A Night At The Gala

Part 7: Full Chemo

Max has called everyone. Everyone in the state of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to try and find a proper family for Kaia. He's called fully deaf families, parents of one deaf child, people who teach ASL, people who know ASL and everyone else far and in between thanks to a special online resource funded by the Census and several other hospitals. Much to his dismay, every single person he called was exactly as Helen said they'd be. Many stated that they either didn't have the resources for another child or didn't have enough time to take in a child at the moment. While others said that her being deaf wouldn't have been a problem, but cancer isn't on their list of things to deal with. No one wants Kaia. Well, no one except Helen Sharpe. It makes his insides squish together and cause him to feel sick. He doesn't want Helen to get hurt if this goes south. Not only that, but if she doesn't get approved for adoption- it won't matter in the long run of her insisting she's the best thing for her. Adoption agencies don't care if you are a doctor with a good heart and steady income. They care about logistics. Where is the child going to be when you are working? Where is the child going to sleep and eat and how are they going to be socialized? Is there a partner or spouse in your life who can also care for the child when you can't? No agency is going to give Helen a child because she'd technically be a single parent who works more than 12 hour shifts some days and has no way of being extensively involved in the social development of the child. It hurts him to think this way, but those are just facts. The court system and government don't care about how much you love the child or how you can finagle your life around to squeeze in a child. Yet they never question the people who have children who can't have the luxury of staying home with their child. Or the ones who are single and have to work nearly 15 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide for their kid and can't afford a babysitter. The government could care less about if a drug addict has five kids at home and is living off the government for free. Yet God forbid it's an adoptable child, who needs a solid home and family and the people who have always wanted a child wants them- too bad, you don't have a good answer for one of our boxes that need checked, so no child for you, I'm afraid. It's sickening just thinking about it. The system is fucked up and Max hates that that is reality.

"Hey Max, do you have a minute?" Iggy steps into Max's office and notices he's slumped in both posture and attitude. "Oh...is everything okay?"

"If you're looking for an honest answer- then no. Nothing is okay in the slightest." Coming in, Iggy shuts the door and sits in a chair across from Max's desk.

"What's going on?"

"Helen has a new patient- an orphan, who not only has cancer, but is also deaf. Helen has already become emotionally involved in this child and I fear that this is going to hurt her more than she will be prepared for." Taking in the information like a sponge, Iggy nods and then crosses his right leg over his left and leans back in the arm chair.

"What specifically do you think needs to happen?" Not the question he was expecting, but it's out there.

"I think she needs to be removed from the case so not to further bonds, however she is the best bet for the child so removing her could not only compromise the care that is given, but also the results."

"Do you think Helen could handle being both the support and the healer?" Max looks down and sighs.

"I think she'll be in a muddled middle. I think she will let apart of her be more parent than doctor."

"Max, if it was Luna and you needed her to be healed like this child. Who would you want doing that?" Max looks at him and tightens his clamped jaw. "If Luna had cancer- at her age now- who would you want treating her?"

"Helen."

"Okay, is Helen not emotionally attached to Luna?"

"No, she is, but..."