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Language:
English
Series:
Part 3 of Planned Parenthood
Stats:
Published:
2014-08-12
Words:
897
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
14
Kudos:
81
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4
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1,926

Loudest Silence

Summary:

At eight months old, the ladies notice something off with Persephone.

Work Text:

Persephone was eight months old when she lost part of her hearing. It was a risk with premature birth to begin with, coupled with Clint’s less than stellar hearing, also hereditary, Dr. Helena Honey was not surprised when she came by for a check-up and Skye expressed concerns over Persephone not responding to sounds as much anymore.

Sure enough, after testing, Dr. Honey informed them that Persephone had lost 50% of her hearing, but that it was likely to level out there, and they could take her to an audiologist to have her fitted for hearing aids at their earliest convenience, but that learning sign would also be suggested for everyone in the family. Which meant everyone in the tower should learn it.

The following day, Jemma and Melinda took Persephone to the audiologist while Skye and Blair went a couple doors down to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community Center to grab information of classes for American Sign Language, or possibly just hiring someone to come to the tower every night to teach them.

Jemma felt like she failed Persephone somehow, that this was her fault, yet another failure to add to her list of things that she had screwed up as the girls’ mother. And sitting in the waiting room with other mothers, holding children younger than Persephone or with children just starting their teens, she felt like she was sitting in a support group. Every one of them knew the pain the other mothers felt, as if they had failed their children.

Melinda took Persephone from Jemma’s lap after they had been waiting ten minutes. “Go walk around, get some water, something, but burn off that energy. If I feel how nervous and upset you are, Persephone feels it.” Melinda whispered to her.

Jemma nodded, kissing Persephone’s head through the mess of blonde hair that was thickening up, before getting up and wandering into the hallway where she had seen vending machines earlier. Another woman was sitting next to the vending machine, her child, a little boy no older than three in her lap, slowly feeding him Goldfish from a small packet. Jemma smiled sweetly at them before entering the numbers for a bottle of water and a packet of red fish, the one pregnancy craving she couldn’t seem to kick.

“You’re new.” The woman said, looking at Jemma with enough sympathy on her face that Jemma thought it would have felt more at home at a funeral.

Jemma nodded.

“Did you just find out your kid was deaf?”

Jemma nodded again. “I feel like it’s my fault Persephone lost 50% of her hearing.”

“Honey, it’s not your fault. It’s not some awful fate. Joey lost his young and he’s 100% deaf, but the community he has with the rest of the ASL users, it’s something my oldest never had so early in life. Hell, she’s almost 10 and I don’t think she has it.” The woman said, smiling.

“You looked so sad when you asked though.” Jemma responded, her face scrunched up.

“It’s always hard the first time, I wouldn’t wish that feeling of failure on my worst enemy.”

Jemma nodded, sliding down the wall next to the woman. “It’s hard not to think it’s my fault, her twin, Blair, nothing wrong with her, but Persephone… Persephone’s father has hearing loss that was hereditary and then she and Blair were premature…”

“But Blair has no hearing loss? Even as a twin?”

Jemma shook her head. “They had different fathers.” Jemma blushed realizing that she inadvertently disclosed too much about her sex life to a complete stranger.

“Ah. So who is here with you today?”

Jemma blushed deeper red. “One of my girlfriends, Melinda.”

The woman shrugged, seeing Jemma’s blush. “No judgment. I assume you have a large ‘family’ working with you, and that’s important. My husband isn’t as helpful with Joey as I wish he would be. Still hasn’t learned ASL or anything.”

“Skye has Blair, they are at the community center now while we take care of this, looking for references for teachers, willing to teach all eighteen of us that live together.” Jemma said, before turning her attention to the end of the hall, where Melinda was standing.

“Jem, Dr. Ashton is ready for Persephone. You coming?” Melinda asked, bouncing Persephone in front of her, making funny faces at the little girl.

Jemma nodded. “It was nice meeting you…”

“Jennifer, Jenny.” The woman responded. “Nice meeting you as well…”

“Jemma.” Jemma answered and watched Jenny get Joey’s attention and sign to him for a moment before he waved at Jemma.

“Make a friend?” Melinda asked as they followed the nurse back to the room.

“Yea. She made me realize how lucky Persephone is to have us, all of us. And that maybe I didn’t fail our little girl.”

“Good.” Melinda pressed a kiss to Jemma’s cheek before they sat down and started the extensive process of fitting and setting Persephone’s hearing aids.

In the end, they left with baby pink colored ones that fit her perfectly, and she was smiling when Melinda and Jemma made sounds at her.

When they met up with Skye, she had an extensive list of people to call for possible private teaching for the whole puppy pile. Come hell or high water, everyone would be fluent in sign before it was all said and done.

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