PROMISE

Sick

The next couple of days weren't as bright as they once were. Bradley and Gaga maintained their routine and spoke only when necessary. They were still friendly with each other, just distant. Bradley sat in the kitchen, alternating feeding Ava and Jackson. "Little man, you have to eat." Jackson hit the spoon away and started to cry and pull at his ears. 

"He's been fussy all day." Gaga stated walking into the kitchen to grab her purse. Bradley cleaned up the spill glancing at her a few times to admire her fitted dress. "He might be getting more teeth. Maybe frozen fruit will help or that gel, you know where it is." Jackson reached for her and pouted when she didn't pick him up, instead she just kissing his forehead. "Does he feel warm to you?"

"No, Stefani, he just wants you. He's probably going to be this way all night now." Bradley continues trying to feed them, irritated. 

"He'll calm down as soon as I leave." Gaga looks at her phone "Ok, Luke's here." Bradley scoffs. "I don't know why you hate him so much."

"I think it's a little inappropriate to be hitting on patients, but hey that's just me." Bradley sarcastically dramatized.

"Well, I'm not his patient, so... night-night babies!" She kisses them goodbye, leaving Jackson whining for her.

"I hope this place is ok. I wasn't sure where to take a high-profile celebrity. I did ask for privacy though." Luke pulled out a seat for Gaga at the table.

"It's great, thanks for even trying to accommodate. I don't always get recognized, but I appreciate the effort." Luke and Gaga ordered a bottle of wine and their food and hit it off pretty well. He was thoughtful and sweet and easy on the eyes. She thoroughly enjoyed speaking with people outside of the industry, it makes her feel normal if only for a short while. Her phone buzzed for the third time that night. "Sorry, do you mind if I check this?" Luke nodded. 2 missed calls from Bradley, 1 text that read; answer your fucking phone. She rolled her eyes.

"Everything alright?"

"It's just Bradley. Do you mind if I give him a quick call?" Luke shook his head no. Bradley answered on the first ting. 

"Finally! Jack is sick and I don't know what to do. He puked and won't keep any food down and he's burning up and won't stop crying."

"Ok, breathe. Let me ask Luke- Hey, Jackson is vomiting and is burning up, do we get him medicine or feed him anything?" Gaga looks to Luke worried and grabs her purse to leave. Luke didn't even realize what was happening until she stood up from the table. The moment she heard the panic in Bradley's voice she had already made her mind to leave. 

"Oh, um, well take his temperature first." Luke follows Gaga to coat check. While she relays that information to Bradley, Luke quickly pays the check. Bradley holds a crying Jackson as he follows her directions on where to find the thermometer. He presses the thermometer and waves it over Jacksons forehead. 

"Fuck, Stef, it's 103.3." Gaga and Luke both listen to the phone. 

"Ok, you could take him to the hospital in case it spikes higher than that." Luke suggests and follows Gaga as she rushes out the door. Gaga and Luke meet Bradley at the hospital. Bradley can hear her heels down the ER hallway and turns to see her briskly walking towards him. Both Gaga and Bradley read their distress in each others eyes from the distance at the all too familiarity of her walking into the emergency to meet him. Gaga sees a panicked Bradley holding a crying Jackson, with Ava crying in her stroller. 

Jackson spots Gaga and reaches out to her sobbing. "Mama! Mama!!" His screams fill the ER waiting area.

"Yea, also there's that." Bradley says slightly relieved to see her. He hands Jackson over to her. "He keeps yelling that, and I didn't have time to call a sitter so I brought Ava but now I'm thinking that was a bad idea and-and" Bradley rubs his eyes and grabs Ava to calm her down.