Chapter 37 - Anxious

                                    

                                          
A/N: Here'a another chapter. Planning on a double update today. Requested by @tayland1999 
                          
Melissa's POV 
                          
           
                          
Kevin, Avi and Scott went back to school today. Mitch and Kirstie's first day is tomorrow. I had taken the day off today so I could get them ready for a brand new environment. The pair of them were quite excited but with Kirstie's new situation they were both quite anxious about it. 
                          
"Mummy?" Mitch asked as he came into the kitchen.
                          
"Yes baby?" 
                          
"Sissy need help." I followed him into the living room where Kirstie was lying on her side breathing heavily. I put my hand on her head to feel her temperature and it was definitely a little raised. 
                          
"Mitchy, can you go and get an ice pack out of the freezer for me please?" He nodded and ran off to the kitchen. He was back a couple of moments later. 
                          
"Got a towel too." He said holding out a damp towel. 
                          
"Good job." I wrapped the towel around the back of her neck and put the ice pack on her forehead. Her breathing calmed down and she was able to focus after a couple of minutes. 
                          
"You okay now?" I asked quietly. She nodded very gently, "Well done Mitch, good job." He smiled wide and wrapped his arms around Kirstie. 
                          
"Mummy." A small voice said.
                          
"Hey darling." I looked to Kirstie.
                          
"Scared." She said.
                          
"For what?" 
                          
"'Morrow." 
                          
"You don't want to go to school?" 
                          
"Stay ... you." 
                          
"You've been away from me before. It's just like when you went to Nana and Grandpa's." 
                          
"No." Mitch said. "No family." 
                          
"All your brothers will be nearby and I'm sure that one if not all of them will come on check on you whenever they can." 
                          
Even with that reassurance, the pair of them shook their heads and started crying. They wrapped their arms around my neck and sobbed into my shoulders for quite a while. 
                          
After lunch Kirstie's speech & physical therapist nurse came over. She had come over every day since Kirstie had gotten out of hospital. She was trying to get Kirstie's speech a little better ready for school. 
                          
"Hey sweetie pie." She said once Kirstie saw her. 
                          
"Hi Gemma." She replied. She was still a little teary from earlier. 
                          
"What's the matter." 
                          
"Stay ... Mummy." She said. Gemma was very confused. "'Morrow." 
                          
"Oh, you start school tomorrow. You'd rather stay with Mummy?" Kirstie nodded and put her thumb in her mouth. Mitch walked into the room at that moment. 
                          
"Hi Gemma." He said giving her a hug. 
                          
"You excited for school tomorrow?" 
                          
"Wanna stay with Mummy." 
                          
"I thought you wanted to go to school? Like your brothers do." 
                          
"Kirstie." He said. 
                          
"There will be someone at the school to help her. I called them this morning and it's sorted." Mitch nodded and hugged Kirstie again. 
                          
"Looks like the pair of them are having a bit of separation anxiety." Gemma told me.
                          
"Separation anxiety? But they've been separated from me before. They used to go to their grandparents during the day and they were okay with that." 
                          
"For young children, it's different when they are with family they know, compared to when it will be people they don't know." She explained. "It does also explain why Kirstie's is a bit worse and why she got a few more complications from the meningitis. Both things set each other off." 
                          
We chilled out for the rest of the day with some Disney films and plenty of reassuring cuddles. When the boys came home, they were also able to reassure the twins about tomorrow. Scott was a big help and told them that he was actually quite nervous when it was him. By the time bedtime came around, they were a little less anxious about the whole thing.