Offer to the CEO

Saturday continued …

Around half an hour later, Hou Yi and Anna came out of the room, and Hou Yi asked "Can you make arrangements for Aaron please.  Please ask the funeral director to do nothing for a few days as we need to work out what is to happen."

He continued to push Anna towards her room, where two waiting nurses asked "Madam Hou, would you like to bathe?"

With Anna's nod, they took her into the en-suite while Hou Yi sat down.  Rosemary walked in and asked, "Are you alright Yi?"

"I have to be.  Anna needs me."

"That is not the answer to my question.  Are you alright?"

"Rosemary, we just lost a child we were so looking forward to have in our lives.  What do you think?" Hou Yi paused and said "And before you ask, I have a friend who is a psychologist.  I will get her to help us put in place counselling."

"You are sure?"

"Absolutely." Hou Yi paused, knowing that they had asked so much of Rosemary, and to help them out she had left her husband and children in Australia "Can you tell your family what happened?"

"I will.  But Yi, I need to head home soon.  Anna will need her life to bet back to as normal as it can be.  If everything is fine, I think Tuesday will be the right day for that.  Can you arrange a flight back for me?"

"I will but promise that you talk to Anna firstly.  She needs to understand your reasons."

Rosemary, responded "I will, but make that call."

Hou Yi nodded and wandered off pulling out his phone and started to make some calls.

After the nurses brought Anna back to her bed, Rosemary sat down and discussed her leaving with Anna.  While she was disappointed in her going home, she understood the need to head back.  The children had just started back to school, and Rosemary had agreed to return to working at the hospital.  After settling back into bed, Anna quietly drifted off to sleep.

When Anna awoke, she saw Hou Yi sitting on the couch asleep.  He seemed to sense that she had woken up and stirred looked to Anna, and asking "Are you alright?"

"As best as I can be given everything.  And you?"

"The same." Hou Yi looked at his watch, and continued "My parents, Grandparents and Aunt will soon be here.  I suspect that everyone else will start to descend on us today."

Hou Yi observed that Anna had a look of horror on her face, and said "I do not know if I can cope…"

"I feel the same Anna, but we have little Jang as well.  He is as much our son as much as Aaron was.  We cannot let him suffer as all we want to do is grieve for Aaron.  We have to do both."

Anna paused and realised exactly who he had been talking to.  "You have spoken to Phillipa."

"True, but she only told me what, in the end, I simply knew deep down.  You know this as well."

Before Anna could retort, the suite door opened and in came Hou Jang, Du AnLing, Leng Xi and Hou Yi's grandparents, all excited about the next generation that they had briefly seen in the special care unit.  Anna and Hou Yi sat down and talked to them about the names and what had happened with Aaron.  As they were talking his grandmother said "Why do you not have little Yi cremated, and when you have little Jang's christening you have his ashes there.  By then, hopefully you will know what you want to do with them."

Anna and Hou Yi looked at each other, thinking that the proposal seemed morbid, but maybe it would let them grieve and be willing to let go of their little miracle that spent so little time with them.

After his family left, other visitors started to drift in and out, including Rosemary, James, Alecia, Amanda, Yao Tan and Jodie all made their way in and out of the room.  The day was constantly full of conflicting emotions, celebrating little Jang, but wanting to mourn Aaron.  At the end of the day, the paediatrician indicated that he was happy for little Jang to spend some time in the ward with Anna, but not all the time.  It seemed to both Hou YI and Anna that he was making rapid progress, if this was the case.

As the nurses took little Jang away at the end of the day, Anna and Hou Yi drifted off to a fitful sleep, dealing with the conflicting emotions that they had.