A/N: Thank you for all the feedback! I really appreciate it!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the HSM characters. This story is pure fiction!
April 1st, 2024 10:00 am
"Aidan!" I whispered as Chad repeated the sentence over.
"He's awake, Gabi. He was asking for you and Troy." Chad said as Troy and I got up before running after Chad up to Aidan's room.
The elevator wasn't going that fast and it was frustrating me. Troy took my hand in his and squeezed it.
"You've got to have patience." Troy whispered as the elevator finally made it to the Pediatric floor.
Troy and I rushed to Aidan's room to see him giggling about something Jack had just told him.
"Momma, daddy." Aidan said as we rushed over to the bedside.
"Hi baby. How are you doing?" I asked leaning over to kiss his cheek.
"Grandpa is telling me stories that make me laugh." Aidan told me as I looked over at Jack gratefully.
"That's good." I said looking him over again saying my thanks to Him above.
"Where are Belle, Josh, and Mack?" Aidan asked as I looked over at Troy.
"Josh and Mack are in the other room. Belle is in the bed beside you." Troy said as Aidan looked over at his sister.
"Are they all right?" Aidan asked looking at me with the identical blue eyes his father possessed.
"Mack and Josh are just fine. Belle is in a coma and we're waiting for her to wake up." I told him.
"Can I see Mack and Josh?" Aidan asked as I looked at Jack and Amanda.
"We'll go find out. We'll be back in a minute, Aidan." Amanda told her grandson.
"Hey Aidan? Do you remember what happened?" I asked him sitting on the bed beside him.
"All I remember is that we stopped at the stop and go light and then I remember the bus tipping over. I don't remember anything else." Aidan told us looking at his hands.
"It's all right buddy. The good thing is that you're safe as are your siblings." Troy said hugging Aidan.
"I want to go home." Aidan said quietly as Troy and I traded glances.
"I know you do baby but we have to wait for the doctor to release you." I told him.
"I want to be in my own bed and in my own room." Aidan tried again as I shook my head sadly at him.
"I know you do but we have to wait for the doctor." I told him as the door was pushed open.
"Hey Aidan there's some people here who want to see you." Jack said pushing two wheelchairs into the room.
"Mack, Josh!" Aidan said as Mack and Josh were wheeled up to the side of his bed.
"Hey Aidan how are you doing?" Mack asked her younger brother as Troy and I watched them interact.
Mack and Aidan compared their casts and Josh happily talked along with his older siblings.
"White casts are boring." Mack said as Aidan quickly agreed with his sister.
"I bet you two are going to get a new cast and you can pick the colors out." Amanda told her two grandchildren.
"I want a cast too momma." Josh said pointing to Mack's arm and Aidan's leg.
"I don't think you do. Cast itch and they stink too." I said wrinkling up my nose.
"Well I see the three patients are doing great." Dr. Brown said walking into the room.
"Mack, Aidan, Josh this is Doctor Brown. He took care of you three." I said making introductions.
"When can I get a colored cast on?" Mack asked Dr. Brown as we all laughed.
"Before you go home you can pick your colors." Dr. Brown told Mack as she smiled.
"When can we go home?" Aidan asked as Josh, Mack, and Aidan all eyed Dr. Brown.
"We want to observe you for a few more hours before releasing you." Dr. Brown told the kids.
"What about our sister?" Josh asked looking at the doctor.
"We're watching her to make sure nothing is wrong with her. We have to wait until she wakes up." Dr. Brown said looking at the three worried kids.
"She will wake up won't she?" Mack asked the question that was on everyone's minds.
"In time, yes she will wake up. It's up to her though when she opens her eyes." Dr. Brown told the Bolton children.
"Thank you doctor." Troy said as Dr. Brown nodded.
"I'm thinking by dinner time, your three will be ready to check out." Dr. Brown told us.
"All right. Thank you again." I said turning my attention to Josh, Aidan, and Mack.
"Mom can we go talk to Belle?" Aidan asked looking at me.
"If you want, yes." I said as Aidan carefully got out of bed and walked over to Belle's side.
Troy came over to my side as we watched our children comfort their sister. I just prayed harder that Belle would wake up and be the normal kid she was earlier this morning.
"She's going to be fine Gabi." Troy whispered as I nodded my head.
"I know. It's the waiting part that's hard." I whispered as Amanda and Jack came over to our side.
"What are you going to do with Aidan, Mack, and Josh while Belle is still in the hospital?" Jack asked as Troy and I traded glances.
"Our friends said they would set up shifts to watch Belle while we were home with the kids. Troy and I would take turns during the day. But that leaves J.J., Lily, and Cassie." I said chewing on my lip.
"How about they come stay with us?" Jack offered as I looked at him gratefully.
"Are you two sure about having three infants in your house?" I asked looking at them.
"As sure as pie. You two wouldn't have to worry about them while you cater to your other four." Amanda told us.
"I guess we could let you guys take care of them for a while." I said looking at Troy.
"Thank you." Troy said looking at his parents gratefully.
"We're their grandparents and you two need us. We're not going to stand by and act as if nothing is wrong." Jack said pulling both Troy and I into hugs.
I hugged both him and Amanda gratefully before turning my attention to the three kids gathered around Belle's bed.
"What are you three telling her?" I asked truthfully smiling for the first time all day.
"I'm telling her about what color cast I'm going to get on. Josh and Aidan are telling her about the cute nurses." Mack told us with a gentle roll of her eyes.
"Aren't you guys a little young to be checking out the nurses? You two are just like your father." I said glancing at Troy to see his reaction.
"Hey I resent that." Troy said as we all laughed.
"It's all right hon, I still love you." I told him walking up behind Aidan and Mack.
"You two better get back to your room. You don't want to over do it." I said looking at Josh and Mack.
"And just like that the nurse in you comes out." Troy said as I turned around and glanced at him.
"I can't help it if the nursing gene is still in my system." I said pointing a finger at him.
"Come on Mack, Josh. Grandpa and I'll help you two back." Amanda said walking behind the two.
I watched Jack and Amanda push Mack and Josh out the door and down the hallway. I sat next to Aidan and took his hand in mine.
"Do you miss it mom?" Aidan asked looking at me.
"Do I miss what?" I asked as Troy sat down in the chair and glanced at Aidan and me.
"The hospital and the excitement?" Aidan asked as I glanced over at Belle's still unresponsive body.
"Some times I do but I wouldn't trade the chance to be at home with you kids all day." I told him.
"Would you ever go back?" Aidan asked me as I ruffled his hair a little.
"At times I would love to come back to work but I think about how much I would be missing out on your lives. And I don't want to do that." I told him smiling.
"I'm glad you're not a nurse anymore mom." Aidan said as he leaned up and kissed my cheek.
"So I am. Now you need to get some sleep baby." I said as Troy instantly agreed with me.
"We'll still around but we want you to get some sleep." Troy said as Aidan yawned.
"Night mom, dad." Aidan told us before rolling over and covering his blue eyes with his eyelids.
"How did we get so lucky?" I whispered to Troy while I watched Aidan sleep.
"I don't know. He learned it from you, though." Troy told me as I smiled in his direction.
"We should probably go check on Mack and Josh." I said pushing myself off the bed and heading towards the door.
"I'm right behind you, princess." Troy mumbled as I pulled the door open and stepped out into the brightly lit hallway.
We walked down the hallway until we found Mack and Josh's room. Troy pushed opened the door before we walked in. Mack and Josh were both giggling in their beds while Chad told them entertaining stories.
"Who's giggling so loudly in here?" I asked making mine and Troy's presence known.
"Mommy! Daddy! You came." Josh said as Troy and I stepped closer to the bed.
"Of course we came silly. Aidan just fell asleep so we decided to come check on you two." Troy said as I smiled at the two of them.
"Uncle Chad is telling us stories." Mack said as her eyes twinkled brightly.
"Oooh what kind of stories?" I asked interested in what Chad was teaching our kids.
"Stories of you and dad's high school experience." Josh said as I playfully glared at Chad.
"Heed my warning now, Chad. You're going to be a dead man one of these days." I said pointing a finger at him.
"You know you love these stories as much as I do." Chad said as I took a seat between the two beds.
"That I do. You may continue now." I said waving my hand for him to continue.
I sat there listening to Chad tell Mack and Josh how their parents go together after callbacks. He also told them how Troy had proposed to me in Providence. That provoked an aww from Mack and a cool dude from Josh. Troy and I spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Chad and our other friends share their favorite memories of Troy and I to our children.
4:00 pm
"Mom you can leave now. I'm here." I said walking into Aidan and Belle's room. My mom had come up to give Troy and I a break from sitting beside Belle's bedside.
"Do you need anything before I leave?" Mom asked me putting her hands on the sides of my face.
"Nope I just ate and I think I'm good." I said smiling at her.
"Is Aidan in with Josh and Mack?" Mom asked me as I nodded slightly.
"Yeah they moved him in there about 2 hours ago. The doctors are thinking he'll be able to go home tomorrow morning." I told her smiling.
"That's good. He's anxious as are Mack and Josh." Mom said as I nodded.
"I just want all my kids home." I told her as she wrapped me in a hug.
"I know you do and they will be. Just have faith and patience." Mom said as I took her vacant seat.
"I will. Will you tell Troy I'm in here?" I asked her while she moved closer to the door.
"I will Gabi. Let me know if you need anything." Mom told me before opening the door.
"Hi my precious girl. It's been a long and stressful day. I just want you to open your big beautiful blue eyes. There are a lot of people praying for you right now. We miss your laugh and your smile and everything else. I'm sorry if I'm blubbering and not making much sense. I guess I haven't been making sense since I saw that bus accident and learned of your injuries. I just want my little girl back. I just want to see your eyes open and to know that everything is going to be all right." I said stroking her hand.
I just sat there and watched her chest move up and down while she took breaths. I just wanted some sign that she was able to hear me.
"If you can hear me, Belle, squeeze my hand. I just want to know that my little girl is in that body somewhere." I said as I felt tear drops on my cheek. I quickly wiped them away with the back of my hand.
Slowly I felt something grip my hand. It took me a second to realize that Belle was squeezing my hand.
"Belle, its mom. Come on honey, open your eyes." I said standing up and looking at her bruised face.
"Come on pretty girl, open your eyes." I said again as she slowly cracked her eyes open.
She tried to speak but I quickly hushed her. She looked confused but I was too happy to notice the confusion.
"Hi baby. How are you?" I asked still holding onto her hand.
"Where am I?" She barely got out before I smiled gently at her.
"You're at the hospital. Don't be scared, you're going to be fine." I reassured her and myself.
"Where's dad?" She asked looking around the room.
"He's with Aidan, Mack, and Josh. Do you want me to go get him?" I asked her as she slowly nodded her head.
"All right I'll be right back." I promised as I walked out of the room.
I leaned against the wall and cried silently. I composed myself before walking into Mack, Aidan, and Josh's room. Troy took one look at my puffy eyes before going into concern mode.
"Gabi what's wrong?" He asked coming over to my side.
"Nothing I just have to show you something." I said taking my hand in his and leading him into the hallway.
We walked down to Belle's room and went in. I led him to her bedside before she opened her eyes and looked at her dad.
"Hey dad." She spoke quietly as I looked at Troy's reaction.
"Hi baby girl. Welcome back." He said gently taking her hand in his.
"Was I that out of it?" Belle asked as Troy and I looked at each other.
"No you just had your mom and I scared a little. But you're going to be fine now." Troy reassured her again.
"Who's all here?" Belle asked as mine and Troy's eyes went wide.
"Try who isn't here. Your grandparents are here, aunts, and uncles. They're waiting to see you, kiddo." I told her.
"Can you go get grandma, grandpa, nana, and papa?" Belle asked as Troy and I looked at each other.
"I'll go. You stay here." I told Troy before leaving the room.
I quickly got the grandparents and told them to head down to Belle's room before turning to Mack, Aidan, and Josh.
"Mom what's going on?" Aidan asked looking at me.
"Belle woke up. She's trying to adjust to being in the hospital." I told them.
"That's a good thing right?" Mack asked as I smiled.
"It's going to be touch and go with Belle for a while. The doctors have to perform tests to make sure everything is all right." I explained to the three.
"She'll be all right mom, won't she?" Josh asked as I smiled.
"She'll be fine but she's going to have a long recovery." I told them.
"Then we'll be all home; safe and sound." Mack said as I kissed each of their heads.
"Yes we will. Now do you three want to see Belle?" I asked looking at their eager faces.
"Can we?" Mack asked anxious to see her younger sister.
"Sure; let's go." I said as I helped Aidan into his wheelchair and carefully guided the three out of the room.
I pushed them down the hall and into Belle's room. Belle was surprised a minute before chit chatting with her siblings as if nothing had happened. Within minutes, all four kids were giggling and telling each other stories. Troy and I just stood there and smiled knowing that our kids were going to be all right.
There you guys go. Hope you enjoyed it. I actually have a favor to ask all of my readers. Could you tell me what your favorite lines are from the stories I've written? It could be a quote or a scene. I'm just curious to see what my readers love the most.
Once again, feedback is most appreciated and loved!
