Bonds of Blood |A Heartland Fanfic

Chapter Thirteen

While Dr. Siddal ran some tests on Lisa he and Georgie went up to visit Katie. Katie's arms wrapped tight around his neck and for a long moment he just held her. He wanted to squeeze her tightly, so glad to see her sitting up in bed, excited about being able to have some pictures up again and asking about her pony, but he was afraid to hurt her.

After a few moments, the pictures made for him and Lisa carefully tucked in his jacket, he drew Lou out into the hall. Georgie had made herself at home on the bed with Katie, and they stood at the window; he eyed Lou as she watched her girls.

He knew she was exhausted, physically and emotionally. Since all this began the only rest she got was when her body refused to keep going, it wasn't only Katie who had become thin and pale. There was relief in her eyes as they watched Katie climbing into Georgie's lap to listen to a story.

"Peter wants to tell her." Lou murmured quietly.

"Where is he today?" Jack asked quietly, he had noticed her ex-husband was missing.

"He is at a meeting, he has been working remotely but they sent him to Edmonton." Lou looked at the floor, both of them had been struggling to manage everything that was happening, let alone work. "She is barely out of danger and he just wants everything to go back to normal. I don't know what to say to Lisa, how is Katie supposed to understand any of this?"

Jack nodded silently, now he knew the root of it. Peter's response had been fluid while Lou's had been shock, Lou might think a lot more about the details. And while he wouldn't tell them what to do one way or the other he suspected it would be easier for Katie to understand than Lou thought. All Katie would understand was that Lisa loved her and wanted help her; they all did.

"Come home on Sunday. You need a real meal and some sleep. You don't have to say anything to Lisa, she doesn't expect you too." He had no doubt that in time Lou would find the words; but they needed to support each other in all of this.

"Grandpa…"

"Seven, bring Peter." He told her firmly.

….

Slipping into her room she checked the labels on each bottle as she poured the proper dose into her hand and quickly swallowed the pills. Returning to the kitchen she found Georgie and Amy considering the squash she had been cleaning to roast.

"I've got this girls, your pie dough should be ready to roll." She redirected, Georgie had been helping all day and was making her mom's favourite pie; Amy had stopped to pick up Lyndy and stayed.

"I should help, it might help me pick it up; Ty still does most of ours." Amy scooped her daughter out of the playpen when she fussed and Lisa continued on her project.

She had set timers on her phone to help her keep the new schedule Dr. Siddal had her on. It was strict, but the higher doses meant her body would get a break between the rounds. For two and half weeks she took the intensive doses, for the next two she recovered; they would maintain this system as long as Katie needed it. The only problem was sticking to it.

There were so many little things that could be distracting, but she was getting used to it. They had everyone coming home for dinner tonight, and she was just as glad to get her meds over with before even more people were around.

Georgie watched her closely, still eager to help with anything she was working on and often she caught her husband's glances, he still helped her with the injections but slowly this was becoming routine. The girls were rolling out the pie dough as she turned her attention to the potatoes.

She had been worried that Lou would try and cancel, Lisa had heard next to nothing from her. News about Katie came through Georgie, and she knew that was an important thing for the teenager, just as she knew Jack had talked to her a few times. For now, Lisa left her be, more than willing to respect her space in hopes of the same curtesy when everyone got home.