Family Stories

chapter 46: Weird Symptoms

October 22:

Ryan: 10; Liam, Finn, Ruby: 8; Luca: 6; Mira: 4

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"Mom? Mommy? Earth to Amelia Shepherd-Hunt!", Liam said loudly to get his mother's attention. It was Monday morning and the whole family was having breakfast, like usually. While Owen ate together with the kids, Amelia just sat there and starred at the table, until her eight-year old son started yelling.

"Stop screaming!", she complained.

"You can't sleep now! We will soon leave for the ugh-school and you have to work after.", Liam argued.

"Thanks for the hint, Limo. And it is not the ugh-school.", Amelia replied.

"Exactly!", Finn meddled into the conversation as he chewed.

"Are you nervous?", Owen asked his wife, when they started cleaning the table.

"A little.", she answered honestly. Her surgery had been a while ago, but Jordan was her only patient ever since it happened. And since the brunette didn't have a choice back then, she remained positive. But now, as she started to go to work again, she had many thoughts going through her mind about what could go wrong. Furthermore, Mira has had a long time away from the daycare and since she was a very clingy toddler, it was definitely going to be a hard day. "Alright, if you're ready, go brush your teeth! Mira, you and I will go upstairs and daddy will take a look at your teeth, so that nobody can trick us. And please choose warm clothes, it is almost November.", the neurosurgeon told her kids, before she grasped her daughter's hand and walked upstairs with her.

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After they brought the children to school, it was now time for Luca and Mira to go to daycare. While the six-year old was ready, his little sister refused to go when her dad promised he'd be with her, because she wanted to stay with her mother.

Mira started crying and screaming loud enough for everyone to hear. Colleagues kindly asked if they could help with the whiny toddler, but she would only stop her tantrum if she was in her mother's arms.

"Baby, I promise I will come back and get you and your big brother for lunch.", Amelia tried to calm down the three-year old.

"Alright babygirl, let's go!", Owen decided, kissed his wife's cheek and went upstairs with the screaming Mira and Luca. He had a little more time than Amelia, who was about to do three surgeries today already. She went into the other direction to change, when she encountered Stephanie on the way. The intern hugged her excitedly.

"You're back!", she cheered happily.

"I missed you too, Edwards!", Amelia grinned and together they started morning rounds, after having stopped at the attendings lounge for her to be able to put on her hospital clothes.

As Owen arrived upstairs with the two Huntlings, Luca immediately said goodbye with a kiss and ran over to Daniel, Mackenzie and his other friends. He was even more excited for Tuesday when they had pre-school again.

But Mira still wasn't satisfied with the situation and didn't even think about calming down. Her usually favorite daycare-helper wasn't able to convince her into staying either, which meant the trauma surgeon had to rethink what to do now.

"Do you want to join me in my office, Miri?", he wanted to know from his crying daughter, which caused her to suddenly go quiet and nod sweetly with tears in her eyes. She wiped them away from her face with her tiny fists, before she cuddled into her daddy. He carried his little girl downstairs and let her play there.

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In the afternoon, Owen drove to the Hourse Ranch together with Liam to sign his son up there. He noticed how the boy looked pretty sad.