Black Leather Jackets: College Bound

Hospital

Toni's POV
I wake up to the baby monitor for the first time and it scares me.
"Oh shit, I'm sorry babe," Cher says getting up "I didn't wake up for 6am feeding, go back to sleep,"
"It's okay C, I'll go make coffee,"
I slept in shorts and a bra and she did too.
"Okay, please be careful," she says
"I will,"
She pecks my lips and walks down to Alex's room. I go downstairs and put coffee on and go to the living room to see Ty and Reg watching football.
"Hey Toni," Ty says
"Hey what's up?" I ask sitting down
"The Falcons finally won a game this season,"
"Bro remember when you were about to play for that shit show?" I ask Ty
"Ya it would've been nuts," he says
We watch highlights until a picture of me in my military uniform flashes up.
"In other football news, sources have confirmed Antoinette "Toni" Topaz was the soldier shot during a conflict in Afghanistan. The source confirmed Topaz is in Riverdale but the severity of her injuries is unknown. This is the first we are hearing from Topaz since declaring she was not playing in the NFL and joined the military about 2 years ago now. She was sent overseas 11 months ago. Her wife Cheryl Topaz, reportedly gave birth not too long ago but no public sightings with a baby points to this being false news," The reporter says before cutting to commercial
"Looks Like our friends are coming back to town," I sigh "how does no one know about Alexis."
"Literally everyone has been gone for the last 2 months only me and Cheryl and Elizabeth saw her before you two really, cheryl stayed home a lot,"
"She's happy though?"
"Very,"
"Good," I sigh
"Hows stumpy?" Reggie asks
"Still kicking," I smirk
We both laugh and Tyler sits there confused
"You got your leg amputated like a day ago and now you're laughing about it?"
"It's just a thing we used to do in Afghanistan," Reg sighs "people die, people get hurt it just got easier to joke about it,"
"I'm telling both your girl's to put y'all in therapy,"
We both groan.
"Cheryl already signed me up anyways," I sigh "and you too probably Reg,"
"Wouldn't doubt it,"
I hear the coffee finish and go to the kitchen to pour it into cups.
I get that done with little issue but how can I get the cups over there?
One at a time I guess
I try and crutch while carrying the coffee and I drop it, slip and fall.
"Ow shit," I yell
Cheryl walks in, laughing with lex and sees me on the ground covered in coffee
"Oh my gosh, Toni what happened?" She asks putting Lex in a high chair and kneeling beside me
"I was trying to get your coffee over there so I could help you relax but I stumbled spilt the coffee and slipped,"
"Okay, you're okay," she says calmly "does anything really hurt?"
"My.. stump I guess,"
"Okay, lets get you up and may I look at it?"
I nod and she helps me off the ground
She unwraps it and I can tell it's getting infected.
"Reginald, Tyler," she calls
They come in and she asks if they can watch Lexi.
"Ya we got it," Reggie says
"Okay we're going to the hospital TT,"
"No please Cheryl," I beg "I really don't wanna,"
"I really don't care," she says "it's infected TT,"
"Baby please, it's okay,"
"T, listen to me," she says "this is my call,  because I'm not losing you for good mkay?"
"Fine," I sigh
"Thank you," she says helping me up
I get my crutches and we go to the hospital.
"Okay babe, we're going to be nice and let them look at it,"
"Of course Cher, I'm not a bitch," I say
"Sorry I'm still stuck in the mothering mindset,"
I laugh and we sit in the waiting room for HOURS.
Cher gets a call and says she'll be back.
She's gone for like 5 ish minutes so I go look for her.
"Twinkle Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are," She sings into the phone "is she sleeping?"
Someone answers her and she sings again
"Hush little baby don't say a word, mamas going buy you a mockingbird, and if that mockingbird wont sing. Mamas gunna buy you a diamond ring," she sings "oh actually, that's amazing, hopefully we'll be home soon, bye reggie,"
She turns around and jumps.
"Oh sorry baby, Lexi wouldn't stop crying," she says
"No problem, I just wanted to see where you are,"
"Toni Topaz?" A nurse asks
"Yup that's me," I say
I crutch to a room and a doctor walks in.
"Mrs. Topaz, I see your having some leg pain?" He asks looking at the chart "sorry your stitches are infected I see,"
He looks up at me and to my leg.
"Oh an amputation," he says "I didn't get that on your chart, and it's not on your medical records,"
"The surgery was performed 2 days ago in Afghanistan,"
"Soldier?"
"Yes sir,"
"Thank you for your service," he says
I nod
"May I take a look?" He asks sitting down
"Of course,"
He takes the bandage and wrap off my leg and grazes over the cut. I wince and flex my leg.
"At least I know you can flex, the nerves are still intact," he says "was this performed in a sterile environment?"
"Yes but the wound was dirty since the field was muddy and we couldn't get aid right away and we had to lay down,"
"Okay, so I'm going to give you antibiotics, cream, and we're going to do some tests to make sure nothing major is going on now," he says "it doesn't look bad, maybe even just swelling,"
"That's good," Cher says
He takes my blood and some sample directly from the skin.
"That's all for today, and it was a bullet correct? Just so I can look for fragments,"
"Yes it was a direct shot,"
"Perfect thank you," he says
He gives us the cream and drugs and a painkiller just in case
We head home and hear Lex screaming.
"Awe my poor baby," Cheryl says taking her shoes off
She's a good mother.
"Hey girlie," Cheryl says as we get into the living room seeing Lex screaming
"Hey, hey baby calm down," Cher says picking her up "I'm back Lexi, you're okay. You're okay,"
She starts calming down as Cheryl bounces her
"TT can you bounce her while I warm up a bottle for her?" She asks
"Of course baby," I say sitting down
She hands me her and kisses my cheek.
"I'll be right back," she says
I nod and start bouncing her.
She giggles at me and I smile.
"Hey Lexi," She says "you're a cutie just like your mommy, ya,"
I kiss her forehead and she claps
"Why was she crying?" I ask
"She's never away from Cheryl and babies have no way of tracking time," ty says "she thought Cheryl left,"
"Oh," I say with a smile "you know we'd never leave you sweetheart,"
Cher comes in with a bottle and takes Lexi.
"I'll be back,"
"Just stay here Cheryl," ty says "it's not like Reggie hasn't seen your bra and we both know toni definitely has,"
She shrugs and sits beside me.
"Babe watch so you can do it maybe," she says leaning into me.
She works the air out of the top of the bottle and guides it into Lexs mouth.
"Good girl," she says as Lex starts drinking "sometimes she won't latch on very well and gets a lot of air in her stomach,"
"Can I ask why you don't breast feed?" I ask
"Oh I forgot to tell you, at the hospital they found I had low breast milk and didn't think it'd be safe for me or her,"
"Oh babes you should've told me,"
"It's okay T, it's not a big deal," she says "she's healthy and that's all that matters,"
Lex starts pushing the bottle away.
"All done bug?" Cheryl laughs
"She doesn't drink it all?" I ask
"Sometimes she gets full quick. It's normal," she sighs
She stands up and grab a small towel and starts burping her over her shoulder.
She burps and then Cheryl puts Alexis on her stomach.
She bends down and also goes on her stomach facing her.
"She isn't strong enough to crawl or walk yet, but I let her try sometimes and we just play down here,"
"Great time to watch TV because Cheryl won't tell at you," Ty says
Cheryl glares at him and turns her attention back to Lexi.
"Wa! Pa!" Lex smiles
"Hi sweetheart, you're very very happy," Cheryl says kissing her forehead
Cher gets a little giraffe and plays with her
She plays peekaboo and Lex cries the first time Cheryl covers her face.
"Awe Lexi, I'm right here sweetheart, I'm okay,"
She cheers back up and Cher smiles at her.
"She's just like you Topaz, you cry when Cheryl leaves too," Reggie teases
"Have you seen her?" I ask "she's cute,"
Cheryl smiles up at me while playing with Lexi's fingers.
"I love you TT,"
"I love you too babes,"