Hidden in Plain View: Normily 2

Chapter 27: Time Away

Chapter 27: Time Away

Sitting in her apartment, Emily hasn't talked to Daryl in almost 5 weeks. She's been taking in the pain and dispelling it as tiredness. As she is watching Mike & Molly, a knock comes from the door, followed by it being opened. Sitting up, Emily smiles softly at Mingus, who sets his bag down by the door.

"Hey, Min, how are you?" Mingus walks over and sits next to Emily, cuddling close as he kicks his shoes off.

"Good, I guess. Where's my dad?"

"I...I don't know Mingus." She says sadly, but also with a bit if malice.

"What do you mean?"

"We had a fight and he left...I wasn't really trying to fight with him, he just refused to listen to me." Mingus looks at Emily with a small smile.

"He's stubborn...he doesn't think he is, but he's the worst when he gets really upset." Mingus checks the time on his phone and then turns it to lock. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. He'll come back, cause he loves you."

"I hope you're right about that. I haven't heard from him in 4 weeks."

"He's taking off steam. He used to do that with Cecilia too. But she never cared."

"Yeah...how was camping?"

"Fine. Teddy and I had a fight."

"What? But yer best friends?"

"Yeah, so are you and my dad, but that fight still happened." He says with a smirk on his face.

"Touché. What was the fight about?"

"About a girl... he was making fun of this girl in our class, who was also camping at this place and I told him he wasn't nice and well, he kinda beat me up." Lifting up his shirt, he shows her two big bruises on his ribs and Emily sits up in shock.

"Mingus. Do those hurt?"

"Yeah...they've been throbbing..."

"Oh my god, um...let me take you to the doctor. I wanna get that checked out."

"No it's okay..really."

"Mingus, I wanna get them checked out. Okay, let's get our shoes and head out." She shuts off the tv and gets up, noticing Mingus wincing when he sits up and then stands.

When they get to Dr. Wilson's office, Mingus looks around and feels awkward being here without his mom or dad.

"Hi, is Dr. Wilson in?"

"Yeah, fill this out and we'll send ya right back."

"Thanks." Going back to her seat, she starts filling out as much information she can. Mingus helps her and then she takes the clipboard back up.

A few minutes later thy call her back.

Sitting on the bed, Mingus holds his sides and Emily feels bad. Dr. Wilson knocks on the door and comes in.

"Emily, how are you and the baby doing?" Mingus shoots Emily a shocked look.

"Fine, I'm actually here for my step son, Mingus. He has these two dark bruises on his ribs and they seem to be hurting him really bad." Emily says, changing the subject.

"Okay, can you take off your shirt for me and I'll take a look."

Once he takes off his shirt, Wilson's eyes go wide and her mouth drops a bit.

"How did you get these?"

"My friend and I got in a fight and he kept kicking me..."

"I wanna get an x-ray, if you don't mind." She makes no effort to hide her worried tone. Taking Mingus out if the room, Emily waits patiently for them to come back. When they come back, Mingus is still clutching his ribs and Wilson comes back with the x-rays.

"So I have the x-rays back and it doesn't look good." Turning on the light for the x-Ray viewer, it's not hard to see that two ribs are broken. "It's a clean break on these two lower ribs. Luckily when they broke and dropped, they didn't puncture his lung."

"Oh my god...Mingus. What...what can we do for this?"

"We can use a fuse plate to reattach them. It's actually a quick project we can do right here...we just have to use low grade anesthesia just so he is awake, but doesn't feel anything." Emily looks at Mingus.

"You wanna do that or...well I don't know what else we'd do for you, Bud."

"Yeah, I just want my ribs to stop hurting." Mingus says and Wilson nods her head.

"I'm actually free for the rest of the afternoon, so if you have free time, we can do it right now?"

"Ming?"

"Sure."

"Good. I'll have a nurse come in a give you the shot and I'll be back in a few minutes." She leaves and Mingus looks at Emily.

"So you're having a baby?"

"Yeah..."

"Is that what you and my dad were fighting about?"

"No, he was excited about it. We were fighting about something from my past popping back up."

"Oh..."

"Mingus, I have a doctors appointment for the baby in two days...I don't think yer dad's gonna go to it with me...do you?"

"Of course! What kind if appointment is it?"

"For the sex of the baby."

"So we getta find out if I get a brother or a sister?"

"Yep."

"Sweet! I hope it's a boy. So I can play football with him." Mingus' eyes are shining and Emily can't stop smiling, she almost starts crying, but looks away. "Hey, it's okay...I won't hurt him."

"It's not that..."Emily says with more tears.

"Is it my dad?"

"I'm jus afraid he'll never come back and we'll lose the baby again..." Getting up, Mingus goes over to The seat beside Emily and holds her close.

"Hey, that's not gonna happen. I know they say history repeats itself, but you're gonna be okay, my dad' shin a come back and the baby is gonna be perfectly fine. We just need to stay happy and focused on being stress free." Emily hugs Mingus and realizes he just like Norman. Strong and confident and very caring-all the things she needs right now. "It'll be okay...Mom."

Emily looks at him with wide eyes and a huge smile on her face.

"Mingus you don't..."

"No, I know I don't...but I want too."

The surgery goes fine and after they release Mingus, Emily takes him to get food, so he can take his pain medicine. Heading into her favorite restaurant, Cheddars, they sit in a booth and order their food.

As they laugh and talk, both can't help but forget about their pains. Going home, Emily opens the door, and Mingus sleepily walks inside and goes to his room.

"Night, Mingus."

"Night Mom."

Heading to her own room, Emily lays on her bed and texts Norman...again.

"I want you to know, your son was in a fight defending a girl. I took him to get his ribs checked out. Two were broken, but he got them fixed. He knows about the baby and our fight. He's home now, sleeping and I cannot. I miss you, but you haven't been missing me. I have a baby appointment in two days to did out the sex of OUR baby. Whether or not you wanna come, Mingus is going with me. I'm sorry for once again ruining everything for us. I just want you to know, I love you even if you don't love me. Goodnight or good morning cause I don't know where you are.
Your wife."

A few seconds later a text comes through.

"Norman, is busy."

"Who's this?"

"Sami... :/"

"And might I ask who Sami is?"

"A girl. ;)"

"And what exactly is Norman doing?"

"Getting a drink. I gotta go."

No more texts come back and Emily just throws her phone across the room, smashing it, and she begins to cry hysterically.