Let Me Carry You (Carry You Home)

24: Little By Little

Two days later, Arizona approached Maya, Carina and Sarah as they came to visit, and handed them the greatest, yet most terrifying gift of all; discharge papers. According to Lucia's weight gain, and her progress with trusting Maya and Carina, Lucia's team of doctors were confident that she would be well-looked after at home.

Arizona explained that Lucia was going home much, much earlier than she normally would, but this was only because Carina was a doctor and Maya a firefighter. Since they were both first responders, they could manage her at home, and since their house would be a more quiet environment, it was exactly what Lucia needed rather than the busy, hospital environment of Grey-Sloan.

"Okay so since she is still malnourished, we're building up her food intake with the feeding tube..." Arizona launched into an explanation, detailing what Carina and Maya would need to do. Lucia was looking around the room anxiously, not quite understanding what was happening. Sarah sat next to Lucia, and gently offered her hand out, waiting patiently for the decision, in which Lucia touched Sarah's hand, not flinching when Sarah took Lucia's hand in her own.

"Lucia is going home. Home... Maya, Carina, Sarah... And Lucia," Sarah explained, still speaking in fragments, and brows furrowed, Lucia nodded. The progress she'd made over her month of being hospitalized, and working with Miss Wilson, a special educator, was remarkable. Lucia seemed to understand the gist of staying with Maya and Carina, but especially Sarah, who she still trusted the most.

"Are you happy to go home?" Sarah asked softly, and Lucia paused after the full sentence to process it, and shrugged nervously. "No know," She whispered, hugging the stuffed bunny she'd gotten tightly.

"You're safe. Bad man is far, far away. Maya and Carina... got Lucia... toys," Sarah explained softly, pointing at the yellow bunny in Lucia's arms, and Lucia's eyes widened.

"Lucia toy?" She murmured, full of excitement.

Maya nodded, momentarily breaking her focus away from Doctor Robbins. Maya tried her best to break her sentence down into fragments so that Lucia could understand to the fullest extent of just how much love she, Carina and Sarah had available to give.

"Yes. Lots of toys for Lucia," Maya promised, still grinning, and Lucia gasped. Everyone in the room could feel Lucia's joy as if it was a tangible, physical thing. Just the prospect of Lucia getting a toy, a possession that was wholeheartedly hers, likely one of the first things she would ever get to have, was enough to light up the room brighter than the fluorescence lights did.

Lucia clapped. "Go home. Toys for Lucia!" She said eagerly.

Carina could see the limited vocabulary that Lucia had, and it meant the world that Lucia was trying to communicate with them. Carina knelt down, offering her hand out to Lucia, who touched it with wide, excited eyes.

"Soon. Soon, Lucia," She promised, and Lucia nodded, holding the stuffed animal tighter. That very morning, when Maya had asked if she had a name for her toy, Lucia held it up, and almost like a christening, had announced it proudly; 

"Bunny!"

———

It only took a couple of minutes to complete the discharge paperwork, and once they were all ready, the family got into the car and went to Target. After all, they needed everything for Lucia; from toys, books, clothes to furniture. Lucia had nothing that was hers, except for Bunny, who was her sole possession. It was unimaginable what Lucia had gone through, and both Maya and Carina were determined to shower Lucia in love.

Walking was one thing Lucia had to work on, since her legs were not used to bearing weight, given how much time she'd spent chained to wherever she kept. As Arizona had explained, Lucia's muscles had atrophied. Whatever muscles she'd had were no longer able to support her. It was another milestone they'd have to overcome, but there was time in the future to worry about that. From the car to the store, Sarah carried Lucia, and when her leg was bothering her, both girls sat in the cart.