KENNEDY

"That burger was so good. I think I have a food baby." I sigh happily rubbing my tummy.

Isaiah just treated Cairo and I to the best burger I have ever had. I was about to order take out as well but then I recalled that Rebecca is planning a family dinner tonight in celebration of the boys winning the championship. Yes, she is that confident that they will win.

"I know that's why I took you there." Isaiah replies.

"We are definitely coming back." I decree.

"I'll be happy to bring you." Isaiah agrees making me incredibly happy.

Isaiah picks Cairo up and puts him on his shoulders making him giggle happily. Watching the both of them interact and talk as we walk back to the car makes my heart swell with joy.

Living with the Carter's for a whole month has shifted my thoughts on how a fully functional loving family dynamic looks like. Seeing how Rebecca is dedicated to her boys has opened my eyes on what a mom should be like with her kids. She's shown me just how much I have missed out on with my own mom. And even though Parker is Isaiah's adopted dad, he is much more dedicated to him than my own biological father has ever been to me.

The only similarity between the Carters and the Fosters is the sibling relationships. Astrid and I are as close as Isaiah and Cairo are. Isaiah dots on his little brother while Cairo worships the ground his big brother walks on. Being a witness to their awesome relationship makes me miss Astrid more than ever but she is still in DC for work. She offered to come back after my fall out with our parents but I assured her that I was more than okay staying with the Carters.

They have been so welcoming to me and I am so lucky that Isaiah has such a great family that was able to help me out when I had nowhere else to go. Part of me wishes I could stay with them forever but the other part of me wants to fix things with my parents. They are the only parents I will ever have but they are still not ready to compromise and let me study Art so we are at a stalemate for now. For now that is okay with me because I am not willing to give up on my dreams for them and I never will be.

When we get back to the car I help Isaiah strap Cairo into his car seat that he is not really a fan of before taking my place in the front next to my boyfriend. Today I will be attending one of his games for the first time. It's the most important one and even though I am not a sports fan I am still going to support him. He has been amazing to me and I need to step up my game.

I turn to Isaiah to ask him how long the game is going to be when I see something dripping from his nose.

"Babe your nose."

Isaiah turns to me looking a bit unfocused and mumbles something inaudible and that's when I see that the drip from his nose is red.

"Is that blood? Oh my God, you're nose bleeding." I cry out in panic.

"I am." Isaiah coughs bringing his hand up to his nose and ends up smearing it with blood.

He cusses out loud and unfortunately Cairo hears him and calls him out on it. Isaiah apologizes but I am increasingly getting worried because he is getting pale.

"We have to stop. Pull over." I demand as the blood starts dripping onto his t-shirt staining the white material.

Isaiah looks like he is struggling to hear me and I watch in horror as his eyes roll to the back of his head like he's losing consciousness. His hands fall off the steering wheel as his whole body goes limp.

"Isaiah! Baby wake up!" I scream shaking him awake but he is non responsive.

Cairo starts crying in the backseat as the car starts swerving and I have no idea what to do. Everything happens so fast and before I can undo my seatbelt so I can try and take control of the car, we veer off the road and the car crashes into a fire hydrant.

My seatbelt holds me back but the crash is so intense that my head still slams into the dashboard. My vision blurs and for a moment I am disoriented as my ears ring with a sharp sound. It takes me a few seconds for me to realize what has just happened.

Cairo's cries from the backseat jolt me awake so I quickly shake it off and jump into action. For some reason my airbag didn't deploy but Isaiah's did. I undo my seatbelt and lean over to check his pulse sighing in relief when I feel it on my finger tips. He is out cold and when I try his seatbelt it's stuck so I focus on Cairo instead.

"Are you okay bud? Did you get hit?" I ask him.

"No, I'm okay." He cries trying to get out of his car seat but he's unable to work the mechanism.

"That's good, sit tight while I call 911." I say reaching for my phone but then I remember that I switched it off because my mother kept calling and texting me.

I get Isaiah's instead and call emergency services from his phone.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Hello, there's been a car accident. My boyfriend just crashed our car into a fire hydrant." I rush out in a panic trying to get out of the car.

"Please stay calm miss. Where did the accident happen?" The 911 dispatcher asks me.

"I don't know; we are in The Bronx." I answer getting out of the car.

I have no idea where we are since everything is so blurry and I am trying not to freak out. People have already started to gather around the car but none of them are doing anything even though it's clear that we need help.

"I need a more specific address miss." The dispatcher requests.

I try to look around for anything that can tell me where we are and that's when I see the street sign.

"3400 Mickle Avenue. Please send help, my boyfriend is ...." I choke up refusing to think the worst.

"Yes miss, first responders are already on their way. Can you tell me if your boyfriend is breathing?" She asks.

"He has a heartbeat but he is unconscious." I reply.

Cairo starts wailing in the backseat which reminds me that there is another soul I need to worry about. "I'm coming buddy."

"Miss was there someone else in the car?" The dispatcher inquires.

"Yes, Cairo was in the back seat but he's not hurt, please hurry." I cry out as I manage to get the back door open.

The phone falls to the ground in the struggle and I hear the dispatcher calling out to me but I ignore her and reach for Cairo instead. I unbuckle him and pull him out of his car seat. He latches onto me wrapping his legs around my waist.

"It's okay bud, I'm here." I reassure him.

From a distance I hear sirens meaning that the firefighters are getting close which makes me relieved. I bend over to pick up the phone.

"They are here, thank you." I tell the lady when I see a fire truck hurtling towards us.

I hang up and round the car to the driver's side with Cairo still in my arms. The firefighters get to us and ask me to step aside as they get Isaiah out.

Paramedics take Cairo from me and we are taken to an ambulance a few feet away so they can check us for any injuries.

"I'm okay." I say to the nice looking paramedic as she shines a light in my eyes.

"Miss you've been in a car accident, let me be the one to determine that." She responds but I can barely sit still as all my attention is on the firefighters who are working on getting Isaiah's door open.

"You have a laceration on your forehead. Did you hit your head on the dashboard?" She asks me and I nod. "You are going to need stitches but I'll leave that to the doctors. For now, let me clean you up."

"How is Cairo? Is he hurt?" I ask worriedly.

"The little guy is okay. His car seat saved him." She answers.

"What about Isaiah?" I ask holding in my tears when I see them pull his limp body out of the car and place him on a gurney.

"He is alive so let's focus on that for now." She tries to reassure me but I can't help but think the worst.

I should have known something was wrong when he told me that he tripped in the morning. He is the most coordinated person I know so him falling should have been an indication that something was amiss.

How could I have let this happen?

"Where are they taking him?" I ask when I see them putting him in the back of the ambulance.

"To the same hospital we are taking you." She replies.

They put us in the back of the same ambulance and Cairo starts crying again when he sees the state his brother is in. He is still unconscious as the paramedics are work on him but he has multiple cuts on his face though he has stopped nose bleeding.

I take Cairo into my arms to soothe him even though I am in need of comforting myself. My eyes are glued onto the heart monitor that's reassuring me that Isaiah is still with us.

This whole experience feels like I'm having an out of body experience. I have no idea how we even got here. One minute we are all laughing at the barber shop as the boys are getting their haircut and the next my boyfriend is fighting for his life as his brother cries in my arms. All I want is for him to be okay and for this to be one huge nightmare.

When we get to the hospital, a group of trauma doctors and nurses are there to receive Isaiah and he is wheeled away as soon as he is off the ambulance. Cairo and I are right behind them but we are separated because he is in much more critical condition. I want to go with him but I have Cairo to think about.

"I want mommy." Cairo whimpers in my arms and that's when I realize that I have to call Rebecca and Parker to let them know.

"Okay bud, let's call mommy." I reply retrieving Isaiah's phone from my pocket.

The phone rings twice before she picks up and she talks before I can get a word out. "I know, I know, we're late but this time it's Parkers fault."

She sounds so happy and excited which makes me tear up because I am about to burst her happy bubble.

"Way to throw me under the bus love." Parker speaks up from a distance which means they are together.

"We are coming baby, we just left the office." Rebecca explains and I cannot hold in my sobs any longer.

"Rebecca." I choke out amidst tears.

"Kennedy? Is everything okay? Why are you calling me from Isaiah's phone?" She asks her motherly instincts already picking up that something is wrong.

"We were in an accident." I mumble.

An audible gasp comes from her side which makes me feel worse to be the bearer of such bad news. "Oh God! What happened? Where are my boys?"

"Cairo is okay but Isaiah was behind the wheel and the airbag knocked him out. He is still unconscious but the trauma doctors are checking him out as we speak." I explain.

"Which hospital?"

"St. Michael's."

"We're on our way. Parker take us to St. Michael's right now." She demands.

"Mommy." Cairo calls out and I give him the phone.

"Mommy is coming baby. Stay with Kennedy okay, I'll be right there." She coos.

"Okay."

I hang up and pocket the phone. Cairo is getting heavier in my arms so I start wandering around looking for a place for us to sit and that's when a nurse spots me. She sees the gash on my forehead and immediately takes me to the emergency room so she can stitch me up. I am in such a daze that I just do as she asks having no more willpower left in me.

The stitches hurt like hell but I put on a brave face for Cairo. He stops crying and by the time the nurse is done with me he has fallen asleep on one of the beds.

"I'm sorry." I apologize going to pick him up but the nurse stops me.

"Let him sleep. I'll get you some medication for your headache." She replies and excuses herself.

Once again it's just Cairo and I but he is asleep so I am left with my haunting thoughts. But before I can go down that dark hole Isaiah's phone rings in my pocket. It's Wesley calling which reminds me of the game that he is going to miss. He's supposed to be at school right now getting ready for the game but I have no idea where he is or what they are doing to him.

"Iz where are you? The game is about to start. " Wesley asks as soon as I pick up.

He sounds worried but excited at the same time.

"I'm sorry Wes but Isaiah won't make it to the game." I drop the bomb on him.

"Princess? What's wrong?" He asks picking up on my morose tone.

"We were in a car accident. Isaiah took the brunt of it so he won't be at the game. I'm sorry but you will have to play without him." I explain.

He is quiet for a moment as he absorbs what I have just told him. "Is he okay? Are you? Cairo?"

"Cairo and I are fine but Isaiah not so much." I mumble caressing Cairo's hair that is so similar to his brothers.

"I'm coming. Which hospital?"

"Wes no, there is nothing you can do. I will keep you updated but you still have a championship to win." I say to him.

He is such a loyal friend but him coming here will not help anyone. He needs to play that game and win because knowing Isaiah, this is what he would want.

"But it's Iz." He groans in frustration.

"I know but he wouldn't want all of you to miss the game because of him. You can come by after." I assure him.

He sighs in defeat when he realizes that I am right. "We will be there as soon as the game is over. I'll tell the coach and other team players."

"Okay." I nod even though he cannot see me.

"Are you okay princess?" He asks.

"No." I choke out feeling as if I am about to start crying again.

I clear my throat because I don't want to keep crying. Plus, it will only make Wesley worry more and he needs to focus on the game. "But I will be."

"Hang in there. We'll see you soon." He promises me.

I cut the call and pocket the phone.

Hang in there?

How am I supposed to do that when I feel as if the whole world is crumbling around me? The only reason I am not curled up on the floor crying is because I need to be strong for Cairo so until Rebecca and Parker get here I have to stay strong.

Time drags along and what is possibly twenty minutes feels like two hours have elapsed before I hear my name being called out. I look up to see Rebecca and Parker headed for us with panicked looks on their faces.

I get off the bed to talk to them but my movement stirs Cairo awake. At the sight of his mom, he perks up and starts crying. The moment Rebecca gets to us, she pulls him into her arms trying to soothe him while looking for any visible injuries but there are none. Parker joins them and they get pretty emotional for a moment.

It takes them a few minutes to realize that I am standing a couple of feet away but I don't mind as I know of the worry they must have felt when I called them.

"Kennedy what happened?" Rebecca asks finally giving me her attention.

I'm still unsure of what happened myself so I give her the shortened version of how we ended up here.

"We were driving to school after having lunch when Isaiah started nose bleeding. I asked him to pull over but before he could he passed out behind the wheel. The car veered off the road and hit a fire hydrant. Isaiah took the brunt of it because his airbag deployed but Cairo is alright. The first responders said that his car seat saved him." I explain.

"Oh Lord! Where is Khalil now?"

"They took him away but haven't been able to tell me anything because I am not family." I answer.

Rebecca pales and turns to her husband. "Parker, my baby."

"It's okay honey. Everything will be alright, I'll go get some answers." He says kissing her forehead and Cairo's hair before walking away.

"I'm so sorry." I cry wrapping my arms around myself.

"Oh sweetheart." Rebecca mumbles setting Cairo down on the bed and pulling me into her arms.

I latch onto her and for the first time since it all went to hell I allow myself to breakdown. Rebecca holds me and whispers reassuring words in my ear as she kisses my hair. It feels so comforting which only makes me cry harder. My throat hurts from all the crying and my headache is only getting worse but I cannot bring myself to stop. Rebecca does not let me go though and instead holds me until I am able to calm down.

"Are you okay?" She asks cupping my face to look into my eyes.

She sees the stitches on my forehead and gasps. "You're hurt."

"I'll be okay." I stutter with a shiver in my voice.

Before she can say anything else, Parker comes with a doctor in tow.

"Hello I'm Dr. Castello, I was part of the team that received your son off the ambulance. He ..." He starts and is immediately interrupted by Rebecca.

"What happened to my son?" She demands.

"He suffered a TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury, from the force of the airbag but he's in surgery right now and the surgeons are doing the best they can." Dr. Castello answers.

"Oh God!" Rebecca crumbles her legs giving out under her but Parker is quick to catch her.

"I'm sorry I wish I had better news but I do not. We will do our best to keep you updated." Dr. Castello says.

"Thank you doctor." Parker replies.

Doctor Castello nods and excuses himself leaving us all worse for the wear. A TBI means that Isaiah might be bleeding into his brain or worse. If the brain surgeon doesn't fix the bleed in time, then Isaiah might never wake up. That thought is enough to knock all breath out of me. The waterworks make a comeback and before I breakdown in front of the fosters again, I excuse myself and make a beeline for the bathroom.

In there I find an empty stall, lock it behind me and let it all out. The thought that Isaiah might not walk out of this hospital alive is crippling. I might never get to hear his laugh again, run my fingers through his curls, stare at him for hours as he works or get to draw his brown eyes that always look at me with so much love.

This whole ordeal feels like one huge nightmare. The Carters are there for one another but I have no one.

I need my sister so I retrieve Isaiah's phone, find her number in his contacts and call her. She picks up immediately.

"Isaiah?" She calls out confused probably wondering why my boyfriend is calling her.

The sound of her voice has me holding back tears and I barely manage to choke out her name. "Astrid."

"Kenny, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She asked in a slight panic at the sound of my distraught voice.

I clear my throat swiping away my tears. "It's Iz, he's in the hospital."

"What? Why?"

"We were in a car accident on the way to his game, he was driving," I explain.

"Are you okay?" She asks and I can hear the fear in her voice.

"I am but Iz is in surgery. It's bad Astrid." I whimper.

She exhales in relief when she hears that I'm okay. "Calm down Kenny, it's going to be okay. I'm coming."

"Hurry." I cry out needing her now more than ever.

"Hang in there love, I'm getting on the next flight out." She says.

"Okay." I mumble and hang up.

I spend a few more minutes in the bathroom gathering my wits until I feel okay enough to go back to the Carters who have shifted to the visitors waiting room. When Rebecca sees me she gives me a warm comforting smile and pats the seat next to her. Cairo is in his dads' arms playing with his phone.

"You okay?" Rebecca asks when I settle down next to her.

I nod. "Yeah, I just needed a minute."

"Khalil is strong, he always has been so he will be okay." She assures me.

"I know." I relent even though at the moment those words are hard to grasp.

The waiting period feels like the longest hours of my life. We all look weary and worried but there is nothing we can do but sit and be patient.

Three hours later there's still no word but Wesley, Baron and Kristie show up looking worried. I am glad to see them and after one of Wesley's bear hugs, I feel a little bit better. We fill them in on what we know which is not much and they inform us that they won the game. It was a close call because they were distracted and had to play without their star Point Guard but they still managed to keep the trophy at home.

"How long has it been?" Baron asks after they have been with us a while.

"Five hours but you can't rush brain surgery." I answer.

"True but an update would be nice." Wesley adds and we all agree that he is right.

All this waiting and wondering is driving us all crazy.

Another hour passes and finally the lead surgeon in Isaiah's case walks out of the Operating room.

"Family of Isaiah Carter?" He calls out.

"Here." We all reply and get up.

He is surprised that there is so many of us but Rebecca steps forward. "I'm his mom. How is he?" She asks fear evident in her voice.

"The surgery was a success and we believe that he is going to make a full recovery." He answers and I sag into Wesley's arms in relief.

I am not the only one who shares the sentiment as we all elated by the good news.

"Thank God."

"Can we see him?" Parker asks hugging his wife.

"He's being taken to recovery right now. I'll have a nurse come get you when he is ready." The surgeon replies.

"Thank you doctor."

"My pleasure."

The seven of us sit back down relieved smiles and a couple of happy tears being exchanged between us.

"Told you our boys is a fighter." Wesley declares.

"That he is." We all concur.

Astrid picks the perfect time to arrive and she is a sight for sore eyes. I leap out of Wesley's arms and into hers glad that she is finally here. We sit back down and I tell her what the surgeon just told us.

"I called mom and dad." She says once I'm done.

"And?"

"They are flying back from Germany as soon as they can." She replies.

"Okay." I nod laying my head on her shoulder.

Isaiah has all his family and friends here for him and even though my parents and I are not in a good place it will be good to see them. At this time, I need all the support I can get.

When the nurse comes to get us we all go to the ICU floor but can't go into his room all at. The nurse advises us to go in pairs so I hold back as Rebecca and Parker go in first. They are in there for ten minutes before Rebecca comes back out.

"He is asking for you." She informs me.

I'm glad to hear that he is awake and talking but my feet refuse to move. Wesley notices this and gives me the support I need to get to the door.

"Go see him princess." He says as the doors to his room slide open.

Wesley steps back and now I am alone as I walk in. He is hooked up to so many more machines but besides the bandage around his head he looks like he's peacefully sleeping. But then he opens his eyes and they meet mine.

"Berry." He croaks out his voice hoarse.

"Iz."

He holds his hand out for me and that's all I need to bridge the gap between us. I crumble in his arms and hug him back very carefully.

"I am so sorry." He apologizes caressing my hair.

I lift my head up to face him and kiss him softly. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes I do, I put you and Cairo in danger. You got hurt because of me." He explains pushing my hair back to expose my forehead.

"It's just a couple of stitches, I will be okay." I assure him. "I was so worried."

"I know, I'm sorry but I'm going to be okay." He says caressing my face.

I kiss his palm sighing in relief. "You better be. You are not allowed to leave me."

"Yes ma'am." He smiles and I kiss him.

Isaiah is alive and here with me and that is all that matters. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Now all that's left is to figure out what caused him to crash in the first place.