Golden Rain [COMPLETE]

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I woke up two days later to a message from Sav: They think Abigail can be released today.

I wasn't sure if my heart stopped beating or beat a million times faster.

After taking a moment to process her words, I stumbled out of bed and rushed as fast as I could to get ready and head toward the hospital.

"Wow. You look fantastic," Sav said from where she casually sat in one of the uncomfortable waiting chairs when I hobbled into the waiting room fifteen minutes later.

I was sure I looked like a zombified homeless man, from my black tank top with a wrinkled flannel haphazardly pulled over it and a pair of hopefully clean drawstring sweatpants, to my wild hair that I had barely run my hands through. Not to mention the solid four hours of sleep I had ended up getting last night which most likely left purple bags under my eyes behind my most likely crooked glasses that I had thrown on instead of taking time to put in contacts. Though, really, the eye bags seemed to be normal these days.

But what I looked like was beside the point. "When is she getting released? Do you know anything else?"

She stood with a small sigh. "They're not even completely sure if she can be released today. It's just a possibility. And since I'm not Abigail's family, they wouldn't tell me anything besides that. You'll have to talk to Doctor Andrews to know exactly what's going on."

That was very unhelpful. I deflated into the seat next to the one she had been sitting in.

Slowly, she sat down too. "But... I think they'll finally let you see her. You know, legally."

I glanced at her skeptically, wondering how she knew I had gone to see her without permission.

She gave me a perceptive smirk. "Miranda and I are pretty close," was her only explanation.

Before I could reply, the double doors opened and a man in a white doctor's coat and shiny black dress shoes walked into the waiting hall. He looked up from his clipboard and met my eyes, his steely grey ones sending a slight shiver down my spine. He wasn't the same doctor that Kaybree had had.

"Mr. Stallard, is it?" he asked as he approached, his face void of any emotion.

I stood and, slowly, Sav did as well, staying behind me as silent support. "Yes, sir."

He nodded definitively. "It says here that you are to be Abigail's legal guardian."

I tried not to flinch at the phrase "legal guardian." But, technically, I guess that's what I was becoming. "Um, yes. Yes, I will be. I am." I hated myself for stuttering and jumbling up my words.

Again, he nodded, a gesture that was starting to make me uncomfortable. "Alright, well, here's the update. Abigail's lungs have strengthened enough that we took her off of oxygen earlier this morning. It took her body a little while to adjust, but her progress is exemplary. We see no reason for her to stay in the incubator any longer. Though she is still small, her natural body functions are stable and normal. While her organs and lungs will still need to be regularly monitored, I don't see a need for her to stay here any longer."

I realized I had stopped breathing while he had explained the situation and took a deep breath. That was it. She was going to be released. This was good. Really good. But for some reason my stomach still rolled.

"We were thinking we could have her ready to leave within the next hour and a half if that's okay with you," Doctor Andrews said, tucking his clipboard under his arm.

Panic roiled up my throat, but I wasn't sure why. Pushing it down, I bobbed my head. "Uh, yeah. That sounds good. Great."

"Would you like to meet her?"