By Iona Laing

Chapter Fifteen - The dream becomes a reality!

(Jessie.)

“Ok Julia, please scoot off for a minute sweetheart, I need to take this call, I won’t be more than a few minutes!”

“Hi Karen, just a moment please!”

I just needed to get out of earshot of Julia.

“Okay Karen, thanks for ringing back so quickly, what news do you have for me?” I glanced up and saw Julia had opened the door to her room just a crack.

I walked out onto the ward proper and headed to the nurse’s station. The ward clerk pulled a chair our for me and rubbed my back as I listened to Karen.

“Okay Jessie, I’ve spoken to both area managers, and their views were a little conflicting if I am honest. Donna, my immediate boss didn’t see any problem with granting you temporary care of Julia and was all set to sign off on your application.

However, her boss, Stephen, was dead set against it, but he wouldn’t say why. He’s a right pain in the proverbial and it has taken a bit of digging to come to some understanding as to why he was so set against granting you custody. Tell me Jessie, what does the surname Paterson mean to you?”

“Paterson, oh my God, Paterson, that’s a name I have not heard of for a long time. There used to be a Stuart Paterson who was a headmaster at the school I went to. Blimey Karen, I haven’t thought of him for a long, long time, and to do so causes me real , . . oh my God . I, . . I . . Can’t he ever leave me alone”

Jenna snatched the phone from my hands as I silently wept at all the memories that came crashing back into the forefront of my mind, Sarah the ward clerk took my in her arms and held me tightly.

(Jenna.)

“Hi Karen, what’s going on, Jessie is besides herself, has she been refused custody because…”

“Jenna, Jenna, please let me explain okay. I was just telling Jessie that I had conflicting instructions from two of my managers. Donna, you know Donna Smith? . . yeah, well she was all set to sign off on Jessies application to become Julia’s care provider. But then one of the big wigs stuck his oar in and tried to derail the whole process!”

“But why?”

“He wouldn’t say, just he wasn’t going to allow a young girl to fall in the clutches of that bitch, were his exact words, then, as he was walking away, I overheard him saying “I’ll get back at that f**king freak!” See, it pays to have the ears of a bat at times, so Donna and I did a bit of digging as this seemed to be a personal attack on your sister at the expense of Julia.

I asked Jessie if the name Paterson meant anything to her, and that is when she couldn’t speak to me any longer. I am almost to your ward, give me ninety seconds and we can continue this face to face!” then Karen hung up, I just stared at the handset in some confusion.

Sarah continued to comfort Jessie and all sorts of emotions washed over me, loathing, disgust and hatred being amongst the predominant ones, no wonder Jessie was disconsolate.

Jessie appeared to be heartbroken, but just as I was to take over comforting her from Sarah, I almost got knocked over by a pocket battleship in the form of Julia.

“Jessie, . . . Jessie . . . don’t cry, please Jessie, . . . don’t cry, everything will be alright, you’ll see, . . . come on Jessie, . . . smile for me please!”

How did this kid get to be so smart and compassionate?

Karen walked into the ward at that moment, upon seeing Julia comforting Jessie she gave a real tender smile, not often associated with people working within the Social Services hierarchy.

“That’s very sweet of you Julia, I am sure Jessie loves having your help, but can you give Jessie, Jenna and myself a few minutes together while we sort a few things out, Then I am sure Jessie will come back to you shortly, okay?”

Julia gave Karen a dubious glance, then after staring up at me, she took Jessies head in her hands and kissed her forehead. Jessie gave her a half smile and patted Julia’s backside as she went back to her room. But I noticed Julia continued to observe proceedings from a crack in her door, so the three us retired to my office.

“I must apologise Jessie” said Karen as soon as I had closed my office door, “I knew the name would bring back painful memories, but I never dreamt it would have such a profound effect on you and I am deeply sorry for my lack of tact.”

“Well, that’s it then, isn’t it, it’s all over, if there is a Paterson involved in the decision making process I am screwed, or more importantly, Julia is, for something that happened to me years ago. It’s not f**king fair, it’s not f**king fair!” and Jess slumped over my desk sobbing. My blood was boiling, and I was about to explode. But Karen continued to speak.

“No Jessie, it’s not all over, not by a bloody long shot it’s not all over, please listen to me.

Donna and I realised this was a personal vendetta of some kind and we wanted to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible, as time is of the essence. So, we both hit the phones and called in a few favours to work out what was going on behind our backs, Paterson is a sneaky bastard, we just didn’t realise just how deep his unpleasantness ran, but we think it is starting to become clearer as the hours pass.

The upshot of this morning’s shenanigans is that Mr Stephen Paterson has been suspended pending a full investigation.

He was universally disliked within the department, but the main thing is his link to you two. He was the younger brother of Stuart Paterson, your former headmaster and given what happened to you, he should have removed himself from any decision-making process on the grounds of previous contact.

I don’t know how much you knew at the time, but Stuart was found to have installed mini cameras in the showers of both the girls and boys changing area’s at your school. He also molested some of the boys entrusted to his care. It transpired he had thousands of obscene images of children on several computers which he was selling all over the world.

However, after your attack and the world was crashing down around his ears, he decided to turn Queens evidence for reduced charges and a softer prison existence, so he testified for the prosecution in the attempted murder trial which resulted from the attack on you. Knott, his nephews and their cohorts are serving long prison sentences still, but Paterson secured a shorter sentence and at a minimum-security prison. This was subsequently downgraded to an open prison with various restrictions, but, still, it was a cushy number.

Sadly, one of the fathers of a couple of your former classmates, who was a man of dubious means and was also a resident within Her Majesties penal establishment, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This man was transferred to the same open prison, and he recognised Paterson, who was lording it over his fellow inmates, boasting of all the money he was amassing ready for when he was eventually released. It seemed, somehow, the pictures he had squirreled away were still being sold to paedophiles all over the world. They may be crooks, but most crooks are loving fathers too, and this man decided enough was enough, and he murdered your old headmaster.

The suspicion is that the younger brother, Stephen was the front man of the Paterson’s operation, but that is conjecture on our part, the police have raided his office and taken away several computers, they are busy going through his house as we speak and he is, as the police like to say, helping them with their enquiries!” But it seems he bore a grudge, and today was his way of hitting back at you and those he seemed to have held responsible for his brother’s death."

Jess was frantically mopping her eyes, mascara all over her cheeks again.

“But, . . but, . . I didn’t even know the headmaster had died, what role does he think Julia played in all this? Did you know he’d been murdered Jenna?”

‘Oh shit!’ time for honesty!

“Yes Jess, I knew, we all did, but it coincided with the last time you were admitted to hospital just before your final exams at Uni. We had a family conference, and we were so worried about you, that we decided to not mention anything. If you picked it up from the tv, radio or newspapers, then yes, we would have come clean about events, but you never mentioned it and there never seemed a good time to tell you, and, at the end of the day, it made little difference to your daily existence, until today. To be honest it had drifted from the forefront of our minds.

I am so sorry Jessie, we weren’t trying to keep you in the dark permanently, it may have been such that, if this other Paterson hadn’t stuck his nose in where it was not wanted, then who knew when or even if we would have remembered you were out of the loop.”

I had rested my hand on Jessies shoulder, she placed her hand on mine and squeezed it in understanding. “I am really sorry Jess!”

“So, Karen, now that toe rag is out of the decision-making process, what does this all mean regarding Jessies request to become Julia’s carer.”

Karen smiled at the two of us.

“Well, Jess, if you will sign and date here under my signature . . . , excellent, and Jenna, if you will sign and date in the section under Jessies. . . brilliant, then this formally acknowledges Jessies appointment as Julia’s foster carer. It is initially for a period of three months, then, following an inspection into how the arrangements are working out, it will become an open-ended agreement until such time one or other party decides it isn’t working out, or it is superseded by an adoption order. Now, I will need to undertake a home inspection before such time as Julia formally moves in, however, given the support network that seems to exist within the Jones family dynamic, I doubt this will be a problem.”

“Is that it, you mean I can have her, I can be her foster mum?”

“Yes Jessie, she is all yours, and I hope you will both be very, QUICK JENNA, CATCH HER, SHE’S PASSING OUT!” yelled Karen. I just caught Jessie enough that I ended on my back with Jessie, like a sack of potatoes on top of me, then my office door burst open with Nancy one of my nurses and Sarah carrying in our emergency oxygen equipment, hotly pursued by Julia who was having a mini breakdown of her own!

“What’s wrong, what’s wrong with Jessie, why is she asleep, you can’t let her die, you can’t, she’s my friend, I need her, I need her, . . . I need her, . . I know, I’ll get one of those heart thingies, a defimaincubator, no that’s not right, it’s a, . . a . . “

“Relax Julia, relax sweetheart, Jessie just got some good news, some really good news that has caused her system to overload. She’s been under a lot of stress lately, so her mind has sent her to have a little nap for a while, but she will wake up soon I promise Julia, she’ll be as right as ninepence, she’ll be a little tired and may need another snooze, but for now Julia, please sweetie, let us just check her over.

While we’re doing that, can you go into your room and make up Jessie’s bed for me, then we can bring her in and she can rest up with you, will you do that for me Julia?”

However, when I looked up, Julia had gone, then just as Jessie was coming back to join the land of the living Julia was back.

“Shall I get her pretty jammies out too?”

“Yes Julia, I think that will be a very good idea, don’t . . you?” But Julia had already gone again.

Through the face mask delivering oxygen, Jessie smiled at Karen.

“Thank you so very much Karen, this means so much to me I cannot explain in words how happy you have made me, but even more importantly it will mean even more to Julia, I promise you Karen, I will not let you down!”

Karen hugged Jessie.

“I know you won’t Jessie!

You can get very jaded in this line of work. It is demoralising more often than not, carers and kids often don’t get on for a variety of reasons, often the kids are in care through no fault of their own, like your Julia, others are like the old joke, they are from broken homes, mainly because they broke them, others have parents who should never have been parents in the first place, but sometimes, this job throws you something that goes a little towards restoring your faith in human nature. And that’s what you and your family have done today. It gives you a boost in life in general but it recharges your batteries so you can tackle the next seemingly insurmountable problem!”

Nancy and I had Jessie strapped to into a wheelchair and ready to take her over too Julia’s room. I didn’t think she needed to be fed through the A&E system, but I would get one of the passing registrars to give her the once over a little later!

“Thanks for everything Karen, if you give our house a ring, that’s the number, our parents are there along with Cheryl and Denise, our sisters in law, they been there all day. Our sister Jacqui and her partner Deborah will be going over tonight after work to get it all ready for Julia.

Stop twisting Jess or I’ll stick a neck brace on you to go with your oxygen mask, so sit there like a good little girl and behave yourself! And I might let you have some ice-cream later!"
I patted her on the head; I was so going to pay for this at some point in the future!

"They’re not redecorating as they know from living with Jessie that respiratory conditions and paint fumes are not a healthy mix, but they have been giving it a thorough cleaning, not that it needed much, plus they have been getting a few things in for Julia, as she doesn’t have a lot, and what she does have is fit for nothing but rags, not to cast aspersions but I reckon the funds that should have been spent on Julia have been going elsewhere and she’s been palmed off with second-hand, hand me downs.

She won’t be a spoiled little madam, none of us were, but some money will be spent on her. She not only has Jessie and myself now, but two grandparents, four great grandparents, two uncles, four aunties and four cousins in her family unit, we know to take it all softly, softly and not swamp her, but I am sure she has landed on her feet this time, and the sad specimens of the human race who dumped her so unceremoniously back on the system don’t know what a favour they have done for her in the long run. I hope they can look themselves in the eye with a clear conscience, and sadly, I think they probably will.”

“Thanks girls, I’ll probably be able to hear when you break the good news to Julia. I’ll ring your parents now as I head back to the office. I’ll stay in touch, Byeee!” and with that Karen left the ward.

“Right madam, you have some news to break to a little lady who is worried to death about you, so come on, do as you are told and no complaints, do you hear me Jessie?” All I could hear were gentle mumbles under her breath.

Nancy and I got Jessie into Julia’s room. Julia bless her was practically bouncing on the toes of her feet. “Oh Jessie, Jessie, I was so worried about you!”

Julia and Abbie one of the ward auxiliaries had both beds neatly made, with the adjoining sides turned down, draped across Jessies bed were her Disney® jammies.

“Right Jessie, I don’t want you keeling over again, so you can co-operate and change into your pyjamas and get into bed then tell Julia what is going on, or, I will ban you from her room and get Mum to come and fetch you, and you know she’ll be constantly on at you, so what’s it to be?”

Jess half glowered at me but didn’t complain too much, which is always a sure-fire indicator as to how tired she is. So, with a little help, or hindrance in reality from Julia and myself, we had her tucked up into her reclining chair cum bed.

Julia looked at me, asking permission to climb on Jessies lap. I nodded.

“Try not to lean on her chest too much Julia, she has a lot of things to explain, and she’ll find it easier if she can breathe without being squashed. Now I am going to put you both on oxygen as you both look like you need it not just Jessie. Right, I will give you both nose clips, it’ll make it easier for you to talk, but I am going to prop the door open, so I can hear if either of you needs one of us to come in, okay?”

They both nodded and as much as I was desperate to be a fly on the wall, I didn’t think it was going to take a genius to work out when Jessie gave Julia the news.

Chapter Sixteen – Julia finds her dream comes true!

(Jessie.)

Julia sat on my lap studiously avoiding leaning on me as Jenna had asked, the poor soul looked half frightened to death with her eyes constantly flicking from one of my own eyes to the other.

“Come here and give me a hug!”

“No, Jenna said I mustn’t lean on you and I don’t want to make you poorly or they won’t let you stay in our room!”

“Jenna’s not here, and I need a hug!”

“No Jenna’s not in the room but I am listening to what is going on, and you can stop pulling your tongue out at me Jessie, I know you too well!”

Julia chuckled because at that very moment I did indeed have my tongue pulled out.

“Come here Julia, never mind what little Miss Bossy Boots says.”

“I heard that too!” called Jenna.

“Good, you were supposed to!

Here Julia, slide your side under my arm so you are leaning more on the chair than me, then I can get on with telling you what is going on. Give me a hug. You comfy? Good, that makes two of us.

Now, you will have noticed that there has been a lot going on this morning and into the early afternoon. Yes?”

I felt Julia nod.

“Well, first thing this morning, I made formal enquiries about me becoming your foster carer, at least short term. Do you understand what that means?”

Julia sat up and looked at me with a somewhat dazed expression on her face; she had a smile that was accompanied by what I hoped were happy tears.

“That is, if you would be happy for me to be your foster mum, you don’t have to let me if you don’t want me to, you know, to be your foster Mum that is!”

“Stroll on Jessie, let the girl get a word in edgeways will you, or I’ll come in there and gag you!”

“Mind your own beeswax Jenna, I just don’t want to.”

Several voices called out simultaneously, “Shut up Jessie!”

“Honestly, you asked if you could become my foster mum?”

“I did, do you remember me saying I had an important meeting at eight o’clock this morning?”

Julia sat up even straighter and started bouncing up and down in my lap.

“What did they say? What did they say, did they say yes, please let them say yes, I would be such a good girl for you Jessie, I would honestly, I would be neat and tidy, I wouldn’t be noisy, oh please let them say yes!”

“Eventually, they said yes!”

At this point I feared I had lost the hearing in my right ear, possibly permanently with the squeal Julia emitted. She grabbed tightly onto my neck and repeatedly kissed my face, wailing how happy she was, both sets of nose clips were hanging off by this point! She repeated, through her tears, how lucky she was and how she would be the best little girl it would be possible for her to be. Then she stopped and stared at me intently.

“You do mean it don’t you, you’re not teasing me, some of my other foster carers have said before, that I was going to be adopted by someone rich, and when I got excited, they would say they were only joking. I would cry, and they would laugh until I got angry, then they would tell the Social Worker I was not nice!

“Look at me Julia, have I teased or tormented you?”

She shook her head.

“If I told you I was going to try my best, then that is what I have done. People who play those kinds of nasty jokes on others are not nice people at all and should not be allowed to have anything to do with children, or even other adults. That is spiteful behaviour, and it makes me so angry that folk think they can get away with that.

Now, I promise you Julia, on a pinkie finger promise, that first thing this morning I went to the office to enquire about becoming your foster mum, and I was so determined to make a proper case to be allowed to take you, that my Mummy and Daddy, who you met last night, came with me, because they knew how important this was to me but also, even more so, how important this was for you.

Now, it took a lot of people a lot of time to decide, that if this is something that you wanted, then they would make it happen. And not long ago I found out that the people in charge of your wellbeing thought that I would be a good person to look after you. But this has to be something you want Julia! If you decide now, or later that you didn’t like me anymore, or you no longer wanted to live with me, then that would be your decision for you to make, and no matter whether I liked that decision or not, then that was it, this has to be what you want, this is important because this is your life, your happiness, so do you understand?"

She nodded vigorously, her huge eyes glistening.

"Now, Julia Juliete Jennings, would you like to be my foster daughter?”

She threw her arms around my neck again.

“Yes, Yes, YES!”

All I could hear from outside the room was applause.

How long will you be my foster mum?” she asked hesitantly, looking closely at my face.

“To start with, for three months, so that takes us to the middle of March next year.”

“Then what happens?”

“We get a visit from Social Services, then if everyone is happy, the time span is extended to two years!”

“So, at the end of two years, you will give me back?” she asked, more than a little afraid.

“No Julia, of course not, I assume I could reapply to be your carer, or perhaps you might have been adopted by then!”

“No one would want to adopt a poor little sick freak like me!”

That very nearly broke my heart but also pissed me off big time and I finally understood what it did to my Mum when I would use the same phrase.

“Now Julia, you and me are going to have a falling out if you call yourself a poor sick freak, I have told you once, I will not tell you this again Julia, you are not to call yourself that. It is wrong and it is hurtful, because if that term applies to you, then it applies to me too, and I had too many people calling me names like that when I was your age.

I decided no-one was ever going to get away with using those words to describe me ever again, so, I don’t ever want to hear you using those words about yourself, or anyone else for that matter ever again.

Besides, I may well decide to adopt you, if that is what we both want!”

Julia stared at me completely speechless, just as she was about to ask me something else Jenna stuck her head in the room.

“Blow me Jessie, I thought you were trying to talk her out of it the way you were going on, and on, and on!

Anyway, the two of you have a couple of visitors, bearing gifts too, I don’t know, there’s me doing all the work in this family, and there’s you two lounging about in bed, yet you get all the visitors and all the pressies”

Then in walked Jacqueline and Deborah, laden down with bags from some of the better stores in town. I don’t know why but they both had stunned expressions.

“I am not being awkward, but I can only let you have fifteen to twenty minutes, as you can see, both girls are well knackered in medical jargon!” Jenna said quietly, but not quietly enough. I didn’t think Julia looked that bad, then I realised the three were looking more pointedly at me!

(Jacqueline.)

I could not believe how like a young Jessie Julia looked despite having been warned by my Mum how uncanny the resemblance was, but what was also worrying was how drained and worn-out Jessie looked, it really frightened me, and I could sense Debbie tensing up too.

Julia lent more into Jessie as her natural shyness began to manifest itself in front of us, two complete strangers, but Jessie sat her upright and made the introductions.

“Ladies, this little madam trying to hide under my side, is none other than the world-famous Julia!

Julia, the beautiful lady on our right, is my older, but not by much, (I have to say that, it’s in my contract!) sister, Jacqueline Jennifer. so just like my sister, me and you, both her names start with a J, and the beautiful lady sat next to her is her life partner Deborah Janet, so she has to make do with just the one J, but we try not to make her feel too bad about that.

But, now Julia, this is very important, if you ever want to know if true love exists, like they talk about in the fairytales, you know, like Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, you just have to look at Jacqui and Deborah. Do you know they met on their very first day at school when they were just five years old? And they have been together every day since. They have known Jenna and I since the very day either of us were born. They are my best friends, next to Jenna. They are who I most wanted to be like when I grew up! I hope one day, if I fall in love like they have, that I love my partner like they love one another.”

Deborah looked at me, and it was obvious that both of us were having slight problems seeing the other clearly due to a film of tears.

“So how are you feeling Julia, knowing that Jessie wants to care for you as your new foster Mum?”

“Okay, . . . I . . I think she is very special, . . she’s very beautiful, . . I am amazed she asked to be my foster mum!”

“Well, we think she’s very special too, what is even more amazing is how much you look like Jessie did when she was your age. Now, before we get thrown out by our stroppy sister, we have a few gifts for you and some shopping for the pair of you.

Deborah picked up the bag at her feet.

“Now Julia, Jacqui and I were told that most of your clothes were worn out, fit only to be used as rags, so we have got you a few bits and bobs of new clothes until you can get out of hospital and your Mum can take you both shopping, then you can get a few things that you can chose for yourself. But for tonight, we have got you a really pretty silky nighty, it has Elsa and Anna on from Disney’s® Frozen."

The delight on Julia’s face was stunning, she was wide eyed with a smile that almost split her face in two.

“And just to make Jessies day, we got her one the same too! So, when you go to sleep tonight, you’ll match, and I pulled an identical nighty from the bag at my feet”

The look on Jessies face was equally stunning, but from different reasons no doubt, she just sat there shaking her head.

Jess worried me. We all spoke for a while, with Julia slowly thawing to the two of us. We pulled loads of underwear, tops, a couple of pairs of jeans, some Velcro fastening trainers in case we got the sizes wrong. A couple of stuffed animals, all hypoallergenic, to prevent either of them from having an asthma attack due to the stuffing being suspect. A couple of colouring books with some fancy pencils as well as a couple of reading books including a new copy of Swallows and Amazons. Neither of us thought Julia had ever seen so many new items for her in her life. She would not be spoilt, but this girl deserved some treats, that was certain.

Jess was definitely flagging. Jenna came in seeing my expression through the doorway, “Okay you, back on the oxygen.” Jen gave me a glance to say to hurry things along as she fiddled with the flow rate meter behind Jessies head. Jess didn’t argue, she hadn’t the energy.

Deb gave Julia a big smile and asked her “So sweetie, do you like your new clothes and toys?”

“Oh yes, they are beautiful, thank you so much, are you sure they are all for me? I have never seen so many new things in my life!”

“Do you think we have your sizes right? Do you think you know me well enough to let me help you try a few of the things on, just to check the fit, we had to guess based on your Granny’s best estimate?”

Julia looked at Jess for her approval, Jess nodded and smiled, so Julia and Deb headed into the bathroom nattering away like they had known each other for more than just a relatively few short minutes. Deb would make a great Mum, in spite of her natural reticence we soon heard chuckles coming from the ensuite bathroom.
I scooted to Jessies side.

“Now talk to me honestly Sis, how are you feeling, and none of the “I’m fine” crap, because it is obvious to a one-legged man in an arse kicking contest that you are anything but well, I’ve not seen you looking this ropey in a long, long time, if ever! So what gives?” Jess looked towards the loo then out towards the ward. She sighed and slumped.

“I don’t know Jacqui, I am feeling rough, I presume I am just suffering from the stress of the last thirty-six hours or so. But I’ve been feeling more tired of late, I am shattered, my sats are fluctuating I know, but I don’t know why, but Jac, I will NOT allow my health problems to stand in the way of getting Julia away from here and into a stable environment. She has been through all kinds of shit Jac, and I am not prepared for that to continue. No matter the cost!”

I took Jessies hands in mine.

“I know she has been through all kinds of crap Jess, but so have you!”

I know Jacqui, but I had a family, she doesn’t, and, I will get her into a family, our family, if it kills me!”

Jess had a single tear run down her cheek.

“But that’s just it Jess, if you don’t slow down, and look after yourself, this drive, this crusade you are on, no matter how noble, could end up doing just that, it could very easily take you to a point where it does indeed kill you, and where do you imagine that leaves Julia then? How do you think she’s going to feel if you have rescued her and killed yourself in the process!”

Neither of us noticed Julia coming into the room to show us one of the dresses we’d got her. She looked horrified. Me and my big mouth strike again!

“NO, I’m NOT going, take all this back. NO, NO, I’m not going, not if I am making Jessie ill, I’m NOT going, I am not worth it, all of you just go, just f**k off, leave me alone!” She threw herself on the bed and cried into the blanket.

Deb stared at me looking as crestfallen as I felt.

Jessie lent forward and tapped Julia forcefully on her back, Jessie was not happy with me that was for certain, but it was too late to change what had been said at that point.

Then “Mum” Jessie spoke as Jenna, Deb and I looked on.

“Look at me Julia!”

“No, go away! I am a bad person!”

Jessie channelled that inner Mum we all had, I had just not heard her say it so forcefully.

“JULIA, I SAID LOOK AT ME! . . . Now, . Good, . First off, you will not swear like that again. Now you listen to me, I am not walking away from you, it’s not happening sweetheart, it’s not even an option.”

Jess was gasping , sucking the oxygen through her nose clips, Jenna tried to substitute these for a full face mask but Jess wasn’t having any of it.

“Not now Jen!"

Jen looked closely at Jessie then nodded as she was called back to the ward.

"Now Julia, I signed to say I took responsibility for you about an hour ago, not only that, Jenna witnessed my signature, so to walk away from you would make liars out of the two of us and we are not liars, we’ve proved that to you haven’t we?

Now Julia, like it or lump it, you are mine, yes, I am going to have to rest up a bit because we have been put through hell this last day and a half. But, Julia, once we both get the okay, that it is safe for us to go home, then BOTH of us are going home together, you got it?”

Julia climbed off the bed, walked gingerly over to Jessie and looked at her closely before she seemed to sag.

“But Jessie, I don’t want you to die because of me, I’m not worth it Jessie, I’m not!”

Jessie looked at her and wiped the tears from Julia’s face with her thumbs and held onto her head with both hands.

“Well, that’s where we’ll agree to differ. You are eight, you are a child, you are in my care, I will not give up on you.

Now listen to me, in spite of what you may have overheard, adults have a way of saying things that sound different, usually much more dramatic than what a child understands those words to mean. I promise you, on a pinkie swear, that I want to live to be a little old lady. I am not trying to kill myself on your behalf. I want to see you go to school, I want to see you grow into a young woman, I want to see you have a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, it doesn’t matter, I want to see you go to university if that is what you want to do, I want to see you get married, if you find someone special and that is what you want to do. The way I spoke those words you overheard means that I am just very determined to see you have a better life than the one you have had so far.

I am stubborn, even more stubborn than you. So, it was a stupid use of words, I should have known you could have overheard, and I apologise Julia, I did not mean to scare you. It’s just that we are all learning how to live together, to get on together, to understand each other. But never, ever, doubt for one minute that I, nor Jenna, nor Jacqui nor Deborah nor any of our family love you. We will always be there for you. Do you understand me so far?”

She gave me a tear-stained nod.

“But you know what Julia, I need your help to let me see all these things. I need you to tell me if I am overdoing things, just like my mother, my dad, my brothers and most certainly my sisters do. Debs, in spite of only having the one name with a J is my sister, and she has told me off as often as Jacqui and Jenna.

But Julia, you are so worth fighting for. But I agree, this has taken a lot out of me, so I need you to look after me, as well looking after yourself. Do you understand? You are important to all of us,

Now Julia, let’s see your new dress, although you have crumpled it a bit, . . . oh yes, very, very nice, I hope you thanked Deborah?”

Deborah smiled at Jessie and gave Julia a tender hug.

“She was very polite Jess, couldn’t stop saying thank you in fact, that and she kept staring at herself in the mirror, very like her new Mum used to when she was little and to be honest still does to this day when she thinks no one is watching!”

Julia spoke in an absent minded manner as she studied her reflection, “When the lady from the Social Services used to bring me something new, after she’d gone, my foster carers would take it from me, whatever it was, then tell me it was too good for the likes of me and I would get their kids cast offs, so everything in that bag belonged to their kids first!”

Julia said that into the mirror as she rocked from side to side. I could see both Debs and Jess getting irate.

“Debs, can you take Julia out onto the ward so she can show Jenna and the nurses her new dress?”

Debbie picked up on the vibe in the room.

“Of course, Jac, come on Julia, let’s go show everyone how posh you look.”

I knelt in front of Jessie and reached out to hug her. I locked my arms around her shoulders; she reached behind me and brought her arms up my back with her hands resting on the top of my shoulders. I could feel her shaking under my grip and all I could hear between her sobs was her muttering “The bastards!” over and over again.

“I know Jess, I know, but she’s away from that now isn’t she, this is a wonderful thing you are doing, but you have to relax, you HAVE to get well and just go with the flow.

She needs you, a healthy you! Listen to yourself, you are gasping, breathe in through your nose Jess, out through your mouth, come on Jess, sniff that oxygen in, if you don’t, they’ll make you wear a face mask, they might even decide to admit you to the adult ward if you can’t get your breathlessness under control, that’ll worry all of us, but Julia most of all, so come on Jess, in through your nose, that’s it, and again, . . . and again . . . and again.”

“Thank you Dr Jones!” came from the doorway as Jenna stood there with a tired but wide grin on her face.

“Bog off!” muttered Jessie through her own grin.

“Language Jessie, language, there are tender young ears present!” laughed Debs as she stood there too with Julia in front of her, with Debs pretending to cover Julias ears with her hands.

“It’s a good job I have brought a proper doctor to see our unofficial patient then, isn’t it?” added Jenna.

“Hello Jessie, haven’t seen you for a while?” spoke Dr Ruth Hunstanton from behind Jenna, “If we can clear the room for a while I will have a look at our unofficial patient here, and give my unofficial opinion.”

I gave Jessie a last squeeze, and stood to leave the room with Debs and Julia leaving the doc to speak to Jessie with Jenna present.

After Julia had her sats checked Debs and I got permission to take her to the cafeteria as long as we took her in a wheelchair. Julia had soon warmed to the two of us, though it was easy to see she was really concerned about Jessie. It’s amazing what a milk shake and a gluten free chocolate muffin will do to help break down barriers, plus armloads of shopping.

“This is going to be lots of fun, we’ve never had a niece to spoil before, both my brothers’ wives gave birth to boys, so having a girl to treat and take shopping is going to be awesome!”

“It certainly will, always assuming we can prise her away from Jessie and your Mum Jac’s, I can’t wait for you to be well enough to take shopping!” added Debs, cleaning some of the muffin crumbs off the front of Julia’s dress.

“Can I, . . do you think, . . . could, . . . would it be okay, . .?”

“Just come out with it Julia, we won’t bite, so what’s this all-important question that has you tongue tied?”

“Well, . . Well, I have never been a niece before, so would you mind if I called you aunties?”

“Well, I don’t know about you Auntie Debs, but I quite like the sound of being Auntie Jacs, what do you think Auntie Debs?”

“Well, Auntie Jacs, I think I would love being an Aunt to Julia here!”

Julia jumped down from her seat and gave us both tight hugs.

“Thank you, thank you so much, now, do you think we can go back to the ward so I can see how my Mum is doing and if the Dr has made her better yet?”

“Yes sweetie, you jump back in the wheelchair, and we’ll go and see how she’s doing and whether she’s behaving herself, okay?”

Julia nodded and we headed off back to the ward.