Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

47. Sarah

Brendon woke up in the morning, looking a lot better. He was still raspy, but he looked so much better. He was still tired, considering he'd lost so much blood and he'd had surgery, so he dozed off pretty easily, but he did look a lot better.

"Hey Sarah," Kala whispered as they arrived at the hospital and came into Brendon's room. "How's he doing?"

"Better. He's asleep right now but he was awake a little while ago. He looks a lot better than he did yesterday," I whispered back.

"How's Callie?" Zack asked, coming into the room and giving me a hug. Kala followed suit.

"I don't know," I said. "They won't let me see her until 11."

"That's crap. They can't keep you from your kid," Zack argued.

"Especially considering she can't hear them. If they don't get an interpreter, how do they expect her to cooperate?" Kala added.

I shrugged, tears coming to my eyes. This nightmare wasn't getting better the longer I was away from Callie.

At 10:45, I went upstairs to see Callie and left Zack with Brendon. Kala came up with me.

I knocked on the window outside the locked unit door and it was slid open. A different nurse was behind the window.

"Hi," I said. "My daughter, Callie Urie, was admitted last night. They wouldn't let me see her last night. She's Deaf. She won't be able to communicate with anyone here."

"We have an interpreter for Callie, and I can only let you visit during visiting hours at least for today. I know it sucks, I know it's not fair. But we're trying to assess Callie. I just need to see some ID and then I can give you a pass and let you in.

Somehow in the craziness I actually managed to grab my purse. I pulled out my wallet and showed the nurse my license. Kala showed hers, too.

"What is your relation to the patient?" He asked Kala.

"I'm her aunt," she said simply. The nurse nodded.

"Just so you know, I checked in on Callie myself this morning. She was resting comfortably."

"Thank you," I said as he unlocked the unit for us. He led us to Callie's room. I had to stifle a sob when I saw her. She was lying flat on her back, staring straight ahead of herself, her hands and feet tied down to the bed, as well as straps across her chest and legs. They'd changed her into hospital pyjamas, pants and a shirt, but they hadn't even given her a blanket or pillow!

I rushed over to her side and sat beside her, picking up her hand. She didn't look over at me.

"Callie?" I signed in her line of vision. She didn't blink. "Callie?"

I tried again. Nothing. I broke down. What had they done to my daughter?

Kala held me and rubbed my back.

I sat and held her limp hand in mine, brushed a stray hair away from her face and just, watched.

Kala sat silently beside me. I wanted to talk to Callie. To tell her Bren was going to be okay. That we understood. That we weren't mad. Sure. We were upset. How could we not be? But we weren't mad at her. I have no idea what, if anything is going through her mind right now, and I have no way to reach her.

Around 11:30, a nurse came in.

"Oh. Hi. I didn't know Callie had any visitors," she smiled. She seemed nice.

"I'm her mom. This is her aunt. Can you tell me anything? What's happening? Why isn't she more awake?"

"Oh, Mrs. Urie. I wasn't sure. Well, from what we've been able to learn, right now, Callie is catatonic. It's not uncommon when someone has experienced a severe and acute trauma. They sometimes shut themselves away. It's not an avoidance thing. It's more, self preservation. She doesn't react at all to sound, there have been no indications she is in any pain, or feels any anyway."