[muses_w_remotes] 14.11 - Just Breathe
"There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio. What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same: only love." | Don Juan DeMarco
Frankie knew he should be sleeping, but he couldn't. He was scared. And alone. The nice nurses let him stay in a bed in the same room as Randall, so that was comforting, but he was still scared.
He reached a hand out to Randall's bed, but couldn't really reach. He sat up and looked around a bit, then slipped from his bed. He winced slightly. He had a big cut on his stomach from the seat belt and bruises. He tried to not think about the accident, because he remembered the whole thing. He remembered how scared he was when Randall wouldn't wake up.
Frankie chewed on his lip and carefully hoisted himself up onto Randall's bed. He was even more careful with positioning himself on the bed then laying down against Randall's shoulder. He closed his eyes.
"Please wake up," he whispered. "You're supposed to be my dad, remember?" Frankie ran his arm across his teary eyes and pulled Randall's arm around himself then burrowed himself in. In a few minutes he was finally drifting off to sleep.
The nurses found him, of course, but let him stay. There was nothing vital they needed to do for their other patient at the moment. And they knew the little boy needed his rest.
***
Katie McMann made her entrance in a way neither daughter doubted she would. Her son-in-law drove the three up in no time, and Katie jumped from the car before it even stopped moving. It was early morning by then, the sun only considering rising.
"Where are my babies?" She ran up to the check-in counter of the ER, the first door she'd run in. The nurse there looked up.
"Who are you looking for ma'am?" Due to the accident over on the interstate, it had been a long night with a lot of worried people running through the door.
"Randall McMann and Frankie Mackenzie. They were in a car accident. My son-in-law spoke-"
At that point her daughters and Josh came to her side. Andy put an arm around her mother and let Josh take over the conversation. Before long they were being directed up to another floor. Visiting hours were over, but considering the situation, and the fact that there was a minor all alone, rules were being bent.
The four found the right floor and made their way down the hallway. There was a small waiting area where the kids sat down while Katie went on to find the room. She counted the doors until she found the right one and peeked in. She held her heart at the sight of her son laying there and Frankie at his side. She walked in and moved over, running her fingers through Randall's hair. Then she kissed his forehead.
Frankie shifted a bit and she moved her hand to his back. "Honey?"
"Huh?" Frankie blinked awake and stared at her for a beat or two registering it all. Then his eyes went wide and he struggled out of the bed. "Grandma Katie!" In no time he had both feet on the floor and was running at her. She hugged him tightly and kissed the top of his head.
"Are you okay?"
"I wanna go home," the boy whined. Then he broke down into tears for the first time all night. Katie pulled him over to a chair and sat down with him in her lap. She rubbed his back and held him.
"It's okay," she murmured. "You're okay. Your Mom's on her way."
***
Josh had his arm around Erin and the three sat in the chairs as they waited. More time began to pass and they each started to drift off. They didn't want to talk about anything. The girls really wanted to see their brother and Frankie, but they also knew their mom had it under control in there.
As the next couple hours ticked by, all three fell asleep in their chairs. While down in Randall's room Katie was laying with Frankie in Frankie's bed, both asleep as well.
Everyone waiting.
679
Frankie knew he should be sleeping, but he couldn't. He was scared. And alone. The nice nurses let him stay in a bed in the same room as Randall, so that was comforting, but he was still scared.
He reached a hand out to Randall's bed, but couldn't really reach. He sat up and looked around a bit, then slipped from his bed. He winced slightly. He had a big cut on his stomach from the seat belt and bruises. He tried to not think about the accident, because he remembered the whole thing. He remembered how scared he was when Randall wouldn't wake up.
Frankie chewed on his lip and carefully hoisted himself up onto Randall's bed. He was even more careful with positioning himself on the bed then laying down against Randall's shoulder. He closed his eyes.
"Please wake up," he whispered. "You're supposed to be my dad, remember?" Frankie ran his arm across his teary eyes and pulled Randall's arm around himself then burrowed himself in. In a few minutes he was finally drifting off to sleep.
The nurses found him, of course, but let him stay. There was nothing vital they needed to do for their other patient at the moment. And they knew the little boy needed his rest.
***
Katie McMann made her entrance in a way neither daughter doubted she would. Her son-in-law drove the three up in no time, and Katie jumped from the car before it even stopped moving. It was early morning by then, the sun only considering rising.
"Where are my babies?" She ran up to the check-in counter of the ER, the first door she'd run in. The nurse there looked up.
"Who are you looking for ma'am?" Due to the accident over on the interstate, it had been a long night with a lot of worried people running through the door.
"Randall McMann and Frankie Mackenzie. They were in a car accident. My son-in-law spoke-"
At that point her daughters and Josh came to her side. Andy put an arm around her mother and let Josh take over the conversation. Before long they were being directed up to another floor. Visiting hours were over, but considering the situation, and the fact that there was a minor all alone, rules were being bent.
The four found the right floor and made their way down the hallway. There was a small waiting area where the kids sat down while Katie went on to find the room. She counted the doors until she found the right one and peeked in. She held her heart at the sight of her son laying there and Frankie at his side. She walked in and moved over, running her fingers through Randall's hair. Then she kissed his forehead.
Frankie shifted a bit and she moved her hand to his back. "Honey?"
"Huh?" Frankie blinked awake and stared at her for a beat or two registering it all. Then his eyes went wide and he struggled out of the bed. "Grandma Katie!" In no time he had both feet on the floor and was running at her. She hugged him tightly and kissed the top of his head.
"Are you okay?"
"I wanna go home," the boy whined. Then he broke down into tears for the first time all night. Katie pulled him over to a chair and sat down with him in her lap. She rubbed his back and held him.
"It's okay," she murmured. "You're okay. Your Mom's on her way."
***
Josh had his arm around Erin and the three sat in the chairs as they waited. More time began to pass and they each started to drift off. They didn't want to talk about anything. The girls really wanted to see their brother and Frankie, but they also knew their mom had it under control in there.
As the next couple hours ticked by, all three fell asleep in their chairs. While down in Randall's room Katie was laying with Frankie in Frankie's bed, both asleep as well.
Everyone waiting.
679