Promises (TP 6)

86 - For good

Going home from work on Monday was anticlimactic. At least Hannah was home cooking dinner, because Ryder was working. He tried not to miss Tessa, but teenagers were a poor substitute. Gabby was working, so having only the other two around the table seemed odd. It was only one less than when he spent the two weeks with Tessa and the little girls. First, he missed his kids while they were away. With them back, he missed Tessa, Maya, and Chloe.

He had an appointment for him, Hannah, Gabby, and Kevin to meet with Dr. Deb a week from Wednesday. Patrick had met with Deb, the week before to discuss Hannah's progress and his concerns about the baby and her leaving for college angry.

Deb explained that Hannah was stuck in her stages of grief. His dating had sent her back into anger. She asked if she had been depressed before he introduced Tessa. He paused, as the guilt consumed him. "It was winter, and she was moody. Now she'll be out every night if she can arrange it, but she had been home more, even on weekends. We all were, so I didn't think twice. Then she met Ryder and started seeing him."

Deb nodded. "It is hard for teens to let the anger go. They hate admitting they were wrong. You worry about her going away to school, but the distance may allow her to make some strides without feeling ashamed."

Patrick said, "I want her happy."

"Let's get through the baby news. She'll have more anger, I'm certain."

Their appointment was a week away, and every time he thought of it, he broke into a sweat.

Tuesday crawled, because he was counting the hours and the minutes until he saw Tessa. He had a date and felt like a highschool kid. Hannah was working and the other two knew he'd be out until ten. One surgery meant one phone call.

Paul commented as he headed towards the door at five. "Hot date?"

He waved without answering. It might not be hot, at least not until after bedtime, but he had a date. His date was with three special girls. One was extra special.

As he drove to Tessa's, he thought of all the people he needed to tell about the baby. Paul, as his friend, was at the top of the list as was his mother. His office was closer to Tessa's house, so the commute took less time. When he parked in the driveway, he entered the house and called out.

Chloe ran down the stairs and grabbed hold of him in a fierce hug. "Mommy fell down and got hurt. She went to the hospital."

He felt the color drain from his face. He rounded the corner of the halfway landing. Tessa's neighbor looked down at him.

Before he could ask, she said, "She twisted her ankle. It might just be a sprain. My husband drove her."

He had to stop himself from asking about the baby. He wasn't sure what concerned him most, Tessa or their son.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." She must have seen his concern.

"I need to go to her." He looked down at Chloe, who hadn't let go of him. Maya was looking down at him. She looked scared. "Girls, I'll call Gabby to come over. Would you like that?"

Maya nodded, but Chloe said, "Yeah."

"When my daughter comes, you can go. Girls, I'll be back with your mom."

He voice dialed Gabby from his car as he drove to Portland. When he finished telling her what happened, she said, "Kev's here. We'll both go."

"I'll call as soon as I know what's going on."

He parked and sprinted through the front door. With his hospital badge on, he walked into the emergency room like he belonged. Stopping at the desk, he said, "Simon."

The nurse didn't look up from the screen and pointed. In the room, Tessa was alone on the bed when he rushed in.

"Tess, are you okay?" She had tears in her eyes. He bent over and kissed her. "Is the baby okay?"

She nodded. "My ankle. They want to check the baby, but I fell on my side."

"Does it hurt?" He looked at her ankle. It was swollen.

A nurse walked in and looked from him to Tessa. She glanced at his badge hooked to his belt. Eight hours before, he was in an operating room. The nurse smiled. "OB's on their way down. The doctor will be in soon about your ankle."

He took her hand. "Gabby and Kevin are going to your house. The girls are worried."

"I know." Her face was pale.

He reach over and wiped her tears. "I wished you called me. How long were you alone?"

"I don't know. You were working."

"I would have left work for you. Is it painful?"

"Yes." She nodded up and down. "It can't be broken!"

"Don't jump to conclusions."

He wanted to hold her in his arms. Instead, he brought her hand to his lips.

A doctor breezed in. "We have OB and ortho's on the way. You have a break."

She whimpered as he tried to reassure her. "It's okay. We'll take care of you."

"My girls need me."

"We'll help." Patrick squeezed her hand.

The doctor smiled. "OB is here."

Patrick listened as a resident explained she would do an ultrasound. She leaned over and felt Tessa's belly. "Any tenderness?"

Tessa shook her head. He squeezed her hand again. Patrick helped pull up Tessa's dress. A sheet covered below her belly. Once the gel was on, the wand picked up the baby's heartbeat. "That's good and strong." She continued to move the wand around. "The Placenta is attached."

Patrick felt relieved and kissed her hand.

The OB resident said, "The fluid cushions the baby. Everything appears to be healthy."

"Thank God. Our son is fine." He kissed her. If he had any doubts about having a baby, they were gone. Looking at Tessa in the bed, he knew exactly what he wanted.

Tessa winced. "I just want to go home."

"I think you and the girls should come home with me."

"But..."

He stopped her. "I'll deal with Hannah. Gabby can help."

"You have more steps."

He did, but he needed her with him, even if he was at work. He would worry if she was home alone with the girls. He hated to offer an alternative. "Can your mother come and help you out?"

She shook her head. "They just left on a trip. They'll be gone for two weeks."

He couldn't continue the discussion, because the orthopedic stepped into the room. He introduced himself and they listened as he explained his treatment plan. "We'll cast it when the swelling goes down, but you'll need to keep weight off it for about six weeks. We'll check the progress. The good news is it should heal without surgery. For now, we'll wrap it and let you get home. You can call my office for an appointment. Once we cast it, you can move around on crutches. Until then you should keep it elevated."

When he finished wrapping her ankle, Tessa signed the standard discharge forms, and they put her in a wheelchair while he bought his car around. Once on the road, he said, "Don't argue. We're picking up what you need. You and the girls are coming home with me."

Patrick wished they were staying for good.