He Saved Me

Chp 30

Mia's POV
Yesterday was brutal. I was so sick that I felt like I was gonna die! I'm still feeling sick, but slightly better than yesterday. Today, I feel like I can stand on my own. I don't need Daddy to carry me around all day. He's been so nice since I've gotten sick. He stayed with me the whole time, made me as comfortable as possible. I felt bad because, he has to take care of Prince as well. He really had his plate full. I'm guessing that's why he asked Grace to come back to work.
     Daddy and I were on our way to Dr. Goldberg's office. He said that I had a doctor's appointment. I'm guessing it's for my cold. But then why didn't Prince come with us? He's also sick. Whatever, I'm not complaining. I'm just glad to get out of the house. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Neverland. It's every kid's dream to have their own amusement park, zoo, movie theater, and arcade, amongst other things, all in their backyard. But I miss being out in the real world. I miss little things like the streets, stores, people even. My life just consists of Daddy, Prince, Paris, and Blanket.
     The doctor's office was about an hour away from our house. I was starting to feel restless as we waited in traffic. Daddy was busy doing something on his phone. I wish I had a phone to keep me occupied. I decided to try my luck. "Daddy?" I called out.
     "Yes Mia?" he answered without taking his eyes off his phone.
     "Can I get a cell phone please?" I asked sweetly. Daddy took his eyes off his phone and stared at me. Did I say something wrong?
     "Not yet babygirl. When you're older," he said nonchalantly. Older? How much older do I have to be? I felt like I was old enough. Everyone in the house had cell phones except for me. Even my cousins had them too. And one of them is a year younger than me.
     "Nooooo! I want one nowww!" I whined.
     "Mia. Cut it out," Daddy said sternly. But I wasn't ready to take no for an answer. I got frustrated and began to kick the driver's seat in front of me. Yup. I was having a full blown tantrum. "Hey!" Daddy yelled. "You can't act up the second things don't go your way young lady. Apologize to Bill!" he yelled. Bill didn't say a word and continued to drive, as if nothing happened.
"Sorry," I blurted out quick. I was mad at Daddy, not at Bill. I shouldn't put him through hell as well. I looked at Daddy, he was looking back at his phone and I decided to try again. I sat up straight trying to compose myself from the little breakdown earlier. "Daddy pleaseeeee can I get a phone? I promise I'll take care of it. I won't ask for anything else for a very long time," I pleaded.

Michael's POV
Mia was really trying to convince me for this phone. As much as I wanted to grant her wish, the only thing that was stopping me, was the fact that there's a high chance she will read stuff about me. Mean stuff. Lies and malicious stories made up about me. I don't want her reading those things. I know I can't shield her from the outside world forever, but she's just way too young right now.
She won't understand how cruel the world can be. Money drives motive for some people. Loyalty and friendships mean nothing. Everyone wants to be around you when you're at the top of the world. But the second you need help, people will turn their backs. I've experienced this far too many times. To tell you the truth, I don't want her to think that way about people and the world just yet. She's been exposed to far too much already. I want to preserve her innocence, not take it away.
"Mia I said no already. Asking me the same question a million times won't change my answer," I scolded. She slumped in the car and pouted.
"You have all this money but you can't buy me a phone?" she questioned annoyed. I heard Bill let out a chuckle, while I laughed in my head.
"Girl this isn't about money. I'm the adult here and I think you're too young for a phone. I don't see any reason for you to have one. So please stop arguing with me Mia," I replied gently.
"You can be so mean sometimes," she said while looking out the window. I'm not gonna lie, that actually hurt. I wasn't trying to be mean to her. I can't always be her friend, I gotta be her father sometimes too. I took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry that's how you feel babygirl. But no means no. You shouldn't argue with your elders. Listen and do what you're being told," I said.
"You bought everyone else a phone. Why cant I have one? I'm not a baaabyyyy," she whined. Jesus. I rubbed my temples as she complained. It's like everything I said went over her head. She just won't quit. "Dadddddyyyy!" she whined while forcing herself to cry.
"Mia, cut-it-out," I said through gritted teeth. I knew her tricks too well. She brings out her waterworks when all else fails. I'm not falling for it this time.
"Whyyyyyy?" she whined again with tears forming in her eyes
"Little girl, you better stop that crying before I give you something to cry about!" I yelled at her. That immediately shut her up. I wish she wouldn't let it get to this point. I don't like being this "big mean dad". That's not me. That's Joseph. I don't want to be anything like him. But sometimes my kids really force it out of me.
We finally arrived at the doctor's office. Paparazzi was already waiting outside. I don't know how they always know where I'm going to be. Or why they even insist on showing up every single time. It's a doctor appointment for my kid for God's sake. What could possibly be juicy about this? I put my shades on and unbuckled Mia. I didn't wanna risk putting Mia down on her own. She's clearly agitated, and if I know my girl well, she will do anything to be defiant towards me right now. I don't want her running off in this crowd.
I got out of the car and picked Mia up into my arms. I gave out a few waves and hellos to the fans. Mia pushed her face into the crook of my neck. She really hated the cameras. I thought she would be used to it by now, but it only seems to get worse each time. I don't blame her. To this day, I sometimes feel like it's too much for me as well. And I've been doing this since I was 9.
We made it into the office and Dr. Goldberg was ready for us right away. I took Mia into the room and helped her take her sweater off. Dr. Goldberg did a regular checkup. Everything looked fine and the antibiotics seemed to be working. "Honey, I'm going to check on your ribs really quick ok?" Dr. Goldberg said as she pulled up Mia's shirt.
     I've got to admit, the bruises still do look pretty bad. She still has fresh cuts and scratches across her abdomen. What the hell did her mother do to my little one? I never went into details about that incident with Mia. I felt like when she was ready, she would tell me on her own. If this is hard on me, I can't even imagine Mia right now. Dr. Goldberg pressed down lightly on her ribcage, as Mia closed her eyes tight and flinched.
     "Babygirl I'm right here ok? It's almost over," I said as I reached over and held her tiny hand.
     "I want to do a few X-ray scans to take a look inside," Dr. Goldberg informed us.
     "Will it hurt?" Mia said scared.
     "No honey, you won't feel a thing I promise," Dr. Goldberg said with a smile. "Why don't you and Daddy follow the nurse to the X-ray room? It'll be quick." Mia grabbed my hand really tight, as we followed behind the nurse.
     "Ok Mr. Jackson, wait out here. I'll bring her out once she's done," the nurse said sweetly.
     "No!! I want to stay with my Daddy!" Mia yelled. I got down on one knee and held both her hands.
     "I'm going to be right out here babygirl. Don't worry ok? After the appointment, you and I will get ice cream. How does that sound?" I said trying to console her. Tears formed in her big brown eyes, threatening to slip out. She was terrified at this point.
     "I'm scared," she said as her voice trembled. I pulled her into a tight hug, cradling the back of her head. I placed a kiss on her cheek. Her face was still warm from the slight fever.
     "Don't be mama, you're a strong girl. You got this! I promise I will be outside this door the whole time. I won't move ok?" I said gently. She slowly nodded her head as she grabbed the nurse's hand. She walked into the room, as tears slipped out of my eyes. I know it's just an X-ray, but the thought of something being wrong with my babygirl scares the life out of me.
     After about 10 minutes, the nurse and Mia came out. The nurse had given Mia a lollipop for being brave. She had the biggest grin on her face. Well, at least something lifted her mood. We went back to the doctor's office while we waited for the scans to come back. Dr. Goldberg and I made some small talk, while Mia was lost in her own world. The scans eventually made it to Dr. Goldbergs table. My heart was beating fast while she looked the scans over.
     "Well Mr. Jackson, looks like Mia has a broken rib. It's nothing serious, but I'm going to prescribe some pain medication to help her heal," she said. "Honey, does it hurt when you take a deep breath or cough?" she asked Mia. Mia slowly nodded her head. I was shocked to say the least. Mia never complained to me about experiencing any pain on her ribs.
     "Mia, why didn't you tell me you were feeling pain?" I asked concerned. She simply shrugged, but I knew there was more to it. I didn't want to push it right there and then, so I let it go.
     "Here you go," said Dr. Goldberg as she handed me the prescription. "Make sure you ice the bruised area when you change her bandages. It'll help soothe the pain. And Mia, make sure you let Daddy apply the ointment on the cuts ok? I know it hurts, but we want you to get better soon," she said with a smile. Mia nodded her head yes and smiled back.
     We finally left the clinic, and got ice cream like I promised. We were on our way back home now, and all I could think about was why Mia wasn't sharing her pain with me. I would've taken her to the doctor ages ago if I had known. Does she not feel comfortable with me? Does she not trust me? All these scary thoughts raced through my head, as I tried to remind myself that all that matters now is that my little girl is okay. I looked over at her and couldn't stop myself from laughing.
     The chocolate ice cream created a mustache above her lips. She somehow managed to get it all over her mouth and clothes as well. She caught me staring at her and laughing. "What?" she asked innocently.
     "You have mustache," I said while laughing. She looked at me confused. I pulled out my phone and took a picture of her to show her. She looked at the picture and giggled. I grabbed a napkin and wiped her face while she tried to finish the ice cream. "Sweetheart, can I ask you a question?" I asked gently.
     "Sure," she replied without taking her eyes off her ice cream cone.
     "Why didn't you tell me that you were feeling pain on your ribs?" I asked. Once again, she shrugged me off. "Mia, look at me please," I said trying to get her attention. "Do you not feel comfortable with me?" I said with a tinge of sadness in my voice.
     "I do Daddy," she answered. "I just don't like talking about you know what."
     "I understand sweetheart, but if you don't tell me these things, I can't help you. Daddies are supposed to help you. I'm here to fix your problems. Please don't hide stuff like this from me anymore ok?" I said kindly. She slowly nodded her head yes. "Now, can you tell me about what happened that night?" I asked in almost a whisper.
     Mia stopped eating her ice cream and looked away from me. We arrived home now. I guess we'll continue this conversation inside. I got out of the car, and noticed Mia not move an inch. Great. Now I pissed her off. Ugh! "Mia?" I called out. "Please come out the car. Let's go inside," I said. She turned around, with the meanest glare I have ever seen her give. In a matter of seconds, she through the ice cream cone straight at my head...