Chapter Nine

Kris was standing in the doorframe of John’s room and watched him sleeping peacefully. It was in the middle of the night. Since three days they were home again. Finally! The girls were sleeping in their own beds again. She had some time to relax while Richie was making sure John wouldn’t run around too much. Definitely not an easy job.

Nevertheless, she had to check on him. She had to see with her own eyes that she had him back.

“He’s ok, darling.” Richie said softly behind her. Every night she was standing here, watching him. He needed to think about something to get her to sleep. She needed it desperately. She turned her head and smiled.

“I know.” She whispered and put her hands on her husband’s arms when they encircled her waist. He brushed her hair out of her neck and placed small kisses on the soft skin.

Kris shivered and looked at him surprised. His brown eyes gleamed in the darkness. He missed her. It was worse than being on tour and thousands of miles away from her. She was next to him. He could see her, smell, nearly tasted her, but couldn’t get close to her.

Gently Richie leaded her back into their bedroom. She smiled when his hands ran over her skin, pushed at the thin straps of her silk nightie and cupped her breast after it flowed to the floor.

“God, you are so beautiful.” He whispered and kissed her with hunger. She moaned and her arms found their way around his neck. Richie pulled her hard against his body and she could feel his erection pressing into her.

“Richie...” she tried to pull away from him. “Richie...Rich...wait!” he stopped groaning and watched her expecting.

She smiled and traced her index finger over his lips. His tongue swirled out and sucked it into his mouth. Kris s giggled when he tickled her.

“You are impossible!”

He pulled her close again. “That’s why you love me.” He smiled at her.

“True.” She kissed him softly and framed his face with her hands. Looking him deep into these beautiful chocolate brown eyes she said: “Richie, I’m pregnant.”

His face lit up and he kissed her sweetly. Finally she confirmed his suspicion.

“I know.” He replied. She looked at him surprised.

“You know? But mom said she didn’t tell you...”

Richie laughed. “She didn’t.”

“So, how do you know then?” Kris was sure her father didn’t tell him either.

“Well, darling ... don’t you think, I didn’t realize that I could make love to you every single day in the last couple month? I didn’t have to stop for a week or so.”

Kris smiled and kissed him deeply. He was more observant than she thought. “I love you.” She whispered.

“I love you too, darling.” Richie said before carrying her over to the bed.


~ The End ... for now ~

Chapter eight

“What are you doing out here, honey?” Kris asked her husband, worry and disbelieve in her voice. Richie was standing in the hallway in front of their son’s room, the blinds on the huge windows were close, and so you couldn’t look in side. Panic crept into her.

“They are checking on him. Nothing happened. Just a routine check.” Richie said calmly and pulled her to his body. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Richie sighed and looked over to Jon over Kris’ head.

His friend raised his index finger. One! One sandwich. Well, at least something, not enough in her condition though. He kissed her temple softly. He really wanted to take her home to bed. She was exhausted from sleeping in this chair every night, but she refused to leave John alone. She wanted to be there when he would wake up. Richie sighed again; he really hoped it would be soon.

The blinds were raised and the door opened. Doctor Cunningham stepped out into the hallway.

“How is he doing?” Kris asked immediately.

“Unchanged.” He answered softly. Jon cursed, while tears started to shine in Kris’ eyes. Richie pulled her into his arms again.

“I told you that’s not a bad thing.” Doc Cunningham tried to calm her. “He needs time.” Kris nodded and walked over to her son. She kissed his cheek and whispered “I’m here baby” before she sat down in the chair again holding his small hand.

Suddenly she gasped. “He squeezed my hand!” she screamed. The three men still standing in the hallway rushed into the room.

“He squeezed my hand, Richie!” Kris got all excited, while Doctor Cunningham checked John’s eyes. Richie and Jon were standing on each side of Kris. Jon was sure she would collapse when it was a false alarm.

“John, can you hear me?” Doctor Cunningham asked and touched John’s cheek. “John?” the little boy stirred.

“Oh, my god!” Richie whispered.

“Talk to him.” Doc Cunningham told Kris.

“John, baby…come on, wake up. Daddy and grandpa are here as well. Wake up, John. Open your eyes, baby.” She said with a soft inviting voice while running her hand over his still bandaged head.

After another long minute and Jon already close to give up his hopes, his grandson opened his eyes. Confused he looked around. Everybody was holding their breaths. Would he say something? Would he recognise them?

“Mommy? I thought we go home?” John said in his typical whiny voice. They all laughed and tears were streaming down Kris’ face.

“Oh, baby. We go home. I promise. We go home!” Kris hugged him and held him close to her body.

John seemed a bit irritated but that much affection, but didn’t pull back. He spied his dad and grandpa over his mother’s shoulder and waved softly. Richie stepped behind Kris and kissed his son on the cheek. Reluctant Kris let go of John and Richie could pull him into his arms.

Sniffing Kris leaned into her father. “We have him back.” She whispered. Jon smiled.

“Yes, we have. I will call the family.” He said and went outside to give them some time by themselves.

Chapter seven

“Do you want another sandwich?” Jon asked his daughter softly.

“No.” Kris answered and continued to stare at the huge tree they were sitting under in the small atrium of the hospital. Richie and Jon needed their joined power of persuasion to get her out of her son’s room. She didn’t want him to be alone, but Richie promised he would stay with him.

Jon sighed and put the sandwiches in a box again. Joan made them, knowing very well that the food in a hospital was nothing for her family.

“The girls are fine, they wanna visit John. We told them they still need to wait.” Jon said. Kris only nodded. She was miles away with her thoughts. Jon shook his head, but before he could continue to talk Kris whispered.

“Am I a bad mother, just like her?” Jon looked at her confused for a second, before he realized that she was talking about her biological mother. It had been years since she mentioned her. Why was she thinking about her now?

“Sweets, you ain’t like her. I already told you that years ago.” Jon kneeled down in front of her, took both of her hands in his and looked her deep into her blue sad eyes. “You are a wonderful mother.”

“But I couldn’t protect my baby…she…” Kris sobbed. Jon interrupted her immediately.

“She didn’t care about you; she was putting you in this situation on purpose…you, sweets…” he touched her cheek softly. “…you never put your kids into any danger and you didn’t push John off the tree. It was an accident. It’s not your fault.” Kris nodded and leaned into her father crying.

“I just wish I could be up there instead of him. I just wish he wouldn’t have to go through that.”

“We all would immediately trade places with him, if it would be possible…but it’s not. We can only be there for him. Show him that he is not alone. Show him that we love him.” Jon rocked her gently.

“Remember what the Doc said, we don’t have to talk with John all the time, but we need to touch him, hold his hands, so he can feel that we are there. That he doesn’t have to be afraid.” Jon repeated the words of the Doctor like a mantra.

Kris looked at her father and whipped her tears away. “Words can’t say what love can do.” She whispered.

Jon smiled softly. “Words can’t say what love can do. You are right sweets.” He kissed her forehead.

“How about we go back? Richie will worry were you two are.” Jon said with twinkling eyes.

“You know?” Kris looked at him surprised. Her father laughed.

“Your mom is handling you with kid gloves. That happened only once so far. I’m not stupid.” Jon chuckled. He tried his best to get a little smile from her. No success.

Kris only nodded when they walked back into the building and tried to get her emotions under control. She promised herself not to cry when she was with her son.

Chapter six

Richie sighed deeply and watched his wife sleeping in the chair next to their son’s bed through one of the big windows on the ICU. She wasn’t leaving him out of side a single second since he was back from the surgery two days ago.

Unfortunately John hadn’t opened his eyes yet. The doctors were telling them that it could take some time, that his little body needed time to heal and they were probably right about it. But it simply broke his heart to see his little trouble-maker lying motionless, pale and with a huge white bandage around his small head here in a bed on the ICU.

His normally strong and controlled wife was as pale as a wall and crying nearly all the time. He smiled softly. He had a rather good idea why she was that way, but she didn’t say anything yet.

At home his two girls were out of balance as well. Kathy was sitting on the couch with one of her brother’s transformers in her little hands. She was barely speaking and didn’t wanna sleep alone. As the adults were commuting between the hospital and the Bongiovi house all the time, Romeo and Jake were sharing their beds with her.

It was really sweet how protectively the two boys were towards Kathy; Richie just wished it would have been other circumstances to find it out.

Ava didn’t wanna be alone either. Sixteen years old or not, she was in his arms immediately when he entered the house. When he wasn’t there Jon and Jesse were comforting her. Richie just wasn’t sure he liked the look on Jesse’s face when he was hugging Ava.

He sighed. Everything was a mess right now and just because they couldn’t keep his son of the tree. Whose stupid idea was it to put trees in a school yard of a pre-school? Were there all incompetent idiots in the world? His hands clenched to fists angrily. He wanted to hit something, wanted to let out his anger.

“Don’t hit anything and hurt yourself, brother. We couldn’t handle another family member in hospital!”

Jon’s calm voice made him turn around. Brown angry eyes met calm blue ones. Richie closed his eyes, dropped his head back and exhaled sharply.

“I know.” He whispered. “How are the girls doing?” he added.

“Unchanged.” Jon answered and stepped closer to the window that separated the hallway from the rooms on the ICU. “Jake and Romeo tried to play Candy Land with Kathy, but she barely acknowledged the game.” Richie smiled sadly. His little girl loved the game.

“Ava and Jesse watching movies or listening to music. I have the feeling he wants to hold her in his arms forever.” Jon added softly.

Richie glared at him.

“Don’t worry, he’s 18 and I talked with him. He won’t!” Jon stressed the last two words. Richie nodded and rubbed his eyes.

“Let’s try to get her out of there for a few minutes. She needs to eat something.” Richie said silently and entered his son’s room.

Chapter five

“Do you already know what happened?” Jon asked when he entered the room together with Dot.

Richie shook his head no and pulled a pale Kris closer to his body.

“Baby, did you eat something today?” Dot asked concerned and softly caressed her daughters face. “It’s important.” She added. Kris smiled sadly.

“I can’t eat now, mom. Not till I know what’s wrong with my baby.” She whispered. Dot nodded.

“Mr. and Mrs. Sambora?”

“Doctor Cunningham.” Richie jumped to his feet. “What’s wrong with our son?”

“Your son has an epidural hemorrhage.” Richie looked at him shocked. “When he fell off the tree he damaged his head. Typical for such a bleeding is that there are no symptoms for a while and then suddenly the patient collapsed, as it happened to your son.”

“What happens now?” Kris asked in a trembling voice. Richie put his arm around her waist to steady her.

“Your son is already on the way into surgery. We will open his cranium to release the pressure that the blood is causing to his brain afterwards he will be on ICU.”

“You open his head?” Kris’ legs buckled, Richie caught her and carefully helped her to sit down.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s the only way to save his life.” Doctor Cunningham said softly while checking Kris pulse. Tears started to shine in her eyes.

“My baby. My little baby.” Kris couldn’t control the tears any longer. Richie pulled her into his arms. Jon swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat when he saw his daughter so desperate.

Suddenly Doctor Cunningham’s beeper made a noise. He checked it. “I have to go now. I will inform you as soon as the surgery is over.”

“How long?” Richie asked in a throaty voice.

“A couple hours.” The doctor answered and walked out of the room. Jon watched him leaving and suddenly raced after him.

“Doc!” Doctor Cunningham turned around again. “Will he wake up again?” Jon asked silently.

Doctor Cunningham sighed deeply. “Honestly. I don’t know.” Jon tensed. “It depends on the damage and how he’ll be able to handle the surgery.”

Jon nodded shocked and watch him walked away.

“I need a doctor!” Jon spun around and saw Dot standing the hall and a Doctor rushing past her into the room. He sprinted back to her. “Kris collapsed!”

Entering the room they saw the Doctor checking Kris’ blood pressure and her pulse rate. “I will give her something to stabilize her and she should really eat something.”

Before the Doc could give her the medication Dot stepped close to him and whispered something. He looked at her for a second than changed the medicine. Richie frowned irritated, but Dot didn’t say anything.

“Richie, go and get her something to eat.” Dot said when Kris was slowly waking up again. He only nodded and left with Jon.

“Did you tell him?” Kris asked silently when they were alone.

“No, baby. That’s your job.” Dot smiled.

Kris sobbed. “Mom, what if John, what if….”

“Shhh, baby don’t think that way. I’m sure everything will be fine…” Dot tried to assure her and not to start crying on her own.

“Rich would go crazy when…” she let the sentence hang in the air. “Mom, what if he starts to drink again?”

“Oh, baby. He won’t. We’ll watch out for him, especially your dad.” Dot said and held while she cried.

Chapter four

Kris stretched lightly in her seat and tried to find a better position for her stiff back. It was now 5 pm and John was sleeping peacefully in his bed. She shook her head, he looked like an angel, but he could turn into a real devil.

A couple hours ago Richie had to use all his strength to hold his son down when Doctor Cunningham insert the IV line into his little hand. John was furious and he was still pissed when a nurse attached the monitoring unit to his body. Kris wasn’t even sure he was scared or that it really hurt him, it was more that he didn’t want to stay in the hospital.

She was close to collapse when she saw her son fighting against anything and everyone and already wanted to give in and take him home, but Richie was more controlled and told his son in a strict voice to stop. Kris had never seen him being that demanding with one of his kids. John seemed to be surprised too and stopped the screaming and fighting.

Now Richie was at home packing some necessary items for John and her. Then he would drop off Kathy, Ava and his mother at Jon and Dot’s before returning and spending the better part of the night here.

John moved slowly and opened his eyes. “Mommy?”

“Yes, baby…how are you feeling?…a bit better?” she ran her hand gently through his blond hair.

“Headache...” he whispered and touched the right side of his head, the area he hit the ground with.

“Still?...Hmmm…” she kissed his cheek and he tried to sit up, but seemed to be complete out of balance. Kris grabbed him before he fell out of the bed.

“John?” She stood up. “Are you dizzy, baby?” She looked him directly in the eyes, but they didn’t react at all. In the next second his eyes rolled back and the monitors started to beep uncontrollable.

“John?...Baby…” Kris touched his cheek and tried to wake him up again, but he didn’t instead he started to throw up.

“Shit!” Kris turned him to the side and made sure he wouldn’t aspirate the vomit. The door opened and a nurse followed by a pediatrician and Doctor Cunningham stormed into the room.

“Mrs. Sambora, please step back.” Doctor Cunningham pushed her gently, but demanding aside. She stumbled back and watched how they examined her little boy. His whole body was shaking and the beeping of the monitors wouldn’t stop.

Tears started to stream down her face, she was shaking uncontrollable. Where’s Richie?

The doctors started to roll the bed with her son out of the room.

“What will happen now?” Kris stuttered worried and followed them a couples meters down the hallway.

“Wait here, I’ll be back in a little while.” Doctor Cunningham said and rushed with his colleague away.

Kris stared at them in shock.

“Darling?” she turned around. Richie was standing in front of her, a small travelling bag and John’s favorite stuffed animal in his hands.

“Oh God, Richie.” She threw herself into his arms and started to sob.

“Darling…what happened?” he’d dropped the bag the moment Kris landed in his arms and held her tight now. “Where’s John?” he asked concerned. The room of his son was empty.

“He…he…he…” she was close to a break down.

“Darling, calm down…” Richie looked at her worried. He couldn’t remember ever seen her like this.

“He had some kind of a seizure…he was trembling, and threw up and …oh, Richie it was terrible when his eyes rolled back and there was nothing I could do.” She sobbed.

Rich pressed her close to his body; he wasn’t able to say anything. All he could do was hold her.

Chapter Three

“You can’t get in here.” A nurse stopped Richie and Kris.

“You wanna bet?” Kris said and pushed her roughly aside. Richie had an apologetic smile on his face.

“Mommy!” her son screamed as soon as she was in the room. Kris breathed out relieved. Thank God, he’s awake!

“John.” She hurried over to him. “I’m here baby….shhh, don’t cry….” She leaned over him, hugged him carefully and wiped the tears away. “It’s ok; we are here now…we won’t leave you alone. Don’t cry, John.” Her son finally calmed down a bit.

“Hi, buddy…” Richie kissed his son’s forehead and took his hand in his.

“Daddy…I wanna go home. I don’t like it here.” His son whined. Richie smiled softly.

“Well, see…ok, buddy? First Mom and I need to talk with the doctor.” John frowned that his father didn’t agree with him, but stayed calm.

The doctor observed the whole situation from a couple meters away. The little boy was much calmer and easier to handle since his parents showed up and he was relieved that he recognized them.

“Mr. and Mrs. Sambora…” They both looked up when the doctor approached them. “…my name is Doctor Cunningham, I did the first examination of your son…or better I tried.“ he said with a little grin.

Kris grimaced. “I’m sorry, normally I’m with him when he has a doctor’s appointment…I…” Doctor Cunningham raised his hands and she stopped.

“I know, I know…that’s ok...it’s normal that kids are afraid, maybe you can help me do some examinations again. He really wasn’t happy about them before.” He grinned. Kris nodded and Doctor Cunningham stepped closer to the examination table.

“Ok, John…remember we two did that before, I touch you and you tell me when something hurts…ok?”

“Mommy…” John tried to sit up.

“No, John!” Rich and Kris said in unison. The boy looked at them unsure.

“Lay down, baby. We are here…and when something hurts you tell us and the doctor will stop.” Kris pushed him down gently. John bit his lower lip, but nodded.

Carefully Doctor Cunningham palpated the boy’s body. He didn’t wince once. “Well, that was that…great job, John.” He said when he was done. “Didn’t hurt, right?”

“No.” John whispered and looked at his parents. Richie winked at him and his son smiled softly.

“Can I look into your eyes again, John?” the doc pulled a little flashlight from his pocket.

John nodded and grabbed the hand of his mother. “It’s ok, baby…I’m here….you doing really good.” She encouraged him.

“See, that was it…” Doctor Cunningham turned to Richie and Kris. “Ok, he seems rather fit right now, nothing is broken which is a miracle considering that he fell from a tree, but he was unconscious and very disorientated when the ambulance brought him here, he has a headache and told me the last thing he can remember is that you two dropped him and his sister off at school…that means he has no memory about the accident…right John?” Doctor Cunningham looked at the little boy.

The boy nodded. “You dropped me and Kathy off, that’s all I know.” Kris squeezed his hand softly.

“That’s ok baby…I’m sure you’ll remember later.”

“The memory can come back…but sometimes it doesn’t.” Doctor Cunningham continued. “He has some symptoms for a concussion and that’s why I would really like to keep him here over night, so we can observe him and be right there when things change.” Richie nodded understanding.

“Can I stay with him?” Kris asked concerned.

“Yes, we have rooms at the children medical unit especially for that situation.” Doctor Cunningham said and Kris smiled relieved. No chance, she would let him alone again.