Kids Are Forever

Kate’s POV
After seeing the cardiologist we were informed that he would indeed needed surgery, no questions about it. It didn’t come any easier though we had been through it all before and were a little more prepared with our feelings.

Watching our son getting prepared for surgery brought me to tears. He was so calm and he was so brave, even with his fear of needles he was an angel.
“It will be ok, just don’t look,” I put my hand on his back as he buried his face into his dad’s chest.
“Good boy,” Evgeni kissed his forehead as they prodded his skin with the needle, “it’s ok.”

“All done,” the nurse smiled sweetly.
“See it’s all done, nothing to worry about,” I ran my hand over his head as he peered up at me and a set of tears ran down his cheek, “I am scared,” he sobbed.
“Aww come here baby,” I put my arms out and he clipped into my lap, “I love you sweetie and we are never going to let anything happen to you ok?”
“Ok,” I wiped away the tears with my thumbs before placing a kiss to his forehead.

“Hey Clark, someone wants to see you,” I noticed Evgeni smiling as he looked up at the door.
“Who?” Clark wiped away his tears and sat up, “ASHER!” he was so happy to see his big brother if I didn’t hold onto him he was going to fall out of the bed.

“Hey little dude,” Asher came over to his side and sat on the bed next to me, “I hear you have been scaring mum and dad huh?” he ruffled up his hair.
“Maybe,” Clark wrapped his arms around Asher.
“Well no more, hey?” Asher held onto him.
“Ok.”

We got to spend a few more minutes with him before they were taking him in for his operation.
"Promise me one thing?" Evgeni lent down and grabbed his hand.
"What?" he tilted his head up curiously at his father.
"That you will wake up."
"Dad?"
"Please," Evgeni looked so desperate.
"Ok, I wake up."
"Good, I love you," Evgeni kissed him first, then Asher and then me.
“I love you mum,” he smiled up at me.
“I love you too sweetie, see you soon,” I gave him the last hug and kiss before they wheeled him away down the hall.

“Bye,” he waved as his little voice echoed down the hall.
“Bye sweetie,” I called out.

“He will be ok mum,” Asher put his hand on my back as the tears began to fall from my eyes.
“I hope so,” I sobbed as Evgeni wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.

Evgeni’s POV
“So is this what it felt like?” Asher spoke up as we sat in the waiting room floor; Kate asleep between my legs with her head on my chest, Zach snoozing in Asher’s lap, Nicky and the twins curled up between us.
“What?” I looked up from where I had been staring at Kate.
“When I was sick, was this what it felt like?” he showed me his trembling hand.
“Every time.”

It was true though. Every time we walked into that hospital with Asher it scared me. I couldn’t help but have the feeling that maybe one day we wouldn’t walk out with him.
He got so sick at some stages the doctors prepared us for the worst and when I had to go away and play hockey I couldn’t help but think about him every second of the day or night.

That probably made it a little easier this time around. I was here, I was at home and I could be there for me little guy at all times of the day.

When he was up in the middle of the night because he couldn’t sleep and was feeling sick I could be there for him. I could be up all hours of the night just to make him feel better and not have to worry about waking up for hockey. I could spend all day on the couch watching movies with him just because.

It was how I felt about all of the kids, it was hard to quit hockey but I loved that now I could keep my promise that family came before hockey and that I was there father before I was anything else. I was always around to watch them grow, watch them succeed and that was all that mattered to me.

“Mr Malkin,” a nurse stood at the door with a sorry face.
I carefully climbed out from underneath Kate not wanting to wake them all.

“Something wrong?” I grew anxious as she didn’t say anything right away.
“The doctors experienced some problems getting his heart beating again, his pulse is very weak so it’s very touch and go for now.”
“Can I see him?”
“The doctors are still with him,” she shook her head.
“Please,” I looked back at my family all still sound asleep in a huddle, “I need to see my son.”
“Ok, but you can’t go in yet, just through the window.”
“Anything, I just want to see him.”