The Night That Changed Everything

I'm Sorry

He finally fell asleep but was woken up a few minutes later. He opened his eyes and looked over at his husband. Drew reached his hand towards him and Rick immediately took it. So much was said with that small movement. They had spent nearly the entire month in the hospital for many different reasons. Rick's eyes were flooded with tears as he held his husbands hand until the fell asleep. They woke up in the morning to Jordan checking all of their vitals. "I rechecked your scan and you have a pretty bad concussion. You're gonna have to stay here for a few days so we can monitor you." Jordan told him. Rick looked over to see he was still holding Drew's hand. Bri was still asleep. "I'm so sorry. I love you." Rick said as he squeezed Drew's hand. "I love you and I'm sorry too." Drew replied with a smile. Their little bubble was popped when Bri's heart monitor started beeping uncontrollably. Both men looked at their daughter. Her heart rate skyrocketed and she started choking. Jordan put on some gloves before she carefully removed the tube from her mouth.

She slowly opened her eyes and started crying. "I'm sorry." Was all she could get out before she sobbed. Jordan brought her a cup of water. She reluctantly took a sip and laid back. Just as Drew was about to speak, a nurse brought their breakfast in. Brianna pushed the table to the side and looked at her arm. It was swollen and had a large bandage on it. "Does it hurt? I can get you something for the pain." Jordan told her. "No it doesn't hurt." Bri lied. Jordan smiled at them and left the room. "Bri you need to eat something." Drew told her as he took a bite of his oatmeal. "I'm not hungry." She said as she rolled over to face the wall. "Bri." Rick said in a low voice. "It's fine." Drew said as he grabbed Rick's hand. They finished their mediocre breakfast and Rick tried to help Drew go to the bathroom, but he didn't have his prosthetic. He paged a nurse. "Did they bring my prosthetic in? I can't walk without it." He asked the nurse. She went to the nurses desk and grabbed the leg before bringing it to Rick. "Thank you." He said as she walked out.

Rick put his leg on and helped Drew stand up. He walked him into the bathroom and held him up while he used the bathroom. Drew was getting dizzy so Rick sat him down on the bench that was across from the toilet. Rick sat next to him and planted a kiss to Drew's neck. He melted into it. He almost moaned but he remembered where he was. Drew reached and locked the bathroom door before turning to face his husband. Rick nibbled on Drew's neck, careful not leave any visible hickeys. Then they heard a knock on the door. "Dads? Is everything ok in there?" Bri asked. "Yes everything is fine." Drew responded. Rick helped him stand up and they walked back to their beds. She looked at them with an eyebrow raised. Drew and Rick looked at each other before they looked back at Bri. She made a disgusted face at them before she tried to stand up. "What are you doing? Sit back down." Drew commanded sweetly. "I'm just going to the bathroom." She said as she put her feet on the ground. "Wait just a second." Drew said as he pushed the nurses button. She grunted as she waited for the nurse to walk in the room. The nurse helped her stand up and walk into the bathroom.

Bri walked out shakily and was sat back in her bed by the nurse. She smiled before she walked out of the room. She covered up and turned to face the wall. "Your arm hurts, doesn't it?" Drew asked. "N-no I'm fine." She said with a shaky voice. Drew looked at Rick who seemed to be having flashbacks. He reached for Rick's hand to bring him back to reality. Rick put some clothes on before he walked out of the room. He went outside to get some air. He was having flashbacks of all the times Drew had been hurt and didn't want pains meds. How he would refuse them even though he was hurting. Rick wiped his face and breathed in the cool morning air. He walked back inside and went back to his room.

He walked in and laid down in Drew's bed. "You're cuddly." Drew said with a smile. "And hot." He said worriedly as he turned around to face Rick. He placed his hand on Rick's forehead. "You feel like you have fever babe." Drew said as he wiped the stray tear that Rick had missed. "I'm cold." Rick said as he cuddled closer to Drew. Drew kissed Rick's forehead and pressed the nurses button. She walked in and asked what was wrong. "He feels like he has fever. Can you check his temp?" Drew asked. She nodded and stuck the thermometer under Rick's tongue. It beeped and the nurse pulled it out. "What is it?" Drew asked. "102.5." She replied. "Ok so give him some saline and draw his blood-" Drew said as he was cutoff. "Babe you're not my doctor." Rick said as he laid on Drew's chest. The nurse drew blood and sent it to the lab before she returned with an IV and some saline. Rick stuck his arm out and she pushed the needle into his vein and put the saline on the IV pole before she left the room. Rick shot up and vomited into a basin that was next to the bed. Drew rubbed his back as he called the nurse back in here. He was shaking. "I'm so cold." He said as he laid back down next to Drew. "I'll bring you some more blankets." The nurse said.

She walked back in and laid the blankets over Rick before leaving the room to go see another patient. A few hours later, they brought lunch in. Brianna refused to eat it. "If you don eat I will have them give you a feeding tube." Drew told her. She sat up and took a bite of her sandwich before she gagged and threw up in the basin that was next to her. Drew felt helpless. He was a doctor but couldn't even help his own daughter. He pushed the nurse button. "I am so sorry to keep calling you in here, but she took one bite of food and she threw up." Drew told her. The nurse checked her vitals and her temperature was 103.7. She called the doctor into the room. He assessed the two and looked at Drew. "I'm sorry but we have to move you into a separate room." He told him. Rick looked up. "No! You can't take him!" Rick said as he buried his face in Drew's chest. "Baby," Drew started. "If this is a viral infection and it spreads to Drew, he is at risk for developing a brain infection." The doctor told them. Rick stood up reluctantly and kissed his husband before he got back in his own bed. "I love you." Drew told them before he left. "I love you too." Bri and Rick said in unison. The nurse pushed their beds closer together. She gave them some antibiotics and left the room.

Rick FaceTimed drew and propped the phone on the table in between him and Bri. "We got some drugs." Rick said jokingly as he showed Drew their IVs. He laughed at his ridiculous husband. Brianna sat up and ate her fruit cup, much to Drew's surprise. "Someone is feeling better." He said with a smile. She nodded as she shoved the fruit in her mouth. "I miss you." Rick said with sad eyes. "Baby I've been gone for less than 20 minutes." Drew said with a chuckle. "How do I get more food?" Bri asked with a slight smile. "There's food on your tray." Rick told her. "It's cold now." She pouted. Rick heard Drew's or open. "I have to go." Drew told him. "No I want to hear what the doctor says." Rick pleaded. Drew nodded. "We checked your labs and there is no sign of infection, but you won't be able to see them until you're discharged." The doctor told him. "How long will that be?" Rick asked with a tear in his eye. "A week? There is no way to tell at this point." He said before he left the room.

The doctor walked into Rick and Bri's room. He could see the look on his face. "Just tell me." Rick told him. "You have bacterial meningitis. I'm sorry but we have to quarantine you separately." He said with a sorrowful face. "No!" Bri shouted. "She can't be alone. I have to be with her." Rick told the doctor. "I will see what I can do but it's protocol for patients to be separated when quarantined." He said as he left the room. Rick looked at Bri who was practically shaking. "Look at me. If, and this is a big if, you have to move rooms I will FaceTime you 24/7." He said as he grabbed her hand. "Yeah we can do Group FaceTime." Drew said through the phone. She had calmed down enough to be able to throw up again. Rick rubbed her arm as she laid back and fell asleep.