The fosters: one wrong move

Chapter 22: Is this the end, or a new beginning?

Lena's POV

It was now Saturday at 9 AM and it was time to pick up Callie from the Quinns. We have recently enrolled Callie in a support group at the hospital that meets every Saturday at 10 AM. Despite her being adamant about going to a support group she has obliged and gone every weekend. Last night I slept on the couch as things have been terrible between Stef and I. I woke up, got into the shower and pulled up to the Quinn's house. For some reason I had a weird feeling and quickly got out of the car. I walked quickly to the door and began knocking. There was no answer for a minute and I began knocking louder. The door was opened and I felt sick, like I was going to pass out. Callie was laying on the floor with a small pool of blood coming from her head. I ran over to her and her eyes were open. Thank god for that. But despite them being open, they were glossy and out of focus. She mumbled what sounded like mom but I could not distinguish her words over the gurgling sound coming from her mouth. The paramedics rushed into wrapping her head in gauze and putting an oxygen mask on her face. We all rushed to the ambulance and I stopped at the doors. I couldn't get in, I wasn't ready. It took me back to the day I found Callie under the bridge. I pushed all my fears away and got into the back of the truck. She was seizing and I couldn't even say any words. "Ma'am we need to know her medical history"! I heard their words but I couldn't think. "Um Yes she has a TBI she got from a punch to the head". I said, which sounded so mumbled as I felt myself going into a panic attack. Callie luckily stopped seizing but I had an awful feeling. Was this the end? We arrived at the hospital and I was ushered out of the ambulance and she was brought into a room. "Callie can you hear me" doctors and nurses kept asking, but there was no response. Suddenly she became aggressive and was pulling at the gauze on her head. "I need a sedative" one of the doctors yelled. They put an IV in and some type of sedative. Callie immediately relaxed but her eyes ramained opened. They still had that same glossy look and her eyes remained out of focus. Robert stood in the corner remaining silent. Once Callie was stabilized Robert and I went out to tell Jill and Sophia what was going on. "I am so sorry mom. Callie and I were fighting and she said how she never wanted to be part of this family and I pushed her and she fell over the broken picture frame". I made a dead stop and anger overtook me, I was more than furious. I told all three of them to get out. First Nick put her in the hospital and now Sophia. I know Sophia has her issues but there was no excuse for this. Callie could have and may still die. I walked back to the room Callie was in and grabbed her hand. her hand was limp, just like the day it was Nick punched her. I had a sick feeling in my stomach and all I could do was cry. I took my phone out of my pocket and my tears continually landed on my phone. Despite my hands shaking I dialed Stef's number. "Hello" she asked. I couldn't respond, I just needed her here. "Love what's wrong? Are the kids okay? What the hell is going on"? She screamed into the phone. "Cal is in the hospital, Sophia pushed her and she fell. I can't do this alone, not again". I said. "I will be there in 10 minutes" Stef said and she hung up the phone. Once again I was left alone in the hospital room with my daughter. I held onto Callie's hand and just sobbed. Why would this happen again? How could this happen again? I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Stef. No matter how angry I was with her at the moment, I needed her. I needed some sense of security. We hugged for minutes on end and then we sat down on each side of Callie holding her hands. The doctor came in to the room and he had a serious look on his face. he sat down next to us, took a deep breath and began speaking. "I have looked over Callie's scan and the results are not good.  She has swelling in her brain which we hope will go down naturally over the next few days. I want to keep her under observation for at least 72 hours. She has permanent damage to her limbic system. This means that multiple areas of her brain are damaged. Callie is going to suffer from severe impulse control problems and emotional regulation for the rest of her life. Luckily, the rest of her scans show healing in her brain and her balance will continue to improve the more she walks but the impulse control and emotional regulation is not going to get better. We offer impatient treatment for patients who are struggling with these symptoms after a TBI". The doctor kept talking but I stopped listening. My world was spinning and the only thing I could hear was a slight ringing noise. After months of hoping and praying to a God I don't even believe in this happens. How am I going to care for my daughter like this? I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt Stef place a hand on my shoulder telling me we could go see Callie. I was frozen I couldn't even think about walking into that room, but I knew I had to, Callie needed me. 

Stef's POV

As the doctor was telling Lena and I about Callie's new future I felt my stomach drop. How were we going to manage this? We have four other children all of who are going through something and we now have a child who is never going to get better. Thousands of thoughts raced through my mind but I knew I had to take control. Even though Lena was sitting next to me I knew she couldn't handle this and I knew she was going to break down if I didn't take control. The doctor stopped talking and said he was going to bring us to Callie's room. I placed my hand on Lena's shoulder saying we needed to go see Callie and she stood up without saying a word. We walked down the all familiar hallway and stopped outside her room. I heard Lena let out a sigh and she dropped to her knees. "I can't do this Stef. I can't take anymore. She was getting so much better, despite the constant set backs she always looked forward to taking the next step. This is the worst thing for Callie, she will never have full independence ever again. Do you know how devastated she is going to be? And now she is going to have constant and severe mood swings! How is this fair? I've failed her Stef. I failed her. I never should have allowed her to go to Robert's house. Sophia is not well right now and I still allowed her over there. This is completely my fault". I sat on the ground next to her holding her hand and just wishing I could take her pain away. "Love this is not your fault, you have me right here and I am not going anywhere.  We can make this work, and don't forget Callie is one hell of a fighter, she won't give up". I saw lena's face soften and she had a small smile with a tear escaping her right eye. The truth was I didn't know what was going to happen and how we were going to do this. Lena is exhausted and has lost any sense of hope and I know she needs me but I am scared shitless. We stood up together and I placed my hand on the door and my other hand gripping Lena's hand to let her know I'm here. We slowly walked into the room and saw Callie lying in the hospital bed. She was drifting in and out of consciousness but she didn't have a million machines attached to her like the first time. She just had some oxygen flowing into her nose. Lena had a death grip on my hand and I knew I had to be strong, no matter what.  I walked us to the side of Callie's bed and let Lena sit in the chair. I took a breath and gently placed my hand on Callie's shoulder. "Hey love it's mom and mama's here too, can you open your eyes baby".