Let Me Carry You (Carry You Home)

9: Recovery

Now that Sarah had awoken, recovery began.

It was a slow and tedious process involving lots of patience, sleeping and physiotherapy. Sarah's body took a while to shake the drugs from the sedation, and there wasn't all that much communication happening for a couple of days as the drugs weaned from her system, but it gave Maya and Carina to start making preparations. Given that Sarah was improving day by day, they needed to get a couple of things going to ensure that their home was equipped for her.

Maya had reached out to her team, giving them the briefest of updates, and as expected, they were more than willing to provide any help they could offer. They settled on a day later that week, where they would help get the house set up for Sarah's presence. The plan was that they'd assemble a new bed frame that Carina had ordered for Sarah, as well as to take Maya's gym equipment and move it to the smallest bedroom in the house.

Then, they had to figure out what to do about work. Both women had full time jobs that were demanding, and while they were on temporary leave for the time being, but that leave was not permanent or sustainable. So, while Sarah slept, Maya and Carina chatted about what to do, and once they came to a conclusion, where they agreed to take a week off of work where Sarah would stay at home with them once she was discharged. Once that was done, they contacted their bosses to ensure that was a suitable plan.

Carina, who had taken charge in looking for a therapist for Sarah, was still on the hunt. Amelia and Jo, who spent time institutionalized and in rehab, had given Carina some names of reputable therapists and professionals that they knew. From there, Carina asked them for recommendations for child psychologists, and was narrowing down the list that she had created of those she'd been given.

———

A couple of days later, Andy, Vic, Travis, Dean and Jack used their spare key to Maya and Carina's place and began moving Maya's gym equipment out of the second-biggest bedroom. Maya had stepped out of the hospital room one night and called her friends, explaining the plan. She left the hospital for a few hours, coming to help the efforts; Sarah needed a space to call her own and while they didn't have all the furniture for her just yet, hopefully having the space would be a good start.

"I can't believe you're a mom now," Vic remarked as they were unscrewing the headboard from the guest bed. Maya sighed, making sure that the screwdriver's position in the head of the screw didn't falter as her hands shook.

"But I'm not her mom. I'm just a first time foster parent who's feeling terrified at the thought of looking after a child," Maya admitted, and Jack set his tool down with a frown on his face.

"Don't minimize that. I still remember the good foster parents all these years later. They were instrumental in making me into who I am today. They were the difference between me surviving and me living," Jack insisted.

"Plus, you yourself said that you felt a connection to her as soon as you saw her," Travis commented.

"I do. I love that girl already, more than I can describe. I just... I don't know what I am to her. Sarah is so sweet, so kind and has been through enough. I don't want to replace her mom by any means but..." Maya trailed off.

"But?" Andy encouraged, wanting her friend to finish her thought.

"I'm scared. Terrified, actually. I'm terrified that I will lose her again, or have to give her up," Maya revealed all in one breath. She looked around the room nervously, but her friends didn't seem shaken by this confession.

"That's the life of a foster mom. Have you talked to Carina about maybe adopting her?" Travis asked gently.

"God no. What if Sarah doesn't want us?" Maya asked, the words tasting like ash in her mouth.