Missing Year

Recovery Road

Emma was still in recovery but getting better and stronger every day. She was slowly walking around and off the blood transfusion. Killian would push his swan to the NICU in a wheelchair and visit their son. Ian was crying. "Ian.. Ian..." He cried lessen. "Mama is here baby boy." She rubs Ian's hand making him stop crying. She was in awe her newborn son just wanted her. "Mama is not going anywhere." Ian coos. Killian took pictures of his swan and their son on his iPhone.

At night, Hope wakes up crying, "Mama. Mama."

Killian enters his daughter's room seeing her crying in her crib. "Little love."

"Mama."

He took Hope from her crib. "Little love, you are with Dada."

"Mama."

"Mama is in the hospital getting better."

"Mama ome."

"I know you want Mama home, so do I."

Henry enters the room. "Hopey, how about we make Mama an art project."

"Yes."

He and Hope made a picture for their Mom. Hope was sitting on her Daddy's lap and holding his hook as she made a picture for her Mama.

The following morning, Emma walked slowly in pain to the NICU from her recovery room. She sees her son. "Hi, Ian!" He turned to his Mama hearing her voice. "Hi, baby boy." She held her son and sat on the rocking chair. "Mama is here."

A nurse approaches Emma and Killian Jr. "Your son's MRI is clear no fluid in his brain."

"That is great. You hear that, Ian? Your brain is normal." She rubs her son's hand.

"We are still watching his oxygen levels."

"Can I breastfeed him?"

"Of course, you can."

"I am also going to pump so when I am in my recovery room, he will have my milk." Ian moved to her breast. "You are hungry, baby?" She pulled up her shirt and breastfed her son. The nurse went to another baby.

Ian sucked on right away. "Good boy, Ian. You know Mama has your milk" She rubs her son's brunette head. "I love you so much, baby boy." After he was fed and burped, Emma changed her son into a Mickey Mouse onesie.

Killian, Henry, and Hope took the bus to the hospital to visit the rest of their family. Killian held his daughter on his hip of the bus. Hope waved at the bus. "Bye-bye."

They arrive in Emma's recovery room. "Mama!!!" Hope runs to her Mama holding a drawing. "Hi, my baby duckling. What do you got with you?"

"Art!" Henry sets his sister on the bed. "You!"

"This drawing is for me?!"

"Yes!"

She hugged her daughter. "I love the drawing you made me, baby duckling."

"Hope misses you at home. We both do."

She hugged her daughter and son. "I missed you two so much."

"Ome."

"I am coming home soon,baby girl. I have boo-boo pain."

"Ba-aid."

"I have a band aid, sweetheart." She hugged her daughter.

"Ian, baby."

"Ian and I will be home soon."

"How are you feeling, love?"

"I am still in pain. They made me walk a little while ago. It is going to be a while until I am not in pain anymore and back to my normal self. I walked to see Ian today."

"Ho was our son?"

"He was eating from me which is a good sign. His MRI results are normal. No fluid in his brain."

"That is great news, love! He is getting stronger."

"Yes! They are keeping an eye on his oxygen."

"You keep resting, the stronger you get. Love. The sooner you and Ian will be home." He wrapped his arm around his swan.

"Dr.Peirce said I will be in recovery more at home too."

"I am going to care for you and Ian, love." He hugged his wife gently.

"Mom, you have me to help out."

"Too!!"

Emma smiles at her children. "Have you seen Ian today?"

"Not yet."

"No." Hope hugged her Mama. "Mama."

"You can stay with me while Dada and Henry visit Ian for their boy time. We are going to have our girl time."

Hope clapped her hands happily. "Only girl." Emma chuckles.

"Little love, be a good little one for your Mama."

"Yes, Dada." She yawns.

"Someone had a long night, wanting her Mama."

She hugged her daughter. "Hopey, You can nap with me, baby girl." She kissed her daughter on the head. Killian and Henry went to visit Ian. He tells his baby brother a story from his storybook.

Emma played with Hope from the toys brought from home. Hope kept hugging her Mama as they played. She smiled at her daughter who she knows misses her a lot at home. "I love you so much, baby duckling. You are my only baby girl."

"Me!!"

Emma laughs. "Yes, Hopey." They continue playing and reading books. She receives a text from Killian, Ian is hungry. He will only take the breast."

"We are on the way." Emma changed it to a comfy hoodie. "Hopey, we are going to walk to Daddy and Henry!"

"Ian?"

"Yes. Mama has to feed Ian."

The mother and daughter walked to the NICU, Hope was ahead seeing her Daddy. "Dada!!" She faced her Mama. "Mama! Ian here!"

"I see Dada and Ian, baby girl." Hope runs to her Daddy.

Killian scooped Hope into his arms. "Hope, no running."

"She was excited to see her Dada that is all." Ian began wailing. "Ian." She scooped her newborn son in her arms. "Are you hungry?" She sits down on the rocking chair and pulled up her sweatshirt. Her son latched on right away and began eating.

"Mama boo-boo."

"I am just feeding Ian, Hope."

"Mom, do you want anything from outside of the hospital?"

"Starbucks and grilled cheese."

"Me too!!"

Henry looked at his baby sister. "You want a grilled cheese baby sis?"

"Yes!"

"Dad, Hope will come with me to Starbucks. We are going to have H time!" Henry carried his sister out of the NICU knowing their parents needed alone time with Ian.

Killian wrapped his arm around his swan, knowing she is an amazing Mommy to their newborn son. "How is feeding him with his oxygen tubes?"

"I make sure they do not move. I remember how I used to breastfeed Hope with oxygen tubes. I am used to it." She rubs Ian's head.

"My swan is a pro by now." He kissed his swan on the head. Emma smiles.

After Ian was fed, "Ian, I havw something for you." He shows his son a duckling doll. He gripped the toy.

"Dada got you a duckling doll!" She kissed her son on the head. Ian coos. "He loves it!"

"Aye, he is his Mama's baby duckling." He kissed his son on the head.

The Jones family of six work as a team. Ian and Emma will be home soon.