Chapter 28
It had been two weeks since the night Ian became ill. He was leaving the hospital today and much to his parents' relief was healthy. Erica had come by everyday to check up on Ian and had an excuse to visit with David while he was working a shift. Bianca was meeting Erica, Kendall and Zach at the house when they brought Ian home. She had decided to stay in town at least for a few weeks, maybe even until her brother is born. She realized that she did not want to be so far away, just in case something were to happen as it did to Ian.
David and Erica were in his office getting ready to go down to the PICU for Ian's release.
"David, are you ready to go downstairs?" Erica asked as she came walking in through the his office door.
"One minute, I am reviewing a case file." David replied, his head in a file folder
"Well hurry or Ian will be gone before we get down there!" Erica said a little annoyance in her voice
"Don't worry, they can't go anywhere without my John Handcock" He said from behind the file.
"This isn't funny David. My grandson has been in the hospital for two weeks and my daughter has spent almost every waking hour here at this hospital!" Erica said pissed at his comment.
"I'm sorry Erica I wasn't trying to be funny. I am just frustrated with this case and I want to get this patient well before he dies. But I can work on this later, I have a patient I get to send home today." He said garnering a smile as he got up to walk with Erica downstairs.
"Ok then let's go." She said taking his arm in hers.
They walked to the elevator and rode it down a floor. They walked down the hall to the PICU where David stopped at the nurses' station to pick up the discharge forms for Ian Slater. Kendall who was holding Ian and Zach stood in the PICU along with Erica and were ready to leave this place. David walked over to them signing the places that warranted his signature and then handing them to Zach.
"I placed an X where you need to sign." David told Zach who was already signing at the X's. He handed them back to David. "Alright Mr. Ian Slater you are a free man." David said to Ian while holding his little hand.
" Alright let's get out of here." Kendall said happily. "So I will see you two at home then?" Kendall directed toward her mother.
"Yes we will be there in a little bit." Erica answered
"Why don't you go home with them for now and I'll meet you there. You know I have to finish up with rounds and then I can get out of here."
"Sure we'll take Erica with us." Zach replied to David's inquiry
"If you don't mind?" David said in response to Zach.
"Ok I'll be waiting for you." Erica said to David as she leaned in for a goodbye kiss.
"I'll hurry up, I promise." He smiled back at her as made his way back to the elevator.
"Ok let's get out of this place!" Kendall said as the three of them walked out with Ian and made their way home.
David sat up in his office looking over the file folder he was reading earlier. He had hated lying to Erica earlier about rounds, but he couldn't let her know what he was really doing. He spent the last two weeks going over the file and the newly acquired blood work from her last appointment. He was looking for anything abnormal, anything that maybe Dr. Coburn had missed or not believed significant. Ever since the night Ian became ill, David had become almost paranoid that something could happen to their son. He spent all his free time going over test results and teleconferencing with specialists.
He went so far as to call in his favor with Dr. Doug Ross at John's Hopkins to come work for PVH and to be his sons' pediatrician when he is born. He went to the board and told them about Dr. Ross's "interest" in working for PVH. Dr. Ross was a renowned Neonatologist and Pediatric surgeon and the PVH board knew they couldn't pass up the opportunity to take Dr. Ross up on his "offer". David had also packed his medical bag full of supplies for a birth or infant. To say that he was paranoid would be an understatement, he was more like obsessed with something going wrong, so much that he had planned for it and promised himself never to be without his bag no matter where he was.
He looked over the results of her latest tests including her Glucose screening test and all previous testing and ultrasounds. He for some reason felt that Ian's health scare was a warning or premonition that something was going to go wrong with little DJ as he liked to refer to him because saying his own name was a little weird. It had been forty minutes of staring into test results and he realized he needed a break and that Erica would be waiting for him. He left the hospital trying to force down any bad thoughts and think of good thoughts as he headed to Zach and Kendall's.
Zach, Kendall, Ian and Erica arrived at the Slater household to find Bianca, Spike and Miranda there waiting for Ian's homecoming.
"Welcome home Ian!" Bianca said with Joy as she saw the four of them come through the door. She gave everyone a hug especially with her sister who was holding her nephew.
"We are just glad to be back here and out of that place they call a hospital." Zach replied thankful to be home with his wife and two sons.
"Where is Spike?" Kendall asked Bianca anxious to see her other son, one who she has seen a few times over the past two weeks.
"He is napping right now but he should be up soon." Bianca said taking her nephew from Kendall's arms. Kendall and Zach went to go see Spike in his room. "Hey Mom, where's David?"
"Oh he is still at the hospital. He had rounds, but he should be here soon."
"I haven't seen him much lately, is he ok?" Bianca asked as she realized that she had only seen David a few times in the last two weeks, all at the hospital.
"I think that Ian's health crisis really scared him. He has spent a lot of time at the hospital, he says he is working on a case."
"You think that he is lying to you?" Bianca asked, confused.
"Not necessarily lying, but so scared that he is withdrawing."
"Have you tried talking to him about it?"
"Every time I mention Ian he throws on his fake smile and that he will be just fine. Then he usually starts talking about work and how he needs to go work on this case."
"Mom I think you should try talking to him again. Tell him that everything will be fine and that you feel like you're losing him."
"I don't think it will be that easy. I mean with David it's hard to get him ease up on a thought. When he has a thought or feeling it gets locked inside and is almost impossible to reach."
"I know it's not your job, but I think you need to help him through this. I mean I'm sure he has thoughts about Leora. He probably feels it will happen again to him. That he would lay everything on the line and lose it all over again." Bianca said as her and her mother started to tear at the thought.
"Bianca tell your sister that I had to go talk to David and that I will come by as soon I can."
"I tell her mom. Just go see David, help him through this. I know you love him and he loves you."
"Thank you sweetheart, I love you." Erica said as she headed out the door and to David wherever he was.
