Exhale

Caught

As Peter and I walk across the street to mom's I call Liv and fill her in. We're gonna reschedule dinner clearly. "So how old are your kids?" Peter asks me as we reach mom's front door. "Bailey is four and the twins, Alaina and Elijah are four months." I answer him with a smile. His eyes widen, "Wow that's right. Derek had mentioned twins. Got your hands full, Huh?" He says as we walk in to be greeted by Bailey. I pick her up, placing her on my hip, "You never answered me earlier, you married?" I ask. He nods, "Yup, four years now, two boys. Conner is four and Aiden is two. You remember Jennifer Henderson?" He asks. Jennifer Henderson? I think back, "Oh yeah Jennifer. We were friends for freshman and sophomore year. Then she became a cheerleader and ditched me." I say setting Bailey down and pointing to the twins in their car seats.

Peter looks down at them, and smiles that smile everyone gets when they see babies. "Yeah I married her." He finally says. I slap his arm, "Shut up! Are you serious?" I say. He backs away and nods. "That's awesome. We'll have to all get together and let the kids play." I say. Mom comes in, "I knew I heard you. Peter Grady. Why am I just seeing you now young man?" She scolds him. He turns red and ducks his his head, "Sorry ma'am. Being a detective keeps me pretty busy." He explains to her. We have a seat on the couch, "So how's Leah?" Mom asks us. "I don't know honestly. I mean she's strong but I think this is going to break her." Just as I finished my sentence I heard sirens and jumped up to see red lights flashing through the sheer curtains. My phone rings, "Hello?" I say. "Maggie, Leah tried to kill herself. Get over here." Derek says quickly before he hangs up.

I see paramedics rushing in my house and I hear mom, "Maggie go!" I shake my head and Peter follows me out the door. It's as if everything is in slow motion as I run across the street and into my house. A police officer tries to stop me as I reach my door, I try to speak but nothing comes out. Peter flashes his badge and the officer moves aside. I reach my bathroom and see the paramedics wrapping Leah's wrist with gauze. There's blood all over the sink and toilet. I see Derek talking to an officer, I walk over to join him just as the officer turns to leave. "Derek, What happened?" I ask him. He shakes his head. "I came up here to tell her we were going to your mom's. And I didn't see her in here but the bathroom light was on and I saw her lying there with blood pouring out of he wrists." He says visibly shaken up.

I look back over to the paramedics who are now lifting Leah onto a stretcher, the stout women walks over to me, "Are you her parents?" She asks us. "No, her mother was killed. She has no one. We took her in. Can we come with her?" I ask. She nods and motions for us to follow. Derek shakes his head, "I can't. I'll stay back and clean up." He says, I understand. I head out into the ambulance.

The ride to the hospital is hectic, I sit beside her starring at her fragile state. I feel so helpless. Within no time we're at the hospital and rushing her back to the ER. I have to wait in a small room just opposite her enclosed curtain room. I run scenario's of what could have been going through her mind. Should we have let her go upstairs alone after that horrific news? Will we be able to keep her with us? A million questions race through my mind as I wait. I begin to pace back and forth in the small room.

Twenty minutes later, A Dr comes in. "Mrs Grayson?" He asks. I nod meeting him halfway. "Leah was lucky, she didn't cut any tendons but managed to severe veins in both wrists. Long term we don't know how these injuries will affect her everyday living, but short term she should be fine. We were able to repair them just fine. We're going to keep her under observation for seventy two hours, Standard time for an attempted suicide." He says. "Can I stay?" I ask not really knowing since I'm not family. "The paramedics filled me in on her situation, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but she's underage and I have to report this to child services. So no Ma'am I'm afraid not." He says with a lack of true concern to his tone. "Can I least see her?" I ask, he shakes his head and walks off.