Just us- SBI adoption story (Just me and him book 2)

Chapter 17: concussed but in high spirits

Cleo's POV:

I was busy sorting out my emails, trying to make sure I hadn't missed anything and my phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi, umm this is the number of Kelly Oliya's social worker?"

"Yea, hello, who is this?"

"I'm Nurse Astar from the local hospital. We've got Mr Ethan Oliya here."

"Ah right okay, yes. Is everything okay?"

"He's awake."

"Okay, how is he?"

"Doctors have cleared him for a long term brain injury. He's concussed but in high spirits. The doctors were pleased with how the surgery went. Did someone call you after that?"

"No, I supposed there wasn't any time. I understand how busy everyone is."

"I imagine your system is in a similar state."

"Yep. But we do our best."

"Yes we do. Anyway, yea the surgery went well. They were able to save his left leg, I mean he won't be walking on it for a while, just while the bones heal. But yea, I would think he'd be moved from the ICU today. And then we will start seeing if he's able to go home. Do you know if anyone would be able to help him move? Any family?"

"No. Not that I know of, friends maybe?"

"Okay, we'll ask him. Umm obviously we've got to think of Kelly too. I'm not sure how long it will be until he's able to full look after her again. He's going to be one crutches for a while and his mobility is going to be limited for up to a year."

"She's with a foster family currently. But they only do emergency placements and having her long term wouldn't be an option. We could move her to another foster family, I've got another in mind but if not she'd be placed into a group home. With her being blind, I'm just cautious of the situations we put her in. And finding a home that can meet her needs is proving difficult to be honest. She's been through enough with the car accident, I'm keen for the system to not  make anything worse."

"Okay, well then I think this all depends on who he has to support him. If there's a neighbour or a friend willing to help out, then that changes it."

"Agreed, does he have a phone? Is he able to talk to me?"

"No phone. Probably lost in the car."

"Okay, I reckon I could fit it in today. Am I alright to drop by later to chat with him?

"Yes, I'll leave a note so the next person on shift is aware. He should still be in the ICU, but be prepared that might have changed."

"Okay, sure, thanks for you help."

"You're welcome. Thank you. Bye."

"Bye." I hung up and began emailing and sorting through things to find a space in my day to make it to the hospital and visit Mr Oliya. Then I called Kristin Watson.

She was pleased to hear things were okay but confirmed the statement that having Kelly long term would simply not work for their family. "She's a lovely girl and really amazing. But it just wouldn't work." She explained that they were currently at the park, "Kelly and Tommy get on really well, surprisingly and everything's fine. But Phil has had to come out to help. Our eldest got overwhelmed and needed to go home, but that left me with the two youngest and it doesn't work. Kelly is not at the point where she can use the cane and be entirely independent and Tommy can't be allowed to walk around in public without having someone close to him. If Tommy ran off, we'd either be walking after him whilst guiding Kelly and risking something happening to him. Or we'd be leaving Kelly somewhere, risking something happening to her, whilst chasing after Tommy. Needing two adults for two kids, when in reality we only have two adults and five kids doesn't work. One of them is on crutches. You know all our kids are struggling with something. Maybe taking on a foster kid was a little too soon for us."