Putting the EX in reconciliation...

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Kacey gave him an understanding, sympathetic look, gently stroking his cheek and giving him a light kiss on the lips. "I understand. Should we come and find you? Or will you come up later. I think you should probably at least see her before we leave, but I understand if you don't think you can..." She rested her head on his shoulder. She wasn't exactly looking forward to the sight waiting for her either.

Alexa nodded, then answered, "Mo Ghile Mear". She held Cecilia's paw carefully and very reluctantly led her friend forward. She whimpered softly, more worried about how Sinead would look. She'd seen Tig and Emily look beaten up several times, but not Sinead. Not her Sinead...

The nurse opened the door to the room and ushered them all in. She pushed the chair up close to the bed for Kacey to sit in.

Sinead's head was mostly wrapped with gauze, her long curls sticking out of the gaps. Part of her face, including her left eye, was also covered in the gauze. Her right arm was in a cast and resting in a sling over the blanket, while the rest of the bandages and wrappings were hidden by the hospital gown and the blanket. What could be seen of her face was still covered in bruises and a few cuts.
 
Tig sighed. "Jes' ah...come find me in tha chapel when yer ready tae leave...I'll drive us home." he said, kissing her cheek before turning and heading down to the chapel where he was going to sit and pray. Honestly, the only reason he wasn't going out drinking over all of this was because he needed to drive his pregnant wife home....if it weren't for Kacey and her condition, he would be down the block already...

For once, Cecelia was glad she couldn't see. She felt her way to the bed and felt along it until she found Sinead's hand. She gave it a squeeze, then stepped back and started tuning her violin again.

Cicero adjusted his glasses on his nose and sighed. "Ah, mein rose..." he walked up and took her hand, patting it and looking her over. He brought her hand up gently to kiss the back of it. "I am here, Sinead." he said softly, brushing a curl away from her face. "Cecelia and I are here. And Kacey and Alexa. And Cecelia and Alexa are going to play and sing your favorite song..." he sniffed a little and sighed. "You are a strong fighter, Sinead, but you just need to rest now...just rest..."
 
Alexa gripped the sheet with both paws. "N-no!" she choked out. "Sinead, y'can' rest right now! You, y'gotta fight ta git better. You gotsta come back t'us, an' marry tha professor an' be Cecilia's mama an' be our frien' again. You jes' gotta! I don' want you t'go away, I don' want you t'be diff'rent. I jes' want everything back th'way s'sposed t'be..." Hot tears streamed down her face as she broke down into sobs. "Please," she begged, "I need you. I don' wanna lose you too. Not yet..."

Kacey came in the room just in time to hear the heartfelt plea. She sat down heavily in the chair and gathered the snuffling child into her arms. Her own tears dripped onto her and she just couldn't wipe them away fast enough. She used her handkerchief to wipe Alexa's nose, then rubbed her back until the sobs and hiccups eased. "You know," she finally said in a quiet voice, "I think we all could use a song. Will you help me sing it while Cecilia plays?" Hanging around both Sinead and Tighearnan, Kacey had definitely picked up her share of Irish songs.

Alexa took one more deep breath and nodded, staying firmly tucked into Kacey's side. "M'ready..." she told Cecilia finally, her voice still tearful.
 
Cicero frowned and put his hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Alexa, I did not mean she should rest and pass. I meant it is time for her to rest and heal. Her fight was on the street and in the operating theater. The doctor said she would be alright, so now it is time for her to rest and sleep and heal, so that when she does wake up, because we all know she will, she will be well." He pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to Alexa. "She is not going anywhere."

Cecelia plucked her strings a little before setting the bow to them. "And you have to know that my momma's helpin' her. She wouldn't let Sinead leave. She wants papa to be happy."

He smiled and blinked back a couple tears of his own. "Ja. See?" He smiled at Alexa. "She will be just fine."

Cecelia smiled happily and started playing her violin, making sure to keep it soft s she wouldn't bother anyone else but also loud enough that the O'Connors could sing to it.
 
Kacey started singing first, with Alexa joining in fits and starts to begin with, but soon relaxed enough to sing a bit stronger. She soon took over the singing as Kacey sat and listened. Alexa sang along to her friend's playing for quite awhile, but the stress of the evening eventually had her starting to doze off.

Kacey fell into serious thought as she watched over her friend laying in the bed. She looked so peaceful, despite the bruises, cuts, and bandages. It was hard to think of all the things going on inside her. Was she dreaming? Was she thinking anything at all? What was her brain doing now, and how would she be when she woke up? When would she even wake up? Was she in pain now? Anything to keep from thinking about what had actually happened.

Eventually the nurse came in and very apologetically announced that quiet hours were starting, and they needed to bring the bed in for them.

Kacey gently shook Alexa and stood her on her feet, where the girl very nearly had a tantrum over having to walk. She was utterly exhausted and whined and whimpered through her goodbyes and half of the journey down to the chapel.

Kacey sympathised with her, but there was no way she could carry the girl, and Tig wasn't in any shape to carry her either right now. She'd just have to walk on her own tonight.
 
Cicero moved things about in the room after they left, making room for the bed and figuring out sleeping arangements with his daughter.

Tig, meanwhile, was sitting in a pew in the small chapel the hospital provided. Just sitting and staring off into space, idly touching his rosary and losig himself in his environment. It was taking absolutely everything he had to not walk out and find a speakeasy.
 
Alexa broke away from Kacey as soon as they reached the chapel, climbing up onto the pew next to Tig and pushing her face onto his leg. "Tiggy, I wanna go home now..." she begged tearfully. "Cin you carry me? An'...an' cin I please sleep wif you an' Kacey tanight?" She'd never asked to sleep in their bed before, but tonight, she just didn't want to sleep alone. Just to be sure that nothing happened to them either.

Kacey leaned against the doorframe wearily, not wanting to go through the trouble of sitting down and then getting back up again. "I think we could all use some rest..." she agreed with the child, not moving from her position. "Are you okay to drive, Tiggy? We can get a taxi and come back for the car tomorrow if we need to..."
 
Tig took a slow, deep breath and nodded. "Aye, squirt." he said, pullig him into his lap. "Whatever ye want." he stood up slowly and picked up Alexa. He groaned a little as he did before hugging her and walking over to Kacey. "It's a deusey...I need tae get it home an' start washin' tha blood out before it sets....but I donnae want tha two o" ye seein' that..what do ye wannae do, Kacey?"
 
"Where was she sitting, in the front? We'll sit in the back..." she suggested. "Or the other way around. I need to make some phone calls when we get home; to cancel school for tomorrow. Maybe the rest of the week. Just until we know how Sinead is doing for sure..." Kacey took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's go, Tiggy..." she encouraged him, giving him a light kiss on the lips, more for her comfort than for his. She just needed to touch him right now, to settle her nerves. His presence always made her feel safe. She brushed his ear with her paw before pushing up off the door frame and turning back down the hallway, walking slowly. It had been a long night already, and it wasn't over yet.

Alexa returned the hug carefully, then yawned and rested her head in the crook of his neck, gently patting his back where her little paws reached over his shoulders. "I love you, mo dhaid. M'glad yer alright." She yawned again, harder this time. "Thank you fer savin' Sinead..."
 
Tig shut his eyes and hugged Alexa tightly, letting out a sob he had been keeping in since reality seeped into his head. He didn't have the words for how what she had said made him feel, but it was a wonderful, beautiful feeling. Yes. He was her dad. And it was so wonderful to hear her say that. He sniffed and wiped his eyes with a bandaged hand. "Lets get home, dove." he said softly. He walked up to Kacey and took her hand. "Tha back should be fine. But before we get in, let me take a blanket out o' tha trunk tae put o'er tha front seat. I know ye both are gonnae tell me I don't need to, but jes' let me, ok?" he gave both of them a soft smile. "I jes' need tae protect ye both right now."
 
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Kacey kissed him again, longer, savouring it. "Alright," she agreed without complaint. "You do whatever you need to do." She happily held his paw as they headed out of the hospital and on towards home.


Everything hurt. Why did everything hurt? She'd left the school, locked the door, Tig hadn't come home yet, and now everything hurt. Did she go home? She was supposed to go to Cicero's. He'd be wondering where she was. She needed to call him at least, but why did everything hurt?

Sinead tried to move, tried to open her eyes, and groaned. Even that hurt. She tried to rub her eyes, but one arm felt strapped down, and something was wrapped around her other paw. She whimpered a dry sob, confused and wanting to get up, and not understanding why she couldn't.

Kacey finally forced herself out of the bed. She was absolutely exhausted. It had taken almost three hours when they'd gotten home last night to call all the children's families, keeping the details mostly out of the conversation. Sinead was in hospital, they weren't sure how she was doing right now, but there wouldn't be any more school for the rest of the week until they knew more about her condition. That was as close to the truth as she was willing to get. She'd finally crawled into bed with Alexa, almost deliriously tired, and had quietly cried herself to sleep. But now, they needed to get back to the hospital. Alexa would be desperate to see Sinead, but she didn't know what Tig would do, or even how he was doing. She should see to him first, to make sure he was okay.
 
Tig hadn't really been into the savored kiss, but he went through the motions for his wife's sake. He was happy that his daughter had called him dad for the first time, but even that was shaded with the thoughts weighing heavily on his heart. That night, he went to bed with his wife and daughter but as soon as they were asleep, he went out to work on his car. It hurt his hands, and his ribs, and his side, and whatever else was bruised and broken, but it gave him something to do and to focus on. In the morning, his family would find him curled up in the back seat, the blanket from before wrapped around him, but the front seats were clean again.

Cicero lifted his head and looked at Sinead. He smiled, holding her hand with both of his. "Shh...Sinead....rest now, please." He reached up to brush his cheek. "Cecelia is still sleeping. Don't wake her. You are in the hospital..."
 
The hospital? She didn't understand. Was she sick? Sinead tried to talk, but her mouth was dry and her tongue felt like wool. She licked her lips, trying to speak. She whimpered again before mouthing 'water', hoping for something to start working again. Trying to bend her knees, which were stiff from laying straight all night, only brought a shock of pain to her stomach. The one eye that was not covered felt crusted and weighted, but came open in a gasp. What the hell had happened? She didn't understand. She sobbed dryly, having no tears to cry.


Alexa was the one to find him that morning and, once she'd told Kacey where he was, curled up on the floor by his head, resting hers on the edge of the seat next to him. She sang quietly to herself, waiting for him to wake up. Fortunately for her, she'd had no nightmares, curled up snugly with Kacey and all her pillows, so she'd had the best sleep of all.

Kacey decided to cook breakfast downstairs in the school kitchen so she wouldn't be sequestered upstairs, away from the two of them. She made a bunch of different things, partly because she was hungry herself and partly because she didn't know what Tig wanted to eat, but he was going to eat something if she had anything to do with it. When it was all ready and laid out on the long table, she went out to wake him.
 
"Don't move." Cicero instructed her gently. His hands left hers and he grabbed a glass of water with a straw in it. He tilted her chin to the side and guided the straw to her lips. "Here. I have water for you." He stroked her cheek softly. "Don't cry, Sinead...please don't cry..." he was near tears himself, seeing her there so helpless...."You're alright." Oh god, what if this was the brain damage the doctor talked about??

"Papa?" Cecelia asked, sitting up on the cot and rubbing her eyes. "Is she awake?"

"Ja, ja. Go back to sleep, Cecelia. It is still early."

It wasn't, but she had no way of knowing that. "But I have to get ready for school..."

"I have already called the school today. You will not be going. Please, lie back down."

She frowned and sat there for a moment before standing up anyway. She walked over and pat the bed gently until she found Sinead's hand that her father had left unattended. She pat it gently before holding it and sighing. She wanted to say something, but she had no idea what would be appropriate, so she just held it.

Tig woke a few minutes before Kacey came to get him. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. Someone was singing....He opened his eyes and smiled at Alexa. "I fell asleep in tha car, didn't I?" he asked her softly. It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last, but it was the first time under such circumstances. "How'd ye sleep? Yer ma know I'm out 'ere?" he asked, shifting around slowly until he was on his back, grunting and groaning a bit as he did. "Feckin' cold out, innit? C'mere." he said, opening up the blanket for her to climb up under it with him. There wasn't really enough room on the seat for her to climb up without hurting him, but he didn't really care at the moment. He just wanted his daughter with him.
 
Sinead sipped at the water, coughed, then drank thirstily until she needed to breathe. With her bruised ribs, it was a lot sooner than she wanted. She finished the glass before relaxing back against the pillow. Even just that was enough to wear her out, and she wanted to doze off right then, but she had to know. After a few false starts, croaks, and clearing her throat she managed to get her voice working. "What happened?" The words were thin and weak, but they were there. She pulled her paw from Cecilia's and carefully rubbed her swollen eye, feeling the bandages over the other. Bandages? Her hand wearily drifted up onto her head, feeling the mass of bandages there as well. She peered blearily at Cicero, still confused, but a bit calmer now.

Alexa snuggled up close, but was careful not to move much. "I slep' okay. I already tol' Kacey yer out here. She's inside makin' breakfas'." She carefully nuzzled him. "You still sore? You feelin' any better? We ain' heard from tha professor yet. I love you, Tiggy..."

Kacey opened the door just then and smiled at the pair, two cups of tea in her hands, which she passed to them. She usually looked tired these days, but even more so this morning. "Who wants to come in where it's warm and have some breakfast? I cooked everything," she told them without much exaggeration.
 
Cicero sighed. "We don't know the details, but you were attacked on your way home from work."

"Mr. O'Connor saved you and brought you to the hospital." Cecelia said. "Papa says he was hurt too, but he didn't have to stay." She put her chin on the bed and sighed. "The doctor says you'll be ok, too..."

"Ah, mein angel, don't cry..." he said, handing her his handkerchief.

"I'm still sore, aye." he said, just enjoying lying there with her. "I'm gonnae be fer a while." he rubbed her back gently. "I love you too, Alexa. Very much." He started sitting up slowly when he heard the door open. By the time Kacey got to the car, he was sitting up with his daughter in his lap. He reached out for the cup with a bandaged hand and decided holding it with two would be a better idea. How he cleaned his car was anyone's guess. Pure willpower and love of his vehicle. He sipped the tea and nodded. He glanced up at Kacey and smiled. "We'll be in in a minute, love. You go on back in before tha baby starts sneezin'." he kept his arms around Alexa for a moment, wanting a word with her.

Once Kacey was back inside, he looked down at Alexa. "I wanted ye tae know somethin', Alexa. I wanted ye tae know that I wanted tae go back out drinkin' last night." he said softly, seriously. "But I went tae tha chapel instead, an' it helped. But seein' how much you an' Kacey needed me? That's what kept me from goin' anywhere. I love ye both so much, Alexa, and I donnae want ye tae be worried fer me again. Nae like ye were before I met Kacey." He set his cup down carefully on the seat and turned her a bit in his lap, looking her in the eyes. "I promise ye, Alexa, right here an' now, I'm nae gonnae do that again. I love ye too much ta make ye worry."
 
Kacey smiled knowingly and headed back inside. She was huffing a little, tired out from all the cooking and being on her feet. She sat down in the overstuffed reading chair by the library corner and promptly fell asleep, her arms cradling her equally overstuffed belly.

Alexa looked up at him with equal seriousness, her expression calm and sure. "I know. Right now we're jes' worried 'bout you bein' sore an', well, feelin' guilty 'bout Sinead. But you ain' gotta do tha'...feel guilty, I mean. You saved her life, an' tha's wha' matters now, not b'fore. You know how ta do tha right thing. Tha's why I ain' worried 'bout you goin' off somewheres. An' Kacey knows tha' too. You won' leave us stranded. You're mo dhaíd."

Sinead frowned at the ceiling. "Tig? He wasn't home yet. He was late..." It just refused to make sense. Mostly because she didn't remember any of it. But her body started to tremble. She looked at Cicero again, more scared. "Why don't I remember it, Cicero? I should remember something like that..." she whimpered, her voice still weak.
 
Tig smiled, rubbing her back gently. "Aye. I'm your dhaid. Ye know, it makes me very happy tae hear ye say that." he said, slowly standing up out of the car, holding his daughter. He turned to look back at his tea and sighed. "Remind me that's there..." he said before heading inside.

"Please don't be afraid, Sinead." the man said softly. "It was a very bad attack. I hear that sometimes a mind can refuse to lay down the memory of something so violent. It was only last night. The memory will come to you in time, and if it does not, maybe it is for the best. And yes, Mr. O'Connor was late, but it was a good thing. He found you on his way home and was able to save you. But please, do not try so hard to remember something so horrible. You must lie there and rest now."
 
"You won't leave me?" she asked, still trembling as she clumsily fumbled for his paw, gripping it as tightly as she could, which was considerably weaker than she usually could. Her eyes were already drooping sleepily, but she shifted her leg and moaned in pain. It kept her awake for a moment longer before she suddenly dropped off to sleep, tears seeping out from under her eye.

"Kay," she promised, snuggling up with him as he carried her inside. When she spotted Kacey napping in the chair and snoring quietly, she smiled up at him. "Guess we're eatin' on our own, huh?" she shrugged.
 
"Nein, Liebling. I will not leave. I have already called the college." He pat the back of her hand gently. "I am here until we take you home." he sighed and held her hand, bringing it up to his forehead. She could talk. That was good. That was good, right?

Cecelia sighed and went to the bathroom, then came back to sit on the bed. She rubbed her nose and sighed. She didn't like the smell in the hospital, and she didn't like how upset everyone was...or how hurt Sinead was. Hearing her cry was just...the worst thing she had heard...

Tig smiled. "More for us then." he said, sitting her down at the table. He sat down in his own seat and sighed, slouching back. He sat there for a moment before looking over at Alexa. "T'ink we c'n manage tae skip tha prayer this mornin?"
 
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