Here is the next chapter. More trouble I'm afraid. Amber
Chapter 21
Frank was escorted out of the OR. He took off his bunny suit and went to the waiting room. Callie pounced. "Was she scared?"
"A little but she was a trooper and very brave."
Brooke was cuddling Huggie herself. "I just want her to be okay."
Fenton squeezed her hand. "She will be kiddo."
Callie was nervously tapping her foot. She couldn't settle down. Her baby was currently on an operating table, probably on bypass by now. She put her head between her knees.
Frank rubbed her back. He was just as anxious. It was their baby on that table. Pastor Bert came over. "How are we holding up?"
Callie sat up a little. "Not well at the moment. I'm so worried. This whole thing came on so fast. All this stuff happened so fast."
Frank held her tightly. "I know baby. Try to relax. Did you bring your xanax?"
"I already took one."
Pastor Bert said. "Just breathe and relax. Go somewhere soothing in your mind. Just for a bit."
Frank smiled. He knew that before he was a minister that he was a licensed clinical social worker. He recognized the anxiety attack well enough. When she was calmer he addressed everyone else. "How are you feeling Fenton?"
"Doing alright."
"Glad to see you up and around. The whole family has been in my prayers."
Fenton smiled. "Thank you."
Brooke came over and sat beside her mother. She took her hand. Callie squeezed it. None of them spoke. They waited in the surgical waiting area of the hospital. Four hours later Dr. Androau's assistant came out. He said. "She did very well and is in recovery. We are going to check her blood levels to make sure she doesn't need a transfusion, but everything looks good. Dr. Androau is with her right now, he'll come talk with you in the ICU. She's going to room 16. You all are welcome to wait up there. She's going to be in recovery at least a couple hours and only mom and dad can come there."
Joe said. "How about I take Brooke, Mom, and Dad to get something to eat. We'll meet you in room 16 in a couple hours."
Frank nodded. "Sounds good."
Brooke handed her father Huggie. "Here. Give this to her."
"You bet kiddo."
Frank and Callie were taken back to the recovery area where Claire was. She was currently resting with her eyes closed. Dr. Grant was there. He said. "She did well. She should be coming out of the anesthesia shortly."
Callie hurried over and kissed her cheek. "My baby girl."
Frank put Huggie in Claire's arms. He took her hand and kissed it. "Hi kiddo mom and dad are right here baby."
Claire moaned as her head turned towards his voice. "Daddy don't leave me."
Frank soothed her. "I'm right here baby girl. Open your eyes and you'll see me honey."
Callie leaned into Frank so that Claire could see them both. The nurse was at her bedside watching her vital signs. Claire opened her eyes. "Mommy...daddy…."
Callie said emotionally. "Hello sweetheart...you did it. You did good."
"I did it? Daddy my chest hurts bad."
Frank eyed the nurse. He stood up. "Hello Claire, I'm Theo and I'm your recovery nurse. Hey cool bear! I'm going to give you some pain medicine so that you're more comfortable okay."
Claire started crying. "Please...it hurts."
Frank squeezed her hand. "He's getting it darling." Frank watched as Theo expertly put the medicine in the IV. Claire confused accidentally jerked her arm away. "What that?"
Callie took her arm and lowered it. "It's your IV honey. Theo is putting medicine in to help you feel better."
Claire moaned. "Hurts...so...ah that's better."
Dr. Androau came around the corner. "How's my brave patient?"
Callie said fretfully. "I think we're doing okay. How are her vitals Dr. Androau."
"They are where I would expect. Her heart rate and BP are going to be slightly elevated due to pain. That is normal. We'll monitor her closely for the next couple hours."
Frank kissed his daughter's hand. "Thank you doctor. When will she start the blood thinning medication?"
"She's on a heparin drip right now. She'll come off that when she leaves the hospital, that's when she'll start the coumadin."
"Mommy want a popsicle."
"She can't have anything yet. We have to make sure she can safely swallow it. She's too sleepy." Dr. Androau said.
Callie nodded. "In a little while baby."
"Daddy where are Ford and Josh?"
"They're with your Aunt Vanessa, nanny Sophia, and Joanne."
"Where Brooke?"
Frank answered. "With Uncle Joe and your grandparents."
"I'm sleepy."
Frank and Callie both said. "Rest baby."
Theo was watching his monitors. He cycled her blood pressure. It read 98/72. He pulled up her lab results. He said. "Her H and H is low; it's at a 6.5. We want it at a ten. They're going to want to give her a transfusion."
Callie nodded. "I'll sign the consent."
Theo called his charge who brought the appropriate paperwork.
Callie signed it without preamble. "When will she get the infusion?" She asked.
"As soon as possible."
Callie took Frank's hand. Before they knew it she was leaving recovery. She had received the unit of blood and was heading to the pediatric CICU. She was put in room sixteen. The rest of the family was there. Claire was still pretty out of it. Brooke rushed to the bed and kissed her sister. "Hey squirt!"
"Don't call me that!"
Brooke smoothed her quilt. "I love you."
"Love you!" She looked down and saw. "Huggie!"
Fenton walked over and kissed her forehead. He moved a stray hair from the spot he kissed. "Grandpa loves you baby."
"Love you grandpa. But you should be home resting. If you felt like this when you woke up you should be resting."
"Yes but it's been ten weeks since my surgery."
Laura chuckled. "She would know Fenton." She made her way to the bed. "Hi lovebug."
"Hi Nana."
"We love you to pieces. Pastor Bert came and sat with us while you were in surgery." Callie said.
"That was nice." Claire slurred.
Joe came over. He had his stethoscope. He listened to her heart. The murmur was gone. He nodded. "I don't hear the murmur."
Callie waved her arms in celebration. "Yay!"
Laura and Fenton said their goodbyes and left. Joe took Brooke home shortly thereafter. Callie and Frank would stay with Claire for the night. The sofa in the room folded down into a double bed. It was very convenient.
Brooke was at home. Her Uncle Joe and Aunt Vanessa were staying the night. They would sleep in her parents room to be closer to the babies. Allen and Alex slept on cots set up in the room with their parents. She brought them a sheet and a couple blankets and of course a pillow. "Here you go guys."
She helped them make their beds. She looked at the time. "I think it's time for your water treatment." She went into the master bath and turned on the water to warm. She put in bubbles for them. She dug into the bag and found two pair of pajamas. One was blue, and the other was red. She grabbed Alex first. "Gotcha!" Then she grabbed Allen. "Gotcha." They both started laughing. Brooke rolled her eyes and carried them into the bathroom. She shut the door and sat against it. She undressed both boys and put them in the tub. She grabbed Ford's baby toys and plopped them in the tub with them.
Her Uncle opened the door. "Brooke you didn't have to do that."
"Yes I did. You and Aunt Vanessa need a small break. Ford is sleeping, so is Josh. I love helping." She was washing Alex's hair.
Joe came in. Allen squirted a water squirter at him. Joe grinned. "Hey squirt you know the rules, all the water stays in the tub."
Allen blew a raspberry. Brooke was laughing. She had finished washing Alex and had switched to him. "Here you go buddy." She let them play in the tub for a few more minutes. Then she got them out. They took the opportunity and ran out of the bathroom both naked as jaybirds. Brooke was laughing. "Boys get back here."
"You can't catch us!"
Vanessa came out of nowhere. "But I can!"
"Aww!"
Brooke brought one of their diapers and handed a pair of pajamas to Vanessa. Brooke had Alex and put him in the blue pajamas. Alex smiled and kissed her cheek. "Love you Bwooke."
"Love you too little man!'
Joe was grinning from ear to ear. "Alright boys it's story time." Before Joe could take his son from Brooke they heard breaking glass from downstairs and a loud whooshing sound. Joe's eyes widened. "Vanessa I think that was a molotov cocktail exploding."
