Meryl and Don: An Unforeseen Journey

Chapter 5

Don carefully took a sleeping Henry from his crib, grabbed Meryl's hand, and with Larry following closely behind them, they quickly made it to their car. With last thank you's and good-byes to Larry he watched as Don drove his family off to Millerton. Don was grateful that it was still fairly early on a Sunday morning and he could navigate his way out of the city rather quickly. He had one hand on the steering wheel and the other one was being held by both of Meryl's hands. They were both quiet. Don was terrified that no matter what he did he couldn't protect his family. That didn't mean he wouldn't do anything and everything he could to try and protect them. Whenever Don felt one of Meryl's hands let go of his he would look over and see her wiping her silent tears which broke his heart even more. He knew she was terrified, he was as well, he was just glad that she opened up to him back at the apartment and hoped she continued to do so. He knew he needed to keep her spirits up. "This isn't all bad you know."

"What?" Meryl asked turning to him as he broke the silence. Thinking he had surely lost his mind.

Don lifted her hand up to his lips. "I just mean the 3 of us out in the country in the spring time. We can plant that garden you have been wanting. Work on fixing the house up a bit. Have picnics in the yard. We won't stay in the house around the clock. It will be good for us."

"It does sound nice." Meryl finally cracked a smile at her husband just as they heard Henry wake up with a blood piercing scream. "Don?"

Don had just merged onto Hutchinson River Parkway leaving the city. "What's wrong with him? He only cries like that when he's sick."

"I know." Meryl said as she got up in her seat and looked in the back towards Henry. "What is it, baby? It's okay, Mommy and Daddy are right here. Do you want your teddy bear. Here you go."

Henry was writhing in his seat trying to get out. "MA. MA."

"He's burning up, Don." Meryl said looking back at her husband.

Don was trying to navigate the highway. "Baby, just try to calm him done. We're on the freeway. There isn't much I can do. I need to get us to Millerton."

"Don, we're at least 90 minutes away." Meryl was quickly spiraling out of control.

Don sighed. "I know, sweetheart, but we need to get you both safe."

"I'm climbing back there." Meryl said as she tried to navigate her way to the back seat and not kick her husband in the face in the process.

Don nodded as he tried to help her leg over the seat while still paying attention to the road. "Just be careful."

"Mommy's here, Gippy, Mommy's here." Meryl said as she took him out of his seat and onto her lap. "Don he completely soaked through his pajamas."

Don didn't know that he was supposed to do. "Sweetheart, I can't do anything while I'm trying to get us the hell out of here. Just make him comfortable the best you can. That is all we can do right now."

"Don, we need to stop somewhere as soon we can." Meryl said as she took Henry's pajamas off him and stripped him down to his diaper. "Shit."

Don was really getting worried now. He looked in the back seat as quickly as he could but didn't really see anything. "What happened?"

"He's throwing up." Meryl said as she tried to catch it in his blanket.

Don ran his hand through his hair. "Okay, we are almost to Mt. Kisco. Northern Westchester Hospital is there. I'm sure there will be signs. See if he will drink any of his juice you put in the diaper bag."

"Good idea." Meryl said once Henry stopped throwing up and got the sippy cup out of the diaper bag. With him just pushing it away. "He doesn't want it."