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“It’s complicated. The doctor needs to tell you.”
The doctor doesn’t need to tell me anything. I know what the problem is instantly. Instinct tells me that the rare blood Isaac inherited from Freddy has led to a complication.
On cue, a doctor in a white coat walks down the hallway, “Mrs. French,” he asks.Why is he asking for my mother?
“Oh, no, I’m Mrs Williamson, uh, Amber. I’m Isaac’s Mum.” I stutter. My life of tangled mistakes laid out bare in that one simple sentence.
He clasps my arm in his hand, a reassuring grip. “Everything is okay, Amber. Isaac is okay. He’s going to wake up any time soon; your jacket and quick thinking saved his life.”
I know it wasn’t me who saved his life.
"Thank you. Where is Freddy?"
The grey eyes of the doctor smile at me. "We were lucky to have an AB negative donor so close to hand."
“It’s not luck. They are father and son.”
Charles steps up and winds his arm around my waist, possibly to hold me up.
“Freddy is through there. He’s fine. We took as much as we could, but he’ll need iron supplements for a while to bring his own red blood count up.”
“Thank you. Can I be there when Isaac wakes up?” I ask the doctor.
“Sure thing. Come this way, recovery is right down here.” He leads me away from the Bale family. My family. "Now, his break was severe and there will be a long recovery time. We grafted skin from under his other knee to patch the exit wound."
I can’t really hear anything he’s saying. My focus is on the double doors ahead.Recovery.
The room is humming with activity and the gentle beep of machines. I see Isaac instantly, my feet turning for his bed. By his side is Freddy, looking pale and drawn.
“Oh,” exclaims the surgeon. “You shouldn’t be up yet.”
Freddy is gripping Isaac’s hand tight in his own and I think that speaks far louder than any words he could say. I sprint across to him, my feet squeaking on the floor. Collapsing by Freddy’s feet, I pick his spare hand in my own. “Thank you, thank you.” I gush over and over again. I want to tell him more. I want to say that I’m not just saying thank you for finding us, but also for saving my son with the one thing I couldn’t give him, blood, but my words strangle in my throat, and I just stare up at Freddy, mute.
Freddy’s fingers work their way free and lift my face to his. “Anything.”
I don’t have a response to that. Not at the moment. My heart is too full to be able to take much more. It beats and grows with every passing second for these two, my entire life.
The nurse standing the other side of the bed starts to talk to Isaac and for the shortest moment I’m transported back eleven years to the time I heard nurses trying to wake Freddy from his coma.
“Isaac, your parents are waiting for you. Wake up and I’ll see if I can find you some ice cream.”
Isaac opens his eyes and smiles.
Clambering to my feet, I drape myself over the small form of my boy. “I love you so much, please forgive me.”
Isaac makes a mumbled sleepy noise. I just kiss all over his face, my tears raining onto his skin.
“What you saying, lovey?" asks the nurse when it becomes clear I’m too busy kissing every inch of him to listen.
“Where’s my dad?" Isaac hoarsely whispers.
My heart comes to a complete standstill. Freddy doesn’t move. He is frozen to the spot, his ocean blue eyes wide.
“Do you mean, Freddy, Isaac?" I move closer and whisper, brushing the fair hair off his forehead. His face is still streaked with dirt and grime, but he looks beautiful to me.
“Dad,” he bites out.
Freddy gets up, although his body shakes as he leans in. Our heads touch as we stare down at Isaac, both of us holding our breath.
