Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I only the own the situation in which I have put them in.

An hour later, Perry slowly opened his drowsy, heavy eyelids. At first, he couldn't remember where he was or why he was there, and then he felt a small, warm weight at his side and remembered in a flash of scenes the zoo, Brooke, heart pain, ambulance, hospital, Eli, scolding, and then Brooke again.

He groaned as he looked down at the little girl still sleeping peacefully beside him. He smiled faintly before his head started to swim a little, and then he laid his head back and closed his eyes. Then somewhere off in the distance he heard his girl say softly, "Perry, darling, are you feeling alright? Do you want me to take Brooke away?"

Take Brooke away, he thought to himself as he pulled Brooke in closer to him, tightening his grip on the toddler. "No," he mumbled hoarsely, "she helps actually."

Della gave him a sympathetic look as she watched him draw Brooke in closer to him, and the little responded by snuggling into him. Never had she seen a grandfather and granddaughter so close as what these two were. She smiled and stroked Perry's head and whispered, "Alright, Darling. Paul and Diane are here to see you."

Once again, Perry tried to open his eyes and keep them open. When he did finally he saw the young couple beside him, smiling as Diane took his free hand and Paul patted him on the shoulder.

"How are you feeling, Perry," Diane asked softly so as not to wake her daughter.

"I'm fine, honey," Perry whispered, "thank you."

"You gave us quite a scare," Paul chimed in.

"Well, Paul," Perry groaned, "after working with me for so long you should be used to surprises."

The room fell silent as Paul and Diane exchanged pained looks. Perry's and Della's eyes were fixed on the two when Diane said sadly, "Perry, Della, Paul and I want to talk to you about the children."

All four adults looked at the two children to check that they were both fast asleep; Eli was passed out in a chair, before they went into deep discussion. When they were sure they could talk freely Della asked concerned, "What about the children?"

Diane glanced at Paul who answered uneasily, "Diane and I were talking in the car, and we've decided, mind you it wasn't easy, that we won't be leaving the kids with you anymore over night or on weekends."

Perry and Della both gaped at the Drakes before Perry asked angrily, "Why the hell not?"

"Perry," Diane jumped in, "after what's happened to you, we couldn't possibly leave the kids with you. That's a lot of stress on your part to take care of children so young."

"It really isn't a problem," Della argued, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's nothing we can't handle."

"Absolutely," Perry backed her up, "we love having the kids around."

"We know you do, Perry," Paul replied sounding tired, "but we think it's wise to just drop them off during the day, and then pick them up at night."

"But then we'll never see them hardly," Della said a tear falling down her cheek. "We are all so busy during the days with work and life that the only time we really get to spend time with them is when you want to have a weekend for yourselves, and those aren't even that often."

"We just feel this is for the best," Paul repeated.

"No," Perry barked causing Brooke to stir a little, "it's not about health or convenience, it's about our age. You don't think we can handle the children anymore because we're too old!"

Della glanced between Paul and Diane and asked barely audible, "Is that true, Paul, Diane?"

Diane rose from the chair she had pulled up to the side of Perry's bed, crossed the room over to her, and answered, taking Della's hands in hers, "Honestly, that's what it boils down to."

Della took in a sharp breath and yanked her hands away from the younger woman. Quickly and without looking at anyone, she rushed out of the room and down the hall, tears streaming from her eyes. Perry stared sadly after her, tears threatening his own eyes as he croaked, "See what you all have done? Please, I'm begging you; don't take our grandchildren away from us."

"Perry," Paul reasoned, "we're not taking them away from you! You'll still be able to see them."

"When," Perry growled, "once or twice every four months? On their birthdays? During holidays? Time flies, Paul! Before you know it, Eli will be driving and Brooke will be dating! They'll be living their own lives; they won't want to spend time with their grandparents! We'll become strangers to them! I can't live with that you two."

At that, he stared down at the sleeping little girl, and then over to the boy and whispered again more to himself than to anyone else, "I can't live with that."

Paul and Diane stared miserably at each other and then said, "We're sorry, Perry. We think this is best."

Defeated Perry nodded gloomily, kissed the top of Brooke's head, and remained there, crying into the little girl's hair.

DGP

"So we're never going to see you anymore, Pop?"

Eli and Brooke were both wide awake now and at full attention. Perry and Della, who had been crying in the women's restroom for ten minutes, had just explained to them that they wouldn't be staying with them anymore at nights or on weekends. Eli and Brooke had taken that to mean that they would never be with Perry and Della again since nights and weekends were the only times they were ever with their grandparents.

"No, honey," Della answered, putting an arm around his shoulders, "we'll see each other just not as often."

Eli nodded before he said roughly, "This stinks!"

"I know, Whirlwind," Perry agreed.

Brooke, who was still by Perry's side asked quietly, pointing to her spider bite, "Pappy, at night and on weekends, who's going to take care of my bite if it doesn't get better?"

"You're mother will," Perry answered her quietly.

"Well, at night on the weekends who's going to help me get ready for bed?"

"You're parents will."

With big, brown eyes, Brooke stared Perry in the eyes and said defiantly, "But I want you to, Pappy!"

Perry hugged the little girl and when he spoke his voice cracked, "I know, Bunny, I want to do that too."

"We won't ever be as close as we are now, will we?" Eli asked, staring down at the floor.

Perry and Della looked at him and then to each other and sighed. Dell pulled him into a hug and whispered, "Of course we will, sweetheart. Of course we will. We'll just have to try harder is all."

At that time, Paul knocked softly on the room door and said sadly, "C'mon you two, it's time to go home."

Slowly Eli broke away from Della and told her he loved her before he went to his dad's side. Brooke, on the other hand, was still clinging to Perry crying, "I don't want to leave!"

Paul was ready to make his way over to his daughter before Perry said quickly, "Paul, let me talk to her for a minute, please?"

"Alright," Paul agreed, and then left the room pulling Eli by the hand. Della got up and left too sensing that Perry wanted to talk to her alone. When it was just Perry and Brooke alone together, Perry said, "Bunny, you have to go."

"No, Pappy," Brooke protested, "I want to stay with you!"

"I know, and nothing would make me happier," Perry replied honestly, "but your mommy and daddy would miss you very much."

"But I'm going to miss you very much!"

"I know, Bunny," Perry said, "me too."

They simply sat there a few seconds before Perry whispered, "Bunny, look at me."

When she did, Perry smiled and told her, "Whenever you're feeling lonely for me at night and on weekends, just hug your bunny I got you at the zoo and think of me. Anytime you need me, Brooke, I'll always be there, I'm just a phone call away. Never hesitate to call me at any time for any reason. Do you have your bunny with you?"

Brooke reached behind her and extracted her stuffed animal for Perry to take. He did so and kissed it on the nose and said, "Also anytime you need a kiss from me whether at night or for a boo-boo, touch the bunny's nose to you and I will be kissing you, okay, Bunny?"

Brooke nodded and smiled a watery smile at him before flinging her arms around his neck and saying, "I love you, Pappy, and I'm going to miss you!"

"I'm going to miss you too, Brooke," Perry choked. "Until I see you again I want you to be a good girl, keep Eli under control, and look after yourself, alright?"

Brooke nodded just as Della came to the door and said to Perry and Brooke, "Brooke, your parents are ready to leave. Come on, sweetie, I'll walk you down."

With Perry's help, Brooke climbed down off the bed and slowly walked to Della's side. Before she walked away, she gave Perry one last glance over her shoulder, waved and then walked with Della out of sight.

DGP

Twenty minutes after the Drake family had left, Della and Perry sat by themselves in Perry's room, neither one of them saying a word. The nurse had brought a tray up for Perry to eat his dinner fifteen minutes before, and Perry still had refused to touch it.

"Perry," Della said noticeably tired, "starving yourself won't bring the kids back."

"I know, Darling," he whispered hoarsely, "I'm just not hungry right now is all."

Della nodded and sighed, putting her head in her right hand which was propped up on the arm rest. Perry looked over at her and saw just what the stress and sadness of the night's events had done to her. To Perry she was still beautiful and always would be no matter what, but he couldn't help but notice that she had dark bags under her eyes which were also full of sleep, and puffy from crying. Her hair was out of place since she had been running her fingers through it since Perry had had his heart attack. Her skin looked pale, and she moved and acted like a woman more than half her age. She wasn't her normal chipper, optimistic, reasonable self. In short she looked like she could pass out and remain that way for days. Suddenly Perry thought that if Della looked bad from everything today he must look disgusting.

Perry reached over for his wife's hand, and at first she didn't take it. Perry stared at her concerned and thought that if Della rejected him on top of everything else that happened today that he would die of a broken heart rather than a bad one. Finally after a minute he asked softly, "Della, where are you, my love?"

"It's nine thirty," Della replied faintly, "it's time for the kids to go to bed."

Perry looked sadly at her and then said, "I miss them too, Darling. We'll see them; we'll just have to make an extra effort."

"That's not what scares me, Perry," Della answered, beginning to cry a little. "I know we'll make the extra effort, but what about Paul and Diane? They're always too busy for us. Will they care that we're not in their children's' lives that much anymore? What if they don't make the effort for the kids to see us?"

Della began to sob again as tears rolled down Perry's cheeks one after the other.