Home is wherever i'm with you

Daddys gonna buy you a mockingbird

Nina was great at what she did. The weeks went by and the girls loved Nina. Especially Ellie. She would smile and laugh when she saw her and crawl to her. Nina loved the girls aswell. She looked forward to her evenings at the Deluca-Bishops.

Maya was done with a chapter on budget finance and decided to take a break and have something to eat. Nina was awefully quiet today, Maya had noticed when she came this evening. She looked tired. She had bags under her eyes and her nose looked swolen and blue. Maya asked her what was wrong, but Nina just shrugged. "I got hit with a ball in PE." She said and Maya didn't question it further. Now however she found a shaking Nina, standing infront the kitchen sink. "Hey, whats wrong?" Maya asked. Nina jumped. "Sorry. I did want to scare you." Maya said and stepped next to the young girl. Blood was running down her nose and tear were glistening in her eyes. "Just a nose bleed. I'm okay." Maya quickly got an ice pack out of the fridge and put it in Ninas neck. "Its okay. Just don't swallow it." Nina nodded. The bleeding stopped slowly and Maya guided Nina to a chair. "You okay?" Maya asked Nina, who looked awefully pale. "Yeah." She said, but looking everything else than okay. She was pale and shaking and her face and shirt were bloody. "Why don't you go to the bathroom and get yourself cleaned up. And i'll find you a new shirt." "Oh no thats fine, i can just..." "You can't stay in the bloody shirt, the people at your home will think you got murrdered." Maya smiled. Nina smiled back, but it looked sad.

While Nina washed her face, Maya looked for a shirt to give her. She knocked on the bathroom door and came in. Nina was standing infront of the mirror. She was only wearing a small sports bra and that ment Maya could see the bruises all over her. "Oh. Nina." She gasped out. Nina turned and looked at her. Her breathing quickend, as she saw the shocked look on Mayas face. "Its not what you think." "Nina, honey. You can talk to us, you know." "No. Please. I am fine. Its just..." "What? Nina, these are really bad bruises, they must hurt." "Its not that bad." Tears started to stream down Ninas cheeks. "Okay. Here is a shirt. You can keep it." "Oh no. Thats.." "Its okay. I don't wear it anymore." Nina nodded. "Thank you." Nina smiled, her face now clean, but still quite pale. "You got hit by a ball, you said." Nina nodded too quickly. "Have you had a concussion assesment?" Maya said, going in full paramedic mode. "What?" "Have you been checked out? You could have a concussion, your nose could be broken." "I did not, but its fine. I didn't loose conciousness. Its... I am fine... Just.. " she looked so scared. Like prey chased in a corner. "Can i check you out? I am not a doctor, but i am a paramedic and i would feel much more comfortable." Nina thought for a moment. "Yes." She said. "Come on."

Maya shone lights in her eyes, tested the movement and felt her head for contusions or bumps. "I don't think you have a concussion, but you do have a broken nose. There is not much you can do about that. Ice and maybe some pain medication.Can you ask the workers at your home for some?" Nina nodded slowly, but didn't look Maya in the eyes. "Nina?" "Hm?" Maya took Ninas shaking hands in hers. "Are you safe?" Nina looked confused. "What?Yes,  please. Its okay. I am okay." "Nina, if they hurt you, you need to tell me, you don't have to live like this." "I can take it, this i can take this. Its not that bad." "What? Nina its not supposed to be bad at all." "Please. I am okay where i am now. I don't want to go to were its worse. Where i've been before." She was now crying and sobbing. Maya didn't know what to do. "Its okay, Nina. Its okay." Maya pulled the girl in a hug. Nina didn't know the feeling. She felt warm and safe and cared for. It only made her cry harder. Her entire body shoke and she had a hard time breathing. When she calmed down, she looked at the clock. "Crap. Its quater past. I have to go home. I am late." "Breathe." Maya said. "You can stay, Nina. Just say the word and we are not going to let them hurt you again." Nina just shook her head. "I am late, i need to get home. I need to go. I am late." "Okay. You have my phone number. At any time of day call me, if you need anything." Nina nodded and practicly ran out.

Maya felt so powerless. She just stared at the wall, then she went to look at the girls, needing the grounding. She walked back into her bedroom and tryed to sleep. But whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Nina. She had other things to worry about. Like the exam tomorrow, but her brain came back to the little girl everytime she tryed to fall asleep. Around 4 am she got back up and informed herself about the foster system. She was this close to call Jack, but it was 4 am and had not had lot of sleep lately, Jo being uncomfortable and keeping him up. She fell into a deep hyperfocus, that she didn't even realize Carina joined her in their bed. "Hey." Maya said confused. "Hey. What are you doing?" "I couldn't sleep." "Are you still studdiing?" Carina asked. She was still wearing her street cloths, so she just came home. "What no." "Did you sleep at all?" Maya shook her head. "Whats wrong? You know you have your exam today?" "Yes. I know. I know. I just.. ahh." Maya couldn't focus. "What happend?" "Nina, she came yesterday, she had a swolen and bruised face. She looked like she hadn't slept in a few days and she was awfully quiet today. Even the girls noticed. Meena asked me, if Nina was sad tonight." "What was wrong with her?" "She said she got hit with a ball in PE and that it was fine. But when i came in the kitchen at 9:30 something. She had a really heavy nosebleed. We could stop it and i told her to get cleaned up and that i'll get her a new shirt, because hers was all bloody. When i came in the bathroom to give her the shirt. She was only wearing a bra and so i could see all the bruises on her upper body. Some of them seemed quite new, others a little older. I was able to get her to let me check her out for a concussion and that was negativ. But she was so paniky and anxious. I have never seen her like that. She pushed me away and i felt so bad. She was crying heavily, but i didn't get her to talk. Just that someone at home is hurting her and that she doesn't want to talk about it, because she doesn't want to go back to were it is worse. I feel so sorry for her. She was crying in my arms, clinging to me like she was drowning. She was so scared and when she saw it was quater after she frantically left. She was really scared to be late. Like panik in her eyes scared." "Oh my..." Carina said. She pulled Maya tight. "I told her to call us, at any time of the day at any reason what so ever." Carina nodded. "We can not do anything. Just be there for her. She will open up and when she does, we will do our best to help her." Maya nodded. "Thats what i researched. How to help her, but seriously the foster system is a mess." "Oh yeah." Carina said. "I like her a lot and i feel the need to protect her. She is not safe and she has noone." "Lets make sure, she knows she has us." Maya nodded. Then her alarm rang. "Oh crap. I have the exam. No. I am not in the right headspace." "Its okay. Breathe. You know all of that by heart. I am going to make you breakfast and you get ready." "No, you were working all night, you need sleep." "I was working all night, but i can sleep later. Remeber Vic and Theo take the girls to the zoo today." "Oh yes. I totally forgot. okay. Thank you. I love you." "I love you, too." Carina said and kissed Maya pasionatly.