Chapter 45
Josh had been all afternoon and evening at the studio, but he was happy it was their last day. They actually finished up a few days early. He and Cassandra were heading out for a few drinks and back to the hotel.
By the time they got back they were both pretty intoxicated. They laughed and joked the whole way up to his room. Josh unlocked the door, and went inside, he stood there with the door open.
"Wanna come in for awhile?" he asked giving her a half grin. "I really don't want to be alone yet."
"Okay as long as we can crack the mini bar."
"You read my mind darling." Josh said guiding her into the room.
Cassie sat down on the bed, kicked her shoes off. Josh came over and sat down beside her closely. "Here you go." He said handing her a bottle of wine he had just took a swig out of. She smiled and took It from him and did the same. "I am single now eh." Josh said quietly, but he knew she heard him.
"What happened Josh?"
"She said she was done last week and I haven't heard from her since." Josh said looking at his hands. "I tried to call her so many times, but it just goes to voice mail. She won't return my calls."
"Josh I am sorry to hear that." Cassie said putting her hand on his thigh. "You will find someone that is better for you."
Josh felt her closeness. "I think you should go." He said softly
"Why Josh." She said pushing her hand higher up his thigh, and pushing herself closer. "You are not in a relationship anymore. Let me help you forget." She said moving closer to him.
Josh didn't move, he let her push her body up against his, he felt her lips cover his. She kissed him, it was nice. He pulled her on top of him and ran his hands over her body. Josh felt her hands tugging at his clothes, unbuttoning his jeans, she was kissing him, he was kissing her back, but he was just going through the motions. He wasn't even getting turned on.
"This isn't right." He said pushing her back.
"Come on Josh." She said pushing her breast up against his chest. "It will be fun."
"It isn't happening." He said getting up and zipping his pants up. "I am in love with Ella."
"Josh she broke up with you. Let me make you forget for the night. We can have some fun."
Cassie moved back toward him, she grabbed him by the belt hoops on his jeans and pulled him to her. She kissed him, and started to undress him. Josh responded by doing what she wanted.
Ella was half asleep, but she could hear a baby crying. She opened her eyes and seen it was just past five am. She yawned and set up in bed. She could her one of her babies crying. It sounded like Landon. She got up and padded out the door and down the hall to the nursery. She walked into the room, and Liam was sitting in his bed, rubbing his little eyes. Landon was lying in his bed crying. Ella went over to the crib and picked him up. She noticed right away that he was burning up with fever.
"Oh baby….you feel hot." She said sitting him on her lap and taking his temperature. He had a temp of 104. She felt a little bit of panic. Neither of her boys had ever been sick before. She took Landon out of the room and down stairs to give him advil.
Once she had the advil in him, she put him back in his bed and he fell back to sleep. Liam was sleepy soundly at this time as well. Ella pulled out the sofa bed that was in the boys room and she curled up and drifted off to sleep. About an hour later she woke up to Landon screaming again, covered in vomit.
She got up and checked his temperature again, and no change. He was still burning up. She got him cleaned up and hollered for Ben.
"What is it L?" he said coming into the room.
"He is burning up." She said holding her baby close to her, trying to comfort the crying child. "I gave him advil and it didn't help."
Ben came over and looked the baby over while Ella was holding him. "We need to take him to the ER.'' He stated. "You go get dressed and I will hold him, then come and get Liam ready to go."
"I will call Josh's mom." I don't want to subject him to illnesses as well.
They got ready, Josh's mom arrived.
"Did you call Josh?' Corlynn asked.
"Not yet." Ella said bundling Landon up. "I don't want to bother him, his work is so important."
Ben heard the sarcasm in her voice.
"Mrs. Ramsay there is no point in worrying Josh yet. We are going to get him checked out and it is probably just a virus he is fighting."
She nodded her head. "Let me know what is going on please."
Ella smiled at her. "Will do."
Ben and Ella left for the hospital, Ben was driving. Poor little Landon was sleeping but not soundly. He kept fussing. Ella kept reaching around to calm her baby from the front seat.
"You are not wearing your ring?" Ben said noticing her bare finger.
"No I told him I was done."
"L…..honey why would you do that?"
"He pissed me off."
Ben sighed. "I hope it doesn't blow up in your face."
Ella sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I hope Landon is okay."
"We are almost there." Ben said softly
Once they got to the hospital, the baby was still burning up with fever, he was not crying to much now, he was just sleeping in Ella's arms. They were put into a room, to wait for the doctor. Ella kept the baby in her arms, she could feel the heat radiate off of him. He was burning up. Ella looked up when the doctor walked in. It was Dr. Alex Miller. Ella had worked with him for three years here at the hospital. He was one of the best pediatricians that Vancouver had.
"Hi Ella, you have a sick baby I hear." He said as he washed his hands. "Put him over on the bed, I will take a look at him."
Ella smiled and moved Landon over to the bed. The little boy didn't even stir when she set him down.
"How long has he been like this? With the fever? Has he not been feeling well?" The doctor asked as he started to look the little fella over.
"I just noticed the fever this morning. He hasn't been himself for the past few days. I figured he was coming down with something."
Ben came and stood by Ella, he took her hand. He knew she was worried. As the doctor was looking Landon over, the little babies body started to shake and convulse. He was having a seizure.
The doctor rang the call bell for help, to get nursing staff to come in. Landon seizure only lasted half a minute, but that was too long for Ella. She started to cry.
The doctor gave a bunch of orders to the nurses, and told them to get an IV started.
"Alex what do you think is wrong with him?" Ella asked through her tears.
The doctor ran his hand over his face. "I want to do a spinal tap."
Ben squeezed Ella's shoulder softly. "You think he has meningitis don't you?" Ben asked.
Ella put her hand over her mouth.
"I do." The doctor said. "I don't want to cause any alarm till I find out for sure. I will let you know as soon as I can. Ella I need you to sign some forms. Are you the father?" he said asking Ben.
"No he isn't. His dad is out of town."
"I think you should call him." The doctor said before leaving the room.
Ella turned and looked at Ben. They both knew from being nurses how bad meningitis. Ella just prayed it wasn't a bacterial form of the illness. IT was harder to treat and sometimes fatal.
"You need to call Josh."
She nodded her head and watched the nurses prepping her baby for his spinal tap. She pulled out her phone, she was crying. It rang, and rang and went to voice mail. She hung it up and dialed it again.
A sleepy Josh answered. "Hullo."
"Josh…..Landon is sick." Ella cried into the phone.
Josh ran his hand over his face, he felt Cassie stir in bed beside. "What is wrong Ella?" Josh said trying to wake up.
"You need to come home." She sobbed. "Landon is sick. The doctor thinks he might have meningitis, they are getting him ready to do a spinal tap."
Josh could barely make out what she was saying, but the word he heard were scaring him. He sat up in bed.
"He had a seizure Josh."
"They think he has meningitis?" Josh asked quietly trying to wake Cassandra. "That is bad isn't it?"
"It could be fatal." Ella sobbed.
"Both boys with you?"
"Liam is home with your mom. Can you please come home? I can't do this on my own."
"I will be on the first flight out Ella." Josh said listening to her sob.
"Okay." She said softly. "I just need you here."
"I will be there." He said ending the call. He felt Cassies hand on his arm pulling him back to bed. "I have to get up Cassie. I need to get home. Ella has an emergency and she needs me." Josh said getting up out of bed, he pulled his jeans on. She sat up in wrapped the sheet around her naked body.
"You are really going to run to her when she calls crying over something."
Josh ran his hand through his hair. "Look Cassie, this should never of happened. I was drunk and feeling alone, with everything that has been going on between Ella and I. I love her Cassie, and I am sorry that this happened. It was a big mistake."
"She doesn't deserve you Josh. I can't believe you." She said getting upset. "We could be really good together."
Josh sighed. "We have two sons together Cassie, and one is really sick. I have to go home. Again I am sorry. Take care of all the loose ends here for me. I am really sorry….you are a fantastic person." Josh said as he zipped up his suitcase. "I have to go." He said not looking at her, he turned and left the room before she had any time to react. The look of shock on her face, gave him a few minutes to get away.
He kept cursing himself in his head he whole way to the airport and the whole flight back to Vancouver. Why did it take him to fuck up to realize what he really wants. Ella had told him she was done, but she sounded like she needed him on the phone when she called. He kept hoping that his little boy was going to be alright.
He wouldn't tell Ella about what happened between him and Cassie, it was just sex and he and Ella were technically broken up from what she had said on the phone. But maybe she was just pissed and said things she didn't mean when she was angry. He didn't know really, their relationship was not typical. He sighed, and felt the wheels of the plan hit the runway. He had called Matt to come pick him up from the airport.
"Hey man." Matt said as Josh approached him from his gate. "You look like hell."
Josh grinned at Matt. "Ya I know. Not much sleep and I am worried sick about the baby."
"I know Ben called me." Matt said as they made their way through the airport. "Ella is pretty upset."
"She was sobbing when I was talking to her this morning. I just felt so bad there was nothing I could do.'
"You will see her in like twenty minutes." Matt said smiling softly at his friend.
Ella sat by Landon's bedside. The doctor had came in and told them the news that they didn't want to hear, it was indeed bacterial meningitis; they hooked him up to a heart monitor, and started an IV. They also moved them to the Intensive care unit; he would be able to be monitored better. He has two more seizures since that morning and was unresponsive.
Ella had sent Ben home to get her ring, she felt awful for being so petty and acting like a child. She couldn't wait for Josh to get here. He had sent her a text message that he was just leaving the airport. She reached over and touched Landon little hand. Why was this happening to her baby? She felt a tear slip down her face.
"This way Mr. Ramsay." Ella heard the nurse say, she looked up and there was Josh, looking frightened as hell coming through the ICU, towards her.
"Josh, I am so glad you are here." She sobbed through her arms around him, burying her face into his chest.
He ran his hand over her hair, kissing the top of her head as he looked at his poor little boy, attached to things he had no idea what they were, he looked so lifeless.
"I am so sorry Josh."
"None of it matters sweetheart. I should be the one apologizing." He said pulling back so he could see her face. He cupped her face lifting it so he could see her beautiful eyes. At that moment he realized how stupid he was being, and how much he loved this woman in front of him. He softly kissed her lips. She gave him a small smile.
"What are the doctors saying?" he asked going over to his son's bedside, taking his little hand in his.
"They just started the antibiotic, hopefully he responds and that there is no increase in the pressure in his head, and they also have him on medication to stop seizures."
"Is he going to be okay?" Josh asked his voice breaking, he was losing it. It was too much to see his son so sick.
Ella shook her head. "I dunno Josh."
Josh pulled her too him, holding her so tightly, his body trembled, he tried to hold back the sobs. He prayed that his little boy would be okay. He prayed that nothing ruined his little family, that he loved so much. He felt the overwhelming since of guilt creep over him, he had slept with another woman. He noticed Ella still had her ring on when he came into the room. If she found out about Cassie, he would lose everything.
