Love is the Best Medicine

Chapter 18

Don felt like he was walking through a fog, but he heard crying, the sound was familiar to him; he knew the crying belonged to his wife. His eye lids felt so heavy, but he needed to get to her; he hated it when his wife and children cried. He forced his eyes open and saw his wife's head on his torso and she was crying. He lifted his heavy hand up and placed it on her head, weaving his fingers through her hair. "Baby?"

"Don, you're awake!" Meryl exclaimed kissing him. "Thank God, oh thank God."

Don placed his hand on her cheek. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I just talked to Tom and I'm so confused; torn." Meryl choked.

Don wasn't following. "Confused?"

"My heart is breaking at what their family is going through, I feel a hole in my heart because Diane is gone, but I'm so fucking grateful that you're alright." Meryl choked.

Don nodded. "That's all normal. How are they?"

"They're hanging in there. They just got back to New York. Tom asked me to help plan the funeral and is coming up here later." Meryl said as she sat down next to him on the bed.

Don linked his fingers through hers. "Baby, go over there; that is where you need to be."

"NO! NO WAY!" Meryl shook her head. "I love them and they are VERY important to me, but you come first. You almost died twice yesterday, Don. I am NOT leaving you. No way in HELL. I'm also backing out of the movie."

Don shook his head. "No! I never put my foot down with you, that's not how our marriage works, but I am on this. This is a role of a lifetime. I am going to be fine. It's not for 2 months. We'll figure it out, but I would never forgive myself if you backed out. Please, do it for me."

"I don't know." Meryl sighed.

Don looked intently into her eyes. "Then when you get back I can have the knee replacement and we can have our lives back. I can have my life back. My wife back."

"You always have me; I haven't and am NOT going anywhere, baby. All I want is you alive. Movies. Life. They don't mean anything without you." Meryl choked.

Don nodded. "Well, you have me so I want you to make the movie."

"For you?" Meryl asked as he nodded. She decided to agree but knew if his condition worsened that not even he could talk her out of it. "Okay."

Don breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Sweetheart, we need to talk now that I'm not so fuzzy. Can you fill in some holes for me?"

"Only if you fill in some for me." She said making him laugh.

Don kissed her hand. "Deal."

"I can't believe you almost died and saw Diane. I can't lose you both. Well, I can't lose you period." Meryl cried after they filled each other in on what happened.

Don wiped her tears. "You won't lose me, and I'm not going to lose you, they are not options."

"I love you Don, you are my world. God, I was so scared. I'm so sorry I let them take you without telling you how much I love you." Meryl cried as their foreheads were pressed together.

Don sighed as he wiped her tears; he absolutely hated she was going through this, again; that their children had to go through this, again. "Baby, I was out of it, I didn't know. I know how much you love me. I love you so incredibly much. You know that?"

"Yeah, I do." She winked as she was calming down.

Don smiled. "I am so sorry you had to go through all of this all over again. I did try to call you. I tried to stop it before it got bad, I just didn't know what the hell was going on."