I hurriedly push Tessa and Teagan in the double stroller along the path, taking my sick baby girl to the infirmary. After Tobias and Tyler left to go to the cafeteria for breakfast, I gave Tessa a bath while Teagan slept. Once my little one was clean, dry, and dressed for the day in a cute pink, gray, blue, and cream-colored floral long-sleeved shirt, blue leggings with little pink bows on the pant legs, and a matching bow headband, I put her in the new walker/jumper seat in the corner of our massive bathroom so I could give her sister a bath. Right now she pretty much just sits in it, touching all the toys that are attached to it in front of her but when she gets older she can first use it to strengthen her legs by jumping up and down and then use it to learn how to walk.
After I undressed Peanut and put her in the plastic tub, I knew I had made a terrible mistake. I thought a bath would be soothing and maybe even help bring her fever down but all it did was cause her to cry loudly and shiver almost uncontrollably. I quickly ran through her bath routine then dressed her in a new blue sweater with a large red heart adorning the front and red leggings covered in tiny white hearts that I bought as a winter outfit. It's a little big on her but at least it's warm. I took her temperature, and it was higher than it was a couple hours earlier so I made the decision that she was going to the doctor to see if anything had changed since yesterday.
When I had both kids ready to go, I called Tobias and left him a message that I was heading to the infirmary and to please meet me. I may be overreacting but I can't stand that she's sick and there's nothing I can do to make her feel better. When I enter the infirmary waiting area it's deserted as usual. The unfamiliar looking nurse behind the intake desk could hear us coming because Peanut is screaming at the top of her lungs. I park the stroller in front of the desk and pick her up, doing everything in my power to comfort her.
"I need to see Dr. Parrish," I say.
"Boy she has a set of lungs on her," she says. Although I can't argue with that statement, it irritates me. Something's wrong with my baby and this idiot is making jokes. "I'm afraid Dr. Parrish is not to be disturbed. One of the PAs will be with you shortly. Please sit down over there. I'll call you when it's time." She points toward the rows of empty seats along the wall. You've got to be kidding me!
"If you think I'm going to sit over there and wait on some inexperienced PA while my one month old is screaming her head off, you've got another thing coming," I read her nametag, "Sandy." About that that time Tessa starts crying, which brings frustrated tears to my eyes. I'll admit it, I'm overwhelmed at the moment.
"I'm sorry but rules are rules," she snidely remarks. "Have a seat." I narrow my eyes at her and contemplate shoving my fist into her crooked nose. It probably would do her a favor by straightening it but instead I grip the stroller handle tightly with one hand and Peanut with the other and walk toward the double set of doors. If she won't take me to Zander, I'll find him myself. I'm halfway through when she grabs ahold of the stroller and yanks it toward her.
"You can't go back there," she says. Alright! This is war!
"If you don't let go of my stroller, you are the one who is going to need a hospital bed. You're scaring my daughter," I calmly say, venom dripping from my voice. Tessa's wailing louder than I've ever heard her and Peanut's nearly just as noisy. "You obviously don't know who I am. I'm a leader of this faction and a very good friend of Zander's. You will let me through or you'll regret it."
"If you think I believe for a second that a little spoiled rotten girl who's probably never been told no a day in her life could be a leader of a faction, you've got another thing coming," she says. "Now get back in the waiting room and sit your ass down."
"Tris?" Tobias says as he comes jogging down the hallway with Zander on his heels. He looks over his shoulder at our friend. "I told you that was Tessa and Teagan I was hearing." He stoops down, picks up Tessa, and holds her against his chest, trying to get her to calm down. She's gasping for air as little tears roll down her face.
"What the hell is going on here?" Zander asks. He's looking at me but I know the question is for the nurse.
"I am so sorry, doctor. I know you asked that you and Four not be disturbed but," she turns and looks at me with pure hatred in her eyes, "this nutjob demanded to be seen immediately. When I asked her to wait until a PA could see the child she burst through the doors trying to make it to an examination room. Should I call security?"
"Did this fucking bitch just call me a nutjob?" I spit. I take a step toward her but Tobias puts his hand on my shoulder, stopping me.
"Can't you hear my daughters screaming at the top of their lungs?" Tobias asks the wretched bitch. "Teagan's never sounded like this a day in her life. She's obviously in pain."
"Exam room one, Tris, Four," Zander says then he looks at the nurse who is slowly losing all the color in her face.
"She's really a leader?" she mutters.
"Yes, she is and a damn good one at that. You're not welcome in Dauntless anymore, and I will be reporting your conduct to Erudite and the hospital. Refusing to immediately treat a sick child is gross negligence. Don't be surprised if your license is suspended. Get out of my hospital." I head toward exam room one, forgetting about the drama behind me. All I care about in this moment is Teagan and Tessa.
"Did you get my message?" I ask Tobias. I can tell by the look on his face that he didn't. He pulls his phone out and frowns.
"I'm sorry, love," he says, kissing my forehead. He knows I'm worried sick. "I wish I would have found it. We would have been waiting for you and you wouldn't have had to deal with that." I sit on the examination table holding Peanut tightly.
"Ssh. Mommy's got you," I say, trying to get her to calm down. I press my lips to her forehead. "She's so hot, Tobias."
"I am so sorry about that, Tris," Zander says, closing the door behind him. He probably doesn't want all the other patients bothered by my sweet little girls who are wailing loudly.
"I'm sorry, too," I say. "I probably could have handled that better but I'm so worried."
"I know you are. Let's take a look," he says. He carefully takes Peanut from me and lays her on a blanket on the table beside me. Tobias puts Tessa in my arms knowing that she will make me feel better then stands beside me. We hold each other's hands while Zander examines our daughter. "When did you first notice the fever?"
"Yesterday morning," I say. "It's steadily risen since then."
"You gave her a half dose of the children's medicine I told you to buy when Tyler got sick after he first moved to Dauntless?" Great memory.
"That's correct." He looks in her mouth and nods.
"Is she having trouble nursing?" he asks.
"Yes," I say as he continues with the examination. He looks in both ears, both nostrils, and in her mouth again. He listens to her heart and lungs then very briefly shines a light in her eyes.
"Tris, how are your nipples?" What? "Any pain, itching, burning, cracking, discoloration, discharge, or swelling?"
"No," I slowly say. "What's wrong with her and, excuse me for saying this but, what the hell do my nipples have to do with it?"
"First of all, the ear infection is now in both ears. I thought that might be the case yesterday and I hoped we caught it early enough but no such luck," he says. "And she has something called thrush."
"What is thrush?" Tobias and I ask at the exact same time.
"It's a common oral yeast infection," he says. He puts his finger on her chin and opens her mouth then shines his light inside. How the hell have I not noticed this before? "Do you see the white patches on the roof of her mouth and her cheek?" We both nod. "That's thrush. It's often on the tongue also. It doesn't bother some babies but it looks like Teagan is one of the unfortunate ones. It's often accompanied by fever, diarrhea, and colic."
"How did she get it?" I ask.
"Have you been on an antibiotic lately?" he asks.
"Actually earlier this week I finished a 10-day course of antibiotics for a UTI that Isobel gave me," I say. "She told me it was safe to take since I was breastfeeding."
"And I'm sure it was. Any antibiotic kills off good bacteria that keeps yeast in check, which causes an imbalance that can lead to an infection," he says. "It's possible the thrush was triggered by the antibiotics you gave her yesterday for the ear infection but since it came on so strong basically overnight I imagine it started from your antibiotic being passed to her through your breast milk." He reads my body language because he says, "Tris, it isn't your fault. These things happen. Teagan was a preemie so she's already at a higher risk for infections. I'm going to give you an antifungal medication that's to be used directly on the patches in her mouth for 10 days. I want you to use it on your nipples also. Thrush can be passed back and forth between mom and baby, causing it to be extremely hard to get rid of. Treating you both should keep that from happening."
"What about Tessa?" Tobias asks. "She breastfeeds also and has been cranky, eating more often, and up in the night."
"Thrush is more common in younger babies. Tessa should be fine but I will certainly take a look." He opens her mouth, and she frowns at him. "No thrush but I see what could be causing her problem. Looks like this one is going to be getting her first tooth here any day now."
"Tooth?" I say.
"Yes," he says with a warm smile. He opens her mouth and shows us the slightly swollen gum. "Her first tooth will pop up right there very soon."
"Teagan has some oral infection that I more than likely gave to her, Tessa's getting her first tooth, and I didn't notice either one," I groan. "What kind of mother am I?"
"Tris, don't beat yourself up," Zander says. "You and Four are both wonderful parents. I'll be honest, I had my concerns about two people as young as you taking on so much responsibility raising three kids but you changed my mind. Your kids are well cared for and you love each of them very much but the impressive thing is that you care about how you're doing. I see parents who honestly love their children but are so lost in themselves that they don't know how to be a parent and they don't care to make the necessary changes to be better. That will never be you so stop thinking you're a bad mother."
"It's hard not to blame myself," I say. He sighs as he stares at me then I swear I see a light bulb go off over his head.
"Four, do you blame Tris for Teagan getting sick?" he asks.
"No," Tobias says, sounding appalled.
"There you go. Your husband, Teagan's father, doesn't hold you responsible. Why should you?" he asks.
"That actually makes sense," I murmur. It's not my fault, it's not my fault, it's not my fault, I chant to myself. Unfortunately, I can say it but right now I can't make myself believe it.
"I'm going to give you a prescription for an antifungal for Teagan. Just follow the instructions. It's not difficult to apply," he says. "There will be an antifungal cream for you, too."
"Um," Tobias says interrupting Zander but he doesn't continue.
"Yes, Four."
"Is it possible for Tessa to get this infection even if Tris and Teagan are being treated … or me?" Heat creeps into my cheeks.
"Open wide," Zander says, trying to hide the humor in his voice but failing miserably. Tobias does as he's told and he shines the light in his mouth and looks all around. "You're in the clear. I'm also giving you a stronger antibiotic for her ear infection. Also pick up a new bottle of infant acetaminophen. You can give it to her up to six times a day."
"Can the medications be given at the same time or do they need to be administered separately?" I ask.
"The fungal medication is best used after she breastfeed so it lingers on the infection," he says. "The antibiotic and acetaminophen can be taken at the same time before she nurses when she's hungry. As a matter of fact, I'm going to go get her a dose right now. I'll be right back." He turns and walks out of the room as I hand Tessa back to Tobias and pick Peanut up. I tuck her in my embrace just so and subtly bounce her, and she starts to quiet down for the first time in a long time. I put my knuckle in her mouth and she suckles.
"I think she's hungry," I say. "How's Tessa?"
"Grumpy," he says.
"You're getting a tooth, little one?" I ask in awe. I stick my finger in her mouth and gently run it over her gums and feel the slight swelling then quickly draw it out when she gnaws on it. "Well that smarted." I raise my eyes to Tobias' and say, "Thank you for suggesting I stay home with them. Who knows what could have happened if I hadn't?" He cups my cheek and gives me a soft kiss. "I called Mom, Dad, and Caleb before all hell broke loose. I asked if we could meet in Abnegation tomorrow for lunch. They all agreed and will have all necessary data on serums with them. Dad was especially interested when I asked. He remembers long discussions and heated debates over whether the 'Frankenstein Serum,' as he called it, was ethical or not. He told me there was always one person in particular who was pushing for its use."
"Let me guess," he says. "Marcus."
"Yeah," I say. "Has he contacted you lately?"
"No," he says. "Maybe I should reach out to him."
"That makes me nervous," I say.
"Me too, love. Me too," he says as Zander comes back in the room. He gives a dropper of medicine to Peanut then turns to me.
"Tris, I would feel more comfortable giving you this prescription if I examined you first," he says. "Four, can you give us a moment."
"He can stay," I say. "If it's alright with you."
"Of course it is," he says. "I just need you to take off your shirt and bra and put this on." He lays the paper drape next to me then busies himself in the corner. I hate to move Peanut because she's rather content at the moment but it must be done. Tobias puts Tessa back in the stroller, and she starts whining then I carefully give him Teagan who starts crying.
"Can we make this quick?" I ask as I take my shirt off.
"Of course," he says. I slip the paper drape over my head then take my bra off. He does a quick but thorough visual and physical examination then lets me get dressed. "Have you resumed sexual intercourse?" he asks as I'm getting dressed. After the nipple question earlier I didn't think he could shock me any further. I was wrong.
"Yes," I say absolutely hating these questions.
"When was the last time?" he asks, never taking his eyes off the chart in his hand he's writing on.
"This morning," I say.
"Okay," he says as he looks up. "I did notice some redness, swelling, and mild abrasions but I attribute it to sexual activity and not an infection." So that's why he asked about sex. "Inspect your nipples daily and if you have any pain, itching, burning, cracking, discoloration, or discharge, call me immediately."
"Thank you so much, Zander," I say. "How is Tori? Has she woken up yet?"
"Four and I were just getting ready to check on her when he thought he recognized the crying coming from the waiting room. I lowered her sedation but the last time I checked, there was no change. I wish I could give you better news."
"Will?" I ask hopefully.
"He's one tough sonofabitch," he says. "By all rights, he shouldn't be here. I honestly think that Simon and Tony found him in the nick of time. I'm keeping him at least one more night. His memory hasn't returned." He's quiet for a moment then continues. "Between you, me, and the walls, I don't think he'll regain his memory from yesterday morning. I've told him and Christina both that it's possible, and it is, but it's a slim to none chance. I don't want to give them false hope but I also don't want to set back his recovery by dashing his hopes. Right now I think it would take a miracle to let him remember."
"Poor Will," I say. "Have you learned anything about the DNA?"
"We were going to go over the results after we checked on Tori," Tobias says. "Zander, I'm going to have lunch with Tris and the kids. Can we resume our meeting after?"
"Of course," he says. "I'm sorry again for how you were treated when you came in. I don't know how she could listen to Teagan's cries and not act. I'm surprised she wanted to be a nurse. She doesn't have an empathetic bone in her body. If you ever need me for an emergency, just text me. I'll come."
"Thank you, Zander," I say. "And thanks for helping us get to the bottom of what's wrong with both our girls."
"I almost forgot. Dampen a soft washcloth, put it in the refrigerator for a half hour or so, then let Tessa chew on it," he says. "We did this with all six of ours and Stella and I swear by it."
"She loves chewing on her purple butterfly," I say. "She usually has it and is gnawing on it."
"Another thing you can do is give her a gum massage," he says. "Run your finger gently over the sore tissue. She'll let you know if she doesn't like it. As a last result, you can use the infant acetaminophen for pain relief but only up to four times a day. Do you have any questions for me?" I look at Tobias and he shakes his head.
"I don't think so but if we think of anything, I'll let you know," I say.
"Alright then," he says. "Have a good lunch. I'll see you later." I watch as he walks out the door then I take Peanut from Tobias. She nuzzles my chest and tries to find my nipple through my shirt so I know she's hungry. I sit down, get her latched on, which isn't easy then toss a blanket over my shoulder.
"Is Tessa hungry, too?" I ask as we walk out on to the Pit floor.
"It's hard to tell because she always has something shoved in her mouth nowadays," he says. "I guess we know why now. Teething." We're about to walk past the daycare center when our eyes meet, and we smile at each other. When Tyler sees us, he jumps up and runs over.
"You comed to pick me up?" he excitedly asks.
"For lunch," I say. "Would you like to join us, sir?" He giggles and we get his answer. He wants to help push Tessa in the stroller but because there's no way for him to see, he stands beside her, instead, holding her hand. A chorus of hellos ring out when we approach our table, which is pretty full. Everyone scoots closer together, and we sit down in our usual seats. Tyler begs to sit with Uriah so we let him sit on his lap.
"No cake until you eat your lunch though," Tobias says. "Okay?"
"Otay," he jovially says. I think he would be happy to comply with anything we ask because we picked him up for lunch. "Can I have chicken?" That's new!
"I'm not sure if chicken is on the menu for today or not," Tobias says as he looks at everyone's plates. Not a single person has any form of chicken.
"If there's no chicken, what do you want?" He scrunches up his face as he thinks.
"Mac and cheese," he finally says. There's my boy!
"What about you, love?" he asks.
"Surprise me," I say. "I'm starving so anything is fine."
"I thought you were staying home with Tessa and Teagan today," Zeke says as Tobias walks toward the food line. "It's a long walk just for lunch."
"Teagan's sick," I say. "I had to take her to the infirmary."
"Oh, what's wrong with her?" Shauna asks.
"Double ear infection and something called thrush," I say. "Zander gave us medicine for both. He looked at Tessa just to make sure she's okay, and she's cutting her first tooth, which has her pretty crabby."
"Poor babies," Ciara and Ella say at the same time.
"You sure pissed off that Erudite nurse," Marlene says. This gains the attention of the whole table, and they focus on our conversation.
"Well the feeling is entirely mutual then," I scoff. "You obviously know what happened. Was I being unreasonable?"
"I don't think so," she says.
"What happened?" Lynn asks, saying what everyone else is thinking I imagine. The entire table listens carefully as I tell my story.
"Dr. Parrish sent her back to Erudite with multiple reprimands," Marlene says. "A nurse can only have so many before they lose their license. Apparently, she's had several in the past. She probably won't be a nurse after this." I've never known Marlene to be a gossip before.
"And good riddance," Tobias says as he sets chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables, and a slice of chocolate cake down in front of Tyler.
"Thanks!" he says.
"You're welcome, buddy. Cake after everything else," he says. "The city doesn't need health care workers like that. Here you go." My plate has some sort of casserole, rice, beans, and a small lettuce salad. "The chef called it Mexican lasagna but it looks a lot like the enchilada casserole Hana makes." I take a tentative bite and flavor explodes on my tongue. Wow!
"Mmmm," I moan. "This is really good. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he says as he sits down.
"So, how are Tori and Will?" Kirsten asks. Every eye at our table focuses on Tobias and the cafeteria goes eerily silent. We look around and see that the entire room is focused on our table. Tobias gets up and clears his voice.
"I know you all are wondering about Will and Tori's conditions," Tobias loudly says so everyone can hear. Stragglers come into the cafeteria from the Pit floor when they hear him speak. "The doctors are optimistic that Will will make a full recovery. He's resting comfortably in the infirmary. He could be released as early as tomorrow. His head injury is quite severe, and he does have some lingering side effects.
"Tori's condition is harder to explain. At the moment she is sedated, for her own safety, and resting comfortably. We won't know the extent of her injuries until she wakes up … if she wakes up. Unfortunately, there is the possibility that she won't make it." A hushed gasp travels throughout the room. "I can't go into details because it's an ongoing investigation. I would like to say that if any of you have any information about Tori or Will's disappearances, Tris and I would appreciate it if you come to us."
"Why are our leaders being targeted?" a random Dauntless member asks from the crowd of onlookers.
"Like I said, it's an ongoing investigation," he says. "I wish I could stand here and tell you everything I know but I can't jeopardize what information we have. Just know that none of you are in danger. If you were, I would put an alert out."
"Are you sure there's no danger?" a female says. I look toward the sound of her voice and movement catches my eye. Lauren stands up and slips out of the cafeteria, her phone to her ear. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't think twice about her actions but since it's one of our suspects, her actions are highly suspicious. Why would she leave? I run over every word Tobias said in my head and something clicks. He just told everyone that Tori and Will are alive. The note found at the Navy Pier hinted that Molly and her minions thought they killed them. He just inadvertently confirmed the opposite. I get my phone out of my pocket and send an urgent text to Zander, which he answers immediately then I message Purple-Hair and Snake-Tattoo, telling them to post guards at Tori and Will's rooms.
"When I have more information for you, I'll make sure you get it," Tobias says, still addressing the crowd. "Let's finish our lunches." He sits back down and gives me a double take. "Is everything okay?" I shake my head. "What is it?"
"You just confirmed for Lauren that Tori and Will are alive," I whisper. "She got her phone out then skulked out of the room. I had Simon and Tony put guards on their rooms just to be on the safe side."
"Good thinking," he says. "I thought everyone knew they were alive."
"It was just a rumor," I say. "You confirmed it."
"Sonofabitch," he mutters under his breath. I slip my arm around his waist, and kiss his shoulder.
"Everything's going to be fine," I quietly say.
"I hope you're right," he says.
"I'm always right." A ghost of a smile turns up his lips but it soon disappears. I put my lips up against his ear and say, "Let's try to enjoy the rest of our lunch. Our son is watching us." Tyler is sitting across from us on Uriah's lap staring our direction, his big blue eyes wide with worry. With a hearty slice of chocolate cake in front of him, one would think he wouldn't notice anything else but he's very perceptive of our moods.
"Aren't you going to eat your cake, buddy?" Tobias asks. "If you don't want it I'm sure Uncle Uriah would be happy to take it." He looks up over his shoulder then digs in.
"Don't try to come between a boy and his cake," Uriah says as he takes a huge bite of his own and I roll my eyes at him. I check on Teagan when she stops nursing and find that she's fallen asleep. I put her up to my shoulder and pat her back as I listen to everyone at our table chatter about nothing of importance. After about five minutes she lets out a little burp. I press my lips to her forehead and find that she's still quite hot. Tessa has been whining lowly for a while but really starts to get loud so Tobias picks her up.
"Want to trade?" he asks. I'm hesitant to nurse her now that I know I could pass the thrush on.
"Sure. I'll give her a bottle," I say. We carefully exchange the girls like we've done hundreds of times now, and I get a bottle out of the diaper bag but she won't take it. I try a couple times using the tricks I've learned then, because of sheer exhaustion, give in to her demands and put her to my breast after wiping both nipples off well. I don't know if it's necessary but it makes me feel better. One by one our friends leave the table while Tessa nurses until it's just Zeke, Shauna, Uriah, Marlene, Lynn, and us. We're about ready to say our goodbyes when Christina comes in.
"Hi," she says.
"Please don't take this the wrong way but you look like hell," Lynn says.
"I feel like hell," she says. "I didn't want to leave Will but I need to eat, and I need to see Liam. I haven't seen him since I left the apartment yesterday."
"Why don't you call Fiona to bring him down," Marlene says. "I'm sure Will would love to see him, too."
"Would that be alright with Dr. Parrish?" she asks.
"Of course, it would," she says. Christina immediately gets her phone out and sends a message to her nanny. "I never even thought to ask. I'm so scattered right now."
"How's Will doing?" I ask. I put Tessa against my chest, and she lays her head on my shoulder, keening quietly, as I pat her back.
"He's in quite a bit of pain," she says. "He keeps trying to remember what happened yesterday morning, which makes his head hurt worse and then he just gets that much more frustrated because he can't remember. I've never seen him like this. It's scary. I swear if I could get my hands on whoever hit him, they would regret it." I believe her. "He's resting right now. Dr. Parrish gave him some pain medication that knocked him right out. It's the only reason I snuck off to get something to eat. I'm starving."
"They have a wonderful Mexican casserole, if there's any left," I say.
"I thought I'd just grab a slice or two and a cola," she says as she starts to get up.
"You sit. I'll get it for you," Tobias says. "What kind do you want?"
"Pepperoni," she says as she sits back down. "Thanks, Four."
"It's the least I can do," he says. He gets up and goes to the now deserted food line to get Christina some lunch. I shift Tessa in my arms and stick my finger in her mouth and gently run it over her gums. She must like it, because she quiets down and closes her eyes.
"What's wrong with her?" Christina asks.
"She's teething," I say. "Zander says her first tooth will pop through anytime. She's a bit cranky. I thought she was coming down with what Teagan has but I was wrong."
"Teagan's sick?" she says. "I'm sorry. I've been so caught up in my own drama that I don't know anything that's going on."
"You're entitled," Tobias says as he sets two slices and a tall glass of iced cola in front of her. "I had the chefs give you fresh pizza."
"I have to ask something before I head back to the control room," Zeke says. "I'm already late. What had you upset after your speech?"
"I confirmed that Tori and Will are both alive," he says. "I'm certain it got back to Molly, although I never even considered that she didn't already know. Just in case she tries to finish what she started, Tris had guards put on their rooms."
"So that's why that big, scary-looking guy is standing outside Will's room," Christina says. "Someone from inside the faction is helping her?" I look at Tobias and he nods. I look around us to make sure that we don't have any eavesdroppers.
"You had already went to Will's room when we told the others but we have reason to believe that Lauren Jones is helping Molly. They were close back in Candor but we didn't know until Ruth told us. She used to babysit Peter, Molly, and Drew. She's been keeping up with the investigation and reporting our findings to Molly. We're hoping we get some physical evidence soon so that we can arrest her."
"I've been thinking about that," Shauna says. "Instead of arresting her we need to come up with a plan where we use that relationship to our advantage. Give Lauren false information that will allow us to get some irrefutable evidence against everyone involved."
"That sounds like a good idea," Tobias says. "How would you like to come over for supper tonight? We could talk details then. Is that alright, Tris?"
"Of course, it is," I say. "It sounds like a great idea. Anything to get this mess over with sooner. I'll cook since I'll be home all afternoon with my girls."
"What time?" Zeke asks.
"Is 7 p.m. alright?" I ask.
"Shauna and I will be there," he says.
"Is there anyone else we need to invite?" she asks.
"When we come up with an idea, we'll let any players know the plan," Tobias says. "Under normal circumstances I would ask that you and Will be there tonight, Christina, but I know that's impossible."
"Thanks for thinking of us," she says. Delightful laughter captures my attention and I turn to see Fiona coming toward us carrying Liam. He's laughing, squealing, and just genuinely happy to see his mom."
"Oh, baby boy," she says as she takes him into her arms. As she hugs him tightly, I see a tear roll down her cheek. He babbles at her then laughs. "I've missed you so much." She peppers his face with kisses, which he doesn't like and he squirms, trying to get away from her assaulting lips.
"Hi, Liam," I say and he coos. "You are even more handsome than you were the last time I saw you." A smile lights up his face and his big, beautiful brown eyes shine. "You're a happy baby, aren't you?"
"I think he's looking for his girlfriend," Christina says with a chuckle and I hear Tobias grumble under his breath. I think his reaction is the only reason why she keeps saying these things. It's nice to see a glimpse of the real Christina.
"Sorry, Liam, but our little Teagan isn't feeling well," I say. "She's taking a nap." He frowns at the news like he actually understands.
"I hate to cut this short but I need to talk to Zander," Tobias says. "Tris, would you like to join us?"
"I would," I say. "Come on, Tyler. Say your goodbyes." He gives out kisses and hugs then comes to us. "Daddy and I have an important meeting but when we're done, how would you like to come home with me and your sisters." His eyes light up and he throws his arms around my neck until he sees Tessa then he lets me go.
"Yeah!" he says, clapping his hands together and jumping up and down. Something tells me we're going to have to rethink the amount of cake we give him in the future. He's on a sugar high right now. We gather up the kids, say our goodbyes, drop off Tyler at daycare, and then head toward the infirmary. When we reach the waiting room, there is no one behind the desk so we proceed through the double doors toward Tori's room. As we get closer, we hear one hell of a commotion. We stop outside her door and my heart pounds in my throat. It once again is stuck open on the tile floor allowing us to clearly see and hear everything that's going on. Zander and another familiar-looking doctor are furiously working over her still body. It looks like they are performing CPR. I knew we were going to lose her then something dawns on me.
"Where's her guard?" I say out loud. Zander hears and instructs a nurse to shut the door, blocking our view but not before we hear the heart monitor flatline.