The moment Henry walked into the hospital waiting room and saw Shawn sitting alone in the corner, his face pale as he stared vacantly down at the carpet in front of him, he knew.

He didn't know everything, of course…how could he?...but he knew enough.

He crossed the tiled floor quickly, his urgent steps echoing hollowly off the sterile walls.

For a moment, he stood over his son, who didn't even look up. His eyes were empty and distant, as if he couldn't see anything in front of him.

Finally, Henry had to say something.

"Shawn."

Shawn looked up at him, blinking as if trying to awaken from a dream. A shudder ran through his entire body as he struggled to get out a single syllable.

"Dad…"

Henry sat down next to him, already hearing everything in that one word.

"What the hell happened?" he asked quietly.

Shawn shook his head slowly.

Uncomprehendingly.

"I don't know," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "I don't know…she's gone…"

Henry closed his eyes, every ounce of oxygen escaping his body as if he had just been hit in the chest and the head simultaneously. "She's gone?"

"Yeah…" Shawn nodded this time, stiffening. "She's gone, Dad. I don't know what happened…it all happened so fast…"

Henry forced himself to open his eyes again, knowing he couldn't have the wind knocked out of him.

Not now.

"The kid…?" he mumbled, groaning with the effort to even breathe.

For a long moment, Shawn didn't answer.

He couldn't.

"He's alive," he said finally, if you could define the squeak of escaping breath as speaking. "That's all I know. It happened so fast…the chord was wrapped around his neck, so they had to do an emergency c-section…she was bleeding…I don't know…" His voice reached a trembling crescendo and he continued to shake his head almost furiously. "She was bleeding, Dad…they couldn't stop it…they wouldn't let me near her…she kept asking if he was okay, but they wouldn't tell her anything."

He stopped suddenly, taking a long, shaky breath. All the blood had drained from his face now.

"They brought him to the NICU, but I can't see him yet. I don't know if…"

Henry nodded as Shawn stopped again, for once not forcing his son to continue.

For once, not demanding a full explanation.

"He'll be okay," Henry told him softly.

Shawn's hands were starting to tremble as he looked down at the floor again, still shaking his head. "I don't know."

"He will." Henry insisted.

Shawn smiled palely as he looked back up at his father. "What the hell am I going to do if he is?" he asked quietly. "I can't change a diaper."

"What?"

"Those classes we went to…" Shawn pressed on, his voice dropping again. "I could never change the stupid diapers…Jules could. But she couldn't heat the bottle right. She always forgot about it and let it get too hot. I could do the bottle every time…but I can't do the diapers, Dad. I need her to change the damn diapers."

Henry sighed, resting his hand on Shawn's shoulder.

"You can change a diaper, Kid."