Chapter 158

Alex walked out of the bedroom still stunned by her husband's behavior and the allegations he made. Walking downstairs se entered the kitchen and opened the fridge, instinctively grabbing a bottle of beer and opening it.

"Uuurrrrgggghhh what the hell Alex?" She asked herself frustrated, grateful that she hasn't taken a sip yet, putting a hand on her slightly swollen belly as she walked over to the sink and poured the alcoholic beverage down the drain and discarding the empty bottle in the trash. Walking back to the fridge while staring at the contents she knew she was looking for something, anything to calm herself right now but she had no idea what it was until she decided on a tub of ice cream. Taking a spoon and sitting down at the counter she started eating, surprised by how nice it actually tasted despite the fact that it is the same flavor she always buys – maybe the anger has an effect on her taste buds.

Upstairs Ryan was standing in the shower as a steady stream of warm water poured down on him. He was angry, frustrated and tired. Angry at his superiors, frustrated with his interns who messed everything up that he had to take the blame for and having to right all their wrongs creating endless paperwork. Frustrated with his wife who seemed like she didn't respect him or their house for that matter. And tired. Tired from literally not getting enough sleep and feeling like he is in need for a vacation, away from their usual surroundings and to a place where he'll be able to experience new things. When he felt like he wasted enough water and washed himself in record time, he got out of and dressed in sleepwear, still no trace of his wife in their bedroom but her cellphone was charging on his side of the bed and he just couldn't resist temptation, as he picked it up and went through her messages that she and Daniel exchanged. Not picking up anything weird from it as they were only talking about the dinner tonight and to his surprise he saw that she mentioned the fact that he and Daniel should meet each other as they might have things in common.

He was just about to put the phone down when he felt guilty for snooping through her stuff, when she had nothing to hide when the phone went off again, another text from Daniel and all the guilt he felt seconds earlier disappeared.

*I'm sorry if I caused trouble between you and your husband, I hope he's not thinking that we have something going on. I'll bring the whole family album to prove that we're childhood friends and that we grew up together. Keep well, and you have to promise that you'll stay in touch even when I'm deployed again! –Dan*

"What are you doing?" Alex asked calmly from the doorway of the bedroom when she saw her husband standing with her phone in his hand, surprised by the sudden voice behind him he turned around, putting the device back down where he found it.

"I was going through your texts." He admitted softly looking up at her and she just shook her head at him.

"Why would you do that Ryan?" Alex was annoyed with this new trend her husband was on because this is not how she's used to seeing him, he was never the jealous type.

"Because I…I needed to see proof for myself that you're not cheating on me." He answered honestly trying to read her facial expression as she hadn't moved from where she was leaning against the doorframe of their bedroom entrance.

"Well did you find your proof?" She asked rhetorically running both her hands through her hair, before walking further into the room sitting down on the chair at the dressing table. "Ryan I don't know why you'd suspect me of cheating on you. The last time I checked I was allowed to have other friends too, besides Shelby, Nimah and Natalie."

"I've never said you're not allowed to have friends, Alex. Can you just imagine what it was like for me coming home and seeing the two of you together?" Ryan rationalized hoping she'd see his point of view in all of this but deep down he is preparing himself for a night either on the couch or in the guest bedroom as this could go either way.

"When I walk into your office seeing you and a women I don't know talking I don't just assume that you're cheating on me with her because I trust you Ryan!" Alex lost the last bit of patience she had left as her anger surfaced. "You're acting like a damn teenager. And just so by the way have I ever been out without informing you on where I was going and with who I'll be going out with? Have I ever been out later than I should have or if that was the case did I not inform you that I'll be home a few minutes later than what was scheduled?"

"Alex please, I don't wanna get into this with you. I shouldn't hav.." Ryan tried putting an end to her guilt tripping him as it was actually getting to him, because as she continued talking her noted how much of her social life and social activities she has given up, when they got married and it was even more limited now that Phoebe is there and her being pregnant again.

"I'm not trying to pick a fight with you for no reason Ryan. I am not cheating on you with Daniel or anyone else for that matter. I have you. I have Phoebe. I don't need anyone else to fulfil the place you have in my life." Alex explained suddenly feeling drained after this discussion or argument as she didn't even know what to call it anymore.

"I'm sorry, for doubting you." He admitted looking at her, as she closed her eyes blowing out a steady breath before looking him in the eyes.

"Just stop assuming things, Ryan. If you're uncertain about something in the future ask me and I'll answer you. Pull yourself together. Call Daniel back and apologize to him for your behavior earlier and act like the civilized adult that you supposedly are." Alex said getting up from where she was sitting walking towards the bedroom door. "And calm yourself before going to bed." She commented from the doorway as she made her way downstairs to catch up on a few episodes of her medical series before she goes back upstairs to sleep next to her husband.

Once the credits rolled after the second episode, Alex checked up on Phoebe who wasn't sleeping anymore but rather sitting in her crib having a deep conversation with Barney and one of her minions. But it wasn't the fact that her daughter was still awake that made her check up on her, it's the persistent cough she had. Alex lingered in the doorway for a little while taking in the moment as she makes out the little words her daughter is combining smiling as she enters the bedroom, and Phoebe acknowledges her mother's presence with a smile.

"Why aren't you sleeping angel?" Alex asked and Phoebe stood up, leaving her stuffed animal friends she had as companions a few seconds ago, extending her hands towards her mother and Alex picked her up feeling the body heat of Phoebe that made her worry instantly. She felt her forehead as her daughter was running a temperature but she tried to calm herself in knowing she has medication that she hoped will help. Alex kissed her forehead feeling the heat of her daughter's forehead on her lips, setting her back down in the crib she looked around in the first drawer of the nursery where they usually kept Phoebe's medicine.

"Maaaammmaaa!" Phoebe started crying, but she soon stopped as a couching fit got the better of her.

"I'll be with you in a little while bub." Alex said looking over at Phoebe where she stood in the crib, rattling the wood so her mother would tend to her. Frustrated with herself that she couldn't find something for Phoebe's fever she walked over to pick her up. When she had Phoebe in her arms, the toddler made it clear that she didn't want to be in her mother's arms anymore and Alex put her down on the floor, when she continued coughing again. With big eyes she looked at her mother as she continued swallowing and made gagging sounds.

"Hey, hey it's okay. It's okay." Alex said calmly as she sat down on the floor in front of her daughter. Trying to calm herself as she prepared for the worst, taking Phoebe's hand allowing her to sit down on the floor with her mother, while Alex held out a cupped hand in front of her daughter's mouth as they wouldn't make it to the bathroom in time, as Phoebe started vomiting.

Everything seemed to happen too fast and Alex had no idea when Ryan entered the nursery but he paused in the doorway and didn't move, looking at his daughter who was vomiting while his wife tried to calm their toddler.

"Maaaaammaaaa!" Phoebe sobbed, while Alex sat on the floor trying to calm her daughter and trying to discard the bile she had caught in her hand somehow at the same time, when Ryan rushed over to her, handing her a towel and some wet wipes. The two of them trading places wordlessly as both their faces shows how worried they are about their daughter.

"Are you okay now?" Ryan asked picking her up feeling how warm her body temperature is compared to that of his own. He walked into the lounge sitting down with her, wiping her face with his hand. "Pheebs, are you alright?" He asked again and she looked at her father with big teary eyes shaking her head before crying again and laying her head down on his shoulder. It wasn't long when Alex cleaned up in the nursery and felt like she washed her hands ten times, when she found Ryan and Phoebe in the lounge and Phoebe repeated the process of gagging sounds, at least giving her father enough time to get her to the nearest bathroom downstairs.

Ryan and Alex looked at each other, concern evident in both their eyes. Alex left the two of them in the bathroom and Ryan undressed Phoebe when Alex returned with clean clothes. Alex continued dressing her further while Ryan changed into some sweats so they can take her to the hospital. Alex sat in the back with her trying to calm her down but it didn't help much as her daughter still coughed violently and her cries continued once she had regained her breath. Ryan kept looking at them in the rearview mirror and became more and more concerned about his daughter. In actual fact he wasn't even sure if he and his wife were on good terms after the argument they had before all this had happened. A surge of thankfulness washed over Alex when they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. It wasn't until they got out that she noticed her husband's bad parking, but that wasn't a priority right now. They sat down in the waiting room while Ryan walked up to the nurse behind the desk to report and fill out some paperwork. Phoebe seemed to have calm down as her eyelids became heavy while she was laying her head down on her mother's shoulder. It wasn't the fact that she was drowsy that made Alex worry but rather the fact that it sounded like she has trouble breathing.

Ryan came to sit back down next to her, stroking a finger over Phoebe's cheek slightly. Taking his wife's hand in his as he could tell how worried she was as she kept biting her bottom lip between her teeth. "They'll make her better." Ryan said softly squeezing her hand and Alex nodded, leaning her head back slightly closing her eyes. "They have to, Ryan." She whispered looking down as she was on the verge of tears.

"Booth, Phoebe Grace?" The doctor asked as he walked out and Alex and Ryan got up and followed him into one of the examination rooms, Alex walking behind with Phoebe's diaper bag as Ryan carried her. When Ryan laid her down on the bed she woke up and immediately started crying when she didn't see one of her parents close to her.

"Daaadaaaa." She cried looking around the room until she laid eyes on her father, and he walked over to the side of the bed that was unoccupied holding her little hand. Alex stood against the wall still not in control of her emotions as she looked at her daughter crying on the bed while Ryan tries to calm her down. The doctor looked at her breathing and the rise and fall of her chest, applying slight pressure, before listening to her heartbeat and lung sounds with her stethoscope.

"Hey sweetie it's okay. I'm going to try my best to make you better." The pediatrician smiled. "Okay, uhhmm based on her breathing some of the air sacks in her lungs seems to be filled with fluid that's why she has rapid breathing because she's to take in more oxygen."

"What does that mean? Will she have to stay here? Is she going to be alright?" Alex rambled as the questions ran through her head.

"I'm suspecting pneumonia. So I'll need her to go for a chest x-ray, or have some blood work done. That might be tricky considering the time so the x-ray will be able to give us the fastest results." She explained and Alex and Ryan were both fine with that as they just want their child to get better. Phoebe calmed down and looked around the room, occasionally coughing but it seemed like her vomiting has stopped as her parents has explained the vomiting and coughing to the doctor before she left the room and got the nurses to take Phoebe up for x-rays. Alex walked over to sit on the other side of the bed as Phoebe sat up, crawling into her mother's embrace when two friendly young nurses entered. "Hey you're gonna be okay. Dada's gonna go with you, and when you get back I'll be here waiting for you." Alex said but Phoebe didn't understand it.

"Noooooo, Maaammaaa" she started crying when her mother wasn't allowed to go with her. Ryan turned around in the door looking back at his wife, torn between wanting to be there for her and having to go with Phoebe so she can calm down and have a parent with her. Hearing the friendly nurses try to calm her down in the hallway, waiting for him to arrive before they walked towards the radiology department.

"Hey…" Ryan walked over to Alex, taking both of her hands in his and pulling her closer into a hug. "Are you okay?" He asked, feeling her nodding her head against his chest. "I'm fine, just make sure Phoebe's okay." Alex sniffed and he obeyed, heavy heartedly walking out of the room with the nurses as they took them to radiology.

Hey guys! It's been a while sorry for the long wait. I had the freedom of abusing wifi on campus and was busy with this chapter when the request came for some Phoebe-illness as well, together with the little fight of her parents, so two birds with one stone in this chapter as they saying goes. Hope you guys enjoy. I'm sorry I can't tell you when my next update will be as my university schedule is really hectic right now with assignments piling up.

I hope you're all doing well.

Lovies-S