You're Beautiful To Me

It feels like hours later when I am finally taken into a room, all my scans and tests done and I see Frank sitting on the small two seater couch in the corner with Anna and Miles, Miles snoring softly against Franks chest. "Daddy" Anna exclaims when she sees me, sliding off the couch and running over towards the bed as the doctor and nurses wheel it into place and one of the nurses moves around to hook me up to the iv waiting for me. "Daddy" Anna says again, sounding slightly impatient as she clenches her hands in the side of the sheets and tries to pull herself up onto the bed with me, the other nurse chuckling softly and as Frank goes to stand and grab her the nurse scoops her up and gently places her in my lap, Anna wasting no time in squirming around to lay against my chest and I grab her, gently guiding her so she doesn't hurt me again. "Hey cheeky" I greet her once she's settled and she lets out a small giggle as the doctor says "So this is the wrestling queen huh?" and Anna giggles again before falling silent, her face rubbing against my shirt and I can tell she's almost ready for a nap. "Yeah this is her" I tell the doctor and he nods as he opens my chart in his hands, skimming through two pages before saying "Well Mr Iero it looks like you've simply torn a few of your internal stitches open. We have two options for treatment, we can give you some medication to help the blood clot a little sooner than it normally would and hopefully that will seal the wound again and stop the slight bleeding you have. If this doesn't work however we will have no choice but to put you back under and restitch the wound." I nod, feeling a little scared by the thought of having to go into surgery again but the doctor offers me a warm smile as one of the nurses leaves the room, coming back a minute later with a small bottle and a needle. "I'm going to add the medication to your iv now and in the morning we'll send you for another scan to see if it's worked. Don't worry Mr Iero, you're going to be just fine" he tells me as he fiddles with my drip and I focus my attention back on Anna who has gone still against my chest, her eyes still open but closing for longer and longer every time she blinks and I can hear her softly humming to herself, making me feel more relaxed. After the doctor is finished he tells me to call if I start to feel any different or if the pain in my chest comes back before leaving with the nurse who stayed behind and once they're gone Frank comes over and sits beside my bed with Miles still curled up in his lap. "You've really gotta stop doing this to me baby or I'm gonna be the one having a heart attack." "I'm sorry Frankie, it wasn't me this time" I tell him and he smiles and says "Yeah I know but you still scared me." We fall into comfortable silence after that, Anna finally asleep and I slide down the bed a little to lay down a little more, one arm wrapped around Anna's sleeping body while my other reaches out and grabs Franks free hand, tangling my fingers with his as our hands rest on the bed beside me. "I love you" I whisper and Frank smiles as we stare into each other's eyes and he whispers back "I love you more." I giggle softly as I poke my tongue out at him, making Frank giggle softly too and I feel myself getting sleepy, a wide smile on my face as I let my eyes slip closed and the last thing I register is Franks warm hand gently squeezing mine as he softly says "Sleep my love."

The next morning the doctor comes in to take me for another scan, Frank and the kids still at home and I feel myself getting nervous again, wanting the tests to be over. Twenty minutes later I am taken back to my room and the doctor tells me the medication worked and I am free to go home. When he leaves I climb out of bed, changing back into my clothes that Frank left beside the bed the afternoon before and by the time I'm dressed the door is opening and Anna comes toddling in with her unicorn clenched in one hand and Miles' hand grasped in her other, Miles toddling along beside her, looking around wide eyed and when he spots me he lets out a shriek before pointing at me with his free hand and saying "Dada." "That's right baby boy" I encourage him as I slide off the edge of the bed and kneel down, Miles tearing his hand away from his sisters as he makes a path for me, toddling as fast as his little legs will carry him until he's within arm distance of me and I scoop him up, lifting him into the air and making him shriek and giggle before bringing him back down and cuddling him to my chest. "Me" I hear another little voice say and when I turn my head I see Anna standing beside me, her unicorn laying forgotten on the floor as she stands with her arms held out and I chuckle softly as I glance over and share a look with Frank who is standing just inside the door watching us. "You too huh?" I ask as I gently put Miles back on his feet, turning slightly on my knees to face Anna and I scoop her up the same way, lifting her into the air and she giggles and waves her arms around as I bring her back down and cuddle her to my chest, planting sloppy kisses all over her face. After I've finished giving Anna and Miles their cuddles I stand back up, giving Frank a lingering kiss before we gather my stuff and leave the hospital, Miles walking beside me as I lean down and hold his hand and when we're all in the car, Frank reaches out and grabs my hand, holding it the whole drive home and the smile on my face is so wide it hurts my cheeks, Franks expression matching and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me, feeling free and happy and the best I have in as long as I can remember, the three most important people in my life helping me feel that way as I know everything is going to finally be ok.

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