Two weeks later

"Will, you need to eat, sweetheart," Lynn told him.

"I'm not hungry," he told her again. His appetite was gone. He didn't know if it was all the meds he was on or what but nothing hit the spot anymore.

"You can't take your meds without eating. Two bites, Will."

"Lynnie, I'm not a child!" he shouted, getting up slowly and walking away.

"You certainly are acting like one," she muttered as she ate his sandwich. She was hungry at least. The kids ate and were doing homework in their rooms. It was just her now. Sitting in the quiet living room.

The man had been home for a week after a week stay in the hospital and he barely ate. He sulked. He went to bed early and got up late. He wouldn't talk to her without snapping and she didn't know what to do about it.

Then a thought came into her mind. What if she asked Beth and Lucas to bring the kids over? He loved his grandkids and hadn't held Vince yet. Maybe that would lift his spirits.

She texted Beth and they agreed to come over the next morning.

Elizabeth snuggled down under the blankets of the bed with Vince sleeping on her chest. He smelled yummy and was so darn cute, she didn't like to put him down. Plus, she had been without him for so long, she wanted to soak up all the goodness of a newborn.

"Babe?"

"Hey, come snuggle with us," she told him, patting the bed next to her.

"I'd love to but I have a question."

"What's that?" She heard Vince sigh in his sleep and it just made her love him even more.

"Do we have any more children's tylenol?"

"Check our medicine cabinet. Who needs tylenol?"

"Mattie. Her head hurts."

"Poor Mattie."

"Mommy!" Ethan yelled running in the room.

"E, inside voices, honey."

"Mommy! Lilly is sick."

"Oh no. What's wrong with Lilly?"

"She's hot."

Elizabeth noticed Ethan's cheeks were red. "How about you, babe? Are you hot too?"

"Yeah."

He climbed up and snuggled on the opposite side of Elizabeth.

"Lucas, can you put Vince in his bassinet please? I don't want him getting sick."

Lucas put the tylenol he found on the bed and scooped Vince up, placing him in his bed.

"The twins are sick too?"

"They are hot. Look at E's cheeks."

"This ought to be fun," Lucas said with plenty of sarcasm. Four kiddos, three of whom are potentially sick. They were outnumbered.

He pulled out his phone and texted the owner of the project he was working on to let them know he wouldn't be in in the morning. There was no way he was leaving Beth alone with sick kids when he could stay home. It was the beauty of owning his own business.

He wandered off with the tylenol to find Lilly and Mattie.

"Girls?"

"In my room, Dad," Mattie said from where she and Lilly were snuggling.

"Hey, what's going on? Anyone need medicine in here?"

Both girls raised their hands. "Mattie, your face is red too. Got a fever?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"Kiss me, Daddy. My face is hot," Lilly said, giggling when his beard touched her face.

He gave them both a spoonful and covered them up. "You both rest, alright?"

They shut their eyes and smiled. He hated when they were sick but he sure loved them with every bit of his heart.

"Love you, girls."

"Love you, Daddy," they said in unison.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Elizabeth said as she talked on the phone. "It seems the kids have pink cheeks, headaches and fevers. We can't come over tomorrow."

Lucas gave Ethan a spoonful of tylenol too and covered him up. "Love you, bud."

"Okay, sweetie," Lynn said, sniffling.

"Oh no. Mom, what is it?"

"Nothing, sweetie. I don't want to bother you."

"Mom, please tell me."

"Your dad. He's just so much right now. I need help."

Elizabeth knew that for Lynn Thatcher to admit she needed help, it took a lot.

"One minute, okay?"

Elizabeth put her phone on mute. "Babe, I need to go see my parents tomorrow. I will take Vince. Can you be here for the other three?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." She unmuted her phone. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm coming tomorrow and bringing Vince. Maybe holding him can perk Dad's spirits a bit."

"I hope so, dear. If not, I'm not sure what to do."

"One day at a time. I love you. I will see you tomorrow."

"I love you too, Beth."

Next, Elizabeth called her sisters on a group call.

"Hi, Beth," they both said.

"Hi, so we have a problem, ladies. I hope you can help."

Lucas loved his wife. There was no dispute about that. But the fact that she had three ill children and a newborn and was coordinating times for Lynn and William to get the help they need, boy…his heart was full, beyond full.

When she hung up the phone, he bent down over her and gave her a long, sweet kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked, her cheeks a pretty pink.

"I love you so much, Beth Bouchard. Beyond that. To the moon and back a hundred times."

"That's nice to hear. Why is that?"

"So many reasons but just this…three of our kids are sick, we have a newborn and you are on the phone making sure your parents are taken care of. Its amazing. You are amazing."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

She moved Ethan over to the middle of the bed and stood up, adjusting her tank top and kissed him this time. "Are you sure you are up to taking care of our sickos?"

"Yep. I already let my clients know that I won't be coming in for a few days. I'm all yours."

"I wish," she said, walking out of the room, winking at him.

Lucas sat down on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping for some rest since he would need it the next few days. But Ethan woke up.

"Daddy! I don't feel good!" he yelled.

"I'm sorry, bud. What feels yucky?"

"My head hurts."

"Not too long and the medicine will start to help you. Are you still hot?"

"Yeah." Lucas helped him pull his shirt and pants off and covered him with a sheet. "Here you go, bud. I'm going to get you some juice. I need you to take a couple sips, alright?"

"Okay."

Lucas grabbed juice for all three kids and delivered them and then laid back down just as Vince woke up and started to cry.

"Hi, buddy. How's my little guy?" he asked, picking him up. "Are you wet?"

Lucas put him softly on the bed and unsnapped his sleeper while he cried. It hurt Lucas' heart. Hopefully he wasn't getting sick too. He was so little.

He wasn't wet so Lucas snapped him back up and walked around bouncing and humming.

"He might have gas or acid reflux, Luke." She had fed him and then put him down pretty quick to get him away from Ethan. She was supposed to keep him upright for a while to avoid the acid reflux.

"So do I need to just keep him upright?" Lucas asked.

"Yes and then burp him." She kissed his forehead and smiled. "Mama is sorry, Vince."

"Mommy?" Ethan said reaching. She picked him up and held him. "Hi, E. How are you doing?"

"I'm hot and my head hurts."

"Well, your medicine should help very soon."

Vince calmed down so Lucas took him down the hall to peek in on the girls. They were asleep so he left them alone.

"Come on, Vince, lets go rock so you can go back to sleep."

…..

Elizabeth left Lucas and three sleeping kiddos the next morning around 9am. She arrived at her parents and knocked on the door before walking in.

"Anyone home?" she called into the quiet house.

"Beth!" Abe said, running toward her. She quickly set Vincent's carseat down and hugged her brother who was crying. "Papa yells…at Ma."

She rubbed his back and beckoned Carrie over from the doorway for a hug.

"Hi, sweetie."

"Beth, he isn't the same."

"Let's go sit in the living room. You can take turns holding your nephew while we talk, alright?"

Elizabeth picked up tiny Vince and placed him in Carrie's arms while she took Abe's hand to soothe his crying.

"This is hard, isn't it?"

Abe nodded and sniffled. She handed him a tissue. "Blow your nose, honey."

"Why…did he get sick?"

"Sometimes that happens, Abe, and we don't know why. The important thing is he will get better."

"He yells…at Ma," he repeated.

"Because it's hard for him. He's tired and doesn't feel good and he can't do everything he used to be able to do. We just need to be patient with him."

"I can do…that."

"I know you can. You are so strong and you love him. And you know what else?"

"What?"

"Papa loves you just as much right back."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's my Papa too. Why don't you make him a get well card?"

"Out of construction paper and crayons?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yep!"

"Can I hold Vince first?"

"Of course."

Carrie got up and slowly handed the baby over to her brother.

"Beth?"

She looked up at Carrie. "Yes?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too. Do you want to make a getwell card too?"

"Sure."

A few minutes later, Elizabeth took Vince down the hallway to the office where they said her dad was.

"Dad?"

"Beth?"

She walked in and stopped. William Thatcher had tears on his face. He was the strong one. He didn't cry.

"Dad? What's wrong?"

He stood up and she walked right into his arms.

"I don't know," he admitted. She held him with one arm while Vince slept in the other. "May I hold him?"

"Yes, then we can talk?"

He nodded, kissed her forehead and opened his arms.

"He's still so small. I'm afraid I'll break him." He sat down and stared at his grandson, aside memorizing his features. "He looks like Ethan did, only smaller."

"Yes, I agree."

"Beth, I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You've been through so much. Maybe you're overwhelmed?"

"I am. And no matter how much sleep I get, I need more. And Lynn…Beth, I love her so much but I keep losing my temper when she tries to take care of me."

"Why do you think that is?"

He looked down at Vince again, gently tracing his cheek with his finger. "I was always the strong one. I was in control of myself. I found love again. I'm a dad again."

"Now you feel weak," she filled in. "Out of control. Helpless?"

"Yes," he whispered. "Its not fair to take my frustration out on Lynn."

"No, it's not, but she loves you. If you talk to her, tell her what you just told me, apologize, she'll forgive you."

"She's right, you know," Lynn said from the doorway.

"My love, I'm so very sorry," he said, his tears flowing again. "You deserve better than me."

"Nonsense," she said, kneeling in front of him. "My vows are forever, Will. For better or worse. In sickness or in health. I'm here but I'm going to try harder not to smother you."

"And I promise to be more patient, Lynnie. Forgive me?"

She nodded, got up on her knees and kissed him. "Of course I do. I love you."

"I love you more."

Elizabeth left Vince with his grandparents and went out to check on her siblings.

"Hey, you two! How are the cards coming along?"

"I messed up," Abe said, his tears falling again.

"Let me see, bud."

"I can't do it! Now…Papa won't know I want…him to get better."

"It looks good, Abie," Carrie told him, using her nickname for her big brother. "Papa will love it. I promise."

"I'm sad. I give up."

William walked into the dining room. "That's not the Abraham Thatcher I know and love."

"Papa!"

"Hi, Abe. Can I see what you made?"

Abe picked it up and handed it to William.

"Get Well Papa. I love you," William read.

"Well, this is a wonderful card, Abe. Thank you! I love it!"

"You do?"

"I do. And you know what else?"

"What?"

"I love you."

"To the moon, Papa?"

"Yes. All the way to the moon and back."

Abraham got up and hugged William gently, not wanting to hurt him. "I was scared…when when…you wouldn't wake up," Abraham admitted. "So scared."

"I'm sorry you were scared but Ma told me that you yelled for her right away and that saved my life, Abe. You're my hero."

"Not me," he shook his head.

"Yes you, my son. You saved me and I'll always be grateful."

William looked down at Carrie, his beautiful now teenager. "Sweets? Can I see your card?"

"Sure."

William read it and opened his arms for a hug. "Carrie, this is wonderful. Thank you."

"I love you. Please don't die. We need you!"

"I'll try hard to stay with you as long as I can."

"Promise?"

"I promise."