Welcome back to the 'Whatever Happens Here' universe! I finally have the second WHH one shot for you all!
This one shot is an accompanying fanfic to my fanfiction 'Whatever Happens Here.' This one takes place seven months after the first one shot, six years and two months after part two of the epilogue. The one shot is told entirely by Katniss and Peeta's eldest daughter Liliana.
While it may be possible to read this without having read the entire fanfic first, I wouldn't read this first if you ever plan to read the fanfic in the future as it will spoil the main story for you.
You can find me on tumblr and twitter as cchester1985 and I welcome PM's too. If you are one of my readers let me know and I'll follow you back! I will make announcements about any future one-shots I will be writing in the WHH universe and any other fanfics I will write in the future on those sites.
All credit goes to Suzanne Collins. These are her characters and the world of The Hunger Games belongs to her. Also, anything pertaining to the movie Frozen is not mine either! I have simply put some of my love for that movie into these characters.
**VERY IMPORTANT**
This one shot contains descriptions of minor medical procedures. I do not have any medical training or a background in this area. I have taken a few creative liberties but have tried to make this as real as possible.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it!
May 12, 2019 - Mother's Day
"Sissy! Look at me! I'm swinging really high up!" Landon shouts from the swing set which is adjacent to the jungle gym in our backyard.
"I see you!" I shout back. "Just please be careful Landon! You don't want to go so high that you swing right over the top of the swing set!"
"Really? I could do that if I wanted to? I didn't know that!"
Oops! Maybe I shouldn't have said that. "Well I don't exactly know if that's something that can happen. I've never heard of anyone actually going over the top of a swing set. I still want you to be careful, though! I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Oh. Okay. It does sound like it would be fun though!" I can tell by the change in the tone of his voice that I've disappointed him by telling him this but I love my little brother and I don't want anything bad to happen to him. I love the twins too but they are still very young yet so mom and dad are usually the ones taking care of them.
Since the day Landon was born I have been very protective of him just like our parents are very protective of us. Mom still reminds me at least a couple times every week how similar my father and I are. We both have very protective instincts. As I like to say, I am my father's daughter.
After church this morning, dad and all of us kids took mom out for brunch since today is Mother's Day. Once we got home we gave her our handmade cards and all of the gifts that we made and purchased for her with dads help. At two o'clock, mom and dad took the twins upstairs to put them down for their afternoon nap and they told Landon and I that we could go outside and play if we wanted to while the twins napped. Honestly, I think they were hoping we would want to play outside. I understand why. They don't get much time to themselves with four kids in the house now. I know I like having time to myself to read and relax in my room without being interrupted by my siblings so I'm sure mom and dad like to relax as well.
Since I've recently started doing gymnastics I've been spending a lot of time on the jungle gym in our backyard. Going across the monkey bars is helping me to gain upper body strength which is very important for gymnastics. Having a lot of upper body strength will also help me to become a stronger and faster swimmer. Swimming is probably my favorite sport but gymnastics is a close second.
Landon likes to play on the jungle gym too, but his favorite thing to do out here is swing. He plays on the swings and I go back and forth across the monkey bars. We both enjoy being outdoors especially when the sun is out and we keep each other company.
I'm not saying we are the perfect brother and sister; we have our fights like all siblings do. But I think it's pretty accurate to say that we get along about eighty to ninety percent of the time.
"You're swinging really high today! You must have gained a lot of leg muscles to help you get that high Landon!"
"Yeah I'm getting big and strong! I have to be strong if I want to be in the Air Force one day sis!" He tells me. This doesn't surprise me though. While it's true that Landon and our mom are very close, he's talked about wanting to join the Air Force just like dad did since he was three and a half years old. Mom always reminds him that she doesn't want him to grow up too quickly though. We'll always be her babies no matter how old we get.
"Don't worry. You've got plenty of time to get big and strong like dad!" I remind him.
"You're getting strong too Liliana! How many times have you gone across that today so far?"
"Umm... this is my nineteenth time. One more to..."
"Ahh sis! I made a cherry bump!" Landon screams causing me to lose concentration for a split second.
A split second is all it takes though. It happens so quickly that I lose all control of my body and slam into the ground hard, landing awkwardly on my left arm as my forehead slams into one of the poles that anchors the jungle gym into the ground. Everything goes black for a moment and when I try to open my eyes everything seems to be spinning so I close them again. I try to fight the tears but my head and left arm hurt too much. My forehead is throbbing and so is my left forearm.
"Lan...Landon!" I cry out!
"Sissy! Sissy!" I can't see him but I can hear him crying for me as he makes the unmistakable sound of dragging his feet in the mulch to slow the swing so he can get off.
Moments later I feel him wrap his arms around my back. "Sissy! You're hu...hurt!" He cries with his cheek pressed into my back.
"Ye...yeah I am Landon. I need y...you to do me a favor. I...I need you to run and go get mom an...and dad." I'm trying to sound as calm as possible so that I don't make Landon worry even more but I can't seem to stop crying. My head and left arm are throbbing horribly and the fact that I'm still lying on my arm is making the pain even worse.
"O... Okay." He swallows. "I don't want to leave you alone though Liliana!"
I squeeze my eyes shut causing more tears to fall into the dirt below my face. My face will be lying in a puddle of mud before long if I don't move. "I'll...I'll be okay for a minute. Just please hurry!"
"O...okay. I'll be back before you know I'm gone, I promise."
"Daddy! Mommy!" I hear him shout as he runs in the direction of the patio door.
I decide that it would be best if I try to roll onto my right side. It'll take some of the pressure off my left arm at least. It hurts to move and it's probably a good thing that I waited to do this until Landon was inside because the cries of pain I make while I'm rolling over would only scare him more.
Landon can be brave and strong when he wants to be, just like I am when it comes to him and the twins, but he is protective of me as well. He doesn't like it when I am hurting. It scares him. He always wants to help me feel better but he doesn't always know what to do.
Like he promised, Landon isn't gone for very long. I'm only alone for about two minutes before I hear him sprinting in my direction with our mom and dad.
"What happened Lily-bug? What hurts?" My dad asks worriedly as he kneels down in front of me.
I try opening my eyes again. Everything still seems to be a little blurry but I'm also crying so maybe that's what's causing it, I think.
"I fe…fell off the monkey bars. I got distracted when Landon shou…shouted because he did a cherry bu…bump on the swing set and I lost my grip as I went to grab on to the next bar. I landed face down on my left arm. It hu…hurts really badly. Do y…you think I broke it?" I choke out through my sobs as he reaches out to wipe the tears off my cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.
"I don't know sweetie. You might have. Lily-bug, we'll have to take you over to Panem Memorial to have X-rays taken to know for sure. Does anything else hurt? Do you think you can walk?"
"My head hurts; I hit my head on the pole as I hit the ground."
"Oh my God!" My mom gasps.
The look on my dad's face tells me that this really isn't good. He quickly snaps into action. "Katniss please go grab a couple of ice packs from the freezer and call Haymitch and Prim and see if they will come over and stay with the children."
"Yeah, I'm on it! Haymitch said that he and Maysilee were going to spend the day at home so he should be able to get here quickly. I'm not sure if Prim and Rory are home right now." My mom bends down and places a feather-light kiss to the top of my head. "You're going to be alright Liliana. Daddy and I are going to make sure of that. Hang in there sweetie!"
Mom jogs off towards the house and dad turns his full attention back to me as he helps me slowly roll onto my back, while keeping my left arm bent at a ninety degree angle across my abdomen. "Liliana I need you tell me what you remember from the moment your body hit the ground and your head the pole. Do you remember everything that happened or do you think you might have lost consciousness and blacked out for a little bit?"
I think back, "I think I might have blacked out for a couple seconds as my head hit the pole but I don't think it lasted very long because I remember everything else that happened. I feel dizzy though. And I have a headache."
"Alright, honey that's a good sign if you didn't lose consciousness. But we need to get you to the hospital soon just to make sure there isn't something else wrong and to get some X-rays of your left arm. It's swelling up already."
"It hurts daddy." I say as I try my best to remain calm. I can't ignore the throbbing in my head or the pain in my arm but having my daddy with me helps me to remain calm. He's had this effect on me for as long as I can remember. My mom says the relationship between me and my father has been this was since the day I was born. I believe it. When I'm with my dad, I feel safe and loved and protected. I know that even if something bad happens he will be there right by my side and we will be okay.
That's not to say that I don't feel safe, loved and protected being with my mom, because I do. Dad and I just share a very special bond.
"I know sweetie. I wish I could take your pain away." He leans down and kisses my cheek.
"Okay, until we know for sure that you are okay I don't want you to move any more than necessary so I'm going to carry you to the car." Bending down on his strong right leg, he lifts my knees high enough so that he can tuck his right arm under them while his left arm wraps around my back. I wrap my right arm around the back of his neck as he carefully stands up, lifting me in his arms.
"Landon can you run ahead and ask mommy to bring the ice, a shirt for me to wear and my wallet and meet us at the car? I'm going to get Lily-bug buckled in.
"Yeah daddy!" Landon takes off running but suddenly stops after a few feet and turns around.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah buddy?"
"Will sissy be okay?" I can hear the worry in his voice.
"Your mom and I are going to do everything in our power to make sure she is, okay?"
Landon nods his head. "Okay." He still looks worried though.
Dad carries me straight from the backyard to where our car is parked in the driveway. Mom uses the remote to unlock the doors for us. Without jostling me, dad very carefully opens the sliding door before placing me on my booster seat. Some kids my age are beginning to grow out of their booster seats but I haven't hit my growth spurt yet so I still have to sit on one when I ride in the car. I ask dad if he can lean the seat back part way, I feel better when I'm lying back since I'm still pretty dizzy.
I'm grateful when I see Landon coming out the front door, his arms full of ice packs. I've been injured enough times in my lifetime to know that ice won't make the pain go away completely but I do know that it helps, especially with keeping the swelling down. Landon hands the ice packs to dad one by one as he wraps a couple of them around my left arm and gives me one to hold to the bump on my forehead.
Grandpa Haymitch pulls in the driveway just as dad is buckling my seatbelt. He sure got here quickly, I think. It's only been what, a couple minutes since mom ran in the house?
Haymitch jumps out of the car as soon as he pulls his keys out of the ignition. As if dad is reading my mind, he asks, "Did you speed on the way over here?"
"Umm maybe a little... but my granddaughter is hurt and needs to get to the hospital! That's more important. Don't worry, I only passed one car on the way here and I was safe!" Grandpa Haymitch sounds frazzled. I've hardly ever heard him talk like this.
Mom comes running out the door when she sees grandpa Haymitch. "Okay, thanks for coming Haymitch! Here's the baby monitor, there's milk in the fridge you can warm up for the twins and Landon can eat..." I can tell that she is on the verge of tears and I can't help but feel awful that I'm the one causing her to feel this way. This is Mother's Day, it should be a day spent celebrating her and not all focused on me.
Grandpa Haymitch braces his hand on my mom's shoulder. "Katniss relax! I've got this, you need to go."
"Noooo!" Landon suddenly latches onto moms legs. "Don't make me stay here! I have to go with sissy! I need to make sure she's okay."
"Landon..." Dad begins. "Liliana won't be alone, and you'll have grandpa Haymitch here with you."
"No! Please daddy!" Landon breaks down crying. I don't think he's going to give up. "I have to go with you! Pleeeaaaase!"
"Dad can he come too?" I ask, not wanting Landon to get even more upset. My brother is sensitive, but he can also be passionate and very headstrong when he wants to be.
Dad quickly throws on the shirt that mom brought out for him and then rubs space between his eyes. I can tell that he doesn't really want to bring Landon along because as of right now we don't know what is really wrong with me or what's going to happen when we get to the emergency room, but he seems to realize that Landon isn't going to give up on this. He also knows that we need to get going right away so he gives in. "Alright buddy. Get in, let's go!"
Mom helps Landon get his seatbelt fastened before getting in the passenger side next to dad. Grandpa Haymitch comes around the car to me and leans in, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "You'll be okay, Lily-bug! I love you! I'll call and check on you in a little bit, okay?"
I nod my head and manage to give him a small smile. As soon as he closes the sliding door we are on our way.
Panem memorial is the largest civilian hospital in the area and it even has its own children's wing. Dad's first choice would normally be the medical center on Panem Air Base but they don't have a specialized children's wing so he decides not to take me there.
Dad pulls the van up right outside the emergency room doors and jumps out. He then carefully undoes my seatbelt and lifts me back into his arms. Mom tells him that she'll go park the van and meet us inside with Landon. As he goes through the second set of doors, I realize they must have seen us pull up when two nurses and a doctor rush towards us with a gurney for me.
"Hello! Mr. Mellark? This is Liliana? We received a call a couple minutes ago from a Haymitch Abernathy saying you were on your way." The doctor wearing a white doctor's coat over rosy pink scrubs and a friendly smile greets my dad.
"Yes, I'm Peeta Mellark and this is Liliana. She fell off the monkey bars in our backyard less than 30 minutes ago and landed hard on her left arm. It's swelling up already. She also hit her head pretty hard on the metal pole when she fell. That's probably our biggest concern right now. She didn't really lose consciousness but she did black out for a moment on impact."
"Okay." She gives me a sympathetic look, apparently noticing how tightly I'm holding onto my dad with my uninjured arm and then it changes into a warm smile. "Don't worry Liliana; you're in the best of hands. My name is Dr. Fernandes. I'm going to be your doctor. Would you like to lie down? I think you'll feel better if you do."
"Umm… yeah I guess so, but can my dad stay with me?" I ask nervously.
"Of course he can. You can even hold his hand the whole time. The only time you'll have to let go of his hand is while we take some X-rays to make sure that nothing is broken, and that doesn't take more than a minute or so."
"Alright. I'd like that." I give her a small smile.
"That's my big brave girl!" Dad says as he kisses the crown of my head before carefully lying me down on the waiting gurney. Once I am comfortably lying down, dad comes around to my right side and takes my right hand in his and holds on tight.
"Liliana, we are going to take you into an exam room now so that I can examine you myself and we can help you to start feeling better." She also introduces the two nurses who are standing to her right and left. The man carrying the small laptop is Isaiah and the lady with the pink and purple Minnie Mouse scrubs is Sydney. They both seem to be friendly just like Dr. Fernandes. Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought.
Mom and Landon join us just as they are rolling my bed into an exam area. Mom is holding Landon tightly in her arms. My heart sinks as I glance up at Landon. I can tell that he's been crying. I hope the hospital isn't scaring him; maybe I shouldn't have asked dad to let him come.
Isaiah begins the examination by getting me registered as a hospital patient. He asks me all sorts of questions such as my full name, my age and my birthday. He also asks my mom and dad a bunch of questions about my medical history and my current weight and height. As soon as he is finished asking his questions and entering the information we provide into the computer he leaves and comes back a couple minutes later with a hospital bracelet which he secures to my right wrist with adhesive.
Once Isaiah has me fully registered, Dr. Fernandes begins a physical examination. She examines the bump on my forehead and then my arm.
"You're pretty lucky today Liliana. I think you're heads going to be okay. You're probably going to be sore for a while and it might take the headache little bit of time to completely go away though."
"O...okay."
"I'll have Sydney get you something to help manage the pain and the swelling. As far as the dizziness you are feeling, I doubt it's anything to worry about but I want to make sure so I'd like to keep you overnight for observation. If you start feeling worse or if the dizziness doesn't go away by tomorrow morning I am going to order a head CT."
This worries me. I've never spent the night in the hospital before. Well, I guess I have when I was born but I was too young to remember that. And when I was a newborn my parents were both at the hospital too.
I turn to my parents and I'm pretty sure that the looks of concern on their faces mirror my own. My dad gives my hand a squeeze and I squeeze his hand back.
Dr. Fernandes pauses to ask, "Do any of you have any questions so far."
I nod my head right away. "Do they, umm... can at least one of my parents stay here with me tonight? I've never spent the night in a hospital before, well not that I can remember anyways, and I'm kind of scared to be alone."
Dr. Fernandes gives me another sympathetic smile and rubs the back of my shoulder soothingly. "Oh of course Liliana. In fact they are both welcome to stay with you."
I turn my head towards my dad again and he gives me a smile. "I'm not going anywhere sweetie. I'll be right here with you the whole time. We're going home together, okay?"
"Okay, that sounds good."
"We'll make some sleeping arrangements for you Mr. and Mrs. Mellark if you are all going to stay the night."
"Well we have seven month old twins at home so I will probably have to leave for a while this evening to make sure they will have enough milk for tonight but I will come back as soon as possible." My mom informs her.
"That's completely fine Mrs. Mellark."
"What about me?" Landon asks suddenly.
Mom shifts him in her arms and answers him. "Don't worry Landon, we'll figure everything out. You'll be taken care of, we promise!"
"Now as for your arm Liliana, I'd like to get some X-rays right away. It's pretty swollen and I can tell that it's hurting you."
"Okay. Umm… Dr. Fernandes? Will the X-rays hurt?"
Dr. Fernandes shakes her head. "Not at all, X-rays are basically pictures of the bones inside your body. They will tell me if you have a fracture or a break in one of your bones. Having x-rays taken is just like having your picture taken. They are painless and over in no time."
"Oh. Alright. That doesn't sound so bad then."
"Sydney here will take you down to radiology for the X-rays and then as soon as I read them, we'll take care of your arm and get you settled into a room for the night. How does that sound?"
"That sounds okay. Thanks Dr. Fernandes!"
"You're welcome sweetie. I'll be happy when I know you're feeling better. I'm going to do everything in my power to make that happen as quickly as possible. I have to make my rounds but I will be back as soon as I get the results from radiology. If you all need anything you can ask Sydney. She knows where to find me if you need me for anything."
My parents stand up to shake Dr. Fernandes' hand and thank her for getting me admitted and examining me so quickly. After she leaves, Sydney and my dad help me to move from the bed to a wheelchair. With my throbbing headache, I'm still not one hundred percent stable on my feet so I'm glad to have their support.
Sydney pushes the wheelchair while my mom and dad walk on either side of me. My mom carries Landon who has calmed down somewhat, but his tears have been replaced with fear. He seems to be extremely worried. I feel so bad for him. He must be so scared.
True to his promise my dad walks on my right side, holding my hand tightly in his.
The X-rays are quick and painless just as Dr. Fernandes had promised they would be. The X-ray technician takes four or five pictures of my lower arm in different positions and before I know it we are on our way back to the exam room on the first floor.
Dad lifts me from the wheelchair back into the bed and then mom puts Landon down on the bed next to me.
After a couple of minutes Landon begins tapping my right arm very lightly. His touches are hardly noticeable; it's almost like he's afraid to touch me. "Sissy?"
"Yeah Landon?"
"Can I umm... can I give you a hug? Maybe that will help your pain go away. You know like how mommy and daddy sometimes kiss our boo-boos and then they don't hurt so badly."
"Sure you can Landon! I'd love a hug! And you know you don't have to ask me for a hug!" I reply as I wrap my uninjured right arm around his shoulders.
"I know, but you're already hurt and I don't want to injure you even more. I've already hurt you bad enough sis." I look down at his face and my heart breaks. His eyes are already full of tears and his bottom lip is trembling. I can tell he's moments away from completely breaking down. Mom and dad both notice this as well. Dad is on his feet immediately and mom quickly gets up and sits down on the bed by Landon's feet. She reaches out to rub his back while I wrap my right arm around as much of his small body as I can.
"Landon, no! Why are you blaming yourself?" This is what I was afraid of. Landon can be really sensitive about stuff like this. He tends to feel bad about things he has no control over. "You didn't cause me to fall off the monkey bars! I did that all on my own!"
"Bu...but I shou...shouted out for y...you when I made the cher...cherry bump! You los...lost your concentration whe...when I shou...shouted! I made y...you fall! An...and now you're hur...hurt!" Landon wraps his arms around my abdomen tightly and cries into my purple tank top.
"Oh buddy, no, no, no! You didn't cause your sister to get hurt! Accidents just happen." My dad says in calm voice as he tries to reassure Landon.
"It's okay to feel sad, it's hard seeing someone you love and care about in pain. That's how it is for your dad and me. We feel sad every time one of you is hurt or in pain." Mom explains. "But you shouldn't blame yourself for an accident like this. Liliana might have fallen even if you were completely quiet."
"Mom and dad are both right. I'm usually very good at the monkey bars. I'm on them all the time at home and on the playground at school. This time I just got distracted and I lost my grip and fell. I'm hurting right now, yes. But I'll be okay."
Landon pulls his face out of my shirt just enough so that he can look up at me with his glassy eyes and tear soaked cheeks. "Are y...you sure?"
"I'm positive! My head still hurts but the throbbing is starting to go away. And we'll know more about my arm very soon. Look at it this way. If you hadn't been out there with me, I might still be lying in dirt. If anything Landon, you helped me. You were there to go get help when I needed it! I owe you one little bro."
Landon thinks about what I've said for a moment. "Yeah I guess you're right! Thanks sis! I'm very glad that you're not still lying in the backyard in pain."
"We are too!" Mom adds. "See, you helped your sister. You didn't hurt her. Dad and I are both very proud of you!" She kisses him on the forehead and he finally gives us all a smile.
Almost on cue, Dr. Fernandes pulls back the curtain around our exam area. "How's everyone doing in here?" Judging by her expression and demeanor, I'm pretty sure that she just overheard at least some of the conversation that we all just had, but she doesn't want to pry.
"We're okay. We just had a little family discussion. There was a misunderstanding, but I think we solved everything." Dad answers her.
"I'm glad to hear that! In fact, I'm here to solve one more problem."
"Have you seen my X-rays yet Dr. Fernandes?"
"Yes, actually I have. That's why I'm here. Unfortunately I have a bit of bad news. There is a fracture in one of the bones in your arm. It's a hairline fracture in your radius so we'll have to put the majority of your left arm in a cast for about six weeks. The good news is you didn't completely break it so it doesn't require surgery to fix it. And one cool thing about it is that you get to choose the color of the cast."
"Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense. I've sprained things before and they never hurt this badly. I can't really move my arm either so I guess that's a sign that it's fractured huh?" I ask.
"Yeah, that is typically a sign that there is a break or a fracture. Now, you won't be in pain the whole time. We'll keep you on an anti-inflammatory pain reliever in the beginning for both your arm and your head but after that you should be alright without it. How would you say your pain is right now?"
"Umm… well nurse Sydney gave me some medicine before I got the X-rays taken so that is helping some. It's not as bad as when I first got here and the throbbing in my head is starting to go away."
Dr. Fernandes smiles when I say this so I take it as a good sign. "That's great news, especially about your head. We'll keep you here tonight just to keep an eye on you and then you should be able to go home either tomorrow morning or early tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll need to move you to another room so that we can put the cast on your arm, and then we'll take you up to the children's ward and you can get settled into your room for the night. When you get up there you can choose something from the cafeteria menu and they'll bring it right up to your room for you."
"I'm not really hungry." I admit. I haven't felt hungry at all since I hit my head actually.
"That's okay; you'll get your appetite back eventually. I'm going to ask that you eat at least one meal before we can discharge you tomorrow though."
"Alright."
I turn to my dad and he gives me a slight smile. "Don't worry Lily-bug, we'll get you something you like when you feel up to eating."
"Thanks dad." Dad smiles and gives my hand another squeeze which I return immediately.
Dr. Fernandes takes us all into another room on the first floor that I notice is full of bandages and other types of wraps in many different colors. She begins by draping some cloths over my clothes. She says it's to protect my clothes from the plaster she'll be using to make the cast.
With Sydney's assistance they begin wrapping my arm with thick layers of soft cotton from halfway between my shoulder and my elbow all the way down to my hand. She even loops the cotton through the space between my thumb and pointer finger. She calls this a long arm cast. She explains that she is making the cast longer since the fracture is closer to my elbow than it is to my wrist.
When they are finished with that layer, she wraps a layer of wet, gooey plaster over the cotton. I'm a little confused at first as to why she's using something so soft and wet to make my cast but then she explains that it's quick drying plaster. It's wet and pliable so that she can make it fit around my arm properly but when it dries it will be strong and stiff so that it will hold the bones in my arm in place, giving them time to heal and mend themselves.
The last layer of bandages is the colorful layer. "What's your favorite color Liliana?" Dr. Fernandes asks me.
"Pink and green are my two favorite colors."
"Oh, we have something in common!" She tells me. "I like pink too. My favorite colors are pink and purple."
"Oh that's cool. My mom likes green just like me and my dad likes orange!"
"Those are pretty colors too! So which color would you like your cast to be?"
I think about it for a moment. Then I remember it's Mother's Day so I decide to go with the color that my mom and I both like. "Can you please make it green?"
"I sure can! And if you'd like, I have slings that are pink, so you can have a pink sling to hold your green cast in. That way you have both of you favorite colors."
"That would be cool! Thanks Dr. Fernandes!"
"You're very welcome sweetie!"
As soon as my cast is dry, Dr. Fernandes puts my arm in a sling and secures the sling around the back of my neck. She wants me to use the sling to support my arm for the first two weeks.
Dr. Fernandes has to go make her rounds again so she asks Sydney to take us upstairs to the children's ward. I'm still kind of nervous about spending the night in the hospital but knowing that my dad and maybe even my mom will be with me the whole time makes me a little less worried.
Once I am comfortably resting in bed, mom explains that she has to go home for a little while to make sure that the twins have enough milk to get them through the night. She also wants to pack us an overnight bag with our toiletries, pajamas and clean clothes for tomorrow.
Surprisingly she even convinces Landon to go home with her. He really doesn't want to leave me but I think he's also a little scared of sleeping in the hospital. After a hug from dad and two hugs from me he finally agrees to go home with mom.
Once mom and Landon have left dad asks me again if I feel like eating. I still don't have much of an appetite so he doesn't push it. He suggests turning the TV on in the room and I tell him that would be okay. Maybe I won't think about my injuries and about being in the hospital all night if I have something to distract me.
We flip through the channels for a while hoping to find something we want to watch, but we don't come across anything interesting. Just as my dad is about to turn off the TV, Sydney comes in the room to check on me.
She takes my temperature and my vitals such as my blood pressure and my pulse. She also asks me to rate my pain on a scale of one to ten just as Dr. Fernandes did in the emergency room. I tell her that it's at about a three at the moment. She seems to think it's a reasonable level considering my injuries but she can't give me anymore medicine for a couple hours.
Before she leaves she asks if I need anything. I tell her that I'll probably try to get some rest since there's nothing I want to watch on TV. She tells me that it's okay if I fall asleep, but that she'll be checking on me every couple hours throughout the night. She also tells us that if we change our mind she has some DVD's at the nurse's station we can watch. This peaks my interest so I ask her which movies she has. As soon as she says Frozen I know what I'm in the mood to watch.
I ask her if she can get it and she comes back a couple minutes later and puts it in for us. Frozen has been my favorite movie since I was three years old. It came out in the theaters about two and a half months before I turned four and according to my dad it was the first movie I ever sat through all the way in the theaters. He says that from the moment the movie started I was enamored with it. I can still remember singing the songs over and over with my parents. They were probably sick of it by the time I turned five but they never told me so. I can basically quote the entire movie to this day.
As the opening song begins I notice that my dad is trying to get comfortable in the chair next to my bed. It can't be easy; the chair doesn't seem to be comfortable just by looking at it. "Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you like to join me up here? This bed is plenty big enough for the two of us to sit on and it's probably a lot more comfortable than the chair you're sitting in." I ask him.
"Are you sure sweetie? I know you need your rest."
"I'm sure. Please come and sit with me!" I give him the puppy dog eyes that I know he can never say no to. Some things will never change. I'm always going to be daddy's girl.
"Now how can I say no to that face?"
"You can't!" I reply.
Dad pulls the railing all the way down on my right side and carefully climbs up next to me. He wraps his left arm around my back and I lean into him as we get comfortable and watch the movie together. We even sing our favorite songs together; it turns out that dad still remembers all of the words too. He always says that my mom and I have the sweetest voices he's ever heard but his voice isn't that bad.
There is a knock at the door just as Hans is leaving Anna all alone in the room to freeze to death. "Come in."
"I've come back to join two of the people I think are absolutely worth melting for."
"Awwh! Hi mom!" I say as I give her a big smile! "I'm glad you're back! And you're just in time for the ending of the movie! I love the ending!"
"I do too! I heard the movie playing from outside the door, that's how I knew to greet you the way I did! This movie never gets old."
Dad chuckles, "Nope, I think it'll always be a family favorite. And besides, now we have two more children to introduce the movie too!"
"I'll teach them the words to all the songs!" I add.
"I'm counting on it! There's no one better for that job." Dad gives me a wink.
"I'm spending the night with you two." Mom begins. "I made sure that the twins would have enough milk to get through to tomorrow afternoon and Landon was already getting sleepy by the time I left the house. He was watching Cars in the living room with Aaden when I left. I convinced him that Lily-bug would be okay and I promised him that we'll be home as soon as we can tomorrow. If anything changes Haymitch promised he will bring him up here immediately. Prim and Rory are there with their son too so between the three of them I think they should be able to take care of two six-month-old babies and a two year old until tomorrow."
"Yeah that's one kid to each adult, they should be just fine! They're all pretty much pro's at taking care of kids anyways." Dad adds. "They've been doing it for years."
"How are you feeling now sweetie?" Mom asks.
"I'm kind of tired. It's been a long day." I answer her with a yawn.
"Yeah it has. I stopped and talked to nurse Sydney on the way to the room and she said that she'll be in with some medicine for you at ten o'clock. Hopefully once you get some more medicine you'll be able to get some sleep."
After the movie ends dad gets off the bed and begins to set up the pull-out bed for him and mom. I'm really glad that they get to sleep in the room with me.
Mom and dad take turns getting changed into their pajamas in the adjoining bathroom and then the two of them help me get out of my play clothes and into one of my sleeveless nightgowns that mom brought for me. Mom also helps me to use the bathroom and get ready for bed. I didn't realize how difficult simple things are when you only have the use of one arm. I guess I'll have to figure out how to do these things for myself with one arm or it will be a very long and difficult six weeks.
Dad gives me a goodnight hug and kiss and then goes to lie down. Then mom does the same. When I hug her back I suddenly realize that I haven't apologized for ruining her Mother's Day. This day wasn't supposed to turn out like this. "I'm so sorry mom! I didn't mean to ruin your Mother's Day!"
Mom only hugs me tighter. "Oh Liliana, there's nothing to apologize for! You didn't do anything wrong. It was an accident! I know that. I'm not mad at you!"
"But we didn't get to finish celebrating Mother's Day with you! Dad was going to make you a big dinner and Landon and I were going to help him. My accident ruined the day for everyone."
"Sweetie please don't feel bad. We can have a big family dinner any day. You're more important than any planned celebration, and remember, if I didn't have you and your brothers and sister I wouldn't even be a mother. You are the ones who make me a mom and I love you so much! You four kids are the reason I get to celebrate Mother's Day in the first place. All of you kids are my greatest blessings and trust me I don't forget to count my blessings. The middle of next week will be ten years since your dad and I got married and together we made the best four children in the world. Our family means the world to me. I would be lost without you." Mom explains as she gently kisses my forehead.
"I love you too mom! I guess you're right! I can help dad make you a big dinner next week."
"That sounds wonderful! I'm looking forward to it! Now let's get some rest okay!"
"Okay!"
Nurse Sydney wakes me up a couple times during the night when she comes in to check my vitals and ask me what my rate of pain is but I fall back to sleep quickly each time.
In the morning Dr. Fernandes comes back to check on me. She does another physical examination and asks me to rate my pain and describe how I'm feeling.
My arm is still swollen and pretty sore and so is my head, but the good news is that the throbbing I was feeling yesterday is gone and the headache isn't nearly as bad as it was. Since I'm improving steadily and not feeling worse she decides I don't need a head CT. The only thing she's still concerned about is that I haven't eaten a full meal since the accident. She tells me that if I eat a moderate breakfast and keep it down without feeling ill, she'll discharge me to go home after lunch.
I do as she asks and after lunch, we say farewell to Sydney and Dr. Fernandes and head for home. I can already tell that it's going to be a rough six weeks for me. I'm going to have to learn to do a lot of things differently and I won't be able to participate in my favorite sports. But even though I know it won't be easy for me, I know that I have my family's support. I'll get through it. We'll get through it. Together.
Seven months ago I learned the true story of what my parents went through in the months leading up to my birth. It wasn't easy to hear and I've even had nightmares about it. But while it's true that some parts of their story frightened me, I think it's made me in into a stronger individual. Learning about that horrible time in their lives taught me that sometimes life is going to knock you down and try to hold to you back, but if you stay positive and fight to keep going and to overcome those obstacles, life can be good again and you can make it through more than you ever imagine is possible.
I really hope that you enjoyed the second WHH one shot! Liliana's POV is always fun to write!
I owe a very special thank you to christyjosh4eva for everything she's done to help and support me! I am dedicating this one shot to her and I've created the character of Dr. Fernandes just for her. She is definitely one person I believe is worth melting for!
Thanks again to all of you for reading!
***** I have been thinking about some more future one shot ideas that I am going to write in the 'Whatever Happens Here' universe. I haven't come up with any specific ideas yet though! If you have any ideas for one shots that you'd like to see me write, leave me a personal message or a review and I will definitely consider all your ideas. I'd love to write more!
*****Please leave me a quick review! I always love reading your reviews! They motivate me to want to write more!