Guardian
Written for: ai_snapshots
Prompt: 11. Sick Days from 525,600 Minutes Table
Summary: Kris, Adam and Allison have just arrived home from a work-related trip to Costa Rica. Kris comes home sick and gets Katy sick as well. Neither can visit their premature son, Kaleb, in the NICU, so they call on Allison to help.
Words: 697
It has been 15 days since Kris and Katy's son, Kaleb, was born, three months ahead of schedule. Ten of those days, Kris spent in Costa Rica, on a contract-bound, work-related trip. So much had changed. Kris doesn't feel like the same person. He doesn't feel like a father yet.
Both Katy and Kris have somehow caught the stomach virus that Kris came home with, so for now, there is no visiting Kaleb. It is torture, to know that Kaleb is in the hospital by himself. Of course, the grandparents are there, but that isn't the same.
Kris and Katy have taken turns running to their single bathroom in their room at the Ronald McDonald House. In between, Kris and Katy toss names of people back and forth, debating who might be able to visit in their place, assuming the grandparents weren't in super-protective mode and would allow non-blood family to visit.
"Adam?" Katy suggests, before she remembers that he came home from Costa Rica with burns after rescuing a kid when the guest house caught fire. "Never mind," she says, wrinkling her brow. "He's probably had enough of hospitals. Allison? What's she doing?"
Kris answers Katy's question with one of his own. "Do you think she'd go?"
"Only one way to find out..." Katy ventures weakly and picked up the phone. "Allison? It's Katy. We really hate to do this but Kris and me are sick...and we really want someone to be there for Kaleb today."
--
Allison takes a deep breath and forces herself to walk bravely down the halls of the NICU. She is here to see Kris and Katy's baby. They called ahead and let the grandparents know she was coming, and to let her in.
Part of Allison wishes they would have said no, so she would not have to face this, too, in addition to all the trauma that Costa Rica brought with it. She is not over having to leave behind so many children, who are so hurt.
But, she thinks, a little bravely, maybe, she can be here for this one child. Maybe she can give little Kaleb the love that Kris and Katy want to give him but can't because they're sick.
She follows the directions, washing her hands to the elbows and donning a gown. Then, she slips into the room and is shocked at just how small the babies are. It takes her breath - their smallness, and all the monitors - that when they cry they sound like little creatures instead of little people. Lucky for Allison, when she is nervous, she talks.
"Hi, Kaleb. I'm Allison," she says softly, touching the outside of his isolette. "I'm a friend of your mommy and daddy's. They're have some bad germs right now that they don't want to give you, so they asked me to come."
In the little plastic box, Kaleb moves his tiny arms and legs. He tries to cry.
"I'm sorry you're sick," she offers, feeling silly and entirely out of place. "You know what helps me is if someone sings. Maybe that'll help you..." So, softly, Allison falls into song, wishing she could hold Kaleb, and yet super glad she can't. What if she did it wrong and broke him?
Instead, she stands by, her hand on top of the plastic box and starts to sing. It's an old hymn, but appropriate, since the author of it apparently went through a ton of personal loss and grief.
"When peace like a river attendeth my way; when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, You have taught me to say it is well, it is well with my soul..."
It is because nothing's right about this that Allison sings. It's the one thing she knows to do. She prays for Kaleb and for all the kids out there who don't have parents, or whose parents aren't treating them well. One day, maybe, one of them will belong to Kris and Katy, too.
But for now, she stands over Kaleb. Allison offers him what she can, and prays for him to do what she knows he can do:
She prays for him to get better.
Prompt: 11. Sick Days from 525,600 Minutes Table
Summary: Kris, Adam and Allison have just arrived home from a work-related trip to Costa Rica. Kris comes home sick and gets Katy sick as well. Neither can visit their premature son, Kaleb, in the NICU, so they call on Allison to help.
Words: 697
It has been 15 days since Kris and Katy's son, Kaleb, was born, three months ahead of schedule. Ten of those days, Kris spent in Costa Rica, on a contract-bound, work-related trip. So much had changed. Kris doesn't feel like the same person. He doesn't feel like a father yet.
Both Katy and Kris have somehow caught the stomach virus that Kris came home with, so for now, there is no visiting Kaleb. It is torture, to know that Kaleb is in the hospital by himself. Of course, the grandparents are there, but that isn't the same.
Kris and Katy have taken turns running to their single bathroom in their room at the Ronald McDonald House. In between, Kris and Katy toss names of people back and forth, debating who might be able to visit in their place, assuming the grandparents weren't in super-protective mode and would allow non-blood family to visit.
"Adam?" Katy suggests, before she remembers that he came home from Costa Rica with burns after rescuing a kid when the guest house caught fire. "Never mind," she says, wrinkling her brow. "He's probably had enough of hospitals. Allison? What's she doing?"
Kris answers Katy's question with one of his own. "Do you think she'd go?"
"Only one way to find out..." Katy ventures weakly and picked up the phone. "Allison? It's Katy. We really hate to do this but Kris and me are sick...and we really want someone to be there for Kaleb today."
--
Allison takes a deep breath and forces herself to walk bravely down the halls of the NICU. She is here to see Kris and Katy's baby. They called ahead and let the grandparents know she was coming, and to let her in.
Part of Allison wishes they would have said no, so she would not have to face this, too, in addition to all the trauma that Costa Rica brought with it. She is not over having to leave behind so many children, who are so hurt.
But, she thinks, a little bravely, maybe, she can be here for this one child. Maybe she can give little Kaleb the love that Kris and Katy want to give him but can't because they're sick.
She follows the directions, washing her hands to the elbows and donning a gown. Then, she slips into the room and is shocked at just how small the babies are. It takes her breath - their smallness, and all the monitors - that when they cry they sound like little creatures instead of little people. Lucky for Allison, when she is nervous, she talks.
"Hi, Kaleb. I'm Allison," she says softly, touching the outside of his isolette. "I'm a friend of your mommy and daddy's. They're have some bad germs right now that they don't want to give you, so they asked me to come."
In the little plastic box, Kaleb moves his tiny arms and legs. He tries to cry.
"I'm sorry you're sick," she offers, feeling silly and entirely out of place. "You know what helps me is if someone sings. Maybe that'll help you..." So, softly, Allison falls into song, wishing she could hold Kaleb, and yet super glad she can't. What if she did it wrong and broke him?
Instead, she stands by, her hand on top of the plastic box and starts to sing. It's an old hymn, but appropriate, since the author of it apparently went through a ton of personal loss and grief.
"When peace like a river attendeth my way; when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, You have taught me to say it is well, it is well with my soul..."
It is because nothing's right about this that Allison sings. It's the one thing she knows to do. She prays for Kaleb and for all the kids out there who don't have parents, or whose parents aren't treating them well. One day, maybe, one of them will belong to Kris and Katy, too.
But for now, she stands over Kaleb. Allison offers him what she can, and prays for him to do what she knows he can do:
She prays for him to get better.