Chapter 7 - Sanctuary in the Shadows
The moment the courthouse doors opened, I sprinted past the flashbulbs of the media without giving them a single glance. Public apologies meant nothing to me. My entire world was inside Room 402 of the Children's Hospital pediatric recovery wing.
When I pushed open the heavy wooden door of the hospital room, the ambient noise of the outside world melted away. The room was softly lit, filled with the gentle beep-beep of the heart monitor and the quiet hum of the air purifier.
There, resting in a small metal crib, was Paige.
Her tiny left leg was immobilized in a light-pink body cast—a spica cast that covered her waist down to her ankle to allow the fractured femur to set correctly. Because both of her biological parents were now locked in county jail facing severe felony charges, Paige had been placed under emergency state protective custody.
I walked over to the side of the crib, tears falling freely down my face, and lowered the safety bar.
"Hey baby girl," I whispered softly, my voice trembling with raw affection. "Auntie Ally is here. I'm so sorry it took me so long."
Paige stirred, her big blue eyes slowly opening. For a second, my heart stopped—I feared she might connect me with the horror of that Saturday morning. But as her gaze locked onto my face, her tiny mouth opened into a gummy, toothless smile. She let out a soft, happy coo and reached her tiny, chubby arm up into the air, her fingers opening and closing in an instinctual plea to be held.
I carefully leaned down, avoiding putting any pressure on her cast, and wrapped my arms around her. I rested my forehead against her soft, sweet-smelling head, feeling the warm rise and fall of her chest.
A social worker stood in the corner of the room, holding a clip-board with emergency foster placement forms. She wiped a tear from her cheek as she watched us.
"She’s been quiet all day," the social worker said quietly. "The nurses said she only smiles when she hears your voice on the video calls Maya sent over. Ally... you saved this baby's life. If you hadn't brought her into the ER when you did, the internal bleeding and swelling could have led to permanent vascular failure."
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I kissed Paige’s forehead, feeling her tiny hand grip my finger with incredible strength. "I'm filing for emergency legal custody today. She's never going back to a broken home again."
"With the evidence we have," the social worker nodded gently, "no judge in this state will ever refuse you."
