A Series of Unfortunate Events

Chapter 42

Warning : This Story contains some sexy scenes in earlier chapters and there will probably be more in later chapters .

"What?" her mother asked since she couldn't hear her daughter or not willing to believe what she heard.

Sharon repeated louder. "I'm trying to think of Andy, Mama! I'm thinking of all of you! If I'd died everyone could get on with their lives instead of worrying about me."

Eileen sputtered. "Sharon, you don't realize how important you are to all our lives. Your death would not solve anything. It would devastate us all beyond anything you could ever imagine!"

"I'm so sorry, Mama. I didn't mean to make you angry but It's just been one thing after another nonstop, since the bomb blasts. I've been such a burden to everyone… and then if my being sick wasn't enough, I'm about to commit to raising Olivia and I'm no longer sure I'll be around to fulfill that commitment," Sharon said sadly.

"Honey! You are not a burden! Neither is that darling baby," with that statement Eileen pointed toward the nursery. Being here for the two of you, is no hardship! I promise you! We, all of us want to be here, we love you, every one of us. As for who adopts the baby, only you can decide that but I wouldn't change my plans because of a diagnosis that could very well be erroneous." Sharon's eyebrows lifted and she blinked in surprise. "Everything that has happened, has happened as a result of a series of unfortunate events that should never have happened , and isn't likely to be repeated ."

Eileen stopped her speech to breathe. She softened her voice and lowered the volume so it didn't seem like she was shouting. She could tell it was making Sharon tense. "Sharon, given the craziness you've lived through the last few months and the things that happened that led up to you being placed in that psych ward to begin with, it wouldn't hurt to see Dr. Raphael. He has been great for your father and I think he could help you too. Who knows? There may be another explanation for your symptoms, that he may discover. You could have been misdiagnosed."

"Mama… you think… I was misdiagnosed? What are the chances of that happening to me… again?"

Eileen's eyebrows quirked up as she tilted her head to the side and she waited .

Eileen saw the realization and the hope that sparked in Sharon's eyes as she looked back at her .

Eileen nodded, "Well now, I think the chances are very good, especially given what has happened to you recently. I would even say, it's more than likely." Eileen stroked Sharon's hair affectionately. "If you like I can go with you and Andy. Emily or Nicole can watch the baby."

Sharon nodded,"Okay Mama, If it will make you happy, I'll see him. The way you describe him, he sounds like a combination of Dr. Welby and Sigmund Freud," she said,as she suddenly become over come with exhaustion, her eyes closed in spite of her desire to keep them open. Finally, she gave up the battle and drifted asleep as Eileen stroked her back. Eileen continued to stroke her back until Sharon's breathing pattern let her know that she was deeply asleep then she went out to the living room to finish preparations for the party.

Sharon was being chased by a group of people who were yelling things at her. "Wicked Witch! You're the scourge of the LAPD! You're nothing but trouble, you're a burden! We'd be better off if you were dead!"
Sharon's legs felt like lead, she could barely move and she could barely open her eyes. She turned onto her back sobbing in her sleep,. Suddenly the scene changed . There was a big black hole in the ground and she was being pushed into what turned out to be a big black yawning grave! "No! Please! Don't make me go in there!" Sharon struggled against something or someone who was holding her captive. Her breathing became erratic and she felt clammy and wildly frightened. She struggled and slapped out at her captor.

Andy blocked her attempt to slap at him and engulfed her in his arms. "Hey Babe, that must be some nightmare! Calm down, I've got you! You're okay, no one is going to hurt you," he said soothingly as he brushed her sweaty hair away from her face. The sound of Andy's voice and the scent of his aftershave penetrated Sharon's nightmare and suddenly the arms that were holding her captive in her nightmare were comforting arms and she felt safe again. She buried her face in Andy's chest and breathed in his scent to try to get her breathing under control and calm herself. "Are you okay now, Babe?"

She nodded and sighed, hiccuping. "Andy, I'm so sorry for putting you through all this." She said tremulously

"You're not putting me through anything that I haven't put you through first. How many times recently, well in the last year or so, have you had to take care of me? Huh? First, there was the dust-up with the car, then the blood clot, the surgery, and just when we thought we were home free there was the heart attack. You took care of me through all that. No one has ever treated me that well, and ... it meant a lot to me . Now I have the chance to help you through your health issues. Do I want you to have health issues just so I can reciprocate? No, of course not but since you have them, it's my turn to take care of you ."

"What if I di… don't ...don't make it?"

"Sharon, this thing you have, Cardiomyopathy doesn't have to be a death sentence. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it stays the same." Andy knew he was trying to convince himself as well as her.

She wanted him to know the facts, the good and the bad so she said, "and sometimes it progresses. What if I'm one of those people whose Cardiomyopathy gets worse? What if I end up needing a transplant?"

He wasn't going into this not understanding what could happen to her, he did his own research. "If that's the case then we'll deal with it together. I'd go through everything we've been through so far and anything else thrown our way and then do it again and again just to have one more moment to hold you in my arms and love you and have you love me back;but you know, Babe, your mother wants you to get a second opinion from a Doctor Raphael. She wants to see if you could have been misdiagnosed."

She agreed, "I know. I told her I would see him, rather reluctantly I might add… She's hard to say no to."

"You are not just whistling Dixie!" Andy said vehemently, shaking his head.

Sharon chuckled. "She put the screws on you too, I hear."

"Yeah, she did." Andy lifted her chin to meet her eyes. He knew she was worried and he would always want to ease her tendencies to freak out. "Look, Sharon, I know you aren't pleased that I to gave in to her but she made some good points."

"Such as?" She questioned wearily.

Andy started listing all the points and facts he had been collecting for this moment. He knew Sharon well and he knew she would want reasons why she would need a second opinion. "Well, with this PTSD your knee-jerk reaction is to avoid doctors and things that set off your anxiety but a doctor, the right doctor could help you. Also, with everything you've been through, the symptoms you're experiencing, like fatigue and dizziness, those symptoms could be from the anxiety medicines. The breathlessness could be from the asthma you ended up with after your double pneumonia. It gets worse when you are stressed. The fainting could be the high level of anxiety you were dealing with about being in the hospital."

"What about the tests they did, the MRI, the echocardiogram? Andy, I'd love to believe this is all one big nightmare but what are the chances that both those tests are wrong?" She wasn't one to give up but the results were hard to argue with.

He learned from Sharon to be prepared for anything and he was ready to answer all her questions. "Well, given the series of unfortunate events we've been living through the last several months, anything is possible. Case in point, what are the chances that we would sign papers saying we would take custody of… B… of Olivia if anything happened to Sharon Beck and the Lewises and that very day Gary Lewis escapes from jail and murders all three of them? What are the chances that you would get mistaken for a crazy woman and put in a psych ward? What are the chances that Cora, someone with a grudge against you would be in that same psych ward, as the head nurse and be able to wreak her revenge on you? There have been a great many unfortunate events that shouldn't have happened but did. Why can't some of those unfortunate events benefit us?"

Sharon made a sound that sounded like a combination of a laugh and a sob. "I'm pretty sure things don't work that way, Andy, but I guess it couldn't hurt to look into it."

A huge smile lit up his face for two reasons. One, he was happy she would see another doctor and two, he 'd never won a disagreement with her. Andy would enjoy his triumph for days if not longer. "That's the spirit! Now, are you ready to give our soon to be daughter a shower and get her ready for her adoption ceremony?"

Sharon pulled away from Andy's chest to look him in the eye. There were tears in her eyes but these were happy tears. It never ceased to amaze her that "he got her" and more often than not knew what would make her happy. She had been very upset to think she wouldn't get a chance to prepare her new daughter for her adoption ceremony. He had figured out how to make it happen. She supposed it wasn't rocket science but she hadn't thought of it. She opened her mouth to speak but found she was too overcome by emotion. So she nodded instead.

Andy helped her out of bed and they walked together to the nursery. He put his arm around the small of Sharon's back, for support and they found Olivia awake and playing with her toes. When she saw Sharon's and Andy's faces over the side of the crib she gave them a beaming toothless grin. Her arms reached out for them. Andy lifted her out while Sharon gathered her clothes, a beautiful white eyelet lace dress with a satin fuchsia bow that tied in the back with a matching fuchsia shrug. Her diaper and a little tiny pink and white lace socks, and little white patten leather shoes. Also, a little pink and white headband. When they arrived in the bathroom, Sharon hung up Olivia's dress, with hers, a matching cream eyelet dress with a full skirt, a narrow fuchsia belt, and a fitted sleeveless bodice. She also had a fuchsia shrug that went with it.

Andy took his cream linen summer-weight suit, a fuchsia shirt, and a cream linen jacket with a fuchsia tie that had cream stripes out of the closet. He hung it up beside the dresses. "Provenza is going to have a fit, you know that don't you?"

Sharon put the baby's diaper changing pad and sleeveless onesie t-shirt on the counter and began to get undressed while Andy held the baby . Once she was undressed she put her hands out for the baby and Andy handed the infant to her and started getting undressed himself .She then made quick work of stripping the infant of her black and white and pink onesie and her diaper. While she did this she briefly glanced over her shoulder at Andy. "Wat are you talking about ? I thought you liked when we matched, after all, you started it . For that matter why does Provenza care what we wear.?" Sharon placed ear protectors over Olivia's ears to protect them from water and lifted her into her arms to head into the shower. Andy stopped her and took the baby from her. He then opened the shower door and ushered her in then once she was seated on the bench he handed her Olivia and then got in with them .

Not wanting either Olivia or Sharon to catch a chill they made quick work of the shower, got out, dried off, and got the baby dressed in her onesie, (the dress would be put on at the last minute) After She put a bib on the baby, and placed Olivia on a colorful blanket on the floor for some tummy time, Sharon got dressed . Then she sat down at her vanity to put some makeup on, while Andy got dressed in his pants, shirt, and tie, saving the jacket for the last minute also.

As Andy watched Sharon put her lipstick on he cleared his throat and said, "getting back to our discussion, I do love when we match and you're right I did start it. Years ago, I started trying to match you so I could feel, I don't know connected to you at work. I remember I did it accidentally one day before we were dating and you gave me this beautiful smile. I was captivated and wanted to see that smile again and again, so I kept doing it and it became our thing . Anyway, it's not me that minds the matching, it's Provenza. I can't stand it when he goes on and on about me being whipped and you leading me around by the… by the… well… you know what!"

Sharon had an amused but contemplative look on her face. "Hmmm, he doesn't do that around me."

Andy laughed. "Well no , of course not, he's afraid of you, you outrank him."

"I repeat, what does it matter to him? We're not hurting anybody and… um, I outrank you too my dear man." She stared at him with a look of mock sternness.

"Yeah, but I think it is sexy as hell!" He said bending to kiss her on the lips.

Sharon smacked him on the chest and chuckled saying, "Andy… we can't do that now! The baby is in here."

Andy turned and looked at Olivia who was now laying on her back sucking her thumb and falling asleep.
"I don't think she minds. Besides all we are doing is kissing, we have to save any more… um… rigorous activity until after you see Dr. Raphael," Andy said regretfully.

She sighed and looked ruefully at him. "I know, and I'm sorry about that."

"Babe, I'm not in this relationship just for the sex, although it is the most awesome sex I've ever had! I love you and your health is important to me. I need you and I can't imagine my life without you .I don't want to have to! So, I'm willing to forego that part of our lives until the doctor gives us the go ahead." Andy used her own advice on her when he said, "isn't that what you told me last year when I had my heart attack?" Sharon nodded, remembering that scary moment in their lives when Andy had collapsed from a heart attack in the murder room. During his recovery, she had reassured him several times that having him in her life was much more important than being able to have sex. Now she was on the receiving end of those same reassurances. "Well, that goes double for me, Babe ."

She smiled sadly up at him. "I wish we didn't have to… forego it, I mean. I miss it."

"I miss it too but if giving it up means we get to be together, even one moment longer, I'd do it in a heartbeat but we're getting ahead of ourselves. If I've learned anything from my time in AA, it's to take one day at a time. Sometimes one moment at a time. Now, where were we?"

Sharon shrugged and said, "we were talking about Provenza bullying you about us dressing alike. I guess that the best solution is to stick to each other like glue. Then he won't be able to fuss at you about it."

"So what you're saying is, I'm supposed to use you like a shield?" Andy said, a look of feigned annoyance on his face. His eyebrows wagging to let her know he was not really mad.

Sharon's eyebrows rose as well and she snort laughed at the mental picture this statement evoked. "Andy, while you are more than welcome to use me as a… (giggle)... shield, if you need to I'm pretty sure Patrice will rein him in if he gets out of hand."

Andy scoffed. "Fat chance he'll do it in front of her either, he's as afraid of her as he is of you!"

"Lieutenant Provenza is not afraid of me! He just respects my authority," Sharon said confidently.

In the other room, the doorbell rang, several times. "Oh no, Sharon, he's definitely afraid of you!"

Sharon looked intrigued if a bit skeptical, of the idea that the gruff lieutenant would be afraid of her.
"How so?" She asked, her head cocked to the side.

"He's afraid you'll send him to more sensitivity training seminars," Andy said cheekily.

Sharon surprised Andy by beaming at him. "Good!"

He huffed, "Good?"

"Yes, good, it means those seminars accomplished at least part of what was intended," Sharon said smugly. "I had pretty much given up hope that the many seminars I'd sent him to had any effect on him at all."

Andy barked a laugh. "Brenda … uh… the Chief… once made the comment that they were a complete waste of time."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "She would…"

At the mention of the word time, Andy glanced at his watch. "Uh, speaking of time, we're about out of it, I think Judge Richwood is here."

"Oh my and she's asleep again," Sharon said slightly disappointed.

Andy carefully lifted the baby into his arms and deposited her onto the changing table. He deftly changed her diaper, without waking her and let Sharon put the dress on her. As he did this he said, "it doesn't matter, we'll just dress her and carry her around so everyone can see her. She won't know the difference. She's too little. The party is mostly for us anyway. So we all can enjoy your sense of occasion," Andy said and touched his forehead with hers.

Sharon smiled and rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm not going to ever live that down am I?"

Andy pretended to think as if contemplating his answer. "No, uh huh no, I don't think so… I think I'll be using it for years to come…"

"From your mouth to God's ears," Sharon whispered as she led the way through the bedroom door towards the living room to greet their guests.

TBC...

Thank you to all that have taken the time to leave a review they are truly appreciated. Reviews really do help keep the motivation flowing.