The Forgotten Adoption

Chapter 28 - Hustle

"Hurry, and don't forget your socks." I whispered to Jack who was hurrying around my room trying to find his clothes. I looked at the bedside table and saw it was going on to 6.30 am. We woke up a little later today than usual. 

For the past four weeks Jack and I have been having secret little rendezvous late at night when Lily went to bed. Jack would drive from Capital Coast after work and come here and stay the night, without Lily knowing of course, then he would drive back early the next morning. He changed his shift just so this, us, could happen without Lily and anyone knowing. We were yet to exclusively define what we were, but we both understood that we were just hooking up with no strings attached. Although, the line was becoming blurred, there was this undeniable attachment and attraction that we couldn't quite figure out. 

"Okay, I'll see you tonight." Jack said while walking over to me and kissing me firmly on the lips.

"Okay, see you tonight." I said with a smile as I held his face in my hands. He was so beautiful.

"Kiss Lily for me." He said before exiting quietly. 

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. He made me feel so good and wanted, and happy, it almost felt illegal.

BUT, it also felt wrong. Lily has already voiced her opinion about us being together. She's right though, if we got together and then broke up we would undoubtedly be awkward with each other, which leads to hating each other, and what child wants to have parents who hate each other. She's been through enough rubbish to last her a life time.

Ugh!

Jack and I just can't get enough of each other and it's becoming clear that this "hooking up" is starting to feel like more than that.

With that scary thought, I closed my eyes and tried to get a few precious minutes of sleep before the usual morning hustle.

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"Okay, be good, learn something!" I yelled to a closed door as Lily hurried through the school gates. We were late again, no thanks to me sleeping in, again. Lily was annoyed with me today for some reason, its not like I purposely like her being late.

I'll make it up to her tonight. With that thought, I drove off to work.

I arrived and took a deep breath, I loved being around the familiar feeling of the police station. Phones ringing, loud typing and loud chatting.

After finishing my suspension and finally getting the OK from the board, I was able to go back on patrol with Liam. Being on patrol was my favourite thing to do. It was the adrenaline rush of not knowing what we had to deal with that I really enjoyed.

Of course, I hadn't told anyone in my family yet. Not even Jack or Lily. They all thought I was still working at a desk, doing Liam's paperwork, I don't really know how to tell them.

"Hey, you late too?" Liam asked as he came up behind me and went to his locker besides mine.

"Yeah, and I dropped Lily off late, again. She was pissed." I explained.

"Yeah, baby kept us up last night, slept right through my alarm." Liam explained as we both set out to putting on our uniforms.

"Poor baba. Did she have a fever?" I asked after buttoning my shirt.

"Yeah, she's teething." He said while cringing.

We carried on putting on our uniform, which for some reason mine felt a little bit tighter. Man, I must've gained weight sitting at a desk all day. I'll go for a run tonight, I thought to myself.

"Constable Henderson, Constable Wellington, can I have a word with you two in my office, please?" Brain asked with a blank face. He turned and left quickly obviously making a point we didn't have a choice.

We finished strapping up and made the daunting trip to Brian's office. We entered after we heard a grunt to our knock. We sat down in the seats across from him and he looked at us with annoyance.

"I get it, trust me, I do. New parents, its hard to adjust, but you two are getting later and later every morning. I let it slide, because I like you, but you guys are half and hour late, which is unacceptable. This is both of your first warnings. I want you to be punctual and turn up on time, can you handle that?" Brian asked calmly.

"Yes sir." We both stated in a hurry. We exited glumly and made our way to our car.

The day had gone by quickly, we had stopped to get lunch and took it back to work so that we could fill out some paperwork before we got back to the beat. Just as we pulled up Brian came running outside. Liam and I both hopped out looking at Brian confused.

"Don't either one of you answer your phone's? Cameron, Lily's in hospital, she got into a fight and was knocked unconscious." Brian said hurriedly.

I stood blinking at him to see if he was joking, he wasn't. It took a moment to process everything before Mother mode kicked in. Liam was already in the drivers seat with the car turned on when I went to hop inside. We raced to the hospital lights flashing and sirens wailing. We arrived in mere minutes. The car hadn't even come to a stop and I had hopped out. I ran to emergency in a panic.

Oh how the day can turn.

Please God, let her be okay.

Sandra knew my face and pushed the door for me to enter emergency. I ran up the hallway looking into every cubical hoping to find any face I could recognise. Pounding footsteps, I recognised as Liam's came up behind me. I looked up and saw nurses rushing in and out of cubical 10. 

I stood outside cubicle 10 and watched Ethan and Jack working on Lily in their doctor like manner. When did Jack arrive?

I stood silently watching, the fear that travelled inside of me kept my voice mute. Questions popped up into my head but all I could do was stand looking on in fear. The loud long beep of the heart monitor brought me out of my dazed state.

"Start administrating CPR!" Ethan who was in obviously in charged yelled.

"Ethan." I said unable to hold the emotion from my voice. His head whipped to me as did Jack's as they looked at me pointedly.

"Cameron, wait in the waiting room!" He yelled at me. Jack's eyes narrowed at me as he was doing the compressions at Lily's chest. His jaw was set but his eyes told a different story. His eyes flashed from determined doctor to emotionally distressed father. I stood unmoving and stared at the long line that indicated that Lily's heart was yet to start beating.

"Liam, get her out of here!" Ethan yelled with force.

Liam's face appeared in front of mine.
"Cameron, lets go." Liam said in his police officer voice.

"No." I grit out.

"Cameron!" Liam growled. Before I could react he picked me up by my legs and threw me over his shoulder.

"LIAM, PUT ME DOWN!" I screamed as I hit his back in protest. We were back in the emergency waiting room when he finally put me down. We were around the corner where no one could see us. He pushed me back against the wall, holding my kevlar vest and looked at me sternly.

"HEY! PULL IT TOGETHER! Lily needs you to have your shit together, so reign it in." He growled close to my face.

I pushed him away and let myself heave over in emotional despair. I muffled a sob and cried out of fear. Liam pulled at my shoulders and stood me up so he could comfort me. I took his comfort and cried out in emotional despair.

He held me steadily and let me cry out like a baby.

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Happy Waitangi Day to my kiwi readers!

Maria