You're Not In This Alone

While the doctor is performing tests I go down to the cafeteria and get us coffee and when I come back juggling the tray of cups I go to walk into the room but I can hear voices. "Ruby's a fucking baby Frank, where is she? Who is that girl? Are you fucking her behind my back like Lindsey? Did you pay her to pretend she's my daughter?" "No no baby I swear that's our Rubes. She's....babe she's sixteen." "I don't.....I don't know what's happening" I hear pa say before I hear him start to cry. "Shh it's alright, we'll get it all straightened out ok." I don't hear them say anything else so I hesitantly step into the room and the sound of my footsteps makes them break the hug they're in and look in my direction. "I brought coffee" I tell them and dad smiles warmly at me as pa just stares at me, studying every inch of my face. I slowly walk over to them and dad takes the tray from my hands, sitting it on the table as pa reaches out in my direction and I slowly reach out and take his hand. He closes his hand around mine and pulls me closer to him until I'm standing right next to his bed and he leans closer, just studying my face. I feel my bottom lip tremble as I fear that he doesn't remember me and he says "Don't cry." I shake my head slightly as I feel a single tear roll down my cheek and he sighs before saying "Ruby, my baby girl." "Daddy" I whimper out and his face softens as he takes my hand and brings it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to the back of it. "Love you daddy" I whisper out and he smiles and says "I love you baby girl." When we drop hands dad and I take a seat at the side of pa's bed and pick up our coffees and I take a sip of mine before sitting it aside and picking up pa's, taking the lid off and grabbing the bendy straw I got from the cafeteria, putting it in and holding it to pa's mouth so he can drink some as he can't sit up properly. He drinks for a few seconds before pulling away and swallowing, smiling up at me. "Thanks baby" he tells me as he shifts his head again and I move the cup closer, helping him take another sip. When he's done again I sit the cup aside and pick up my own, pa's eyes studying my face the whole time.

The afternoon passes with countless doctors and specialists coming in and out, performing tests and making observations. The psychologist comes in to perform an evaluation and some of the questions pa doesn't seen sure of and he starts to panic until I reach out and grab his hand, squeezing reassuringly and smiling down at him. "It's ok daddy" I tell him and he smiles up at me before turning back to the psychologist. He stammers his way through a few more questions, occasionally looking over at me for reassurance until the psychologist decides it's enough for today. I keep a hold of pa's hand after she leaves and he turns back to me and says "Thank you Rubes" and we share a small smile. It starts getting late and dad starts yawning and his eyes start closing for longer and longer each time he blinks and I tell him to have a sleep. He stumbles over and lays on the spare bed and before long he starts snoring softly. Pa starts to get tired too but he fights it as he starts asking me a lot of questions, trying to figure out what's happening.

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