herophine - Trouvaille

Chapter 42. Part II

Crosby, Liverpool - England, 2027

She hangs up the phone once again without any result. This is the third time she has been trying to call Hero, but he might still be driving and he always forgets to connect the car's Bluetooth.

- Please, can I go back with my daughter now? - She pleads.

The nurse, whose name is Ryan according to his uniform, and the administrative exchange a worried look. There is a protocol that the hospital must follow when this happens and right now they cannot allow that the woman gets near the child. It could be an error in the Information System, but there is a chance that it could be a custody problem or worse, a kidnap.

Ryan could swear that the woman he has in front isn't a kidnapper, and that the desperation and tears in her eyes are real. However, he has to follow the rules and tries to explain it to Josephine with his most soothing tone. Jo feels the world crashing down on her and explains their family situation, but the face of confusion of the administrative and nurse makes her realize that she is just worsening it. Hero is still not answering the phone, so she tries to keep calm and follow the nurse's instructions.

It doesn't last much though, because a couple minutes later she hears again Sofía's loud screams. Josephine runs to the cubicle and slides to the side the curtain. A couple of nurses are trying to hold Sofía, who doesn't stay still, while the doctor works on her cure.

- Mommy, please don't go! - She cries when she sees Jo standing there.

There is no force in the world capable of separating a mother from her children when they are suffering and are claiming her by their side. Ryan tries to retain her, but Josephine is not willing to make it happen.

- Please, try to contact my daughter's father if you are so kind, or if you prefer to call the police to come and drag me out of here, then do it. But I'm not going to separate from my daughter, because she will be more calm if I am by her side while they treat her. - Jo says with an anguished expression.

The doctor who is taking care of Sofía makes Ryan a gesture so he allows Jo get closer. She knows that children are more relaxed if they have their parents close to them, and that way she can finish healing the little girl.

Josephine smiles shyly thanking her and one of the nurses pulls aside so she can sit with her daughter. She surrounds her child with her arms in a protective way and puts the strands of hair off her face, before caressing her chubby cheeks like she has seen Hero do when Sofía is sad.

Without knowing how the idea comes to her mind, Jo starts singing very softly Lady Jane in her ear. Only a couple of verses later Sofía's loud cries turn into slight whimpers and sobs, because her attention is more focused on her mother than on the cure.

Maybe she can't bake biscuits without ending in a disaster, Josephine thinks. Nevertheless, she can do this and it isn't bad as her superpower.

When they finally get Hero answering the calls, Sofía is already calmed enough to talk with him and reassure him herself about her state. Actually, they could have gone home almost a couple hours ago cause her wound is healed. But, the hospital wouldn't let Sofía leaving with someone who is not her legal tutor. 

Hero enters rushing in the building with Stephen and Elizabeth behind him. They prefer staying outside in the waiting room and he goes directly to the cubicle to find both girls. When he finds them, he also finds a beautiful image despite the pitiful situation. Sofía sleeps deeply cuddling in Josephine's arms, who doesn't take her sight from her. He sighs and before he has time to talk to her, the doctor enters to explain him the same things she had already explained to Jo. The burn is a little bit worse than normal but it isn't severe, and they won't have to admit her in the hospital, although they will have to take care of the wound at home. Josephine listens in silence not daring to look at him in the eyes.

- Hey. - He says while getting closer to the hospital litter. - Did she fall asleep long ago? - Josephine just nods with her head, even though Hero doesn't look at her because he is caressing his daughter's head. - Okay, let's go home. Your parents are outside. 

He gently lifts Sofía up and carries her still sleeping. They walk through the halls and Josephine can't avoid start tearing up when she sees her parents standing there. She hugs them both tightly and allows herself being the little girl for a minute. 

- Ugh, our Josie girl. - Stephen greets her whilst they leave the hospital. - We've missed you a lot. 

- I've missed you too, so much. 

There are plenty of things they want to talk about and million of hugs they want to give each other. However, it has been a very long trip for the two australians, plus they are really jet-lagged. And as the smart parents they are, they know the young couple needs the rest of the day by themselves after a morning full of stress. For that reason, they drive Jo's parents to the Premier Inn hotel, where they will be staying this whole week. 

The conversations that took place during the first car drive where pretty much between the Langfords and not very complex. During the second car drive, it was much more quiet. 

Once they park home, Hero goes to the back car door and takes Sofía out from her kids car seat. She's still asleep and it looks like she will be for some more time. Therefore, he walks upstairs to her bedroom and Josephine follows them in silence. 

Hero tucks her in bed and, without saying a word, both adults sit on the edge of her small bed. Now, that everything has passed by, all the tension from the previous hours hits Jo. She starts crying, trying not to make any noise and avoid waking her daughter up. Hero understands how she is feeling, but also because she hasn't dared to look him in the eyes since they left the hospital.

- When Sofi was one month old. - He starts saying with a soft voice. - I tried to cut her nails, but nobody had told me that babies hate their nails being cut. She wasn't still and I ended up cutting her a bit of the skin from her finger tip. She started bleeding so much that I thought she was going to lose her hand. 

Josephine keeps crying, but for the first time she looks him in the eyes.

- When she was eleven months, she started walking for the first time. - He continues telling her. - One day, I was setting the washing machine while she started climbing up the first two steps. I got distracted and she went down the stairs rolling. She had an enormous bump on her head for almost a month.

The tears intensify as if a lump in her throat and stomach has been undone, running freely down her face and without being stopped by Jo.

- I am so sorry, Hero. - She finally says in between sobs. - You left her under my responsibility.

- Jo, stop! - He strokes her face, wiping her tears away. - What I am trying to tell you is that you did your job. You took her to the closest hospital, you took care of her and soothed her... The accident was not under your control, but what you did afterwards it was. And you did it very good. 

Josephine looks away at the little girl who sleeps soundly and caresses her tiny hand. She had no idea it could be so scary, and it distresses her that Hero has dealt with this kind of situations by himself all these past years.

- It is me who has to apologize.

She stares at him as if he had grown a second head.

- When Sofía was born, I didn't include your personal data in her birth certificate. I should have done it. And when you came back two months ago, I didn't change the legal documents either and I should have. - He sighs in a guilty expression. - Because of this, today they gave you a hard time to be with your daughter.

Jo gets closer to him and puts her arm behind his neck, stroking his hair. They really have to stop punishing and not forgiving themselves, because they hurt each other without wanting it.

- I'm not going anywhere, Hero. - She says with complete honesty. - I am not leaving you. I can promise it to you in a thousand ways and tell you in a thousand different languages, but I don't know what to do for you to believe me. 

And with that being said, she plants a sweet kiss on his lips.