Chapter 108 VISITATION IMPACT
Asher’s Pov
On the first day I got to spend four hours with my real mama I felt happy for the first time in forever. We sat together and talked and she held me and it was perfect. When I had to leave I was sad but I knew I would see her again the next day.
That night I went back to my room in the medical wing but everything felt different. The room did not seem as scary anymore. The monitors and machines did not bother me as much. Because I knew that tomorrow I would see my mama again.
Nurse Sarah brought me dinner and I actually ate most of it. She looked surprised because I had been refusing food for weeks.
I felt a little proud of myself as I chewed and swallowed. The food tasted better than I remembered, and my stomach didn’t feel empty and aching anymore. Nurse Sarah smiled softly at me, and for a moment I thought she looked almost happy. It was strange to feel someone notice me like that. Maybe if I kept eating, I could see Mama sooner, and maybe everything would start to feel normal again.
"Look at you eating. That is wonderful Master Asher. What changed?" Nurse Sarah asked.
"I saw my mama today. We spent four hours together. She told me I need to eat and take my medicine so I will be healthy when I live with her. So I am going to do that," I said.
"That is very good. Your mama is right. You need to take care of yourself," Nurse Sarah said.
That night I slept better than I had in weeks. I did not have bad dreams. I did not wake up crying. I just slept peacefully knowing my mama was out there fighting for me.
The next day I woke up excited because I knew I would see her again. The doctors came to do my morning treatments and I did not fight them. I let them take blood samples and check my vitals and do everything they needed to do.
"You are being very cooperative today. That is good to see," Dr Chen said.
"I am going to see my mama in a few hours. I want to be good so the doctors tell the judges I am doing better," I said.
I straightened my little shoulders and took a deep breath, trying to feel brave. I wanted to show everyone that I could listen and follow instructions. I thought about the games I would play with Mama and the stories she would tell me. I wanted to make her proud too. If I did everything right, maybe she could stay longer with me, and maybe I could finally feel like everything was going to be okay.
Dr Chen smiled at me.
"That is very smart thinking. Keep it up," she said.
At ten o’clock Nurse Sarah took me to the visitation room again. My mama was already there waiting for me. When I walked in she opened her arms and I ran to her.
"Good morning baby. How did you sleep?" she asked.
"Good. I dreamed about you. We were living in a big house with a garden and I was not sick anymore," I said.
"That sounds like a wonderful dream. Maybe someday it will come true," she said.
We spent that day reading books together. My mama had brought a whole bag of books and we read them all. She did different voices for all the characters and made me laugh. I had not laughed like that in so long.
When it was time to leave I gave her a big hug.
"I love you mama," I said.
"I love you too baby. See you tomorrow," she said.
On the third day my mama brought games and we played together. She was not very good at the games and I won most of them. That made me feel proud. She said I was very smart and good at games. I laughed every time I won, and she laughed too, even when she lost. Her smiles made me feel warm inside, like the sun had come back just for me. She cheered for me and told me stories while we played, and I felt safe and important. For the first time in a long while, I wasn’t sad or scared. I just wanted this moment to last forever.
"You know what? When you come live with me we can play games every day if you want. We can have game time after dinner," my mama said.
"Really? Every day?" I asked.
"Every single day. And we can get new games too. Whatever games you want to play," she said.
"That sounds amazing," I said.
After three days of visits I noticed I was feeling different. I had more energy. I was not as tired all the time. Food tasted better. Everything seemed brighter and happier. I laughed more easily, and even small things—a bird outside the window, the sun streaming through the glass—made me smile. My mind felt clearer, less clouded by worry and sadness. I realized that being around Asher and seeing him thrive was healing something inside me I didn’t know was broken. Each visit reminded me of hope, of purpose, and of the simple joy that had been missing for far too long.
Dr Chen noticed too. She came to examine me on the fourth day before my visit with my mama.
"Your blood counts are improving. Your weight is up slightly. Your vital signs are more stable. Whatever is happening it is working. Keep doing what you are doing," Dr Chen said.
"It is because of my mama. Being with her makes me feel better," I said.
"I believe you. The change in you over the past three days has been remarkable. I am going to document this in my report to the tribunal," Dr Chen said.
On the fourth day my mama and I did art projects. She brought paper and markers and we drew pictures together. I drew a picture of me and her holding hands. She drew a picture of a house with a big yard.
"Is that where we are going to live?" I asked.
"I hope so. I am looking at houses right now. I want to find one with a big yard where you can play outside when you feel well enough. And it will have your own room that you can decorate however you want," my mama said.
"Can I have blue walls? Blue is my favorite color," I said.
"You can have whatever color you want. It is your room," she said.
I started imagining what my room would look like. Blue walls and a big bed and shelves for my books and games. A window where I could look outside. Maybe even a desk where I could draw pictures.
It sounded perfect.
On the fifth day the psychologist who had been observing our visits asked if she could talk to me alone for a few minutes. My mama said it was okay and stepped outside.
"Asher I want to ask you some questions. Is that alright?" the psychologist asked. Her name was Dr Miller.
"Okay," I said.
"How do you feel when you are with your mama?" Dr Miller asked.
"Happy. Safe. Like everything is going to be okay," I said.
"And how do you feel when you are not with her?" Dr Miller asked.
"Sad. Lonely. Scared that something will go wrong and I will not get to see her again," I said.
"Do you want to live with your mama permanently?" Dr Miller asked.
"Yes. More than anything. I want to be with her all the time. I want her to be the one who takes care of me and loves me. She is my real mama and I belong with her," I said.
"What about Alpha Raphael? He has been taking care of you for five years. How do you feel about him?" Dr Miller asked.
"I do not know. He was nice sometimes but he also made big mistakes. He kept me away from my real mama. He believed the mean lady instead of finding out the truth. I do not hate him but I do not want to live with him anymore," I said.
"That is very honest. Thank you for sharing your feelings with me," Dr Miller said.