Maddie let out a small breath. She'd been working at the infant and toddler nursery for two months now. It wasn't hard, but it was tiring. She didn't know little kids could be so hyper and… annoying. It wasn't all of them. It was just a few of them. She wasn't going to complain about it, though. She was thankful that she had this job. She just didn't appreciate how quickly she got tired.

"Baba!"

Maddie looked down, at a little girl that was standing right beside her. She was only eighteen months old, and she couldn't say much, but when she did, she made it evident what she wanted. "You want your bottle, Casey?" she asked, picking the toddler up.

"Baba," Casey repeated.

"Okay. We'll go get it," she said, walking over to a refrigerator. She took a bottle of milk out of it and handed it to Casey before she closed the fridge and laid the baby in her arms as she walked over to a rocking chair and sat down. The other toddlers and infants were asleep. Casey was always the last one down. Maddie had come to realize in the last two months that Casey got restless quickly, and had to be held and soothed in order to fall asleep.

Casey stared up at Maddie and she twirled her hair around her chubby little finger, grinning behind the bottle. Maddie returned the smile. "Hi, Honey," she said.

"Pretty," Casey said.

"Aw. Thank you, you're pretty, too."

"Mama."

"Mommy will be in to check on you in a little bit."

Casey was Connie's daughter. Connie's the entertainment director, but she calls herself the 'funtertainment' director. Maddie thought the woman was a little weird, but she respected her. She was not only an amazing person and very nice, but she was a terrific mother, even though common sense didn't hit her very often.

"Mommy's here," Connie said as she walked into the room. "Is she being good?"

"She's being great. No fussing yet, and she didn't even yell at me when I changed her stinky diaper that could have landed me in the hospital," Maddie said, tapping Casey's nose and earning a giggle. "She has a rash starting, by the way. I think it might be the diapers. We got a new brand. I'm just gonna use the ones we used before on her, wouldn't want it to get any worse."

"I'll just pack a diaper bag of the ones she uses, she'll be okay."

"Any specific ointments?"

"Whatever you have is fine. Resinol works wonders. Casey, you be good for Maddie," Connie said, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

"Mama," Casey said taking her bottle out of her mouth.

"Take your nap, Mommy will pick you up later."

"No nap."

"Yes, nap. You're tired. Your eyes are red."

"No."

"Yes. If she starts throwing a fit, just put her in a crib. She'll cry herself to sleep."

"We'll be fine, I've dealt with this many times," Maddie said.

"Good luck," Connie said, starting for the door.

Maddie looked at Casey when Connie left, and she laughed a little at the little pout on the toddler's lips. "Oh, you're so pitiful."

Zack stood outside the bathroom door, leaning against the wall. He'd been listening to Maddie retching, coughing and vomiting for the last ten minutes, but he couldn't get in because she'd locked the door. He let out a small breath, running his hand through his hair. "Maddie… Open the door."

"I'm fine, Zack, just leave me alone," Maddie said.

"You're not fine, you're throwing up. What's going on?"

"It's the flu, Zack."

"But, you didn't have the flu yesterday."

"So, it started over night. That's usually how the flu works."

"You didn't even feel sick yesterday, Maddie."

Zack sighed when he didn't get an answer. Instead, Maddie's response was vomiting again. Zack walked over to the bed and sat down. What could have been making her sick? She had no symptoms of the flu. She didn't have a fever. She wasn't achy. Well, actually, she complained last night that Zack gripped her breast too hard, but he'd barely touched her. That was the only thing she'd complained about, though.

Zack looked up at the bathroom door when it opened, and he stared at Maddie for a few seconds. She was pale, she looked weak, and he definitely didn't think that the light shade of green of her skin was normal. "…You're literally green, Maddie, there is something wrong with you."

"I'm fine, I'm just sick," Maddie said.

"You're not just sick, Maddie. You're green."

"Because I'm sick!"

"Why are you yelling?"

"Because you won't let it go! I'm just sick, Zack, I'm fine! Drop it!"

"What if you're not sick?"

"What else could it be then, Zackary?" Maddie asked, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"Why are you calling me Zackary? I don't call you Madalyn."

"That's because my name is Madeline!"

"Come on, Maddie. There's something wrong with you. You need to go to the doctor."

"I'm fine. It's the damn flu, Zack, stop treating me like a baby."

"Please just go to the doctor."

"Why? I'm fine. I've dealt with the flu plenty of times."

"Maddie."

"Zackary."

Maddie sat down on the bed and she sighed, running her hand over her face. "Zack, I just want to lay down and sleep it off, okay?"

"What if something is wrong, though?" Zac asked.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, that's why I want you do go to a doctor."

Maddie leaned against Zack. "…I'm gonna pass out."

"What?"

"I'm getting light headed, I'm about to pass out."

"How can you tell-"

Maddie's eyes closed and her head fell forward, and Zack caught her as her body started leaning forward, laying her back on the bed.

"Maddie," Zack said, shaking her lightly. "Maddie, are you okay?" He stared at her for a few seconds. "Oh my god… Okay, you're okay, you'll be fine," he said as he picked her up and walked out of the room.

Maddie opened her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows when she heard a beeping sound and she looked to her right, seeing a heart monitor. She sat up slowly and she looked around the room for a few seconds before noticing Zack asleep in a chair next to her hospital bed. "…Zack?"

Zack stirred a little and he opened his eyes, standing up and hugging her. "You scared me, Maddie, don't ever do that again?"

"What happened? Why am I here?"

"You fainted in our room."

"Oh…"

"I told you, you should have come to the doctor."

"I'm fine, Zack, it's just the flu. I'm probably just dehydrated."

The door opened and a doctor walked in, carrying a clipboard. "Hello, Miss Fitzpatrick, I'm Dr. Foreman."

"Hi…"

"What's wrong with her?" Zack asked.

"Well, Miss Fitzpatrick is dehydrated, that's why she fainted," Dr. Foreman said.

"Told you," Maddie said.

"But, we ran some blood tests anyway."

"…What did they say?"

"You tested negative for any disease, disorder and illness."

"So then, I'm fine? I can go back to our cabin?"

"Well, yes, but I'd like to perform an ultrasound first."

"…Okay…"

"Lift your gown up."

Maddie looked at Zack for a few seconds, before she pulled her gown up. "What's the ultrasound for?" she asked.

"Just precautionary procedure," Dr. Foreman said, squirting cold, clear gel on Maddie's stomach.

Maddie stayed quiet and watched Dr. Foreman as she turned the machine on and started moving the ultrasound wand around on her stomach. She furrowed her eyebrows when sound started coming from the machine, and she stared at the screen, trying to figure out just what the hell that thing was that appeared to be inside her.

"You seem to be about two months along," Dr. Foreman said.

Maddie's jaw dropped a little and she looked at Zack, before looking at the screen again. "…What? I'm pregnant?"

"Congratulations."

"But…"

"No, that's impossible," Zack said. "We use a condom every time we have sex."

"Must have broke a time or two," Dr. Foreman said. "You're going to be parents."

Maddie's eyes filled with tears as Dr. Foreman cleaned the gel off her stomach, and she sniffled, looking at Zack.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said, leaving the room.

Maddie let out a small sob, and she took Zack's hand in hers. "…What are we gonna do, Zack?"

"I don't know, babe…" Zack said, kissing her hand.

"We weren't planning a baby… We're not ready for a baby yet."

"We have to get ready for it. It's not going to go away."

"I'm scared…"

"I know, baby. I know. It's going to be scary at first, but we're going to get through it. I promise."

Maddie sniffled and let out another sob, rubbing her eyes. "…Since when are you the brave one?"

"I've always been brave. I just didn't realize it until I was with you."

She smiled and sniffled again. "…I really am scared, Zack," she whispered.

"I know. It's going to be okay, though. We'll be fine. We're going to have this baby and we're going to raise it the absolute best we can. It's gonna be the best kid in the world, you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because it's ours. Maddie, we have nothing to worry about. We're going to be fine. This baby's going to be fine. It's all going to be fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because I have faith in us. Don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"No buts."

Maddie sniffled and she whined, rubbing her eyes. "Just promise me that you'll never leave me…"

Zack looked at Maddie for a few seconds and he kissed her lips lightly. "I'll never leave you, Maddie. Even if we end up breaking up, I'll never leave you. I won't leave you alone with this baby. I'm going to be there for you and the baby no matter what. I swear."

Maddie nodded. "Okay… I love you."

"I love you, too. And, I love our baby."

Maddie bit her thumb nail nervously, walking up to Moseby's desk. Ever since she found out she was pregnant last week, she'd been nervous about telling Moseby. She'd had horrible morning sickness the whole week, so she took the week off work.

"Madeline, I assume you're feeling better. Why aren't you at work?" Moseby asked.

"I need to talk to you about something…"

"What is it?"

"Um… Well, you know I fainted last week."

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

"Great… Kind of. I'm still getting sick."

"Maybe you should be quarantined."

Maddie shook her head. "That won't help my problem."

"Madeline, what's going on?"

"…I'm pregnant, Mr. Moseby…"

Moseby looked at Maddie for a few seconds. "…Oh."

Maddie stayed silent for a few seconds, shifting her weight and playing with her hair nervously. "…Look, I might have to miss days off work until my morning sickness dies down, but promise I'll keep up with it until the baby is here. I just need off work until I can be with the kids the whole day and not running to the bathroom every thirty minutes."

"I'll have to find a temp to fill in for you."

"…You don't mind?"

"Well, it's the only thing I can do. If you're going to be running off and leaving the children unattended, you can't work there until you stop getting sick."

"I can come right back once I'm not getting sick?"

"Absolutely."

"Mr. Moseby, you have no clue how thankful I am right now."

"Oh, I have a pretty good guess. I'll look into getting you and Zack a bigger suite with an add-on room."

"You can do that?"

Moseby nodded. "It'll be better. You can let the baby have the add-on room, and the cabin itself is bigger. It will accommodate you better."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Moseby. I don't think there's any way I can ever thank you enough."

"Raise that baby right and keep it healthy, and that's thanks enough."

Maddie smiled and she walked around the desk, wrapping her arms around Moseby. "You're the best boss ever…"

"So I've been told. You're one of my best employees."

"One of the best? Moseby, at the Tipton I was the best, other than Carey. Why'd I get downgraded?"

"You're on new territory, Madeline."

Maddie sighed. "Fair enough. I'm gonna go find Zack," she said, walking out from behind the desk.

"No risky business on my ship."

"Oh, please. Risky business doesn't even come close to describing me and Zack."