Monday

Charlie had just been assisted onto his hospital bed on the paediatric ward with his mother sitting on the chair besides his bed. Sam had brought two bags - one with things for Charlie overnight and her things because she would be staying too, and another bag that was a colourful rucksack filled with all sorts of new things that Sam had bought to keep him occupied whilst he was in bed. Tom was at work, and the other seven octuplets were at home with the three nannies.
"Mummy, can I go wee wee please?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah sure." Sam got up and lifted Charlie off of the bed because the was too high for him to get off alone and then she held his hand as she walked him to the toilet and back. Just as he was getting back on the bed, Mr Solis entered with a clipboard.
"Good morning." He smiled. "I just need you to sign this so we've got written permission." Mr Solis said as he handed Sam the clipboard.
"Sure." Sam nodded as she signed it and then handed it back.
"How're you feeling this morning Charlie?"
"Fine." The boy replied simply.
"Glad to hear it. Well we'll come to get you in about half an hour to take you to the anaesthetics room where you'll be sedated, but until then you can relax. I'll see you shortly." Mr Solis said before he left the room.

"Mummy, did you bring me toys?" Charlie asked.
"Of course I did. Why don't you have a look inside this new bag I bought you?" Sam suggested as she passed him the brightly coloured rucksack and placed it on the bed. He sat cross legged and began sorting through it.
"Thank you!" He smiled as he took out all sorts of new action figures, trading cards and a pretend stethoscope. "Can I check your heart please madam?" He said in a deep voice and Sam smiled.
"Of course you can Dr Kent." Sam smiled and she felt like she was talking to her husband. Charlie put the earplugs in his ears and then placed the end of the stethoscope on Sam's neck. "No, that's not where my heart is, is it? Where's my heart?" Sam asked encouragingly.
"There." Charlie answered as he pointed to Sam's upper chest.
"Well why didn't you put the stethoscope there then?" Sam queried.

"Because daddy said the only person allowed to touch your boobies is him." Charlie giggled shyly and Sam smirked.
"Did he now? Well I'm going to have to have a word with daddy aren't I?" She laughed too.

Charlie laid in a hospital gown in the anaesthetic room on a gurney whilst Sam stood besides him and held his hand.
"I'm going to be right besides you when you wake up okay. Everything's going to be okay Charlie, you're being a really brave boy." Sam said softly as she distracted him whilst the nurses attached his hand to a drip. She then gestured that she was ready to put Charlie to sleep as she held a mask up. "Right, you're going to feel a bit sleepy now Charlie, so I'm going to say night night okay." Sam said softly as the mask was placed over his face, and whilst Charlie looked worriedly at his mum, he soon closed his eyes and his hand was no longer squeezing back.
"You can't go any further in afraid, but if you'd like to go and wait in his room, we'll inform you when there's any news." The nurse said kindly.
"Okay, thanks." Sam forced a smile before she kissed Charlie's hand and then left the room.

Sam couldn't bare to just sit in a room and wait so she had gone down to the ED where she found Tom standing at the nurses station in the middle of cubicles.
"You alright?" Tom asked.
"Charlie's gone in." Sam mumbled.
"Oh... Come here." Tom said softly as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug but she quickly pulled away.
"You smell like sick." She grimaced.
"Still? I've already changed two shirts and put on-"
"Half a bottle of aftershave, yeah I can smell that too." Sam smirked.
"Sam?" Zoe queried. "I thought you had the week off."

"I have, Charlie's having an operation to repair his sphincter muscles and they won't let me observe." Sam replied.
"Well considering your his mother, no I don't think they would let you observe. No matter what operation it is." Zoe concluded and Sam rolled her eyes. "How're you two holding up?"
"I'm fine." Sam replied instinctively.
"Mm, which is why you were tossing and turning all night long." Tom remarked.
"No I wasn't." Sam protested sleepily.
"Yes you were; you nearly elbowed me in the balls several times." Tom stated.
"Too much information." Zoe stated before she walked away.

"Come on, I'll get you a coffee." Tom offered as he put an arm around her shoulder and began to head towards the ED's small shop.
"Make it a double expresso." Sam grumbled.
"Is that wise?"
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"It's supposed to mean that you and caffeine go together about as well as a three year old and blue smarties." Tom remarked and of course he knew exactly what that was like.
"Mm. It's kind of like you on testosterone pills." Sam added cheekily.
"Oi, shush." Tom whispered.

"Sorry, didn't realise you were embarrassed about it." Sam couldn't help but smile.

"M... Mu... Mum... Mummy."
"I'm here Charlie, it's okay. Mummy's here." Sam said softly as she held the young boys hand as he awoke in his hospital room. "Can you tell me if anything hurts Charlie?" Sam asked quietly.
"Nothing hurts." He croaked.
"Well that's brilliant, isn't it." She smiled. "Charlie, the surgery went really well and you were really brave."
"I... I tired." Charlie mumbled as he slowly lifted his hand and rubbed his eye.
"I know, you will be for a little while. How about I read a story to you?" Sam suggested.
"The hungry... Caterpillar?" Charlie asked sleepily.
"Yes, if that's what you want." Sam got the book out, and held Charlie's hand as she began reading it to him.

The next morning, Mr Solis came into the check on Charlie and saw that Tom was visiting before his shift started, whilst Sam had stayed the night so she was curled up in the arm chair with her hoodie draped over her, but she was awake.
"Mummy I need a wee but I can't go." Charlie said quietly.
"Um, I can help there." Mr Solis said to make his presence known. "I can remove the gauze dressing now and I'd recommend letting Charlie take a bath as it may help with the pain a bit. And also, it's best to try and urinate when you're in the warm water because that can make it easier as some boys can't go after they've had the operation." He explained.
"I like bath time." Charlie smiled.
"Well there we go then." Mr Solis smiled. "But Charlie, I just need to remove the padding to make you a little more comfortable." Mr Solis stated simply as he pulled on a pair of gloves.

"Okay, just roll onto your side mate, look at me and don't worry about what he's doing." Tom said to distract Charlie as he helped him to roll over. Mr Solis untied Charlie's gown at the back, and then pulled the bloody gauze out.
"Right, I believe the bleeding has stopped so I'm happy for you to take a bath when you want to. But don't have any soap in the bath, and don't make it longer than twenty minutes." Mr Solis warned as he did the gown back up and then put the gauze and the gloves in a bin.

Charlie was sat in a bath of warm, clear water whilst Sam and Tom sat next to the bath to keep him company.
"Right, you ready to get out? Because I need to be getting to work soon." Tom said as he stood up.
"Did Mr Solly say I could wee in the bath?" Charlie asked confusedly.
"If you need to yes because you couldn't go before you got in the bath could you?" Sam replied.
"No, so I can go now?" He asked.
"Yes, but only this once. It doesn't mean you can always wee in the bath. It's just the warm water helping your muscles to relax." Sam said sternly.
"Turn away." He ordered and Sam stood up besides Tom and they both looked away from the bathtub.

"We're looking at probably taking you home today Charlie." Sam stated to make conversation.
"Really?" Charlie said excitedly.
"Yes but you can't go playing with your brothers and sisters too much because you need to take it easy." Sam stated.
"I done." Charlie announced so Sam turned around and pulled the plug out before she grabbed the shower head and turned the water on.
"Let me just give you a quick rinse." Sam smiled and the boy giggled as the water tickled when it hit between his legs.

Thanks for reading, please review :)