Part 25

Sam didn't let his wife speak. Instead he pushed Jenny's hand on the end of her obviously healed arm away from Charlotte's face and said, "Your mother has been here with you since thing whole thing started."

Ignoring her dad, Jenny continued to shout, "You don't love me. You don't love me."

Now with his raving daughter's face between his two hands, Sam, his voice on the edge, said, "Quiet! There are sick people here, who don't need your aggravation."

Charlotte stood there and watched the circus scene, her head shaking. How did they ever end up with a daughter like this? One who measures everything for the moment without really seeing the big picture. Finally, placing her hand on Sam's shoulder, she urged him away from Jenny, and stepped into his place.

At first Jenny didn't realize what was happening, then she saw it: an ice cream sandwich. The screaming stopped. Charlotte handed it to her daughter, who opened it, without another word, without a thank you. And as she resumed her vigil in her hospital issue wheelchair she murmured, "I picked it up, just in case you were awake and hungry."

The room calm, Jenny calm, it was expected that all would be forgotten and forgiven. At least that was the status quo. But Charlotte didn't know if she could take much more of this sibling rivalry crap. And with another one on the way, what would be like?

As if being lost in baby thoughts was a que for Dr. Houseman to appear, her doctor walked into the room. "Young lady," at first Charlotte thought he was addressing Jenny, but it was her he was looking at. "you should be in bed."

Puzzled, Charlotte replied, "Why? I'm pregnant, been there, done that."

"Not all pregnant women are 47, and fainting."

Charlotte couldn't believe her ears. "I fainted once..." then turning toward Jenny who was on the last bite of ice cream sandwich added, "And my daughter is recovering."

Then becoming very serious, Dr. Houseman stated, with no room for discussion, "Charlotte, you really need to rest."

Once again, Sam didn't let his wife answer. It was so nice to have a knight in shining armor. "Maybe we could take this conversation out into the hall for now." Then with a wave of his hand he invited Dr. Houseman out beyond little ears, and then pushed Charlotte past the privacy curtain and through the doorway into the relative peacefulness of the hallway.