Broken Heart/Broken Mind

-Chapter Three-

As the weeks passed, the two children learned more about each other. Keefe liked doodling. Sophie liked reading. His parents never visited often. She had a dog named Iggy. They both liked Finding Nemo.

They became inseparable. They were only ever apart for the occasional doctor appointments and bathroom breaks

Keefe had gotten used to her seizures and wasn't as freaked out when they happened. He'd even gotten into the habit of pressing the call button sense she usually couldn't do it herself. And when she'd come out of it, he'd always try to reach for her hand, even though they both knew they couldn't reach each other.

So it came as quite a shock and confusion to Sophie when she woke up one morning and she was all alone. Keefe was nowhere in sight. She called his name out, frantically hoping for an answer.

By the time she started crying, her parents came into the room.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Edaline asked, rushing to her side.

"Keefe is gone!" she cried. "Where is he?"

"Well, I don't know. I'll go ask the nurse," Grady told her. He left for several minutes. When he came back, he explained, "They took him into surgery."

"What?" Sophie could feel more tears brewing up. "Why?"

"For his heart. It has some troubles, and the surgery will help it. He's ok."

"But... if he's ok, why does he need it?" She clutched her blue elephant, Ella.

"You know how your brain has trouble doing what it's supposed to sometimes?" Edaline asked her. She pointed to the stickers on Sophie's temple. Sophie nodded. "Well, his heart doesn't do what it's supposed to either. He's ok with all those wires that he has, but the surgery will help him to where he doesn't have to have them."

"Oh." She clutched Ella tighter.

"Here, Kiddo," Grady murmured. "We've got your wagon. How about we go to the activity room."

Sophie shook her head. "I don't want to. I want Keefe."

"I know you do." He brushed the hair away from her face. "But he's going to be gone all day."

"I'll wait for him," she decided.

"Come on." Edaline picked her up. "You'll feel better with a distraction." She placed her in the wagon.

The distraction did not make her feel better. In fact, it made her feel worse. All the other times she'd been wheeled around at the hospital, Keefe was with her. It made her feel lonely and cold from the lack of body warmth. She wanted to go lay down on her bed until he came back.

Grady and Edaline did everything they could to keep her out of the room all day. Crafts, blocks, activities.

When it was getting dark, they finally let her go back to the room. As they wheeled her in, Sophie saw an amazing sight. The person who she'd been looking forward to seeing all day was lying in his bed.

Sophie jumped out of her wagon, but her IV only let her go so far. She went back, snatched the pole away from the clip, and ran to her friend.

Before being able to be stopped, she crawled up into his bed. She curled up and pressed her head against his side, draping an arm over him. She started to tear up again.

Keefe turned his head over towards her. "Sophie?"

"Yeah. I'm glad you're ok. I thought you weren't." She nuzzled further against him.

"I'm ok. It just really hurts right now."

Grady tried to pick her up, but she scooted closer to Keefe. "Come on, you can't stay there all night." She made a little 'hmph'.

When he tried a second time, Keefe was the one to make a whining noise. He placed an arm around her.

"Here," Edaline said in attempts to make a deal. "You two can hold onto each other in the morning. But I don't think you should so soon after surgery."

Neither of the children responded, just held on to another tighter. Edaline sighed in defeat.

Elwin came back in to check on Keefe's vitals. He paused when he saw Sophie also on the bed. Grady and Edaline looked at him apologetically.

He made his way over. Grady tried to explain, "I'm sorry. Neither of them seem very willing to budge."

"It's alright," Elwin assured. "I'm used to finicky kids. I can work around them."

He checked all of the monitors, writing down numbers on his clipboard. Replaced the IV bags for the both of them and heard Keefe's heartbeat with a stethoscope.

When he was done, he checked Sophie over. Everything seemed to be in order.
He went to Keefe again. "How 'bout we get that tube out from your nose?" He suggested. "I know that's itchy." He took the tube away from his face. He instead replaced it with a mask.

Keefe flipped out at that. He started to squirm and cry and yelp. Tears fell down his face. Elwin wiped them away. "Easy, easy. It's not going to put you to sleep again. It's just normal air." He held the mask up to his own face to assure him. It was tiny compared to his face. When Keefe saw that it was harmless, he let Elwin place the mask over his nose and mouth. He whimpered.

Sophie hugged him tighter upon seeing how scared he was. That seemed to calm him slightly.

He murmured, "I want my mommy and daddy."

Elwin's face fell at that. "I know you do, bud. I know. We tried calling them before putting you under, but they didn't answer. Or any of the times after that."

Keefe nodded.

"Well, it's getting late. How about you two get some shut eye. I know you're sleepy. I'll be back to check on you guys in the morning."

Around half an hour later, Sophie's parents left. Sophie scootched as close to Keefe as she could. They fell asleep like that, in each other's grasps, the machinery sounds in the backround.

The next morning, Elwin did come to check on them and bring breakfast. Keefe was allowed to sit back up and use the normal oxygen tube.

He winced. "My head hurts," he told her as they were sitting side by side, eating their eggs. "I think it's all the medicines they gave me. I don't like it."

"I'm sorry," Sophie replied. "Do you wanna watch a movie to keep your mind off it."

"Sure."

They decided on Tangled. As the movie started, Keefe laid his head down on her shoulder. Sophie didn't care. She almost preferred it.

And that was how they spent their morning before all the appointments and exams. Sitting with each other, eating breakfast, and watching movies.