Guess who's baaack? I know I was supposed to post this about a week ago. I'm just not even going to apologize or anything, because I'm a lazy loser. Anywho, I have finals week coming up this week, then I'm home free! So definitely expect more frequent updates coming soon! Also, I feel like the ending to this chapter is a bit awkward, because I had some other stuff planned for the end, but I decided to postpone it until the next chapter. So yeah, I already have the next two chapters sort of mapped out, I just need to actually write them. Buh. Whatever. Thanks to all of y'all who have stuck with me and my shenanigans! Hope y'all enjoy!
Come on, pick up.
Barney listened to the ringing coming through his cell phone. Doctor Daniels had told him that morning that they were preparing to move Robin to a new, larger room, so Barney had decided that he should call his and Robin's families to inform them of the situation. Robin had been showing slight improvements during the night, and was deemed stable enough to move. Barney was standing outside the intensive care unit, right down the hall from the waiting room that he had slept in. Right before the hospital's visiting hours started, the gang had stopped by with coffee and bagels, sitting with Barney and talking to him about various events in their lives, trying to keep his mind off of Robin as they waited for the doctors to do her morning vitals check.
Barney heard a small click before a woman's voice came over the phone. "Hello?"
"Ms. Scherbatsky? It's Barney."
"Oh! Hello, Barney! It's been quite some time." He had not spoken to Robin's mom since the divorce. There was a part of him that was angry at her, that she had not cared to be involved in her daughter's life at all. Even when he and Robin were married, her parents kept their distance, sending a card on birthdays and Christmas, only making contact when Robin had initiated it. He knew that Ms. Scherbatsky had not contacted her daughter since the divorce, either, which he resented her for. Robin had been so lonely, and was hurting for so long. She had lost her best friend, and had lost her connection with the gang as well. The least her mother could do was attempt to comfort her through her heartbreak. Yet, although Barney was angry, he knew that Robin's parents deserved to know about their oldest daughter's condition.
"Yeah, hey. Anyway, um, I was calling to let you know what's going on. I don't know if you saw the news, but Robin was in a bad accident. She's in the hospital in Poland, I'm here with her right now. She's suffered a brain injury. From what the doctors have told me, she's doing okay considering her injuries. She's in a coma, though."
Ms. Scherbatsky gasped. "A coma? Oh no, not my baby! Not my sweet baby!"
Of course, Barney thought. She's going to pull the motherly love card.
Barney waited in silenced as Ms. Scherbatsky began to panic. He could hear her calling Katie and telling her about the news. "Barney, Barney, are you there? What hospital are you in? We're going to go to the airport right now and come visit."
"Okay, I'll just text you the name of the hospital and the address. Don't need to rush, though. They're getting ready to move her into a larger critical care room, and she can't have anymore than two visitors in the room that she's in right now."
"Okay, okay. We'll be there as soon as we can. We love you, Barney."
"Right, right," Barney muttered. "You too." He hung up and took a deep breath before scrolling through his contacts to find the next number. Now for the fun part, he thought as he listened to the other line ring.
"Robin Charles Scherbatsky speaking."
"Yes, Mr. Scherbatsky, it's Barney. Barney Stinson."
"Who? Oh right, right, the man that spent thousands of my dollars on a marriage that only lasted three years. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Barney huffed, anger rising in his chest as he realized that Mr. Scherbatsky cared more about his money than his own daughter. "Mr. Scherbatsky, I'm currently in Poland, at a hospital with Robin. She's been in a terrible accident, and she got hurt. She's not doing well. I will text you the address so you can meet us here."
"Tell her to buck up. RJ's a Scherbatsky, she's not going to let a little bump on the head get her down."
Barney growled. "I don't think you understand, sir. Your daughter is currently in the intensive care unit because she got caught in a bomb explosion. She has fractured her skull, and her brain is swelling, along with some other injuries. I will text you the address to the hospital, and you will meet us here. If you are not here within the next 24 hours, I will have your business shut down. That's right, I can do that. If you have any shred of decency in your body, I will see you here. Got it?" And with that, he hung up.
Barney dropped his hand from his ear, pacing back and forth in the small hallway, attempting to settle his temper. He was steadying his breathing when he felt a tap on the shoulder.
"Mr. Stinson?" It was Tanya, one of the nurses who had been taking care of Robin. Barney turned to face her.
"We are getting ready to move your wife. Would you like to follow me up to the seventh floor? You can be waiting in her room with your friends when we bring her in."
"Oh yeah, sure. I'm just going to stop in her room and grab her things."
Barney followed Tanya back into the ICU, a path that had become familiar in the last day. She motioned for him to continue on to the small cubicle where Robin was, while she stopped at the nurse's station to record the move in Robin's paperwork. Barney walked into the room, stopping to gaze at his best friend. Even with the bandages, tubes, and wires, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He stepped up to the side of her bed, taking her hand in his. "Hey babe. You're doing so well, and I'm so proud of you. The nurses will be here in a second, they're going to take you upstairs so you can get settled in a bigger room. You won't be there long, though, because they said we might be able to go to Berlin by Wednesday. Won't that be nice? We were going to leave today or tomorrow, but the doctors want to keep an eye on you here before we make the big move. Anyways, I'm just stopping by to grab your things so I can take them up to your new room. Be good, I love you, and I'll see you in a bit." He smacked a kiss onto the top of the bandages wrapped around her head, then grabbed her purse and the few personal items on the overbed table. He paused, watching Robin sleep, before he left the room.
The next stop was the waiting room, where the gang had been sitting while Barney was on the phone. "Hey guys, they just told me they're getting ready to move Robin. I got her stuff, if one of you guys could grab her suitcase, then we can head upstairs. She's in room 7025."
Marshall stood to grab Robin's suitcase from under the couch, and Lily stifled a yawn. They were still fighting jet lag, along with only getting a few hours of sleep. They had been so keyed up the night before that no one could sleep. They stumbled out of the waiting room and into the hall. Barney stopped by the receptionist's desk before leaving.
"Hey, Grace? They're moving Robin!" He said with a grin.
Grace smiled back at him. "Well, good for her! I sure am going to miss y'all. Keep me updated, will ya? You ain't going too far from here." She stood, and Barney hugged her.
"Thanks for everything, for keeping me calm and talking me through this. I really appreciate it."
"Anytime, sweetheart. Just let me know how she's doing, alright?"
Barney nodded, then stepped back out into the hallway where the gang was waiting on him. Tanya was there as well, carrying a clipboard. "Follow me."
They stepped onto the elevator, then rode up to the seventh floor of the hospital, the critical care unit. As they were walking, Tracy fell into step beside Barney. "So, how did it go with the parents?"
Barney sighed. "Still haven't talked to mine yet. Robin's mom got a little panicked, she and Katie should be on their way now. Her dad, on the other hand… I just don't understand how a father could care so little about his daughter, especially when his daughter is Robin. I mean, she's got a brain injury and is in a coma, and I had to threaten him just to get him to come see her."
Tracy rubbed his arm. "Well, it's a good thing she's got you. You're taking good care of her."
Barney shrugged. "Eh, I'm doing the best I can. Just wish I could do more. I hate that this happened to her. I'd much rather it happen to me."
"Well, think about it this way: If you had gotten hurt, she would be the one heartbroken over you. This way, she just has to deal with the physical stuff. Before the divorce, she was the emotionally tough one, but now that's you. From what Lily has told me, she has been a bit of a wreck since you two split."
This information sent a chill up Barney's spine. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I've regretted letting her go since we signed the papers, but this just makes it worse. It's a good thing she left me as her emergency contact, otherwise I wouldn't be able to even see her."
They had finally reached Robin's new room, a spacious room with a large bathroom and a window overlooking the city. They sat in the various seats around the room. Tanya scribbled some notes on the clipboard before sliding it into a plastic case on the wall. "I'll be back soon," she said. It wasn't long before a team of nurses came in, wheeling Robin's bed into the room. They set her up against the wall, positioning wires and monitors, checking her vitals to make sure nothing had changed on the short trip.
Barney slid out of the room while the nurses checked Robin. He quickly pulled out his cell phone, hitting the number on his recent calls list. After a few short rings, the other line picked up.
"Hello, wuv-wuv!"
"Hey mom. Um, sorry it's been awhile, I just need to talk to you about something."
"Anything, dear."
"Um, so Robin has been in a bad accident. She's in the hospital."
"That stupid bitch who broke your heart?"
"Mom!"
"Sorry, wuv-wuv. You were just so hurt after your divorce! I can't believe you still care so much about her!"
"Mom, I need you to listen to me. Robin's hurt really bad. She got caught in an explosion, and she's in a coma. Could you get a plane ticket and meet us up here? I'll send you the address. Just pass it along to James and Tom, bring them with you."
"Okay, Barney. I'll be there as soon as I can. For you, though, not for her."
Barney sighed. "Thanks, mom."
He made another quick call to his father before stepping back into the room. The nurses had left, leaving Marshall, Lily, Ted, and Tracy. They were standing close to her bed, holding her hand and rubbing her arm, talking gently to her. Barney joined them, taking Robin's other hand and rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Hey, Robin, Barney's back," Ted told her.
Barney smiled. "Yep, just had to make some calls. Our parents are on their way to see you. Your mom is super freaked, you have to show her how well you're doing, okay?" He kissed her, then squeezed her hand. It was then that he felt some slight pressure on his hand. Robin was squeezing back.
Barney's eyes went wide, and his face lit up. "Do it again, baby."
A few seconds passed before he felt her fingers twitch. He started to laugh. "Quick! Go get a nurse!" he told Marshall, who was closest to the door. Marshall paused before running out the door. The rest of the gang watched Barney carefully.
"Sweetie, you okay? What happened?"
Barney sniffled, wiping away some tears that had leaked out. "She squeezed my hand! I felt it!"
Lily quickly grabbed Robin's other hand. "Can you squeeze my hand, sweetie?"
The excitement hung in the air as the others waited patiently. Several seconds passed before Lily looked up at Barney. "Nothing," she said.
"It's 'cause she likes me better," Barney laughed. Marshall then returned, followed by a nurse.
The nurse rushed to Robin's bedside. "What's going on?"
Barney took Robin's hand again. "She squeezed my hand! I felt it!" he repeated.
The nurse watched the hand that Lily had let go of, before taking it in her own. "Mrs. Stinson, could you please move your hand for me?" Silence.
A few seconds passed before the nurse spoke again. "She might just be exhausted. This is the most effort she's put out yet, she just needs to rest." She turned again to Robin. "It's okay, Mrs. Stinson. Just get some rest, we can try again later." She smiled at Barney before exiting the room.
Barney deflated a little. "Well, she squeezed my hand. Good job, baby."