"Consider it done. I'll be more than happy to. You can”

When I get to Keila's room, I find about three nurses already fluttering around inside. they've got my view obstructed so I can't see Keila. But I hear her

whimpering.

"Whats going on?", I ask and one of the nurses turns to me

"Oh good, you're here", she says, stepping out of my view of Keila who immediately notices me and stretches her hands towards me.

"Mommy, I missed you", she whines and I see that her cheeks are tear streaked, her eyes are wet with tears and her monitors are going haywire.

"Hey baby", I say, hugging her. She clamps her arms around me with a strength no five year old should be able to muster.

"Where were you? You weren't here when I woke"

"Yeah, I'm so sorry baby, I'm so sorry". I hug her tightly, scared of letting go. I cry with her, guilt and shame taking turns to overturn my heart. I can't believe I left her.

"You were sleeping so soundly honey, I didn't wanna wake you"

"Maybe say goodbye next time? Or at least warn her of your absence. She's been upset since she woke and it’s affecting her, she's not responding properly to her medication", Jade, one of the nurses says and I'm swarmed with more guilt.

"I'm sorry. I just, I had an appointment"

She nods at me and I turn back to my daughter.

"I'm sorry baby, I wont leave you again" "Promise?", she asks

"Promise", I assure her, still hugging her as one of the nurses rushes around the bed to sedate Keila. In a few seconds, she's knocked out. Jade ushers me out of the room and I follow. She stops at a corner.

"The doctor would be here to see you soon", she says and I nod.

"Listen, I know how hard it is for you right now, being a single mother and all. And I know you have to find a job too so if there's anyway I can help out-"

I cut her off with a hand on her arm. Jade has become my friend over the years, she's been a constant nurse at Keila's side and she's earned my respect.

"I am so grateful for all you've done so far. I can't ask anymore from you." "I was just doing my job", she says

"You and I both know that it's not a job to you. You love these kids and that's why I trust you around Keila. The only thing I ask is that you take care of Keila. I might not be around all the time, I have to do some job hunting but I would be happy if I know that Keila is with someone I trust and someone she's comfortable with"

She takes my hand in hers.

"Consider it done. I'll be more than happy to. You can

always count on me" I smile at her, thankful that Keila has her as a nurse. I hear a male voice and Jade and I both turn towards the source. The woman down the hall that lost her child is talking with a tall man that looks strangely like the one I bumped into on my way to Keila's room.

"That's Emily", Jade starts. "Poor woman lost her son to a severe kidney inflammation this morning. Kid's been battling various autoimmune disorders for years now'

"Just like Keila", I add.

"Yeah, just like her...and yet vastly different"

"Who's he?", lask, referring to the tall man talking to Emily.

"Oh, that's her cousin. Prickly man. He's given us all hell since the beginning, he's even worse today"

"You can't blame him, he lost his nephew". I might not have lost a child before, but the thought of it alone makes me really sick. I don't know what I'll do if 1 ever lose Keila, she's everything I live for.

"Yeah, we can't blame any of them, and that's why we live with it. We're nurses", she says, turning

to leave.

"I gotta go. Try not to leave without saying goodbye to Keila next time", she calls out and I smile. The smile fades off the moment I turn back towards Emily and her cousin. He glances at me, giving me the best stink eye he's got before turning back to Emily. I take slow steps towards them, planning to offer my condolences.

The moment I stop in front of them, Emily offers me a weak sad smile. She seems nice. Meanwhile, her prickly cousin goes on with the stink eye. He seems rude.

"Hi", I say, referring to Emily and mostly ignoring her cousin. "Hi", Emily returns.

"Uh, I'm Audrey"

"I'm Emily, and this is Luther"

"Nice to meet you", I say and she nods in response. I'm rooted to the floor for the next few seconds as we're all enveloped in awkward silence.

"I saw. This morning, when I was leaving-", I finally find my voice.

"Oh, yeah, you're the one that called the nurse? I didn't get the chance to say thank you"

I'm almost moved to tears by her kindness. She thought of thanking me for simply calling the nurse when I didn't even actually help.

"I tried to help, I'm sorry it didn't really change anything"

"Obviously", her obnoxious cousin murmurs from beside me. Emily looks at him in warning before turning back to me.

"Still, your help got him medical attention, even if it was too late"

"About that, I want to offer my condolences. I can't claim to understand your pain at the moment but I can imagine what it feels like to lose a child"

"At the end of the day, your imagination doesn't even come close", her cousin mutters again.

"Luther, please", Emily begs tiredly.

"I'm sorry, do you have a problem with me?", I ask.

"No, but I have a problem with what you're insinuating. You really think your petty imaginations could come any close to the actual pain?"

"No. that's not-"

"Have you ever lost a child?"

"That doesn't-"

"Have you ever lost a child?", he asks again, cutting me off.

"No, I haven't but...Wait, I this because I bumped into you earlier? If it is then I'm sorry"

He scoffs. "She thinks the world revolves around her", he says under his breath as he walks away from us. Suddenly, I feel stupid. I feel like I went about everything the wrong way.

"I'm sorry about that. He's extra prickly today", Emily says, pulling me from my self depreciating thoughts.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry if I upset you"

"No, it's okay. Thank you for coming at all, and for this morning too. Your help means a lot, even if you doubt it"

I want to say more to her but I keep my thoughts to myself, in fear of ruining things even further.

"Again, I'm sorry", I say, turning back to Keila's room.