Visiting Kajsa Who: Kajsa, Linnea, Dagmar and Satu Where: Kajsa's hospital room When: Mid-morning (totally changeable)
Kajsa was laying in her hospital bed, drifting in and out of sleep. She was usually awakened by some damn annoying nurse coming in to take her vitals or blood or whatever. Weren't you supposed to be able to rest and recover in hospitals? Because this? Was so not resting and recovering. She was rather damn uncomfortable, to be honest. Her leg was up in traction and that was not comfortable. She also had the worst headache ever, but she had to wait a while until she could have another dose of pain pills.
She knew she would, at some point, have a visit from the police. She was so ashamed of herself, not even believing that she drove drunk. It was something she'd always advocated against and here she was, in the hospital after having crashed her car while drunk. Thankfully her roommates had all been released by now, the most severe injury for them being mild concussions and a broken arm. Neither of them were going to press charges, for which she was eternally grateful. But she knew that she would still have some kind of legal consequence for this. And she was willing and prepared to take it. She was determined to learn from this, knowing that it could have been a whole lot worse - she could have killed her friends, herself or other innocent people. It was not something she was willing to take lightly and she would never drive under the influence again.
One consequence already was that her speech was no impaired. The doctors explained to her that it would get better, that the searching for words or using the wrong words would get better as her brain healed. But she would probably always talk slower and her speech would always be a little slurred due to the damage to her brain. Kajsa was really bummed out at the news, wondering how or if it would affect her real estate career. What good was a real estate agent if her clients couldn't understand what she was saying?
Suddenly, Kajsa wanted her mother. Being around her mother always made her feel better and she needed that comfort right now. She hoped that Linnea was going to stop by today, pretty sure she would be as she'd been coming by at least once a day since she'd been in the hospital. Her mother wasn't happy at all that Kajsa seemed to inherit her addiction problems and was very concerned for her. It hurt Kajsa to know that she'd disappointed her mother but what was done was done and she couldn't take it back. She would if she could, but she couldn't.
Linnea had wasted no time once she learned that Kajsa was awake. The call had finally come and she had been out of her bed and dressing before she realized that it was not a sensible hour. Oh for her personally any hour was sensible to dart off and see her daughter. Especially her daughter who had been in a coma after a terrible car wreck. That was her fault. Addictions ran in the blood it seemed. So the water elemental had forced herself to calm down and go to the river for the earlier hours of the morning until she could justify waking her other children up. It had been a good idea since she had got to meet that delightful girl, Noelle, but now that they were at the hospital all Linnea cared about was getting to see Kajsa.
Dagmar at least seemed happy about getting to see her sister, but Satu was being... well, Satu. Maybe she had not liked the fact that Linnea had baby-sat for Kristen the previous night. For some reason the two girls did not get along at all. "Now be nice to your sister," Linnea said just before they stepped into the room. "She's probably really tired, if she's even actually awake now." Pushing open the door and stepping in, Linnea still felt her heart stop. It did not matter how many times she saw it, she would never be able to get over the sight of her oldest daughter in a hospital bed with her leg up and her head bandaged. But she was awake! The sight of her eyes - hazel, Linnea always looked for the color to see if she had worn contacts again - actually open gave Linnea pause for a moment. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're awake," Linnea declared as she crossed the room and hugged her daughter as best she could. She set her purse on the table and settled on the edge of the bed. "If you ever put me through that again..."
Getting up before noon after the long night she'd had was crazy. But getting up at nine a.m. because her mother shook her out of bed was worse. At first Dagmar was afraid that she'd forgotten it was Sunday, but then Linnea had said that it was because Kajsa was awake and Dagmar got over it remarkably quick. She had gotten dressed, grabbed a bagel and been in the car before anyone else. Everyone knew that she'd been worried about her big sister even if they had their differences and when they walked into the room and Kajsa looked back at them? Dagmar grinned like an idiot and plopped herself down on the side of the bed Linnea hadn't already.
"What she said because oh my god, Kajsa!" Dagmar hugged her sister even though she really wanted to hit her for being dumb enough to drive drunk. "You have no idea how worried we were. Everyone! All my friends were totally freaking out right with me and mom was a wreck and yeah... never again. Okay?"
Satu wasn't exactly happy to be visiting the hospital, it was filled with all kinds of weird sounds and smells, and she was pretty sure that they'd heard somebody coughing up a lung, literally. She was a bit tired and still in a slightly bad mood from having Kristen in the house last night, but it was Kajsa, her presence was required and she was glad to be there, to see if her sister was okay. To keep herself sane, she'd been listening to pop on her iTouch the whole car ride, because she certainly didn't want to evoke one of Dagmar's moods so early. The headphones hung around her neck, and she hung back while her mother and sister hugged Kajsa.
It wasn't that she didn't like her, on the contrary, she didn't have the mean streak in her that Dagmar had, and seemed more like her mother than all of them, so that was a plus. Also, she wasn't Valterri. "I'll hug your feet since there isn't any more room up there." And Satu did just that, planting herself across her sister's feet in a makeshift sort of hug. "I glad you're okay, Kajsa. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't."
To say that Kajsa was delighted to see her mother would have been an understatement. She perked up and grinned so big as her mother poked her head inside. Then she came in with Kajsa's sisters and her smile slipped a little, but she was still all smiles. "You came!" she mumbled, her voice sounding funny to her ears and would surely sound weird to everyone else. Kajsa hugged Linnea and Dagmar back, grinning at Satu so she wouldn't feel left out either. "You don't know how glad I am to see you. It's been kind of .... lonely in here." It took her a while to get the words out and even then she had to pause to think of the world lonely. "I'm really ..... sorry, everyone." Kajsa hung her head, feeling awful that her stupidity had put her family through so much.
If she was being completely honest with herself then Linnea would have admitted that Kajsa sounded terrible. Well, maybe not terrible in the sense that her voice rasped but it was most definitely different than she remembered. More halting, almost like she had to struggle for the words. She did have head trauma, Linnea reminded herself. That was the reason why she was not reaching out to smooth her hair back. Touching someone's head when they had been injured there so recently seemed like an idea best left undone. "You should be sorry," Linnea informed her. She was so, so glad to see her awake and alive but that did not change the fact that she was - now that she knew Kajsa was going to be okay - disappointed in her. She was definitely old enough to remember what it had been like when Linnea had gone through that sort of thing. "Drinking and driving, Kajsa I expected more than that from you. You don't need to hear me lecture about it but... I really did expect more."
Dagmar was delighted that Kajsa was awake but damn, there was something wrong with how she talked. Guess the accident messed that up pretty good. Too bad. Another reason to not drink and drive ever, Kajsa was like a breathing advertisement against it. Not quite a walking one yet though, not with her leg like that. The elemental did wince when she heard that tone in their mother's voice, glad that it wasn't directed at her this time. A little part of her was utterly thrilled to hear Kajsa getting it. The perfect daughter wasn't so perfect after all and Dagmar hated herself for loving that. So she reached out and squeezed Kajsa's hand. "When they let you out you are so coming back home because duh, can't do much with a broken leg right?"
Kajsa coming back home? To live with them. To share time with Linnea and give them all even less time to be with their mother. Yeah, thanks for suggesting that Dagmar. Even if her bedridden sister didn't accept the offer, she'd still said it, and the twelve year old stifled her sigh as a line from the music still emanating from her headphones. The tone in her mother's voice had scared her and she moved away from Kajsa's legs to find a chair to slouch in. "You can do plenty with a broken leg, but I don't think any of us want her to try anything." Satu cast her glance out the door, and then back to her family. She couldn't believe what she was thinking. "Dagmar's right though, you should come back home." Eww.
She slouched in the bed as her mother used that tone on her. That disappointed tone. If there was one thing in the world that Kajsa hated most was disappointing her mother. It was the worst thing ever and she tried to avoid it at all costs. But her latest decision to drive drunk was stupid and it was disappointing. Kajsa was disappointed in herself. But that wasn't nearly as awful as her mom being upset with her. "I'm sorry, okay? It won't happen again, I promise," she stuttered, her words halting.
Surprise colored her face as Dagmar and Satu suggested she come back home to live with them while she recuperated. While they all loved each other dearly as family, Kajsa couldn't imagine going back home and living with her siblings again. She'd gladly go and live there if it was just her mother by herself.. but as long as Dagmar and Satu were there to soak up all the attention from their mother? Yeah, count her out of that. "No...thank you, though," she mumbled. She could hardly believe that they'd actually invited her. She wondered if it wasn't her mother's idea and they were told to ask. That sounded like something Linnea would do.
"No, it won't," Linnea agreed. She was not so naive as to think that Kajsa would stop drinking anymore than she thought that Dagmar would stop what she did - but she did think that Kajsa realized how disappointed she was. Then she had quite the surprise when Dagmar said Kajsa should come home with them and Satu agreed. Are these my daughters? Linnea wondered, blinking at both of them. She knew her daughters did love each other, but she also knew they had a terrible habit of vying among each other for her attention. She did not quite understand since she always tried to give it to them evenly but none of them believed her. "Actually... Kajsa." Linnea smoothed out her blankets and looked at her eldest daughter. "I think they have a good idea. You've got a broken leg and you're not going to be able to do as much. You should at least come home while you recover so that I can look after you. It'll worry me less."
Satu was agreeing with her?! Dagmar shot a look at her little sister that all but screamed 'are you high?' Had she gotten into her stash? Her mother would kill her if that was the case, none of this disappointed talk just straight up death. Then Kajsa said that no, she'd be just fine on her own which Dagmar also didn't believe for a second. With a broken leg and speech like that? yeah right! That sort of thing took time to get used to. "Don't have to be so proud, Kaj," Dagmar muttered, pushing a piece of her hair back. "It's not like we'd kill you for coming home. We miss you too sometimes." Key word was sometimes. Other times she was glad to not have the perfect daughter around. Though she's not perfect now so maybe that makes it better?
The look that their mother was giving both herself and Dagmar said enough about how often they agreed. So little that Dagmar was giving her a look too, but she shrugged in return and focused on the lyrics coming from her headphones in between the beeps and shuffling she could hear outside. What? She couldn't agree for once? Yeah, it was the it thing for the littlest to go against most of what Dagmar did and annoy Valterri until he wanted to rip her arms off, but Kajsa was hurt. Kajsa was also a perfect thing, and maybe having her around hurt would serve to show her mother that she wasn't so perfect after all. "Sometimes." Satu was allowed to be a brat, right? The youngest always got spoiled in every show she watched. "Let's kick Valterri out of his room to make it a special room for Kajsa."
"No really, no need to go through all that trouble," Kajsa assured them. Secretly, however, she actually liked the idea. She'd be close to her mother and honestly? She was going to need a lot of help in the upcoming weeks and she wasn't sure her roommates would be up to that, especially since the accident hurt them too. It might be better for all of them if she went and lived at home. Kajsa just wasn't sure how great it would be for her sanity, but at least she'd be close to Linnea. Peeking through her lashes, she looked to her mom. "Are you sure it would be okay?"
Sometimes. That was a little more like what she had come to expect from her daughters and Linnea smiled at them. Though her smile turned down a little when she heard Satu's suggestion. "Now now, Satu," Linnea chided, reaching down to brush back a piece of her youngest daughter's hair. "We're not kicking Valterri out. Kajsa's room is still perfectly serviceable and on the first floor so she won't have to bother with the stairs. Because of course I'm sure it's okay." Linnea turned back to Kajsa for that, feeling her cell go off in her pocket. Shifting, she pulled it out and frowned even more, though she wiped it off quickly. Jokull. "But now that it's decided you're coming home-" And it was in Linnea's mind, a subject no longer up for debate of any sort. "-we can just visit for awhile. Dagmar and Satu can tell you all about their summers."
Great, Kajsa was coming home. Oh well, she couldn't take time away from their daily lessons. Those were something that just Dagmar had, at least until Satu actually started showing interest in learning about their element. Kajsa hadn't inherited their mother's gift and that dark part of Dagmar got a fierce joy out of that knowledge. "Oh I bet she doesn't want to hear about mine," Dagmar waved it off. "Just a bunch of lazing around and a few parties... everyone sends their best by the way. Danny, Kai, Zach and Bren. You know, the usual crowd."
"He would be entirely fine living in the attic. He could tell his friends he's got an even cooler room than they do, but he'd need friends first." Satu giggled as her fingers played with the touchscreen in her hands, trying to find something more appealing. She crossed her ankles and used her feet to make sure she didn't slide out of the chair. The youngest let her statement sink in for a little bit, before smiling at Dagmar. "She's right, Kajsa, hers is boring. All she does is hang out with Bren and Bren never wants to go swimming. But the junior World Series is next month so I've been practicing a lot." They also went to the river to work with their element, but just like with Valterri, Satu didn't really like bringing it up around anybody who wasn't Dagmar. It was for the two of them to share with their mother. Alone. If Kajsa ever gets wheeled out to the river I will die.
Kajsa giggled thickly at Satu saying that Valterri could move into the attic. She did notice that neither of them mentioned their elemental lessons and that was perfectly fine by her. She was always a little jealous that they shared that with their mother and she didn't. She was unspecial that way. Kajsa's grimaced when Dagmar mentioned Bren. Kajsa was so not a fan of Bren. Why Dagmar insisted on hanging around her, she would never understand. "Be...careful...at the parties, Dagmar," Kajsa cautioned. She did not want to see her sister go down a path of addiction like she and her mom have. She focused her attention on Satu, grinning at her youngest sister. "Oh, good...luck with that! Maybe I can come ...watch some?" It would depend on when she got out of the hospital and when she would be up to getting out.
Linnea frowned at Satu now. "Valterri is most certainly not going to move into the attic and your brother has friends, Satu." There was an undertone to her voice. She knew that Satu could be a bit of a bully towards her older brother, but that did not mean she tolerated or liked it. But at least they were not bringing up their lessons; good. No need to make Kajsa feel badly for being different. "Fire elementals don't swim." Fire elementals also should not be so much a part of any water elementals life as Bren was Dagmar's. It created an imbalance in their lives, both of their lives that perhaps neither of the girls should have. Linnea knew that she herself could never have such a close friend who had been claimed by fire. Earth is a different story. "We'll all go and watch, of course." Linnea's eyes flickered to Dagmar as though to say 'yes you too'. All remarks on parties and alcohol she ignored. She always ignored them.
Satu's remark on her summer being boring made Dagmar turn a baleful glare on her little sister. Just because she said it didn't mean that everyone else could too. Double-standard but hey, she had that right since it was her life. What she said about Valterri didn't really register because Dagmar'd also caught that look on Kajsa's face when Bren was brought up. Really, her too? And warnings about being careful... she's got about as much room to talk as mom does. Which meant none at all. One had gone to rehabilitation and left them with their father and the other was all banged up from driving drunk. Not the ideal role models. Shrugging, the thin elemental leaned back against her chair, toying with a piece of her hair. "I'm never going to try driving home drunk." Okay, maybe that was crossing the line but Dagmar sort of did that on a regular basis. Almost like it was her religion. If her family didn't know that then who did? "I don't like watching softball. It's all hot and dry. Now swimming, there's a real sport."
"I'd love it if you came!" That perked the little thing up faster than a rainy day. Satu sat upright in her chair to look at Kajsa, the smile on the little thing's face wide and beaming. At least she was nice in ways that escaped Dagmar. If the two water elementals could get along, she was sure having Kajsa around would be little more than an annoyance. Well, maybe more than a little. Satu's bright smile waned a bit as their mother chastised her for her words about Valterri, but really? He would've gotten the same defense if he was here himself, and that spoke tons about how much of a person he was. "Bren should try being a water elemental for a day, just so she could swim with me." Impossible, yes, but even Satu knew that Bren needed to cool her head. "Swimming is pretty much cheating for us. And we live in Michigan, it's not really that dry! I heard in Florida they have trouble keeping the grass green outfield."
Kajsa was getting drowsy - this little family reunion had worn her out. But she wasn't so drowsy that she didn't catch Dagmar's little comment about drinking and driving. That earned her sister a death glare. That was definitely not something to joke around about. "Seriously, Dagmar? Bitch move, right there." If her mom hadn't been in the room, Kajsa would have told her to get the fuck out. Then Satu had to join in on talking about swimming as if they were God's gift to swimming...oh wait...they were. Kajsa hated her plain humanness and especially hated that she wasn't a water elemental like her mother and siblings. It created such a divide between them. And now, they were both working her last nerve and she wanted them gone...like now. Kajsa shot her mother a "help me" look before closing her eyes, her eyelids feeling like they weighed twenty pounds a piece.
"Don't swear," Linnea remarked calmly. Yes, Dagmar should not have said that, but Kajsa should not have done it. Linnea also did not like when her children swore in her presence no matter how old they were. "She's making a remark just like you would if she was in your place. And yes, Satu, we'll all enjoy going to see you play... but I think that maybe it's time to let Kajsa have a little rest. Say good-bye to your sister, girls, then go wait out in the hall so I can talk with her for a bit. We'll go home soon." Having been a mother for over twenty years meant that Linnea could read the signs of what her children did or did not want, and Kajsa did not seem all that up to the continued company of her siblings.
"No," Dagmar corrected as she studied her nails, bothered not at all by the tone or what Kajsa said. Wasn't her fault that her sister had gone and been an idiot. At least she knew better than to drink and drive, had proven it by not driving the other night after that party despite it being her car. "Actually it's just the truth because you did do it and you are paying for it and me? Never gonna do it, big sis." Hearing her mother's dismissal, Dagmar leaned over to hug Kajsa again. She wasn't mad at her or anything, even if she didn't like the fact that Kajsa was getting alone time for, basically, being an idiot. "Feel better Kaj, and catch you later. Let's go, Satu."
Satu, for the most part, listened to what Dagmar had to say and she didn't like it just as much as Linnea showed. The little one flipped along her playlist while pretending she wasn't listening to Kajsa cursing. Her mother loved to pretend that she didn't hear the swears that Bren used and Kajsa had just uttered, but she could string together something more offensive at the drop of a hat. Half of the songs she was listening to used bad language regularly, so she pretended she was oblivious most of the time. Better than having things banned around the house. Dagmar would make her life hell if she couldn't go around doing what she pleased because Satu made it clear that she was still young and impressionable. "Later, Kajsa. Don't let them touch you in weird places." With that, she left the room.
Kajsa just closed her eyes - she knew how her mother felt about swearing and didn't feel like trying to even defend herself. Dagmar had crossed the line but when doesn't she cross the line? Especially if it served to make Kajsa look bad in front of their mother. Trying not to wince as Dagmar hugged her, Kajsa managed to mumble, "Bye everyone." Reaching over, she grabbed Linnea's hand, holding on tightly. "Do you have to go too?" She was suddenly not wanting to be without her mother. Sure, she was a grown woman, but that didn't mean she didn't need her mother every now and again.
Of course Dagmar did not utter a word that could even be considered an apology. Linnea knew her middle child better than to expect something like that from her. Satu's remark earned her a peculiar look - whatever did her youngest mean? - but Linnea allowed it to slide off her shoulders like a drop of water when the door closed and Kajsa grabbed her hand. Smiling, Linnea brought her other hand up to rest on top of Kajsa's and shook her head. "No, I can stay for a little longer to keep you company. Is there anything you want to talk about or do you just want me to sit here? Perhaps hum one of those songs you used to love so much."
Feeling a bit weepy, Kajsa looked up at her mom, tears swimming in her eyes. "I didn't mean to do it, mom. I'll never do it again." She sniffled, feeling like the scum of the earth for what she'd done. She'd put innocent people at risk and she was so ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry I disappointed you." And what's worse is that she knew she'd let her mom down and that hurt her so deeply. Kajsa clung onto Linnea's hand and cried. It was the first time she'd let herself cry for what she'd done. She didn't care that she now had a speech problem, to her, she deserved it for disappointing herself and Linnea. After taking a deep shuddering breath, she whispered, "Hum to me?"
"You're right you won't do it again," Linnea agreed. Once was more than enough for something like that. She was disappointed by her eldest daughter's actions because Kajsa was supposed to be better than that. She was the good daughter after all and things like this... well, they reminded Linnea that even Kajsa was just human and as capable of falling down as she herself was. Sadly. Hopefully she would never find herself in a spiral that ended as badly as the one she had gone in. "Of course, sweetheart." Turning her hand over she stroked Kajsa's cheek as she started to hum an old Finnish tune. Hopefully it would lull her off to sleep and then Linnea would be able to take the other girls home. She did love seeing Kajsa, but it was hard to stay in the hospital like this.
Kajsa turned her cheek into her mother's fingers, a small sigh escaping her lips. Her eyelids grew heavy while Linnea hummed old comforting Finnish songs. Kajsa didn't know them outside of her mother's humming, but it was always a comfort from her childhood. And right now, she needed that comfort, her mother's love and attention. Focusing on the beautiful vibrations of Linnea's voice, Kajsa was soon lulled to sleep, her eyelids shutting for a nap.
When Kajsa finally fell asleep, Linnea leaned in and kissed her forehead before making sure that she was properly tucked in. "See you again soon," she promised her daughter before turning to collect the others. As far as she was concerned it had been a very good visit and she was hoping that the rest would be that way.