Work Text:
Philip made a long, high pitched whine just as Eliza finished texting a response to her mother. Plugging the phone back into the charger, she hurried out into the living room to find her son sitting up on the floor next to the coffee table, his face red and scrunched. “What’s wrong, baby?” she cooed, scooping the little boy up into her arms.
“He bumped his head,” Alex said. He’d sat up on the couch, his feet on the floor, but he was nearly doubled over on himself with his hand braced against his back. She made a consoling sound as she kissed Philip’s cheek and bounced him on her hip.
“My mom will be here any minute,” Eliza reported. “She said she’d watch Pip for a couple days, until you’re feeling better.”
Alex grunted as he attempted to straighten his posture. His cheeks bore a distinct flush, and she could see sweat decorating his brow even at a distance. However much he might refuse the thermometer, she could tell he had a fever.
“Honey, just lie down.” He struggled another few seconds before giving in and collapsing back against the pillows. She frowned as she watched him adjust, his face pinched in pain. “Are you sure you’re okay to be alone while I’m at work?”
“I think I’ll survive a few hours on my own.”
“I wish you’d let me make you a doctor’s appointment.”
“I’m fine.”
She blew out a frustrated breath at his stubbornness. Turning to the table, she finished packing Pip’s belongings into his diaper bag and his little monkey backpack. Pip grabbed at his sippy cup filled with water, and she handed it over as she placed him on his feet. He immediately toddled off back towards his father.
“Hey bud. What have you got there?” She could hear the smile in Alex’s voice. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw her son holding out his cup to his father. “Oh, thank you,” he said, taking the cup.
Pip made to pull himself up onto the couch. Rushing over, Eliza scooped him up again and ignored his resulting whine. “Do you want to wear your backpack?” she asked, redirecting his attention as she set him down again. He stopped crying when she held the monkey up for him to see, and held his arms out.
“That’s my big boy,” she praised, adjusting the straps over his little shoulders.
The knock on the door could only be her mother. “Come on in, Mom!” As her mother stepped inside, Eliza threw the last few necessities into the diaper bag.
“There’s my darling boy,” Kitty said, squatting down as Pip raced over to her, the tail of his monkey backpack dragging on the floor behind him.
“Thanks so much, Mom,” Eliza said. “We really appreciate you watching him.”
“Any time. Your father and I are always delighted to have him. I do hope you feel better, though, dear,” Kitty replied, glancing over at Alex.
“Thanks.” He held up the sippy cup. “Don’t forget this.”
Eliza grabbed it from him as she brought the diaper bag over to Kitty. Lifting Pip up again, she kissed his chubby little cheek one more time and said, “Come say bye-bye to Daddy.” She lowered him down over the couch so Alex could kiss him as well.
“Love you, bud,” Alex said.
Eliza closed the door behind her mother and son when they’d gone, and looked at her husband. “Will you be all right while I take a shower?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”
“I can take the day off, you know. Work wouldn’t mind.”
“I’m fine, Bets.” His voice held a tinge of annoyance. “This isn’t my first kidney stone. It’ll pass on its own. It always does.”
“You look feverish,” she said. “That’s not normal. I’m worried about you.”
His expression softened somewhat, but he insisted again, “I’m fine.”
“Okay,” she said, surrendering for the time being. “I’m going to get in the shower.”
He nodded vaguely, distracted as he shifted again against his pillows.
Trying to tamp down her concern, she teased, “You must really not be feeling good—you didn’t even offer to join me.”
He smirked. “Maybe later.”
She stooped down to give him a kiss before heading to the bathroom.
**
Steam had fogged up the bathroom mirror entirely as she finished drying off and wrapped the towel around herself, tucking the fluffy fabric at her chest. She reached out to flip on the fan before starting to brush out her hair, hoping the fog would dissipate by the time she was ready to apply her makeup. A sudden knock on the door startled her. She craned her head around to call out, “I’ll just be a minute, honey.”
“I need to come in now, Bets,” Alex said. His voice carried an urgent, strained quality. Brow wrinkling, she reached out to turn the doorknob, not having bothered to lock it in the first place. Alex rushed in as the cloud of steam wafted out. He sank to his knees, pushed back the lid to the toilet, and groaned miserably, his face hovering low over the water.
“Oh, honey.” She placed the brush back on the sink and knelt beside him.
“I’m really nauseous,” he muttered, green-faced.
She nodded, and ran her fingers through his hair before dropping her palm to his back. His skin felt warm even through his t-shirt, and he was quaking slightly, though whether from chills or pain she couldn’t say. “You’re sure this is just a kidney stone?”
He shrugged, leaning farther over the toilet. His eyes darted towards her. “Could you….” He swallowed thickly. “Could you give me a few minutes?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course, sweetheart,” she agreed. After giving his back a final rub and kissing his temple, she rose and exited the bathroom. As soon as the door tapped shut behind her, she heard him give a sick retch, and winced.
She’d just call the doctor, she decided, as she wandered towards the bedroom. This was ridiculous; he ought to have been checked out when the pain first started. If only he weren’t so stubborn, she thought, shaking her head as she hunted through her top drawer for a bra.
"Betsey!"
She’d just finished tugging her jeans up when she heard Alex calling for her. Adjusting her blouse over the waist of her jeans, she started for the bathroom once more. The door was still shut. She eased it open as she asked, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
The lingering smell of her soap from the shower competed with the reek of sick in the small enclosed space. Alex was breathing hard, his knuckles white where they gripped at the toilet bowl. “I don’t feel right,” he said, his voice hardly a whisper.
Worried, she lowered herself back down to her knees at his side and laid the back of her hand to his forehead. “God, honey, you’re really burning up."
He shook his head a little, blinking slowly. “Something’s wrong.”
That much was obvious. Careful not to look into the toilet, she reached over to flush the contents down, then gently placed her hands on his ribs under his armpits. “You’ll be okay. Let’s get you into bed. We’ll take your temperature, and then we’ll see if you can keep down some pain killers.”
He started to push away from the toilet at her urging, his legs visibly shaky beneath him as he made to stand. Her arms braced around his torso in an attempt to keep him steady. “Oh,” he said, the word floating on an exhale, before his eyes rolled back. His body went limp in her arms.
She yelped as he fell, too heavy to support on her own with no warning. The sickening crack of his skull hitting the toilet bowl seemed to echo through the room. Shaking, heart pounding in her ears, she bent down. Her hands hovered over him, afraid to touch. “Alex?”
His face was slack; his eyelids didn’t so much as twitch.
“Oh my God.” Her breath was coming in quick, panicked pants. She squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath through her nose. “Okay. Okay.”
She held a hand out in front of his mouth to make sure he was still breathing. The little puff of breath she felt against her palm prompted a noise between a sigh and a sob to force its way from her throat. Hating to leave him, she whispered, “I’ll be right back, honey. You’ll be okay.”
Stumbling from the bathroom, she ran back to the bedroom where her phone was charging. She fumbled trying to free the phone from the charger, the sleek device slipping from her shaking hands and sliding partly under the bed. She dove after it, trying to force herself to keep breathing evenly. She dialed as she rushed back towards the bathroom.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
**
“Mrs. Hamilton?”
Eliza sprang up from the chair, almost leaving her purse behind in her rush towards the woman in scrubs. She scrambled back to grab it, still slinging the straps over her shoulder as she asked, “How is he?”
“Follow me, please,” the nurse said.
“My husband, how is he?”
The past several hours felt like a jumbled blur. She’d been instructed not to move or touch Alex until the paramedics arrived. When they finally did, she’d been pushed aside so they could assist him in the tiny bathroom. They’d told her nothing but that she could ride in the front to hospital when they’d wheeled him out, still unconscious, on the stretcher. Upon arriving at the hospital, she’d hardly had the door of the ambulance open when they’d whisked him from the back towards the emergency doors. Inside, she’d been handed a clipboard of thick papers, spent several panicked minutes hunting for their insurance card, and then sat for hours without a word on Alex’s condition.
The nurse led her into a cramped room furnished with two plastic chairs and computer mounted to the wall. Motioning for Eliza to sit, the nurse typed a code into the keyboard and reached for the mouse. “The doctor will be in to speak with you in a few minutes,” the nurse said. “But let’s see what his chart says.”
Eliza twisted her fingers together anxiously, watching the nurse frown lightly as she read over the screen. Craning her head, Eliza saw only a jumble of letters and numbers that meant absolutely nothing to her. Finally, the nurse muttered “All right,” and turned to look at her.
“So, it looks like he has regained consciousness.”
A shaky sigh of relief fell from her lips. “Thank God.”
The nurse smiled a little. “The bump to his head caused a minor concussion, but no major damage. We’ll be monitoring him while he’s here to make sure that stays the case. He’s still running a pretty high fever, though. The doctor ordered some tests to see what’s causing the elevated temperature. He’ll be able to tell you more when he gets here.”
“Thank you,” Eliza said. Before the nurse could leave, Eliza added quickly, “Will I be able to see him, after?”
“He’s being admitted, so we’ll be moving him up to a room soon. We’ll give you the room number as soon we have it, and you’ll be able to stay with him.”
“Thank you,” she repeated, calming at the thought. She’d wanted nothing more than to hold him since this morning.
Another interminable wait followed until the doctor finally stepped in. He too logged into the computer, reviewed the chart, and gave her almost precisely the same information.
“What are you testing for?” she asked.
“A number of things.”
“But, you must at least have a theory. What do you think is wrong?”
He smiled as he logged off the computer. “I started your husband on some antibiotics. Sometimes a kidney stone that’s having trouble passing can cause an infection. I can’t confirm anything until I have the labs back, but he’s responding well so far. His temp’s down to 102 already.”
Her eyes widened. “Down to 102?”
“Mm-hm. He was at 104 when he came in.” She ought not to have been shocked to find he’d been spiking a fever, but to hear the numbers confirmed made her stomach clench. Seeming to sense her unease, the doctor gave her an encouraging little nod. “He’s coming along nicely, Mrs. Hamilton. You’ll see him soon.”
**
Soon was a relative term in hospitals, she was coming to find. Nearly two hours passed before a nurse came to her with a room number, and he’d hurried away again before Eliza could ask for directions. After studying a directory she’d stumbled upon, she stepped into a lurching elevator and rode up to what she could only hope was the proper floor.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid aside with a groan. She stepped out, only to be nearly run over by two nurses rushing down the beige corridor with a cart between them. Glancing at the scrap of paper in her hands again, she started once more down the hall.
One of those daytime court dramas Alex hated played on the television mounted high on the wall of the room to which she’d been directed. Stepping inside, she saw an older gentleman dozing lightly on the bed, a half-eaten Jell-O cup sitting on the tray before him. She’d nearly doubled back to check the room number again when she saw the foot of a second bed peeking out from behind the curtain at the far end of the room.
Her throat felt tight as she pushed around the curtain.
Alex’s eyes were closed and a vivid red bruise decorated his temple where his head had hit the toilet. The staff had changed him into a hospital gown at some point; the sea-foam green fabric seemed only to highlight his sallow complexion. His right arm rested on his stomach, while the left lay palm up on the bed, an IV taped to his inside forearm.
“Honey?” she whispered, not sure she should wake him. His eyes fluttered open immediately, though, indicating he hadn’t really been asleep. Giving him a watery smile, she greeted, “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said, attempting to smile back but not entirely succeeding. He raised his right arm to wave her closer. “Come here.”
She moved in immediately, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his shoulder. The rush of relief at finally being able to hold him caused tears to prick at her eyes, and she had to deliberately swallow down a sob. “I’ve been so scared,” she said, once she trusted her voice. “Are you okay?”
She felt him shake his head a little, and pulled away enough to see his face. “My head hurts.”
“I know, honey,” she cooed.
“I’m nauseous. I want to go home.” His eyes were bright and his lashes damp as he looked at her, imploring. “Take me home.”
“I wish I could.” His face crumpled, and her heart broke. “I’m sure you won’t be here long, sweetheart. They’ve just got to get your fever under control and make sure you didn’t mush your brain up too much when you fell.”
The tiny smile that tugged at his lips felt like a victory.
She stroked the back of her fingers over his forehead, careful to avoid the bruise at his temple. The heat coming off of him still felt worrying. Brushing his hair back, she leaned over to kiss his forehead.
“Your hair is all crazy,” he mumbled when she’d pulled back again, his eyes drifting shut.
“Well, somebody interrupted my shower,” she teased. Not having properly brushed or dried her hair after washing it had caused it to dry in a tangled, wavy mess, but she’d been too terrified for the past several hours to give it much thought.
He grunted, even as the tiny smile reappeared. “Not even in the fun way.”
She laughed softly.
“Missed you,” he whispered. His hand grasped hers with surprising strength, their fingers tangling together. She squeezed back, determined to give him any comfort she could. “Don’t leave.”
“Not for anything in the world,” she vowed.
**
“Hey sickly.” Eliza’s head shot up from the bed at the sound of her sister’s voice. She rubbed a hand over her mouth as Angelica held up a duffel bag. “I brought supplies.”
“My glasses?” Alex asked, adjusting to sit up a little.
“And the books you wanted,” Angelica said. “Jeez, you look awful.”
Alex smirked. “Thanks.”
“Did Betsey have to knock you out to get you here? Or did you just bump into someone from the opposition party after you arrived?” Angelica gestured to the spectacular bruise across Alex’s face. The red had changed to a vivid dark purple, and spread down across his temple to the corner of his eye.
Eliza shook her head, unamused, but Alex laughed. “Something like that.”
Angelica leaned down to kiss his cheek. “I’m glad you’re doing okay, sweetie.”
“My darling wife wouldn’t have it any other way.” He rolled his head on the pillow to look adoringly at Eliza. “She couldn’t give me her kidney fast enough.”
Eliza felt a blush creeping over her face. When the doctor had confirmed that Alex was suffering from an infection in his kidneys, she’d googled the disease to find a complication could be permanent kidney damage. She’d suggested, quite reasonably in her view, getting tested to see if she could be a donor. While the doctor informed her that wouldn’t be necessary, Alex had laughed so hard he’d set off one of the alarms over his bed.
“Sounds about right,” Angelica said, sending her a wry smile.
“Shut up, both of you,” she said, though she couldn’t quite keep the smile off her own face. Alex was always telling her she was far too generous; she didn’t imagine he’d let this example go anytime soon. Even so, she didn’t regret asking—there was nothing she wouldn’t give to keep him healthy by her side.
“Mean,” Alex charged.
Eliza squeezed his hand when he winked at her. That he felt well enough to tease her made her feel blissful relief. She never wanted to see him as quiet and exhausted as he’d been when she first found him in the room.
“Elizabeth?” Her father’s voice came from the hallway. She rose and peeked her head around the curtain.
“In here,” she confirmed. Her parents both entered, her mother carrying Philip. The sight of her little boy made her grin, and she quickly reached out to pull him into her arms.
Pip looked nervous about the unfamiliar surroundings. He was sucking on his thumb anxiously. “Hi baby,” Eliza greeted, rubbing his back.
“Come here, Pip,” Alex invited, holding his arms out. She frowned, but he waved his hand more insistently, so she placed the baby on the bed beside him. “Want to see something fun?”
Grabbing at the little remote beside him, Alex pressed the button to lower the bed back, then pressed it again to raise it. Pip looked delighted at the game, and his eyes lit up when Alex passed him the remote. Though she kept an eye on Alex to make sure he wasn’t overexerting himself, she gratefully fell into her mother’s embrace.
With the love of her family surrounding her, she let her shoulders relax, the fear and terror that had griped her when Alex had first collapsed easing slightly at last.
**
“What do you think of adding another paragraph about the economic toll here?” Eliza immediately recognized Senator Washington’s voice when she turned into the hospital room, freshly showered and carrying fresh clothes for her husband.
Alex had tried to convince her to go home to sleep last night, but she’d steadfastly refused. She’d only left this morning on the promise that she’d be bringing him home with her in the next few hours. She’d cleaned up the apartment, placed fresh sheets on the bed, and made sure they had all the supplies they’d need when Alex was released, including the veritable cornucopia of prescriptions his doctor had called into their pharmacy.
“I really don’t think you need—oh, hey ‘liza.”
She paused at the curtain and frowned heavily. Alex’s eyes were still heavily circled with exhaustion behind his thick rimmed glasses, and the horrible bruise on his temple was slowly turning from blue to green. One hand braced against his abdomen, he had been examining a yellow legal pad the Senator was holding out to him. He’d pushed it away quickly upon seeing her.
“I wasn’t working,” he added quickly.
“Mm,” she hummed.
“My apologies, Mrs. Hamilton.” Washington said. He patted Alex’s shoulder with fatherly affection as he flipped the legal pad closed and slid it back into his briefcase. “Feel better soon, son. You’re sorely missed at the office.”
“Thank you sir.”
“I’ll leave you in your wife’s capable hands.” Washington nodded to her as he rose to exit.
“Thank you, Senator,” she echoed as he passed her.
“I only peeked at the speech,” Alex insisted once he’d gone.
“It’s fine, honey,” she said, mostly sincere. “I’m glad you feel well enough to try to go around me.”
He laughed. “Are you here to spring me?”
“That’s the plan. I have fresh clothes for you.” She held up her bundle for him to see. “Promise me you’ll take it easy when we get home though? No work.”
“Whatever you say. I just want to go home.” He was already pushing back his blankets to sit up, groaning softly with the effort. She hurried to his side to halt his progress.
“Let me go talk to the nurse before you get up, sweetheart.” He looked very unhappy at the instruction. Kissing him, she assured him, “We’ll get you home soon.”
Discharging him felt as tedious as admitting him, but at least she was with him while they waited. When at least he was free to leave, he was frustrated by being wheeled out to the cab, but the continued shakiness of his limbs made her sure it was for the best. She slid into the cab beside him, and he leaned his head onto her shoulder as she gave their address to the driver.
“I’ve got the TV set up in the bedroom for you,” she said, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head as they rode towards home. “And I picked up all your medicine. We’ll get you all tucked in and comfy, put on a movie, and snuggle.”
“Mm. Sounds perfect.” She felt him push away from her, and turned to face him. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you about going to the doctor. I know I scared you. I can’t imagine how terrified I’d be if the situation were reversed.”
“It’s not an experience I’d like to repeat,” she agreed. “You’re so stubborn. I don’t mind so much normally, but I do when it comes to your health. I can’t lose you.”
“I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
“I’m not planning on letting you.”
“I noticed.” He smiled, a hint of mischief gleaming in his eyes. “You were ready to tear out your kidney right there in the hospital room. You know, when we promised ourselves to each other, that wasn’t a literal thing.”
“Says you.”
He laughed, then braced a hand on his abdomen. She laid her hand on his stomach as well, massaging slowly to soothe any discomfort. His hand rested atop hers. “For the record, I’d happily give you any of my internal organs if you ever needed them.”
“No offense, but I don’t think I want yours.”
“That’s fair.” He laughed again, but his eyes were soft. “I love you, Bets. So much.”
She reached out to cup his cheek, then leaned in, her nose nuzzling against his. “I love you, too.”