Their older sister became familiar to the nurses, though staff worked hard to return her to the role she should have had all along.
Child.
Someone brought crayons.
Someone found a children’s movie.
She finally ate the sandwich she had refused, then asked for another snack an hour later.
When she tried checking whether the babies needed anything, a nurse gently redirected her.
“We’ve got them.”
The girl frowned, as though surrendering responsibility was harder than taking it.
“Both?”
The nurse smiled.
“Both.”
The same answer that convinced her to release the wheelbarrow handles finally persuaded her to leave the nursery for a while.
Over the following days, the adults focused on the less dramatic work that made going home possible.
A relative came to stay.
Meals were arranged.
