Raising Laila

Chapter 3 - Band Aids

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Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything 

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October 22, 2017: 4.36pm 

"Jade? Do I get to go home now?" Laila asked quietly, having heard the social worker talking a little while ago. 

"Yeah, if the doctors say you can," Jade agreed smiling. 

"Okay, when is Mummy going to come and get me?" She asked hopefully, to Laila going home meant she had to be with Mummy, so she was confused how she was going to go home without her. She hadn't seen her parents in a while but Laila's brain had decided that they were tired so she sent  Jade and Karl to look after her in the hospital instead while Mummy got everything ready at home for when she came back. Maybe, Laila hoped, she had even gotten her a new toy! 

"Umm- Oh..." Jade muttered nervously clearly uncomfortable with what she had to say next, Karl was sat next to her his eyes wide as the wondered what to do. They knew they would have to do it at some point, they just weren't ready for it to be now. Jade gently stood up from the chair and sat next to Laila on the side of the hospital bed, passing her the stuffed bunny rabbit that lay next to the child. 

"So, do you remember what happened; when the car crashed?" 

"Yeah, there was a loud noise and then it got really hot." 

"And when you were in the car-" Jade started to explain before she was interrupted by Laila. 

"Yeah, but Mummy? When is Mummy going to come? Laila asked confused, she didn't want to talk about what had happened she just wanted to know where her Mummy was, she was far too little to make the connection between the two. 

"Shhh, just listen for me. Good girl," Jade said holding her sisters hand tightly, "In the car accident, Mummy and Daddy got really hurt and they had to go to the hospital-" 

"The other lady told me the doctors were making them better, I think they got a special band aid-" 

"Shhh-" Jade said quietly, she couldn't listen to Laila's hopeful comments for much longer before she cried. "Well, the doctors they couldn't fix them, they were hurt too bad for the doctors to fix and--" She didn't know how to break the last bit. 

"I can kiss it better, Daddy always kisses my owies better," 

"No, baby. This isn't like that, they were hurt really badly so they went to heaven with the angels," Jade said pausing waiting for a reaction. 

"Umm- I can fix them with my Doc McStuffins kit!" 

"No sweetheart, the doctors tried and they couldn't. They died, baby," Jade said tears rolling down her own face. 

"Died? When do they come back?" Laila asks her big brown eyes filling with tears. She doesn't know how long she can wait without Mummy's big cuddles and Daddy throwing her in the air and catching her. 

"Umm- Laila, when somebody dies they can't come back, they're gone forever," 

Laila looked up at her big sister, eyes full of tears as she rubbed the stuffed bunny's ear underneath her nose while she sucked her thumb, something she always did when she was tired and scared. 

"No, my Mummy said she wouldn't, my Mummy said she'd look after me forever..." Laila muttered under her breath. "You're lying," she said accusingly glaring at Jade before beginning to sob hysterically throwing her little fists towards Jade. 

"No, baby, I'm so sorry..." Jade said attempting to catch Laila's flailing fists, she wasn't so worried about getting hurt  but more concerned that Laila was going to hurt herself.