Family Part 20
Freddie tried to continue to attend school for a week after he got suspended but it was just too much. If he wasn't getting asked about the sunglasses, people were just outright staring. When the weekend came, he told his parents that he wanted to be home schooled. Evan asked if she could be home schooled as well and neither of them had a problem with it. Crowley called the school that Monday and let them know. Oscar would be the only one continuing in school.
Aziraphale decided that their home education would not be without field trips so he took them into London for the day to visit a few museums. He'd called Oscar out for the day so that all three of the kids could go together. Crowley decided to stay home and work in the garden as well as getting some household chores taken care of.
Shortly after lunch time she was startled by the sound of an ambulance coming down the lane. Under normal circumstances she would have ignored the siren but she noticed that the ambulance stopped right outside the Young's house. She dropped what she was doing, removing her gardening gloves and practically running down the lane. She hadn't even stopped to close the garden gate.
"Deirdre? What's going on?" Crowley said as she approached. Deirdre was standing outside on the path.
"It's Arthur. They say he's had a heart attack." Deirdre was on the verge of hysterics and Crowley didn't blame her. She put an arm around her friend's shoulders.
"I'm sure he'll be just fine, dear. He's a fighter." Crowley forced a smile. Deep down she was very worried.
"The doctor warned him. Told him to stop the pipe smoking. To cut back on the salt. But he didn't listen." Deirdre just watched as the paramedics loaded her husband into the ambulance.
"You can yell at him once he's recovered, alright? For right now, you go with him." She motioned toward the ambulance. "I'll follow in the car."
"Is that alright? Can I ride with him?" Deirdre asked and one of the paramedics nodded. She looked at Crowley. "Thank you." She said before climbing into the ambulance. Crowley just nodded and then ran back to her cottage to get her keys. On the way to the hospital she called Adam to let him know what was going on, then she called Aziraphale.
"Is he alright?" Aziraphale asked.
"If I have any say in the matter he will be." Crowley said as she drove the way she used to all those years ago before they got married.
"Don't do anything rash, darling." Aziraphale warned.
"I won't bring him back from the dead if that's what you mean." Crowley rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see it.
"I didn't think you would." Aziraphale replied. "Call me when you're on your way home."
"I will." Crowley sighed a little. "I love you, Zira."
"I love you too, darling." Aziraphale replied before they ended the call. Crowley pulled up to the hospital and managed to find a parking space before going inside.
"I'm looking for Arthur Young?" Crowley said to the nurse at reception.
"Are you family?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He's my brother-in-law." Crowley replied with quite a bit of snark.
"He's in the ICU." The nurse replied. Crowley followed the signs and made her way to the ICU. It took some convincing but she managed to get the nurse on duty to let her into the room where Arthur was resting.
"Deirdre....any news?" Crowley asked quietly as she walked into the room.
"They don't know. They keep saying it's touch and go." Deirdre looked like she'd been crying for a while. "I overheard one of them say it'll be a miracle for him to make it through the night."
"Miracles are my specialty, dear." Crowley gave her a quick smile. She walked over to the other side of the bed and took Arthur's left hand in hers. "He's going to be just fine." She smiled and snapped her fingers.
"What do you mean?" Deirdre looked at Crowley, her eyes a bit wide as she watched.
"I can't heal him immediately. It'll be too suspicious. Raise too many questions. But I can make sure that he does actually recover in a reasonable manor." Crowley replied with a grin before going back around to stand next to Deirdre. Deirdre got to her feet and pulled Crowley into a hug.
"Thank you so much." She was practically sobbing again. Crowley just held onto her and smiled.
"Anything for family, dear." Crowley nodded. She managed to convince Deirdre to get some rest in the waiting room while the miracle did what it was supposed to do. She sent a text to Aziraphale not to wait up, that she probably wouldn't be back until later the next day.
The doctors seemed to be surprised that Arthur was recovering but they weren't shocked and definitely didn't use the word miracle which was what Crowley tried to avoid. After two weeks in the hospital, Arthur was allowed to go home. Crowley and Aziraphale took turns spending time with Deirdre at the hospital and Adam even came to visit for a few days with his family.
"If you do not follow your doctor's orders to the letter from here on out I will personally make sure you highly regret it." Crowley said as they were helping Arthur into the house.
"I'm not going to go through that again. Ever." Arthur nodded. He fully intended on listening to his doctor from then on.
"Good. Because I don't want to do anything rash." Crowley smirked.
"If you need anything at all, please feel free to let us know." Aziraphale said once they had Arthur settled on the couch in the living room.
"I'm sure we'll be fine." Deirdre smiled.
"Please, dear. You've done so much for us. Let us return the favor." Crowley smiled.
"Alright. I'll be sure to let you know." Deirdre nodded. She noticed that Arthur had already drifted off to nap. "That man could sleep through anything." She chuckled.
"Zira's the same way." Crowley grinned and Aziraphale just rolled his eyes. They both gave Deirdre a hug before leaving. Crowley took Aziraphale's hand as they walked back to their cottage.
"One thing I am very glad about." She said softly.
"What's that, darling?" Aziraphale brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back.
"I never have to know exactly what Deirdre went through." Crowley looked at Aziraphale with a little bit of sadness in her eyes. Aziraphale slipped his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm thankful for that as well." He kissed her cheek. They walked the rest of the way to the cottage in silence.
Aziraphale decided that their home education would not be without field trips so he took them into London for the day to visit a few museums. He'd called Oscar out for the day so that all three of the kids could go together. Crowley decided to stay home and work in the garden as well as getting some household chores taken care of.
Shortly after lunch time she was startled by the sound of an ambulance coming down the lane. Under normal circumstances she would have ignored the siren but she noticed that the ambulance stopped right outside the Young's house. She dropped what she was doing, removing her gardening gloves and practically running down the lane. She hadn't even stopped to close the garden gate.
"Deirdre? What's going on?" Crowley said as she approached. Deirdre was standing outside on the path.
"It's Arthur. They say he's had a heart attack." Deirdre was on the verge of hysterics and Crowley didn't blame her. She put an arm around her friend's shoulders.
"I'm sure he'll be just fine, dear. He's a fighter." Crowley forced a smile. Deep down she was very worried.
"The doctor warned him. Told him to stop the pipe smoking. To cut back on the salt. But he didn't listen." Deirdre just watched as the paramedics loaded her husband into the ambulance.
"You can yell at him once he's recovered, alright? For right now, you go with him." She motioned toward the ambulance. "I'll follow in the car."
"Is that alright? Can I ride with him?" Deirdre asked and one of the paramedics nodded. She looked at Crowley. "Thank you." She said before climbing into the ambulance. Crowley just nodded and then ran back to her cottage to get her keys. On the way to the hospital she called Adam to let him know what was going on, then she called Aziraphale.
"Is he alright?" Aziraphale asked.
"If I have any say in the matter he will be." Crowley said as she drove the way she used to all those years ago before they got married.
"Don't do anything rash, darling." Aziraphale warned.
"I won't bring him back from the dead if that's what you mean." Crowley rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see it.
"I didn't think you would." Aziraphale replied. "Call me when you're on your way home."
"I will." Crowley sighed a little. "I love you, Zira."
"I love you too, darling." Aziraphale replied before they ended the call. Crowley pulled up to the hospital and managed to find a parking space before going inside.
"I'm looking for Arthur Young?" Crowley said to the nurse at reception.
"Are you family?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He's my brother-in-law." Crowley replied with quite a bit of snark.
"He's in the ICU." The nurse replied. Crowley followed the signs and made her way to the ICU. It took some convincing but she managed to get the nurse on duty to let her into the room where Arthur was resting.
"Deirdre....any news?" Crowley asked quietly as she walked into the room.
"They don't know. They keep saying it's touch and go." Deirdre looked like she'd been crying for a while. "I overheard one of them say it'll be a miracle for him to make it through the night."
"Miracles are my specialty, dear." Crowley gave her a quick smile. She walked over to the other side of the bed and took Arthur's left hand in hers. "He's going to be just fine." She smiled and snapped her fingers.
"What do you mean?" Deirdre looked at Crowley, her eyes a bit wide as she watched.
"I can't heal him immediately. It'll be too suspicious. Raise too many questions. But I can make sure that he does actually recover in a reasonable manor." Crowley replied with a grin before going back around to stand next to Deirdre. Deirdre got to her feet and pulled Crowley into a hug.
"Thank you so much." She was practically sobbing again. Crowley just held onto her and smiled.
"Anything for family, dear." Crowley nodded. She managed to convince Deirdre to get some rest in the waiting room while the miracle did what it was supposed to do. She sent a text to Aziraphale not to wait up, that she probably wouldn't be back until later the next day.
The doctors seemed to be surprised that Arthur was recovering but they weren't shocked and definitely didn't use the word miracle which was what Crowley tried to avoid. After two weeks in the hospital, Arthur was allowed to go home. Crowley and Aziraphale took turns spending time with Deirdre at the hospital and Adam even came to visit for a few days with his family.
"If you do not follow your doctor's orders to the letter from here on out I will personally make sure you highly regret it." Crowley said as they were helping Arthur into the house.
"I'm not going to go through that again. Ever." Arthur nodded. He fully intended on listening to his doctor from then on.
"Good. Because I don't want to do anything rash." Crowley smirked.
"If you need anything at all, please feel free to let us know." Aziraphale said once they had Arthur settled on the couch in the living room.
"I'm sure we'll be fine." Deirdre smiled.
"Please, dear. You've done so much for us. Let us return the favor." Crowley smiled.
"Alright. I'll be sure to let you know." Deirdre nodded. She noticed that Arthur had already drifted off to nap. "That man could sleep through anything." She chuckled.
"Zira's the same way." Crowley grinned and Aziraphale just rolled his eyes. They both gave Deirdre a hug before leaving. Crowley took Aziraphale's hand as they walked back to their cottage.
"One thing I am very glad about." She said softly.
"What's that, darling?" Aziraphale brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back.
"I never have to know exactly what Deirdre went through." Crowley looked at Aziraphale with a little bit of sadness in her eyes. Aziraphale slipped his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm thankful for that as well." He kissed her cheek. They walked the rest of the way to the cottage in silence.
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