Chapter 11

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WASHINGTON POV

Alex drifts off to sleep and the room is silent once again, the only sound being the steady beeping of the heart monitor. My wife looked so sorrowful, and I know I look no better.

"I just don't understand what caused this." She muttered to herself.

"They said he has an incredibly high fever, honey. It's... fine." I said, hesitating slightly as I not only try to convince Martha, but try to convince myself too.

"Yeah. I know. It just hurts to see him like this. What if he goes back to what he was like when we first fostered him, George?" She asks, acting as if I have all the answers. Now I know I may sound a bit harsh there, but I'm just stressed- and I do love Martha with my everything.

"He won't. We have helped him become a strong, independent, young man. A little sickness won't change that." I say with confidence.

"I know. I'm just scared." I don't reply, I simply embrace my wife and look at our son in the hospital bed- still sleeping soundly.

A soft knock sounds from the door and Jac Naylor, the consultant, walks in.

"Mr and Mrs Washington, if I could have a word with you outside please?" She whispers, as to not wake Alexander. My wife looks at our soon worriedly and it's as if Jac reads her mind.

"He'll be fine. I promise. I can send in one of my staff if that would make you feel better?" She says, mostly directing it at my wife- but I know that she's asking me too.

"Could you? I just want someone here in case he wakes up and panics."

"Of course." We all step out of the room, and Jac shouts over one of her nurses.

"Doctor Shepherd, if you could please observe Mr Hamilton whilst we talk out here." She commands, and a middle aged man with brown hair walks towards my sons room.

"Yeah, sure. I'm due in theatre with Madani soon, but I'll stay here as long as I can." Doctor Shepherd replies.

"Thanks, Derek. Now, Mr Hamilton appears to have had a seizure. We have kept him under full observation right now. He has an extremely high temperature and is dehydrated and appears to be quite sleep deprived. Do you have any idea as to why this could be?" Ms. Naylor asked in her serious doctor tone.

(If you know who she is I think you'll understand what I mean by 'serious doctor tone' but if not... just keep reading.)

"He passed out yesterday, and was vomiting all night. He often has reoccurring nightmares due to traumatic events in his past, so he often doesn't sleep- when he does, he gets a minimal amount as he wakes up in a cold sweat and trembling. But I'm not sure as to why he's dehydrated." I state, knowing that if Martha try's to explain it will turn into nervous rambling.

"Okay. So I'm assuming you're his guardians, correct?" Ms. Naylor asks.

"Adoptive parents." Martha says hurriedly, I knew she loved being called Alex's mother.

"Okay. We will keep an eye on him, if he wakes up please press the call button on the wall. He may seem a bit delirious, it's normal." She finishes- giving a small but pleasant nod to me and Martha, before turning and walking off to another patient.

We walk back into our Sons room and sit by his bedside. Martha takes out a book from her bag. The title reads:

'Miranda: The Revolution'

I often see her reading random books, like one time I turn around and she's holding 'Jane Eyre' and the next I'll see her reading 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'. Like, damn, that woman can read fast.
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(TiMe SkIp)

It's been about two hours, and Alex is still asleep. John, Laf, Herc, Peggy and the other Schuylers all turned up, but now it's just me, Martha, John, Peggy and Alex of course.

Suddenly, Alex groans and moves his hand towards his face. When he touches the oxygen mask his eyes fly open and his face displays panic. He takes the mask off and reaches for the needle in his arm.

I grab his hands just as he is about to pull it and gently hold them away from his face.

"No. No Alex, calm down. Stop- hey that's not gonna help you." I say as he begins fighting me, trying to pull the oxygen mask away after I placed it back on him.

He looks like a deer in head lights.

Scared.
Vulnerable.
Terrified.

Upon hearing the commotion Peggy wakes up- seeing as all three of them had drifted off into a state of half consciousness.

Peggy rushes over to Alex, and takes both of his hands in hers.

"Alex! No, no 'Xander, calm down. Hey, listen okay- listen to me." She speaks gently as to not scare him more.

"Don't you fret, Monsieur Hamilton
I don't feel any pain
A little fall of rain
Can hardly hurt me now
You're here,
That's all I need to know.
And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close
And rain, will make the flowers grow." Peggy sings softly.

Alex immediately settles and gazed into Peggy's eyes as if lost in a completely different world.

And for a moment, it felt like Eponine was with us again.

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