Sweet Child O' Mine - Eddie Munson & Y/N

10 - Hitting the Reset

(Bit of a long one, but this is the last before the epilogue!)

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After 3 shitty days in that fucking hospital, facing blood test after blood tests like fucking vampires, poked and prodded by all manner of person in a white coat and made to listen to the ramblings of 2 separate shrinks, both with their own opinions on my... situation. People I'd never met before talking about my suitability to return to normal life, socialise with friends and even see my own fucking daughter. Eventually they'd all landed on the same conclusion; I'd been through turbulent shit over the last 4 years and perhaps some rest and time with my family would be good for me... "an emotional reset" was the term used by one of them, whatever the fuck that means. All I cared about was wearing something other than a hospital gown, spending the robbed Christmas period with my family and holding my daughter again. Because of my... episode, my family had the great idea of postponing Christmas until I came home, not a single one of them opening a present or tucking into the snacks and nibbles until my return home... even Juno, much to my surprise. On an absolutely freezing cold morning, specifically 28th December, I was discharged home from the hospital "into the care of my parents" like I was some petulant child who couldn't be trusted to look after themselves anymore. Not before the doctors gave my mom a paper bag containing a small glass bottle of pills to take every single day, the name of which I couldn't even begin to pronounce. Finally walking out of the hospital doors, the icy chill from the December wind was a welcoming change from the stifling room I was confined in for several days, feeling the cool air nip at my skin made me feel more alive than I've felt in years, got my blood pumping furiously with desperation to be with my family again.

My mom made sure Steve and Nancy took Juno out for the day, ice skating at Lovers Lake apparently, Juno's never been skating before in her entire life... I've got images of her little feet slipping out from under her and her little body tumbling across the ice as she giggles furiously - she's gonna look like a bruised peach tomorrow. I walked up the footpath away from my moms car towards the house, taking a moment to pause at the porch. I didn't know how I was gonna face the people in that house after what I'd done but I've spent so many years being scared of the reactions of people around me and if I've learnt anything recently, it's that the people around me really just have the best intentions at heart... I just have to start trusting them better. "It's okay, sweetie. We've moved you and Juno up to your old room, near ours. Your grandparents are gonna stay at there's tonight anyway. You don't need to go back into that guest room again." my mom thought it'd spare me any hurt if I didn't go back to that room, but I think it was more for her and my dads benefit than mine. Finally finding a sliver of courage to enter the house, I'm greeted by my dad and grandparents, all adorned with sympathetic smiles as they hug me one by one. My mom insists I take a seat on the couch, covering my lap with a throw and bringing me tea like I'm some sick invalid, trying to push food toward me which I politely decline. I'm grateful, I really am, but there's only so much of their pitiful glances and "distracting" small talk I can take, thankfully I don't have to sit through it for long before the front door flies open and the sound of snow boots pounding into the carpet grows louder until the culprit comes in to view. Shrouded in the hood of her winter coat, I see the rosy nose and cheeks of my little Junebug, her shoulders still peppered in snow as her face lights up at the sight of her mommy sitting on the couch after 3 days without each other.
"Mommy!" she shrieks, her little feet launching her across the room faster than I've ever seen her move before, throwing herself into my lap as my arms wrap around her dampened, cold coated body.
"My Junebug! I've missed you my baby!" I whimper as I desperately try to hold back the tears of seeing her perfect little face for the first time in what felt like forever.

Finally feeling like Christmas in the Harrington house, presents opened with wrapping paper littering the carpet, much to my moms protest of putting it straight into the trashcan, Juno elbow deep in a box of cookies from my grandma, and because it's not officially Christmas Day, Nancy has spent the whole morning with us. "Mom, that food smells amazing!" my stomach aggressively growling at the smell of the turkey that radiates throughout the house, doing nothing to hide my excitement of finally eating something that wasn't made in a shitty hospital kitchen.
"Well, guests arrive in 10 minutes then we can eat!" she announces with a very sly grin on her face, she obviously up to something and I assume it's got something to do with whoever is coming today.