New Life

17|Tears of a Mother

Crying, Breaunna searched through Janet's purse for her phone. Going through the contacts she called Jermaine. After the third ring, Jermaine picks up the phone.

"Hey, baby what's up?" Jermaine answers thinking it's Janet.

"Daddy, mommy is bleeding and she won't wake up." The people nearby came over to make sure everybody was okay. Some guy tried to pull Breaunna out of the car but she freaked out and started screaming.

"Bumble Bee what are you talking about?!"

"Somebody hit the car and she won't wake up and she's hurt." Her voice shakes.

"Okay, stay on the phone can you tell me where you are?"

Breaunna, crying and confused, "I- I don't know."

While she was on the phone with Jermaine a young lady came to the window to try getting Breaunna out of the car. "Hi sweetheart are you okay?" she looks at Breaunna as she shakes her head. "Well, my name is Zoë and I wanna take you over to the sidewalk... Is that okay?"

Breaunna allows Zoë to pull her out of the car and over to the sidewalk. Jermaine had already figured out where they were, using the tracking device that was in Breaunna's ring. As he sped towards Peter's Road, he could hear the sirens and commotion over the phone.

"My dad's on the phone..." Breaunna told somebody on her end.

Jermaine didn't know the severity of the situation but he was determined to get there as quickly as he could.

"Hello?" Zoë spoke into the phone.

Jermaine alarmed response, "Hello? Who is this? Where's my daughter?!"

"My name is Zoë. I pulled her from the wreck; she won't let me go so I'm going to ride to the hospital with her. The EMT said we're going to Grace Memorial."

"Okay, I'll meet you there... and Zoë?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Jermaine says, slightly relieved.

"No problem, she's terrified though and she won't talk to me. What's her name?"

"Breaunna."

"I'm going to give her back the phone..."

The ride to the hospital was short and Jermaine arrived soon after Breaunna got there. He bolted through the ER doors to the nurses' station.

"I'm looking for Breaunna, little girl, curly hair she was brought in here from a car accident..."

The nurse took him to the back where Breaunna and Zoë were. When he finally laid eyes on her he ran over to the gurney she was sitting on, embracing her as if he hadn't seen her in centuries.

"I'm so happy you're okay. Where's the lady who came here with you?"

To his dismay, Breaunna still wouldn't talk so he had no choice but to wait until either Zoë or a doctor came back. A few short seconds later Zoë came back with a juice box and a cup of water.

"Zoe?"

Stunned, Zoë stopped dead in her tracks. She knew Breaunna looked familiar. "Y-yes."

"Thank you so much for staying with her, I really appreciate it."

"Really, it's no problem she was pretty scared especially after some guy just tried to pull her out the car." Looking at Breaunna, "Since you wouldn't say what you want to drink you have a choice water or the juice box..."

Breaunna took the juice box from Zoë, took a sip and put the box on the tray next to the gurney. As Breaunna latched on to Jermaine Dr. Brooks came over. "Is she okay doc?"

"All her test results came back fine, she's pretty shaken up but she'll be okay. I am a little concerned because she refuses to talk but it may just be because this is a lot for a seven-year-old to process. You can sign her discharge papers now if you'd like."

"Thank God she's fine. Princess, I'm going to sign the papers and come right back to get you. Okay?" Breaunna nods at him still not talking.

When Jermaine gets over to the nurses' station to sign the papers he figures it's safe to ask about Janet.

"We should know for sure in about an hour but you'll have to wait in the waiting area until she comes back."

"Thanks, Dr. Brooks," he says going back to Breaunna.

"You're a very pretty girl Breaunna but I sure would like to hear your pretty voice." Zoë tries to get Breaunna to talk.

"You're still not saying anything? Come here." Jermaine picks up Breaunna. "I need you to tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

"I want mommy..."

Breaunna cried on Jermaine's shoulder for about 30 minutes before finally drifting off to sleep, exhausted. While she was sleeping Jermaine called Gil to tell him Breaunna wouldn't be at rehearsal because of the accident and that he'd let him know what was going on with Janet as soon as he knew all her test results.

"I'm going to get home before my momma has my head..." Zoë tells Jermaine.

"You got a ride?"

"I'll be good; my friend is coming to get me. She flipped out when she found out whose little girl I pulled out the car, apparently, I'm some kind of hero."

"Well, you kind of are a hero. Breaunna wouldn't have let anyone else take her out of the car. I know I've said this a lot but thank you so much."

"You're welcome; it was the right thing to do..."

Dr. Brooks walk in, "Jermaine, she's asking for you..."

"Thanks doc." he stood up to leave, adjusting Breaunna on his shoulder. "Zoë, what's your last name?"

"Elliot, why?"

"No reason..."

Zoë sat in the waiting area and waited for her friend to come get her while Jermaine carried Breaunna to Janet's room. When he got there he saw Janet lying in bed with her eyes closed. He stood in the doorway watching her for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Baby?" he said walking inside. As she turned her head toward him all he saw in her eyes was sorrow and heartache.

"J, Bre is fine it's okay."

"No. No, it's not okay... It's all my fault..." She says shaking her head, her eyes filling with tears threatening to fall. Her voice cracked as she spoke, Jermaine didn't know what she was talking about but tried all he knew to calm her down. She sniffled as he wiped away another escaped tear.

When she finally calmed. "Now tell me what the problem is..." This is nuts. Having to use the same line on both of them... He thought to himself.

"You're going to hate me..."

"No I won't, what did the doctor say?"

"I have a couple bruised ribs and I can probably leave in the morning..." she speaks softly looking down at her hands.

Jermaine brings her face up to look at him."What else?"

"Well... I hit the steering wheel and- I didn't know. I didn't know." She says crying again.

"You didn't know what?" Jermaine looks at her.

"That I was pregnant..." She said sobbing hysterically. "I- I'm so sorry! I lost our baby..."