𝑷𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑬𝑺𝑺 [ 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑦𝑠. 𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑦 ]

Chapter 8

fearless

SADIE'S HEART HAMMERED AGAINST HER RIBCAGE. She clutched at her chest, fingers trembling, as she tried to relieve the choking tightness in her lungs that consumed her.

Hi honey, rang in her ears. Over and over and over again.

Hi honey.

As she held onto Jo as if her life depended on it, she struggled to return to reality.

Hi honey.

She was gasping for air, feeling the weight of exhaustion on her chest. Her lungs burned as she struggled to inhale deeply.

Hi honey.

But never once did she break eye contact with her father.

Hi honey.

She was planning to return to him, it was the right thing to do. However, she had expected to do it on her terms.

He wasn't supposed to be here,

He was supposed to be at home,

Waiting for her,

He wasn't supposed to be here.

Hi honey.

"Sadie, you need to breathe, sweetheart," Jo encouraged as she held Sadie close. "Follow my breathing, sunshine. In and out, in and out, sweet girl."

"She doesn't need to breathe she needs to grow up the fucking wimp." Rick slurred from his bed smiling grimly at Sadie.

Hi honey.

"You need to stop talking right now before we have you removed from this hospital immediately," Amelia chimed in as she entered the room after being paged.

Sadie's intense hunger for oxygen only grew. Her chest became tighter and tighter as she unwillingly let her father get to her.

"Can I pick you up? Can I carry you back to your room?"

Foster kid 101 - always ask permission.

Don't catch the kid off guard. They have likely been through more than you could ever imagine. The last thing you want to do is ambush them and undo all their progress.

Sadie nodded unable to form words.

She hung like a rag doll in Jo's arms. A dead weight.

Hi honey.

●∘◦❀◦∘●

When they got back to Sadie's hospital room Jo laid her on the bed.

"Can I sit?"

"Yeah," Sadie replied lowly her eyes glued to her fingers that she twiddled in her lap.