Handle With Care - Book 4 in "What is Life" series

Chapter 20

"Ethan Johns!" we all screamed into the night.

"What is going on?" Ollie asked in a panic as he joined the search for his brother.

"Dhani and Ethan were playing hide and seek and he went outside," Olivia relayed what I had told her.

We were moving quickly out into the garden. We had such a big property that I started to panic. I was beginning to hyperventilate and needed to sit down immediately.

"George?" Olivia asked and was quickly at my side.

"I'm okay," I said, "keep looking."

She nodded and ran off with the others to look for him.

I slowly got up and onto my feet and felt like crying. I am always deep in thought but there was no time to think, all of my emotions were just over flowing.

Ethan is Lauren's baby, her pride and joy. Her last connection to Glyn Johns. Obviously he was going to be okay and we would find him but the thought of something happening to him under my watch made me feel sick.

My breathing was shallow and I started to feel dizzy once more. I took a step and just collapsed.

......

I opened my eyes and it was dark. It almost felt like I was in some sort of purgatory because I didn't know what happened to me and I didn't know where Ethan was.

Ethan.

That was my main concern.

I sat up and looked directly to my right and saw someone laying in a chair. I was in a hospital bed.

Was it Olivia sitting there?

"Liv?" I asked in the darkness.

She started to move and sat up after realizing I was awake and alert.

"It's me... It's Lauren," I heard in the darkness and I batted my eye lashes.

What happened and why was she here with me.

"Ethan?" I said to her as more of a question.

"He's okay, he's perfect. It's you we are worried about," she assured me. She was up close next to me now and I could see her face.

I had so many questions. I have no clue how much time has passed since being out in the garden and being here in the hospital. Was there something seriously wrong?

I was honestly scared for the first time in a long time.

"Why are you here?" I asked her, not meaning to be rude but wondering where Olivia was.

"I am your wife and I have been making decisions on your behalf," she said softly with tears in her eyes.

"What kind of decisions?" I grew more concerned.

"You collapsed in the garden and were unconscious," she said, "there are a lot of tests to be done... and I want to be here for you."

I appreciated that, only I worried then about Olivia and how this was going to affect our relationship... one that was so newly rekindled. 

"I didn't expect any of this to be happening," I shook my head, then remembered the Wilburys music video scheduled for the end of the week, "...where's Tom?"

"He's watching the kids... and I'm sure hes making sure no games of hide and seek are going on," she laughed and gave me a look. 

I was glad she was in good spirits.

"Well hopefully I am out of here by Friday because we have a big video shoot coming up," I said to her.

"I am sure you will be fine by Friday," she assured me, "the doctors said they didn't think it was anything too serious."

That was a relief.

"And Olivia?" I then asked.

"She was here, she was an emotional wreck after you collapsed," she said, "Tom took her back home after we all got here."

I was now worried about her. She was so fragile... and literally someone who did need to be handled with care. Whereas Lauren, despite all of her life's up and downs, still takes every situation shes in and somehow gets through them... Olivia is one to not know how to handle difficult moments.

Yet somehow she raised a son on her own without his father.

....

I was released from the hospital and immediately went back to my home studio. This is where I wanted to spend all of my time working on my music. 

It was weird not having Lauren here but I knew I was falling back in love with Olivia every time she brought me some tea or came in to kiss me as I worked. She has been rearranging furniture and decorating the house and livening it up and it has been nice. 

I was expecting Jeff and Tom today to set the final details on the video shoot. In the morning, Roy and Bob would be flying in first thing and we were gonna record our music video in one day.

"Knock, knock," I saw Tom step inside. 

"There he is," I greeted him and stood up for a handshake.

"How you feeling, man?" he said with a look of concern.

"Much better, I think it was just a little scare but they released me with a clean bill of health," I smiled, "looks like I will live to see another day."

"Lauren has been worried, she was jealous I was coming over today," he said.

"Is that so?" I rolled my eyes. She knows she can come here whenever she wants to.

"Shes visiting a few homes today - I have faith she will find us a nice one," he then said.

I was glad they planned on settling down here in England so all of the kids would have their mother close by, and honestly I was quite excited for the two of them to be together because I am also in love with another person.

The world might not understand our situation but it isn't the worlds business.