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Chapter 6
"I'm worried about you overdoing." Christine remarked as she changed Mike's bandages.
"Tom is insistent. I was hoping that he would settle once the sub was dealt with." Mike said.
"He does seem very tightly wound. Because of Darian dying?" Christine asked.
"Maybe. He did make a remark when I was fighting him about you having to stay on the James. Said I felt pretty strongly about it with being divorced." Mike said.
"He really doesn't like me being here." Christine remarked.
"I…don't think its you. I think that he misses Darian. He sees you and remembers her. And he's jealous of me, because even though we are divorced, we are managing to get along. I have what he doesn't anymore." Mike explained.
"He never really cared for me much." Christine said.
"You had a career and a life outside of our family. Tom was an Army brat with a mother who never worked outside of the home. Darian never worked outside their home. To him, that is what officer's wives did." Mike said.
"Yeah, I was never a June Cleaver sort." Christine replied.
"What we did worked for us for a lot of years. What Tom did worked for him. Neither is wrong." Mike answered.
"Until I got pregnant again." Christine remarked.
"My reaction was not great, was it?" Mike asked.
"We hadn't ever discussed another baby." Christine replied.
"No, but I should have reacted better. Since, I've often thought she died because of my reaction." Mike remarked.
"Mike, you didn't do anything to cause Emma to die. The cord wrapped around her neck. It wasn't caught in time. And you couldn't have prevented Lucas' death." Christine said.
"Katie doesn't think that." Mike said quietly.
"Katie knows you couldn't prevent it. She is angry because you left so soon after the funeral." Christine answered.
"I honestly didn't know what to do. I couldn't fix it or make it better." Mike said. Christine had sat down next to him and she squeezed his hand.
"Mike, I understand and someday, Katie will. She did seem pretty concerned about you today." Christine remarked.
"That did kind of surprise me." Mike replied.
"Do you work tonight?" Christine asked.
"No. Dr. Scott insisted due to the amount of blood I lost. I am pretty tired." Mike admitted.
"That is normal." Christine said.
"So…if you can't sleep and want to sleep in here, I wouldn't mind." Mike said.
"I will remember that." Christine said.
"Besides, as itchy as Hannah is, she'll be wiggly all night." Mike teased.
"She's wiggly all night normally." Christine said.
"All the more reason." Mike answered.
"You'll wake me up if you need something or are in pain?" Christine asked.
"Yes." Mike answered.
"And Mike, for what its worth; I am glad you came back today. And if truth were known, so is Katie." Christine said before kissing his cheek and standing up. She walked into the bedroom area where the girls were already sleeping.
Both girls tossed and turned all night. They were both sunburnt and bug bit. Mike had taken good care of them but he had had to leave them with Dr. Scott, who wasn't so caring. Christine finally got up about one am and settled next to Mike. He was also not comfortable, but he was at least still, if sleep would only come for Christine.