You Are My Sunshine

Chapter 11 - Secret Promises and Hidden Plans

"Some hearts understand each other, even in the silence." - Yasmin Mogahed

Two Days Later...

With every hurried step, Opie's boots squeaked down the hall toward Alice's room. He had been neglectful, he felt awful about it, but he and Donna had been back and forth so intensely he almost didn't realize how much time had passed.

"Amelia," he pushed open the door and moved into the room, "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Being wrapped in her big brother's embrace truly did a world of good for Amelia. She needed that comfort, she couldn't seem to get anything from Jax during his own suffering, and no matter how hard Juice tried, he lacked that deep emotional connection necessary for such refuge.

"Ope," she sniffled. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course," he looked over her head at Alice. "Any news?"

Reluctantly, she pulled away from him. "Not really. Apparently she had an ear infection that no one knew about it so it lowered her ability to fight the infection from the cardiac catheterization she had last week."

"That's the uhh," he waved his fingers as he tried to remember what test it was. "Tube thing they put through her heart to see how bad the defect is?"

"Exactly." Amelia nodded. "She's had no symptoms," overwhelmed with guilt Amelia began to cry, "I had no idea so it just got worse."

"It's not your fault," Opie said soothingly. "You can't beat yourself up over this shit, Meels. Where's Jax?"

She scoffed and shrugged. "Club shit," she said bitterly.

Opie moved toward Alice reticently and looked over the tiny child with a sorrowful heart. "So what's the plan?"

"Medication," Juice answered as Amelia continued to cry. "They want her stronger, stable, and then they'll take her in to fix her heart."

Nodding, Opie leaned closer to Juice. "Why are you here?"

"For Jax," Juice said with a frown. "He couldn't deal; Chibs said he's kind of losin' it. I stayed so she wasn't alone."

"Thanks man," Opie hugged Juice. "Go though," he gestured to the door. "I'll stay with her."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," Opie gently touched Alice's teeny foot. "She's my sister, the kid's my niece, I should be here."

Juice shook Opie's hand before saying his goodbye to Amelia. They'd been in that little room together for just under forty-eight hours and the bond they had formed was still weak and tiny but it was there between them.

"Thank you," she whispered into his neck as they hugged. "You don't know what this means."

"Don't worry about it, Amelia." He assured her as his hands moved up and down her back vigorously. "If you need anything, call me. If Ope leaves and Jax ain't around, please don't sit here by yourself."

"I won't, don't think I could actually."

Juice nodded and smiled, knocking his forehead gently against hers, and said quietly. "I got you, girl, don't worry." Shooting a look at Opie as he stepped out of the room, Juice started on his way home but his mind never left Amelia and Alice in that hospital room.

"Good guy," she said offhandedly. "How are you?"

"Meels, you don't gotta talk about me."

"I want to," she sat down again. "Honestly, your shit helps me not to obsess. You know how I get, Ope, I need a distraction."