Fates plan

Chapter 3

About two days later, Nari's maternal grandparents finally arrived and immediately asked to see Nari's parents as well as Nari and her newborn brother.

The hospital didn't usually allow a lot of people to visit critical patients but then made an exception for Nari's maternal grandparents, who were given sterile gloves, gowns, and hair nets to put on They then finally let them into Nari's dad's room and were completely shocked by seeing him connected to various tubes and machines, making her grandmother immediately take his hand into hers and while sobbing mumble, "Matteo, you have to get better because you have a brand new beautiful baby boy waiting to meet you, as well as the apple of your eye Nari needs you".

They sat there for a while then finally moved to their daughter's room which was across from their son -in - laws and just like before they were shocked by the sight of their daughter connected to numerous machines and tubes, causing her mother to collapse on her knees and weep uncontrollably.

The nurses rushed over and proceeded to assist her to get up but she just asked them to let her go then finally rush over to her daughter where she grabbed hold of her hand and cupped her cheek with her other hand while staring at her daughter's bandaged head and pale puffy face.

Nari's grandfather stands on the opposite side of the bed and takes his daughter's other hand into his while mumbling, "my precious, precious baby girl, we're all here praying and waiting for you and Matteo to just get better, infact we just saw your beautiful baby boy and you can tell he's strong and a fighter so now promise you'll fight to make it back to him and Nari - ok", then continues to kiss the top of her hand.

Few moments later two nurses came walking in and asked if they could excuse them as they need to check on her vitals and change her position, leaving them to nod and tell them they understand, and that they they'll go check on Nari now. The nurse then calls a porter who they ask to escort Nari's maternal grandparents to the pediatric ward.

They proceed to thank the nurse then follow the porter to the pediatric ward where they find Nari sitting with her paternal grandparents eating and watching cartoons but upon see seeing her maternal grandmothers she immediately excitedly exclaims, "halmeoni, hal-abeoji!! (Grandma, grandpa)", causing both sets of grandparents to smile as they admire the fact that Nari's parents raise her to be multi - lingual by making English her main language but also have her learn the languages native to them.

Nari's maternal grandparents walk up to the bed and each give her a kiss on the cheek followed by a hug, then sit down on the opposite side of the bed staring at her, as she immediately starts excitedly telling them how happy she is to see them and now that both sets of her grandparents are here she knows that her parents will for sure get better soon.

The four elders look at the smiling little girl who's arm is in a sling and has a big plaster on her forehead and is trying to look happy but they know that she is probably missing her mommy and daddy but trying not to cry as she doesnt want to make her 'nonna and nonno (what she calls her paternal grandparents).'

She then continues to excitedly tell them that one of the nurses took her to go see her baby brother and giggles as she showed the face he pulled telling them he even poked out his tongue at her, making her maternal grandmother think to herself "my poor sweet baby is so inocent still and need her parents to teach her about life, which is why I'm praying they make it through this period".

Visiting hours soon came to a end and Nari's grandparents told her they have to leave making the expression of doll like looking little girl turn to a sad one, but her maternal grandmother quickly cups her face with both hands making her look at her as she assures her that they will definitely see her tomorrow morning and even bring her some of her favorite food and treats, making her smile half heartedly then mumble "ok".

Nari's grandparents each give her a kiss on her forehead then walk out the door leaving her to stare off into the distance for a while until she hears a knock on the door and noticed it's the nurse that stayed with her when she first arrived in ward, 'nurse Valencia".

Actually nurse Valencia was to have the week off but somehow changed shifts to be around to make Nari's stay comfortable since she wasn't really getting along with the other nurses, and also because Nari reminded her of her later daughter 'Aurora' which she lost to a meningitis out break a year ago that happened at her day care.

Nurse Valencia blamed herself for being stupid and dismissing it as a normal flu and just handing her daughter off to her sister to take care of because she was in a hurry to get to work, and even missed her sister's calls due to how busy and short staffed they were that day.

It was only when their head of nursing came walking up to her and asked to talk to her in private with a solm expression that she realized something was wrong and immediately asked her what going on. Valencia remembers the head of nursing escorting her into their break room and telling her that her sister had brought Aurora into the emergency room with a high fever, confusion, vomiting and seizures, which the doctors immediately identified as bacterial meningitis as they has received quite a few children with the same symptoms from the same daycare center Aurora attended. Two of the children that were brought in before Aurora died and despite their best attempts to save them, while Aurora was the third child to die that day.

Valencia remembers screaming after being told her daughter died and despite being scared that Valencia could also have been infected by her daughter the head of nursing couldn't help but wrap Valencia up in her arms and hold her as she cried with her, because everyone knew that Valencia lived for her daughter who she always said is the last thing she has left of her husband who died from a gun shot wound after being robbed at gun point while Valencia was 7 months pregnant with Aurora.

Valencia was inconsolable for a while after laying her daughter to rest and attended countless therapy sessions until she decided to pull herself together and get back to work and pour all the love she has inside her for her daughter into taking care of the children under her care which she can't deny was the best decision ever because it gave her some sort of hope and purpose to go on with life again.

She looks at Nari's doll like face and can't help but smile when their eyes met which in turn made the little girl to smile as well, then cheerfully chirp, "salve, infermiera Valencia (hello, nurse Valencia).

Nurse Valencia: "ciao, come sta oggi la mia paziente preferita e più carina? (Hello, how is my favorite and most prettiest patient doing today ?)".

Nari lets out a small sigh, then slightly tears up and responds, "Sto bene, immagino (I'm ok, I guess)."

Valencia walk over to the bed and sits down on the side of the bed and places her hand on top of Nari's hand and asks, " Ti mancano la tua mamma e il tuo papà, vero? (You miss your mommy and daddy right?)", and all Nari could do was nod while a tear escapes and falls on top of Valencia's hand, which made her eyes well up with tears aswell which she fights back and proceed to ask, "Che ne dici di pregare affinché loro e il tuo fratellino guariscano rapidamente così potrete tornare a casa ed essere di nuovo una famiglia, hmm.....? (How about we pray for them and your baby brother to get better quickly so you can go home and be a family again, hmm.....?)".

Nari, who was being raised in the Catholic faith like her father, eagerly nods as she strongly believes that prayer fixes everything or atleast that's what her father and paternal grandparents have been teaching her. Valencia smiles at her, then tells her to close her eyes, fold her hands, bow her head, and start praying.

Nari takes a deep breath and then starts praying for her parents and baby brother's recovery. She's then also asks for her grandparents and nurse Valencia to be blessed and kept safe.

Valencia smiles and thinks to herself this little girl is sounding so wise and strong dispite being so young and then prayed herself and asked that her parents please pull through so they can watch her grow into a wise young woman.

Once Nari was finished praying dinner was served and nurse Valencia told her to eat her food and once done she can help her go around and give the other kids in the ward their medicine to which Nari grind excitedly then proceeded to eat her food. Nurse Valencia wouldn't usually let a patient help her hand out medicine but she was hoping to use it as a way to get Nari to socialize with the other kids and take her mind of her parents conditions.