Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 28

Meryl and Don were laying in bed watching TV one morning when they heard a baby Henry crying from his room across the hall in the Millerton, NY home. "I'll get him." Meryl said getting up fast and becoming woozy all of a sudden.

"Babe, are you okay?" Don asked as he saw her go pale and saw her wobbly she was.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled trying to regain her equilibrium.

"Honey, you're really pale. Let me get him." Don said getting up.

"No, I'm fine, really. I'll bring him in here." She feigned a smile as she walked across the hall. Meryl saw things go blurry and her heart was beating fast. 'Just get Henry and take him to Don.' Meryl said to herself as she grabbed the doorway when she got to Henry's room and took a deep breath as she tried to find the energy to get to his crib and take him to Don. "There's Mommy's big boy, let's take you to Daddy." Meryl said reaching into the crib to try to get him out, but it took too much energy, she couldn't get him all the way out. She took a deep breath. "Let's try this again." She said as she heaved and got him out, but it was too much, and as she went to walk towards the door she blacked out, bringing Henry down with her.

***

Don was lying in bed when he heard a crash and Henry's cries sounded like the were closer. "MERYL?!" Don called out, but nothing. It then sounded like Henry's cries were louder and that was when he saw Henry crawling into the room, screaming.

"HENRY!" Don exclaimed jumping out of bed and picking him up. "What's wrong, champ? Why is your lip bleeding?" He asked Henry as he got a towel from the bathroom, and after wetting it put it on Henry's lip. "Where's Mommy? What happened?" Don asked holding Henry close as he tried to comfort him. "MERYL?" Don called out again. "Let's go find Mommy."

Don's heart sank when he walked into his son's room only to find his wife unconscious on the floor. That was when he saw it-the dark circles, her thin face, and her sunken in stomach that was revealed when her shirt was pulled up a ways due to the fall. 'Fuck, they were right." Don breathed as he went over to his wife to see if she was breathing.

After checking to make sure his wife had a pulse, it was faint but it was there, Don immediately ran downstairs to open the door and call the ambulance. All the while trying to calm a screaming Henry. He also got some ice for Henry's lip. He didn't know what happened, but was sure Meryl fainted while carrying Henry. One thought kept running through his mind...'If Meryl fainted while holding Henry they can call DHS on us and possibly take him away.' Don wouldn't let that happen.

***

"MAMA...MAMA...MAMA..." Henry was screaming when Don ran back in where Meryl was.

"Mama's just resting, buddy it's okay." Don kissed Henry's head as he knelt down next to his wife. "Baby, I need you to open your eyes. The ambulance is on it's way, but fuck baby, open those eyes. I need to know what happened. Please, Meryl, please, come back." Don choked as he stroked her cheek.

Meryl came to and no longer felt Henry in her arms. "HENRY!" She screamed.

"Thank God." Don breathed. "It's okay, baby, I've got him."

Meryl saw Don holding a screaming Henry with a bloody lip and tried to sit up. "My baby." She choked.

"He's okay, stay there." Don said reaching for a pillow on the rocking chair and put it under her head. "Meryl, you fainted and the ambulance is on it's way. Before it gets here we need to talk."

"Don, I don't need an ambulance." She said holding her head.

"Bull shit! Don't argue with me. Our son has a bloody lip and you were out cold on his floor. Have you been eating?" Don just came out right with it.