1 Starting Over-6
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Few years after college. This is an AU.
Authors' note: This story is told from each of the characters' points of view. This may start out weird. But never fear, I'm a dreamer all the way (
1.1 Saturday Afternoon
Daniel and I spent the day at the mall, without Max. Max refused to come and I refused to leave Daniel with him again. Daniel has shopped with me every Saturday since he was old enough to leave the house. I wasn't about to leave him out on this one.
"Did you have fun honey?" I asked cheerfully, he got new clothes as well as I did.
He looked in the rearview mirror and took his thumb out of his mouth, "No, Mommy." And sat back in his car seat, a chubby thumb in his mouth. It's a shame, he's only two and he hates shopping, well he better get used to it.
"Are you tired?" I asked glancing back at him in the mirror at a stoplight.
"Yes, adonde vamos?" He wanted to know where we were going.
"Home and then we're going back to Max and Isabel's for the night." I told him. I've spent as little time is necessary at his house. I didn't want Daniel getting wrong impressions about Max or me.
"Why?" He wanted to know.
"I have to leave your father a note so he knows where we are. And I have to pick up some clothes for church tomorrow." 'Father' was the only name Ethan allowed Daniel to call him. It's strange really but hey, what can I say?
"Why." He asked. I could already sense a strained relationship between father and son brewing.
"Because he'll want to know why we're not there when he gets home tomorrow." I answered.
"He won't care." He put his thumb back in his mouth and looked out the window. I stared at him. He was only two but had the mind of an 80-year- old. He knew things. Ethan probably could care less if we were there or not, I'd just rather leave a message and write a note. Just to make sure.
The light turned green and I started across the intersection. I heard a scream, although if it came from Daniel, or me I'll never know. Then everything went black.
1.2 Max
I can't believe I just got that call. All I can do is scream to Isabel and run out the door with my jacket hopefully Isabel will get there in time to get a ride with me.
Liz and Daniel were in a car accident. Daniel was still unconscious, Liz was conscious, but barely. Enough to tell them my phone number and my name. That was what she was thinking about. They had just gotten to the hospital. I had to get there fast.
Good, here comes Isabel, maybe she'll drive, I don't think I could concentrate on the road.
"Max, what happened?" She came running up behind me breathless.
"Liz and Daniel were in a car accident." Was all I could say and threw the keys at her indicating that she would be driving.
"Where at?" She asked starting the car.
"St. I's."
"Ok, that's only a few minutes." She pulled out of the apartment complex.
1.3 At the Hospital
I would have run in if Isabel hadn't kept me at a controlled walk. I walked into the waiting room when I heard her voice.
"Max." She said. I loved that voice; I love it ten times more now.
"Liz?" I spun around. She was sitting, her legs neatly crossed as always. My eyes swept over her small frame as she stood. There were bruises on her legs, minor cuts on her arms, and a temporary cast over her right arm. I let out a sigh of relief realizing those were that was the worst injury. She swayed when she tried to stand.
I rushed up and caught her before she fell over backward. "I guess I'm not completely steady yet." She said quietly trying to hold back sobs.
I sat down in the chair she had just been sitting in. I pulled her down to sit on my lap. She sat willingly, and buried her face in my neck.
"Liz, just cry sweetheart, cry. Its ok, it will help." I tried my best to help her I knew she didn't want to. "Liz, its ok." Sobs began to rack through her small body. I just held her close and eyed Isabel. She nodded and walked in the other direction to go check on Daniel.
"How could this have happened?" She asks. "I'm fine, Daniel's not. Why couldn't I have been the one to get hurt? Why Max." She began to sob. I didn't know how to answer her.
"Liz look at me." I say firmly, but gently. I glance around the crowed waiting room and notice too many people are here. She lifts here eyes from my neck and looks into my eyes. Waiting.
I stand up and head towards the door pulling her behind me. She followed silently. We had finally made it outside into the little garden. Why do they have such pretty little gardens at hospitals? So much pain is caused here they make it seem like a pleasant place to be.
"Liz," I said gently. She looked up at me again, tears still in her eyes threatening to fall. I pulled her into another hug. She hung on like her life depended on it. Thinking about it, she probably did. "It's ok to cry. It's ok to feel worried. But it's not ok to feel guilty. It's a good thing you weren't hurt. Now you can take care of Daniel. He needs his mommy now more than anything Liz. You have to believe me. You are the first thing he's going to want when he wakes up. Do not feel guilty that he got so badly hurt. It wasn't your fault, and you know that." I said firmly. She only cried harder and held tighter. She was really terrified for Daniel. I picked her up and carried her to the nearby bench.
I let her cry. About five minutes later Isabel came outside.
"Liz, Daniel wants to see you." She said gently.
Liz literally sprang from my lap. She tried to control her tears, but it wasn't possible. She collapsed into my lap crying again.
"Liz come on, I'll go with you." I said and pulled her up.
1.4 Liz
Soon I'm going to have to call Ethan. I don't want to. He's coming home tomorrow and its not like he'll come rushing home anyway.
I let Max guide me swiftly into the small hospital room that Daniel was transferred to. There were toys, tv, beds, ivs, stuff that are in hospital rooms. I looked around and saw my baby lying stiffly on his bed. He turned his head just enough to see me. He tried to smile but he obviously was having trouble.
"Mommy?" He said quietly.
"Hi, sweetheart, how are you doing? How do you feel." I ask.
"I hurt my arm, Mama, it hurts to move my legs. Mama, what happened?" He asked.
I could just look at him. I felt so horrible. He was in pain. My poor baby. I just wanted to lift him into my arms and hold him, but I couldn't he was in too much pain and the IV's basically restricted any large movements.
"You and your mommy were in a car accident." I heard Max explain when I couldn't speak. "Do you remember it?" He asked hesitantly.
"No." He tried to put a thumb in his mouth but it was impossible with a cast over his arm. That was going to be hell for him. "Mommy, can you hold me?" He asked trying to reach his arms up to me.
"I don't know. I-I" I glanced around the room and saw a nurse. She nodded with a smile. I immediately obliged, pushing the arm rest down and sitting on the bed. It took a great deal of help from Max to get the IV's out of the way. "Do you feel better?" I ask softly, he was already drifting off to sleep.
"sì." He said with a yawn. I just cuddled him close as possible. I examined his body. His injuries were worse than mine. He had a broken rib, a broken arm, and a fractured ankle. But then again it could've been worse.
"Max, he's going to be ok." I say, suddenly feeling very foolish for the crying episode that I had earlier.
He nodded and then headed started out of the room. "Wait." I say suddenly.
"I need to call Ethan, he needs to know. I don't want to leave him, will you hold him until I come back." Max smiles and nods, swiftly taking Daniel from my arms.
In the hallway
"Hi, Kelly, can I speak with my husband please?" I say quickly into the phone. I hate his secretary in Boston. She is such a ditz.
"And may I ask you whose calling?" She says. She actually has the nerve to ask me who I am.
"You know who I am. I'm Elizabeth. You know Ethan is my husband. Now let me talk to him, its an emergency." I say trying not to yell.
"Hold please." She says pleasantly. Bitch.
"Elizabeth?" Took him long enough.
"Yes. Hey, I'm at the hospital with Daniel." I say before he can even ask.
"Why?" He says dully. You would think a father would be frantic if his only son was in the hospital.
"We were in an accident." I wonder what his response will be.
"What type of accident?" He's still way too calm.
"It was a car accident. I'm fine, but Daniel's not. He has a broken rib, broken arm and a fractured ankle. Thanks for asking. Just in case you decided to get home early to see your son, then it would be good to know that we're at St. Is." I say angrily.
"Ok." He is so frustrating.
"And, don't be surprised if I'm not home tomorrow or Monday, I'll be here with him. I EXPECT to see you here tomorrow night. Good-night Ethan." I hung up the phone.
I walk back down into Daniel's room still angry at Ethan. He didn't even seem to care that we were in an accident. I was usually patient with him, but this is the limit. He's going to hear it from me when I get home.
I walk in the room to find Daniel awake, listening quietly while Max read him "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." He looks up and smiles.
"Hi Mommy. Max esta leyendo una historia." He says happily. He must be feeling somewhat better because he was speaking in Spanish again.
"He's made me read this three times already. Please come take it away before I'm tempted to burn it." Max says jokingly. I decided to rescue him. That book was Daniel's favorite.
"Here, honey, why don't you sit up so Max can sit down properly in a chair?" I ask.
"Fine." He glares at me.
"Hello, Mrs. Tailner, I need to check him over now that he's awake." The doctor said, entering the room.
"Sure." I scooted back from the bed pulling Max with me.
"If you would please excuse us, Mrs. Tailner, the check-ups usually go better without parental interference." He told me.
I looked oddly at him and decided we needed to leave. "Ok, Max, come on. We'll be in the hall, Daniel be good for the doctor please."
"Ok, I will Mommy." He sounded like he had tears in his eyes.
"He's going to cry." I say as Max shut the door.
"He'll be fine, he's a good boy. How did the phone call go?" He asked me.
"He didn't seem to care." I said looking at the ground. "I could have told him Daniel died and he would've had the same answer as always."
"And what is that." He asks sincerely.
"Ok."
"Oh."
"You would think since Daniel is his only son that he would care. But he doesn't." I say. Hold the tears.
"It's ok, he'll come tomorrow." He tried to comfort me as best he could.
"Maybe." I mumbled and watched the door open.
"We're going to transfer him to the children's ward in about an hour. He'll heal just fine and you can take him home tomorrow early afternoon." The doctor smiled and closed the door on his way out.
"Hear that Mommy, we can go home tomorrow. I don't want to sleep here two nights." He said holding up two fingers proudly.
"Yes, sweetie." I say and run my hand through his hair.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Few years after college. This is an AU.
Authors' note: This story is told from each of the characters' points of view. This may start out weird. But never fear, I'm a dreamer all the way (
1.1 Saturday Afternoon
Daniel and I spent the day at the mall, without Max. Max refused to come and I refused to leave Daniel with him again. Daniel has shopped with me every Saturday since he was old enough to leave the house. I wasn't about to leave him out on this one.
"Did you have fun honey?" I asked cheerfully, he got new clothes as well as I did.
He looked in the rearview mirror and took his thumb out of his mouth, "No, Mommy." And sat back in his car seat, a chubby thumb in his mouth. It's a shame, he's only two and he hates shopping, well he better get used to it.
"Are you tired?" I asked glancing back at him in the mirror at a stoplight.
"Yes, adonde vamos?" He wanted to know where we were going.
"Home and then we're going back to Max and Isabel's for the night." I told him. I've spent as little time is necessary at his house. I didn't want Daniel getting wrong impressions about Max or me.
"Why?" He wanted to know.
"I have to leave your father a note so he knows where we are. And I have to pick up some clothes for church tomorrow." 'Father' was the only name Ethan allowed Daniel to call him. It's strange really but hey, what can I say?
"Why." He asked. I could already sense a strained relationship between father and son brewing.
"Because he'll want to know why we're not there when he gets home tomorrow." I answered.
"He won't care." He put his thumb back in his mouth and looked out the window. I stared at him. He was only two but had the mind of an 80-year- old. He knew things. Ethan probably could care less if we were there or not, I'd just rather leave a message and write a note. Just to make sure.
The light turned green and I started across the intersection. I heard a scream, although if it came from Daniel, or me I'll never know. Then everything went black.
1.2 Max
I can't believe I just got that call. All I can do is scream to Isabel and run out the door with my jacket hopefully Isabel will get there in time to get a ride with me.
Liz and Daniel were in a car accident. Daniel was still unconscious, Liz was conscious, but barely. Enough to tell them my phone number and my name. That was what she was thinking about. They had just gotten to the hospital. I had to get there fast.
Good, here comes Isabel, maybe she'll drive, I don't think I could concentrate on the road.
"Max, what happened?" She came running up behind me breathless.
"Liz and Daniel were in a car accident." Was all I could say and threw the keys at her indicating that she would be driving.
"Where at?" She asked starting the car.
"St. I's."
"Ok, that's only a few minutes." She pulled out of the apartment complex.
1.3 At the Hospital
I would have run in if Isabel hadn't kept me at a controlled walk. I walked into the waiting room when I heard her voice.
"Max." She said. I loved that voice; I love it ten times more now.
"Liz?" I spun around. She was sitting, her legs neatly crossed as always. My eyes swept over her small frame as she stood. There were bruises on her legs, minor cuts on her arms, and a temporary cast over her right arm. I let out a sigh of relief realizing those were that was the worst injury. She swayed when she tried to stand.
I rushed up and caught her before she fell over backward. "I guess I'm not completely steady yet." She said quietly trying to hold back sobs.
I sat down in the chair she had just been sitting in. I pulled her down to sit on my lap. She sat willingly, and buried her face in my neck.
"Liz, just cry sweetheart, cry. Its ok, it will help." I tried my best to help her I knew she didn't want to. "Liz, its ok." Sobs began to rack through her small body. I just held her close and eyed Isabel. She nodded and walked in the other direction to go check on Daniel.
"How could this have happened?" She asks. "I'm fine, Daniel's not. Why couldn't I have been the one to get hurt? Why Max." She began to sob. I didn't know how to answer her.
"Liz look at me." I say firmly, but gently. I glance around the crowed waiting room and notice too many people are here. She lifts here eyes from my neck and looks into my eyes. Waiting.
I stand up and head towards the door pulling her behind me. She followed silently. We had finally made it outside into the little garden. Why do they have such pretty little gardens at hospitals? So much pain is caused here they make it seem like a pleasant place to be.
"Liz," I said gently. She looked up at me again, tears still in her eyes threatening to fall. I pulled her into another hug. She hung on like her life depended on it. Thinking about it, she probably did. "It's ok to cry. It's ok to feel worried. But it's not ok to feel guilty. It's a good thing you weren't hurt. Now you can take care of Daniel. He needs his mommy now more than anything Liz. You have to believe me. You are the first thing he's going to want when he wakes up. Do not feel guilty that he got so badly hurt. It wasn't your fault, and you know that." I said firmly. She only cried harder and held tighter. She was really terrified for Daniel. I picked her up and carried her to the nearby bench.
I let her cry. About five minutes later Isabel came outside.
"Liz, Daniel wants to see you." She said gently.
Liz literally sprang from my lap. She tried to control her tears, but it wasn't possible. She collapsed into my lap crying again.
"Liz come on, I'll go with you." I said and pulled her up.
1.4 Liz
Soon I'm going to have to call Ethan. I don't want to. He's coming home tomorrow and its not like he'll come rushing home anyway.
I let Max guide me swiftly into the small hospital room that Daniel was transferred to. There were toys, tv, beds, ivs, stuff that are in hospital rooms. I looked around and saw my baby lying stiffly on his bed. He turned his head just enough to see me. He tried to smile but he obviously was having trouble.
"Mommy?" He said quietly.
"Hi, sweetheart, how are you doing? How do you feel." I ask.
"I hurt my arm, Mama, it hurts to move my legs. Mama, what happened?" He asked.
I could just look at him. I felt so horrible. He was in pain. My poor baby. I just wanted to lift him into my arms and hold him, but I couldn't he was in too much pain and the IV's basically restricted any large movements.
"You and your mommy were in a car accident." I heard Max explain when I couldn't speak. "Do you remember it?" He asked hesitantly.
"No." He tried to put a thumb in his mouth but it was impossible with a cast over his arm. That was going to be hell for him. "Mommy, can you hold me?" He asked trying to reach his arms up to me.
"I don't know. I-I" I glanced around the room and saw a nurse. She nodded with a smile. I immediately obliged, pushing the arm rest down and sitting on the bed. It took a great deal of help from Max to get the IV's out of the way. "Do you feel better?" I ask softly, he was already drifting off to sleep.
"sì." He said with a yawn. I just cuddled him close as possible. I examined his body. His injuries were worse than mine. He had a broken rib, a broken arm, and a fractured ankle. But then again it could've been worse.
"Max, he's going to be ok." I say, suddenly feeling very foolish for the crying episode that I had earlier.
He nodded and then headed started out of the room. "Wait." I say suddenly.
"I need to call Ethan, he needs to know. I don't want to leave him, will you hold him until I come back." Max smiles and nods, swiftly taking Daniel from my arms.
In the hallway
"Hi, Kelly, can I speak with my husband please?" I say quickly into the phone. I hate his secretary in Boston. She is such a ditz.
"And may I ask you whose calling?" She says. She actually has the nerve to ask me who I am.
"You know who I am. I'm Elizabeth. You know Ethan is my husband. Now let me talk to him, its an emergency." I say trying not to yell.
"Hold please." She says pleasantly. Bitch.
"Elizabeth?" Took him long enough.
"Yes. Hey, I'm at the hospital with Daniel." I say before he can even ask.
"Why?" He says dully. You would think a father would be frantic if his only son was in the hospital.
"We were in an accident." I wonder what his response will be.
"What type of accident?" He's still way too calm.
"It was a car accident. I'm fine, but Daniel's not. He has a broken rib, broken arm and a fractured ankle. Thanks for asking. Just in case you decided to get home early to see your son, then it would be good to know that we're at St. Is." I say angrily.
"Ok." He is so frustrating.
"And, don't be surprised if I'm not home tomorrow or Monday, I'll be here with him. I EXPECT to see you here tomorrow night. Good-night Ethan." I hung up the phone.
I walk back down into Daniel's room still angry at Ethan. He didn't even seem to care that we were in an accident. I was usually patient with him, but this is the limit. He's going to hear it from me when I get home.
I walk in the room to find Daniel awake, listening quietly while Max read him "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." He looks up and smiles.
"Hi Mommy. Max esta leyendo una historia." He says happily. He must be feeling somewhat better because he was speaking in Spanish again.
"He's made me read this three times already. Please come take it away before I'm tempted to burn it." Max says jokingly. I decided to rescue him. That book was Daniel's favorite.
"Here, honey, why don't you sit up so Max can sit down properly in a chair?" I ask.
"Fine." He glares at me.
"Hello, Mrs. Tailner, I need to check him over now that he's awake." The doctor said, entering the room.
"Sure." I scooted back from the bed pulling Max with me.
"If you would please excuse us, Mrs. Tailner, the check-ups usually go better without parental interference." He told me.
I looked oddly at him and decided we needed to leave. "Ok, Max, come on. We'll be in the hall, Daniel be good for the doctor please."
"Ok, I will Mommy." He sounded like he had tears in his eyes.
"He's going to cry." I say as Max shut the door.
"He'll be fine, he's a good boy. How did the phone call go?" He asked me.
"He didn't seem to care." I said looking at the ground. "I could have told him Daniel died and he would've had the same answer as always."
"And what is that." He asks sincerely.
"Ok."
"Oh."
"You would think since Daniel is his only son that he would care. But he doesn't." I say. Hold the tears.
"It's ok, he'll come tomorrow." He tried to comfort me as best he could.
"Maybe." I mumbled and watched the door open.
"We're going to transfer him to the children's ward in about an hour. He'll heal just fine and you can take him home tomorrow early afternoon." The doctor smiled and closed the door on his way out.
"Hear that Mommy, we can go home tomorrow. I don't want to sleep here two nights." He said holding up two fingers proudly.
"Yes, sweetie." I say and run my hand through his hair.