Chapter Four
1039 Words
Valentine's POV
It's been a few months now since Clary came to live with us and for the most part, she's been happy, but here lately, something's just been off with her.
She doesn't want to play with Jon, barely ever wanting Simon to come over. She just sits in her room, reading or drawing.
So, today is the doctors appointment I set up for her. I just want to make sure she's okay.
I walked into her recently remodeled bedroom and smiled as she lay in the middle of her bed with the covers kicked off and her pillows on the floor.
"Princess, time to wake up." I rested my hand on her shoulder and shook her until she let out a tired groan. "Come on, bath time."
"No!" She whined and I sighed, picking her up out of bed and walking to her adjoining bathroom.
"Be a good girl." She attempted to wiggle out of my grip as I started the bath water, but I just held onto her tighter.
"Go away!" I peeled the nightgown off of her and then her panties before putting the bag over her cast and setting her in the tub.
I made her wash her body while I washed her hair. I got her out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel before carrying her back to her room and setting her down on the bed.
She dried off with the towel and I dressed her in a green shirt, gray leggings, a gray sweater and green and white converse.


Jon was at preschool, so Clary and I have until noon before we have to go pick him up.
"Let's go, princess." I picked her up and grabbed her carseat before strapping it into the backseat of my black SUV before buckling Clary into it and getting in the drivers seat.
We drove off and an hour later, we arrive at the doctor's office and Clary is fast asleep in my arms as I signed us in.
I sat down in a chair and held Clary to my chest, her face buried in my neck as I rubbed her back.
"Clarissa Morgenstern?" I stood and we walked to the back. "Okay, we'll need to check her height and weight, so if you could wake her up?" I nodded and sat up on the table.
"Clary, wake up." She whimpered. "Come on, princess. We have to check to see how tall you are." She blinked and looked around the room.
I set her down on the scale and she kept the weight off of her bad foot. The woman weighed her and checked her height.
"Okay, all done, the doctor should be in in just a few minutes."
"Thank you." She nodded and left the room, letting me sit up on the examination table with Clary in my lap again.
"Why- doctor?" She asked and I brushed her hair behind her ears.
"Well, we needed to make sure that you're healthy." She absently nodded and picked at her fingernails.
The male doctor came in just ten minutes later and smiled at Clary, making her press closer to me.
"Good morning. So, what is the reason for this visit?" He asked.
"Could we talk in private?" He nodded and the nurse came to sit with Clary while we stepped into the hallway.
"What didn't you want to say in front of your daughter?"
"She doesn't know the real reason I brought her here. So, I was recently reunited with Clary just a few months ago, she was abused by my ex-wife and her boyfriends, drug dealers."
"Wow."
"Yes. Now, this was a few months ago, and she has been completely happy these past few months, but now she seems angry, she doesn't want to play, she just wants to sit in her room by herself. I'm worried about her." He nodded.
"I will still check up on her physically, but with what you've told me, I think I already know what's wrong with her."
"What?"
"With the abusive life, I think now that she's away from it and she knows that this life is better, she can't help but think about what happened to her. I honestly think that she's depressed." My jaw dropped.
"Depressed? I didn't even know kids could get depressed."
"They definitely can and it happens more often than people think."
"Okay, so what do we do now?"
"Experiment with some medication. I know that it makes it sound like she's being used as a lab rat, but with depression, it more often than not takes a bit of experimenting with different medications before we find the right dosage that works for her." I nodded.
"Okay. If it'll help her, we'll do it." He nodded.
"When we're done here, I will set you up with a psychologist and she will help you find the right medicine. And, I would suggest getting her into therapy."
"Like I said, as long as it will help her, we will do anything." He smiled.
"Good. Come on." The rest of the day consisted of another appointment at the psychologist's office that was recommended, getting the prescriptions filled at the pharmacy, picking Jon up, playing games until about eight o'clock, then putting the kids to bed.
Around midnight, I was laid on the couch, almost asleep, when I heard light footsteps descending the stairs.
"Daddy?" Clary whispered, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she stood beside me.
"Yes, baby girl?" She sniffled and I picked her up, letting her lay against the back of the couch with my arm around her.
"I miss mommy." I sighed and covered us up with the blanket.
"I'm sorry, baby. I wish I could help you not miss her." She softly cried into my arm.
"Where is mommy?"
"I don't know, baby. I wish I did." She continued to cry as I rubbed her back, attempting to soothe her. "Go to sleep, Clary. I love you."
"Wuv you, too." She cuddled closer to me and fell asleep within minutes.
My baby girl deserves to have a good life. I'll personally make sure it happens for her.
Nothing will ever get in the way of that. Nothing.
- Writer
