A/N: I'm absolute shit at figuring out how to quit while I'm ahead, and so I've ruined a couple of stories that way. So I've decided to try my hand at drabbles/one-shots and would totally appreciate feedback. Also, if you have a prompt or idea for a one-shot, feel free to send me a PM. :)
In Sam's dream he's running.
Racing really, sprinting to get away from the fire chasing him, spreading throughout the house. He checks every room on the way, but he can't find Andy and he's getting so desperate to get away from the fire. He can hear her whimpering, but when he follows it across the house, the direction changes. It's underfoot but it's not burning him, more like it's smothering him, it's not smoke invading his lungs, it's steam. Some kind of combination between burning, and drowning. He can feel the sweat creeping down his back and he has to get out or he won't make it. He throws the front door open, and his eyes shoot open.
He's staring at the bedroom ceiling, breathing heavily. It felt so real, that it takes him a minute to pat a hand over his chest to make sure he's okay. But then he hears Andy whimper, and he feels the heat all over again. But it's coming from her.
He puts hands on her face, and she's covered in beads of sweat. Her temperature's too high.
"Andy." He whispers, shaking her just a little, trying to get her awake. "Andy, c'mon, open your eyes, you're burning up sweetheart."
She starts to move with more purpose, and his hands stay on her face. He drops a couple of sweet, encouraging kisses on her sweaty brow, willing her to open her eyes long enough to take her temperature. She finally gets them open a little, and her brow is furrowed, she looks so young and confused. Afraid even.
She stayed home from her shift tonight, said she was feeling nauseous. And for the night he was entertaining the idea it could be morning sickness, despite the fact that he knows she just started her cycle...
"Hey, I'm going to go get the thermometer and we're going to take your temperature okay?" He asks, not that he's waiting for her to say it's alright.
"Water?" She asks simply, still kind of confused.
He makes a bit of mad dash to the bathroom in search of the thermometer. Once it's in his hands, he gets her a glass of cold water, and wets a cloth, and rushes back to the bed. She's still awake, and trying to kick the comforter off when he hands her the glass of water.
"Thanks." She says disoriented, trying to sit up. She falls toward him a little, but he catches her by the shoulders, and props her up against the headboard.
He watches as she gulps down the water, and then he puts the cloth around her neck. She's still too warm though, and she heats the damn thing up before they're even done taking her temperature.
When the thermometer beeps, he pulls it out of her mouth, and it reads 105. Sam doesn't hesitate for a second. It's hospital time, and she's so disoriented she can't fight him on it. Not that she would. They'd come to realize that they fight each other on rather stupid premises, and while she feels he's being over protective, if the roles were reversed she'd be the very same. He pointed that out to her the last time she was trying to tell him she was 'fine'.
It must surprise her when he dashes to the drawers and pulls out a pair of sweatpants. He does his best to slide them on her, and she's trying to lift her body as best she can, but she's far too dizzy, and still a little nauseous.
"Where we goin?" She mumbles, probably thinks she's still asleep she's that out of it.
"Hospital, sweetheart, we've gotta get you looked at." He says, trying to get his arms under her back and knees. When he lifts though, she screeches out in pain, and he puts her down and backs off like he burned her.
"Where does it hurt Andy?" He asks, already looking for his phone to call an ambulance, he's not taking any chances.
She gestures to her lower stomach. His next thought is toxic shock syndrome.
"Appendicitis?" Sam confirms once they wheel her into the ER not twenty minutes later.
"Yes, and we've caught it in time, it hasn't burst but we need to remove it as soon as we can." The doctor says easing Sam's worry. She goes on to tell him it's a very simple procedure, and there shouldn't be any complications.
And just like that, he's asked to go to the waiting room so that they can prep her. He digs into his sweat pants pocket for his phone, knows someone has to go and walk Boo in the morning. He fires off a text to Traci and Nick, hopes it doesn't wake them, but at least that's over with. Next he has to call Tommy, fight him on his urge to come down to the hospital immediately, tell him to wait till morning when she's out of surgery.
He does, finally. Took twenty minutes on the phone but finally his father in law agrees, and tells Sam to find somewhere to lie down while he waits. Tells him he's bringing him breakfast and coffee in a few hours.
He lies across a few of the chairs, and uses his jacket to cover himself up as best he can. Next thing he knows, the surgeon is shaking him awake.
"Mr. Swarek?" She asks, like she feels sorry for having woken him. He scrubs his hand over his face, and sits upright as quickly as humanly possible.
"Is she okay?"
"She's appendix-less and she's fine. She's been moved to recovery, and you can sit with her now." The nurse smiles, noting how much he's worried. "The anesthesia will wear off in a couple of hours."
"That's great." He says, before following her to Andy.
They open the curtain that privatizes them from the surrounding beds, and he pulls up the old chair with awful padding, and lays his head down by her hand. But for the life of him, he can't fall asleep again. She's fine, he knows she's fine. Minor procedure, they let young surgeons do these all the time. Saw that on Grey's Anatomy too...
But here she lies, perfectly fine, just out of surgery, and he's petrified. He can't explain it, but he needs her to wake up and tell him she's alright. Needs her to wake up as soon as possible so he can tell he loves her.
He usually does every night, but tonight she was asleep before he got into the bedroom. He was at his desk in the spare bedroom finishing up some court prep, and she was passed out, wrapped around a pillow.
He tries to remember the last thing he said to her. It was probably something mundane, something like, 'I'll be in the office' or 'I'll take the garbage out before work tomorrow'. But he's so frustrated that he doesn't know. He doesn't have anything like that to hold onto in case. Just in case.
Stuck in concentration of their last moment, he doesn't realize that the day is breaking outside, and while the sun is still hidden, the sky is brightening. He knows Tommy will be there soon, and goes to the nearest bathroom to throw some water on his face. Straighten up as best he can. Not look sad, or scared, or nervous. Just because he's having a tough time dealing with what if's doesn't mean Tommy needs to go there.
As if on cue, Tommy's sitting with her when he gets back, and hands him the coffee first, and the bagel second.
"Hey son." He says smiling at the distressed man. "You get much sleep?"
"Couple of hours. You?"
"Bout the same. Couldn't lie there anymore, just thought she'd be waking up soon." He murmurs, looking down at his daughter getting all the rest the other two crave.
"Doctor says it'll be soon."
It is soon. It's twenty minutes after that that her she starts making very small movements, and muttering the way she does in her sleep. He hears 'peanut butter' and 'Windex' and he knows she's un and sub consciously going through the grocery list she made yesterday afternoon. Doesn't make them when she goes shopping herself, but since she was sending Sam, she figured there is no margin for error, or forgetting something. He hates having to go back once he's gotten all the way home. But he always does.
"Don't get red onions." She says, the clearest thing she's said since she started waking up.
Tommy just laughs, and pats Sam on the back.
"I won't sweetheart. I won't." He says taking her hand in his, and kissing the back of it.