Settling in Seattle

Chapter 46- Beauty and the Beast

"Are you comfy?" Rachel asked her baby girl, who was led on the sofa, in between different cushions and pillows, underneath variously coloured blankets. She'd been given strong painkillers that the pharmacist recommended and was already perkier from them.

"Yes mommy." She said quietly, her voice croaking slightly. She looked adorable wrapped up, and so tiny. They'd decided to put a movie on and let her sleep if she wanted, or just watch the film. Of course, choosing Beauty and the Beast, Rosalie looked content, and finally happy. It was a sight that hadn't been seen for a while, especially because she didn't really know what was going on.

"Good. You look like you have a little more colour in your cheeks." Rachel smiled nearing her, brushing her thumb over the rosy cheeks. Mike wandered in from the kitchen, a big bowl of popcorn in hand. Rachel shook her head and laughed quietly. 

"Who's ready for some popcorn?" Mike grinned burying any doubt that she was going to be okay, vowing that he'd stay completely on his game for his girls. He'd read up. Seventy percent of kids with the same type survived, but related issues and complications were common. He and Rachel were just focussing on her and making her feel comfortable at that point, especially because she had surgery in the coming days. 

"Me!" Rosalie smiled weakly looking at her dad, he had plunged himself next to her, making a sandwich of parents.

"Shall we put it on, are you sure you want Belle?"

"Yep. Belle." She was settled, munching on some popcorn. Rachel brought it up and it started to play for her. Whilst the film began, Mike placed his hand on Rachel's shoulder, and wasn't in the business to move it anytime soon.

"Shall I take her up to bed?" Rachel whispered, overhead of the sleeping child.

"No, look how comfortable and peaceful she looks, I'd keep her there. We can either leave her and go and cook something to stay busy or stay here and finish watching Beauty and the Beast. Whichever you want Rach!"

"Well, as much as it seems really enticing, I think we should leave her in peace for a bit. Come on, we can make some of her favourite cookies for when she wakes up." They simultaneously stood up, being extra careful to not wake Rosalie. It wasn't like anything would wake her though, she had drifted into a very deep sleep. Both parents rose their voices as they resumed conversation in the kitchen.

"So, the appointments have come through." Mike scrolled on the touch pad of the newly opened MacBook that was sat on the dining table.

"They have? That was pretty quick." Rachel walked over to observe the screen over Mike's shoulder, leaning one hand on the back of the chair, and the other was at her lip, picking nervously. A terrible younger Rachel habit, that had only very recently enrolled back into her system. 

"Yes, the MRI is tomorrow, then assuming all goes well, the surgery will happen the day after."

"That all happens so soon, I've googled it, and it says she could be in hospital for up to two weeks if there's complications, and around five days. I figured that's probably not going to happen since she's so small, and she'll probably be there for a week."

"You googled it already?"

"Yeah?" 

"Rach, why would you do that? Everything you need to know, Dr Fringe told you, and anything on the internet will scare you about the next couple of days." He ignored the fact that he had done the same self-imploding behaviour. 

"I couldn't help it."

"Hey, just don't. There will be things that will terrify you, and those things probably have a massively slim chance of happening."

"But they could happen." Rachel's eyes began to well up for an uncountable time that day. Mike turned to look at her, and shifted the chair slightly back, just enough room so that she could fit in.

"Rachel. We're going to get through the next couple of weeks. We're going to do this, with Rosalie being her usual, strong and wonderful self. The chances of it going wrong are too small to even spend a minute thinking about them. You just focus on making sure you and your daughter are okay. I don't want to see you fall off the band wagon through all of this. I've got you, okay?"

"I know we will. I just can't help it, my baby will be in there, without her parents."

"We'll be there as much as humanly possible."

"God dammit, why can I not stop crying?" Rachel stifled a laugh quietly, and Mike kissed her gently, before pulling back with a face full of expectancy.

"You know the answer to that."

"Oh shit. Mike, I don't care about knowing if I'm pregnant or not right now. If I am I am."

"Okay, well when you do, just tell me and we can do it. Well you can."

"You what? Are you an obstetrician now?"

"No, but I did get you those tests. In the pharmacy when I got Rosalie's painkillers."

"Maybe I should, to know to take the vitamins and things. I just don't want another thing to worry about."

"Okay, well you can take it or not. It won't change the facts."

"Yes, you're right. She's asleep, we might as well. God, this could not have come at a more inconvenient time."

"When does it ever?" They both laughed and got up to go upstairs briefly.

She was nervous, inexplicably so. Not quite believing that it was real and happening at a time where there was a chance she could lose her other child. No, she couldn't think like that. Rosalie was going to get through this blip in the road.

"Mike." Rachel called and he quickly appeared.

"Yes?"

"Can you look at it? I'm scared."

"Yes."

"Okay, go." Mike picked up the stick that was laying on the counter and eyed the result.

"It's positive." He pulled his wife in for a hug, and she rested her head on his shoulder, beginning to let herself go, for how long, she did not know.