Caballeros

Moving on (Edited)

   

Joaquin

"I dada, mama," Trinity says half asleep.

"Oh you want daddy to snuggle you now?" She says kissing her cheek.

"Uh huh," she says in baby babble. "I chita"

"Okay, let me ask if you can have milk, love," She says.

I scoop her in my arms and place gentle kisses on my baby girl's face. Jules goes to see if she can have milk. I notice that Trinity is getting frustrated that she cannot open her eyes. She cries out in frustration.

"Dada, ojos. Dada." She cries.

"Oh, my love, you can hear me and tomorrow you can open your eyes. "You want me to sing you a special song?" I ask her. Jules comes back in with a sippy cup with warm milk. "Thanks. Baby, Trinity you ready for your milk?" She nods. I hold the cup as she takes a drink.

"I tata dada," she says.

"Oh Hakuna Matata?" I say with a smile.

"Tata." She nods.

I sing to her quietly while a nurse wheels in an extra bed and blankets. I look over at Jules and see she is sleeping in an awkward position in a hard chair; it looks so uncomfortable. I put Trinity down in her bed and she begins to cry out.

"I'm right here, baby. Daddy is not leaving."

"She may have separation anxiety for a while." The nurse says.

"I think you may be right," I say. I go over to Jules and wake her up. "Go to sleep in the extra bed." Her dad walks into the room.

"Ya'll guess what just happened?" he says with a huge grin on his face.

"What?" We both ask.

"That Mrs. Johnson pressed charges of child neglect and abuse against Olivia and she was just arrested outside."

"Are you serious?" I ask. I think I sound happier than I should but that's what she gets.

"They hauled her ass off; she was crying huge crocodile tears."

"That is crazy, but oh well," Jules laughs.

"I'm gonna take off now. I will see ya'll in the morning. Bye bye my love," he says kissing Trin's temple.

"Bye bye papa," she yawns. A nurse comes in with a syringe of something and I don't know what it is so I ask. "What's that for?"

"It's time for her pain medication sir, the femur fracture is the most painful of all fractures. She is due for another dose because the other one will stop working; it will go into her IV and she won't feel it. I promise." Man I must have sounded liked an ass.

"I'm sorry, it's just she has been through so much tonight." I say feeling my face blaze red.

"It's okay." She says. She pushes the medication into the IV. I look down at Trin in my arms and her chupi falls from her mouth; she is knocked out.

I climb into the bed next to Jules and she snuggles into me. I lay there and think that things could have been worse tonight; I could have lost her. I fall asleep only to have nightmares of losing my baby girl. As I drift off, I dream that I kill Arnie by shooting him, the gun going off makes me jerk awake and I sit up quickly drenched in sweat.

"Morning sleepy head," Jules says. She is helping the nurse wash Trinity's hair. "She would not let her touch her hair unless I was next to her. I think we are going have a lot to deal with when she gets discharged."

"I know, she freaked when I put her down for a second last night. Is she too young for therapy?"

"No, they have play therapy that she may benefit from," the nurse says.

"Dada, dada," she sing songs. I notice that her eyes are less swollen and she can open them a little bit.

"Can you see Daddy?"

"I seeeeee dada," she giggles.

"Are you hungry?"

"I tilla dada" she says.

"I don't think they have tortillas here love," I laugh.

"Let me ask papa," Jules says and smiles. She calls her dad. "Daddy can you pick up some fresh tortillas with butter; yup the queen is asking for them." She laughs. "Okay, papa is bringing them now love."

"Oh my god Darlin' he doesn't need to."

"I know, he wants to though."

A young doctor comes in wearing colorful clothing. He has balloon animals and he entertains Trinity for a minute. He looks over at us and smiles.

"Hi I am Dr. Luna; I am the orthopedic specialist. I will be putting on her casts right now. Does she walk?"

"Yes, she does; she's been walking since she was ten months old." I say.

"Okay this is going to be rough because she has to be non-weight bearing, so I will have to order her a special wheel chair. She may get frustrated but the femur fractures are very delicate and if she falls it could re-break and then surgery will be needed."

"We will do whatever is needed," I say.

"Okay, I will get the wheel chair before discharge today."

"She gets to go home today?" Jules asks.

"Yes she does, you want to go home Trinity?"

"I go bye bye," she says holding onto her balloon.

"I take that as a 'yes'. Okay Trinity what color do you want?" he asks with a wink. Of course she picks the pink and purple one.

He keeps her distracted by putting a cartoon on the huge TV and giving her a huge lollipop. He is an amazing doctor; he casts her arm and leg in no time, without tears. He finishes just as all her Tios and her Tia walk in with a bunch of gifts for her. The guys get all choked up when they see her all banged up. I see Changs with a tear his cheek; he wipes it away quickly.

"Trinity! My best friend, are you okay?" he asks with a smile.

"I otay, wook my tandy." She shoves her candy in his face. He takes a lick and laughs.

"Yummy that is so good."

"Wow look at your pretty casts!" The Gooch says as she turns to look at Joaquin and me." Hey I heard that she who should not be named got arrested." The Gooch laughs.

"She sure did!" Jules laughs.

Don Hector comes in with food for everyone but most importantly for Trinity. I stand back and watch them with our daughter. If these guys were not here I don't know how I would have survived this. These guys are my family now and I'm eternally grateful for them. The doctor comes back into the room and smiles.

"Who wants to go home?"

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