With Frank and Jeremy's tender care, Denise continued to recover, and before she realized it, she was finally able to go home. Jeremy had to leave to return to the field the day before her release, but having her son and her husband so close was the best medicine Denise could have received. So two weeks to the day from when her symptoms first began, Denise and Frank left the hospital hand in hand.
"I am so glad to be out of that place," she said looking over at him. He smiled and put his arm around her.
"Me too," Frank agreed and dropped a kiss on her cheek. "But you know this doesn't mean you can go right back to your old routine, you need to rest and get your strength back.
She sighed "yea I know, but after a day or two I have to do something or I will go stir crazy" she said laughing.
"Good to hear that sound again," Frank said. "Now wait here, I'll bring the car to you."
Denise opened her mouth to protest but frank had already disappeared to go find the car. Minutes later he pulled up to the entrance of the hospital and got out of the car. He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her.
"Frank, part of rebuilding strength is doing little things for myself," Denise told him. "I was a nurse, remember. If you keep me from doing things, I could end up sicker than I was before."
"I know, but I just want you to rest so you can get stronger" he said helping her in, he kissed her hand once more then shut the door. He climbed in the driver seat and started home
"When we get home I want you to go straight to bed, you hear me, Colonel Sherwood?" Denise asked as they made the short trip from the hospital to the house. "The bags under your eyes have bags."
"No, first you have to take medicine then maybe we can both catch some shut eye, because I know you didn't sleep much in that hospital bed, those things are rough," he said.
" I did pretty well in my husband's arm...Looks like we have company," Denise announce as Frank pulled into the driveway and a huge sign bearing the words "Welcome Home Denise" came into view. They could clearly see Claudia Joy and Roland's cars but Denise was sure then entire tribe was in the house.
"Oh lord, well doesn't look like we will be getting much sleep," he said with a hit of anger in his voice
"Frank, you be nice. I mean it. They mean well and I expect you to act like the man I married or tonight you can go back to the hospital and get reacquainted with the chair. Do you understand me?"
"They know that too," Denise assured him. "I bet there's enough supper in there for week, the house is spotless, and they've even done the laundry. Hot bath with my husband says I'm right."
"You're on," he said smiling at her. He got out of the car and walked over to help her out of the passenger side, and then together they made their way inside to meet their friends.
Denise was right; every member of the tribe had done something. Roland had even supervised a project with TJ, Finn, Lucas, Katie and Sarah Elizabeth; they'd all trace their hands in a heart shape on construction paper around a picture of Denise and Frank. When Finn showed off their handiwork the other three children hugged Denise, but Finn attached himself to Frank's leg and held tight.
Frank smiled at the boy clinging to his leg, he bent down and picked him up, and then without warning he put him up in the air spinning him around. Finn laughed kicking his legs.
"You like that, huh?" Frank asked the youngest LeBlanc. "You going to be a paratrooper like you Daddy when you get big?"
"Yeah!" Finn squealed in delight.
"Well you better get some practice on you then," Frank laughed. "Want to get down fast or slow?" Frank let Finn down towards the floor quickly then pulled him up at the last minute, "Fast?" he asked again. "Or slow?" This time he lowered the boy at a speed that a turtle would envy before holding him on his hip waiting for the child to make his choice. Denise watched her husband playing with Finn and felt a tear drop down her cheek.
Everyone watched the interaction between the child and Frank, getting smiles on their faces, no wonder Jeremy was so close to Frank now that they solved their differences.
Finn must have chosen fast because in a mere second the boy was on the floor running towards Roxy. She mussed his hair and smiled at Frank. "You're lucky he didn't throw up on you, that's what he did when Trevor tried that."
"Guess he wasn't' doing it right then," Frank replied gruffly. "Excuse me, Ma'am." Frank moved past Roxy and went directly to Denise who was pouring a drink for Claudia Joy.
Denise heard they way he has spoke to Roxy and immediately pulled him over "Frank, I told you to be nice. She has been nothing but sweet and helpful to me AND you since I've been sick," she said to him quietly but forcefully.
"Except when she left you alone when I asked her not to," Frank replied in Denise's ear. "Go sit down, I've got this."
"Okay, Frank. I asked them to leave, so if you want to be mad at someone be mad at me, not her, this isn't her fault," she said a little louder this time.
Roland could hear the sounds of marital stress a mile away, he was after all, a trained therapist. He moved closer to Denise and Frank. "I have to run to the car for a minute and Sarah Elizabeth has been fussing, she might be getting a cold. I don't want to dress her just to undress her again a minute later now that she's almost asleep. Would one of you mind?" It was a dumb excuse but it would do.
"Sure Roland," Frank replied wanting to do anything to get away from this situation. He took the sleepy baby from Roland and held her against his chest. He walked to the sofa and held he on this lap patting her small back lightly. Denise stayed where she was and just looked at Frank, he was so good with kids she just wish he wasn't so harsh with her friends at times.
Roxy made her way over to Denise, "He didn't have to play with Finn if he didn't want to," Roxy told her friend. "I know he's tired but he has some bug up his butt."
"I'm really sorry Roxy. I can't believe he is acting like this," she apologized. "He loves kids. He is just stressed and tired. I really am sorry. I am going to talk to him," she said she said making her way over to Frank. "Frank, can I talk to you?" she said quietly.
"Baby's sleeping, Dee," Frank replied still patting the baby's back. "I should probably put her down though, we'll put her in the middle of our bed. Come on."
She followed him to their room Frank placed the baby on the bed and turned to his wife. "You are so good with those boys and Sarah Elizabeth. Why can't you be like that with everyone?" she asked him.
"What do you mean?" Frank asked building a tiny fort of pillows around Sarah Elizabeth so she couldn't roll off the bed and get hurt.
"You were really harsh with Roxy out there. She didn't do anything to you," Denise said more than a little agitated.
"She and Mrs. Moran left you alone in that hospital room. Anything could have happened to you, look what happened only a little while later, you couldn't catch your breath, your heart started pounding..." Frank said all of this in a hushed tone to keep the baby asleep.
"Yeah, because you upset me," Denise reminded him.
"I upset you? I did nothing but sit at your side for two weeks straight," Frank reminded her. "And I didn't want to be anywhere but where you were. God, Denise, you are my life, you and the boy. Without you, I'm nothing. Do you get that? Does that make sense to you?"
"Frank, I know you did and I am grateful for that but the second I am left alone for literally less than five minutes you freaked out, and they didn't deserve that," she told him.
"You really don't understand," Frank said sadly his voice choking up as he looked at the innocent sleeping baby.
"No Frank. I don't. You stayed by my side for two week and you needed rest so i sent you home, and those girls sat with me but I wanted to be alone for a bit cause I knew you were coming back, and I was trying to rest like you asked me to," she said holding back her tears.
"Do you have any idea what seeing you like that did to me?" Frank asked. "Do you? And I'm asking you to understand this and apparently you think this is just about the damned hospital, it is so much more than that. What if it were me? Huh? Would you have even bothered to take off of work?"
Frank you know I would have been right there by your side, why are you acting like this?" She asked him.
"I told you what you mean to me, Denise and you ignored it. I've done that our entire marriage, I've loved you from day one and I've never turned my back on you, not ever. Everything I did was for you, everything. My chest aches, Dee, it actually aches," Frank sighed and sat down on the bed focusing on the baby.
"Frank, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, I know you were just trying to help, you always put me first "she said coming over to him and putting her head on his shoulder from behind "I love you," she said softly.
Frank moved away from her, "No, you don't get to do this. You can't just tell me you love me, Denise. You've got to show me. That's what I was doing, I was so afraid, I yelled at you, I made you cry, I admit that, but you've made me cry too, Denise..."
"Honey, I am so sorry. I know I haven't been the best wife in the world but I do love you, don't ever forget that," Denise told him honestly.
Frank took a deep breath, "I haven't been the best husband either, and I'm sorry I'm not pleasant to your friends. I guess I blame them, especially Roxy for almost losing you, when she came into your life, you started changing and I was scared one day I wouldn't be enough."
"Frank you will always be enough. I love you more than life itself," she told him trying to make him feel better.
"You've been the best husband I could have asked for," Denise whispered burrowing next to Frank. "I don't deserve you."
Denise did it again; her arms and her words melted Frank's heart. "Yeah, you do," he laughed. "Isn't that the most precious thing in the world?"
"Yeah it is. She looks so much like Roland it isn't even funny," Denise said smiling down at the sleeping tot. "Almost makes me wish…"
"Wish what, Baby?" Frank asked.
"That we could…" Denise sighed.
"We could what, Baby?" Frank asked confused.
"That we could have a baby," Denise finally said. "You are in a place now where you'd be able to experience it's hold life, everything."
Frank stood frozen. Had she really just said that? "Are you serious?"he asked fairly shocked.
"Serious that I wish we could, yeah," Denise replied.
"Oh wow Denise, this is unexpected," he said. "I mean don't get me wrong I would love to but," he said trailing off.
"Really?" Denise asked eyes shining.
"Dee, don't get upset, but I think maybe...it's not the right time," he told her and waited for her to reply.
"I won't get upset," Denise assured him. "You're right, definitely not the right time. We're both too old anyway."
"It's not that but baby, we just raised Jeremy," he told her. "Let's just enjoy being with each other for a while, how does that sound?" he asked her.
"Fine, but were both in our forties, it was just a wish, not a desire," Denise assured him stifling a yawn. "Why don't you keep an eye on the baby while I ask the others to leave. I'm tired."
Denise went to the living room and thanked everyone making sure to spend extra time talking to Roxy and explaining Frank's faux pas. Roland went to collect his daughter and thank Frank for tending to her while he helped fix their garbage disposal. Denise returned to their room and leaned into her husband's arms, "I'll go run the bath. You own me a soak with my handsome husband."
"Okay, I will wait up here for you, hurry back," he said holding back a yawn.
Frank stretched out on the bed while Denise prepared their water. She slipped into one of his old tee shirts and went to call him only when she saw him she knew their evening had taken another turn.
"Oh God love him, he really is exhausted," she sighed then climbed onto their bed and laid down with him snuggled up to him and she to fell into a peaceful slumber thinking how perfect this was. She was happy. She was home in her own bed with her husband; life didn't get better than that.