Ryan stood in the doorway of the hospital room, watching Marissa. Her tanned face was pale, making the few freckles she had stand out. Her teal green hospital gown was slightly low and showed her bandaged chest that had a tiny red stain of blood. But he had never had been happier to see her. Alive. The continuous beeping from the machine reassured him and he waited for Marissa to wake, once again. The doctor told Ryan that she had awoken during surgery and they had to immediately put her to sleep. So, Ryan waited let out a deep breath, and sat down in the chair next to the bed. Alex was sleeping on another chair on the other side of the bed, and his eyes opened slowly and he looked around him. He bit his lip when he saw his mother, and he shuddered. Afraid of losing her. Ryan glanced away from Marissa and noticed Alex's focus on her as well. And he went over and silently carried Alex back to his seat and placed him on his lap.
Ryan's arms were around Lexi and he lay back in his father's arms. They sat like that for minutes and suddenly Alex reached out and gently touched his mother's arm and whispered, "Mommy, we need you." A tear slipped down Ryan cheek, while watching the desperation of his son and the distance of his wife. Ryan swallowed and brushed the tear away. Ryan and Alex returned to their original position of watching Marissa, silently willing her to wake up. Ryan knew it was lunch time and Alex should get home and go for a shower but he didn't want to turn his back on Marissa, knowing that when, if, she woke up, she would need him. He knew, however, that Alex had to be taken care of. And he promised his son that they would come back soon. As they turned for the door, a silent whisper was heard. Both were unsure if it was real at first, but when they turned around, her eyes had opened. Alex ran to his mother and planted a giant kiss on her cheek, while Ryan held her hand that didn't have the drip in it and he laced his fingers through hers. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss and stroked her cheek with his other hand. "We missed you." He said simply. And Alex interjected, "Yes Mommy, we missed you a lot."