Chapter 29

Hours later, a weary Victor and Harriett got off the plane and found that Clay had not come to pick them up, but instead had sent a company car for them. Their driver took them to the hospital and said that he would deliver their luggage to their home. They hurried up to ICU and AJ saw them when they came out of the elevator. Harriett threw herself into his arms.

The nurse that had been with AJ all day whispered to the nurse that was going to take her place during shift change, "That's his ex-wife and her new husband, but it looks like she still has feelings for him."

Glaring at the two nurses Victor said, "Don't you two have something better to do than gossip about your patients parents?"

With their face turning red one muttered, "Yes Sir."

"We'd like to see our son now," replied Victor.

"I can only let two of you in at a time."

AJ hearing that said, "Your two go see AJ and I'll visit Allison."

With AJ and Victor on either side of her, Harriett went in to get her first glimpse of AJ. Seeing him so still and small laying there on the bed her knees almost buckled. AJ and Victor reached for her at the same time to steady her. "Oh," she gasped as tears slid down her face.

"He'll be alright Harriett, I know he will," Victor promised her.

"You can't know that Vic," responded Harriett leaning in his arms.

"No, but I can have faith that it will."

Looking from her son's bed to see Allison lying pale and still in the other bed Harriett turned to AJ and asked, "How have you stood today?"

"By knowing that I had to," he said sitting down next to his child and taking her tiny hand in his large one.

"I want to thank you for looking after AJ today and letting them think you were his father. At least he had someone next to him," Harriett told him.

"You would have done the same for me."

"Still we're both grateful," said Victor.

Harriett sat down next to AJ, took his hand, and said, "Mommy's here."

It seemed almost the instant she said that, alarm bells went off. AJ's eyes flew to the machines over Allison's bed and realized that it was coming from the bed next to hers. His namesake was in trouble. Nurses and doctors came running into the room and started shooing the parents out. Gasping sobs came from Harriett as Victor guided her towards the door. AJ got up as the nurse also asked him to leave. He laid his hand on little AJ's ankle and said, "Son, I order you not to die."

The nurse standing next to him gasped and a tear rolled down her cheek at his words. Out in the waiting room AJ found Harriett weeping in Victor's arms. It seemed hours later when one of the Doctors came out to speak to them, it had really been about twenty minutes and he assured them that AJ was once again stable, but still had not regained consciousness. They were allowed to go back in, but only for a few more minutes. When they went back out into the waiting room Victor tried to talk AJ into going home to rest saying that they would watch over Allison like he had watched over AJ. AJ just simply shook his head and said, "I just can't leave her."

Harriett putting her arms around him replied, "I understand exactly how you feel AJ, but you have to think of her and when she is better she will need you. You have to rest and eat for her."

"I'll go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat and bring the two of you back something."

"Thanks, we'd appreciate it AJ," smiled Victor as he glanced at Harriett, worried about his new wife.

By the next morning Allison had been transferred out of ICU into a room in pediatrics, but they were keeping AJ in ICU until he regained consciousness. That didn't happen until late that afternoon. Harriett was sitting next to her son when he opened his eyes and said, "Mommy, I talked to Daddy."

To be continued….