Disclaimer: I own nothing!
A/N: Thank you so much for all your comments on the past few installments! As always I love reading them and hope you enjoy the new chapter!
A dump truck was backing up and its incessant beeping was going to drive him mad. Why was there a dump truck in the hotel anyway? Daniel squinted as he opened his eyes adjusting to the light. Turning his head to the right he saw the beeping culprit. Definitely not a dump truck he thought fuzzily, they were much bigger. Where was he? And what was the weight on his left hand? Looking down he saw his fingers clasped by Betty. Bits and pieces came floating back- sharp pains, feeling nauseous, something about a car ride…
Betty looked up. "You're awake! How are you feeling?" Daniel swallowed, or tried to at least, his throat was dry as a bone. "Umm… my stomach doesn't hurt anymore," he croaked. Betty gave a relieved smile, "It better not after they removed your appendix. The nurse said you could have a few sips of water the next time you woke up. Do you want some?" He nodded thankfully.
She poured a small, half cup of water from a carafe next to the bed. Helping Daniel lean forward she lifted the cup to his lips. It was pure heaven as it coated his throat. Finishing his drink he laid back and whispered, "Thanks. You said 'the next time I woke up', how many times have I been 'up' before? This is the first I remember." Betty adjusted a pillow behind his head. "Shhh. Your throat probably feels like the Sahara. You've been drifting in and out for a while. It's Wednesday morning." Daniel's eyes widened like saucers and Betty held up a hand to keep him silent. "I know, where did Tuesday go? You came down with a severe and sudden case of appendicitis. When I got to your apartment late Tuesday morning you were in bad shape. I called '9-9-9' and you were rushed to St. Mary's ED- emergency department- the doctors did a CT scan and determined that your appendix hadn't ruptured. Good news for you- they performed a laparoscopic procedure to remove it before you became any worse. I also got in touch with your boss, which wasn't easy because I left your phone back at your room and without any direct contact information had to go through the main switchboard and be transferred to a whole bunch of different people before I found Tony, but he said to get better and he'd see you when the doctor cleared you for work." She paused to catch her breath. "Oh and your mom's here."
"What?" Daniel looked around the room. "Not here this second, I forced her to go check-in at the hotel and freshen up. And don't ask me what time she arrived because honestly the days have really started to blur together despite my massive caffeine intake," Betty replied. She allowed her eyes to roam his face as she thanked heaven for the billionth time that he was alright. "I'm glad you're back. I missed you," she told him. "Don't scare me like that anymore, okay?" He nodded and reached for her hand. Their eyes drew to each other and words couldn't have expressed better what they read in each others gaze.
Claire stood in the doorway a moment absorbing the scene. Daniel looked awful and, at this point, Betty didn't look too wonderful herself, but the emotions between them were almost palpable and that is what made it beautiful to watch. She cleared her throat alerting them to her presence, smothering a smile as Betty jumped a good foot in the air and shyly tried to extract her hand from Daniel's. He didn't let her go. Claire laid her coat and bag on an extra chair and moved to give her son a kiss. "I'm glad to see you awake for good this time. How do you feel?" Daniel offered a tired smile. "Better than I did yesterday. You didn't have to fly over here for this, I would've been fine."
"Oh, yes. I can picture me enjoying cocktail hour while my son's in surgery in another country. Because having organs removed is such a mundane procedure these days," she joked. "It's not a necessary organ," Daniel muttered. Brushing a hand over his hair Claire added, "You are stuck with me until you're out of this hospital and back on your feet, get used to it." He sighed, "Well in that case, I'm glad you're here."
Claire looked across the bed to Betty who seemed on the verge of collapse. She knew waiting around in a hospital was more mentally and physically draining than most people realized. "Betty, why don't you head home for a spell? Take a hot shower and a nap. I'll stay here with Daniel until you get back," Claire offered. "Home," Betty parroted rubbing her free hand across her forehead. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. At least for a bit." Daniel's hand visibly tightened around hers. "Umm… or I could stay her for a little longer," Betty corrected.
Claire glanced at her son. If he didn't let Betty go, she was going to end up with both of them in the hospital, an appendicitis- exhaustion combo. "No, you should go. You need a break from this place, get some fresh air. Isn't that right, Daniel?" Daniel glanced at his mother. He knew that tone. Nodding in agreement he added, "Right. Go." Betty looked uncertainly at the door. "If you're sure… okay, I'll be back soon." Standing she gave Daniel a quick hug, shot Claire a grateful smile and stepped away. Or at least tried to. Daniel still had her hand captive in his. She attempted to subtly pull it away to no avail. Claire resisted the urge to poke him. Finally he relinquished his grip and Betty, with a flurry of promises to be back soon, made her exit.
Looking down at her son in amusement Claire asked, "Scared to be alone with me?" She filled the cup with more water and offered it out to him. He drank greedily, shaking his head when she offered more. "Just like her close by I guess," he admitted. "Sorry you had to fly all the way out here because of this." Claire lowered herself into the seat Betty had vacated. "It's not like you planned appendicitis. Although a lot has happened since you arrived - new romance, new job, Betty mentioned a new home last night and now hospitalization." She raised her eyebrows. "And speaking of new romance, things between you and Betty seem…close. Definitely closer than what I expected based on our last phone conversation. How's your throat feel?" He smiled and bit his lip. "Mt throat is better- the water really helped and, about Betty, I guess you could say that. We're actually together now. Strange thing is I didn't have to really convince her, it just seemed to happen."
Claire idly fixed the edges of the blanket. "Yes, when Betty called me I actually thought it was to share some news with me," she informed him. "News? What kind of news?" Daniel couldn't think of a single thing newsworthy that Betty would call his mother about, aside from dire illness. She gave her son a look, "News involving a certain item you purchased at Tiffany's before departing for London." Claire believed that one of the greatest things about being a mother were the times you managed to catch your children completely off guard by what you knew about their life. This was one of those times. Daniel's mouth gaped like a fish before sputtering, "How do you even know about that?" Claire leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. "I went in to have a loose stone fixed on one of my necklaces and Patricia asked whether or not your recent purchase had been satisfactory. Naturally, I had no idea what she was talking about so I assured her that you were more than please. To which she responded 'what a lucky girl with a ring like that'. When Betty called, I thought it was because you had presented her with said ring and she'd said yes. Unfortunately, instead of popping a champagne cork after that conversation I was popping Dramamine."
Daniel closed his eyes. "Mom," he asked slowly. "What exactly did you say when she called?" Please god let him not actually be having this conversation with his mother. Claire waved off his concern. "Nothing too revealing. I just said that I was hoping you would have her call me after you asked so I could celebrate too and something about suddenness and putting the phone on speaker. She was so worried about you I doubt she paid my ramblings any attention." He opened one eye and peeked as his mother. "I think I was better off unconscious."
"Don't be so melodramatic. It's not as if she realized anything and I doubt she remembers what I said when she called. So my comments meant nothing." Claire reached for his hand, glancing down. "Burns healed nicely." Daniel gave a half-laugh that hurt. "Yeah, they healed just fine. And you're right, what you said probably went right over her head at the time. Just, no more proposal assumptions okay?" "Deal," Claire agreed. "But it is an engagement ring, a very nice one-"
"Mom, no." Daniel couldn't help but smile.
"You didn't get a nice ring?"
Daniel shot his mother a look. "No, we aren't having this conversation." Claire laughed. "Fair enough. I'm going to go find some coffee. You should rest for a while." She gathered her purse pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I missed you and I'm glad you're okay. Get some sleep." Daniel nodded. He was beginning to feel like he could use a nap. As Claire reached the door he called out to her, "Mom?" She turned, "What is it sweetheart?"
Daniel shifted his weight against the pillows. "I never agreed it was."
"Was what?"
"An engagement ring," he answered sleepily.
Claire eyed him speculatively. Pressing her lips together to keep from laughing she waited just a bit longer before stating, "Too bad, I've heard the Legacy is quite stunning." With that she slipped out the room, chuckling to herself as she headed down the hall. Daniel could only groan and close his eyes, when she got an idea in her head…