The Secrets We Keep

October 3-drafts

Hailey POV*

I'm watching tv downstairs when the my phone goes off. I check my phone and it's a notification from the baby's smart sock monitor. Telling me that she was crying. I run up to her room and here this wheezing sound, I quickly turn on the lights to see what's wrong . Once the lights are on I see Jaykes turning blue, wheezing,and cry at once. I pick her up and take out my phone to dial 9-1-1. I grab her blanket and and rush downstairs to meet them paramedics. I try to keep her calm but I barely keeping it together myself. I open the door when they arrive, they immediately take her to get oxygen and start an IV. "Were ready to go." The girl says as they load my lifeless one-month old baby into the ambulance. I see Jays truck pull up as I'm about to get in the ambulance. " Hailey!" He yells running toward me. "what happened?" He asks hugging me. "S-she was wheezing and turning blue I-" I say. " Sorry we have to go, we're taking her to med." the paramedics says. " go I'll follow" Jay says helping me into the rig.

We get to med and they rush her to the NICU, where they sedate her and hook her up to a breathing machine. When Jay gets there the doctors approach us. "Hi Mr &Mrs. Halstead, I'm Dr. Mei-Ling your daughters doctor. I suspect from Rue's symptoms that she has RSV, but I need to take her up for X-rays." They doctors says. " okay" I say wiping my tears. They hand me her blanket and pacifier, before taking her to X-rays. " I didn't grab her diaper bag, I left the her giraffe lovey she can't sleep without it. I um her car seat it's in my car, Amira she'll be home in a little bit, she always goes to Jaykes room first and-". " Hailey you need to breathe" he say pulling me in for a hug. " I'll go back home to get those thing and get the kids, please update me when they get back, I love you" he says. " I will and love you too" I say kissing him before he walks out the NICU.  When Jay leaves a nurse comes back to ask questions. " hi Mrs. Halstead Just wanted to ask about Rue's medical history. "Okay" she says guiding me to a private office. " when was she born?" She asks. "September 8th". " is it just Rue or do you have other kids and how many live in your house? also what the relation between them?" She ask. " I have one kid,Ryder from a previous relationship.he's 4 and them we have temporary guardianship of our deceased friends kids Lucia and August Estevez. Their 11 and 6 ,Rue is my husband and I child together. It kind of a lot,Sorry" I say my knees shaking under the desk. " No it okay I have a big family too" the nurse says. "Has any of your kids been sick lately or have any medical conditions?" She ask. "Auggie has epilepsy,but hasn't had a seizure in a while. Ryder was sick two weeks ago and Rue, Lucia and Auggie were sick week with the flu,but her temperatures went back to normal after a few days. Do you think the flu caused this to happen?" I say leaning forward in the chair. " Yes it could've but let's focus on her getting better" she say reaching out to take my hand giving it a comforting squeeze before she continues with the questions.

Jay POV*

I get in the car and make my way to Ryder's school first. I call Platt on the way informing her of what happened and she said the kids could stay with her. I get out the car and walk into the preschool. "Hey Mr.Halstead your pretty early for pick and nothing here tells me something about early pick up" the lady at the front desk say. "There an emergency at home"I say. "I'm sorry to here that,I'll call him to the front." She says picking up the phone. A couple minutes later and Ry is walking out with his big backpack on. " hi daddy!" He say running into my arms. We say bye to the lady before walking out to the car.

We get to Auggie's school and I park the car and walk into the building with Ry. " Hello Sir" the lady at the front says. " Hi I'm here to pick August Estevez" I say reaching for the sign out page for him. " And what's your name" she asks. "Jay Halstead" I say putting down the pen. She walks into the office for a minute then walks back out. "Is everything okay" I say picking up Ry. "yeah I just called his teacher someone should be bringing him out now" she says sitting back in her chair. I wait by the wall for him to walk out. I hear feet from around the corner,them I see three kids walking out with Auggie and the other two are little girls around his height. "Jay" he says. " hey little man we got to go" I say taking his hand as we walk out the school. "Why are we leaving early?"he ask as I buckle Ry into his car seat. " Because Jaykes is really sick and we would've been late to pick you two up at pick up time" I try to explain without scaring them. " Is mommy with he"Ry asks. "Yeah at the hospital" I say driving to Trudy's house. "Is Rue gonna die" Auggie says. We're at a red light so I stop and turn around to look at him. "Why would you think that" I say. "Because mommy took daddy to a hospital and he never came out" he say as the light turns green." Rue is not gunna die she need some help that we can't give to her that home." I say pulling into Trudys neighborhood. I get to her house and walk with the boys to the front door,ringing the bell ice we reach the top step. She open the door with a surprised look on her face. " Mrs.Trudy" the boys say hugging her. "Come in?" She say. We walk in and she puts on a movie for them to watch. " I'm sorry to barge in like this I know it's your day off and all but Rue is in the hospital and Hailey told me to call you but I forgot and I have to go back to the house and pick up Amira and I'm really sorry" I say sipping some coffee. " Is Rue going to be okay?" She asks. " I don't know last I heard the doctor said she thinks Rue has RSV but they took her for an X-ray when I left.Hailey hasn't called me,so everything must be fine.Right? No news is good news." I say again drinking more coffee. " I can watch the boys for tonight. I know that's what your going to ask anyways. Go get Amira" she says. "Thank you I'll drop off clothes on the way to the hospital"I say drinking the rest of the coffee and putting the mug in the sink. I pause the movie to talk to the boys. " Alright boys I'm leaving you with Mrs.Trudy for a couple hours behave and listen to everything she say" I say. " okay bye" Ry says as Auggie waves bye. I turn back on the movie and tell Platt "thanks" again before walking out to the car.

Amira POV*

Schools out for the day, I grab my backpack and stuff my binders in it quickly so I can meet Ez at they bus stop. I shut my locker and run out to the bus catching so eyes on the way, but I didn't care. I get to the bus and Ezras talking to the bus driver about something. " finally your here, I talked to bad breath Brenda for you" he say as we take a seat in the back. " ah rude but thanks" I say. We get to our neighborhood and walk in the cold." Hey you want to come over and study for that math test tomorrow ." Ezra asks. "Got to ask Hailey" I say walking to the house. "Text me when she says yes" Ezzy says as I open the door and walk in.

I walk upstairs to my room to put my bag down and walk back downstairs to the kitchen. " Hailey?" I say turning the corner into the kitchen where I see Jay staring at his phone. "Jay? Where's Hailey and Rue" I ask grabbing an apple from the fridge. " I thought you were getting Ry and Auggie" taking a bite into the apple and leaning on the counter in front of him. "The boys are with Trudy, and Haileys at the hospital with Rue" he says. "Are they okay why are we here should we be with them" I say dropping my apple. "We are going there right now I had to wait for you. Grab you backpack you can do your homework there" he says throwing away the apple I dropped.  I run upstairs to grab my backpack and coat. I quickly throw them on along with my warm boots and wait by the door for Jay.

Hope y'all like this this chapter.

-Cici