Thank you all for the reviews, favorites and follows you have given me in the last twenty-four hours. I so appreciate the support. Here is part two. Nothing belongs to me except original characters. Enjoy! xoxo
Seven Stitches
"I demand to see my son, Henry Bass, immediately."
Chuck, who was in a private room with his son, heard his wife shout from down the hallway of Lenox Hill Hospital.
Four year old Henry who was sucking on a lollipop beamed, "Mommy!" He was about ready to jump off the exam table when Chuck stopped him.
"Hen, you have to stay here. I'll go out and get Mommy. We'll be right back. Stay with Helen." Chuck glanced at his son's still distraught nanny. "Try to keep him still." She nodded as Chuck leaned in kissing the top of his son's head before turning and leaving the room.
He immediately saw his wife at the check in desk. She looked pale, frightened and more than a little angry. He pitied the admitting nurse.
"Blair," he called her name as he approached the door to exit into the waiting room.
The relieved nurse sighed, "Mr. Bass, I was just going to escort your wife down."
Chuck smiled at her. "Thank you." He pushed the door open and was immediately approached by his wife.
"Where is he? Is he okay? Did you call Dr. Pressman? I texted you his number. He needs to do the stitches. It's his face, Chuck."
Chuck placed a hand on her upper arm and squeezed. "Blair, you need to calm down."
"I can't calm down. My four year old son has a gash in his face. He was hurt and I was downtown at some stupid meeting." She started to cry.
Chuck wrapped his arms around his wife. She buried her face against the front of his dress shirt. He had to get her to relax before they went back to Henry.
He had gotten a call thirty minutes ago from a frantic Dorota. Henry had been at the park when he had slipped and fallen from one of the climbing apparatuses. He had cut open his chin. Helen had brought him and his five month old sister straight home. After cleaning it up they had decided that he needed stitches. Dorota had put the two of them in a cab and called Blair immediately. When she didn't answer she called Chuck. He had met Henry at the hospital as he continued to call Blair until she answered.
He led Blair to the chairs and they both sat down. "Blair, he's going to be fine but you have to calm down. If you go in there like this it's going to upset him and it took me a good ten minutes to get him to stop crying."
She nodded as she wiped her eyes with a tissue. "What did the doctor say?"
"Dr. Shaw was here within minutes of us and agreed that he needs stitches." He cut her off knowing what her next question would be, "We've called Dr. Pressman and he is en route. As soon as he gets here he'll take care of it." He put his arm around his wife and hugged her kissing the top of her head. "He's going to be fine, I promise. It's just a cut; nothing life threatening."
She took a deep breath and stood up. She reached out taking his hand and he led her back through the doors and down the hall to their son.
When they entered Henry was sitting on Helen's lap reading a book. When he saw his mother his whole face lit up.
"Mommy!" He immediately became weepy at seeing his mother.
Blair tossed her Birken bag onto the floor and rushed over lifting her son up and into her arms. Henry laid his head on her shoulder. Chuck reached out taking the sticky lollipop before it ended up in Blair's hair or stuck to her Dior dress. Blair placed a kiss to the back of his head inhaling the smell of her son.
"How are you, my darling?" She hugged him tighter.
Henry finally lifted his head. She noticed the very large bandage across the underside of his chin. It was spotted where the blood had seeped through slightly.
"I'm being very brave. Daddy, said scars are cool and I might have one. He also said girls like them but," he crinkled his nose, "I don't like girls."
Chuck reached out ruffling his dark brown hair. "Not yet. Give it time."
"Does it hurt?" Blair glanced at the bandage.
He shrugged. "They gave me medicine and a lollipop. I feel better."
Blair kissed his cheek. "I love you."
He hugged her again. "I love you too, Mommy." He laid his head back onto her shoulder.
Blair sat down in an empty chair arranging her son on her lap. Henry reached out for his lollipop which Chuck handed back to him.
"Mrs. Bass, I'm sorry." Helen's eyes were filling with tears again.
Blair had avoided looking at the woman but now turned her icy stare on her. "I'm sure you are. Where were you?" She felt her anger begin to rise.
Chuck knew where this was going and wanted to cut it off at the pass. "Blair," he warned.
Blair's eyes met his. "No I would like to know what was more important than watching my son." She turned her steely gaze back to Helen. "What was it? A text message, a gossip with another nanny? What?" She raised her eyebrows at the distraught woman.
"Cordelia had started to fuss. I told Henry to wait one minute while I picked her up out of the stroller. He was impatient." A tear slipped down her face.
"So your inability to care for my two children is my son's fault."
"That's not what I'm saying. It was an accident…"
Blair nodded. "Yes, it was and not one that will be repeated."
Henry was becoming aware of the tension and he glanced between his mother and his upset nanny; his loyalty divided.
Blair pulled him closer to herself. "You can go and when you get back to the house you can pack. You're fired."
Helen gasped and Chuck shook his head. "Blair, we are not firing Helen. This was an accident."
"We'll give you four weeks' severance and a recommendation," Blair acted like Chuck hadn't spoken.
Henry was putting two and two together and started to cry. "Is Helen leaving?"
"No she is not." Chuck reached down picking up his son. "Blair, we are not discussing this right now." He glanced at Helen. "Why don't you take a cab home? I'm sure Dorota could use some help with Cordelia."
Helen stood up nodding. She reached out patting Henry's back. He reached out for her and she gave him a hug. "I'll see you in a little bit." She kissed his cheek. She turned to look at Blair who was staring at the floor. She turned and left without another word.
Henry waved after her. "Bye, bye, Helen."
Chuck wiped a tear from his son's cheek. "Don't cry, buddy. Everything is going to be fine."
Henry sniffled as he nodded. "I don't want another nanny. I like Helen."
Chuck pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his son's cheeks. "You're not getting a new nanny. Hopefully Helen, if she doesn't quit," he stared at his wife who gave him a stony stare, "will stay for a very long time."
Henry feeling content in his father's reassurance went back to his lollipop.
Blair was about to say something when Dr. Pressman, plastic surgeon to the Upper Eastside, breezed into the room.
"Well, Master Bass, I heard you had a bit of a tumble." Dr. Pressman immediately put the room at ease.
Forty five minutes later they were leaving with a very sleepy Henry, who had received seven stiches in his chin and didn't cry once.
"Daddy said I could have ice cream for dinner." He was fighting to keep his eyes open as he laid his head on Chuck's shoulder.
Blair looked at Chuck. "He did, did he?"
Henry was out. Chuck shrugged. "He was crying. I would've agreed to anything he asked for in that moment."
Blair slid her arm through his as they stepped into the elevator. "I better text Dorota and have her go out and get some." She reached out rubbing her son's back as the elevator started its descent.
Much later that night, after ice cream and a movie, Chuck slid into bed next to Blair. He was exhausted. He reached out turning off his bedside lamp.
"What a day." He sighed glancing over at his wife. Her lamp was still on and she was lying on her back staring up at the ceiling. He knew she was still upset. "Hey," he rolled onto his side to face her bunching up his pillow, "what's wrong?"
"He was hurt and I wasn't there to comfort him." Her eyes welled with tears.
"Blair, it was an accident. He falls all the time. This won't be the last time. It's that whole center of gravity thing. He's still learning." He reached out putting an arm across her waist squeezing her gently.
"I know and as his mother I should be there when he falls. I should be the one to pick him up and hug him." She wiped at her eyes. "I need to quit. I should be home with my children. I'm going to tell my mother tomorrow that I resign."
Chuck realized she was being somewhat serious. He sat up leaning against the headboard. She had been having a hard time ever since Cordelia was born. He knew she was torn on a daily basis. She was a fantastic mother and with that came guilt and worry that he could never understand.
"Blair, if you want to resign I will support you one hundred percent. You know that. But if you're doing it out of some misplaced sense of guilt then I won't allow it. You love your job and you're an excellent mother. You do both flawlessly. We have made sure that our children are well cared for when we can't be there. We have always put them first. You being there today wouldn't have changed anything. He still would've slipped and he still would've received seven stitches." He was staring down at her hoping she was hearing him.
"They lie to us. They tell us we can have it all but we can't something always has to give." She sniffled softly.
"That's true and I know how much you sacrifice every day and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know." He leaned over and gave her a kiss. "You, Blair Bass, are amazing." He sat back patting his stomach. She rolled over and laid her head against it. He stroked her back. "Our children are happy and healthy. Nothing else matters."
She sighed closing her eyes. "I know you're right." She tightened her arm around his waist. "I would never really quit."
He smirked down at her. "I can just picture it now my strong, intelligent, independent wife becoming a stay-at-home, Upper Eastside mom. You'd be heading back to the atelier after five minutes at music time."
She laughed softly. "That's true." She closed her eyes taking in a deep breath. "Thank you for being the best husband and father in the world. We'd be lost without you."
His hand moved from her back to the underside of her breast. "Do you really want to thank me?" He grazed her nipple through the silk of her nightgown.
She glanced up at him and slowly moved her body up along his. She kissed him. She was more than happy to thank him properly after all without him none of her dreams would've ever come true. He was her support and her partner in all things. He was her center and the one that was always able to calm her. And even if she couldn't have it all she was okay because she had what was really important; a beautiful family.