Gaining Sweet Love (Erik Jones fanfic book two)

Chapter 26

I was currently in the hospital room with Rose in her carrier and Landon in my arms still sleeping and Erik hugging me from behind. The doctor was examining Teanna and then hooked her up to oxygen. "Is she ok?" Erik asked, I barely recognized his voice. "Does Teanna have breathing problems a lot?" He asked. "Yeah it's abnormal when she's awake." I replied. "Is there a change in development?" He asked. "She still prefers bright or two-toned objects when she should be moving onto more complex objects, she doesn't look for noises, her schedule is not becoming more predictable." I told him and he wrote everything down. "Does she have excessive saliva and drooling?" He asked. "Yes." Erik replied.

"What about floppy arms and legs?" He asked. "Yes." Erik and I both said. "Does she have intellectual disabilities and learning difficulties?" He asked. "I'm not sure she's two months old." I said. "She does not have scoliosis, she can't walk, let's see does she have seizures?" He asked and I looked at Erik then looked back at the doctor. "Not usually, like Erik hasn't seen them but I have." I told him. "Ok, she's only two months, loss of normal sleep patterns?" He asked. "I've taken care of Rosealind at night and I've noticed that she's awake half the time I change Rosealind." Erik said. "Yeah I see her awake during the night sometimes she just lays there like a newborn awake." I replied. "Loss of purposeful hand movements?" He asked.

"Yes, she still doesn't grasp her rattle and she constantly places her hands in her mouth." I replied. "Ok loss of social engagement?" He asked. "She doesn't really engage with people, if we didn't travel she would be happy just sitting or laying somewhere by herself." I replied. "Severe constipation and gastroesophageal reflux?" He asked. "Sometimes she doesn't feed or is really fussy or she spits everything up and coughs and wheezes." I said. "Cold and bluish arms and legs?" He asked. "Sometimes." I replied. "She's two months so she doesn't have language yet." He said then left the room. About half an hour later he came back and took Teanna off of oxygen. "So?" I asked when he turned to us.

"She is only two months old but from the information you gave me she has Rett's syndrome." He said. "But that's genetic, none of our family members have it." I said. "Well it could be in one of your family members but never showed itself until now." He told us. "Ok." I said. "The disease slowly gets worse until the teen years then symptoms may improve, seizures or breathing problems tend to lessen in the late teens and developmental delays vary, usually, a child with RTT sits up properly, but may not crawl for those who do crawl, many do so by scooting on their tummy without using their hands similarly, some children walk independently within the normal age ranges." He said letting us take in the information.

"With walking other children are delayed, do not learn to walk independently at all or do not learn to walk until late childhood or early adolescence. For those children who do learn to walk at the normal time, some keep that ability for their lifetime, while other children lose the skill life expectancies are not well studied, although survival at least until the mid-20s is likely the average life expectancy for girls may be mid-40s death is often related to seizure, aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and accidents." He finished. "But she's ok, can we get medicine for the seizures?" I asked. "Babe, everything is going to be ok, she's strong like her mama." Erik whispered.

"I know but she's my baby I carried her for nine months I breastfeed her." I replied as he pulled me closer to him. "I know, you're close to her and our other two babies, she's going to be alright." Erik told me. "What if she never learns to walk or talk?" I asked. "That is normal we can find ways for her to communicate and we may need to get her a wheelchair for the rest of her life." The doctor said. "Oh god, Erik our baby." I said. "She should be fine but we want to keep her the rest of the night just to make sure she's ok." He told us. "Erik take Landon home go to bed we will be fine here." I said handing him Landon. "Ok be safe babe." Erik said kissing me. "You two girls be good." He then said before he took Landon and left.

"Mrs.Jones, we want to do a couple of test on Teanna." The doctor said. "Oh ok." I replied as they took her to do test not correcting him on my name. "Rosealind, you aren't going to scare us like this are you?" I asked picking up the sleeping baby I sat on the chair when we came in then she woke up. "Here's Teanna." The doctor said bringing her back into the room. "Who is this one?" He then asked noticing Rosealind. "This is Teanna's twin Rosealind." I told him. "Is she healthy no signs like her twin?" He asked. "No, she's healthy and happy." I replied. "Eating ok?" He asked. "Yes." I replied. "Hitting milestones?" He then asked. "Yes she's more advanced than her sister." I replied. "Ok for her that's good." He replied.

"How come Teanna is showing signs now?" I asked him. "I don't know usually signs don't start until they are around six months." He replied. "That's even more scary." I said laying Rose beside Anna. "Rosealind means beautiful rose and Teanna means free spirit or beautiful mind." I told him. "How old are you if you don't mind me asking." He said. "My boyfriend and I are both twenty one." I replied. "If you want we could get a special crib for the girls then you can sleep on the bed while they have the crib." He then said. "Can I sleep on the bed with my girls?" I asked. "Of course." He replied. "I'll be back later to check on Teanna." He said. "Alright." I replied then he left. The next morning Joe, JH, Erik and Landon all walked into the room.

"You see Lan, mommy didn't leave with the twins." Erik said. Joe and JH were watching the twins. "Oh little monkey, I didn't leave I love you and daddy too much to leave you and daddy, Teanna has something going on with her right now." I said picking him up and sitting on the chair. "Teanna might have something called Rett's Syndrome, it means that while Teanna grows up like you there's a chance she won't walk or talk like you and hopefully Rosealind." I replied. "Will she be alright?" He asked. "Of course she just won't be able to move around like you or me or daddy and hopefully Rosealind." I told him. "I will protect her no matter what, she's my little sister and I'll protect both of them but Teanna will need a little more help." He told me. "You're already the best big brother to the twins I could ask for Landon thank you." I said hugging him. "Someone has to take care of them when you and daddy can't." He replied making me smile at him.