All My Life

Chapter 65

Meryl had just put the babies down in their bassinets to sleep, once the nurse had removed their IVs. Meryl was relieved that the babies and Don were all resting comfortably. She couldn't. She was just so angry. She looked at her battered and bruised husband who had most likely been raped. She had an incredibly hard time wrapping her head around that fact; but she kept telling herself that if anyone could empathize with what he was going through it would be her. She laid on her side of the bed and gently ran her fingers over his face, causing him to sigh in contentment and just that brought a smile to her face. She tenderly kissed her fingers and pressed them to his lips, not wanting to startle him. "I love you so much, Don Man; I am going to help you heal just like you have helped me, I promise you sweetheart. It's us forever. I am just so glad I got you 3 back." Meryl was trying to process everything that happened from the time she went to the market to finding him in that hell hole; in only a few hours time. She knew he fought like hell to get to their babies and to get all 3 of them back to her; and the marks on his body and spirit proved it. Meryl was brought out of her thoughts when a nurse came in. "Mrs. Gummer?"

"Oh." Meryl wiped her tears away as she turned to the nurse. "Hi, Nicole."

The nurse smiled warmly. She couldn't believe that she was getting to take care of Meryl Streep; even though she was going by Mary Gummer in the hospital. She tried so hard not to be starstruck; she reminded herself that Meryl and Don were patients, as well as their babies, and they all had gone through hell and needed the best care. She was bound and determined to give it to them. Nicole held up a syringe. "Dr. Abbott asked me to give you some pain medication that is completely safe for the babies; and won't make you too groggy."

"Thank you." Meryl said. "My husband and babies need me so I do NOT want anything that will knock me out."

The nurse shook her head as she typed into the computer and scanned the syringe into the computer. "It won't, that is why we are giving you what we are. As you know, we gave your husband a stronger cocktail and that is probably one reason why he is sleeping."

"I understand." When it came to Don's medications she had asked all kinds of questions; as well as when it came to the babies' medications. She wasn't too concerned about herself as long as it wasn't harmful to the babies and she wasn't knocked out. "Maybe this will calm me down a little bit."

Nicole's heart went out to the woman. "This should make you feel a little better; hopefully it will take the edge off just a bit."

"WHAT IN THE HELL?!" Don woke up in the moment that he saw a young blonde woman put something in his wife's IV. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Meryl immediately turned to Don. "Don Man, it's fine; it's perfectly safe medicine for me. It's safe for me and the babies."

"She's drugging you again, Meryl." Don said with wild eyes as the nurse continued to inject something in Meryl's IV. "I said to get away from her, you fucking bitch!"

Meryl was horrified as she looked at the nurse. "I am so so so sorry. He's never like this unless me and our children are in danger."

"It's the PTSD, Mrs. Gummer." The nurse said; knowing exactly what was going on. "Do you need help?"

Meryl shook her head. "I can get him back to real time, I promise."

"Meryl, we have to get out of here." Don said panicked. "We don't know what the hell she gave you. I have to make sure you're safe. I have to make sure the babies are safe."

Meryl grabbed his face as she pressed her forehead to his. "Baby, who am I?"

"You're my girl." Don choked. "Baby, I have to make sure you, Bradley and Margaret are safe. We have to get to the hospital. She could come back."