Chapter 30: The Morning After

~Paul's POV~

Adam, Jeff, Mark and Samantha were sleeping. I had woken up a little while ago and couldn't go back to sleep, so I ended up watching Samantha sleep. She hasn't made much movement, or any kind of struggling. I was grateful for it. "You look so beautiful, babydoll," I said softly.

"Yeah, she does, doesn't she?" a voice said. I looked up and saw mark sitting up on the bed.

"How long you've been awake?"

"Just a little while ago. Couldn't go back to sleep," Mark said as he shrugged.

"Same here," I said as I moved a piece of hair back out of her face. "I'm so f***ing worried about her, Mark. I have no f***ing idea what I would do if she died."

"Paul, you're not the only one who's worried about her. All we can do is be there for her. She needs us now and she will continue to need us at times like this in the future," Mark said as he leaned forward on his bed.

"Yeah, I know," I sighed heavily. We stayed quiet for a few moments.

"Daddy?" she said as she opened her eyes.

"Hey, babydoll," I said.

"What time is it?" she asked as she stretched, and then cuddled up against my body.

"It's 6:45 in the morning, darlin'," Mark said.

She looked over to where she heard the voice, and smiled. "Mark."

"How you doing, darlin'?" Mark asked.

"I'm okay, though I am a little thirsty," she said.

"I'll go get something for you to drink," he said as he stood up from the bed. "Want anything in particular?"

"Water is fine."

"I'll be back," he said as he left.

"How are you really feeling?"

"A little tired, but I'll survive. I'm just grateful that you and Mark are here with me."

"We're not the only ones who stayed."

She looked at me puzzlingly, "What do you mean?"

"Look around the room," I said as she looked and found Adam and Jeff sleeping uncomfortably on the chairs.

"They stayed?"

"Yeah, they did."

"Can I wake them up?" she grinned mischievously

"It's up to you," I smiled back. She crawled over to Adam and started playing with his hair. She tried to control her laughter every time Adam pushed his hair back. After a few minutes, he woke up and saw Samantha laughing at him. He was confused at first, and then smiled at how Samantha had wakened him up.

"Sami, why did you have to do that for?"

"It was fun," she said as Adam pulled her onto his lap and hugged her. Mark had come in a moment later with a cup of water.

"Darlin', here's your water," Mark said as he handed her the cup.

"Thanks, Mark," she said and then drank the whole thing. "That feels better." She looked at Jeff and smirked naughtily again. I rolled my eyes at the sight of her playfulness. She got up from Adam's lap and walked over to where he was sitting and started to play with his face. She tried to stifle her laughter every time Jeff smacked her hands away from his face. With one last time, she opened his eyelids wide and he woke up, confused. He found Samantha laughing at him. He glared at her, but it went away as soon as he found her laughing. He grabbed her waist, pulled her onto his lap and hugged her. "It's good to see someone feeling better this morning."

"I love you, sweetie," she said as she kissed him.

"I love you, too," he said softly.

The doctor had come in a few minutes later and smiled as he saw us chatting away. "Good morning, Samantha."

"Good morning," she said, smiling.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm doing better."

"That's good to hear. I would like to check up on you, ok?"

"Ok," she said as she climbed into the bed after I got out.

After a few moments, the doctor said, "Hmm."

"What is it?" I asked.

"It seems that the fluids are gone. I'm not sure exactly how that's possible," the doctor said as he continued to check her stomach. I looked at Samantha, who looked confused as well. "Samantha, tell me if this hurts," the doctor said as he put pressure onto her left side of her stomach.

She shook her head, "It doesn't hurt."

"Ok, how about this side?" he asked as he went to the right side.

"Nope, nothing."

"Hmm, that's interesting. Did you go to the restroom at any time last night?"

"Once. I was in there for quite some time," Samantha said.

"That's probably why. Your body was probably reacting to stress and your body was holding in the fluids. All in all, you just needed to let it go naturally."

"When did you go to the bathroom?" I asked.

"It was around 3 in the morning. All of you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake any of you up. I was in there for like 10 minutes. When I came out, you guys were still sleeping when I woke up."

"How did you get out of my grip? I had a tight grip on you."

"That was easy," Samantha smiled up at me.

I looked at her surprisingly. "Oh, do tell me how it was easy."

"Before you do, I'm going to get your papers and get you signed out. You're all healthy and don't need to stay here any longer."

"Ok, thank you so much doctor."

"You're welcome, and you take care of yourself now, you hear?"

"I will," she said as she smiled at the doctor and he left.

"Now, are you going to tell me how you got out of my grip?"

She smiled even bigger, "Maybe."

"What do you mean maybe?"

"That's what I mean. maybe," Samantha said as she looked at Adam.



~Adam's POV~

Once she looked at me, I knew immediately and I laughed. "Sami, don't tell me that you did what I did you did to Paul?" she nodded her head eagerly.

"Adam, what did she do?" Paul asked.

Adam smiled at Samantha's antics. "Well, you'll find out soon enough by her."

"How soon?" Paul asked; he was starting to get impatient.

"Paul, relax, ok?"

"How in hell can I relax if someone doesn't tell me what's going on?" he almost shouted.

"Daddy," she said in a small voice and her eyes were becoming watery.



~Paul's POV~

I looked at her when she called me. The anger left and my heart melted immediately when I saw her being scared. "Babydoll, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shout like that."

"It was only a joke."

"I know, babydoll, I know," I said as I pulled her towards me. "I'm so sorry for doing that. Do you forgive me?" I felt her nod. "Are you going to tell me how you got out of my grip?"

She pulled away from me and smiled. "I did this to Adam a lot when we were younger," she said as she looked at Adam. "What I did was I twisted and moved to make you think that the grip was too tight and I wanted you to loosen up and you did. I continued to do that until your arms were completely loose and I got out of your grip."

I looked at her surprisingly. "That's what you did?"

She shook her head eagerly and smiled. "Yeah, but you kept making me laugh that I almost went right there when you kept holding me tighter."

"I did?"

"Yeah, but I finally got you to loosen up, though. It just took time to do that," she said as we all continued to chat until the doctor came with the paperwork. About half an hour later, the doctor had come in with the paperwork. He had walked in and smiled as he saw Samantha laugh at a joke that Jeff had said.

"Well, it's good to see you laughing, Samantha. I just need you to sign this papers and you are on your way," the doctor said as he handed over the papers to Samantha.

"Ok," she said as she took the papers and the pen from the doctor and signed them. She handed the papers back to him and smiled.

"Great, you can leave whenever you're ready. Just inform the nurse and she'll bring the wheelchair in here."

"Do I have to go into a wheelchair?" she whined, "I don't want to. I'm fine."

"Sorry, but no, it's hospital policy that all outpatients must use wheelchairs when they leave. Can't break policy."

"Aww! That's no fair!" she whined and pouted.

"It's not going to work on me, young lady. I have a daughter that's near your age and she does the same thing to me. I don't give into that with her and I'm not going into that with you," the doctor said firmly.

"You're the only one that's strong enough to handle that, doc," Mark said as he smirked.

"Really?" the doctor asked surprisingly.

"She does that to all of us and we all end up giving into it. except for her brother," Mark said as he laughed when Samantha stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, well, well. that's just too bad, young lady, because you're leaving in a wheelchair and that's that!"

"Aww! I don't wanna!!" Sam whined some more as we laughed. Then she looked at Mark, "Mark, why'd you go and do that for?"

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"You know what you did." she whined as she crossed her arms.

"I know what I did? Hmm. I don't remember what I did, you're going to have to tell me, darlin'," Mark said.

"Mark!!!" she whined.

"Darlin', sorry about that. I know what I did and I'm just teasing ya, but it was so much fun to see you whine!!" Mark said as he stopped there. We all knew she would react badly if we continued to tease her the way we did.

"I know, it's just I don't like that. you know that," Samantha said as her voice became a whisper when she talked. Mark came closer to her and whispered in her ear that made her smile again. I always loved seeing her smile, it brightens up the room every time she smiles. As Mark pulled away, Samantha said, "Thank you, Mark."

"You're welcome, darlin'."

She looked at the doctor, and said, "Ok, I'm ready to leave now."

"Ok, since you already signed the papers. I'll go get the nurse to bring the wheelchair in and you're ready to leave.

"Just give me a few minutes to freshen up," she said as she sat up from bed and stretched.

"No problem, I'll be right outside," the doctor said as he walked out of the room.

"I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back," Samantha said as she got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. After a few moments, she came out clean and looked refreshed. "Ok, I'm ready now," she said as she sat on the bed.

"I'll get the doctor," Mark said as he went to find the doctor. We had continued to chat until Mark had come back with the doctor and the wheelchair. "Darlin', your wheelchair is ready."

"It ain't my wheelchair, Mark," she said as she sat on the wheelchair.

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not. It doesn't have my name on it, therefore, it's not my wheelchair."

"Then why you sitting in it?"

"I'm just borrowing it for a while. that's all," she said as she stuck her tongue out at Mark. We all laughed Samantha and Mark's bantering.

"All right, let's get you wheeled out and on your way home, shall we?" the doctor said.

"Yes, please," Samantha said as the doctor wheeled her out with us following behind. We all walked out of the hospital to the car in the parking lot and headed back to the hotel to get ready for SmackDown!