Generations: The Long Game

Blustery Seasons

TW: medical emergency/illness

"Autumn it's just an interview. They have do it. Why are you so opposed to this every step of the way?" She paced before him in their room. They were whisper shouting at each other, but it was an argument all the same. She hated arguing with him. "Winter, you know how I feel. I am not ready for this. I don't know if I ever will be. I agreed to fill out the application because I thought it would give us time. Me time. You are so sure of yourself and I'm just not. I don't want to fill a gap in our family without thinking about what that might mean for us and the child. I just can't. I can't."

As she walked away, she grabbed a throw off the armchair and left the room. He sat on the edge of the bed before flopping back. Lacing his fingers through his own hair and pulling it tight. She headed into Lili's room in a huff but quieted her movements as she settled into the rocker. She picked up a book from the shelf and flicked through the pages before setting it back down. She pulled the throw upon her shoulders and allowed her eyes to flutter shut.

The Next Day

Autumn woke to Lili trying to climb into her lap. As she bent to pick her up the little girl giggled. "Mamma up?" She pushed the curls from her face. "Yes, Lil, mamma up. Are you hungry should we go down and make some breakfast?" The little girl nodded and fidgeted excitedly as Autumn stood and made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. When they entered the kitchen Winter was already cooking at the stove. He looked back at her and flashed her a smile. The look on her face let him know the argument was far from over, but they wouldn't show it in front of Lil. They had both watched parents argue and had made that promise long ago.

"Can you makes sure she gets something. I want to go check on Ben and shower if he isn't up just yet." He looked in her direction. "Okay my sweet." He settled Lili into her booster and gave her a few toys to occupy her while she waited.

"Winter!!!"

The shriek of her voice startled him and knocked the pan, bacon, and grease to the floor. He turned the stove off leaving the mess and grabbed Lili before running the stairs. "He's burning up and I can't rouse him. Wint I can't rouse him!"

The ambulance pulled into the hospital and they helped her from the back. She watched as Winter pulled in as she was ushered into the hospital with Ben. It all went so quickly as doctors and nurses evaluated and treated the little boy. Her mind swirled with fears and doubts. As the doctors muttered on about infection and sending him up to pediatric intensive care.

"How did we miss this Wint? How did I miss this?" He wrapped his hand around hers. "My love he showed no signs of being sick yesterday. You saw him when you came home. He didn't even have a runny nose. We've seen this before. Kids come into the nursery seemingly perfectly healthy and then they are burning up and listless. There is no rhyme or reason to it, Aut, you know that."

"We can't lose him Wint. I can't." Her face turned pale and he squeezed her hand as he turned to her. "Autumn this is not that. He is gonna be okay." As he spoke they brought the little boy back into the room. His little body surrounded by wires and tubing. She moved to him and held his little hand. Her arms ached to hold him but there was no way, so she held his hand and sat with him.

Once they settled in the PICU her mind cleared enough to question him. "Where did you take Lili so quickly?" He looked at her with weary eyes. "Reece and Marjorie's. They are the closest and I needed to be here with him. With you. She laid her head on his shoulder the argument forgotten. Her eyes fluttered shut watching the small boy's little belly rise and fall.

As she woke they heard chaos as doctors and nurses flooded the PICU all gathering around one very tiny child. With worried eyes she looked to Winter as he squeezed her hand. "They'll get them back my love." He didn't know that for sure. He couldn't know it. He just didn't want to imagine any other outcome. He couldn't let himself.

As the alarms silenced and the room began to clear they saw a familiar face. The dark-haired nurse grimaced as she crossed the room to them. "I didn't know you were here. What's happened?" Winter filled her in on the infection and their day so far as Autumn's gaze traveled between her own son and the little child across the room.

Vivian's eyes caught her gaze. "He's okay Autumn. He'll be okay. He's a little fighter just like our Ben. They'll both be okay and out of here in no time." Autumn looked up at her and flashed a half-hearted smile. She couldn't imagine where the little boy's parents could be. Where his mother was. She couldn't imagine leaving their children alone at a time like this. She didn't dare to ask Vivian or anyone else they saw that day, but she kept her eye out for any sign of his mother. Her heart broke for him as the day came to an end without a single soul coming for this tiny little boy.