Adopted by the Deluca-Bishop's

Chapter 3 (Waking Up)

Kimberly's POV

Slowly I started to open my eyes as I tried to adjust to the brightness in the room, i soon realised I wasn't at that fire station no more and instantly started to panic, I was in a hospital. No no no no, this isn't good, they would have called my Foster parents because I'm a minor, for god sake, why did I have to go to that walk in clinic, should've just dealt with the pain like I usually do.

Then I felt my hands getting clammy, my heart racing, my breathing suddenly out of my control, this caused an alarm thing to go off in the room which got the attention of a nurse who pressed a button beside my bed. "You need to calm down hon" the nurse said, but she clearly didn't know how to deal with panic attacks, if anything she seemed really stressed out.

She seemed to calm down when a man walked in, must be the doctor but that just made me ten times worse, seeming as he was a man. "I need you to take a deep breathe in and out ok, your safe here" he said, trying to reasurre me he then smiled sadly and added "I'm Dr Hayes, you don't have to be scared". It was no use though, I just ripped out the cannula that was in my hand and all the other wires that were attached to me.

"Please calm down, I need to treat your hand, pulling that Canula out might have caused some damage, can I help you?" he then said, he was really trying but I just didn't know if I could trust him, so I cowered down in the corner of the room and continued to hyperventilate as I rocked my body back and forth. He then rushed out of the room pretty quickly as if he was looking for someone.

"Ciao Bambina, I need you to follow my breathing okay?" I suddenly heard and looked up to see the woman who I had pretty much callapsed into earlier at the station, before I blacked out. She didn't touch me she stayed at a distance but took a few breathes in and out so I could copy her and sure enough after a couple of minutes my breathing was back to normal.

She then smiled at me "good, that's alot better, we can't have you over exerting yourself now can we?", she seemed nice, her Italian accent also made me feel at ease. She then looked at the bed and then back to me "do you think we can get you back in that bed so I can check that hand of yours si?". I nodded slightly at her and she held out her hand for me to take so I did.

After about five minutes she had my hand patched up, she also stayed with me as that male docor came in and inserted the cannula and other wires to me like before. Once he was done he left me with the woman, I looked at her, I kinda wanted to speak to her but was really nervous, especially since I didn't want anyone else listening in. So I decided to do something that would probably shock her.

"Come ti chiami?" I asked in a language I knew she clearly understood, she looked at me shocked for a brief second before smiling and answering "Carina" she then added by asking me the same question "Come ti chiami?" too which I smiled shyly "Kimberly" I answered. She smiled back at me "how do you know italian?" I frowned as I thought about my birth mother.

I simply answered her without engaging eye contact "mia Mamma", she must've understood that I didn't want to talk about it because she dropped that subject. After a moment of silence I then asked the dreaded question "have my Foster parents been informed?". She then looked at me and frowned before answering "no, Dr Hayes found alot of bruises that suggest abuse".

I gulped, I should be happy right but nope, I knew what was coming and I was right because she added "we contacted CPS and PD" she took a breathe before continuing "but we didn't have your name so they couldn't follow out on anything until you were awake". I nodded my head and felt a tear escape my eyes "it's okay, I'm used to it" I then laid my head down onto the pillow and stared at the ceiling deep in thought.

Carina's POV

I felt so sorry for this girl, I could practically see the hurt in her eyes, the moment she fell into my arms I felt this strong need to protect her. Dr Bailey had told me to leave them to it when I brought her in with Ben but I just couldn't, I know everyone was only looking out for me though. Me and Maya had only recently gone through the loss of our unborn child, I had suffered a miscarriage quite late in the pregnancy too.

So I understood they felt like I shouldn't be there, like it was gonna be too much for me, especially since I was on leave which was pretty much ordered by Bailey so I could deal with the grief. I had been given the go ahead to be at the walk in clinic though just not at the hospital working with babies. Maya had been given the same but she ended up going back to work, her way with dealing with it I suppose, we all grieve differently. What I do know though is that I had every right to be concerned for her as she needed me when she woke up.

Hayes couldn't calm her down during the panic attack or the nurses, but I was different, she seemed to trust me and then I hear her speak Italian which definitely caught me off guard but I couldn't help but smile at it. Maybe that's why she trusts me? I don't know but I know that I have this connection with her and I'm not leaving till I know she's safe.

When I told her about CPS and PD being called I could tell she was worried but it was her reply which got mh heart breaking "it's okay, I'm used to it" no child should be used to something like that. It's obvious she hasn't had a good life and that's just sad. I did want to learn more about her but I didn't want too push so I simply sat there beside her, just letting her know that I was here for her.

"Hello there, my name is Janet, I'm from CPS" a voice suddenly said which interrupted my train of thought, I turned to see a tall woman with red hair and glasses, she smiled at me before taking a seat in the room. "Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?" she then asked, turning her gaze onto Kimberly too which she just shrugged her shoulders "not like I have much of a choice" she said.

Janet then looked at me and said pretty rudely "if you could leave us too it, that would be great", just like I suspected would happen, Kimberly looks up in panic and cries out "nooo, I want her to stay". Janet didn't seem very impressed and rolled her eyes before clearing her throat "fine...lets get started anyway". I looked over at the girl I had gotten attached too and smiled at her in a reassuring way.

"So, first things first, what's your name? and how old are you?" Janet then asked, too which she earned a very quiet answer back from the young girl "Kimberly Celeste and I'm eleven". Janet nodded before typing into her tablet in her hands, she then looked back at Kimberly "I've got your file up and can see you have been in 22 different Foster homes in the past 7 years, is that correct?", Kimberly just nodded back at that.

I can't believe it, 22 DIFFERENT FAMILIES IN A SHORT TIME OF 7 YEARS, NO WONDER THE POOR GIRL IS SCARED, NO WONDER SHE SAID SHE WAS USED TO IT. That poor Bambina, I swear I just can't help but feel more and more attached to her, "what happened with your current Foster parents?, did they abuse you?" Janet then asked not even trying to be careful about the way she worded things.

"Yes" Kimberly answered, not really engaging eye contact with the woman at all, she occasionally looked at me though as if checking I was still there with her "how did they abuse you?" Janet then asked, I could literally feel the blood boiling inside. She's in the hospital for god sake, how do you think they abused her? Kimberly just frowned before answering, and her answer got me shedding a few tears.

Janet though, she didn't seem phased by it at all, like it didn't even bother her "hmmm, ok, well I will speak to my boss and see where we can fit you in... Will probably be a group home though" she then said as she continued to type into her tablet. Kimberly just nodded before turning to face the wall, I noticed the tears forming in her eyes though before she did that. Poor girl doesn't seem to catch a break.