Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own plot. Everything else goes to Margaret Mitchell.

Chapter XXI

Mother and Son

Wade sat quietly next to his mother as she slept. He has been sitting there for quite a while, but he wanted to make sure that he was there when she woke up the next time. He had something he needed to tell her. Something that scared him. He didn't want to talk to his daddy about it, because he wanted his daddy to think he was a big boy, and big boys weren't scared by dreams. But his mommy would know that even though he was scared, he was a big boy. Besides, he wanted to talk to her before she died. Daddy said that she was going to get better, that the Dr. and the nurses that were here all the time were going to make his mama better, but she didn't look any better. They had been here a week and his mother still looked just as sick as she did when they got there. Only now she had big purple bruises on her arms and hands from where they kept sticking that big needle in her. He didn't understand how that was going to help her any. It only made her look worse.

Carefully Wade brushed his finger across the purple mark on the back of Scarlett's hand, thinking about how boney and small her hand looked now. His mommy looked scary almost. Her skin was tight across her bones, and she looked almost dead. As his fingers crossed the bruise again, Wade felt her hand move a little and he looked up to her face. Her eyes were open and she was looking at him.

"Mama!" Wade whispered in an excited tone. "I've been waiting for you to wake up, Mama. I want to talk to you. I had a dream. It was a scary dream Mama. You died and we buried you here, not at home. I don't want you to die mama." Tears began to form in Wade's eyes as he remembered his dream.

Slowly, Scarlett's hand lifted off the bed and brushed away her son's tear. "I'm not going to die Wade Hampton. When have you ever known me to give up? Have I ever left you before?"

Wade shook his head, looking at his mother as she spoke to him in a quite almost strained voice.

"Well then what makes you think I'm going to leave you now? I will get better; it's just going to take some time. My body is very tired and it takes a lot of work for it to get better."

"Why do they keep sticking you with those needles?" Wade asked quietly, looking at the bruise on Scarlett's hand again.

"Because the Dr. says that I need more water in me because I'm not drinking enough. So, he puts water into my body using that needle. It will help me get better. Didn't your Uncle Rhett explain this to you?"

"No, Daddy's sleeping now, and the rest of the time he's watching you. I didn't want to bother him."

"You never have to worry about bothering him, Wade. He loves you and wants you to understand what's going on so that you won't be scared. If you're ever scared again, talk to him. You don't have to wait for me to wake up, okay?"

Wade nodded again. "I love you Mama."

Scarlett looked into her young son's eyes and saw the love there that he had just spoken of. She hadn't wanted this son of hers, but she had him now. And she wouldn't trade him for the world. "I love you too Wade. Now, I need to rest again. How about you come sit up here with me on the bed?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me. There is room. It's not like I'm very big anymore."

Wade very carefully lay down on the bed next to his mother and held her hand. He felt better now. She wasn't going to die. She wouldn't leave him. She had said she loved him. She was letting him lay in the bed with her. Wade hadn't felt this good in a long time.

When Rhett woke up from his short nap, he looked over to Scarlett's bed and saw a sight he thought he would never see. Scarlett sleeping with Wade next to her holding her hand. He too had fallen asleep and mother and son slept together peacefully. Wade needed that; and what Rhett doubted Scarlett realized, was that she herself needed the relationship with her son. She needed to realize what a special boy he was and how precious he was to her.

The weeks went by and Scarlett gradually gained back her color and started looking a little more human, and less like a skeleton. After about a week and a half of having the fluids injected into her body, Scarlett began to eat small amount of broth. Rhett remained by her side at all times, and Wade was never far either. He and his father took care of Scarlett as best they could, and the nurses were always in the room to help. The Dr. continued to visit twice a day, encouraging Scarlett to eat her broth to regain her strength. Not long after the two week mark he pulled Rhett aside to the hallway to speak with him.

"Mr. Butler, your wife's condition is still very fragile, and she must continue to do as she has been, but it looks as though, if things continue as they have been these two weeks, she will recover. I can't promise anything, because as I said, she's still very fragile and her condition could worsen again. But she has made great improvements in just these two weeks. I can't explain it. When you first brought her to me, I didn't expect her to live the week, and yet, she has lived two and improved. You must have a powerful God working in your favor, because this is the most miraculous thing I have seen in my entire career as a Dr." The Dr. said to Rhett as they stood in the hallway outside the hotel room.

"Thank you Dr. She would be dead right now without you. I truly believe that." Rhett said, his face full of joy at the news that if Scarlett continued as she was, she would get well again. "Do you have an estimate on how long it will take her to recover?"

"It will still be a while. At least a year, and she will never be the same. Her lungs will always be weak, and easily susceptible to disease."

Rhett nodded, still smiling. "Thank you again, Dr. I don't know what we would have done without you."

"I'm only glad that I could help, Mr. Butler."

Rhett nodded and returned to the room. As he entered, Wade looked up from where he sat next to Scarlett, and there was a look of sadness on his face.

"Mother is dying, isn't she? The Dr. said she won't live much longer, didn't he?" Wade asked, tears in his eyes.

"No, not at all Wade. In fact, he told me much the opposite. He said your mother is getting better, and that if she continues to get better as she has, she will be well again. It will take a while, and she will have to be careful, but she will get better."

"Really?" Wade jumped up and ran to Rhett throwing his arms around him. "I was so afraid that she was going to die, Daddy!"

Rhett picked him up and held him close. "I know you were, but you don't need to be afraid anymore. Your mother will get better again, and we will go home again. Now, how about you go write a letter to your Aunt Melly; I'm sure she would love to hear the news of your mother, as well as anything else you would like to tell her." Rhett set Wade back down on the floor and ruffled his hair a little.

Wade smiled and with a nod he went to his room and began to write to his Aunt.

Dear Aunt Melly,

The Dr. came today and said that Mother is getting better. He says that it will take a while, but that if she continues to get better like she is, she will be well again one day. Daddy says it could take up to a year or more, so I guess we will be staying here for a while. But Daddy says we will go home again one day when Mama is all better.

How are Beau and Uncle Ashley? I hope everyone is well. Is Aunt Pitty Pat alright? Please tell everyone that I said hello and that we all miss them. Mama and Daddy say hello too.

Love,

Wade Hampton Hamilton

When Wade was finished composing his letter, he took it to his daddy to mail.

"Daddy, if we are to stay here for a long time, do you think we could get a house? I'm tired of living in this hotel." Wade asked sheepishly.

"Yes Wade, I have been thinking about that very thing. I've also been thinking that you're going to need to start school soon, so I will need to begin looking for you some tutors to come and teach you." Rhett replied as he slid the letter into his breast pocket to be mailed later.

"I have to go to school? Can't I wait until Mama is better? I want to stay with you and help take care of her."

"You won't be going anywhere, Wade. The tutors will come to you and teach you. You won't be far from your mother, but you need your schooling. Education is very important."

Wade nodded looking down at the floor. "Alright."

"I will talk to the Dr. when he comes this evening about where I could find you a good tutor as well as a house for us all."

A/N: Well? I know it kinda cuts off at an awkward point, but I wasn't sure how else to end it. Nothing else seemed to flow either. But, the good thing is, that Scarlett is improving! Now, if only she doesn't take a turn for the worse when they move her into the house. We will have to see what happens.

~Cat~