Passing Ships & Potty Emergencies

"Mommy!"

"I know, Baby. I know." Sarah said somewhat harried as she hustled Callum across the lobby.

She could feel her grip on her daughter slipping as her little girl wiggled. Elowyn wanted down. She wanted to explore, but Sarah did not have time to keep an eye on her inquisitive little miss. Her son was precious minutes away –seconds really – from having an accident and she didn't have a spare pair of his underpants or pants in her bag. She had hoped like hell that Connor would be in the ED or coming out of the locker room so she could leave their daughter with him, but she had no such luck.

The little family scurried past the nurse's station toward the restrooms when Callum abruptly dug his heels in. Ellie gave a high-pitched whine as her mother's fingers dug into her thigh to keep her in place, but Sarah barely paid her any mind as she turned bewildered eyes on her five-year-old.

"Callum?" She asked, somewhat worried he was peeing himself now.

Her blue-eyed little boy squirmed as he stared at her in a mild panic, "I don't want Ellie to see."

Sarah blinked in disbelief. She had lost count of the number of trips to the bathroom the three of them had done over the past few years. She didn't know where this new discomfort came from, "What? Callum, I can't leave your sister by herself."

And she didn't exactly trust Callum to be in a public restroom by himself just yet.

His big eyes widened, his tone adamant, "I can do it."

A stubborn little furrow appeared between his brows, and he could not look more like his father if he tried. Sarah swore quietly to herself because there was no way she would be able to budge her son from his spot unless she wanted a scene. She would get one either way as he was practically hopping in place trying to hold it – he wouldn't last much longer and the squirming toddler in her arms wasn't anywhere near close to settling. Too much was going on around them for Ellie not to be curious.

Sarah glanced toward the restroom door, thankful that the men's and women's restrooms were next to each other in the corridor. She had been planning on ushering him into the women's, but if he wanted his privacy - She could stay by the door, she supposed...

Sarah winced but ultimately gave in. She knelt and placed Ellie on her feet – well aware that the moment her grasp on her daughter loosened she'd be scampering away. She hastily wrapped her arm around Ellie's waist and used her knees to trap her feet in place, while her arms and Callum trapped her in between them.

Ellie released a harsh squeal of frustration when she found her movements limited, "Mama! Out!"

"No," Sarah murmured quietly, dropping her elbows when Ellie tried to crawl underneath. Her fingers deftly undid the tight snap on Callum's pants as she gave him quick instructions, "Okay, Baby, the bathroom is just there. I will be on the other side of the door if you need me. Just call, okay?"

"Okay." Callum breathed, already half dashing for the restroom.

"Don't forget to wash your hands!" She called, scooping up her wriggling princess.

"I won't," Callum called back, barreling into the bathroom door like a mini-Tasmanian devil.

"Mama! Down! Want down!" Ellie cried, frustration creating tears in her voice as she pushed at her mother's arms.

Now that her hand was no longer occupied by her son's smaller paw, Sarah was able to keep a firmer grasp on her daughter. She bounced Ellie furthering the little girl's frustration but making her attempts at escape that much more difficult. She hovered just outside the bathroom door, keeping her ears peeled in case Callum had a problem.

A sharp pain shocking her arm had Sarah jerking her head down to Ellie, "Uh-uh, no! We do not pinch people. You, little girl, do not pinch your mother."

A fierce glare was her reply as Ellie pressed her lips together. A muffled whining growl escaped the little girl, and Sarah arched her brow, daring her to act out. She was unaware that her glare near matched her daughter's as they remained in a silent standoff. Ellie was hardly cowed by her mother's glower, but she seemed to sense not to test the boundaries just then. If they had been at home, Sarah was sure the whining would be screaming by this point.

"Umm. Everything okay, Reese?"

Sarah turned to see Ethan eyeing mother and daughter curiously. She offered him a sheepish smile, "Yeah, bit of a potty emergency."

"Mommy!"

Sarah reacted immediately to Callum's distressed cry as she whirled for the door, but the second the door creaked, he shouted, "Don't bring, Ellie!"

Sarah froze and breathed, feeling once again bewildered, "Seriously..."

Almost unthinkingly, she pushed Ellie into Ethan's arms as she half-asked, half-demanded, "Watch her for a moment, would you?"

"Wha-" Startled Choi held Elowyn automatically as Sarah swiftly disappeared into the men's room. The very same room he had been hoping to get into just a moment ago. His gaze turned uncertainly to the child in his arms to find Ellie peering just as uncertainly back at him.

Elowyn's big brown eyes regarded him with such serious consideration that Ethan swore she was staring straight into his soul. Uncomfortable and feeling oddly unsettled, he murmured a quiet, "Hi."

It seemed to be the magic word as Ellie smiled beatifically and giggled. Her little fingers reached up to pat his cheek as she echoed back, "Hi!"

His lips quirked up faintly, wondering if this was the same little girl who had been about to throw a tantrum mere minutes ago. Little by little, he relaxed. She wasn't so bad.

Ellie's smile turned inquisitive as she tugged at his shirt, "Down, pease."

Slowly, Ethan shook his head, "I think we need to wait for your mommy."

A faint frown began to mare Ellie's expression as she tried again, "Down, pease!"

"Ahh." Choi sighed, deciding it was best to start inching for the restroom. He really didn't want to be the one that set the taciturn little girl off.

"At least you got a please. Her mother and I usually just get the down." A familiar voice uttered behind him.

Ellie immediately leaned to the side at her father's voice her big eyes gleaming with joy as she reached for him, "Daddy!"

Ethan turned with a swiftness he didn't quite feel to meet Connor. The surgeon already had his hands out to receive his daughter, "Hi, Angel."

"Hi."

It took everything in Choi not to snort at the moniker, he had the feeling that angel was a dubious word to describe Connor's daughter with the way she was behaving. Hellion seemed like a better fit.

Ellie lurched from Ethan's grip into Connor's arms with minimum fuss. He gave his daughter a tight hug and kissed her crown as she snuggled with a giggle into his chest. If Sarah had been present, she would have ruefully shaken her head in fond amusement. There was no denying their little girl was a daddy's girl.

"And how did you get babysitting duty?" Connor asked, amused as he rested his chin on Ellie's curly head.

"Potty emergency," Ethan answered with such a dry tone that Connor actually snorted.

He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and shifted Ellie to his hip just as the door to the restroom opened. Callum sauntered out much more calmly than he had entered, Sarah behind him looking far more frazzled and wearier.

"Daddy!" Callum cried in a similar manner to Ellie as he rushed to Connor's side.

Connor angled a partial hug for his son as he murmured, "Hey, Bud. Ready to go to the park?"

Both children lit up at the p-word while Sarah silently wished him luck. The kids had been a handful all morning. She barely had time to breathe before one of them was pulling her in some direction or towards some mess. She couldn't wait until school started back up, having them both at home was exhausting. Sarah knew part of her crabbiness stemmed from her and Connor being on opposing shifts. She hadn't been able to spend much time with her husband. They were two ships exchanging passengers as they passed each other. They really needed to get a nanny again.

Quietly, she handed the kid's bag over to him and met him halfway for a kiss, "Callum's going thru another independent phase, and he's suddenly grown shy around Ellie. Try and find out what that's about."

Connor arched a brow, wanting more of an explanation, but knew now wasn't the time. Sarah's shift was about to start, and she still needed to change, "Okay."

"If this morning is any indication it might have to do with her getting a bit too physical. She pushed him earlier and pinched me a few minutes ago." Sarah murmured with a frown.

Connor's eyes bored into the top of his daughter's head, "You pinched Mommy?"

Ellie whined quietly somewhat aware that her bad behavior was being discussed. Connor leaned back a little so he could silently let his daughter know that cuddling up to him wasn't going to save her. She pouted, curling her face into his chest to hide.

Connor pursed his lips as quietly asked, "Did Callum do something to get her that mad?"

"Told her no," Sarah answered drolly.

Callum had only gotten rough with his sister once and he had learned very quickly that Connor wouldn't tolerate him hurting his baby sister. Sarah wouldn't either, but Connor's disapproval had a bigger impact on both of the kids. It was time that Ellie learned the same thing, she couldn't always get her way.

"Alright, no Doc McStuffins today. And I think we'll do some quiet time too." Connor murmured.

A distressed cry vibrated through his chest, Ellie knew what quiet time was and she hated it. Her tablet was put out of reach, only her blanket and picture books were available to her as she was confined to her room. She had gotten quiet time two days ago and had pitched a fit loud enough to make the neighbors think she was being murdered until she wore herself out and fell asleep. Luckily, the neighbors had kids too, and completely understood.

"You're brave," Sarah murmured; she could already hear the screaming now.

An awkward cough had the family shifting attention as Ethan rocked on heels, "Mind if I get passed you?"

Sarah blanched, feeling slightly chagrinned as she realized they were still blocking the way to the restrooms, "Oh, sorry, yeah. Thank you for taking Ellie for me."

"Don't mention it, Sarah." Ethan said graciously as they moved around each other, "She's cute."

Ellie was cute, and a handful – definitely her father's daughter, Sarah acknowledged quietly to herself.

Connor gave the kid's bag to Callum to carry as he situated their belongings., "Alright, give Mommy a hug and kiss. She needs to get to work. She's officially late."

For the second time in as many minutes, Sarah blanched and glimpsed at her watch.

She was late.

Quickly, she stooped and drew Callum into her arms. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and smothered the urge to take him with her as his little arms tightened around her, "Alright, be good for Daddy. I love you."

"Love you," Callum murmured dutifully.

Elowyn refused to bring her face away from her father's chest as she continued to pout. Sarah could see that Connor wasn't thrilled with his daughter's reaction, but she couldn't help but smile at her sulky girl. She smoothed back her curls and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Don't smile, Ellie-bell," Sarah whispered teasingly into her ear. The light breath tickled the little girl and she squirmed, giggling as tilted her face toward her mother. Sarah pressed another kiss to her cheek this time, "Be good for Daddy. I love you."

"I you," Ellie mumbled.

It made both of her parents chuckle.

Sarah gently reached up to frame Connor's face with her hands, "You be good too, Husband."

His sapphire eyes sparkled at her, "Always wife of mine."

She stole her goodbye kiss from him, wishing more than anything that they had more time. It would be another three days before they would be able to spend more than twenty minutes together. At least, twenty minutes where they were both conscious.

"I you," Connor said softly, eliciting a grin from her.

Sarah took one more kiss and broke away, "I you."

She walked backward waving her family off, smiling as she heard Ellie's soft, "Bye, Mama."

And caught Callum's timid wave back before Connor began to usher them out to the car. Maggie came to stand beside her as the trio disappeared.

The older woman smiled knowingly at her as she passed over a tablet, "Come on, mama. You got a long night ahead of you."

Sarah nodded already feeling tired. She quietly bolstered her strength. She was almost there – she was seeing her dream through. Graduation was only two months away. Still, she wished desperately that she was going to the park too.