Finally able to take a break Lesley joined Jessie and Steve in the cafeteria while Rick was in surgery with a patient where he wasn't gonna focus on worrying about her for a while and it wasn't that Lesley didn't like that Rick was concerned or worried it was the complete opposite she loved him for it but it started to drive her alittle bit crazy especially, because she was feeling fine for the most part granted she still was losing weight alittle bit and every now and then she would have alittle trouble using the bathroom
" Lesley, are you sure everything is okay?" Jessie asked
" I'm positive… I mean I'm alittle tired more lately and that but I've been fine. Later this month is when I see Jerry and later this week is my appointment with Monica so hopefully things continue to check out."
" I'm only asking because Rick was concerned and he pointed out that you've lost some weight."
" I just haven't eaten very much… my appetite is not where it once was. Jessie I'll be okay." Lesley insisted that she was fine but Jessie somewhat sensed that something seemed to be off as Lesley was pushing alittle harder to convince her friends and maybe herself that she was fine.
Lesley went back to work so her and Rick were gonna be able to make it out for dinner though Lesley took a few minutes in her office when she started to feel slightly nauseated.
" This is Dr Webber.." Lesley said when answering the phone
" Sweetheart it's just me… I just wanted to check on you while I had the window before I had to take a patient up to the O.R for a minor procedure."
" I'm okay Sweetheart I'm just alittle under the weather but I promise I'm okay."
" Lesley I think it's time that you make an appointment with Jerry…. Or have Steve do a full work up. You've been feeling sick for a while now and I'm really starting to get worried about you." Rick insisted hoping that Lesley would be open about it
" And what if something comes back Rick…. What would we do then… I don't want to do anything all over again. I don't think I could do Chemotherapy again if Jerry was to find something."
" But you can Lesley don't you get it….. you are the strongest woman I have ever been with in my life. You are my life and it's my job to take care of you. So please let me make an appointment for you." Rick pleaded with her hoping she'd agree for it
" How about we see how I feel throughout the rest of the week and if I don't get better or if something gets worse we call Jerry right away along with Monica or Cunningham. Sweetheart I honestly just think it's a stomach bug that's going around… Jesslyn and Riley just got over having it and you know that I seem to always catch it after the kids get over something."
" Well that's true but I don't want to take a chance."
" I know Rick and I love you for it but I promise you I will be alright. Go help someone get better and I will see you in about half an hour to go home."
After another hour and a half, Rick finally was able to get Lesley home and they decided to just take it easy as Lesley wasn't really feeling good and Rick himself was tired.
" I want you up to lay down but first you have to take your meds and get something small to eat."
" Will you come up with me..." Lesley hugged Rick before pulling away to look up at him
" You don't even have to ask. I promised alot to you a long time ago, little bug." Rick gave Lesley her medication along with a glass of water before he headed with her upstairs to help her lay down before going back to get something to eat
" Rick…. I love you very much and I am so grateful that I can count on you when I need you."
" Lesley I love you more than you can ever think. If I were to turn away and allow you to fend for yourself, I hope Jessie or someone will take the pleasure of beating me to death. Because anybody who could do that, especially to you, shouldn't be alive… you're my wife and my best friend. Actually I take that back you're not my wife… you're my lifeline Lesley."
After finally getting Lesley to get some sleep Rick headed to check on the kids before going to bed himself so the following morning he could spend it with Lesley before he had to be back at the hospital.
" Rick, go on back to work. I'll be okay and if something turns up the girls are home. Rick please don't get so worried for me…. I honestly feel fine and it may just be a bug that I caught. You know I always get it after one of the kids do." Lesley insisted
" You just take an easy for today and I will call you when I get a break to check on you. I love you Lesley." Rick stated before walking out the door to head to the hospital.
After another 5 hours of doing his rounds and later assessing with Monica on a patient that might have to be taken into surgery, Rick took alittle time to call the house to check on Lesley before going back to the cardiac wing.
" Hi Daddy..." Jesslyn picked up the phone but added a few seconds later " I was gonna call you"
" You were…. How come is everything okay at home? Where's your mother?" Rick asked hoping everything was fine
" Mommy isn't feeling right…. She asked that I call to tell you…"
" Sweetheart, tell Mommy I'm gonna come home to pick her up okay… I'm gonna fix a couple of things and then I'll be there soon. Do you remember what to do if there's an emergency?" Rick asked while about to get off the phone to get home
" Yeah I remember…." Jesslyn answered and got off the phone when Rick hung up shortly after. " Daddy's gonna come to get you Momma so you hang in there okay…"
Rick rushed as fast as possible to get home so he could take Lesley to be seen, afraid that the cancer had come back. He didn't want to take any chances especially because he wasn't sure that treatment would be an option the second time around.
" Lesley I'm right here…. Hey I need you to stay with me okay." Rick carried Lesley out to the car hoping everything was gonna be fine.
Finally reaching the hospital Rick took Lesley in through the emergency room before anything else could be arranged.
" Rick, what happened? I thought everything was okay with Lesley?" Jessie asked right away
" So did I but when I went to call to check on her, Jesslyn answered the phone. She told me Lesley asked her to call me to come home… Jessie something is going on and I'm gonna find out… could you page Jerry to the ER.?"
Jessie paged Lesley's oncologist while she and Noah rushed her blood work to rule out anything and Noah decided to get a chest x-ray and an abdominal CT to be sure of anything only later to notice there was a mass of something on Lesley's left kidney.
" Rick, we don't know for sure if it's cancerous or not. It could be benign." Noah spoke up
" And it may not be Noah… we have to get it biopsied and now because she may not be able to do any kind of Chemotherapy again."
" Dr Richards has sent a sample to pathology, we just have to wait."
Rick went to sit at Lesley's side while waiting for the results to come back and was hoping that Lesley was gonna wake up soon like always.
" Rick..." Lesley started to call out
" I'm right here Les, I'm right here at your side. And soon we're gonna know what's wrong and you will get better."
" I hope you're right…."
Before Rick could take a moment to talk to Jessie about paging Noah both Jerry and Noah were about to walk in with Lesley's results from pathology and her blood work
" Rick, please don't go..." Lesley reached for Rick's hand for support
" The mass we found on your kidney is benign… it's negative of any cancer cell or malignancy so what I am gonna do is send you to pre op and remove it as soon as possible."
Hearing that the tumor was benign and wasn't cancer, Lesley felt like this big weight was lifted from her back by just knowing she was okay and she wasn't gonna have to redo treatment.
" What about her blood work and everything else..." Rick asked
" her blood work is normal, I want to monitor your blood pressure for alittle while but other than that Lesley you are gonna be just fine once I get in to remove the tumor." Jerry answered
After a couple hours Lesley was back in recovery with Rick at her side along with the kids who were happy to see that she was okay.
" We're all happy that you're doing better Mom..."
" Jesslyn don't you look so upset… you did the right thing when you called your Dad. I'm proud of you." Lesley looked towards Jesslyn when she looked to be upset or afraid that she was in trouble
" Girls, go ahead and say goodnight to your Mom and head out to wait for me with your brother. I'll take you guys home…"
" Rick, you get some sleep when you take them home. I'll be fine…. I love you." Lesley insisted.
" Lesley I'm gonna be coming back after I take the kids home. Call me crazy but I'm gonna be spending the whole night right here." Rick responded
" Rick the kids need you too, not just me. And you know how Riley is with going to bed. His dad is to be there to tuck him in, that's your routine with him at night. Don't change that just because there was a health scare with me and I'm recovering from surgery. Go and spend time with the kids. I will be fine for the night."
" Alright fine I will go home but after the kids are in bed I will be coming back up here to be with you." Rick replied.
" I wish you would stop worrying about me when I'm okay." Lesley commented but later told him she loved him when Rick was about to take the kids home.
Rick was halfway to the house with the kids and was already worried about Lesley being alone after the last time he left her to tend to the kids but reminded himself that she was safe, and Smith was no longer able to cause anymore trauma to his family.
" Daddy, how come we couldn't bring Momma with us."
" Because mommy just had surgery to take something away that wasn't good for her and the doctor wants to make sure that she's 100% better before he allows me to bring her home."
" I hope Mom does come home soon…. It gets quiet after a while when she isn't." Genesis commented just as Rick pulled into the driveway and Riley was asleep in his booster seat.
Carrying Riley inside, Rick set his jacket on the side table for alittle bit while he went up to put Riley to bed. " Girls go and get ready for bed and I'll come tuck you in."
Tucking Riley in, Rick remembered to put Riley's dino night light on and later went to tuck and say goodnight to the girls. Thankfully Alice offered to stay the night with the kids so Rick was about to head back up to the hospital for the night and reminded Alice that there are times every now and then that Riley would wake up looking for Lesley in the middle of the night and showed Alice where his night time comforter is that helps him to sleep better.
Still awake, Lesley tried to get some sleep but was concerned that sleep was way off when all she thought about was the fact that she dodged a big bullet with the tumor coming back benign and she was okay. Knowing that suddenly made her feel afraid that she was gonna have another health scare and the next time she would have to have a form of treatment. Truth be told she doesn't know that she would be able to do another kind of treatment.
" And I was hoping that I was gonna get to watch you sleep..." Rick stood in the doorway with a smile on his face.
" I thought you were gonna be home with the kids…. And who is there with them.?!"
Rick took a seat next to Lesley when she asked him who was staying with the kids along for the night. " Alice offered to stay with them… for tonight so tonight I want to spend here with you and tomorrow I promise I will try to spend the night with the kids at the house."
" l'm really glad that you're here with me. I hate being alone… I wish I was able to go home." Lesley stated while Rick laid with her for alittle while.
" I'll always be here with you… you're not just my wife. You're my special little bug and it's my responsibility to make sure that I take care of you."
Later Lesley was asleep so Rick stayed up just after midnight to go over paperwork and later set up a cot like pull out bed so he was close by incase Lesley needed something or just wanted to see that he was there when she woke up.
During the following week, Rick finally took Lesley home where she was able to relax and take some of her time to spend with the kids while she had the time.
" We're happy that you're home… no more going back into the hospital as a patient Mom. We want you to stay home with us." Genesis commented
" Well we can't control everything, baby but I do agree that I should only be in the hospital as a doctor and not a patient..."
" How about we all go to the park and just enjoy the rest of the day." Rick suggested
" I think it's a good idea…. We can let the kids play and you and I can just talk. Maybe have Jessie join us so if you and I want to take a walk alone the kids will be fine with someone watching over them."
" Sounds perfect to me…. Because that means tonight the kids will all be tired out and it gives us the whole night to just relax and spend the night right here by the fire in the fireplace."
Taking the kids to the park was a good idea as Lesley pointed out gave them the time to get in the fresh air and after Jessie joined them both Rick and Lesley decided to take a small walk along the river stream and they began to think of the time after the girls turned 2.
" Remember when the girls had just turned 2 and we brought them out to the beach side."
" How could I forget… you were so nervous when they were on the side dock there with me." Rick held Lesley just alittle closer
" Yeah I was… I was afraid that because they were so adventurous at that age they were gonna end up falling off and getting hurt or something worse like they were gonna fall and then hit their head on something like with the rocks that were on either side."
" We had a beautiful time out there though… I wouldn't have wanted to trade or wanted anything else then what I have right here."
" Now they're growing up and soon Riley's gonna start to do so… what are we gonna do with the time that we'll have after they're all out on their own with their own families and their own lives. We'll have an empty home Rick." Lesley expressed
" Oh it'll be the exact opposite Les… because when the girls start a family of their own, you and I will be running around the house chasing our grandkids….. we'll make many of those memories so when it comes time that you and I won't be here, the kids and their kids will have the memories to pass on to their kids and so on." Rick replied straightforward
" I hope so…." Lesley tugged to Rick when she laid her head on his shoulder
" I know so…. Because you're not gonna go anywhere yet….. I'm gonna make sure that you're gonna be taken care of until everything that can be done is done." Rick declared and gave Lesley a kiss.
" Sounds like I'm with my grandparents again… my grandfather said the same thing about my grandmother… but the medical personnel at that time just gave up on everything… I'm just grateful that times are different now and medicine is getting better to where patients have a better outcome like I have gotten so far."
Rick and Lesley took the kids home and had put Riley to bed before spending the rest of the time for themselves up until Lesley finally fell asleep in Rick's arms for the night and Rick brought her upstairs to bed.
" hmm.." Lesley stirred but snuggled closer to Rick. " I hate to wake you Les… but I have to make sure that you get your medication before bed..."
Lesley took her meds as always and later told Rick to come to bed so she wasn't alone. " I'm comin' bug."
Rick quickly changed so Lesley wasn't waiting long.
" Rick? Do you ever wonder what could've been if Laura hadn't been with us the night of the accident?"
