Sleepless Nights

Thirty Eight

Three Months Later
"Mark!" I screamed, repositioning Jackson on my hip, who wasn't very happy this morning. Mark walked down the stairs rubbing his eyes.
"Yes baby?" He asked in a sleepy voice, rubbing his hands through the mess of hair on his head.
"Baby, I have to go."
"I got him." He took Jackson from my arms and bounced him up and down, humming the tune of a song to him.
"Are you sure you want me to go? I can always reschedule."
"This is really important for you. Daddy has this right buddy?" He looked down at Jackson who was tugging at the collar of his shirt. He cooed as he stuck his fingers in Mark's blue hair, staring in awe at him.
"Don't worry about us. I will call you if anything comes up okay? Now go, hang out with Vanessa and get a jump start on your career. I love you and I will see you when you get home."
"I love you too. Please call me."
"I will call you."
"But I don't want to go." I whined.
"Oh you're going." He said in his raspy morning voice. He planted a kiss on my forehead and waved Jackson's hand as I took one last look back before I shut the door and headed to the hospital.

                           ~~•••~~
    "This is where we watch surgeries." She said, walking into the room and flipping on the light switch. I was in awe at what was in front of me, anticipation and excitement pumped through my body. "Have you chose your speciality?"
"I think I'd like to do cardio or pediatrics."
"They're both amazing fields. How's your schooling going?"
"I should be done by this time next year."
"I know you're very excited for this. But I want you to know that this and that show of yours are very different. Being a surgeon is a very hard job with long hours. You have to be prepared for that. Also, when are you and Mark getting married?"
"A week."
"Am I invited?"
"Of course."
She gave me a small smile and led me towards the pediatrics wing.

                             ~~•••~~
                                Mark
  "Alright little guy." I buckled him up in his car seat, he giggled when I hit my head on the top of the car, shouting a curse word and holding my throbbing head.
"Oh we got ourselves a little comedian now don't we?" He stuck the stuffed animal in his mouth, shaking it and giggling at the noise it made. I got in the car and started heading towards Joey's. We had a video planned for today and I knew Bryan or Matt would hold Jackson when it was my turn. Anna tried to reschedule again on Vanessa because of the video. I told her that she shouldn't put me before her career, even though I put her before mine. I looked in the rear view mirror at Jackson, he was looking around at the scenery passing him, making noises and playing with the stuffed lion Jack got him, of course he died part of the mane bright green, which Anna found very adorable when she got it in the mail. I stopped in Joey's driveway and got out, putting Jackson in my arms and his diaper bag over my shoulder.
Matthias opened the front door and screamed.
"Hello little man. Uncle Matthias here, you're going to be hanging with me today." He took Jackson in his arms and smiled as Jackson pulled on his bright blue team edge shirt.
"I think that's his favorite color." Matthias said, placing him on his hip.
"Babies have favorite colors?"
"I think they recognize them, and they always take a liking to one of them. His liking being blue."
"Just like mommy." I said, smiling at Jackson.
We walked into the backyard where Joey and Bryan were setting up the challenge.
"Agh!" Joey screamed, making Jackson smile out of delight. "Jackson!" He said in a high voice, making him giggle.
"I'm the cool Uncle!" Matthias shouted.
"No, I'm the cool Uncle!" Joey screamed.
"Hate to tell you guys, but I'm the cool uncle." Bryan said as he took a deep breath of air, returning to the balloon. I gave him a smile and was thankful at how far we've came as friends. He learned to cope with Anna and now he's with Matthias and Joey's sister, they seemed happy.
"What are we even doing today?"
"We are shooting at balloons." Matthias said as Joey squeezed the air out of a balloon, the sound entertaining Jackson.

                             ~~•••~~
                                 Anna
"Thank you so much." I said as I peeled the gloves off my hands, tossing them into the trash can.
"It's not a problem. I know you love kids." She said, squeezing the finger of a child who gave her a weak smile and looked up at me.
"Are there a lot of kids here who watch YouTube?"
"I could ask, why?"
"I think it would be cool for them to meet Mark, maybe Jack and Felix too."
"Definitely, that sounds like the kids would really enjoy that. There's a teenager in 234 who watches Team Edge like they're her religion, her words not mine." She giggled and set the little girl's chart on the desk, telling something to the male nurse and gave him a small smile.
"I'll see you soon okay?"
"Definitely."
"Text me!" She shouted as she disappeared down the long corridor.
  
                          ~~•••~~
  "Honey I'm home!" I shouted. I heard the footsteps of Mark make the wood upstairs creak.
"Shh. Jackson's asleep. He's exhausted." Mark kissed me and his breath tasted awful.
"Ew what did you eat?"
"I didn't eat anything."
"Your breath is awful."
"It's probably formula."
"Did you take a drink?" I asked chuckling.
"No." He said laughing. "I was making a bottle and got the milk all over my hand. I licked it."
"Well it's disgusting."
"Try licking it."
He tried to kiss me again but I chuckled and told him to go brush his teeth.