Our Memories Together 2

1.6

"Hadiyeh open your eyes, Hads! Hadiyeh, please!" JJ begged, cradling Hadiyeh's unconscious body, he prayed for her to open her eyes. Still, he received no response, Hadiyeh was losing blood fast, JJ had pulled his t-shirt off and tied it around Hadiyeh's waist hoping to stop the blood flow.

He was carrying Hadiyeh out of the boat when he heard a child cries erupt from above deck. People on the pier had heard the gunshots and had called for the police. JJ handed Hadiyeh over to the ambulance. The adrenaline had burnt out and all JJ was left with was the shakes and shivers of what had happened. 

~~~

JJ was sat next to Hadiyeh waiting for her to recover from the anaesthesia when there was a knock at the door and a woman came in, she was old and wrinkly with her grey hair tied in a low bun at the back of her head, she reminded JJ of Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter. With her came out another woman, much younger and she seemed to be part of the hospital staff, a nurse. She carried a pink baby carrier. 

"Can I help you?" JJ got out of his seat next to Hadiyeh, wanting to see what these people wanted.

"Mr Olatunji, when you and your wife came out of that boat on the pier there was a child on board, Mr Malik's daughter-" 

"I don't want anything to do with that child-"

"As ruled by Turkish court they have revoked his custody of the child and none of their family has taken the responsibility of the child, either you sign the adoption papers here or the child is taken into the governments care." The woman places the pieces of paper on the table next to Hadiyeh. 

"You can't expect me to sign these papers whilst my wife is on a hospital bed-"

"Yes, we are very aware of your wife's condition-"

Her words were cut off by the cries of the baby in the carrier that the nurse was holding. She u the carrier down and JJ caught sight of the child. She was beautiful, from big hazel eyes and almond skin tone, a cute button nose and a full head of hair. She was perfect. She looked as though she was truly his and Hadiyeh's child. The baby cried in the younger woman's arms as JJ almost melted. 

"Would you like to hold it, Mr Olatunji?" 

JJ nodded unable to speak as the woman motioned for the nurse to hand over the baby to JJ who took her into his arms. As though immediately the child stopped crying, her frown had turned upside down and she had begun giggling, JJ felt his body spread with warmth and joy.

"Mr Olatunji, the papers," The elderly woman was quick to burst them out of their little bubble. 

JJ quickly put the child back into its carrier, "I can't take on the adoption of a child without my wife, so please come back when she's awake." 

"This child was found famished and hungry in the boat and is currently being held in the hospital's children wing, if you wish to visit her there you may, you can call me on the number stated at the bottom of the page, until then goodbye." With those words, the woman exited the room leaving JJ with the nurse and child. Just as the nurse was about to leave JJ held her back. 

"Would you mind transferring the child into this room? because as soon as I step out of this room there are people with cameras and such waiting outside." 

The woman contemplated JJ's request in her head for a minute before nodding.

~~~

When Hadiyeh woke up it was 10 pm. 

She could tell by the scratchy sheets and the strong smell of disinfectant that she was in the hospital. She hadn't known how long she had slept for nor how she got here. She turned her head to see JJ asleep on the uncomfortable hospital chairs with his hand in an incubator. 

Had she given birth when she was asleep?

She saw the child's hand wrapped around his pinkie as they both slept soundly.

She moved to get up, wincing at the pain in her hips, she knew it was toned down due to the drowsiness given to her by the medication yet it still hurt like a bitch. She pulled her self up, now sitting in the bed. She turned to turn on the bedside lamp when she saw a file of papers stacked onto the bedside table. 

ADOPTION FORM

NAME: Rabiya Malik 

GENDER: F

DATE OF BIRTH: 18th April 2019

PLACE OF BIRTH: UAE, Dubai

MOTHER: Rahelle Rahim (deceased)

FATHER: Rayan Malik

RACE: Mixed, AfroArab

Hadiyeh read through the form. An immense amount of sadness filling her heart, that poor innocent child, only two months old and had already gone through so much.

On the last page where the new parents of the child should sign, JJ had already signed the papers. Hadiyeh looked at him in awe. She had always known that JJ had a big heart, yet she would have never thought that he would be this caring. He had taken in the child of the person who had the intention of killing him. 

She looked over and saw JJ had already built a bond with the child. It would seem stupid for her not to sign the papers, but she knew that JJ was not thinking rationally and logically, he was thinking with his heart, emotionally and impulsively. 

Where would they keep the child? They would need to move into a new house. They would have to hire a nurse to help them take care of the child. They would need to buy this child furniture and toys and they'd have to begin sacrificing their time and careers for this child. there was just so much stuff that she knew JJ hadn't thought about. 

But when Hadiyeh saw them so close together, that child holding onto JJ's hand as though he was the universe, Hadiyeh knew she couldn't say no and like everything else in their life they'd have to figure things out as they went along.

So she picked up the pen from the bedside stand and signed her name next to JJ's. Officially making them parents.

SIGN HERE:

Olajide W Olatunji 

Hadiyeh M Ezra

Written: 11/09/2021

Published: 11/09/2021

(A/N: When I said bangers, I meant this one, plus I hate pregnancy tropes so much, like passionately but I wanted to give Hadiyeh and JJ and child and it would only make sense for them to have a child after getting married I know I keep saying this but I really need to start focusing on my school work but I can't get over not writing this book lmao but oh well <33)