They sat like that for another 45 minutes before the doctor came out of the room.
"McDodds?"
Immediately, Sally shot up, her eyes red from sleep and tears, from her husband's shoulder with a snort. Ned stood up, as did his wife.
"Is he going to be okay?" Ned asked, looking nervous. He fiddled with his fingers. Sally bit her lip as she looked af the doctor, silently begging for good news.
"We tested him for Whorona and he tested negative."
That sent Sally into bliss. Her baby was fine.
"He is showing signs of a cold, which has been reported lately as well. We'll have to keep him for a few days to monitor him, just to make sure he doesn't developed anything else." The doctor said.
"Okay, can we see him?" Sally asked.
"Right this way."
Laying in the hospital crib, J. J. was sleeping, his hands clenched by his face, a hospital band on his wrist and the oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. With the oxygen mask, they could still hear J. J. faintly snoring. He must have been having a great dream.
Sally gripped her fingers on the bars of the crib as she watched him breathe.
Ned wrapped his comforting arms around his wife and rubbed her back.
"It's just like when JoJo was born. I remember how small he was in the incubator."
"I remember, and he's still here, and so will J. J." Ned put a hand on his son's shoulder.
JoJo smiled at J. J.
Everything was going to be fine.
The hospital was crowded, but the staff was generous enough to give Sally a bed for the night.
By the time they found out that J. J. was going to be fine, it was very early in the morning and JoJo was falling asleep on his dad's lap. His head was falling and his eyes became droopy. He kept jerking his head up to stay awake.
"I better get him home. I'll bring over breakfast in a few hours, okay?" Ned said to Sally. She looked ready to pass out.
"Okay." She said and she pulled down her mask to kiss her husband.
Ned signed out at the desk and carried JoJo to the car. He was yawning and rubbing his eyes.
Ned put JoJo in the car and buckled him up. As soon as he was buckled in, JoJo's head fell against the back seat and he was fast asleep.
Ned smiled. He started the car and drove away. His mother in law must have been worried sick.
Rose was reading her adult fantasy novel on the recliner when Ned unlocked the door.
The red and pink woman looked at her son in law holding her oldest grandson, but she grew concerned when she didn't see her daughter or youngest grandson.
"Where's Sally? How's J. J. doing?" She asked, taking off her glasses.
"They have to keep J. J. for a few days and Sally decided to stay. You can go home, Rose." Ned whispered, as to not wake JoJo.
"No no no." Rose got up. "I'll sleep on the couch. You need help, Ned."
Ned got an idea. Sally would kill him if he allowed his mother in law to sleep on their couch. Sure, it was comfortable for Sunday naps, but sleeping on it overnight was uncomfortable.
"Take JoJo's bed, he'll sleep with me." Ned said.
"Alright. Goodnight." Rose said, heading upstairs.
Ned got into his room and laid JoJo on Sally's side of the bed. JoJo turned and snuggled into the pillow, not waking up. Ned slipped under the covers and fell asleep almost at once.
What a night.
A delicious smell of bacon filled the air. JoJo woke up and immediately felt off.
'Why am I in Mom and Dad's room?' He asked himself.
"Wakey wakey!" Ned said, cheerfully as he walked into the room. "Your grandma is making breakfast. Come eat."
Breakfast was the usual chaos, and without Sally or J. J., there wasn't the motherly shouts of "sit down" or the wails of a hungry infant. It was still loud, nonetheless.
Grandma Rose was at the stove, crying bacon and Ned was at the waffle maker, a huge stack of waffles next to it.
JoJo came in. "Need any help?"
"Could you get the orange juice from the fridge?" Ned asked.
"Sure."
JoJo opened the fridge and got the huge container of orange juice. He started to pour the sweet juice into sippy cups for the 5 youngest girls.
"I want a big girl cup!" Hedy whined.
"You'll spill it, you're getting a sippy." JoJo said as he screwed on the lid.
"Quit hogging the syrup, Honey!" Hazel said.
"Say pretty please."
"In your dreams!"
"Hazel, Honey, don't start." JoJo said.
After what seemed like a long morning, the whole family sat down and started eating. But the chaos didn't stop.
Huggy wacked her blunt fork at her youngest sister.
"Huggy forked me!" Hedy cried.
Ned looked up from his waffles. "No she didn't."
Hedy still cried. "Huggy forked me on my pinky!" She whined.
"Aww, you're fine, sweetie." Ned said.
That's when the girls noticed something.
"Where's Mommy?" Holiday asked.
"She's at the hospital with the baby. She'll be back." Ned said.
"What's wrong with Jeremy?" Hannah asked.
"He's fine, he's just going for a check up." Ned assured them.
"No more questions, eat your breakfast." Rose said.
Ned placed two waffles and some bacon in a Tupperware container with a smaller container of syrup. He packed a thermos with orange juice before putting the food in his lunch bag. Sally could borrow it for now, since he didn't need it.
"I'll be back in an hour. Stay here and watch your sisters. Help grandma." He said to JoJo.
"Aye aye, captain." JoJo said.