Hi lovely readers,
Thank you so much for reviews on the last chapter. As always it means so much. This prompt was requested by a guest and as I can't reply privately I just wanted to write a little something here to you.
First of all, thank you so much for reading my prompts and for taking the time to request, it means so much. I'm really sorry but I couldn't quite fulfil your request in the way you wanted me to. I couldn't bring myself to give Amy a terminal illness (but please don't apologise for requesting, I just really don't think I could do a story like that justice). I have, however, decided to write about Amy being involved in an accident and how Sheldon and the kids cope with that and help with her recovery. I know this isn't 100% what you requested (I really do hate not being able to fill prompts for people and didn't want to just completely ignore your request) but I hope it's close and still okay. Again, thank you so much for requesting.
On another note, I can't quite believe this is my 40th prompt! I am beyond grateful for all of your requests and can't believe you've given me the inspiration to write so many. I never really say this about my work but I actually feel rather proud of this particular prompt. Could quite possibly be one of my favourites. I'd love to know your favourites too!
Anyway, enough from me! Enjoy everyone (you might need tissues).
There was no way he could have known. No way at all. Just half an hour ago he had spoken to her on the phone, a very real and raw reminder of how quickly life as you know it could suddenly change. If he had known during that phone conversation what he was about to walk into he would have said so much more.
He would have told her how much she had changed his life. How she and she alone was solely responsible for the man he was today, how she had allowed him, even with his protests, to open up his heart and let her in. How she had taught him how to love. How she had made him feel comfortable, loved and safe in a world that often made you feel the complete opposite.
He would have told her that she was forgiven for the morning coffee cup that she always left in the sink before leaving for work. How he didn't mind that she never quite made it to the end of a movie without falling asleep no matter how excited they both were to watch it. He would have promised her that he would no longer complain when she was cold all the time and turned up the thermostat. Those little things were all little reasons why he loved her.
Most of all he would have told her just how much he loved and appreciated her. That her utter kindness and compassion had rubbed off on him and made him a better person. That she truly was his greatest gift and that he couldn't thank her enough for bringing their two incredible children into the world. For those three had really taught Sheldon Cooper the true meaning of life.
But of course, there really was no way of knowing any of that when he pushed open the door.
—
Loud laughter and chatter, echoed down the driveway as Emily and Arthur jumped out of the car. As always their car ride home had been filled with little memories from their school day. Arthur had received a big sticker and a little note home, letting his parents know that today he had been kind to his friend and looked after them when they were sad. Seeing how proud Arthur was of himself too made Sheldon's heart burst.
Emily quite often spoke of what she had done during lunchtime, the games she had played and who she had played with. At ten years old, her friendships were much more important than the things she learnt at school but even so, she still worked hard and was achieving great things.
With school bags slung over their shoulders and lunch-bags swinging in their hands, it was impossible for them to know what heartbreak and horror was waiting behind the door.
As soon as Sheldon pushed open the front door, he saw her. It was almost as if he knew what he was going to find and his eyes were instantly trained on that very spot. It was the masses of dark hair that he saw first, slightly matted and covering her face, gone was the usual shine that he loved so much. Her body was still, quietly still, she wasn't moving he knew that much. Was she even breathing? He didn't know.
"Amy" he called, frantically rushing over to her. Forgetting about the wide eyed and fear stricken children that stood in the door way. He knelt down beside her body that lay helplessly at the bottom of the stairs, he concluded that must have been how she had got into this state. A freak accident would be what people would called this. "Amy" he hoped saying her name would wake her up.
Gently, he brushed back her hair to reveal her face. She was still so beautiful; her skin was pale and her features were still, gone was the flicker of her eyelids and flutter of her lashes that Sheldon would often stare at as she slept. Everything was suddenly quiet and eerily still. As soon as the hair was brushed away, he saw the blood, she had hit her head hard and blood was pouring from a wound on her temple. He wanted to touch her, he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and hold her close to him, he wanted to make her better but he knew he shouldn't.
"I need my phone" he mumbled to himself reaching into his pocket and pulling out the device. It was only now that he realised his hands were shaking as he hit the buttons to call 911, the phone alone was trembling in his hands. He was so lost in the moment it was only when he went to hit the green call button that he noticed the children.
Emily's cheeks were red and her eyes stung with tears. She wasn't little anymore, nor was she naive, she would be able to work out what was going on. Sheldon noticed her bottom lip shaking as she tried her very hardest to hold it together. This was her mother. Her whole world, he knew all to well what losing a parent felt like and as he very briefly contemplated his children having to experience such a thing, he felt a pain like no other. Just like Emily he was trying to be brave and strong but the fear was consuming.
"I need you to take Arthur into the living room" he told her quickly, he could hear the fear in his own voice, god knows how it made Emily feel. "Take him into the living room and stay there for me okay. Call auntie Penny from the iPad and tell her that mummy has had a fall and she needs to come and get you, can you do that for me?" he asked. He hated to pile the pressure on to such a young little girl but Arthur was even younger and right now she was all he had.
"Yeah" her voice was weak as she nodded her head. He didn't miss the single tear that rolled down her cheek.
"Okay. Good girl, good girl. It'll be okay. It'll be okay" he hated that he had already made that promise to her that everything would be fine. He didn't know what was going to happen, his body was numb. Once the children were out of earshot he hit the green button, amazed at how just a minute ago they were stepping through the front door laughing and joking. "I need an ambulance now," he demanded. "My wife, she's, I think she's fallen down the stairs and is unconscious. I need someone to help."
"Okay, sir, can I ask your name?"
"I'm Sheldon. My wife is Amy," he knew that question would be coming so thought he would save them a job.
Okay Sheldon, can you tell me if Amy is breathing?" the operator on the end of the phone asked. He could hear them pressing buttons and keys, hopefully already sending someone out to them. Sheldon listened carefully and watched her body, the relief he felt when he saw the gentle rise and fall.
"Yeah" he nodded, even though they couldn't see. "Yes, she's breathing."
"Okay, are you able to feel Amy's pulse?" Sheldon's eyes were suddenly drawn to her hand, the hand that was laying so delicately on the tiled floor beneath her, her fingers splayed out and her nails painted pink. He had a flashback to a memory of just last night where Emily and Amy had been painting each other's nails, he wanted to cry at the thought of that being Emily's last memory with her mother. He saw the wedding band and engagement rings upon her finger, another reminder of their life together.
Carefully, he pressed two fingers to her wrist. He was so scared of hurting her. Feeling her heart beating brought him more relief than he ever thought was imaginable, it was like when he heard Emily and Arthur's heartbeats for the first time. A reminder that that person was okay, for now it was a tiny little bit of hope to cling on to.
"There's a pulse, yes" Sheldon nodded, however as he started to focus and concentrate he realised it was very weak. "I think it's quite faint."
"Okay, Sheldon, thank you. I've sent somebody out to you, the ambulance should be with you soon," the operator explained.
"She's hit her head. I know I shouldn't touch her but I moved some hair away from her face and I saw a wound on her head," he explained. He wasn't entirely sure why he was relaying all of this information, maybe he just needed someone to talk to, maybe he just needed reassurance.
"Is Amy still bleeding now?"
"No, no, I don't think so" he inspected the area as closely as he could, the bleeding seemed to ease however, still looked bright and fresh. "Will she be able to hear me?" he asked. "If I talk to her would she be able to hear me? Will she know what's going on?"
"Talking to people who are unconscious is always encouraged" the operator explained. She didn't really answer Sheldon's question but it gave him enough to decide on his next move. He got himself as comfortable as one possible could on a cold tiled floor and took Amy's hand in his own, she felt cold, he knew she would hate being this cold.
"I don't know if you can hear me Amy, but I'm here. I'm right here with you, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to leave your side until you're awake," he made a promise to her in that moment, he wasn't going to leave her, he couldn't bring himself to not be by her side. The fact that maybe, he would have to face the rest of his life without her beside him broke his heart into a million pieces and caused tears to trickle down his cheeks. He knew that if she was all too aware of what was going on, like the doting mother she was her main concern would be the children. "Don't worry about Emily and Arthur, they're in the living room. I've got Emily to ring Penny so they'll be in good hands, they'll be okay. You have to be okay."
The operator stayed on the line whilst Sheldon talked to Amy the whole time, he hoped it would help but she still remained lifeless. Sheldon's attention kept floating between Amy and the children, he felt well and truly torn. He was their father, he was supposed to keep them safe and sheltered from things like this and he hadn't even been to check on them to make sure they were okay.
Blue flashing lights pulling up outside his home suddenly distracted him from his thoughts and brought his focus back to Amy. He had been so distracted by what he had walked in on that it had completely slipped his mind to close the front door behind him.
"Help is here Amy, there's people here" he knew things were suddenly about to change and he wanted to let her know what was going on, just in case she was somewhat aware and felt scared. He hated the thought of her being scared.
Before Sheldon could fully comprehend and process what was happening, a flurry of paramedics descended into his home and flocked around his wife. Without realising he had suddenly been moved to the sidelines, watching helplessly as the medical professionals worked on his wife, talking to her and checking her vitals. He was desperate to help, he wanted to do something, standing back and watching just wasn't enough.
The gentle creak of the living room door opening, amongst all the madness somehow gained his attention. There stood his two little innocent children, looking on. Suddenly, flashbacks of his own childhood flooded to his mind, fourteen year old Sheldon watching as they desperately tried to revive his father, it was his final memory of him. He didn't want them to remember Amy like this.
"It's okay, it's okay" he rushed over to them, wrapping his arms around them both and enveloping them tightly. "They're just working to help mummy get better," he wanted to keep them both in his arms for ever, they were safe there and he could protect them.
"Is she okay?" Emily asked, her voice wavering, similar to when she would fall over and cut her knee and she'd be trying so hard to hold it together and be brave. However, this was far worse than a grazed knee.
"She's hit her head. They're just trying to make her better," he glanced at Arthur, he looked a little dazed and confused by the whole situation. He was only six, how was a six year old supposed to understand and process all of this. "You doing okay?" he turned ask his little boy who just nodded his head and threw his arms around his dad again, burying his head into his neck. At times, Arthur wasn't great with words and expressing emotion but in that moment actions spoke louder than words.
"I called Auntie Penny. She said she was on her way," Emily told him as Arthur finally let his father go and Emily wrapped a protective arm around her little brother.
"Okay. That's good. Good girl" he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead and rose to his feet.
Sheldon hadn't even thought about what would happen if the emergency services arrived before Penny and thankfully he didn't have to. Just as he heard talk starting about moving Amy, Penny arrived. He couldn't have been more grateful for her presence and he knew that no matter how long he had to be in hospital with Amy, his children would be taken care of. He trusted her with his life.
Everything seemed to happen so quickly, the children were gone and Amy was moved onto a stretcher and transported into the ambulance. All he could think about was the silence. There had been no reaction from her when she was moved, no sudden stirring, no moans or groans of pain, just nothing and that silence alone terrified him.
—
Leonard saw him through glass panel on the door, he was slumped in a chair, his elbows resting upon his knees as his hands covered his face. He hesitated before entering, had Sheldon just been like this since finding her or had he just received some devastating news. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to compose himself, he had no idea how he would cope if Amy, one his dearest and best friends suddenly vanished from his life. He couldn't imagine what it would do to Sheldon and the children.
Sheldon's head shot up when he heard the door to the waiting room open, he was hoping it was a doctor or someone, anyone with news. The disappointment was obvious when he realised it was just Leonard.
"Hi buddy" Leonard didn't know what to do, everything in his body was telling him to offer his friend a small, sympathetic smile but he really couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. Leonard had never seen Sheldon like this before, his eyes were all bloodshot from crying and his face was red and patchy. He was just a broken shell of a man before him. "How's Amy? Any news?" he asked, sitting down in the chair next to him.
By the time Leonard had received the call from Penny, she had already collected the kids and Amy and Sheldon were in the back of an ambulance on their way to the hospital. He had wanted to get here much sooner, but the traffic had been crazy.
"She's…she's…" the poor guy could barely string a sentence together. Leonard knew he just needed time. "She's in surgery" each word was punctuated with a sobbing breath as his shoulders shook and tears fell down his face. "They…they did a…a scan" he wiped harshly at his cheeks and told himself to pull himself together. He took a deep breath and tried again. "They did a scan and found she had a bleed on the brain," saying it out loud, having to explain it somebody else suddenly seemed even more real. He wanted to believe this was all a horrible dream but now he was the one voicing those words. "She's in surgery now, they mentioned something about subacute hematoma" he shook his head, the only person that would be able to fully understand what all of that meant was the patient herself.
"Okay" Leonard nodded sympathetically. "How long has she been in surgery for?"
"Not very long. I've been told it could take hours," he wiped his cheeks again as he felt more tears fall. "How are the children?" he asked, despite his concerns for Amy, Emily and Arthur were never too far from his thoughts.
"They're doing okay" he nodded, to be honest Penny hadn't really filled Leonard in much on the kids, but he knew Sheldon needed to hear something. "Penny will take good care of them," he had total faith in his wife, she adored those children like they were her own.
"I know"
Silence fell between them. Sheldon shifted in his seat, he absolutely hated hospitals. The last time he could remember being in a hospital for a long period of time was when Emily was born ten years ago and even then his mind was so focused on helping Amy through everything that he hadn't really had time to comprehend how much he hated being in a hospital. Now, with nothing but waiting to do everything became overwhelming.
"She's was still unconscious when we got here" he wasn't entirely sure why he was telling Leonard this but he needed to talk, Amy had always told him that talking was good and right now he needed a distraction. "I've just got this feeling that she isn't going to wake up" he felt tears rolling down his cheek again, he wasn't sure he'd ever been so scared and upset, not even when his father died.
"Hey, this is Amy we're talking about. She can get through this" Leonard tried to reassure him, someone needed to be positive. Although, he was sure Sheldon wasn't listening, his mind was absolutely and understandably somewhere else.
"I need her to wake up Leonard. I don't know how to do any of this without her," Sheldon spoke sadly, as he sank back into the chair. Although he was talking to Leonard, his eyes weren't looking at him, if anything he looked vacant and distracted.
"What can't you do?" Leonard asked leaning forwards, he was someone who always viewed himself as being of a much higher intelligence than everyone around him, there was nothing that he didn't think he could do.
"Life" he shrugged. "I don't know how to be a good person without Amy, I don't know how to be a good dad. I can't do any of this without her. I don't want to be by myself Leonard" and with that he started crying again, he had barely been able to stop himself before. He and Amy were a team, it had been like that since they first met, it had been them against the world. A little team, now a family unit. The whole family needed her, she was the glue that held them all together, they all loved her so much and he just hoped that would be enough to get her through it.
—
The afternoon had taken an unexpected turn for Penny, no sooner than her twelve year old son had walked through the front door from school, she had received a phone call from a very panicked and worried Emily, informing her that her mother had fallen down the stairs that her dad had told her to call her to collect them.
As Penny drove the short distance the Cooper residence, even she couldn't have predicted just how serious things were. Upon the initial conversation with Emily, although the youngest sounded worried, she just assumed it was Sheldon being his usual over the top dramatic self but as soon as she arrived and saw the ambulance, saw Amy's cold, frail body lying on the floor, she knew this was much more than Sheldon over reacting.
As soon as her eyes landed on the little children, the children that she had watched grow and loved as if they were own, her very own motherly instincts kicked in and she threw her arms around them, wanting to protect them from everything. Without really much of a word from Sheldon, she bundled them quickly into her car and took them back to her place.
The resilience of children always amazed her and Arthur especially was no exception, maybe it was simply down to his age and inability to fully understand what all of this meant but as soon as they arrived at Penny's and he saw Lucas, he was as happy as any other child. An outsider would have had no clue about what he had just witnessed. She found the whole thing fascinating.
Emily, on the hand was a little different, being slightly older and more mature, she was definitely feeling all kinds of emotions. Penny had tried to engage her in conversation, she wasn't interested in playing with the boys and had spent most of her time just sitting on their couch. At times, Emily was chatty and seemed like she wanted to talk, others she was silent, Penny didn't bring up the topic of Amy, she hoped she had made it clear that they could come and talk to her about anything but she wanted it to be on their own terms.
Thinking that it would cheer them all up, she had ordered take out pizza for dinner. Afterwards, Penny had told the children to get themselves ready for bed, she told the boys that they had twenty minutes left of playing videos and that she and Emily could watch something on tv before they all needed to go to sleep. Although, she highly doubted either of the Cooper children would sleep much.
Just a few minutes later, whilst Penny was still clearing away the pizza boxes, Emily padded into the living room dressed in her pyjamas. There had been such a rush to get the children into the car that they hadn't had time to collect anything from home. Thankfully, sleepovers were quite the regular occurrence so the children always kept a few pairs of pyjamas at their place. Maybe it was because of the situation or maybe it was because she was only ten, but she somehow seemed so little dressed in her pjs.
"Penny" her voice was little and small, Penny instantly stopped what she was doing and gave the little girl her attention. "Is my mummy going to die?" the question caused a lump to form in her throat and her heart dropped to the very pit of her stomach at the sudden question. It was fair to say Emily had inherited her bluntness from her father.
"Oh sweetie" she rushed over to her and took her by the hand, leading her over the couch. "Sweetie" she pulled her close to her, looking at the tears that were building up in her eyes and threatening to fall.
"She didn't move. Daddy was talking to her and she wouldn't wake up," Emily relayed what she had witnessed to Penny, a scene that no child should have to see. A few tears fell from Emily's eyes and rushed down her cheek, Penny had always felt a real closeness to Emily, a really strong bond and seeing her like this was breaking her piece by piece.
"Sweetie, your mummy, what happened to her was a horrible, horrible accident, but she's with the doctors and in the best place possible and they're going to make better," she explained, hating herself for almost making a promise to her that she knew she might not be able to keep. She was doing this for Emily's sake and her own, she couldn't bare to imagine her life without Amy in it, without her bestie.
"But what if it doesn't work" she knew more than Penny was giving her credit it for, of course she did, she was the child of Sheldon and Amy, she probably knew even more than she did. Emily's body was shaking now, her little shoulders moving up down as the tears fell. Penny figured this was a build up of everything, everything she had initially been keeping inside for the past few hours.
"Okay, listen to me" she reached across and used her thumb to wipe the tears from Emily's cheeks. "I have known your mum for a really, really long time," Penny told her. "She's strong and she will fight to get through this because she's got two very precious little people waiting for her,"
"Me and Arthur?" Emily asked tilting her head to one side.
"Exactly" Penny wiped even more tears from the little girls face. "You know, all your mum ever wanted to do was to be a mother. She was so desperate to have a little baby of her own and then you came along and I honestly don't think I've ever seen her happier. She wanted both of you so much and she loves you both so much, okay, I need you to know that" Penny hands were resting upon Emily's shoulders now, it was her effort to try and stop her shaking so much from the tears.
"I know" Emily nodded, causing even more tears to fall.
"So, I know, that for you and Arthur she's going to keep fighting because there's absolutely no way she'd want to leave either of you behind," she wrapped her arms around Emily and pulled her in tightly, she was probably squeezing her far too hard but right now she didn't care. As she held her in her arms and repeatedly kissed the top of her head, she could only hope that the promise she made her was enough.
—
The hours had ticked by slowly, all blurring into one long length of time where Sheldon couldn't really comprehend what was happening. Despite it not being all that late, the crying that made him tired and he was fighting that urge to curl up in a ball and just sleep. He knew he needed to, if he slept he would probably sleep for a ridiculous amount of hours, but he couldn't fall asleep, he promised Amy he'd be right here and he couldn't miss any news.
The one constant throughout all of this had been Leonard, the definition of a true best friend. Someone who had been patient, someone who had sat in silence for hours because he felt that's exactly what Sheldon needed. Just like the promise Sheldon had made to Amy, Leonard wasn't going to leave Sheldon's side. Although he would never admit such a thing, he really did need Leonard more than ever right now.
"Sheldon Cooper" a doctor announced as the door to the waiting room was pushed open. Sheldon jumped to attention, like he had been asleep and someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over him. His heart was thumping in his chest and he felt sick to his stomach. He tried to read the expression on the doctors face but social cues and emotions were never his strong point. They were always Amy's.
"Is Amy okay? Is she okay?" the words left his mouth at such a fast pace, it took a while for him to realise he had said them.
"Amy is in a stable condition" the doctor answered as he clutched a clipboard to his chest. "The surgery was a success, we were able to stop the bleed on the brain and we are now just waiting on her waking up" he explained keeping his manner formal and professional.
"She's going to okay?" he asked, just to clarify that he had heard him correctly, tears were filling his eyes again and he was trying his absolute hardest to not breakdown in front of a stranger, despite the evidence of tears on his face being incredibly apparent.
"Amy's had major surgery, it's impossible to know how she will be when she wakes up but all of her vital signs are looking good," he couldn't give false information and had to prepare loved ones for all kinds of situations.
"Leonard, did you hear that she's okay. She's alive," he started crying again. Only now had he become aware of how much emotion he had been harbouring, he had been trying to picture his life without her, almost certain that that would be the outcome. He had gone over how he would tell the children, how he would tell family members and friends. "Can I see her? When can I see her?" he asked quickly. They hardly ever spent time apart and he was aching to just lay his eyes on her.
"You can see her now" the doctor offered the first glimpse of a smile.
Sheldon glanced at Leonard and all of a sudden he looked like a little boy, almost scared to take that next step. Leonard placed a hand on his shoulder, "You go buddy, I'll be waiting here."
Sheldon nodded and followed the doctor out of the room down the brightly lit corridors. It was only now that he started to become aware of everything, the bright lights, the clinical smells and the noises around him. It was almost as if now he knew Amy was okay, he'd suddenly been brought back to life.
Seeing Amy in her hospital bed brought up a whole mix of emotions. The need to protect her and keep her safe was stronger than ever. Sitting down beside her, he took hold of her hand, he wanted to feel every sensation of her hand in his, just minutes ago he thought he would never get to do this. Gently, his thumb stroked, back and forth.
"Thank you" he finally spoke after searching for the words. "Thank you for being so strong and getting though this. I always knew you were brave and strong but you've excelled yourself Amy" he laughed gently and brushed away his tears with his free hand. "You're never ever scaring me like that again, never. I'm never going to let myself get that close to losing you again. You're everything to me Amy, I love you so much."
—
"I brought you tea mummy" Emily smiled, as she entered her parents bedroom, a mug of tea in her hand that she was struggling to carry without spilling it everywhere.
Today was a whole week since Amy's accident and her second day back at home. Going through what she did had given her a whole new perspective on life, she wanted to grab life by the horns and do everything possible. She wanted to make a million and more memories with Sheldon and children, she never ever wanted to take a single day for granted. She wanted to do so much but for now all of that would have to wait because she was under strict instructions from the doctors and everyone that knew her to rest.
Normally, Amy would insist she was fine and could take on her daily tasks just like always but even she knew the severity of what she had gone through and knew that rest was necessary. Although it was out of her hands, she never wanted to put her family through that again. The thought alone, broke her heart.
"Thank you my darling" Amy smiled, she was under no illusion that her recovery would be long. She was still incredibly tired and still suffering from headaches but she had been told this was normal.
"I've got biscuits" Arthur smiled as he trailed in behind his sister, looking rather proud of himself.
"Biscuits for breakfast?" Amy asked with a smile. Even though she'd been home less than 48 hours, Emily and Arthur, just like their father were waiting on her hand and foot.
"Mhmm" he nodded. "They're tasty"
"Will you be okay when we're at school?" Emily asked as she placed the tea down on her bedside table and gently sat down on the bed. Amy was sure the events of the last week had changed her daughter, it was almost as if without any warning she had grown up before their very eyes. It really didn't take a genius to work out that Emily was scared of leaving her, the last time they'd left for school, they'd returned to find their mother unconscious. It was a fear she couldn't shake.
"I'll be fine" Amy reached for her hand, forcing her daughter to look at her. "You don't have to worry, I'll be right here when you get back, I promise."
"Okay" Emily nodded. "I love you mumma"
"I love you too. Both of you so much," life was short, they had realised that more than ever recently and she would never let a moment pass without telling them all how much she loved them.
And just for the record I think that's the closest I'm ever going to write them losing each other. I know some (pretty much) all of the medical details won't but accurate but I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed writing, I really hope you enjoyed reading.
As always, reviews are always welcome and so appreciated!
Stay safe.
Lots of love. xxxx