Tether
Jethro massaged his temples and decided not to force the issue of home any longer. He would simply have to determine another way to assure that Tony got some rest. He could still supervise, but would have to adapt to his son's ingenuity and adopt a new strategy.
After supper Jethro and Lorenzo returned to the house. Tony had left the room to eat supper with his dad in the cafeteria, but he had perched nervously in his chair during the meal, afraid his father would forbid him to stay overnight. Gibbs did not, though, through sheer willpower, and Tony clung to him gratefully when he said his good bye.
The second night mirrored the first, but Tony began quizzing the medical professionals more thoroughly each time they entered the room, making them convey and interpret any change, no matter how minute. The rest of the vigil time he held onto Maria, determined that she would know she was not there alone. Though her eyes stayed closed he felt certain that she sensed his presence.
Maria felt herself float in a transitional state. Between the light and reality, both avenues brought joy to her, and offered joy to her. She focused upon her beautiful baby and took in his fear and uncertainty and shook her head when she reminded herself that his upset came because of her.
As he began quizzing the nurses about stimuli to aid in her waking, Maria wanted to pull him to her, clasp him, and hold him tightly. Despite the fact that he towered over her now, Antonio always saw himself as her baby. Maria smiled softly to herself. She saw him as her baby, too.
One morning when he was around three they had taken a trip to the park, an outing he loved. She had kept a watchful eye over him as he raced around the play equipment, taking turns on each attraction. Her boy was beautiful, with gorgeous green eyes and long, dramatic lashes. His brown hair was streaked with blond and a bit longer than his father wanted. Jethro, however, had acquiesced to Maria on that issue.
Bambino's daredevil side scared her at times, because he had no fear in running further, climbing higher, or going faster- ever. That particular day he made it to the top of the slide and suddenly stood up.
"Antonio! Sit down at once!" She had ordered firmly from her place on the bench.
"Abuela, but I see…." He had tried to explain, talking and waving his arms excitedly.
She cut him off, "If you do not sit down immediately we will leave the park and return home!"
He puffed his lip into a pout, but sat down then and slid to the bottom. When he landed he ran several yards to the edge of some bushes. She watched him bend down on his little legs and then pull at something so hard that it knocked him back on his rear end. He got back up and ran to her, then presented her with the pansy he had managed to obtain.
Grinning, he held it out. "I got this for you Abuela mia. I saw it from the top of the slide."
She grabbed him to her and kissed him over and over as she thanked him for the flower.
When she finally turned him loose he looked at her sweetly. "When I get grown like Daddy I will marry you and keep you at my house with me, Abuela."
She had actually felt her eyes fill with tears at her little boy's innocent declaration.
Maria came down a bit from the ceiling so that she could better see Tony's face. He looked exhausted- exhausted, but determined. He picked her hand up and kissed it, and Maria looked back again at the light, straddling indecision.
The minutes and hours crept agonizingly with no improvement, and he dozed fitfully.
Around two in the morning he went out into the corridor and paced its perimeter just for a quick mental and physical change while the duty nurse assessed his abuela's vitals.
He returned a tiny bit more invigorated and decided to shower and change while the hospital stayed tranquil and quiet. Hardly anyone travelled the corridors at this time.
Half an hour later he once again sat by Maria, speaking softly and recounting aloud his activities the last couple of days. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, but when he slept it lasted no longer than twenty minutes or so. He couldn't get the deeper sleep that his body craved because mentally he stayed terrified that she would slip from his grasp while he slept.
The next duty nurse to enter the room spoke to him gently, observing the way he dealt with Maria.
The woman smiled. "Are you the only grandchild? Eres tu el unico nieto?" She questioned him.
"Yes, the one and only- el unico," he confirmed, giving a small grin with his answer.
Adjusting the IV drip in Maria's arm, she smiled sweetly at him. "Surely you were spoiled and able to wrap her around your finger. Usted fue capaz de conseguir lo que queria."
Tony laughed in delight, the first real happiness he had enjoyed in several hours. "No, on the contrary she demands good behavior from me, even now. Ella exige un buen comportamiento."
Then he sheepishly added, "Yet, I know how to convince her to give me what I want, I confess, though sometimes I have to resort to pouting or out and out begging to obtain it."
The nurse shook her head in response and straightened the covers gently over Maria before she departed.
Tony leaned over Maria and kissed her cheek before settling back down into his chair. He propped his feet onto her bedside table and grabbed her hand, kissing it.
"Abuela, you have done a good job with me. I am quite the specimen."
He smiled, then rested his head on the chair back and closed his eyes, inviting memories to assail him.
He relived the time as a long ago scene unfolded in his reverie.
Tony spied the huge balloon the second he and Maria entered KMart, and he squirmed out of her grasp, his little legs racing towards it.
"I want this, I want this! Quiero que este!" he announced at the top of his three year old voice. "Get this balloon for me, Abuela, por favor!"
Reaching the display of balloons, he grabbed for the ribbon to secure it just as Maria caught up to him. Rather than tether the balloon, she snatched his hand and started back towards the shopping cart area determinedly.
"You know better than to run off and go without my permission, Bambino, and you will not get that balloon because you did so," she explained firmly.
Tony launched straight into a toddler meltdown, protesting loudly, "No, I want the balloon now, Abuela! Yo lo quiero!"