concordia

ninteen

word count: 1k

date written: 15.6.19

verse: alt-canon

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"i don't have to go home tonight, do i?" claire asked curiously as she finished coloring in the hearts she'd drawn on the inside of her card. she glanced up when she was done, watching connie try and fail to turn to the next page in her book with only one free hand. she promptly gave up with a sigh, looking over at her.

"no, sweetheart, you can stay here," she said, retrieving her phone from the bedside table instead. after narrowly escaping being buried alive just a few short hours ago, and fearing she might never see her daughter again, connie had no intention of letting claire leave her side any time soon. if they wanted to keep her in overnight for observation -- "it's just a precaution; you could have a head injury that hasn't presented itself yet." -- then claire was going to stay right here with her. 

claire grinned, turning back to her card as she signed her name beneath the message inside, followed by a row of near-identical perfect x's. she'd worried that connie might send her home with the babysitter, much like she usually did if she had to go somewhere overnight, but being away from her was the last thing claire wanted after today. aside from the fact that she would likely have nightmares about everything that had happened, she couldn't help fearing that she might never see connie again if they were separated for too long. she'd much rather sleep on the hospital floor than go home without her. 

"um... can i go to the toilet?" she asked, setting her pen down as she finally closed her card, running her hand along the edge to make sure it was folded tightly. connie frowned slightly, glancing up from her phone. 

"do you know where they are?" she asked, already putting it down and sitting up. "i can-" 

"it's okay, i know the way," claire said, interrupting her as she got to her feet. she hid the card behind her back, smiling brightly, and connie reluctantly relaxed back against her pillows. 

"alright, just don't wander off," she warned, only turning back to her phone when claire had disappeared from the room. out of her mother's sight, claire moved the card back into view and held it close as she made her way along the corridor. truth be told, she didn't need the toilet at all but she'd suspected that connie wouldn't let her do what she was planning to if she knew about it. after overhearing her impatiently question a nurse an hour ago and learning that elle had also been a victim of the earlier building collapse, claire was on a mission to track her down and pass on the handmade get-well-soon card.

according to the nurse, she too was being held in overnight for observation 'just down the corridor' and that's where claire was heading. the directions were more than vague and the hospital incredibly big but neither difficulty had been enough to put her off for when claire wanted to do something, there was very little that could deter her. 

she wandered through the corridors in silence, smiling politely at the people she passed and pausing to peer curiously around every door. she wasn't entirely sure how long she'd been walking for -- certainly longer than it took to go to the toilet -- but ventured on regardless, counting her steps as she went. 

it wasn't until she'd passed over half a dozen more doors that she found who she was looking for. elle was sat up in a hospital bed, leg bound in plaster, and surrounded by three boys that made claire hang by the entrance of the ward. she was too intimidated to venture much closer while they were there and held her card closer to her chest, trying to think of something to say as she watched them apprehensively. she didn't get much of a chance, caught by elle herself when she turned away from one of the boys and noticed her lurking in the doorway. 

"claire?" she called with a frown, using her hand to prop herself up further in bed. claire gasped quietly, shrinking back slightly when the three boys turned to look in her direction, appearing even more confused by her appearance than their mother. claire's eyes darted between them. they were all much older and much bigger than her. when she didn't answer, elle immediately grew concerned, assuming the worst. "what's wrong? is it your mum? is she alright?" 

claire's eyes widened in panic at the misunderstanding and she nodded furiously, making the room spin slightly when she stopped. "yes, she's fine," she confirmed quietly before hesitantly beginning to approach her. "i, um... actually just came to give you this..." she tiptoed beside the bed, stretching to reach over the railing and place the card squarely in elle's lap before she fell back, rocking on her heels. she offered elle a weak smile. "i, uh... hope you're okay." there was an awkward pause before, at a loss for what else to do or say, she abruptly blurted out, "bye!" and hurried back to the doorway, briefly stopping to glance over her shoulder at them before disappearing completely. 

elle shook her head slightly, bemused for a reaction, and picked up the card as the boys shared a look of confusion. it was handmade, folded carefully out of thick paper, and featured a brightly colored drawing of herself and claire holding hands, surrounded by balloons and what appeared to be a cake. she smiled before gently thumbing it open and finding claire's loopy handwriting inside, not all that dissimilar to her mother's own perfect cursive. 

"mum, who was that?" kalen finally asked when she didn't offer them an explanation herself, but she was too preoccupied with reading claire's message to hear him. he rolled his eyes, waving a hand in front of her face. "hello, earth to mum?" she looked up with a frown.

"what?" 

"who was that kid?" kalen repeated, gesturing to where claire had been standing just seconds ago. he'd never seen her before. 

"oh, that's claire," elle told him offhandedly, returning her attention to the card. "she's connie's daughter." kalen matched her expression, knowing he'd heard her say the second name before.

"connie..." he echoed just as he remembered the context she'd used it in. "isn't she that doctor you've been seeing?" elle sighed, carefully folding the card shut and running her hand over the drawing on the front. 

"it's complicated."