Clothed in our grief

"Mom! Mom are you okay?! Oh no, no no no." You mumbled softly, eyes wide of fear as you rush across the room. Your slip on red sneakers padding against the tile ground, the grey cardigan that went to the backs of your knees blew out behind you almost like a cape would. Your hair still damp from the shower, and still smelling like green apples. The raw red corners of your eyes indicting your obvious worry for her, due to the constant rubbing and trying to avoid crying.

The hospital room wasn't large, but it was big enough. There were flowers on the side of her bed, onto the small white bedside table. Some white roses, catching your attention. You ended up looking right on past it, to your mother.

She had her eyes just barely open, her lashes making it seem as though her eyes were more closed than they really were. Her skin was a paler tone of what it usually was, and you could tell by the dark circles under her eyes and the red raw corners that something bad happened to her. She just looked so out of it, and the closer you got? The easier you could make out the shape of her veins in her arms. Along with an IV connected to the inside of her wrist, getting a directly blood transfusion.

"Mom!" You exclaim, throwing yourself into the comfy red seat next to the hospital bed. She just barely turns her head to look at you, scraggly and tossed around (H/c) hair that rests on her head moving as she does too.

"Oh, sweetheart. Are you okay?" Her voice came out raspy, giving you a worried smile as she moved her right hand up to stroke your hair. Placing her frail fingers into the locks close to the edge of your scalp, coming close to your hairline. You smiled into it, placed your hand over hers and leaned you head downwards while shutting your eyes.

"I was so worried about you, what happened to you?" You asked frantically, voice growing softer as you spoke, though. Your eyes went from staring to her tired eyes, to trailing down to her stomach. She looked completely fine, the teal and white hospital gown hung loose over her body. Several sets of wires and everything else connected to her body. A constant beeping reminding you that her heart is still going, that she isn't dead.

"Mom...your-"

"She's a girl." It was quick and quiet, and her eyes seemed to close while she reached out for both your hands.

"Oh my god. Did you lose the baby?" You asked frantically, eyes widened as she tightened her fingers around your hands. Your lips parted in shock, and you could tell by her shaking shoulders that she was about ready to just snap any second now.

"She's in an incubator," She paused, bringing both hands up to your face and cupping your cheeks. Smiling softly to you, with worried and sad eyes.

"Her name is Laura." She closed her eyes, keeping that small and short smile on her face. You let out a breathy laugh, it was mostly out of relief. You could tell there were a couple tears in her eyes that begged to escape free.

"Laura? That's a really pretty name, guess I didn't get my wish in asking for a little brother, huh?" You asked, laughing just a little more.

Commissioner Gordon told you what happened. Someone came into the bookstore and attacked your mother. It' a miracle that she's alive, even more so that the baby made it.