The flick of the brakes caused her to panic, “N-No! I…someone is coming for us.”
The man sighed once again, “Ms. Montgomery, we have known of your situation. We understand this is hard to accept but we do keep notes about each patient here. We have already called the numbers you left on the charge papers. None of them work. You don’t have a proper address either. We have no choice but to call you in. I’m sorry Ms. Montgomery.” He said wheeling her back inside.
Cherish’s body was shaking as she pat on Jasmine’s bottom as she suckled once and released in frustration because she couldn’t get the milk she craved. All these factors overwhelmed Cherish. Tears began to streak down her face and splattered against Jasmine’s blanket, “B-but I…I kn-know someone is…is coming. Just…please. Please, just a little longer!” she pleaded. Cherish held onto Jasmine’s squirming body closely. Her head was lowered to shield the judgmental looks from view. She could feel the eyes from guests, patients, and staff alike as they watched her. Little did they know they were witnessing a woman losing her child, her bearings, and her sanity.
It had been three days since Emily had taken her last breath. Simon Gabot had been through the process of signing off on her release papers, certification of death, life insurance questions, and his son’s birth certificate. The nurses taught him how to take care of Simon Jr. who was named after himself per his late wife’s request. All of it overwhelmed him in the wake of his shattered heart. He felt numb. There wasn’t time to grieve when there was a baby brought into the world.
Simon recalled those moments of Jr. being born. His cries pierced his ears only to be drowned out by Emily’s erratic monitors. Doctors and nurses flocked around her and pulled the curtain to keep her out of his view while she hemorrhaged and bled out. Jr. never got to be held by his mother and she never knew his sweet, pudgy face.
Simon looked down in his arms and stared at the same sleepy face with fresh newborn folds across his eyes. Bubbles formed over his son’s lips all before he yawned. Simon’s throat locked, and the tip of his nose stung. He tried to hold back the tears in his eyes. This was supposed to be the start of the rest of their lives. The family he and Emily talked and dreamed about. Now, he was left to fend for himself in the dark to parent a little life. Jr. was the only salvageable part of Simon’s heart. With that thought, he held him a little tighter in his fragile arms. He could feel the stream of tears break free, down his nose, and against his bare wrists. All while Jr. continued to sleep blissfully unaware of the woman stolen from him. Simon looked around the empty hospital room and sighed.
It was time to go home.
With a hearty sniff, he dipped his head down and wiped his face dry against the top of Jr.’s plush cap, “Sorry, son.” He whispered. Standing, he grabbed the bag of things they’d brought and slung it over his shoulder. Making his way to the nurses’ desk to sign out, he passed down a hallway and paused. He heard a voice in distress, one he knew and yet he couldn’t place it amid his battered mind.
Cherish was grilled by a continuous stream of questions. Questions she didn’t have the answer to, “Ms. Montgomery, where is your residence?” The chief physician asked.
She rolled her lips in, “I-I told you. I don’t have a place. I used to live at the Super 8 Motel.” She answered.
“Do you have any relatives?” He asked.
Cherish bit on her bottom lip, “Yes—”
Before she could finish, he interjected, “—What are their numbers?”
“I told you that I don’t know!” She snapped in response.
The man twirled a pen between his fingers, “Ms. Montgomery, you’re not helping.”
Cherish lifted her head, “I don’t know what you want from me! I said someone… someone will be out to get me. They’ve probably already left and you’ve got me in here!” She argued through Jasmine’s cries.
Trying to keep his cool, the chief sighed as he repeated what he had many times before to different patients, “Ms. Montgomery, Mr. Addison hasn’t been to this facility in forty-eight hours. He didn’t leave an address, phone number, or anything else to get in contact with him. He has not made any attempt to contact you nor have you made any phone calls out of your room our records show. Now, since you do not have the means to take care of your daughter, and by law we cannot have you stay here another night. I am forced to call social services to remove your daughter. Then, the police to escort you to the nearest homeless shelter.” He explained.
Cherish stared down at Jasmine. She sucked on the nipple of the premade bottle of formula the staff gave her out of pity. The innocent expression on her daughter’s tanned face caused her to break, “I-I…please.” Her voice cracked. The chief grabbed a tissue box and handed it over while staring at her coldly. Swatting it away, she placed a hand over her eyes and began to cry. She rocked back and forth holding Jasmine close. She had to come to terms that this was inevitable.
Simon scanned around with a turn of his head and saw one woman who stared a door that was slightly ajar. He didn’t feel right in his gut to let it be, so he passed by and peered into the room. He heard the last bit the chief
