All in the Game

Chapter thirty || disaster strikes

𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 

Two days. 

Baxter spent two days in the hospital so the doctors could monitor him, to make sure he had no further problems. Today he goes home, back to his own bed, back to his brother so the three of us can be a family again. 

My mom called this morning to tell me her and Ace would be there waiting for us. Part of me hoped she would say Nathan would be there, the other part wanted nothing to do with him. All he's ever caused is pain. He left me, pain. He never picked up the damn phone, pain. He's broken my heart over and over, pain. He almost got our son killed, pain. When will it stop? 

"You ready to go little bug?" He looks at me and I can see the happiness in his eyes. "Is Ace going to be there?" A laugh escapes me, "of course he is love." The doctor comes in wearing his white coat, and a tie with turtles on it. 

"I like your tie." Baxter says greeting him. He laughs, "you do?" Baxter nods pointing at the tie he says, "turtles are my favorite animal." Untying his tie and handing it over to Bax. "Why don't you keep it for when you're older." 

"Really? Thanks!" Baxter leaps up to give his doctor a hug. "Now why don't you go wait outside for a minute while I talk to your mama." Baxter skips outside to wait in the lobby where my dad sits chatting with an old friend. Baxters doctor turns to me smiling which is a huge relief. It tells me that this talk isn't bad news. 

"You know you just made him the happiest kid in the world right?" 

"That's what I'm here for, it's the reason I became a children's doctor. I love seeing them smile or hearing their little laughs it brings me joy." 

"What did you want to tell me?" 

He sighs closing his eyes. "Baxter is going to be fine. But just keep an eye on him today." Nodding along to his words, he gestures with his hands to follow him; I do and we join Baxter and my father in the lobby watching Disney on the tv. "You ready to go little guy?" He nods hopping off the couch. 

"How about I get you a treat for being such brave boy these fast few days." The doctor starts doing a magic trick without even one mess up. Teasing Baxter with the lollipop before finally giving it to him. "Thank you," Baxter's tiny voice says. "Oh, I almost forgot." His doctor says reaching behind his ear and pulling out a second lollipop. "For your brother." 

Baxter takes it, and quickly unwraps his from its packing. "I'll take him out to the car." My dad tells me carrying Baxter with a lollipop in his mouth. "If being a doctor doesn't work out, I think you would make a fabulous magician." He only laughs. 

As promised mom and Ace are there when we get home. The boys run to each other hugging and laughing. Baxter gives Ace his lollipop and the two run to their room. "I hope Ace didn't cause too much trouble for y'all?" 

She shakes her head, "not at all. Believe it or not one is actually harder than two though." Of course it is, when there's two they have someone to play with. I don't tell her this she's a mother she can figure that out all on her own. 

"Have you talked to Nathan since...?" A chill suddenly falls over the room, rubbing my arms does me no good. "Is it cold in here to you?" I ask wanting to avoid this topic altogether. She shakes her head and gives me a look as if knowing exactly what I'm doing. 

I feel awful about what happened between me and Nathan, but I still don't know what was going on in his mind when he did what he did? Yelling wasn't the solution and I have to make things right between us somehow. The only thing holding me back is the same thing that made me scared to go out with him in the first place.