picking up the pieces (narrative)
It had been no easy thing to recover from the misery and torment that was the Year of Hell.
Her daughter had died of a virus unleashed by the Master when she was five months and three days old. It wasn't until Megan, Ix, was five months and four days old that Kate had finally reached a point where she could finally start to recover. Prior to that, Kate had suffered from an awful case of depression. She didn't feel bonded to Ix and some days she ran hot and cool, either she worried herself sick or kept to her own self with no desire to even hold or inquire about her. The worst was when she woke up in a sudden, sold sweat completely convinced that this was all a trick.
When Kate saw that she would live, she was not made immediately better. What did happen was that a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. That night she had someone managed a full night's sleep. It was a start.
She had kept up her letters to Ianto, one for each month. At first her letters were sparse and included only a few pictures of Ix. Those were done out of a since of duty not desire, just a few quick words on how Ix was doing. Kate didn't have the heart for much more. Sometimes she felt abandoned and sometimes she thought it was her own fault. Maybe she should have stayed, maybe she should try to go back, or maybe they wanted to get as far away from her as possible. She didn't know.
When Ix was thirteen months old, Kate finally left Muir Island. Doctor Moira MacTaggert and her staff had done everything that they could. It was time for her, she had decided, to stand on her own two feet as best she could. She didn't return to her apartment in New York nor did she return to her parent's house. She wound up staying at the Xavier Institute. That stay helped. It was good for her to get back into training, to supervise some of the younger students in danger room sessions, to even teach a few cooking classes. There were more than enough people to help her look after Ix, even her parents visited.
She was getting better.
Kate loved her daughter, loved her more than anything else. She had to do what she first did when she realized she was trapped in Cardiff. She could give into panic and let fear take, it would be so easy but again there are several reasons as to why she can't and won't do that. She will be strong. She will keep it together. If for no other reason than Ix doesn't deserve to have her mother's baggage hamper her life.
In May, Kate was offered a position with the New York branch of X-Corporation as director of public relations and community outreach programs. It was a big job with a lot of responsibilities. She was sure that it was a charity position but was somehow convinced to accept it.
Kate threw herself into her job which she admittedly thought she excelled at. She kept herself busy. A house in Westchester, thirty minutes away from Manhattan, was bought so Ix would have a backyard and because Kate would have to think about fixing it up. Moving in took a lot of her energy but she spent as much time with Ix as possible, they were involved in several Mommy & Me classes.
She was better.
There was a small hope that someday Ix's father would come back into her life. She kept that belief alive, inside herself and unvocalized, for her daughter and because she didn't want to let it go. Ix needed her father. Kate didn't want to lose that hope, it would be too devastating.
Her daughter had died of a virus unleashed by the Master when she was five months and three days old. It wasn't until Megan, Ix, was five months and four days old that Kate had finally reached a point where she could finally start to recover. Prior to that, Kate had suffered from an awful case of depression. She didn't feel bonded to Ix and some days she ran hot and cool, either she worried herself sick or kept to her own self with no desire to even hold or inquire about her. The worst was when she woke up in a sudden, sold sweat completely convinced that this was all a trick.
When Kate saw that she would live, she was not made immediately better. What did happen was that a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. That night she had someone managed a full night's sleep. It was a start.
She had kept up her letters to Ianto, one for each month. At first her letters were sparse and included only a few pictures of Ix. Those were done out of a since of duty not desire, just a few quick words on how Ix was doing. Kate didn't have the heart for much more. Sometimes she felt abandoned and sometimes she thought it was her own fault. Maybe she should have stayed, maybe she should try to go back, or maybe they wanted to get as far away from her as possible. She didn't know.
When Ix was thirteen months old, Kate finally left Muir Island. Doctor Moira MacTaggert and her staff had done everything that they could. It was time for her, she had decided, to stand on her own two feet as best she could. She didn't return to her apartment in New York nor did she return to her parent's house. She wound up staying at the Xavier Institute. That stay helped. It was good for her to get back into training, to supervise some of the younger students in danger room sessions, to even teach a few cooking classes. There were more than enough people to help her look after Ix, even her parents visited.
She was getting better.
Kate loved her daughter, loved her more than anything else. She had to do what she first did when she realized she was trapped in Cardiff. She could give into panic and let fear take, it would be so easy but again there are several reasons as to why she can't and won't do that. She will be strong. She will keep it together. If for no other reason than Ix doesn't deserve to have her mother's baggage hamper her life.
In May, Kate was offered a position with the New York branch of X-Corporation as director of public relations and community outreach programs. It was a big job with a lot of responsibilities. She was sure that it was a charity position but was somehow convinced to accept it.
Kate threw herself into her job which she admittedly thought she excelled at. She kept herself busy. A house in Westchester, thirty minutes away from Manhattan, was bought so Ix would have a backyard and because Kate would have to think about fixing it up. Moving in took a lot of her energy but she spent as much time with Ix as possible, they were involved in several Mommy & Me classes.
She was better.
There was a small hope that someday Ix's father would come back into her life. She kept that belief alive, inside herself and unvocalized, for her daughter and because she didn't want to let it go. Ix needed her father. Kate didn't want to lose that hope, it would be too devastating.