You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

Chapter 35

"Happy Birthday to you!" a chorus of voices sang as Marie smashed her hand into the cupcake in front of her.

Little Marie was growing beautifully. She was now one year old. Marie completed the crazy Martin family which Jamie had officially joined.

Chrissy smiled and took photos of the party until Dean came up behind her.

"I don't see him anywhere," Chrissy said quietly to Dean.

"I know. We'll call him after the party to check in."

"I just worry about him. He's been so depressed lately, and the medication is not working. It's been making him jittery."

"Go call him. The party's almost over."

Chrissy raced to the phone to call Frank. Since their divorce, they had become close friends. She cared deeply about him, and he cared about her.

She dialed the phone and paced anxiously when he didn't answer.

After he didn't answer the second time, Chrissy hung up the phone and found Dean.

"Dean, I have to go check on him. Something just feels off. I don't think he would've skipped out on Marie's party. He adores her."

"Okay, okay. You want me to go?"

"No. I'll go. If he's in one of his moods, he's usually not as gruff with me. He'll just piss you off."

Dean raised his eyebrows and nodded.

Chrissy drove to Frank's house and knocked on the door. She saw his car parked in the driveway. When he didn't answer, she let herself in. "Frankie! Frank! Are you here?"

She heard nothing.

Her gut felt like it was in knots. She knew something had to be wrong.

"Frank, where are you?"

Nothing.

After racing around the house, Chrissy found him unconscious on the floor of the kitchen.

"Frank!"

She knelt down next to him and saw a gash in his forehead.

"Frank, my God! What's happened?"

She quickly grabbed a dish towel and began dabbing at his forehead.

"Frank! Are you alright?"

Silence.

She put her ear to his chest and could hear his heart beating. He was at least alive.

"I have to go call for help."  She picked up his hand and kissed it, "It'll be alright."

She quickly went to call 911.

When she returned to Frank, she sat next to him. She gently petted his hair with one hand and rubbed his shoulder her other hand. He finally started to become conscious again.

"Chrissy?" was all he said with wide and confused eyes.

"Shhh. It's okay."

A few minutes later the ambulance arrived, and Chrissy followed it to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, she found a phone to call Dean.

"Dean, it's me. I'm at Cedars with Frank. He seemed to fall and hit his head. He was out cold when I got there, but he started to wake up when the ambulance came.

"Christ," Dean let out a breath.

"Just stay with Marie. I'll call you when I hear something."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I need to get ahold of Nancy because they probably wont tell me anything since we aren't family."

"That's true."

"I love you, Dino."

"Love you."

She hung up and was about to call Nancy when the doctor tapped her on the shoulder, "Mrs. Martin, he's asking for you."

"I should call his daughter first."

"He asked that you wait until we have results as not to worry anyone. He would like for you to come sit with him though."

Chrissy complied and followed the doctor. When she saw Frank, he was bandaged up but looked considerably better than at the house.

"Hey, you," she walked toward him and kissed his cheek.

"Hey," he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Thanks for caring about me. Doc says if you hadn't found me, I'd be dead."

"Oh, Frank."

"They're running tests. They think the depression medication caused a heart attack. Then I fell and hit my head, causing a concussion."

Chrissy squeezed his hand tight, "I know you... I knew you wouldn't have missed Marie's birthday."

"No, and I'm terribly sorry I did."

"Don't be silly."

"Chrissy, if something would happen to me and Nancy first... I know they're almost all grown up now, but promise me... Promise me you'd look after them... You know be there for when the girls have their babies and when Frankie gets married and all that."

"You're going to be around for that, Frank."

"I'm planing on it, but I'd still like you to promise me."

"Of course, I promise."

The doctor came in the room, "Well, there's good and bad. Bad news is there's some damage to your heart from the heart attack. The good news is that it's fairly minor, so with proper rest and care, you should be able to recover quite well."

Frank nodded.

"What does that look like?" Chrissy asked.

"A lot of rest. You're going to need to be off of your feet for at least a few weeks. Then, you can start mild physical activity like taking a walk to the mailbox and back."

"To the mailbox and back? What the hell am I supposed to do before that? I live alone."

"Frank, no," Chrissy said sternly.

"Chrissy, I'm not asking you and Dean..."

"You didn't ask. I'm telling you. Would you share with me a list of his recovery recommendations? I'd like to get a plan together with his children and our friends, so we can best care for him."

"Of course," the doctor responded.

He left the room and Frank began to argue, "We're divorced, Chris. I am not moving in with you and Dean. I can't imagine how awkward that would all be. The stress that would put on you..."

"Frank, you are his friend and my friend. We love you and want to help you get better. There will be no argument about it. Until you can walk to the mailbox, you're staying with us. After that, we can make other arrangements."

He covered his eyes with his hand. All the tubes and wires connected to him move with his hand. She knew he had started to cry. He was a very sensitive man despite the act he put on.

She sat down next to him on the bed and rubbed his shoulder. "It's going to be alright."

"No, it's fucking not, Chris. I'm such a fuck-up. You're the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life..."

Chrissy stood up and stepped away from Frank, feeling tears pricking her own eyes. "After all we've been through... that's how you talk to me?"

"No!" he nearly shouted. He looked at her, big wet tears in his big blue eyes, "The worst mistake I ever made was letting you go. Now, you're married to my best friend, and it's a constant reminder of what I could've had. For fucks sake, now I'm on antidepressants that gave me a goddamn heart attack..." his voice was loud and his face was red.

"Frank, you have to calm down. Your heart is weak."

"That! That right there," he said weakly. "I could've had that. You caring about me. You have to go, Chrissy. I can't stand to look at you... It's killing me slowly."

With one final glance at Frank, Chrissy stepped toward the door, turned the handle, and walked out the door.