Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 565

Tarquin frowned as he watched Elysia, with Emmett fast asleep on his shoulder, yet he didn't put the little guy down. He was gently patting Emmett's back, like a caring father soothing his son to sleep. However, his gaze remained fixed on Elysia, weighed down with worry.

It wasn't until a large bag of IV fluid was almost empty, signaling it was time to change Elysia's drip, that he thought about putting the child down. He carried Emmett to the next room.

Elliot and Evan were still asleep, the two brothers, born of the same mother, sleeping in stark contrast to each other. Elliot lay on his back, his hands neatly placed at his sides, embodying the posture of a disciplined sleeper, his breathing even. Evan had wriggled to the foot of the bed, lying on the edge like a little frog, his small face squished out of shape, arms and legs dangling off the bed's edge, at risk of falling off any second.

Tarquin took an extra moment to look at Evan, the little rascal, even in his sleep, couldn't stay still. He had come to know the personalities of these three children quite well. Elliot was the epitome of a child wise beyond his years, smart, judicious, a steady player. Evan was the quintessential energetic kid, his eyes lighting up at the mention of a brawl, lively and impulsive. Emmett was soft and a bit of a crybaby, not the brightest bulb in the box, much like Elysia, more tears than cunning, a concern for his intellectual prowess.

He carefully placed Emmett beside Elliot, then picked Evan up. After tucking them in and making sure the blankets were snug, he turned to leave. Stepping out of the room, he saw Elysia sitting up in bed. Tarquin paused, then hurried over to support her, "Why are you sitting up? Don't move around, you still have a needle in your arm."

Seeing that she had already removed the IV needle, he was even more surprised, "Why did you take it out?"

Elysia, just waking up and still a bit weak, explained, "I wanted to go check on Elijah."

"Elijah's in the ICU, don't worry about him. You lie down, I'll call a nurse to reinsert the IV."

"What happened to me?"

Tarquin: "…You don't know what happened, and you took out the IV?"