My Accidental Daughter

Chapter 8

Kelly woke up in the middle of the night because of quiet sobs from the bed. Mia was crying. The day was extremely difficult for the six-year old girl, so much, that she fell asleep in the squad truck during the road to the hospital following the ambulance with Brett.

"Severide, you'd better go home with Mia", Cruz said. "I don't think you're going to be much help to Sylvie".

"Shut up!" Kelly yelled. "If we had gone to the unit together, nothing would have happened".

"Don't blame yourself, it's not on you that this guy kidnapped our girls", Joe noticed.

"But I could protect them! I knew that Mia was in danger, I knew that! And I did nothing!"

He looked at the little girl sleeping in his arms, snuggling up to his smoke-smelling uniform. Recently, the whole unit tried to calm her down, because she was trying to run after the ambulance. But nothing helped: nor Hailey's hugs, nor Stella's gentle words, nor Boden's promises that Sylvie would definitely be rescued. Only when Severide took her to the truck, she сuddled up to him and closed her red puffy wet eyes.

"Probably, you are right, it's better to go home with her. Tony, could you drive through my place?" he asked in a while. He understood that Sylvie needed him, but not as much as Mia. The girl couldn't be alone. Now he was her only support and hope in the whole world. Only he could calm her down and tell that Brett would be okay.

Reports from the hospital were coming in regularly. Chief Boden put the team back on shift. He said that Brett "would not have admired us not doing our job". Only Otis and Cruz, whom Sylvie used to share a flat with, were waiting at the hospital. But they didn't write anything new. "They're operating", "we don't know how she is yet" — and that was all the information.

Kelly checked the phone one more time. Cruz and Otis had returned to the unit, and Stella had arrived at the hospital instead of them. "No one has come out yet", she messaged. Severide took his phone and came to Mia.

"Hey, sweetie, why are you crying?" he asked, rubbing the girl's back.

"I want to see Sylvie", Mia said, sobbing.

"It's impossible, honey. She is in the hospital now, and doctors are treating her. But tomorrow we will see her, okay?"

"She will not die, Kelly?" the girl asked. "Please, don't lie to me, I'm not a little stupid fool".

Severide was surprised that Mia knew such words. But after a small pause, he answered:

"I don't know, sweetheart. But doctors will do all their best to save her. And you should sleep very well. If Sylvie sees you sad and sleep-deprived, she will not appreciate it".

"You are also not sleeping, Kelly", Mia noticed. "And I don't want to sleep! I will be waiting for the news from the hospital with you".

"Maybe, I'd better wake you up, when I know something?" Kelly suggested. Mia yawned.

"Okay. But... Could you stay with me? I'm afraid that this man will come".

"He will not come, honey. He's in the hospital in a very bad condition. And besides, police are watching over him", Kelly informed. Mia cuddled up to him and took his big hand.

"I will protect you, my dear", he promised in a whisper. "And look, your bear will also protect you", he chuckled, pointing at Solomia's favorite toy. The girl smiled and closed her eyes.

The morning was even worse than Severide could have expected. Sylvie was in an intensive care ward, but the doctors gave no prediction about when she would recover. It made Severide frown. Besides, Mia, sleeping all night beside him, barely woke up. She was woozy, uncommunicative, cranky and didn't want anything. Kelly tried to make her eat something, but she refused.