Frank called Denise again from the car to find out where she was and to give her a heads up about what was going to happen. He agreed not to mention his fall and told the kids to keep it quiet as well.

Denise told him she and Molly were at their house with the baby, he drove straight there. "Okay, you two, into the bathroom to wash up then come see me for lunches, hurry up," Frank told them as they ran off to obey.

Denise met him in the hallway, "What's going on". "Grandpa see we wash our hands now can we eat lunch"? Denise looked at him questionly"I thought they ate out."

"There was a problem".

Just then there was a knock at the door and Joe walked in. The kids hid behind Frank. "Frank what's going on"?

"Let's feed these little ones," he replied. "Yes you can eat now, peanut butter and grandma's jam," he said and made the lunches including two glasses of chocolate milk. He retunred to the living room, "Joe do you want to answer Densie's question?"

Molly was holding a sleeping Laureen "Joe did something happen?"

"Ah I...I yelled at Teela and threw her food away because she spilled ketchup all down her shirt".Frank stared at him "What else". Joe stayed silent. Frank took a breath "At the park he screamed at Teela then grabbed her and dragged her to the car." Molly looked at her husband and started to cry.

Denise held her baby girl tight, "You're frightening your wife," she told Joe. "She's scared to be with you and that's not how it should be. My biggest fear is being without Frank, not being with him."

Joe nodded, "I'm getting help, honey," he said reaching for Molly. "Your Dad is going to get me some help, I'm going to be better, I promise."

Holding her mother's hand, "Joe you can't come home until I know or someone tells me you are ready. I can't live in fear neither can the kids."

Frank took Joe by the arm, "Let's get your stuff and you can tell you wife goodbye."

As Frank and Joe left Molly looked at her mom "Why? Why did this happen?"

"I don't know honey," Denise told her. "I'm just glad it happened here where Dad and I can help. This is really hard on Daddy, he seems Jeremy in Joe."

Molly wiped her face "I don't understand?"

"Well when Jeremy was in his late teens he used to...used to hit me when he got angry. He worked through it when I told him I would throw him out if he did it again. Then your dad found out when he came home from deployment and threw Jeremy out. Jeremy joined the army and the rest is history"

"Did dad forgive him?"

"Eventually."

Denise continued, "Dad never stopped regretting it, he was upset that I got hurt and that Jeremy enlisted. He always held himself responsible for his dying. He's going to go out of his way to help Joe, I just hope he doesn't get his heart broken."

Molly nodded slowly, "Me too."

As the women talked Frank and Joe were at the motel then headed to town to meet with a counselor to schedule appointments. Frank promised Joe to stand by his side as long as he did his part.

Molly returned hom with the baby, the older children wanted to stay with the grandparents that night. After putting them to bed Frank went to hold his wife. "That poor little girl," he sighed. "JJ he was short with but Teela...and she looks so muc likeMolly did..."

"Did you see the bruises on her arm. Dee she is so small he just wretched her arm I wanted to kill him.".

Denise nodded, "I know, she's a teeny girl. So fragile. How are you holding up sweetheart?"

"Dee, stop fussing over me," Frank sighed. "Stop it, I"m fine."

All night Frank went over the afternoon in his subconscious mind not really sleeping. Denise woke several times ashe mumbled in his sleep. Then she heard Teela crying.

She tucked the blankets more firmly around Frank and softly kissed his cheek before going to the bedroom to ceck on her granddaughter. "What's wrong sunshine girl?"

"Daddy mad at me. He yelled at me and grabbed me."

"I know sweet pee grandpa told me." Denise held the child on her lap and rocked gently.

"Daddy hit grandpa and he fell down". Denise's breath caught in her throat "He what?"

"He fell down on the street and Daddy had to pick him up," Teela confessed. "It's my fault." She pouted and looked down at her feet in shame.

Denise hugged the little girl."Nothing is your fault. You should never be yelled at or hit or pulled. You need to tell me or grandpa if it happens again."

Teela looked at her and nodded then wrapped her arms around Denise's neck."Come on sweetie crawl into bed go to sleep I'm making you and JJ aspecial breakfast in the morning. I love you"

"Me too grandma."

Denise stroked her baby fine hair and let her doze back off, she got up and went to check on Frank. He was so restless. Was he sore? What had Joe done to him? The whole idea made her feel sick. She went to sit on the couch, lately she'd done that a lot, she sat and stared at pictures of her and Frank. Usually it comfoted her but tonight it made her feel worse. Before she new it she was crying hard.

What if Frank had another heart attack or broke something he was was so afraid that he was going to die. To go on without him was too much to handle and she began to cry and sob rolled over and reached for denise but the bed was empty. He sat up and looked around.

He listened and heard crying, not the shril cries of a small child but the hard, soulful cries of an adult in pain. He knew thsoe cries well. He got up slowly, the pain in his back was more than he'd felt earlier. He was 69 years old but still in excellent shape. He covered up with his robe and went to Denise. She was lying on the sofa sobbing her heart out. He didn't speak, he just moved her into his arms and rocked, "Ssh, baby. Ssh, did you have another dream?" Denise had been plagued by nightmares of late, but she never shared the content with him.

Denise put her face in his neck and held on to him tight,"may be if I hold on to him tight nothing will happen," she said to herself. Frank kissed her head "Dee tell me what's bothering you; please you'll feel better."

"I can't breathe," she said after a minute. She really couldn't breathe, he chest was throbbing, her legs felt numb. "Can't..." Knock speaking off the list too.

"You have to relax breath slow," as he rubbed her back. "Everybody is ok and safe".

She was trying to relax, this was all too much on her, it was just too much. The harder she tried to breathe slower the more she wheezed and even coughed. She started shaking...Frank didn't kow what to do. He was trying to hold her but she pushed him off. When he'd move back to give her space, she'd just reel him in again. Something wasn't right.

All she could see in her mind's eye was Frank's all alone. Today between Molly's problem, Joe, Teela, and now Frank she was overwelmed. She hyperventilated and passed out, hanging limp in Frank's arms.

All Frank saw was his wife unconscious, he dialed 911, then his daughter. He was in tears, Molly had never seen or heard her father cry, not even at her wedding. It was unsettling when she heard him nearly sob, "Something wrong with your Mom."

Molly changed into jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed the baby and diaper bag, and headed to her parents. She arrived to see the EMS bus with its lights flashing in the front ran into the house and saw Frank sitting in the chair holing her childern and the EMT's working on her mom.

"Come here babies," she told them. "Let grandpa be, come here." She held her arms open for them. "What happened Dad?" She stayed near her father. "What's going on?"

"I woke up and your mom wasn't in bed, I heard her crying in here. I tried to get her to tell me what is wrong, she lost control said she couldn't breath and passes out."

"It's my fault daddy she was upset when I talked to her this afternoon."

Teela started sobbing then, and looked at her Mommy, "My fault. I told her...Daddy hurt Grandpa. All my fault."

"Mr. Sherwood, we have to take her in now, her heart rate and pulse are too high. Do you want to ride with us?"

Frank stood "Yeah let's go Molly wait here I'll call you.""Daddy..."'Molly wait here". She stood watcching them go out the door and cringed when she heard the siren start its emergency wail.

"Mommy?" Teela asked quietly. "Is Grandma going to go to Heaven?"

Molly held her children close, "I hope not I need her. I'm not ready for her to go to Heaven." She closed the door, "Let's snuggle on the couch until grandpa calls."

JJ asked a more shocking question as they sat on the sofa, he was sharp for a little tike. "What will happen to Grandpa if she goes away to Heaven Mommy?"

Molly put her hands to her face and started to cry."Mommy I sorry I didn't mean it, don't cry."

Teela wrapped her arms around Molly's shoulders, "Grandma be okay, Grandpa will fix it."

As then bus arrived Denise was rushed to the back while Frank was relegated to the reception filling out forms then told to sit in the waiting area for the Denise's vitals were assessed and found to be very high indeed. The doctor ordered a mild sedative to relax her. He sat and talked to her and reasoned out that she was extremely stressed over the situations at home. He watched as her BP and Pulse reduced to a high complained that she wa getting a severe headache so he ordered a migraine med to be given. He told her to try and relax while he talked to her husband.

The doctor told Frank he wanted Denise to stay the night to watch her blood pressure and decide if she was to go on BP meds."Is she breathing better now? She could hardly breath at home."

"She's calmed down and is resting now, you can see her now if you want while we admit her and get a room ready".

If he wanted? That woman was his life. He got up and winced as he stood. "Getting old," he commented to the doctor then went to see his wife. She looked terrible at least to him. "Baby..." he walked to her and held her hand relieved to see her breathing much more easily and in a steady rhythm. "You scared me."

She smiled weakly "Frank I'm okay just got upset."

"No baby you went out of control I'm sorry."

Denise squeezed his hand, "I'll be okay, just what to go home."

"No Mrs. Sherwood you will spend the night with us".

Frank turned to the doctor, "Watch how you speak to her!" he ordered. "Dee, they need to watch you overnight, honey. They do and I"m gonna be right here with you so you won't be scared." He kissed her hand and held it over his heart. "Let me just go and call home andI"ll be right back."

He made the call short because they were moving Denise upstairs. Molly took a breath and told the kids that grandma would be home in the all snuggled together on the couch,and Molly prayed that her mother would be ok. She made a promise to herself to keep her problems to herself.

Just as Molly dozed off holding her three babies her cell phone woke her. It was the last person she wanted to talk to right now but she picked up anyway. "What do you want Joe?"

"I called home but you didn't pick up ,I was worried."

"You should be My mom is in the hospital she had some kind kind of problems are now affecting my mom and dad . They aren't young anymore. I don't want to talk now good bye," she slammed the phone down.