Re: Visiting the Hospital
When Sam appeared, Louis was filled with strong, conflicting emotions. She was lovely, and it was strange to see her as he thought of her in his head, without a full belly and a baby in it, but she looked so, so worn. He didn't know what women typically looked like after birth, but he knew what Sam looked like when she was pasting on a smile. She wasn't all the best at it, a fact he knew she would admit. The IV pole didn't exactly lend confidence to the facade, either.
All the same, he smiled back. She promised the 'strings' were just procedure, and on that he did believe her. But as soon as Iris was finished greeting her, he cut the distance between them and wrapped her up in a hug.
Hugging hadn't been a part of Donovan family communication. Family embraces were so rare that physical contact was a sure sign something was wrong - someone had died, someone was gravely ill. But he knew Sam, and he knew by now that few things communicated to the Alexanders better than a good hard hug - tempered, of course, around the IV. He slipped his arms under hers and squeezed. Not too hard, since she had to still be in some pain, but hard enough to make himself felt.
Everything else aside, all the strangeness of their lives and his worries, he was happy for her, happy the baby was alive, happy she was alive. He could put a name on a nameless fear, now - he really had thought she might not make it.
"I'm so happy for you," he said, in her ear, before pulling back. He blinked. Were his eyes wet? Nonsense.
There was Cris, over her shoulder. "Cris," he said, warmly. And then another hug - this had to be a new record of some kind. He embraced his friend back, it was that sort of day. The plastic bags still hung limply from his arms. "I brought a few things," he stammered out, as he sorted through the hug and exchanging glances with Iris and looking to Daniel to make sure he was alright. "Food, for starters. Your description of what you were eating was appalling."