Third In Line

Chapter Thirty Two - Three Little Grapes

His watch felt heavier as he put it back on, or perhaps he was just weaker. He was drained, emotionally and physically, wound up like a spring after the past few hours. It was only half past one in the afternoon, but it still felt like the day was over and done with.

He was struggling to relax, struggling to rein in all his worries. The doctors had reassured him that they weren't serious injuries, but his normally cautious mind was still going haywire.

Concussion, sprained wrist, deep cuts, bruises, stitches and Kate. Kate and our third little grape.

She was a mess, worse than he was. He worried if that meant he didn't care as much, if that meant that he couldn't care as much, but he knew he did. He wanted to stay strong, support the girls, the role he was so used to after all these years. He was the one who, no matter what, would not let his nerves get the best of him, but he was struggling.

He watched as Ellie was rolled out of the MRI room and set up in private room with her sister, their mother following close behind with her hand firmly holding on to her daughter's bed. The girls were looking better now that they were cleaned up and bandaged, but he could see his wife's frayed nerves from a mile away.

Standing out here isn't helping, I need to be in there.

Will went and grabbed drinks for all of them, hot chocolate for the girls, soothing tea for Kate and himself. He walked up behind her and held the tea up to her nose, smiling as he watched her body relax when she smelled the brew.

It was his job to look after her, to look after everyone. He could tell how surprised she was when he put his hand on her belly, gently reminding her. "We need to look after you and the baby too"

He hated how easy it was to forget that he was going to become a father for the third time, how the night before had almost entirely disappeared behind the shadow of today.

"The girls are fine" he whispered to her, to calm not only her but himself as well. "Only minor injuries, they'll forget about them in a month"

"But I won't" she whispered back as they watched the girls talk, Ellie sitting on her sister's bed and smiling idly.

"I know dear, me neither. But all this worrying can't be good for the baby"

"You're right." She sipped her tea, sighing with delight "You always know how to make me feel better."

"What are you two whispering about?" Alex's voice went off like loudspeaker in his ears.

"Oh just hoping your new sibling doesn't inherit their older sister's talent for trouble" Kate replied jokingly as she joined the two on the bed.

"And that you never do anything to make us worry like that ever again" he added, even if there was a voice in his head telling him how unlikely that was to happen.