Liz sat in the prep room holding Hannah in her lap.
It didn't work, and the medicines had failed. Although they moderately healed the holes, they were there and they were making themselves very apparent. She was going in for surgery in an hour.
Hannah sat with her face pushed into her mother's warm chest. She whined softly in hunger. She had to fast for the past twelve hours and it wasn't sitting well with her.
Liz stroked her hair trying to comfort her, hoping the doctor would come with the anesthetics.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Liz called.
Hannah shifted closer to her mother. The week had been filled with testing and prodding and shots and all sorts of medical procedures for the young girl. Whenever a doctor was in the room she would cower into Liz and allow them to do whatever they needed to do.
"Hey, girls." It was Kyle.
"Kyle, what are you doing in here, you're supposed to scrub for this." Liz asked with her eyebrows raised.
"I can't. I know her too well, it's not good when a doctor is too familiar with his patients."
Hannah peeked at Kyle from where her face was hidden.
"Bonjour, mon papillon." He said to her. My Butterfly.
"Bonjour, Tile." She greeted with a small smile.
"Why, Kyle, I'd feel better if you did." Liz said starting to panic.
"Liz, if I won't feel comfortable being in there I won't be very helpful. I'll stay out here. This is a really good doctor that's doing the operation, I wouldn't accept anything else for her. Trust me."
The MA knocked and entered the room. Hannah looked at her with dread and sniffled against Liz but held her arm out dutifully as Liz rubbed her back to calm her down.
She flinched when the small point penetrated her sensitive skin. The MA finished quickly and left the room.
Liz shifted her. "Alright, Hannah, all done. Go night-night now." Liz tried to lull her to sleep.
Within minutes her eyes were closed and she was oblivious to the world around her.
Handing her over to the doctors Liz retreated into Kyle's arms. "I trust you." She whispered as they whisked her baby away.
****
Isabel sat curled up in her brother's protective side during a scary movie.
"Why do you always watch these?" He teased. It was his break between semesters and he could relax the few weeks he had off. He liked relaxing with his sister.
"It's an excuse to curl up with my big brother." She smiled at him and hid her face when blood splattered across the screen.
The telephone rang.
"Leave it." Isabel clutched on to him and stared at the phone. The phone in the movie rang as well.
"It could be Mom or Dad." Max reached for it.
"It could be a serial killer, no, let the machine get it." She grabbed his hand.
"Fine." He relaxed back against the couch. Isabel wrapped herself in his warm embrace when the answering machine beeped.
[I] Hello, this is Tess. I just wanted to let Max know that I had a great time last night, again. I was thinking we should do it more often, on a permanent basis. Call me back, you have my number, Max. Bye. [/I]
Isabel pushed away from him, her eyes flashing with anger. "What was that about?"
"I went out with Tess last night, that's it."
"Again?" She spat.
"Only as friends, Izzy. I didn't do anything. I will never do anything, you should know that." Max said standing up.
"You better know that, Max." She emphasized.
"Isabel, I've put my life on hold. You obviously know where they are, how they're doing. I know nothing. I can't do that."
"Max, when you have a kid, you no longer have a life of your own."
"That goes for people who live with their kids, who know where the mother of their kid is!" He said angrily.
"Actually, Max, I have no idea where they are. She always calls me. She doesn't want me to have to lie to you about where they are." Isabel admitted. She actually knew very little about what was going on with them.
"Oh." He muttered to himself. Max shut off the TV and went to his own room. He lies quietly thinking. Half an hour later he heard the door creak open. "What do you want, Is?"
"I'm scared, Max. I don't think that movie agreed with my imagination." She said.
"Come on." He held his covers open in invitation.
"I'm sorry, Max." She apologized before slipping under the covers.
"It's alright, Isabel. I understand." He said quietly and Isabel curled into his side as she had done when they were children.
Isabel coming into his room reminded him of something else. A short brunette-haired girl. Big curious eyes, his own ears, and her mother's perfect hair. He could feel her tiny body coming to him in search of protection. His heart ached at the want of it. He was tempted to find her. To just look her up. But he knew that he couldn't do that. He had to have something to take to them before he did that.
He could not show up empty handed.
****
Liz sighed and rested her head against Kyle's shoulder.
"You Ok?" He asked, drawing his arm around her. Before when she had once stiffened and shirked his touch, she now accepted it readily.
She nodded and closed her eyes.
"It's almost done now, Liz. Not much longer." He said and rubbed her hair.
"I know." She said still not opening her eyes.
Her heart was in her throat the entire time Hannah was in surgery.
"She'll be fine." He whispered in French.
She understood more now that Kyle had given her books he had used when he was little and learning.
Liz smiled at him before letting her head rest on his shoulder again.
This time her eyes were open and she focused on his one hand that was resting on his pants.
She carefully slid her hand down until it covered his. He flipped it over and his fingers laced through hers.
She looked up at him and he smiled down at her. Carefully he dropped a kiss down to her lips. Liz responded with all the fear she had been holding in her.
She pulled back tears running down her eyes.
"Liz, I'm sorry." He said not knowing what he had done wrong.
"No, no, it's alright, Kyle." She assured him.
"Are you sure?" He asked pushing her hair back from her face.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Come here." He brought her closer to where she was completely resting against him.
"Thank you, Kyle." She said quietly before bringing their joined hands up and placing a small kiss on his.
Kyle smiled and relaxed against the stiff waiting room chair. Li z adjusted herself to fit Kyle's new position.
Liz fell asleep and woke to the doctor walking towards her with a smile on his face.
****
Once again Hannah was settled in Liz's lap watching Hannah's Baby Einstein video.
Hannah hadn't said or done much in the week that she had been home. She either sat in Liz's lap or was in Liz 's arms, or was at Liz's feet, or in Liz's bed.
Hannah coughed slightly trying not to hurt the stitches in her chest.
"Mommy." She murmured in pain.
"It's ok, Sweetie." Liz stroked her hair.
"She gonna be ok?" Alex looked up concerned.
"Yeah." Liz nodded.
"Come to Uncle Alex?" He held his hands up.
"No." She turned and held on to Liz.
Alex turned a hurt look back to the computer screen. "Don't take it personally, Alex." Liz tried to repair the damage.
"Don't worry, I will." He said not looking up.
"Look what followed me home from work." Maria said happily.
Liz looked up and saw Kyle throw her a dirty look. "Can we keep it?"
Liz asked playfully as he walked over and kissed her softly on the lips.
"I don't think so, Liz, it might have rabies." Alex said turning around.
"Be quiet." Kyle said sitting next to Hannah and Liz on the couch.
"Mon Papillon." He said and brought her to his lap where she sat happily.
"Sure, Liz, I won't take it personally." Alex glared at Kyle.
"Eighteen months and she's already a hit with the guys, I'm gonna have to teach her a few tricks or two." Maria laughed as she left the room.
[b]TBC[/b]
It didn't work, and the medicines had failed. Although they moderately healed the holes, they were there and they were making themselves very apparent. She was going in for surgery in an hour.
Hannah sat with her face pushed into her mother's warm chest. She whined softly in hunger. She had to fast for the past twelve hours and it wasn't sitting well with her.
Liz stroked her hair trying to comfort her, hoping the doctor would come with the anesthetics.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Liz called.
Hannah shifted closer to her mother. The week had been filled with testing and prodding and shots and all sorts of medical procedures for the young girl. Whenever a doctor was in the room she would cower into Liz and allow them to do whatever they needed to do.
"Hey, girls." It was Kyle.
"Kyle, what are you doing in here, you're supposed to scrub for this." Liz asked with her eyebrows raised.
"I can't. I know her too well, it's not good when a doctor is too familiar with his patients."
Hannah peeked at Kyle from where her face was hidden.
"Bonjour, mon papillon." He said to her. My Butterfly.
"Bonjour, Tile." She greeted with a small smile.
"Why, Kyle, I'd feel better if you did." Liz said starting to panic.
"Liz, if I won't feel comfortable being in there I won't be very helpful. I'll stay out here. This is a really good doctor that's doing the operation, I wouldn't accept anything else for her. Trust me."
The MA knocked and entered the room. Hannah looked at her with dread and sniffled against Liz but held her arm out dutifully as Liz rubbed her back to calm her down.
She flinched when the small point penetrated her sensitive skin. The MA finished quickly and left the room.
Liz shifted her. "Alright, Hannah, all done. Go night-night now." Liz tried to lull her to sleep.
Within minutes her eyes were closed and she was oblivious to the world around her.
Handing her over to the doctors Liz retreated into Kyle's arms. "I trust you." She whispered as they whisked her baby away.
****
Isabel sat curled up in her brother's protective side during a scary movie.
"Why do you always watch these?" He teased. It was his break between semesters and he could relax the few weeks he had off. He liked relaxing with his sister.
"It's an excuse to curl up with my big brother." She smiled at him and hid her face when blood splattered across the screen.
The telephone rang.
"Leave it." Isabel clutched on to him and stared at the phone. The phone in the movie rang as well.
"It could be Mom or Dad." Max reached for it.
"It could be a serial killer, no, let the machine get it." She grabbed his hand.
"Fine." He relaxed back against the couch. Isabel wrapped herself in his warm embrace when the answering machine beeped.
[I] Hello, this is Tess. I just wanted to let Max know that I had a great time last night, again. I was thinking we should do it more often, on a permanent basis. Call me back, you have my number, Max. Bye. [/I]
Isabel pushed away from him, her eyes flashing with anger. "What was that about?"
"I went out with Tess last night, that's it."
"Again?" She spat.
"Only as friends, Izzy. I didn't do anything. I will never do anything, you should know that." Max said standing up.
"You better know that, Max." She emphasized.
"Isabel, I've put my life on hold. You obviously know where they are, how they're doing. I know nothing. I can't do that."
"Max, when you have a kid, you no longer have a life of your own."
"That goes for people who live with their kids, who know where the mother of their kid is!" He said angrily.
"Actually, Max, I have no idea where they are. She always calls me. She doesn't want me to have to lie to you about where they are." Isabel admitted. She actually knew very little about what was going on with them.
"Oh." He muttered to himself. Max shut off the TV and went to his own room. He lies quietly thinking. Half an hour later he heard the door creak open. "What do you want, Is?"
"I'm scared, Max. I don't think that movie agreed with my imagination." She said.
"Come on." He held his covers open in invitation.
"I'm sorry, Max." She apologized before slipping under the covers.
"It's alright, Isabel. I understand." He said quietly and Isabel curled into his side as she had done when they were children.
Isabel coming into his room reminded him of something else. A short brunette-haired girl. Big curious eyes, his own ears, and her mother's perfect hair. He could feel her tiny body coming to him in search of protection. His heart ached at the want of it. He was tempted to find her. To just look her up. But he knew that he couldn't do that. He had to have something to take to them before he did that.
He could not show up empty handed.
****
Liz sighed and rested her head against Kyle's shoulder.
"You Ok?" He asked, drawing his arm around her. Before when she had once stiffened and shirked his touch, she now accepted it readily.
She nodded and closed her eyes.
"It's almost done now, Liz. Not much longer." He said and rubbed her hair.
"I know." She said still not opening her eyes.
Her heart was in her throat the entire time Hannah was in surgery.
"She'll be fine." He whispered in French.
She understood more now that Kyle had given her books he had used when he was little and learning.
Liz smiled at him before letting her head rest on his shoulder again.
This time her eyes were open and she focused on his one hand that was resting on his pants.
She carefully slid her hand down until it covered his. He flipped it over and his fingers laced through hers.
She looked up at him and he smiled down at her. Carefully he dropped a kiss down to her lips. Liz responded with all the fear she had been holding in her.
She pulled back tears running down her eyes.
"Liz, I'm sorry." He said not knowing what he had done wrong.
"No, no, it's alright, Kyle." She assured him.
"Are you sure?" He asked pushing her hair back from her face.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Come here." He brought her closer to where she was completely resting against him.
"Thank you, Kyle." She said quietly before bringing their joined hands up and placing a small kiss on his.
Kyle smiled and relaxed against the stiff waiting room chair. Li z adjusted herself to fit Kyle's new position.
Liz fell asleep and woke to the doctor walking towards her with a smile on his face.
****
Once again Hannah was settled in Liz's lap watching Hannah's Baby Einstein video.
Hannah hadn't said or done much in the week that she had been home. She either sat in Liz's lap or was in Liz 's arms, or was at Liz's feet, or in Liz's bed.
Hannah coughed slightly trying not to hurt the stitches in her chest.
"Mommy." She murmured in pain.
"It's ok, Sweetie." Liz stroked her hair.
"She gonna be ok?" Alex looked up concerned.
"Yeah." Liz nodded.
"Come to Uncle Alex?" He held his hands up.
"No." She turned and held on to Liz.
Alex turned a hurt look back to the computer screen. "Don't take it personally, Alex." Liz tried to repair the damage.
"Don't worry, I will." He said not looking up.
"Look what followed me home from work." Maria said happily.
Liz looked up and saw Kyle throw her a dirty look. "Can we keep it?"
Liz asked playfully as he walked over and kissed her softly on the lips.
"I don't think so, Liz, it might have rabies." Alex said turning around.
"Be quiet." Kyle said sitting next to Hannah and Liz on the couch.
"Mon Papillon." He said and brought her to his lap where she sat happily.
"Sure, Liz, I won't take it personally." Alex glared at Kyle.
"Eighteen months and she's already a hit with the guys, I'm gonna have to teach her a few tricks or two." Maria laughed as she left the room.
[b]TBC[/b]