The Gift
Part VI
Finally they pulled apart, both shaken over the turn of events that had led them here.
"We've got a lot of decisions we're going to have to make," EJ said quietly. "I hope we'll be able to work together to do what is best for Madison."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Sami replied, tears rolling down her face when EJ pulled out a handkerchief and handed it over to her. Not trying to dry her tears as he had done several times in the past, rather letting her take the handkerchief herself.
"My darling, you never seem to have one of these when you need it," he did he best to try and lighten the situation.
Sami was taken aback slightly, EJ hadn't called her darling in such a long time, now the only times Sami heard endearments from EJ it was in regards to their daughter, not her personally. She tried not to make too much of it, EJ was only being nice to her to keep her from falling apart emotionally.
She kept the handkerchief in her hand, needing something in her hands to keep from reaching out and taking his hand as they began to walk the hallway.
"EJ, I promise to put aside our differences to help Madison," Sami stopped outside the doorway so that Madison wouldn't hear their conversation.
"That means a lot to me Samantha," EJ slumped back against the wall to sit down on the floor, his head dropped so that Sami couldn't see his eyes. "I just don't want Madison to know that I'm scared. I'm usually in control of things, can handle my emotions, but this…"
"I'm scared too EJ," Sami squatted down beside him and brought her hand to his shoulder, lifting his chin, usually EJ was the one towering over her, it was a change for him to be looking up at her. "I just want to wake up and for all this to be nothing more than a bad dream."
"Me too," EJ agreed, feeling a kinship with Sami that he hadn't felt in years.
"What are we going to tell Madison?" Sami asked, wondering how they would tell her daughter about her illness.
"Why don't we see what the bone marrow test results are first? Maybe Dr. McAllister is wrong, maybe this test will prove that Madison doesn't have leukemia," EJ was doing his best to rationalize, to put off the inevitable.
"We're going to have to tell her about the test," Sami said bringing them back to reality.
"I'm not looking forward to doing this," EJ said, looking back down at the floor, feeling helpless.
Sami stood up and held out her hand to EJ for him to stand up. "It will be okay, we'll do this together."
EJ clasped Sami's hand within his own, his feeling of despair not leaving him, but at least he knew had someone by his side that he could count on. Today at least he knew he had gotten back his long lost friend Samantha.
"Together," EJ affirmed and they walked into the hospital room to talk to their daughter.
The Gift
Part VII
Madison had apparently woken up while EJ and Sami were with Dr. McAllister since she was holding up her doll Molly for the nurse to see.
"Yes, she is beautiful," the nurse commented, taking the doll from Madison's outstretched hands to review.
"She is pretty like my mommy," Madison exclaimed. "My daddy bought her for me when I saw her at the store. I love her blonde hair." Madison took back Molly from the nurse and started to stroke the doll's wavy blonde hair. "Do you know where my mommy and daddy are?"
"We're right here sweetie," Sami announced forgetting to let go of EJ's hand as they entered the room.
Madison turned to see her parents, her eyes widening in surprise, "Mommy, you are holding Daddy's hand!"
The nurse turned to look at Sami and EJ, wondering why this was such a surprise for Madison. Sami quickly jerked her hand from EJ's, trying not to make it look obvious that she had no answer to her daughter's observation.
"Daddy does have nice hands, doesn't he Mommy?"
"Uh, well yes, he does," Sami gave EJ a look, hoping he would help her, but he looked as if he was about to start laughing over Sami's sudden discomfort over having Madison notice they had been holding hands.
"Daddy always holds my hand when we go places," Madison beamed at her father, her adoration for him shining in her eyes. "It always makes me feel safe."
"Thank you for such a wonderful compliment Sweetheart," EJ bent down to give Madison a kiss on the forehead. "I like holding your hand too."
"Do you like holding Mommy's hand too? Why are you two holding hands anyway?" The innocent questions kept coming forth from Madison as she looked expectantly between her parents waiting for her father to answer her.
Now it was Sami's turn to grin as EJ hesitated before answering Madison's question.
"EJ aren't you going to answer Madison," the teasing tone was apparent in Sami's voice. It had been so long since either of them had bantered with one another that Sami had forgotten how much she liked putting EJ on the spot to see what he would say.
EJ shot Sami a look that Sami couldn't quite decipher and then answered, "Yes, I guess I'd have to say that holding your Mum's hand is rather nice."
"Daddy, you didn't answer my other question," Madison looked to EJ with eyes so much like Sami's that it was uncanny.
"Excuse me," the nurse interrupted saving EJ from having to answer the other question, "but I'm going to leave you with Madison since you are back."
EJ turned to her, "I need to speak with you for just a second if you don't mind. Madison, I'll be right back."
"To answer my question?" she asked as EJ swore he could see where Madison's mischievous side came from seeing mother and daughter both together in the same room.
"I will as soon as I get back," EJ promised as he exited the room with the nurse.
"Mr. Wells, what can I do for you?" the nurse asked when they were out in the hallway.
"I want my daughter moved into a suite, preferably to have it ready by the time she is finished with her procedure this morning," EJ was straight and to the point. "Also anything she needs, anything at all, I want it done. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir," the nurse nodded, realizing Mr. Wells wasn't a man to defy.
"I don't mean to be curt, but I don't know how long her stay will be and I want her to be as comfortable as possible," EJ was quick to add, he didn't want the hospital staff to get the wrong impression, but he also wanted the best care for his child. "Also, her mother and I need to be able to be here with her and it would be more suitable for us to have some privacy with our daughter."
"I'll go make the arrangements right now," the nurse assured EJ. "Madison seems like such a sweet child. I hope she will be all right."
"Thank you, I do too," EJ said as he went back into Madison's hospital room.
Sami gave him a questioning look and he mouthed "We'll talk later." She nodded and turned her attention back to Madison.
"Daddy you said you'd tell me why you and Mommy were holding hands," Madison began again when Lucas entered the room hearing her.
"That's something I'd like to know too," Lucas stated, a frown forming on his face as EJ and Sami looked to one another, both at a loss for an answer to give him.
The Gift
Part VIII
Madison's eyes widened when Lucas entered into the room. He looked mad and she bet it was because of what he'd heard her say. Sami immediately decided to deter what she knew would be the start of a fight between her and Lucas.
"Let's go outside," Sami touched Lucas' elbow to steer him out of Madison's hospital room, she didn't want Madison upset and she was quite sure Lucas was about to blow up at her after hearing she and EJ had held hands, however innocent the situation may have been.
Thankfully Lucas held his tongue until Sami led him to an outside courtyard at the hospital. "What in the hell is going on?"
Hearing Lucas use one of her father's catchphrases almost made Sami laugh, god knew she needed to laugh, but Lucas took her expression as laughter at his question.
"Earth to Sami," Lucas waved his hand in front of her face trying to capture her attention.
"Lucas, I'm sorry, I've had a rough couple of days and I'm not in the mood to fight."
"Or in the mood for anything else," he muttered under his breath.
"Excuse me, what did you just say?"
"Nothing," Lucas wasn't sure he wanted to get into that particular argument with Sami at the moment considering that she and EJ were up to something together. "I do want to know why you are running around behind my back with EJ."
"Where in the world did you get a crazy idea like that?" Sami was trying hard not grow irritated with Lucas, but lately every time they were in the same room with one another all they did was argue and fight.
"I come into Madison's room to hear her asking about you and EJ holding hands. What am I supposed to think?"
"You're supposed to give me the benefit of the doubt, not accuse me of being unfaithful to you!" Sami raised her voice, crossing her arms defensively across her chest.
"This is EJ Wells we are talking about," Lucas began to get up in Sami's face, but she stepped back away from him.
"I know," Sami rolled her eyes at Lucas, not even bothering to hide her irritation at him any longer. "Why you are jealous of EJ still is beyond me!"
"Let's see, he's Madison's father, which ties him to us forever, he is constantly coming over to the house," Lucas began his usual litany of sins concerning EJ to while Sami tuned out not wanting to listen to him go on and on. She was tired of Lucas' fears and accusations concerning EJ.
Finally Sami held up a hand to stop his tirade, "EJ only comes to the house to pick up Madison when it is his weekend or holiday for her to spend with him. EJ does not come to the house to see me."
"You're blind if you don't think he's not interested in you anymore," Lucas threw out another age old accusation that Sami didn't want to hear.
"You're crazy Lucas! EJ and I have to be civil for Madison's sake. He does not want me."
Lucas snorted his disbelief over that statement. "If EJ has no interest in you beyond being Madison's mother, then why were you two holding hands?"
"We were upset, that's all," Sami rubbed her eyes, she could feel a major headache coming on and she sure didn't need to start crying again. Madison needed her to be strong, especially today.
"What is going on? I mean you leave the house with only a note for me and Will. Did you not think I wanted to know what was going on with Madison?"
"If you hadn't of come barreling into the hospital with a chip on your shoulder the size of Texas, I might be able to have told you what was going on with her."
"Tell me now," Lucas urged her, not bothering to apologize for being upset at her, but knowing if he didn't stop pestering her that Sami was going to leave him out here with no clue as to what was going on with Madison.
"Madison might have leukemia," Sami said resignation in her voice, "and to be quite honest with you Lucas I don't have time to waste out here arguing with you over EJ. I didn't want to wake you up so early because you told me you had that big job over at the new subdivision. I thought I'd tell you later, and then you come in here throwing unfounded accusations when I need to be in the room with my daughter trying to take care of her."
"Look Sami, I'm sorry," Lucas tried to bridge the distance between them to give her a hug, but Sami turned away.
"I am too, about a lot of things," Sami left Lucas standing in the courtyard all alone. She knew they needed to discuss a great many things, but right now she had to concentrate on her daughter. The talk she needed to have with Lucas would have to come later.
The Gift
Part IX
"Daddy, are Mommy and Lucas fighting?"
"Why would you ask such a question?" EJ pulled up a chair to sit down beside Madison's bed so that they could be on eye level with one another.
"When Lucas came in here, he had that scrunched up look on his face that he gets right before he and Mommy start to fight. Is he mad at me?" Madison's expression was one of worry.
"No, Lucas isn't mad at you," EJ try to assure Madison, but she looked doubtful over his answer.
"I wish he liked you," Madison said, as she pulled her dolly closer to her side.
"Well Darling, Lucas and I are just very different people," EJ tried to explain, wondering how much in depth he should try to go in telling Madison about the situation. He didn't want Madison to dislike Lucas, but sometimes hearing the comments she made to him about Lucas and Sami it was hard not to tell her how he really felt.
"Like how you have good table manners and he doesn't? Or that you should say please and thank you? Things like that?"
EJ tried his best not to laugh over the observations his daughter had made, "I guess you could say that, but if we all acted the same, the world would be a very boring place."
"I like how you act better," Madison stated her preference for him instead of Lucas. "There are sometimes when Mommy says we have to ignore the boys when they do not have proper et, eti. What is the word again that you have been trying to teach me?"
"Etiquette?"
"That's the word," Madison nodded. She had the look of concentration on her face as she tried to pronounce the word, "Etiquette, that is what Lucas does not have very much of. I try really hard not to giggle when Mommy rolls her eyes at him."
"Please refrain if at all possible," EJ doing his best not to break out in giggles along with his daughter. "Lucas is your stepfather and you have to respect him."
"I know, but I wished he respected you being my daddy. I love you and when he says bad things about you it makes me mad," Madison's eyes narrowed and her smile turned into a frown.
"He says bad things about me where you can hear them?"
"No, it is when they think I can't hear them argue. I mean I can't help it if I hear really good," Madison stated while EJ imagined his daughter obviously had inherited Sami's insatiable curiosity and ability to eavesdrop on other's conversations.
"You wouldn't be listening to conversations when you shouldn't be, are you?" EJ asked trying to see if Madison would confess to eavesdropping.
Madison got that look that Sami would have when trying to find a good explanation for her actions; it was almost like looking into a mirror sometimes how much mother and daughter were alike. Madison put on her most angelic expression, "No Daddy, as I said before I have very good hearing."
EJ did break out into laughter then, bending over to kiss his daughter on the cheek, "You, my angel, are simply adorable."
"Of course I am, I'm your daughter," Madison added with an impish smile, one that made her father's heart swell with love and joy each time she bestowed one upon him.
While daughter and father continued to talk, Sami stood in the doorway, taking in their conversation and seeing how much they loved one another tugged at her heartstrings. Madison had to be okay, she and EJ couldn't survive without her being in their lives.