Faith Hope Love Repeat pt.20
Hello, everyone. The poll has ended and the results are up. My next story will be a pre-series starting from Adam's birth to the pilot episode. So, until I finish this story or my prompt story, I will be working hard to collect "facts" for that story.
The next morning, Adam woke up to Holly snuggling up to him. He felt pain in his hands and legs and he whimpered painfully. Hannah rushed to his side and caressed his cheek.
"I think the pain meds wore off." Adam whimpered.
"Where does it hurt?" Hannah wondered.
"My hands and my legs."
"I'll go get a nurse."
"No, I think I can handle it. Just distract me from it."
Riley yawned and looked up at Adam and smiled. She carefully climbed over and hugged Adam.
"I love you, daddy." RIley whispered.
"I love you too, baby." Adam answered. That's when Adam noticed the blanket. "She finished it."
"Yeah, she did." Hannah replied. She noticed how sad Adam was and she kissed his cheek. "What anything to eat?"
"I'm not hungry."
"I'll go get breakfast for the girls."
Adam and Hannah kissed and Hannah left the room. RIley climbed down off the bed and grabbed a game. She put it on the table and then climbed up onto the bed.
"Let's play Battleship." Riley said.
"Ok." Adam sighed. Holly woke up and looked up at Adam. "Hey, do you want to help me with this game?" Holly nodded and helped Adam. The three played Battleships till Hannah came back with breakfast.
"Who's winning?" Hannah wondered.
"Riley. She's very good at this game." Adam answered.
"She had a good teacher."
They finished the game and Riley cheered.
"I won, mommy. I won." Riley exclaimed.
"I know. Now, put the game away and eat your breakfast." Hannah answered.
"Yes, ma'am."
Riley and Holly put the game away and ate breakfast. Hannah tried to convince Adam to eat, but he wouldn't eat. After breakfast, Brian and Crane stayed with Adam while Hannah and the girls went home.
At the ranch, Dakota was taking care of the babies. Guthrie walked in and watched her care for the two.
"You'll be a great mom." Guthrie said.
"Thank you." Dakota answered. Hannah, Holly, and Riley walked in and Hannah picked up Briana and Luke.
"How were they?" Hannah wondered.
"Fussy, but ok. How is Adam?"
"Struggling."
At the hospital, Adam was resting while Brian and Crane watched baseball.
"Who's winning?" Adam mumbled as he opened his eyes.
"No one right now. How do you feel?" Brian sighed.
"My chest hurts and my stomach is really queasy."
"Want anything?"
"Just some water."
"Ok."
Brian poured Adam a cup of water and helped Adam drink a few sips. When Adam was done, he tried to go back to sleep.
"You should eat something. You need to keep up your strength." Crane said.
"Nah, I'm fine. I just need a nap." Adam answered.
"You just had a nap."
"I'm tired."
"If you'd eat, you'd feel better."
Adam groaned and sighed.
"Give me some of the dried fruit." Adam sighed. Crane did and opened the bags so that Adam could grab the fruit. Adam had a piece of fruit and then put it on the table. The three watched the game and after work, Daniel came over to visit.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Daniel asked.
"Ok." Adam mumbled.
"You look terrible."
"I feel terrible."
Adam coughed and clutched his chest.
"You ok?" Brian asked. Adam shook his head and continued to cough. "I'm gonna get the doctor."
Brian left the room and soon came back with a nurse and Dr. Wolf. Dr. Wolf examined Adam and looked at the nurse.
"Prep the OR. He needs surgery." Dr. Wolf said. Adam was rushed to surgery and the brothers waited for any news.
"I want to stay, but I have to go home to Dakota." Daniel stated.
"You need to be home with her. We'll be fine here. Tell Hannah, we'll call when we hear something." Brian answered. Daniel went home and told Hannah the news. Hannah rushed to the hospital and saw Brian and Crane.
"How is he?" Hannah asked.
"They're still in surgery. Doc thinks his right lung collapsed."
A few hours later, Dr. Wolf came out and sighed.
"How is he?" Hannah asked.
"His right lung did collapse, but we fixed that. He had internal bleeding in his gut. We stopped it, but we have to figure out what happened to cause it in the first place. He'll be asleep for a while. Hopefully till tomorrow." Dr. Wolf sighed.
Everyone waited for Adam to wake and they prayed that he would be ok.
At the ranch, it was raining heavily and Riley was sitting at a window watching the rain. Daniel sat down next to her and watched with her.
"Will daddy be ok?" RIley wondered.
"Yeah. It's gonna be a while though. He'll probably have to have more surgeries to fix the inside of his body and he'll have to have therapy before he can come home." Daniel answered.
"Poor daddy. Why did that man hurt him? Why daddy?"
"I don't know and we'll never know."
"I'm glad daddy killed him."
"So am I, but we can't think this way. It's wrong."
"Why is it wrong? He hurt you, Dakota, daddy, and other people. He deserved to die."
"But that's not our choice. That's God's. God decided who should live and who should die. He is the perfect judge. We're imperfect. We judge passed off of the action, God judges based on sin. Murder is the same as greed or even stealing. Sin is sin. It's wrong. Your dad is mad at what he did. He knew that it was the only choice he had, but it wasn't one that he liked. Very little will justify what happened to Adam. He will always say that he killed someone who deserved punishment but not death." Daniel explained.
"I want daddy to come home." Riley mumbled as she started to cry.
"I know, honey."
Daniel hugged Riley who cried.
The next day was a quiet day for everyone. Sam babysat the kids while everyone tried to keep busy.
"You'd be a good mom." Brian said.
"More like a good aunt. I want kids, but... not now." Sam answered. "And I don't want biological children either. I want to adopt my kids."
"I never knew you were into that."
"Why bring more kids into the world when there are more than enough kids without homes or families. They need someone."
"Yeah."
That evening, Hannah was resting when Adam woke up and groaned. He looked over and saw Hannah sleeping. He smiled and went back to sleep.
That night, Dakota was in bed resting when Daniel joined her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. Dakota giggled and then rolled over.
"We need to pick out names." Daniel said.
"Names. What's your favorite name?" Dakota wondered.
"I like Lily and Sean. You?"
"Lakota and Sage."
"Both of those can be boy or girl names. We can do Lakota and Sage and then add Sean and/ or Lily as their middle names."
"Ok."
They kissed and continued to talk.
"The plumbing and wiring are almost done. Soon, we'll be painting." Daniel sighed.
"I'll be glad when we move in. I love your family, but I like having my own space." Dakota answered.
"I know."
They kissed and went to sleep.
A few days later, Adam woke up feeling worse. He saw Dr. Wolf examining him and then giving him some medication.
"What's happening?" Adam asked.
"You have an infection in your hand. It's spread and is now in your bloodstream. You'll be fine in time." Dr. Wolf answered.
"It's hard to breathe."
"I know."
"Hannah?"
"I'm here, Adam. Get some sleep." Hannah whispered. Adam nodded and did as he was told.
"His fever is getting worse." Dr. Wolf said.
"His hand?"
"The infection is going away. He won't need an amputation. I'm worried about his blood."
A few hours later, Adam woke up whimpering and moaning from the fever.
"Hannah, help me, please." Adam whimpered.
"Shh. I'm here, honey. You're ok." Hannah answered.
"Hannah, where are you? I can't... I can't see."
"Shh. Go back to sleep."
Hannah sat on the bed and caressed Adam's cheek. Adam fell asleep and Hannah sighed.
"Mommy, what's wrong with daddy?" Holly wondered.
"He's very sick, honey. His fever is very high." Hannah answered.
They watched Adam sleep restlessly.
"How's Adam?" Brian wondered.
"Not good. He's getting worse." Hannah sighed.
The next day, Adam woke up and started coughing.
"Hey, honey. How do you feel?" Hannah wondered.
"Weak." Adam rasped.
"Your fever dropped last night. You scared me."
"What happened?"
"A few days ago, you started to run a fever and they found an infection in your left hand. They started to treat it, but it spread to your bloodstream and you started getting very sick. It wasn't till last night that the antibiotics started helping."
"I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of cows."
"I can imagine. Drink some water."
Hannah helped Adam drink some water and Adam tried to rest.
"Hungry?" Hannah wondered.
"Nah." Adam answered.
"I'm sorry, honey."
"I wish I could go home."
"I know, honey."
"DO they know what's wrong with my gut?"
"Not yet. They're still running tests. Why?"
"Cramps are back and it's worse."
"I'm sorry, honey."
Adam hissed painfully and tried to breathe through the cramps.
"I need a doctor." Adam panted.
"Ok." Hannah answered. She left the room and grabbed Dr. Wolf. Dr. Wolf examined Adam and sighed.
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad are the cramps?" Dr. Wolf asked.
"7 maybe an 8." Adam mumbled.
"How long have you felt it?"
"Since I woke up."
"Fatigue?"
"Bad. I don't even have the strength to stay awake."
"Then don't. Get some rest."
"Yes, sir."
Dr. Wolf checked Adam's fever and sighed.
"It's rising again." Dr. Wolf sighed.
"He's trying to fight, but it's hard." Hannah answered as she sat down on the bed and caressed Adam's cheek.
"He has a procedure in a couple of days. Hopefully, we will find answers."
At the ranch, Ford was filling out paperwork for Wheeler.
"How's the paperwork coming?" Crane asked as he walked in and sat down.
"It's a little overwhelming." Ford chuckled.
"Wheeler just wants you to be prepared."
"I know. ANd I'm enjoying it. I guess I'm struggling to come to terms with Wheeler's diagnosis."
"It's not gonna be easy for a lot of people. Especially Cleo."
"Yeah. She's having a really hard time with this."
"Yeah."
Evan walked inside and saw Sally working at the table.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Evan asked.
"Ok." Sally sighed.
"How soon can you be ready?"
"For what?"
"It's a surprise."
"Half an hour. Why?"
"You'll see."
Sally went and got ready and wondered what the surprise was. When Sally was ready, Evan took her to a rodeo near town.
"We haven't been to a rodeo since we got married. It's still our greatest love." Evan said.
"It's great." Sally answered. They watched the rodeo and Evan watched how Sally relaxed.
"I know these past few months have been rough. It's nice seeing you happy again."
"I feel better now than I have in a while.'
Evan grabbed Sally's hand and squeezed it. Sally smiled and they watched the rodeo.
"The guy's not gonna last long. He's not positioned correctly on that bull." Sally said. Sure enough, the man fell off within a few seconds.
After the rodeo, they had supper and then watched the sunset.
At the ranch, Crane and Molly sat on the porch listening to Brian put the kids to be.
"Come on, Holly. You don't need any more juice." Brian said. "You can have one more sip and then it's bedtime."
Crane chuckled and sighed.
"Good old uncle Brian." Crane sighed.
"He's trying." Molly answered.
"I think those four are making him happy he's only an uncle."
"Well, the babies are teething and the girls are growing up. It's not easy."
"They also miss Adam a lot. Hannah needs to take care of Adam and so the four get maybe an hour with their parents."
"Sally and Dakota have been trying so hard with those girls."
"Brian, Evan, Guthrie, and I have been trying with the babies. Grandma and grandpa have been a big help."
"Yeah, they have."
Jane and James walked outside and Jane started crocheting. Riley snuck outside and watched Jane.
"How do you do that?" RIley asked.
"I'll teach you someday, but right now, you should be upstairs in bed. Your parents won't be happy when they hear that you've been misbehaving." Jane answered. Riley ran back inside and they could hear Brian fuss at her.
"How hard would it be to teach Holly and RIley how to crochet?" Molly wondered.
"Well, there are plenty of different ways to teach them and they have much better motor skills than most kids twice their age. I think I can figure out something."
"It'll give them something to do. And it'll keep them calm."
"Yes, it would. I'll give it a try."
"Does this mean you have to buy more yarn?" James teased.
"Yes, it does." Jane answered.
"As if a roomful wasn't enough."
"It's only one bin full. Stop your whining."
The next day, Hannah woke up to Brian gently shaking her.
"Hey, you need to go home and get some rest. I'll watch over him. Crane's in the jeep waiting to take you home." Brian said.
"How is Adam?" Hannah wondered.
"Doc says he's the same. Go home."
Hannah sat up and kissed Adam's forehead.
"I can't leave him." Hannah stated.
"It'll only be for a few hours. Now, go home and get some rest." Brian ordered. Hannah did as she was told. Brian sat down and watched over Adam who continued to sleep.
When Hannah arrived home, she saw Luke and Briana on the floor playing with the cats and dogs. She picked them up and Riley and Holly ran over and hugged Hannah.
"Mommy, grandma teaching us how to crochet with our fingers." Holly said.
"Good. What are you making?" Hannah wondered.
"Pillowcase."
"Well, go back and finish it."
"Ok."
The girls ran off and Hannah took care of the babies. When she was done, she put them down for a nap and took a shower. When she was done, she heard laughter from the nursery. She walked in and saw RIley and Briana playing.
"Peeka..." RIley said as she knelt down to hide from Briana. Then she jumped up and said, "BOO!"
Briana giggled and smiled at RIley who did it again. Hannah walked over and picked Riley up and spun her around. She started tickling RIley who giggled and squirmed.
"Mommy, that tickles." Riley giggled. Hannah stopped and kissed Riley's nose.
"I love my little banana." Hannah said.
"I love my big banana."
Riley hugged Hannah and Hannah could feel Riley's mood change.
"When will daddy be home?" Riley wondered.
"Not for a few weeks at least. He's very sick right now." Hannah answered.
"What's wrong with him?"
"You know those days where his tummy hurts so bad, he can't do anything?"
"Yeah."
"The doctor's trying to figure out what's wrong so that he can make daddy better."
"I want daddy to get better."
"So do I."
At the hospital, Adam woke up and looked around groggily.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Brian said. "Doc said your fever's a little higher. He wants you to eat some of this soup and drink some water."
"I'm not hungry." Adam mumbled. He groaned and winced.
"What's wrong?"
"My hip. I'm uncomfortable."
"Need help moving around?"
"Yeah."
Brian helped Adam move so that he was comfortable and then he put the table in front of Adam.
"Eat before I make you do it." Brian ordered.
"Yes, sir." Adam answered.
"Man, now I see why you hated being called sir. It does make you sound old."
"Yeah, it does."
Adam ate some soup and tried to rest.
"I feel exhausted." Adam mumbled.
"You look exhausted even when you sleep all day." Brian answered.
"I wish I didn't have to fight. It hurts."
"I know. The day after tomorrow, you'll have a procedure done. They're gonna find out what's causing all the cramps and what caused the internal bleeding."
"Good."
"You may not think so when they're done."
"Yeah."
Adam looked at his left hand and tried to move his fingers, but they barely moved.
"How bad was the infection?" Adam asked.
"Just bad enough. It's getting better, but it'll be a while before it's fully cleared." Brian sighed.
"Yeah."
Brian noticed how thin and pale Adam was and was worried.
"How much weight have you lost?" Brian asked.
"A few pounds." Adam answered.
"How many are a few?"
"Uh, maybe 4 or 5. Might be more now. Why?"
"I just never realized how pale and thin you are."
"I have lost a lot of blood and I do have a fever."
"Nah, this is something else."
"I'm fine, Brian. I just need to rest."
"Ok."
Brian sighed and looked at Adam sadly.
"Listen, I know this is something you'll avoid, but how do you feel?" Brian asked.
TBC