Loose Change~ Montgomery De La Cruz / Zach Dempsey/Scott Reed

Part 4 Chapter 9b

tw: mentions of sexual assault

"Why can't I see him?"

Ophelia's brittle voice rang through the hospital room. Zach watched her, wincing at her expression.

"You can't leave bed yet," Mrs. Tristano explained. "He can't leave his incubator. You'll just have to wait."

"...but he's alive, right? He's okay?"

Mrs. Dempsey stepped forward, placing a hand in the girl. "Yes, honey, he's okay."

Ophelia's face scrunched up into another devastated expression. Soft tears ran down her cheeks. "I just want to see him."

Zach had been waiting in the chair against the wall, next to Honor. But hurried forward, pulling his phone out. "Do you want to see the photos again?"

Ophelia sniffed, wiping her nose as her mother handed her a tissue. Zach pulled up the photos they had taken, the family being let in to see the baby only an hour ago. Ophelia snatched the phone from him, looking at the photos for a long time. Another tear fell, dropping on the screen.

"Why can't they bring the incubator in here?" Ophelia asked, knowing it was a stupid question but wanting to ask anyway.

"Ophelia, it wouldn't be safe yet," her mother said. "Do you want the baby rolling around in there while they transport him? The cords might get messed up."

Ophelia wiped her eyes. "I'm his mom. He should be with me."

Nothing felt stranger than calling herself a mom.

Because she had barely gotten used to the idea of being pregnant. And now she was a mom.

She was a mom with a baby that had to be in an incubator. Because she wasn't responsible enough to keep him safe in the womb for nine months. How could she trust herself with him for the rest of her life?

Zach reached out, grabbing her hand. Ophelia held his hand tightly. She started crying again.

Zach had informed her of everything. There was no shooting. It was a drill.

She almost killed her baby from stress from a drill.

"Ophelia, calm down," her mother said. "You'll make yourself sick. Is your stomach upset at all?"

Ophelia shook her head, and kept wiping her eyes.

"Maybe we should give her some space," Zach suggested, seeing her fragile state. Then again, Ophelia always seemed fragile.

"She needs sleep, she can't just-"

Mrs. Tristano's phone started going off. She looked at it, staring at the caller ID with unwanted expression. "I'm gonna take this."

Mrs. Dempsey stood up. "Come on, Honor. Why don't we take you to get something to eat?"

Honor glanced at her sister once, before nodding, and going.

Honor passed her mother in the hall, who was in heated conversation with someone. Mrs. Dempsey slowed, listening. Her mother was speaking in mandarin, so the conversation was lost to the younger girl.

"Go on, Honor. I'll stay with your mother for a few moments."

Honor didn't know what to do, so she just stood at the end of the hallway, waiting to be acknowledged again so she'd know where to go.

In the hospital room, Zach kept hold of Ophelia's hand.

"Can you show me the pictures again?" Ophelia asked, softly.