blonde, "Is it ok to talk about this here?"
"Yeah," Maya said numbly, feeling her heart sink at those words, knowing that was usually not a good sign.
"So, Carina is doing ok," Dr. Cho said, "We got her admitted to the step-down unit since she's not quite critical enough to need the ICU which is a good sign and she is under strict neutropenic precautions. Her WBC has fallen even more since Friday, and I am going to start her on medications to help with that. I also think she has a UTI that has turned into sepsis."
"How?" Maya said, "She...she was fine yesterday. Or she seemed fine. I mean, she was exhausted and not feeling well but we both just thought that was from radiation."
"It could have started yesterday," Dr. Cho said, "But these things can come on very fast. The good news is that we caught the sepsis early and it's still mild. We are treating it aggressively, but I am confident she will make a full recovery. We are going to have to delay her treatments though, until we get the infection under control. Hopefully, it will just be a few days, but it all depends on how her body does."
"How long is she going to have to be here?" Maya asked, trying to absorb all this information.
"Until we get the infection under control and feel safe sending her home on oral antibiotics," Dr. Cho said, "I can't say now, but I will say that we caught this early so it shouldn't be to terribly long. However, while she is here, the girls won't be able to visit due to risk of infection. Other people can visit one at a time, but everyone in her room has to be in full PPE and also cannot be sick until we get her white blood count back up."
"Ok," Maya nodded, hating that and knowing Carina would hate it more but also knowing they had to do what was best for her health, "Um, can I go see her?"
"Of course," Dr. Cho said, "She is in room 519."
"Ok," Maya nodded, "Thank you."
"If you need anything, feel free to have the nurses page me, ok?" Dr. Cho said, "I will be around to check in later."
"Thank you," Maya nodded as Dr. Cho left the room.
"You ok?" Vic asked as she looked at her friend.
"Yeah," Maya said, starting straight ahead, "I think so. I'm glad she's ok. Or at least probably going to be ok. I can't believe she got so sick so fast. And that it's just a UTI. She's had UTIs before and usually it's just a day or two of feeling a little crappy and a lack of sex for a few days. That's usually the biggest bother with a UTI, no sex...But now...the fact that something that simple can land her in the hospital...I know how serious radiation treatments are, but this...this really makes me realize it...It's so terrifying."
"She's going to be ok," Vic said, putting her hand on Maya's arm, "She's getting treatment and they are taking care of her."
"I know," Maya sniffled, "I know. But she also still has two more weeks of radiation treatments left and it was hard enough to watch her go through it before. I...I don't know how to do it now knowing what happened today."
"They are going to make sure she is ok," Vic reassured her, "Dr. Cho said she's on new meds that will help her."
"But what if they don't work?" Maya said, biting her lip, "What if this happens again? Vic, I have never been more scared in my entire life than when I walked into our bedroom today and found her like that. I...I don't know how I will ever get that image out of my head, how I will ever forget it."
"You might not," Vic said honestly, "You'll probably never really forget it. But also, it will get easier because Carina is going to get better."
Maya nodded, wiping at her eyes.
"Now, you go up and be with your wife. I am going to go to your house and get your stuff. I'll text you when I get back. And if you think of anything you or anyone else needs, just let me know."
"Thank you Vic," Maya said as they stood.
"Of course," Vic said, "See you in a little while."
They split ways at the elevators, Vic going down while Maya went up to unit Carina was on. The floor was so much more somber than most of the rest of the hospital, Maya making her way to her wife's room.
When she got there, she found a sign on the door with strict rules and a cart of PPE sitting there so everyone coming in could wear it. She sighed as she pulled out a yellow gown, pulling on a mask and gloves before going into the room. Carina was lying in bed, oxygen tubing running to her nose, IV in her hand, her face incredibly pale, hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. Maya walked over to the bed, the Italian cracking her eyes open as she heard the footsteps.
"Hi Bambina," Carina said tiredly.
"Hi," Maya said, sitting down on the edge of the bed carefully, "How are you feeling?"
"Better than earlier," Carina said, clearing her throat a little, reaching for a cup that was on her table, Maya picking it up and putting the straw between Carina's ashen lips, the sick woman taking several sips before pushing the straw out of her mouth, "Grazie. Bambina, are you ok?"
"You're the one laying here in a hospital bed with a sky-high fever, sepsis, and a UTI and you are checking on me?" Maya said, chuckling.
"Do not avoid my question," Carina said, raising her eyebrow, "I can tell you've been crying. I'm sorry for scaring you."
Maya tried to take a deep breath, feeling tears welling up in her eyes again.
"I...you...I..." Maya stuttered, tears spilling over her lower lids as she looked at her wife.
"Come here," Carina said, opening her arms.
"No," Maya said, "No. I'm ok."
"Come here please," Carina said more firmly, Maya moving into her wife's arms, "I am ok. I am going to be ok."
That was all it took for Maya to start crying again, just clinging to her wife as Carina ran her hand up and down Maya's back. Eventually, the tears tapered off, Maya moving a little so she could see Carina.
"Va bene?" Carina asked as Maya sat up and reached for some tissues.
"Yeah," Maya nodded, "Sorry. That keeps happening."
"Don't apologize," Carina said, shaking her head as she yawned a little, "What is going on in your head?"
"I'm fine," Maya said, shaking her head, "You need to rest."
"I'm ok," Carina said, "Talk to me. I know you are not ok."
Maya sighed, looking down at her hands, Carina reaching over and grabbing them.
"I thought I was losing you," Maya said so quietly Carina almost couldn't hear her, "I walked into our bedroom and...I thought...You looked so sick and I couldn't wake you up and...I thought I was going to have to say goodbye."
"Oh Bambina," Carina said, feeling tears filling her own eyes as she wrapped her arms around her wife again, "I am so sorry."
They just held each other, neither of them ready to let go.
"I'm not going anywhere, ok," Carina whispered, "You're stuck with me."
"Promise?" Maya asked, pulling back so she could see her wife's face.
"Si," Carina nodded, "I promise. You aren't going to get rid of me that easily, ok?"
Maya chuckled behind her mask, nodding as Carina also smiled before yawning again.
"Ok, you need to sleep for real," Maya said, getting up, "That's the only way you are going to feel any better. Do you need anything?"
"Can you stay?" Carina asked, knowing her wife was right. "I'm not going anywhere, ok?" Maya said, "I will be right here as long as you want me to."
"You have to go home with the bambine," Carina said, her eyes getting heavy.
"They are going to Mason and Laila's tonight," Maya said, brushing a piece of damp hair from Carina's face, noticing how warm Carina was even through the gloves on her hands, "Right now, you are my only priority."
Carina was too tired to argue at the moment, her eyes closing as she fell asleep. Maya found herself just sitting there, watching her wife's chest rise and fall, slightly faster than normal.
Every so often, she would glance up at the monitors on the wall, desperately needing the reassurance that her wife was indeed ok. Her blood pressure was still a little bit on the low end but was much better than it had had been in the aid car and her heartrate was high, but it had also come down some.
For the next hour, Maya just sat there, her eyes never leaving Carina except to look at the monitors, just listening to her breathe.
She felt her phone vibrate, Vic telling her she was on her way with their bags. Maya texted her back, telling her to just let her know when she got there. Maya looked back at her wife, seeing the discomfort written all over her face. That wasn't that uncommon these days, unfortunately, and Maya missed the peaceful bliss that was usually adorned her wife's features when she was asleep. She also noticed just how sweaty Carina was and made a mental note to ask the nurse for a basin of water and a washcloth the next time she came in.
Carina groaned a little in her sleep, shifting, clearly trying to get into a more comfortable position. Maya got up, walking closer to her wife, just gently stroking her hair, trying to provide her some level of comfort. It took a few minutes, but eventually, Carina settled back down, Maya still just standing next to her.
She could have stayed forever, but she got a text from Vic saying she was outside. Maya sighed, walking toward the door, glancing back at her wife before stepping out of the room, Vic and Travis both standing there as Maya pulled off her PPE.
"Trav, what are you doing here?" Maya asked, looking at her friend.
"I drove Vic to your place and helped her get everything together," Travis said, "Andy told us to just keep our radios on in case we got a call."
"How is she?" Vic asked.
"Better than when she came in," Maya said, "But she's exhausted and not feeling well. Thank you guys so much for picking up all this."
"No problem," Vic said, "I've got a bag for you, one for Carina, and this is for the girls. We brought your car over here. Here are the keys. And we also have lunch for you because you need to take care of yourself right now too."
"I can't eat in there," Maya said, looking at her wife's room after she took the keys from Vic, slipping them into her pocket.
"How about we go down to Carina's office and eat?" Travis said.
"I don't want to leave her," Maya said, shaking her head, "She's asleep and I don't want her to wake up alone. I'll wait."
"I'll go sit with her," Vic offered, handing Maya the cup of coffee that was in her hand, "You can go eat something and drink this coffee. Just take 10 minutes. I've got her, ok?"
"Ok," Maya said, biting her lip but knowing Vic was right.
"Come on," Travis said, gesturing to Maya, "Remember, you have to take care of yourself to take care of her."
Maya took a deep breath before going with Travis as Vic got to work putting on her PPE. Travis and Maya made their way down to Carina's office, Travis still holding all the bags as they got into the elevator.
"Here," Maya said, holding out her hands, "Let me take something."
"Take the food bag," Travis said, holding it out to her.
"Thanks again for getting all this stuff," Maya said, taking the bag from him.
"Of course," Travis said, "It's what family does."
Once they got to Carina's office, Maya opened up the bag Travis had given her, revealing a salad and sandwich from a deli they went to probably more often than they should when they didn't want to cook at the station.
"I just got your regular order," Travis said as Maya pulled it out of the bag.
"Thanks, Trav," Maya said, "Did you want some?"
"I ate at the station," Travis said.
Maya nodded, stirring the salad around a little.
"You actually have to eat it Chief," Travis said, raising an eyebrow at her.
"I know," Maya sighed, stabbing a few pieces of lettuce, "I'm just not hungry."
"I know," Travis said, "But you still have to eat. Do it for Carina."
Maya grumbled a little bit but put a bite in her mouth.
"I know the girls are going to Mason's tonight, but if you need somewhere for them to go tomorrow night, I am free," Travis said as Maya continued eating her food.
"Thanks," Maya said, "Seriously. But I will probably try to go home tomorrow night just to keep them in some kind of routine at our house. All of this has been a lot for them, and I don't want to make it any harder so as long as Carina is doing ok, my plan is to take them home."
"Ok," Travis said, "Well, if that changes, feel free to call any time, even if its 3 am."
"Thank you Travis," Maya said, "I honestly don't think we would have made it through the last few months without your help."
"Hey, I like hanging out with your kids," Travis shrugged, "And you and Carina are always there for me if I need you. Like I said, it's what family does."
"Well, it really means a lot," Maya said, smiling at him, "More than I know how to express to you."
Maya finished eating her lunch pretty quickly, deciding to just put the sandwich in the fridge in her wife's office for later.
"Alright," Maya said, "I'm ready to go back upstairs."
Just then, Maya's phone buzzed.
"Is it Vic?" Travis asked, seeing the frown on Maya's face, "Is Carina ok?"
"No, it's the chief," Maya said, "There's a three-alarm downtown that is probably going to get to five unless something drastically changes and I am supposed to be the battalion chief on call today. I need to call him and explain what's going on."
"Ok," Travis said, nodding, "And if you have to go in, I promise we will figure out how to make sure someone is always here with Carina, ok?"
"I'm not going in," Maya said firmly, "Chief Rodriguez can fire me if he wants, but I am not leaving her today. I can't."
"Ok," Travis nodded, "Do you want me to step out?"
"No," Maya said, "It's fine. You can stay."
Maya took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before dialing the chief's number.
"Chief Bishop-Deluca," he said, answering on the second ring.
"Hello Chief Rodriguez," Maya said, "I was calling because I know I am the battalion chief on call for my battalion today, but I can't make it to the fire."
"What's going on?" Chief Rodriguez asked, knowing Maya wasn't one to not make it to a scene if she could.
"Carina's in the hospital," Maya sighed, "She's pretty sick and I...I just can't leave her right now. I had to call an aid care to get her to the hospital a few hours ago. I'm sorry Chief. I meant to call you earlier and let you know I needed some time off."
"Don't apologize," Chief Rodriguez said, "I understand. Family first. I know there's been a lot going on with your wife recently, but your work hasn't suffered at all. I'll make sure things are taken care of here."
"Thank you Chief," Maya said, "And I promise, I will make up for it once Carina is better."
"Bishop, you have sick days," Chief Rodriguez said, "And personal days. You are allowed to take those when you need them with no consequences."
"Thank you," Maya said, "And if things get really bad, I could probably step away for a while later if..."
"No," Chief Rodriguez said, "Absolutely not. Just be there for your wife and family."
"Thank you," Maya said.
"Of course," the chief said, "I hope your wife gets better soon."
Maya hung up the phone, letting out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Talking to the chief always stressed her out because they had gone through many who were not kind and understanding when it came to anything. But Chief Rodriguez was always so good at making sure his firefighters were taken care of. Maya always took mental notes on what he did so that one day, when she was chief, she could do the same.
"All good?" Travis asked, looking over at her.
"Yeah," Maya nodded, "All good. I just want to put on a different pair of shoes and the I'm going to go back upstairs."
"This is your bag," Travis said, handing Maya a small black duffle, "Vic threw some shoes in there. Also some clothes that aren't your uniform if you want to change."
For the first time, Maya realized she was still in her work uniform, having not bothered to change in her frantic rush home to check on her wife earlier.
"Thanks," Maya said, "I'll..."
"I'll step out so you can change," Travis said, walking out the door.
Maya quickly found some joggers and a t-shirt, changing her clothes before pulling on her own shoes, storing Carina's back where she found them. She then grabbed both her work bag and Carina's bag before walking out of the office.
"OK," Maya said, "I'm ready to go back upstairs."
"I'll come with you to grab Vic," Travis said, "If there's going to be a 5 alarm, we need to head back soon and help get ready."
"Keep me updated on what's going on," Maya said, feeling the guilt of not going to the call, but also knowing it wouldn't be safe, that she would be too distracted and that she needed to be here with Carina.
"I will," Travis said as they got to the elevators.
They made it back to the step-down unit and to Carina's room.
"Thanks again for coming Trav," Maya said, using the hand sanitizer before she got out a clean set of PPE.
"Like I said, it isn't a big deal," Travis said, "Keep me updated on how Carina is doing."
"I will," Maya nodded, finishing putting on her garb, "Bye Trav."
"Bye," Travis said, waving as Maya walked into the room.
"Hey," Vic said quietly as she got up, "She's been asleep the whole time, though she started muttering something in Italian maybe two minutes ago..."
"She does that sometimes," Maya nodded, "Thank you so much for staying up here...I just...leaving her alone after this morning..."
"It's totally fine," Vic said, "I'm glad you got to eat and get into your own clothes. Let me know if there's anything else you need. I can bring whatever if we don't get calls."
"There's a three alarm that is probably going to go to a five," Maya said, "So you'll probably be busy."
"Are you going to go in?" Vic said, clearly concerned.
"No," Maya said, shaking her head, "No, I need to be here. She needs me more than anyone else and I would be no good there because I would just be worried about her. I already called the chief and he is ok with it."
"Good," Vic said, "Well, please try to get some sleep. Keep us updated."
"Thank you," Maya said as Vic left.
Once her friend was gone, Maya turned to look at her wife who was moving around a lot again and mumbling.
"Carina," Maya said gently, going over to her bed and putting a hand on her way-too-warm cheek, "Shhhh."
"Mmmmm Maya?" Carina said sleepily as her eyes opened.
"Hi," Maya said, knowing from the second her wife woke up that she wasn't feeling well, "You ok?"
"I need to use the bathroom," Carina said, rubbing her eyes.
"Ok," Maya said, going around the bed to help her up, "Do you want me to get the nurse?"
"I think I'm ok if you help me," Carina said, moving to sit.
Maya managed to help her to the bathroom without issue, stepping back into the room to give her wife some privacy. As she waited, the nurse came in.
"She's in the bathroom," Maya said, "She said that was ok?"
"Of course," the nurse nodded, "It's just fine. I just have a round of meds for her."
"I was going to ask you," Maya said, "I'm not sure it's allowed, but can I have a basin of cool water and a washcloth? She's so warm and sweaty and I thought it might help."
"Of course," the nurse nodded, "Let me just see if I can find someone to grab it."
The nurse stepped out into the hall, talking to someone as Maya heard the toilet flush.
"Car, do you need help?" Maya called through the door.
"Maybe," Carina said and Maya immediately went in, finding her wife sitting on the toilet looking beyond exhausted.
"Can you just help me to the sink?" Carina asked.
"Of course," Maya nodded, going over to her side immediately.
She got Carina to the sink before helping her back to bed, the nurse coming back just as Carina got settled back in bed.
"Here's that basin," the nurse said, "And some wash clothes. Just let me know if you need more."
"What's that for?" Carina asked as she laid down.
"I thought maybe a little bit of a sponge bath might feel good to you right now," Maya said, brushing a piece of hair off Carina's face, "You are burning up."
Carina nodded tiredly, smiling as much as she had energy for at her wife.
"Ok," the nurse said, "So I have some meds for you. Are you having any pain?"
"Some," Carina nodded, "I'm just really achy and I just used the bathroom and that hurt."
"Ok," the nurse said, "I've got some Tylenol that you can have that should help with that. Dr. Cho also has some anti-diarrheal meds here for you."
"Si," Carina nodded, "My stomach is pretty upset today too...and most days. I'm on meds pretty much all the time for that."
"Ok," the nurse nodded, "And I also have something for nausea if you need it."
"Yes please," Carina said, rubbing her eyes, "I don't know if it's radiation side effects or the UTI, but my stomach does not feel well."
"Ok," the nurse said, checking the antibiotic bag which was just about empty, "Do you think you will be able to keep down the pills?"
"Si," Carina nodded, "I think so."
"Ok," the nurse said, "Here is some water and your pills then. Do you need anything else?"
"Not right now," Carina said, shaking her head, "Thank you."
"Ok," the nurse said, "Well, if you need anything, just let me know. Dr. Cho said you should try to eat something for dinner tonight. I just wanted to give you a heads up so you can think about it."
"Thank you," Carina said nodding as she picked up the cup of pills, swallowing them before taking a drink of water.
"Try to drink as much as you can," the nurse said, "It'll help you feel better."
Carina nodded as she leaned back against her pillows, clearly exhausted. The nurse left the room, leaving Maya and Carina alone again.
"Do you want a sponge bath now?" Maya asked, looking at her wife.
"Yes please," Carina said, as the blonde got up, going over to basin of water, grabbing a washcloth.
"You are so hot," Maya sighed as she put a hand on Carina's forehead.
"I know I am," Carina joked, smiling a little at her wife.
Maya just shook her head, taking the cloth and gently dabbing it across the sick woman's forehead, "Does that feel ok?"
"Si," Carina said, "My head hurts and this is helping."
"Your temp was over 104 when Andy and Vic got to our house earlier," Maya said as she continued lightly dabbing Carina's forehead with the cloth.
"That's high," Carina frowned sleepily.
"Yeah, I know," Maya chuckled dryly, "I'm just glad I came home alone and not with the girls. I don't know what I would have done if I had them with me."
"Once this is over and I am better, can we go somewhere?" Carina asked, "Like on a trip? Maybe to the beach or something for a few days? I just...I want time with you and the bambine, just the four of us. I know we are both not going to have as much time off as before because of how much time we have take recently, but maybe just a long weekend when we both aren't working and then take an extra day."
"Of course," Maya nodded, "Maybe in August. That's usually when I have downtime because everything is wrapped up for the summer and that will give you two months to start feeling a little better too. We can go down to Palm Springs like we did on our first vacation or if we are feeling adventurous, we can try for the east coast. We can decide when it gets closer, ok? See how you are feeling?"
"That sounds nice," Carina said, clearly starting to fall asleep, "The sand and the ocean and the sun."
"And you in a sexy swimsuit," Maya said, stroking Carina's hair, "And the girls running all over, Nora trying to catch the birds and Rowan scared of them. It will be exactly what we need."
Carina hummed in response, eyes closing as her breathing evened out. Maya continued to wipe down Carina's face and neck with the tepid water, hoping it would help lower her fever or at least let her sleep a little easier. After a while, she stopped, grabbing some antiseptic wipes and her laptop, carefully cleaning it off before changing her gloves and sitting down in the chair to try to get some work done. However, she struggled to concentrate for more than a few minutes before she needed to stop and make sure her wife was ok. Any time one of the monitors in the room made an unusual noise, Maya felt herself jump a little. About an hour and a half after she fell asleep, Carina stirred again, Maya immediately abandoning her work to go to her wife's side. She helped her wife to the bathroom again, and just as she was settling her into bed, the blonde's phone buzzed again. "Laila is here to pick up the girls," Maya said, looking at her phone, "I need to go bring her their bag...Or I could see if..." "Bambina, go," Carina said, looking at her wife, "I am ok here alone for a little bit. Go see our bambine and make sure they are ok and give them hugs and kisses for me." "Ok," Maya said, "But I am going to leave your phone right here. If you need me, just call, ok?" Carina nodded, grabbing her wife's hand for a second.
"I love you," Carina said, "And I will be right here when you get back. Or maybe in the bathroom, but I am not going anywhere ok?"
Maya cracked a small smile, nodding, "I love you too."
Maya took a deep breath before walking out the door, pulling off her PPE before heading down to Carina's office to grab the overnight bag for the twins. She then went downstairs to find Laila.
"Hey," her sister-in-law said as she walked up to her, "How is Carina?"
"She's...ok," Maya said, "She's feeling pretty sick right now, but hopefully her meds will kick in soon and start helping."
"What exactly is wrong?" Laila asked, "If you don't mind me asking."
"She has a UTI that turned into mild sepsis because her white blood cell count is low," Maya said, "She's in the step-down unit for now, but she's under neutropenic precautions so the twins aren't going to be able to visit until those precautions are lifted."
"Well, we can keep the girls as long as you need," Laila said, "Mason doesn't start his summer classes until next week so we are pretty free right now."
"Thanks," Maya said, "I think I am going to try to take them home tomorrow night to not disrupt their routine more. But I will let you know."
"Did you want me to bring them back here tomorrow morning?" Laila asked, "The only reason I asked is because Mason and I were going to take Josie to a kid's day at the art museum and we thought it might be fun to take the girls too, but if you want them here, that is totally fine."
"Are you sure you would want to do that?" Maya asked, "Three kids is a lot more work than just one."
"I think Mason and I can handle it," Laila said, "Besides, I think Josie is still a little young, but Mason really wants to go and I think if the twins were there, it might be a little bit more fun."
"Ok," Maya nodded, "I'm sure they would love that. Thank you so much."
"Of course," Laila said, "And then I can bring them home whenever you want."
"Um, let me talk to Carina and I'll get back to you?" Maya said, biting her lip.
"Of course," Laila said, "Just let me know. Like I said, we are flexible. Now, should we go get the girls?"
"Yes," Maya nodded, "Come on."
They walked over to the daycare, Maya going to check out the twins, letting the daycare worker know that the girls wouldn't be there the next day.
"Oh, and do you have car seats for me?" Laila asked as they waited for the twins.
"We will have to get them out of my car," Maya said, "And I'm not totally sure where it's parked because Vic and Travis dropped it off for me because I came in the aid car with Carina."
"She had to be brought in by ambulance?" Laila said, eyes wide.
"Yeah," Maya said, "She was unconscious when I got home from work. Like I said, it was bad."
Just then, Nora and Rowan came running out of the daycare.
"Mommy," Nora said as the blonde crouched down with her arms open.
"Hi girls," Maya said, picking them both up.
"Auntie Lala, what doin?" Rowan said, looking at her aunt.
"You are going to come have a sleepover with me and Uncle Mason and Josie tonight," Laila said, "Does that sound like fun?"
"No," Rowan said, giving Laila a dirty look.
"That's not very nice," Maya said, looking at Rowan.
"Mamma?" Nora said, looking around.
"Mamma is feeling very sick right now," Maya said as they went to grab the stroller getting both girls into it, "She is having to spend some time in the hospital so you guys get to go play with your aunt and uncle and cousin."
"Want Mamma," Nora said, sticking out her lip, "Mamma no ick."
"Mamma is sick," Maya sighed, "She had to stay here for a few days until she is feeling better."
"Mamma no ick," Nora cried, "No."
"Mamma ick," Rowan said, reaching across the stroller and hitting Nora who of course started crying more.
"Hey," Maya said, stopping the stroller and walking around to the front, "Rowan, you do not hit your sister. That is not nice."
"Mommy," Nora cried as Maya picked her up.
"Mamma ick," Rowan said, angry look on her face.
Maya took a deep breath, holding Nora as she tried to calm her down, feeling beyond inadequate in that moment. Her girls clearly needed her, but her wife also needed her and she couldn't be in two places at one.
"Maya, why don't you sit?" Laila said gently, noticing how overwhelmed her sister-in-law looked in that moment.
"I...I'm ok," Maya said, trying to take a deep breath as she held Nora close, swaying with her in her arms.
"Mamma ick," Rowan said, suddenly bursting into tears herself.
Maya picked up the little girl, just holding both of the twins close as she felt tears pricking her own eyes. She just stood there, holding the twins and trying to provide them whatever comfort she possibly could in that moment. She felt Laila guiding her over to a bench, Maya sitting down, not letting go of the girls.
Eventually, the tears settled from all three of them, Laila coming over to them and handing Maya some tissues.
"What do you need?" Laila asked.
"I don't know," Maya said, just holding the girls close, "I...I need to be able to spilt myself in two. I need to be able to be with my babies and my wife right now and I can't. Um, I...can you take them for a minute. I want to go call Carina."
"Of course," Laila said, taking Nora and Rowan, both of whom fussed as Maya got up.
"I will be right back," Maya said, getting up, hoping the girls didn't fully melt down on Laila. She walked a little ways away, calling Carina.
"Bambina?" Carina said, answering, "Is everything ok?"
"Um, I...I think so," Maya said, trying not to cry, "Um, the girls are having a little bit of a hard time right now and I...I don't know what do to because they can't be with you and..."
"Maya, you can go home with them tonight," Carina said, "I am ok here. I have nurses here who can help me, and I am getting antibiotics and other medications to help me feel better. Go home with the bambine tonight, ok? I am mostly just going to sleep, and they clearly need you."
"I don't...I don't want to leave you alone," Maya said, "I don't want something to happen."
"I know today was really hard for you," Carina said, "And I know I scared you and I am so sorry. But I promise you that I am ok here. Take Nora and Rowan home and make sure they are ok because I know they would probably be ok with Laila and Mason, but they will be much better with you. They need their mommy. I understand what is going on with me and I have lots of people here to take care of me, but they only have you right now."
"Ok," Maya sighed, "Um, Ok. I'll take them home tonight. I need to come back to your room and get my bag."
"Ok," Carina said, "Why don't you leave the girls with Laila, come get the stuff you need, and then take them home?"
"Ok," Maya said, wiping a stray tear, "Ok. I'll see you in a few minutes."
Maya hung up, going back over to Laila and the girls.
"I am going to take them home tonight," Maya said, taking Nora who was sobbing, "I'm sorry I had you come over here for nothing."
"Maya, it is not a big deal," Laila said, "Mason is home with Josie getting some quality daddy-daughter time which he hasn't gotten much because all the end of the year stuff he has had going on. And maybe we can still take them to the art museum tomorrow if they are feeling up to it."
"Yeah," Maya said, "That would actually probably be nice. I'll see how they are doing in the morning though. They might just need to be in their normal routine."
"Of course," Laila said, "It's whatever is best for them."
"I am going to run back upstairs for a few minutes and grab some thing," Maya said, "Can you just watch them for like maybe 10 minutes?"
"Of course," Laila said, "Nora, come here."
"No," Nora cried, clinging to Maya. Maya never liked using screens to pacify the girls, but she needed to get upstairs and get back down so she took out her phone, pulling up an episode of LittleBabyBum and turning it on.
"Here," Maya said, handing her phone to Laila, "This should distract them."
"Nora, do you want to come watch some Wheels on the Bus?" Laila said, trying again to take Nora from Maya.
The toddler went to her this time, clearly not happy about it, but more willing this time.
Maya went back into the building, going back to Carina's room first, pulling on PPE which felt like such a waste because she wasn't going to be in there more than five minutes. She took a deep breath as she pulled on her gloves, going back into her wife's room.
"Hi Bambina," Carina said, clearly fighting sleep.
"Hi," Maya said, going over to her, caressing her cheek, "Are you sure you are going to be ok alone here?"
"I am a big girl," Carina said, "I will be fine. Plus, there will be nurses in and out all night. The bambine need you more than I do right now."
"I know," Maya said, "I just don't like not being with you when you are this sick."
"I will be ok," Carina said, "While you were gone, the nurse came in and took my temperature and it's down to 102.6."
"That's still so high," Maya sighed.
"But it is coming down," Carina said, yawning, "I promise. I am going to be ok."
"I know," Maya said, taking her hand, wanting nothing more than to kiss her but know she couldn't, "If you are awake at any point tonight and feel like talking, you can facetime me ok? Even if it's 3 am."
"Ok," Carina nodded, "I love you."
"I love you too," Maya said, giving her wife a hug, "And I'm going to have the nurses call me if anything changes tonight."
Carina nodded, "Tell the bambine I love them too."
"I will," Maya said, "I love you."
"I love you too," Carina said, laughing a little bit.
Maya grabbed her bag before glancing at Carina one more time, knowing her wife would be asleep in a matter of minutes. She took off her PPE, going down to Carina's office and grabbing the overnight bag Vic and Carina had brought before going back down to where Laila was waiting with the twins.
"Were they ok?" Maya asked as she walked up.
"Yes," Laila said, "They were sucked into Little Baby Bum. Josie loves these songs, though we haven't gotten into the videos yet."
"They normally don't get the videos," Maya said, "But they have more since Carina got sick."
"No judgement here," Laila said, "I don't know how you guys do it when you are both healthy with two toddlers and both of you working full time."
Maya shrugged, reaching to take her phone.
"No," Rowan said before looking up and seeing Maya was back, "Mommy."
"Hi," Maya said, "Are you ready to go home?"
"Mamma?" Nora said.
"No, Mamma has to stay here," Maya said, "She needs to be by the doctors right now."
"Mamma ick," Rowan said as Maya put her into the stroller.
"Yes," Maya said, "Mamma is sick. Now, can you guys say goodbye to Aunt Laila?"
"Bye," Rowan said as Nora just covered her face, refusing to let Maya put her down.
"Bye," Laila said, "Maya, let me know about tomorrow."
"Will do," Maya said, rubbing Nora's back, "And thank you for today."
"Of course," Laila said, heading out.
Maya pushed the stroller, sighing with relief when she saw that Vic had put her car in Carina's parking spot. She got the girls into the car, sighing as they headed home.
She realized as she drove that she had a disaster in her bedroom after what had happened earlier. She was not looking forward to that, but she put it out of her mind as she continued to their house.
Once they got home, she got the twins inside, going through their routine of getting their hands washed and their stuff put away.
She opened the fridge, pulling out some leftovers to feed the girls.
As she put the pan in the oven, she heard the twins calling to her. She went to find them, finding them both in the bathroom, Rowan butt naked sitting on the toilet.
"What are you doing?" Maya asked, trying to stay calm.
"Potty," Rowan said.
"Did you actually go to the bathroom?" Maya asked, going over to her.
"Si," Rowan nodded. Much to Maya's surprise, Rowan had indeed used the bathroom.
"Good job," Maya said, smiling at her.
"Undies," Rowan said, looking at Maya.
"Fine," Maya said, "We can go get you some underwear."
She got Rowan cleaned up before going upstairs, grabbing a pair of underwear for Rowan before going downstairs and putting them on the toddler.
"Ok," Maya said, "I am going to go finish making dinner. Can you guys play?"
The twins nodded, Maya going back into the kitchen. Maya finished dinner, getting the twins settled in their seats before sitting down with them, not eating much herself, but sitting there and listening to the girls chat. Dinner was uneventful and afterward, Nora was kinda clingy so Maya just went into the living room to play with them.
She was sitting on the floor, Rowan in her lap as they built a tower when suddenly, she felt something warm in her lap.
"Uh oh," Rowan said, looking at Maya, "Pee."
"Rowan," Maya said, trying very hard not to get mad, "It's ok. But if you are going to wear underwear, you have to tell me if you have to go to the bathroom."
"'et," Rowan said, standing up, pulling on her pants.
"Yes," Maya said, looking down at her pants which were also soaked, "You and I are both wet. I think it's time to go upstairs and we can all take a shower together."
"Baf," Rowan said.
"No," Maya said, "We are going to have a shower. Come one."
They all went upstairs, Maya dreading what her bedroom was going to look like as she walked the girls into it, very confused when she saw the bed was made with clean sheets, no evidence of what had happened there earlier. She didn't have time to try to figure out what happened as she took the twins into the bathroom, starting the shower and all three of them ready for a shower. The twins didn't love showers, but they tolerated them fine and she didn't want to give them a bath while she was covered in pee.
After the shower, she got the twins ready for bed, reading to them and singing before she ended up laying on their bedroom floor until Nora was asleep because the little girl cried every time Maya tried to leave the room and Maya didn't feel like listening to her daughter cry.
Once the girls were asleep, Maya went downstairs and got the kitchen cleaned up before going into the laundry room, realizing her sheets were in the washing machine and there was a note stuck to it from Vic and Travis.
"Hey Maya. We washed your sheets and got your bed cleaned up. If you see this before Tuesday morning, the sheets just need to be dried. If not, the sheets are in the dryer and just need to be folded. Hope you are doing ok. We are all here for you. -Vic and Travis."
Maya smiled as she opened the washer, putting the sheets in the dryer before going to get the rest of the house cleaned up. Just as she finished getting the toys put away, her phone rang.
"Hey," Maya said, answering the facetime from her wife.
"Hi," Carina said, "Are the bambine in bed?"
"They are," Maya said, "Nora really fought me on it, but eventually, they both went down."
"Oh," Carina frowned.
"I can try to facetime you in the morning when they are awake," Maya said, sitting down on the couch.
"Ok," Carina nodded, "How was your evening?"
"Well, Rowan decided to use the bathroom and then demanded underwear," Maya said, "And then she peed on herself and me so we had a group shower. And Nora cried if I tried to leave the room so I ended up laying on their bedroom floor until she was asleep."
"I'm sorry you had such a rough evening," Carina frowned, "I wish I was there to help you."
"It's ok," Maya shrugged, "We survived. How are you? Did you eat something?"
"Some toast and half a banana," Carina nodded, "And some Gatorade. I am tired and achy and my stomach isn't feeling good, but I am ok. I don't feel worse than before."
Maya frowned, wishing she could do something to help her wife feel better. They chatted for a little bit, Maya telling Carina about Laila's idea to take the twins tomorrow. Eventually, after close to an hour, Carina was tired again, the two of them hanging up after many I love yous.
It was only 9 and Maya wasn't tired enough to sleep. She had been getting updates all afternoon about the fire from various sources, and while it was going fine, she was worried about everyone.
She had already showered, but her body was anxious and she knew sleep wasn't going to happen so she decided to go for a run in an attempt to calm herself down.
After an hour on the treadmill and a message from Andy that 19 had been relieved of their duty at the fire that had been controlled and was now left up to a few stations who were the last called to finish handling, Maya went upstairs and showered before getting ready for bed.
She still wasn't super tired and without Carina next to her, her sleep was never as good as it was when she was there, but Maya tried to close her eyes anyway. That proved to not be a great idea because as soon as she started to drift off, she would get a flash of Carina laying in this bed, looking like she was dying and it would wake her back up. After a few times of this happening, Maya sighed and sat up, not sure what to do.
It was about then that she heard cries coming from the twins' room. She got up, going into the room and finding Nora sitting up in bed, tears running down her cheeks.
"What's wrong?" Maya asked, scooping her up.
"Mommy," Nora said around her fingers, laying her head down on Maya's shoulder.
"Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" Maya asked, rubbing the toddler's back.
Nora nodded, holding tightly to Maya's neck. Normally, sleeping with Mommy and Mamma was only reserved for when the girls were sick, but Maya decided to make an exception. It was clear Nora was having a hard time and needed some extra cuddles, and if Maya was being honest, she did too. She carried the toddler into her room, laying her down after making sure there was a pillow on the other side of her so she wouldn't roll off before getting into bed next to her.
"Mommy," Nora said, cuddling into Maya.
"I'm right here," Maya said, kissing the toddler's brown locks, "Mommy is right here."
It took a little while, but eventually, Nora drifted off and Maya followed after an even longer time, finally managing to calm her brain down enough to fall into a sleep she so desperately needed after the day she had just had.
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What did you think? I clearly decided to write instead of study today, which may come back to bite me in the butt tomorrow, but I really don't care. I fully intended this chapter to be about 5k words, but then I started writing and suddenly, it was incredibly long so I hope you all enjoyed my rambling. This was the last of the stuff I had even partially prewritten or even pre-planned (other than how I want to end this story) so if there was anything you wanted to see in this story before I start wrapping it up, let me know. I still have two tests coming up on Monday/Tuesday and an 8 hour clinical day on Wednesday so I probably actually need to give my school work the attention it needs for the next few days and not write as much, but we will see what happens. As always, thank you so much for reading, commenting, and voting!