Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the long wait so here is an extra-long chapter and the next one is almost finished, so as soon as I get enough reviews, I will post it :)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Big Bang Theory; everything belongs to its rightful owners.
Amy walked over to the blue chairs in the waiting room and sat down, holding Marie on her laps. Sheldon sat down next to her, wriggling in the chair as his mind whirled through the various bacteria and viruses and maybe even protozoa, that were most likely inhabiting this hospital while at the same time, attempting to read the forms.
"Alright, name?" Sheldon said holding the pen ready to write.
Amy gave him a sceptical look, but answered anyway, "Marie Annabelle Fowler-Cooper,"
"Alright," Sheldon scribbled down the words as fast as he could.
"Allergies?" he asked, not looking away from the brown clip board in his hands.
"She's allergic to penicillin," Amy said looking down at Marie.
"Right" Sheldon said after looking briefly at Amy, he looked at her wrist and realised that she no longer wore her 'allergic to penicillin' bracelet.
Amy frowned at her sleeping daughter, then at Sheldon and then at the entire waiting room.
"Sheldon just put 'none' for everything else, she has never needed to go to the hospital for anything other than routine check-ups since she was one." a slight wince flashed her face, which Sheldon missed.
"How about before she was one?" Sheldon asked inquisitively.
"Sheldon, there is no time for reminiscing right now; I can assure you that it won't affect her health now." Amy took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves.
"Alright," Sheldon said as he stood up and made his way to the receptionist, medical forms in hand.
Amy looked at Sheldon as he walked away and thought about how much her life had changed by having the presence of just one person in it.
Just a few weeks ago she had started to feel like she could really let go, like she could move on. Penny had even made her start dating again and she had, she met a lovely man, Terry, he was sweet and kind, they had set up a second date and it was supposed to be the day before Sheldon came back, but something stopped her and she took a rain check, she promised him she would call as soon as she could, but all she managed to do was text him to say that she was going through some family problems.
She was left flabbergasted when he called back and confessed how he really felt about her...
I really like you... I've never met anyone like you before... I'll wait for you, until you're ready...
She had been left speechless and could only thank him for his words because as much as she wanted to reciprocate them, she couldn't, the feelings just weren't there and something deep down told her that a certain blue eyed physicist still held her heart and there was nothing she could do about it.
She took a deep breath as she was pulled out of her thoughts by her daughter's stirring in her arms.
"Mommy?" she whispered.
"Yes, baby?" she replied.
"Where's daddy and Tyler?" she asked rubbing the sleep out of her stinging eyes.
Just then Sheldon sat down next to them again.
"Daddy's here and Tyler's with Aunt Penny," Amy replied.
"Where are we?" she said looking around.
"At the doctor's, so that they can make you feel better." she responded.
"Hi daddy." Marie said as her eyes caught on her father's.
"Hello Marie, how are you feeling?" Sheldon asked.
"Mommy, I need the toilet," Marie said, leaning deep into Amy.
"Okay, let's go," Amy stood up as Marie cradled into her shoulder.
"I'll be right back Sheldon," Amy said to Sheldon.
"Alright," Sheldon said, watching as Amy and Marie walked away to the toilets just across the room.
He hadn't had time to really analyse the happenings in his life for a long time so he thought now was a good time as any.
Firstly, he was now a father to twins and he had now deduced that Amy was in fact the only one for him, he needed to win her back somehow, because he shouldn't have left her in the first place, even a long distance relationship would have guaranteed she was his and he wouldn't have missed so much of the twin's lives.
In this rare instance, he admitted he was wrong.
Just as he started to think about what he would do to get Amy back, she walked out with Marie sobbing uncontrollably on her shoulder, and Amy's face was the epitome of worry.
"What's the matter?" Sheldon asked; his brows furrowed.
"Marie just threw up. What's taking so long, her fever is extremely high and we're just sitting here?" Amy said frantically, Marie was still crying on her shoulder and Sheldon was at a loss, thankfully a nurse came out and said "Marie Cooper?"
"Yes, here," Sheldon said standing up.
They were led to a room where a doctor was waiting.
"So what seems to be the problem, Mr and Mrs Cooper?" the doctor asked, his grey moustache moving with each word.
Amy blushed, "Umm, no... We're not married," she stole a quick glance at Sheldon and saw that he was looking at her too before quickly turning his gaze to the doctor.
Amy proceeded to lay Marie on the examining bed and said "We think she has bacterial meningitis, she has severe headaches, vomiting, a fever and she finds it difficult to touch her chin to her chest, moreover I examined her neck and lower head which I discovered was swollen and she was sweating profusely,"
The doctor stared at Amy incredulously, "I'm a neurobiologist," she said and she nodded towards Sheldon, "He's a world renowned physicist," Sheldon's nose lifted ever so slightly.
"Okay well, let's examine her," the doctor said, getting his equipment and proceeding to greet Marie.
He took her temperature and wrote it down in a clipboard, he then proceeded to check her knee and waist movement, as he did so he found a rather large purple rash on the inside of her leg. He again wrote it down on the clipboard before asking her various questions.
When he finished writing everything down in the clipboard, he frowned and turned to Amy and Sheldon who were watching from behind.
"I'm afraid that it is very likely that she has bacterial meningitis, but just to be sure I'm going to need a blood sample and she's going to have to stay overnight," he continued, " I'll have a nurse come in very shortly to take the blood sample and we'll get her registered for a room," he picked up the clipboard and left.
Although Amy had seen this coming she could feel her world crumbling down again, the unwanted memories of the first three months of the twins' lives were rushing through her mind and she couldn't help but let hot tears spill over her eyes and smear down her flustered cheeks.
Sheldon also knew this was very likely, but he felt a very unfamiliar emotion deep inside him.
He tried to decipher it and came to the conclusion that it was a mixture of worry and something else he didn't know.
He turned to Amy and saw that she was stroking a sleeping Marie's cheek; he saw tears running down her face.
He walked forward and stood beside her, looking down at his daughter.
"Are you alright?" he asked, almost apprehensively.
"No Sheldon, I'm not alright! It's not fair; she already went through this... I already went through this!" she couldn't help herself, the tears ran down her cheeks and they wouldn't stop, it wasn't long before sobs escaped her mouth.
Sheldon stood paralysed in the spot, Amy's outburst had rendered him speechless, he watched as she leaned on the bed and continued to sob uncontrollably he didn't know what do, so he did the only thing he ever saw Leonard do to Penny when she was upset.
Slowly, he leaned forward and wrapped an arm around her, then the other, before he felt her collapse into him and sob into his chest, his nose started to wrinkle at the thought of his shirt absorbing all her tears and mucus, he pushed the thoughts away as Amy sniffled loudly, stopped crying and pulled away. She didn't dare meet his eyes.
She hoped that he had missed her reference to the past but of course he hadn't.
"What do you mean she already went through this?" he said trying to meet her eyes.
Luckily for Amy, the nurse walked in just in time to avoid her having to answer his question.
"Hello, ohh, don't cry mommy, I'm sure she'll be better in no time," she offered Amy a reassuring smile, "so, we're going to have to wake up little Marie," she said putting gloves on.
"Okay," Amy said smoothing Marie's hair out, "Marie, wake up, baby," she said as Marie started to stir.
"Hi mommy," Marie said groggily, "can I have some water?"
Before Amy could answer, the nurse said over her shoulder "Hi Marie, I'm nurse Jenkins, can you sit up for me?"
Marie looked over at her parents for reassurance, Amy gave her a nod and Marie sat up.
"Now Marie, the doctor has asked for a blood sample, so I'm going to have to use a needle to take some out, but don't worry it will just feel like a pinch," Nurse Jenkins said, walking over to the counter to prepare the needle.
Marie started to rub at her eyes and whimper quietly, Amy looked down at her daughter seeing that she was holding back tears and sat next to her, pulling her onto her laps.
Sheldon watched the whole encounter as if he was just an outsider, he saw how caring and nurturing Amy was to Marie and he wondered if he would ever be able to do the same for them.
Marie continued to whimper into Amy's chest and the nurse continued to set up the equipment. After a few seconds, Marie looked up at Sheldon, her eyes red and her cheeks tear stained.
"Daddy, sit here," she said, tapping the bed next to Amy, Sheldon was torn.
His logic said he shouldn't sit on the bed, the number of people sick enough to be examined that had lied down on the bed, the amount of germs; everything would be off the scale.
On the other hand, her eyes were so pleading and he felt unable to say 'no' to her, it was a feeling he didn't understand.
He remembered he felt the same way about Amy, a few weeks before he left, he couldn't refuse her requests; he didn't feel right when she was upset, like he revolved around her and only when she was happy, he was happy.
That was one of the reasons why at the time, terminating the relationship seemed like the optimum thing to do.
After a few seconds passed without a response from Sheldon, Amy frowned and started to say, "Marie, daddy doesn't really-" she was cut off by Sheldon suddenly sitting next to her.
He wriggled and put his messenger bag next to him. Amy looked at him, her mouth slightly agape.
Just then, Nurse Jenkins returned the needle and a smile vile in hand.
"No, mommy it's going to hurt, please," Marie pleaded to her mother, tears spilling over her large blue eyes as soon as she saw the sharp metal object.
"Marie, it will help to make you feel better," Amy replied, trying to turn Marie so that the nurse could take her blood, but to no avail.
Marie started to full on cry and as much as Amy tried, Marie wouldn't let the nurse take her arm.
"No please mommy, please!" Marie screamed, her daughter's pleas brought back images of her new-born children crying as nurses poked and prodded them with needles and tubes. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Sheldon, take her, I... I can't do this," Amy said, close to tears herself.
Sheldon suddenly stiffened as he was put on the spot and he was unfamiliar with such situations, Amy slid a now wailing-uncontrollably Marie on his lap, her face red and her eyes swollen from all the crying.
Sheldon held onto Marie so that she wouldn't fall, as she buried herself into his chest, he watched as Amy excused herself and went into the adjoining toilet.
"Please no daddy, it will hurt," Marie said into Sheldon's chest.
Sheldon was at a loss and the nurse was watching him expectantly.
"Marie?" Sheldon said, almost too quietly to be heard but sternly at the same time.
His daughter looked up, "Please sit down and let the nurse take your blood, it is necessary for your full and rapid recovery,"
"But daddy, what if it hurts?" Marie replied, sniffing loudly.
"Well, I will be here with you, holding your hand like how I used to hold your mother's hand when she had her annual flu shot," Sheldon explained.
"You held mommy's hand so that it wouldn't hurt?" Marie asked.
"You could say that," Sheldon said, now feeling more relaxed as Marie's wailing had simmered down to loud sniffing.
"Okay, but only if you hold my hand like mommy," Marie said, looking into her father's blue eyes, a mirror to her own.
"Alright," Sheldon said sitting Marie next to him, the nurse smiled at him sweetly as she watched the father-daughter exchange.
Marie stuck her arm out for the nurse and grabbed her father's hand with the other; Sheldon gave her a reassuring squeeze.
Marie closed her eyes tightly as she felt a slight prickle just under the inside of her elbow, she could feel Sheldon holding her hand tightly.
Amy watched as her heart tugged, she had entered the toilet just in time as the tears poured out; however, she had quickly composed herself, washed her face and exited just in time to hear Sheldon speaking about holding her hand.
She closed her eyes and let her mind wander to those times when they were so care-free and they were just there for each other.
She stepped out and heard Marie ask Sheldon to hold her hand, which he surprisingly accepted.
She watched as Sheldon held tightly onto their daughter's hand as the nurse took the blood, Marie leaning into Sheldon's side.
She saw Marie shut her eyes tightly and scrunch her nose at the pain. When the nurse took the needle out she heard a quiet "ouch".
Marie opened her eyes and looked at her father, he was smiling at her.
"Well done, Marie!" nurse Jenkins exclaimed, "now I'm going to get all the paperwork done and I'll come back and show you your room, alright?" nurse Jenkins said to everyone as she placed a piece of cotton on her arm.
"Thank you," Amy said from behind causing all eyes to fall on her.
Nurse Jenkins smiled at her warmly, "We get a lot of emotional parents, but don't worry we'll do our best to make sure Marie is safe and well in no time," she put a small plaster on Marie's arm.
Amy gave her a nod and a slight smile, as the nurse picked up the vile of blood and left the room.
She turned to see Sheldon looking at her curiously, she avoided eye contact.
"Mommy, look! I did it," Marie said still leaning on Sheldon.
"Yes, well done Marie!" Amy said walking over to stand in front of Marie.
"Daddy said he used to hold your hand too," Marie said, causing Amy to blush and steal a quick glance at Sheldon, who was still looking at her, as if trying to solve her.
Suddenly, Marie said, "Daddy, I don't feel well," she started to sway backwards as her eyes remained half closed.
Amy and Sheldon moved to catch her instinctively.
Before she fell Amy caught her, "Marie? Marie?" she said frantically, lowering Marie onto the bed.
"Sheldon, she's not responding! Do something!" Amy pleaded, shaking Marie from the shoulders.
"Check her vital signs, I'm going to get a doctor," Sheldon said as he left the room, leaving Amy alone.
Amy looked for a pulse, feeling a dangerously low heartbeat.
Just then Nurse Jenkins and another doctor walked in with Sheldon right behind them.
"Quickly, let's move her to ICU, now!" the doctor shouted as he listened to her heartbeat.
"Very low heart rate, high fever, quickly!" the doctor shouted as they wheeled Marie out of the room, Amy and Sheldon following behind, they followed them down a long corridor until they reached two doors.
They took Marie through, but just as they were about to follow they were stopped, "Sorry, authorised personnel only," a young nurse said.
"Please I need to be with her," Amy pleaded, tears now streaming freely down her face.
"I'm sorry, please have a seat in the waiting room and as soon as we have any information about her, we'll let you know," the nurse said before walking away as the speaker announced an impending emergency arrival.
Amy sobbed quietly and leaned on the nearest wall.
Sheldon ran his hand through his face and turned towards her, she was no longer sobbing, but tears were falling freely down her face, her eyes closed.
He stood next to her, thinking about what he should do, when out of impulse, he grabbed her hand, surprising himself and Amy.
She squeezed tightly and held onto it for dear life.
Her daughter, her baby, was in the ICU again, for the second time in her young life, she was fighting to stay alive.