Slipping Through My Fingers

China Doll

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WARNING: this is quite a sad chapter
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Janette and Aljaz ran through the double doors of the hospital, running through a maze of corridors with their white glistening squeaky floor. Through a glass window they saw a 9 year old girl's body, endless tubes going in and coming out of her, machines beeping, doctors and nurses surrounding her....Amelia-Lily. "Mr and Mrs Skorjanec?" A female voice said from behind the couple. They spun on their heels to face Mrs Robinson, their eldest daughter's teacher...the person who was supposed to be looking after their daughter... "What happened?" Aljaz asked, his arm wrapped tightly round Janette to stop her from launching forward at the teacher. "Amelia-Lily and Sofia left something in the class...they went to get it...they ran out in the road....I'm so sorry," the teacher explained. Janette turned away from her, burying her face in her bučko's shoulder, the tears streaming down her face.
The head doctor, Dr John Smith, emerged from the room where Amelia-Lily was, his hair spiked back into a massive quiff, sticking up all over the place, making it obvious that he'd been running his hands through it a lot. "How...how is she? Will she be okay? Will she wake up?" Aljaz asked, firing questions at the doctor, this was not the first time he had been waiting in a hospital for someone that he loved. "Amelia-Lily is stable....she's using a ventilator for her breathing at the moment...the next 24 hours are vital for Amelia-Lily...you can go and see her now if you want," Dr Smith said, leaving Aljaz and Janette to go and see their daughter. Janette took hold of her husband's hand as they entered the room where their eldest daughter was...

She (Amelia-Lily) lay lifeless on the hospital bed, her dark hair splayed across the pillow, her eyelids shut. She looked like a china doll, something so precious that could shatter into a million pieces, unrepairable. Janette and Aljaz sat on the plastic orange chairs beside her bed, Janette reached out to take her 9 year old's hand, gently squeezing her fingers, as if she were trying to bring her back into the room, make her open her eyes. Janette rested her head on Aljaz's shoulder, he stroked the side of her face and kissed her head. "I'm scared baby...what if Mils doesn't wake up?" Janette said, more tears trickling down her face. Aljaz kissed the top her head again, facing his wife and cupping her face in his hands, "now you listen to me Janette Skorjanec, we can't think like that...Amelia-Lily will wake up, we have to believe in her...like I believed in you when you had the accident...our Mils is a fighter, just like her Mummy," Aljaz said, then pulling her in to his chest, trying to soothe her. "I'm sorry, I didn't think...you've been through this before, I never thought what that must have felt for you...I'm sorry," Janette said, wiping away her tears, Aljaz kissed the top of her head again, "I know baby...I know...."