Kooks (Sequel to Bowie)

25

I woke up hours later as Blair walks into the room with Roslyn and Maureen. Roslyn was sleeping and Maureen was rubbing her eyes. Ilse woke up and held her arms out for Maureen as I took Ros.

Maureen nestled her head between Ilse's neck and shoulder as Ilse closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of her. I looked at them  both and could not see where Ilse's hair stopped and Maureen's started.

It was a beautiful thing to see them like that. I have never seen Ilse this happy, even with me. Roslyn started to stir and looked up at me with her blue eyes. "Daddy?" She said, balling her tiny hands into fists and rubbing her eyes.

"Yes Ros." My voice was thick with the British accent, even Ros was taken aback. She seemed to shake it off and wrapped her arms as far as she could around my sides.

She shuddered and closed her eyes again as the nurse stepped in. "When your IV is gone your husband can sign you out." Ilse nodded and kissed Maureen's head before closing her eyes once again.

          I sat beside Ilse for thirty minutes before her IV was gone. I placed Ros on Ilse and pulled the needle out of her arm before walking to the nurses desk and signing her out.

          When I got back, Ils was awake and standing. "Would you like a wheelchair?" I asked. She nodded and sat at the foot of the bed. The girls were still sleeping. I got her a chair and placed Maureen in her lap. Roslyn climbed on my back and we all got into the elevator.

          I opened the car door for all of them before walking to the drivers side and getting in myself.

We drove home in silence, mostly because all of them were sleeping except me and Ilse. I put my hand on her thigh and she rested her hand on mine before kissing my face.

When we got home we carried the girls to bed, then walking to the kitchen table. She looked up at me.

"I think it's now or never for more kids, David." She looked tired. I shook my head.

"But you said-."

"I know what I said," she said. "But I don't want to fight this disease. And I know that this is not the first time I will have to go to the hospital. There will be many more months and surgeries at that hospital."

I tilted my head at her.

"And soon they will have to start taking out feet of my intestines until there is none left."

"Ilse, I think you should go to bed and sleep. You are thinking irrationally." I said.

She shook her head. "I just don't know David, but I want more kids. This I know for sure. I want all of your kids, as many as we can afford. What I don't want is for you to raise them alone. I want to have so many kids with you and have so many grandchildren. I want to adopt kids with you when we grow to old to have our own. As long as this disease doesn't drain all of our money or kill me first."

          "Don't talk like this Ils." I went to her side of the table and picked her up and brought her upstairs. She held on to the back of my neck and rested her head on my shoulder.

          I laid her down in bed and got myself and she rolled on top of me. I kissed her forehead as we drifted off.

We stayed like that until both of the girls came in and curled under the blankets with us.