Ch.4

Slowly but surely Jerry paced into the hospital room, squinting because his eyes still hadn't adjusted to the lighting. He walked down and rested in the chair next to me, a firm scent of freshly trimmed grass attacking my nostrils. The grass stains on his long old-manish khakis suggested he most likely was out playing with J.J.

"So, wow," Jerry was saying, "no one had any idea this would happen, did they?" The words made me grimace. Overall, speaking on its own would have been a sweet gesture if not each word was soaked with the uncomfortable feelings of the situation, obvious that he was only here as an obligation to try and bond with his 'neglected' son, and Barney's face made it clear that he wanted no such favors.

A smile and dimpled cheeks tried to make happiness, but the creases next to Barney's eyes suggested another story that played out quite clearly to an understanding friend. Layer 1: you're my dad so I should be oh so happy that you came and took time to see me Layer 2: from playing with the son you actually care about and didn't abandon Layer 3 to actually show that you truly care about me as a human being. Who knew that one guy could open the door from unlayered to an utterly complex human being? And it pissed me off.

Why is it this guy that can make Barney feel anger, abandonment, but still a little hope? I wouldn't be so mad if not for the fact that the guy didn't seem to care and truly wanted to be gone; all the while the blonde in the hospital gown was racking his brain for perfect words to make perfect conversation with someone who had left him with a hole in his heart at 6. Someone whose approval is craved so badly but doesn't really want to be here.

So of course I would be infuriated. Things were going so well, especially with the engagement and everything. Why did Jerry feel the need to come here if he didn't want to and have it proven to Barney that he was second fiddle to this whole family he wasn't part of.

"Oh, did you hear about the enga-" Marshall began to declare before being Lily flashed him a small fraction of one of her death glares. I knew what she was thinking because I had the same thought in mind. Both Robin and Barney had problems with their fathers in the past that had yet to be resolved. Who's to say that word of a wedding would ever reach their ears?

An awkward silence settled over the room, the kind where you just want to burst out singing to get rid of the quiet. Jerry knew that something was being kept from him but, like his son, was far too stubborn to even think of asking what. After we had been sitting there for like 2 minutes and the stillness was becoming unbearable. "Hey little sister what have you done…" Everyone's heads jerked over to Marshall, who was now quietly singing 'white wedding' to himself.

"Hey little sister, who's the only one," Barney joined in, smiling.

"Hey little sister, who's your superman," I added. Say what you want about Marshall, he does know how to ease the tension.

The 5 of us, alternating lines, finished the song, as Jerry lay back in his chair, before standing up, stretching his back, and declaring, "Well, I best be going, I've got a basketball game to get to." I tried my best to keep my ears from turning red.

A few minutes after his dad's departure, Barney's nurse walked in, a young Japanese woman whose nametag stated that she was Akira and would be happy to serve you. "Mr. Stinson, you are free to be discharged. Just make sure to sign out and pick up your prescriptions at reception." Robin latched onto his hand to help him stand up, as Barney's eyes vied for something more comfortable to put on. Just as he had locked on to Marshall's nice suit, I held up his own from the chair where it was laying.

We stumbled slowly out of urgent care, stopping at the front desk. As we stepped outside everyone aside from Robin and I realized it was raining. We just smirked and flipped open umbrellas, mine a bright yellow, matching the color of the one I had left at Cindy's. Robin had the news anchor job (which featured a weather forecast) and I had late night insomnia that was causing me to watch the 4am news and weather to thank for the heads up. For this wasn't light rain. It was crazy, heavy, loud rain that would have shell-shocked war veterans crying "it's an ambush!"

""No! This is silk!" Barney cried as he haphazardly ran to a car whose whereabouts were unknown to him. Just as he was about to topple over, Marshall latched onto his arm while Barney moaned about how he just had this dry-cleaned.

The whole situation would have been funny if i didn't have one thought running through my mind. 'Barney and Robin are getting married. Barney and Robin of all people. I'm the one who has been on a soul searching journey for a wife, so where is she?'

When we finally arrived at Barney's apartment, the door opened to a wretched scent of rotten milk flooding the airwaves. The finished tape of Field of Dreams was sticking out of the player, the tape he recalled watching the day of the stroke. Looking at his answering machine, the display screen read 1 new message from James. Barney clicked the voicemail button and his brother's voice filled the room.

"Hey, bro. Heard you were in the hospital? Sounds serious. Anyway, Tom, Eli and I are going to be staying a couple blocks down from you for a while our place is under renovation. Call me back.

Robin and Barney settled down next to each other on the couch as she rested her head on his shoulder. She looked up at him with eyes he thought belonged on magazine covers, "So now that you're okay, how about we start planning our wedding?"

Sorry this update took forever, I haven't had access to a computer. Does anyone know where Virginia and Matthew came from yet? If not, go to the wikia for himym and look up Stuart and Claudia. Until next time! ~LBN.