Laws of Motion – Book 4
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT
Chapter 3
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
The Blakes
4:24 pm
"It was a great day, Mom." Alone in the kitchen with his mother, Sean stepped forward and hugged her tight. "Thank you for forcing me to try Trinity even though I was scared and didn't want to go."
Knowing hugs from teenage sons were a precious commodity, Wendy savored the embrace. "You're welcome, Honey." She welled up from the sound of her socially-challenged son's happy voice. "I'm so glad you had a good day and made lots of new friends. How was Ryan? Did he talk to you, or did he pretend he didn't know you?"
"He was great," Sean replied, enjoying the motherly love that he wasn't supposed to think was cool anymore. "But he made me swear I wouldn't tell you. He said he has a rep as an obnoxious, self-centered teenager to protect."
"I won't tell him you blew his cover."
Reluctantly moving out of his mother's arms, Sean said, "And don't worry, I know there will be some mean kids and bad days, but I'll be okay. I'm a lot tougher now than I was when I started Butterfield."
"I know you are, Sweetie." Wendy moved to the fridge. "I'll make us some soy-milk hot cocoa to celebrate. I experimented today and made some carob brownies that I think you'll really enjoy."
"Yum!" Sean settled in at the kitchen table to do his Trigonometry homework
"I'm back from the park!" Ryan set his muddy football on the counter. "It started raining."
"You have perfect timing." Wendy held up the unsweetened organic cocoa mix. "I'm making a treat. You can join us after you wash up."
Dr. Libson's Office
4:31 pm
After washing her hands, Becca wrapped a paper towel around her urine specimen container and walked over to open the small door cut into the wall of the private bathroom. "Hello! Lab people! In here!"
Cheryl Walker peered through the opening. "Ma'am, for future reference, it's okay to just place your container in the chute and leave. We check every few minutes, so you don't have to tell us."
"I know that," Becca confirmed. "I'm calling because I need you to get the doctor for me."
"Are you having an emergency?"
"Not a physical one. I just need to talk to her in private, before my husband and I go back for our ultrasound appointment."
Cheryl figured that was code for 'my baby's daddy isn't my husband and I don't know what to do. "The doc doesn't counsel patients through the urine chute, you'll have to ask your husband to wait outside for you and…"
"Tell her it's Becca Vartann. She knows I'm a head case."
Knowing her boss was the local expert on high risk pregnancies for mental patients, Cheryl didn't waste any time. "Oh, okay. Hold on a minute, I'll see if she can pop in here."
"Thanks!" Becca placed the sealed container in the chute and returned to the sink to wash her hands again.
"Becks…" Tony knocked on the door. "Is everything okay in there? You've been gone a while and a line is starting to form."
"I'm fine!" she replied in a sunny tone, not wanting to worry him. "I um…I think I need to add a little more fiber to my diet. Tell the other preggos that I'm sorry, but I'll be a few more minutes. Go read a magazine and don't worry."
"Okay, Sweetheart." He lowered his voice. "When we get home, I'll whip up a batch of my mom's high fiber bran muffins, they always help me out of a bind."
"Thanks, Honey."
"I'll be in the waiting area."
"Becca…" Dr. Libson quietly greeted the sweet patient she had received from her good friend, Dr. Sylvia Myers. "What's going on, Dear?" she asked through the hole in the wall. "Are you feeling okay?"
Crouching down, she replied, "I feel great, it's my husband who's having a bad day. There was a little boy murdered this morning and he responded to the call. There's a lot to it, but the bottom line is, he's really, really stressed out and heartbroken. I wanted to tell you before we got into the exam room, because if anything should be wrong, and I'm sure it won't be, but if it is…could you go out of your way to assure him it's not his fault. He already has so much on his mind, I…"
"I promise. I'll let the Tech know as well."
Becca broke into a smile. "Thank you."
"I'll see you shortly, Dear."
When she opened the restroom door, Becca wasn't surprised to find two irritated women. "Oh, get over yourselves. Like you've never been constipated." Rolling her eyes, she hurried into the waiting area, anxious to return to her husband's embrace. "I'm back."
"Feeling better now?"
"Much." She slid onto his lap. "Whatcha reading?"
"Nothing." Tony tossed the magazine. "I was just trying to take my mind off worrying."
"Here's something to occupy your mind. When I was waiting for you to finish praying, I had the perfect daydream."
"Did you have it before or after you asked Father O'Malley if nocturnal emissions were a mortal sin?" He still couldn't believe she had asked the sixty year old priest such a scandalous question.
"Before," she chuckled. "Hey, he said I could ask him anything!"
"Tell me about your daydream." Tony slipped his arm around his lovably wacky wife. "What was it about?"
"Bella's ninth birthday party."
"The party we're not planning yet, because it might jinx the pregnancy."
"I'm not planning it. I said I daydreamed it. I'm not responsible for what I dream." She winked. "If you don't believe me, just ask Father O'Malley."
"Right." He couldn't help falling a little harder for her. "Go on."
Snuggling close she shared the vivid details. "It was in our backyard. We had a ton of colorful balloons, a petting zoo, and there were horses to ride. Haleigh and Heidi Sanders were there as Bella's bestest friends. The Grissom's nine year old son, Owen was digging for bugs in the ground and being a total geek."
"You dreamed the Grissoms are having a boy?"
"No, Sara sent me a text!" she excitedly shared. "I can't believe I didn't tell you. They found out a few hours ago. It's a boy for sure."
"Wow. That's great." A smile claimed his mouth. "A boy…yeah, I can't picture Sara fussing over a girl. That's great news." He hoped he'd be getting more of the same momentarily. "Who else was at the party?" Tony asked, wanting to lose himself in the fantasy.
"Besides our son, Zack?" Becca adored her husband's reaction to hearing they had a boy too.
"Was Zack older or younger than Bella?"
"Hmm, that's funny, I don't know. How could I not know?" Winking she shared, "But I can tell you that he was an athletic, handsome guy just like his daddy. Nick and Carrie's nine year old adopted son, Kyle was there playing football with him. He seemed to be Zack's buddy."
"When did Nick and Carrie find out that Belinda is having a boy?"
"They didn't. I'm psychic, remember? That's not me being psycho, either. Hoj's grandmother was psychic, and she confirmed I have the gift."
"Right, right." Tony humored her. "What else did your crystal ball tell you, Madame Becks?"
Becca happily continued, "Also at the party were Mr. and Mrs. Stokes's eight year old daughter, Megan, their five year old son, Garrett, and their baby girl, Kelli. She was a miracle baby. Carrie was told she couldn't have anymore children after her second because her ovaries dried up. They conceived her when they stole a few moments together in a closet on during a Stokes family Christmas Eve gathering."
"Wow, you're a very detailed and nosy psychic." He planted a kiss on her forehead. "What about Drew and Marta? Were they living a happily ever after?" He felt so bad for the sad woman he had chatted with the day before when he was out running in the neighborhood.
"Totally! All of Drew's kids were at the party and Marta was pregnant with their third."
"Awesome."
"Everyone was having a great time," she dreamily informed her husband. "I was on cloud nine playing hostess and snapping pictures. My favorite photo was Bella on a horse with you standing at her side. It was a perfect day."
Closing his eyes, Tony quietly said, "I can picture it." Moments later, he was jolted back to reality.
"Mr. and Mrs. Vartann…" The nurse stood in the open doorway. "We'll do your exam first, and after that we'll move to the ultrasound room."
Standing up, Tony pushed out a stress-filled sigh. "By any chance, do they pass out drinks to the expectant fathers to soothe their nerves?"
Dr. Myers's Office
4:41 pm
"You seem jittery today, Lindsay," Sylvia stated once Catherine moved to the family-session privacy room. "Did something happen with your mother?" Things had been going so well, she was surprised.
"No," the confused teen grumbled, "for once it's not her stressing me out. It's Sean. He started going to Trinity today."
"Ah." The doctor settled into the chair across from her patient. "Was Sean uncomfortable around you because he knows you like another boy?"
"No!" Lindsay snapped. "And it was so annoying! He didn't even bat an eye when he bumped into Colin and me holding hands. It was his first day at Trinity and by last period, he had a girlfriend!"
Sylvia struggled not to smile. "Why does it bother you that he wasn't affected? And why do you care if he has a girlfriend, if you like Colin?"
"Because…" Lindsay slouched deeper into the comfy couch cushions. "I'm not jealous if that's what you think."
The doctor nodded, "Then what are you feeling?"
"Confused."
"I know I've said this to you before, but it's worth repeating. Romantic relationships are very confusing. That's why I encourage my teenage patients to hold off having them until they are emotionally ready. Perhaps this confusion you feel is a sign that you really shouldn't be in a relationship yet, Lindsay. You're fourteen, Dear. You'll have plenty of time to date and fall in love, so if it's too stressful, maybe you should wait. Focus on developing your own identity instead of being someone's girlfriend."
"But everyone my age is dating. Just today, I heard two girls in the bathroom talking about sex with their boyfriends! Everyone will think I'm a freak if I don't want to."
"I know peer pressure is awful, but contrary to what you read about in chat rooms, there's no shame in being an eighteen year old virgin."
"That's just something older people say to get kids not to have sex."
"While a few men may love an uninhibited girl who has been around the block with every boy in the neighborhood, most are put off."
"That's totally a double standard," the teen droned. "I think that's from your day, not now."
"It is a double standard, but it's quite true, even today. It's your choice, Lindsay. You can believe inexperienced teenagers, you can believe guys who will say anything to get in your pants, or you can believe me…a therapist who cares about your wellbeing and has been hearing men confess the truth in private for nearly thirty years. "
"My mom pays you, so how can I really trust you're not just saying what she tells you?"
The doctor smiled, "If I just wanted the money, wouldn't it be far easier to tell you what you wanted to hear rather than debate? It's not like your mother ever hears what I'm saying, right? If I really didn't care, I'd let you listen to your IPod while I caught up on paperwork and got paid by your mother."
Lindsay chuckled for a moment before countering again, "But Greg loves Tawny even though she was a stripper who slept around. Then again, he was a desperate geek, so I guess beggers can't be choosers, huh?"
"I can't discuss other patients." The doctor wished she could reply 'Too bad you weren't here the day Greg admitted that if Tawny hadn't gotten pregnant he would have dumped her because she was a stripper girl with a GED, not the kind of girl he could ever take home to his parents'.
"Okay, well…Warrick loves my mom even though she slept with half of Vegas and stripped."
"How many men and years did it take before your mother found a man as non-judgmental as Warrick?" Sylvia asked with a lilt in her voice. "Hmm? You've sat in that chair and said you were grateful that he didn't care your mother had a scandalous past, right? That tells me that you know most other men did. How many times has your mother told you that she felt used by men, because they loved taking her out for the evening, but never wanted to get serious? She said they only saw her as a party girl, not relationship or marriage material, right? She's not making that stuff up to scare you from having sex, Lindsay, she's trying to prevent you from feeling as used and abused as she did. While many parents joke about not wanting their little girls to ever have sex, no one really wants their child to go unloved. They just want to make sure it's with the right person at the right time."
"Yeah, I can see that."
Smiling, Sylvia shared, "Don't feel pressured to learn everything there is to know by the time you're sixteen. One of the great joys of a mature relationship is discovering new things together, like exploring a foreign country when they're on their honeymoon, or learning to cook Thai food, or trying out a new sexual move. Intimacy shouldn't feel stressful, it should be fun."
"Like when I was trapped behind a couch and subjected to hearing Carrie explore uncharted territory with Nick because we were in the house without them knowing."
"What?"
"It's a long story, but let's just say that Ryan, Sean, and me got to hear Carrie giving her first…you know, because we didn't want to embarrass them by popping out from behind the couch when they were naked and horny. Ugh, we had to listen to Nick guiding her through it and then the afterglow discussion. She was giggling and proud of herself for getting the job done right while he was on cloud nine. It was the most uncomfortable I've ever been in my life. She actually laughed and said 'it wasn't that bad, just like getting a little unexpected mouthful of salt water at the beach' and then when she was about to race off to the bathroom to clean up, we got to hear him coach her 'Darlin', you can't run off to brush your teeth before I pleasure you, because I'm a guy and we all fall asleep if left alone after we're spent. Just take a little swish of champagne and relax while I pleasure you'."
Sylvia covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
"I know you're laughing," Lindsay chuckled.
"Okay, yes, but that incident proves my point, right? Intimacy is fun and safe when it's between two mature people who love and respect each other. What makes it scary is not being able to trust the person you're with not to laugh at you when you move out of your comfort zone, or dump you the morning after. There are two kinds of unsafe sex, Dear…physically unsafe and mentally unsafe. How do you think Carrie would have felt if after she took that chance, Nick said 'wow, look at the time. I have to get up early in the morning, so I need to go. I'll call you tomorrow'?"
"Crappy."
"And how do you think she would have felt if he never called or spoke to her again?"
"Mega crappy."
By the look on her patient's face, the doctor knew her point had been made. "I have girls sitting in my office crying over that scenario all the time, Lindsay. If a boy doesn't want to take it slow or wait for you, then he's probably not a boy you should intimately trust."
The teen conceded with a nod.
"Here…" Sylvia reached for her candy jar. "For making it through my sex lecture without rolling your eyes, you deserve a treat."
LVPD Interrogation Room B
4:46 pm
"Zavion…here's that drink and snack just like I promised." Nick placed a small carton of milk and a package of Oreo cookies on the table for the boy and took a seat across the Social Services representative that had been called in to act as the child's advocate. "Ms. Tristan and I are gonna talk to you for a little while."
"Cool! I never get real Oreos!" The famished boy tore open the cookies, happy for the rare treat. "Where's my grandma?"
"She's in the next room waiting to answer some questions." Nick knew that Carrie, the DA, Ogden, Brass, and the Sheriff were standing behind the glass observing and discussing a plan of action. Jamal's death was considered a public relations nightmare for Burdick before Zavion's revelation, and now it was worse. "How did you know your grandmother had a gun?"
"One day, I seen her put it there…under the mattress."
Staring at the killer's milk mustache, Nick asked in a troubled voice, "Why did she keep it there?"
"In case my brother's old friends came to steal more stuff. They took our TV and VCR one time. They took the Razor scooter I got from the Salvation Army last year. She don't like my brother's friends. Me neither. Yesterday, my grandma was wavin' the gun and yellin' at 'em…'You come in my house again, I'll shoot all your asses!' When they left, she put the gun back under the mattress."
Nick glanced over at the advocate before asking, "Think real careful now…did your grandma ever talk to you about touching her gun?"
Zavion nodded. "She told me. 'If I'm not here and one of those crackheads come in here and touch our stuff, you don't be afraid to shoot them dead'."
Behind the glass, the Brass sighed, "Looks like Grannny's goin' down."
"She'll be a breeze to prosecute," the DA added. "Her fourteen year old grandson is in Juvenile Detention for nearly beating a tourist to death. She was his guardian at the time."
The Sheriff had a different opinion. "You go public with a grandma telling a six year old to shoot crackheads for breaking in, then it looks like the city is unsafe and overwrought with addicts turned thieves."
"But it is," Carrie snipped. "Nessa Winston wouldn't need to sleep with a gun under her mattress if she felt safe. If she didn't feel the need for the gun, then Jamal would still be alive."
"No, Ms. Blake," Burdick snapped back, "if she had let the police handle things, instead of taking the law into her own hands, Jamal would still be alive."
"I'm not disagreeing that the grandmother was negligent," Carrie retorted, "she should be charged with Child Endangerment for having an unattended loaded weapon and encouraging the boy to use it, as well as manslaughter for Jamal's death. But, I'm also saying that I think she was correct in believing she wasn't safe in her own home. She was trying to protect her child from crackheads, and we both know the cops would not be around to help her in the critical moment."
"Oh please," Burdick droned, "You're such a bleeding heart, Blake. Nessa Owens was protecting her welfare-funded flat-screen TV."
"How many TVs do you own, Sheriff?" Ogden posited. "Hmm?"
"Four."
"Exactly, and you live alone." Steve shook his head. "Why is it so wrong for Ms. Winston to want to protect the one that she has? That's what the defense will pitch, and every TV-Obsessed American will shudder to think of how horrible it would be to keep getting their Plasma stolen."
"How about we finish listening before we debate?" Carrie leaned against the glass and returned her gaze to the back of her fiancé's head.
"I didn't think he'd get dead," Zavion said while licking Oreo filling off the cookie in his small hand. "I just wanted to scare him real good. That's how my brother got lots of cool stuff."
"Oh yeah?" Nick held up a piece of paper. "This paper tells me that's also how you brother ended up in a Youth Detention Center. He was scaring a man by wavin' a gun and when the guy wouldn't hand over his wallet and laptop case, your brother started beating on him with the gun's handle."
"Yeah, my grandma was really mad about that."
"Tell me exactly what happened with the gun and Jamal."
"I pointed it." Zavion used his fingers to make a weapon. "I said 'Give me the Po-Po bike or I'll shoot!' He thought I was playin'. He said 'that's not a real gun. I said 'Is too!'" Sadly, the boy shared, "I was gonna shoot a tree to prove it, 'cause I seen that on TV, but…the gun shot Jamal."
"No, you shot Jamal," Nick harshly corrected.
"CSI Stokes," the child advocate shot a warning glare. "He's six. Watch your phrasing."
"Understood." Nick took a breath to calm down. "Zavion, what I mean is…guns don't shoot themselves, a person has to make the gun work. The safety wasn't on, so the second you put your finger on the trigger, it went off."
"What's a safety?" the boy queried.
"Somethin' your grandma should have been usin'," Nick replied in a deflated voice. "It's like a button that keeps the gun from goin' off accidentally when it's handled by someone who doesn't know what they're doing…like you."
"Oh."
"What did you do after you shot him?"
"Ran home to hide the gun."
Behind the glass, the Sheriff barked, "See! He knew he was guilty of murder! That little bastard shot his friend in the head and tried to get away with it. He's like Michael Myers in that Halloween movie…no conscience, just evil. If we don't lock him somewhere and throw away the key, he'll kill again."
"So, while your friend was alone bleedin' in the alley, you ran off because you were worried you'd get in trouble?" Nick glanced at the advocate before asking, "Zavion…why didn't you help your friend after you hurt him?"
"I didn't want my grandma to whoop my ass."
"So, it was more important to save yourself, than Jamal?"
"Yeah, my grandma's ass whoopin's hurt." In a puzzled tone the boy queried, "Why couldn't the doctors put Jamal back together like I seen 'em do to folks on my grandma's TV shows?"
"Jamal was hurt too badly. There wasn't a doctor anywhere who could have put him back together. He was that broken."
"Like Humpty Dumpty?"
Nick clutched his head as the insanity of the situation kept getting worse. "Yeah, just like Humpty Dumpty. Even the best doctors in the world can't put a brain back together when it's in pieces."
"Can God?" The boy picked up the last Oreo.
"I'm afraid not." Nick watched him savor the cookie. "God can't make Jamal come back to life on Earth. He can only take care of him in Heaven now."
"Are there Oreos in Heaven?"
"Tons," Nick answered, feeling worse than when he started questioning the kid. "And the milk to dunk 'em in is really cold."
"Dang." Zavion shook his head at the empty cookie package on the table. "I've got nothin', and Jamal is gettin' spoiled again."
"Seriously! Can you believe this friggin' kid!" the Sheriff yelled at the glass. "He's bitching because he's jealous that Jamal is eating Oreos in Heaven! Are we sure we can't try him as an adult?! Has there ever been a killer this young?"
"Yes," Carrie answered as her nausea over the situation doubled. "In Chicago, a six year old took a gun to school and shot a little girl after saying 'I don't like you'. The boy's guardian was charged with manslaughter because he failed to keep the weapon secure and created an 'atmosphere of reckless circumstances'. I think from what we've heard, the same applies to Zavion's grandmother and more, because she told him it was okay to kill his brother's friends and gave him permission to use the gun."
The DA nodded in agreement. "On top of that, we'll charge her with contributing to the gross delinquency of a minor."
"It's FUBAR." Watching Nick talk to the little boy, Jim shook his head, "Nessa Winston made her grandson come to the station and fess up without knowing she might be sending herself to prison for fifteen years. I wonder how she'll take that news?"
Dr. Libson's Office
5:01 pm
"We're ready for the news, Doc," Becca announced from the exam table where she was prepped and waiting. "We've obsessed, dreamed, and prayed all day, so slap a condom on that ultrasound wand and give it to me! The suspense is driving us bonkers."
Tony nodded. "What she said. Except…don't give the wand to me." Poised at his wife's side, he told the doctor, "We've reasoned that if something is wrong, it wasn't meant to be. Since we didn't even know we could conceive a baby at the time, we'll be upset, but we'll stay optimistic about conceiving again in the near future when we're better prepared. If everything is fine, it's an unexpected blessing and we'll be thrilled."
"That's a very healthy attitude." Dr. Libson knew all too well that many couples came in with the same outlook, only to crumble upon receiving devastating news. "Okay, Becca…just a little bit of pressure."
"It can't possibly be more pressure than I'm feeling mentally." Becca gripped her husband's hand.
"You're shaking." Tony stroked her hair.
"Yeah." As the doctor inserted the vaginal wand, Becca joked, "I'm always a little tense the first time I'm intimate with someone new."
"If you make me laugh, my hand shakes," the doctor warned while chuckling.
"That's a pretty crappy vibrator, Doc." Becca laughed again. "No swirling pearls or rabbit ears. Did you get it at Walmart?"
"Kiss your wife, Mr. Vartann, then she won't be able to talk or crack jokes."
"Actually, she talks non-stop during intimacy."
"Very true!"
After a lingering smooch, Tony whispered in Becca's ear, "I can't believe we're here doing this. I love you, Honey."
"Aww, you're getting misty."
"Mr. and Mrs. Vartann…" Staring at the screen, the doctor lied, "Please don't panic, it just takes me a minute to set up the measurements, okay? Talk amongst yourselves, I'll let you know when I'm ready." She wanted to be sure there wasn't a mistake, before she broke the news to the hopeful couple.
As her optimism began to falter, Becca quietly asked her obviously worried husband, "Guess what theme I'm using for the CSIs and Coroners in the BPAC fashion show?"
"Uh." Noting the doctor's tense expression, Tony anxiously replied, "I can't really think right now, Honey. Just tell me." He knew Becca was going to be devastated upon hearing the bad news he assumed was coming. Immediately, he began to think of ways to lift her spirits afterwards.
"The professional models will be Corpse Brides. Isn't that great?! I have Hoj, Nick, Warrick and Gil, as well as David Phillips and Doc Robbins. Do you know those last two? Nick got all of them to commit."
"Yeah. David is a real nice guy, and Doc has a great wry sense of humor." He reached into his pocket with his free hand to clutch his grandmother's rosary beads. Nana Isabella, if you have any pull with God, or the power to grant prayers, please help us out here. Having a baby means the world to me, but it means even more to Becca. She's desperate to make me happy, and I don't want her to feel like she's let me down. I know I've disappointed you in the past, but I really, really love Becca and don't want to see her fall apart.
In between panicking that they were about to receive bad news, and begging God to grant Tony the baby he deserved, Becca rambled on about the fashion show, "We'll have the girls done up like they're dead, with wild hair and crazy makeup, but they'll be wearing normal bridal gowns. I want a crazy soundtrack playing with the CSI and morgue guys walking up to the mic and saying a line before their pose. Things like 'Love made her feel alive…until she died of a broken heart' or 'first she fell in love…and then she fell down the stairs'. Kind of like the cheesy fade outs they do on that show with the CSI people in Miami. Ugh, I can't stand the way that Caruso guy removes his glasses and says the stupid line like he's beyond cool. I know CSIs," she chuckled. "They're geeks." She patted her husband's pale cheek. "Honey?"
"Huh?" His heart racing, Tony watched the doctor's face for a hint of relief, but found none. "Yeah, that sounds great." He hadn't heard a word. "Dr. Libson, how much longer do you think…"
A quick knock on the door announced the entrance of an Ultrasound Tech. "Doctor, did you need me to assist?" After glancing at the screen, she exclaimed, "Another set of twins? Wow, that's the third set today. Are they putting fertility drugs in the water or what?"
Doctor Libson rushed her gaze to the unsuspecting expectant parents. "That's what was taking so long, I wanted to be sure."
"Oh! Oh my gosh!" The Tech covered her mouth. "I blurted! I'm such a blurter! I'm so sorry! I blurt the sex of babies out all the time and expectant parents hate me for it. I always say 'she' or 'he' instead of 'the baby'!" Tears formed in her eyes. "I stink. I really stink. I should quit, but I love babies, and I love my job. Dr. Libson, I'm so sorry that I blew another surprise. Should I quit?"
"Marnie." The doctor pointed to the door. "Take your career crisis to my office. I'll meet you there, thanks."
"T…twins?" Tony stuttered, unsure if he was daydreaming or hearing the truth. "You see twins?"
"Two perfectly healthy heartbeats." Smiling, the doctor turned the monitor and pointed to the labels flagging the two highlighted blips.
Becca rambled as she gaped at the screen, 'Baby Vartann A' and 'Baby Vartann B'. A and B. Two! Two babies. Wait…wait…Hoj and Tawny are having twins. How can we be having twins if they are having…duh! We can all have twins! Oh my God, we're having twins!" She gripped her stunned husband by his shirt collar. "We're having twins!"
"Are you sure, Doctor?" Tony warily asked, still not believing he really had heard the word ringing in his ears. "Because twins don't run in our families and…"
"No! Tony…oh my God," Becca interrupted as tears of relief, joy and gratitude spilled from her eyes, "That's not it. Don't you see what's happening here? Two babies, two babies to replace the two that we didn't get to keep…the pregnancy I terminated and your baby with Karina. It's karma. We've both earned second chances."
After silently screaming a Thank You to his Nana Isabella, Tony cupped Becca's cheeks. "You say a lot of crazy things, Honey, but this time…I desperately want to believe you're right."
"Believe it."
After a horrible morning that included informing a childless couple that their twenty-one week old fetus had died in the womb, Dr. Libson needed the bliss as much as the Vartanns. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Tony choked out as uncharacteristic tears fell from his eyes for a second time that day.
"That's why Zack looked to be the same age as Bella in my vision." Becca's giddiness doubled. "They're twins! That totally explains why there was a cake covered in footballs. I thought maybe our little girl was little butch. Maybe she'll be into shoe shopping after all!"
"I think I better sit." Clutching Becca's hand, Tony dropped into a chair. "I feel faint."
"Hoj is totally going to say I copied him," Becca laughed as she cried. "Hey! Maybe our twins will be boys and they'll grow up and marry the Sanders girls!"
"Let's not get carried away," the shocked father-to-be grounded his compulsive wife. "Let's get through the pregnancy first, okay, Honey?"
"Very good advice, Dad." The doctor handed over two sets of pictures. "Your official due date is July 19th, but we always expect twins to be a little early."
Crime Lab – Break Room
5:24 pm
"Tawny!" Greg raced over to the couch where his wife was reclined and panicking that she was going into labor. "What's wrong?! What happened?!"
Holding her abdomen, she tearfully explained, "I've been kind of achy all day, but I thought it was just stretching. Then I started to have these gripping pains and my back hurt. I told Maria. She has two kids. She said it could be premature labor and told me to go to the ER right away." When Greg wrapped his arms around her, she squeaked, "I'm really scared."
"I'm sure it's nothing," he replied, without letting his fear show. "We'll go get you checked out just to be safe."
"But you're working Jamal's case."
Helping his terrified wife to her feet, Greg calmly said, "Nothing's more important than my family."
"What's goin' on?" Nick queried from the door. One look at Tawny, and he knew she was upset.
"She's having weird pains, so I need to get her to the hospital to make sure everything is okay."
"Take all the time you need," Nick replied while reliving the stress of losing his first child. "I'm sure it's nothing."
"Don't tell Carrie." Tawny wiped her tears. "I don't want to bring back the sad memories of…"
"Yeah, thanks, I won't say anything."
"I'll call you." Greg whisked his wife down the hall. "I'm sure it's nothing!"
"What's going on?" Sara asked when she saw her friends' panicked expressions.
"I have cramps." Tawny's tears reactivated. "Bad ones."
"Uh…" The statement rocked Sara to the core. "Stretching is normal." She followed them as they hurried for the exit. "The books all say…"
"No, it's definitely cramps."
"I'm sure it's nothing," Greg restated, for what felt like the hundredth time. "Sara, I have a bunch of stuff signed out and in the layout room. Could you…"
"Of course." Her hands mindlessly caressed her belly. "I'll get right on it." She stopped and watched her friends rush out the door. "Call me!"
The Vartanns' Ferrari
5:31 pm
"Ma!" Tony yelled into his cell. He had asked Becca to drive so he didn't have to delay sharing the news with his anxious mother.
"Did you have the ultrasound?" Marge shrieked into the phone.
"We just…"
"I've been praying for you all day."
"Thanks, Ma. It…"
"Is it healthy?!"
"Actually, it is…"
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Just tell me already, Anthony!"
"I'm trying to, but you keep interrupting!" His joy overflowing, Tony said, "There are no health concerns, Ma."
"Oh, thank God."
Knowing his mother was in San Diego taking care of Sierra while Reggie worked and Gina was recovering in a the best Psychiatric Center his and Becca's money could fund, he asked, "Are you holding Sierra?"
"No, she's napping, why?"
"Because I didn't want you to drop her when I shocked the hell out of you. Becks and I…we're having twins."
"Twins!"
Becca laughed when she heard her mother-in-law shrieking and thanking God. "But is she happy for us?"
"I'm thinkin' so, yeah." Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw a boy riding his bicycle on the side of the street. His thoughts returned to Jamal. "It's been a hell of a day, Ma. That little boy I saved…he was shot and killed this morning. I had no idea it was him when I responded to the call."
"Oh, Anthony." Marge's tone showed her love. "I know you said you were helping him and his mother. That had to be awful."
"Yeah," he sighed into the phone, "it hurt like hell."
Desert Palms Hospital
5:45 pm
"Does it still hurt?" Greg asked while rhythmically stroking Tawny's mussed hair. Upon arriving in the ER, they were promptly sent to the Obstetrics Ward and placed in an antepartum observation room.
"Yes." Lying on her side in a hospital bed, she couldn't stop shaking. "It's getting worse actually." She turned to the doctor who was reviewing the paper strip streaming out of the fetal monitor. "What do you see?"
"I'll tell you after you take a nice deep breath for me." As the patient did as requested, Dr. Simon broke the news, "The babies are doing great. Their heart rates are fine. That's the good news. Unfortunately, you are having steady contractions."
"Seriously?" Greg had done such a wonderful job convincing himself it was a false alarm, he couldn't believe it. "But she's only twenty-six weeks."
"I don't want to lose the babies." Tears shot from Tawny's eyes. "We've come so far, I can't…"
"Tawny." The doctor grabbed her patient's hand, squeezing it in between hers. "Your cervix hasn't changed at all, which means there's an excellent chance we can stop the contractions and the pregnancy will continue along just fine, but you have to calm down and stay optimistic, okay?" She turned to the father. "Your job is to help her do that with soothing words and actions. I'll be right back to start treatment."
"Got it." Greg sat on the edge of the bed so he could gently caress his wife's back. "Focus on the positive, Princess."
"You haven't called me Princess since…the Drew incident," she cried from the heart. "I miss you calling me Princess. I miss it. I don't want to lose the babies."
"Shh…shh. I love you, Princess," he assured, locking his eyes on hers. "The babies are healthy, your cervix hasn't changed, and the doctor said it's possible to stop labor. Think about that stuff, not the worst case scenario. You're not a worst-case kind of girl. Breathe with me, nice and slow. Good, another one just like that." He rested his forehead on hers. "We've come all this way, so there's no way in hell that I'm giving up now and you can't either. We're a team here. Stay positive with me, please."
"I promise to try," she squeaked between gulps of air.
"Okay, Tawny." The doctor and two nurses invaded the room. "Sheila is going to start an IV so we can get you hydrated. Monica will be giving you a shot of Terbutaline to stop your contractions. We start with one, if that doesn't do the trick, I'll repeat it two more times. If there's no change, we'll start you on a stronger medication." She waited for the nurse to administer the shot before resuming the briefing. "That will make you very jittery, so don't panic, that's the normal reaction."
"You're very brave." Greg kissed his wife's cheek. "I hate needles."
"Whatever they need to do, I can take it." Tawny sucked in a breath. "Anything to save our girls."
"Moving on to our next injection," the doctor continued. "This is a steroid shot to help speed up the babies' lung maturity just in case we can't stop labor. It's precautionary, but we have an excellent chance at stopping labor."
"Okay." Tawny closed her eyes and braced for the next poke.
"Great job." The doctor signaled the nurse to complete the IV. "Your urine sample showed you were dehydrated. Dehydration is sometimes a contributing factor for preterm labor."
"We were so busy at work today, and I forgot to take care of myself." Feeling horrible, Tawny groveled, "I promise to drink more and take more breaks at work to…"
"You won't be returning to work until after maternity leave."
"What?"
"Sorry." Dr. Simon shook her head. "You're having serious contractions and you're carrying twins. If they stop quickly, I'll put you on oral mediation and partial bedrest, if it takes any length of time, you'll be on full best rest with continuous medication." Placing a hand on the expectant father's shoulder, she broke the news. "Either way, except for kisses and hugs, she's officially off limits. That includes asking her to exert herself to help you out, if you catch my drift."
"Don't worry, Doc," Greg laughed, "I'm an expert in that arena. I exclusively dated myself for years."
Grissom's Office
6:17 pm
Alone in his office, Gil digested the upsetting news about Tawny and found himself worrying about the future again.
A life of solitude had been much simpler, and while family and friends brought great joy, they also brought a steady dose of angst. In stressful times like these, he understood his mother's decision to live a life of seclusion and not remarry. Not that he would change a thing about his life, but he could easily empathize.
"Gris…" Nick waited for his coworker to glance up before walking into the office. "I just finished up at the Morgue with Tanisha. Doc released the body too. Carrie just went with the DA and Jim to the Sheriff. They're discussing what to do about the PR nightmare."
The Vartanns' Ferrari
6:20 pm
"Tony…" Becca couldn't believe what she saw across the street from her house when she turned the corner. "There's a news van from Channel 18 and a crowd forming in…"
"Holy Shit." Grabbing the garage remote, he couldn't believe his eyes. "Just pull in and I'll shut the door."
"There he is!" Morris yelled and waved the crew. "In a friggin' Ferrari Spider. Can you say dirty cop?!"
"Lieutenant Vartann!" a news reporter yelled while running for the sports car.
"It's the guy from the scene I told you about, Becks." Tony eyed the bastard with contempt. "I'm sure he called the news crew out here. He called them to the murder scene this morning. Son of a bitch!"
"You're not talking to them," Becca stated, certain her husband would haul off and punch the creep who had accused him of indirectly causing Jamal's death.
"No." Once parked inside the garage, Tony hurried out of the car. "I'll call the department's Public Information Officer. She'll come out here and handle everything. She'll probably have me make a statement. Not that anything I say will help. They're determined to blame us for giving Jamal the bike."
"I have an idea!" Becca rushed into the house. "A great idea!"
"Uh, Becks…"
"Trust me!"
Mike and Lissa's
6:30 pm
"How do I know you didn't poison this champagne?" Lissa giggled as she cozied up to her supposedly evil husband in bed. "Hmm?"
"You don't," he rasped while running his mouth over his wife's heated body. "But why would I want to off my soulmate?"
Choking on the bubbly, she replied, "Is that what you think I am?"
Glancing up from Lissa's belly button, Mike flashed a saintly smile. "We both had mentally abusive and neglectful mothers who drove us to do some things we're not proud of over the years, right?"
"Very true." She set her glass on the nightstand. "We're both loathed by the Stokes family even though you saved Nicky's life and I birthed the heir to the Stokes throne."
"What a bunch of ingrates those Texans are, huh?" Moving a fingertip over Lissa's c-section scar, he huffed, "To not let you see your own children after carrying them for nine months and being cut open to deliver them."
"Only Claire, the other two were regular births. I was sooooo pissed off when they told me she wouldn't turn. I wanted to try deliverin' breech, but the doctor knew Drew's father was on the Supreme Court of Texas and was too damn worried we'd sue if somethin' went wrong." She pouted, "They cut my perfect body."
"You can still wear a bikini and not see it."
"It totally ruins the effect of my Brazillian, doesn't it?"
"Trust me, a little scar does not distract men from enjoying the goods in any way."
"I guess it was all those childhood years spent obsessing over my image thanks to Mommy Dearest." She shrugged. "I had a hard time gettin' over it."
"From the look on your face, I'd say you're still upset about it."
In a vulnerable voice, she said, "You really do see everything in people, don't you?"
"Every superhero has a special power or two. Get ready Lissa…I'm going to worship this scar on your body and the rest of you. Don't worry about reciprocity either. Now that I know your traumatic history, I won't be asking you to drop to your knees ever again."
"Really?"
"I promise," he answered before caressing the edge of her scar with his lips.
With a smile on her face, Lissa relaxed against the inferior bedding that she would be replacing with the five grand her husband had agreed to spend on redecorating their bedroom. I almost feel bad about tellin' you that bullshit story about my Mama forcin' me to do the photographer. She didn't even know! It was all my idea, because I deserved a damn cover shot and I was tired of Blair Conroy's photos comin' out better than mine. Men are so easily manipulated. "Ohhhh…that's soooooo good," Lissa remarked, enjoying the perks of her lies. "You're so good to me, Baby. I'm dizzy from the lovin'!"
Mike struggled not to laugh at the woman who obviously thought he'd bought her bullshit story. You can't con a Con Artist, Sweetheart! But I give you credit for trying. By the way, it's not the lovin' making you dizzy. I wanted some peace and quiet and you never shut up, so I drugged you.
Desert Palms Hospital
6:43 pm
"The drugs aren't working," Tawny grabbed Greg's arm when another contraction came. "It's not stopping, it's getting worse!" The medication had her whole body shaking and her mind and heart racing. "Can't you do something else?!"
Greg felt himself sliding into panic with his wife. "Did you hear her, Doctor? It's getting worse, not better."
"I'm sorry." Snapping off her latex gloves, the doctor said, "There's been a slight change in your cervix too. We're going to step things up right now and start you on the Magnesium Sulfate to relax the muscles of your uterus."
The nurse hurried off to get the necessary supplies.
With Tawny crying in his arms, Greg frantically asked questions, "Do you think it will work? How long will it take to know if it will work? If it doesn't work and she delivers, what are the odds of the girls surviving at twenty-six weeks?"
"There is an excellent chance it will work. I've seen it work on women who were far worse off, okay? We'll give a very large dose at first," she explained directly to the patient. "After that, you'll be given a dose every hour. Sometimes we have success in a few hours, sometimes it takes twenty-four, there's no way of knowing. I know it's difficult under the circumstances, but you have to try to stay calm and optimistic. If we're unable to stop it, we have the highest level NICU here at Desert Palms and a medical team will be at the ready. Ideally, we want to delay labor for a minimum of forty-eight hours, so the steroids have a chance to work on the babies' lungs. Even if we can't, we've had many sets of twins born prematurely at twenty-six weeks and while it's not easy, and a lengthy hospitalization is required, many of them left the hospital without issue or minimal issues. Most survive, but some have serious medical concerns like Cerebral Palsy. Right now, we're going to stay one hundred percent optimistic that your labor will stop. Use the power of positive thinking."
"We will." Greg wiped his wife's tears.
Tawny gave a slight nod.
"I'll be honest, Magnesium Sulfate is not fun initially," the doctor candidly told the frantic couple. "Some women are able to tolerate it better than others as time passes. It can make you nauseous, dizzy, lethargic, and disoriented. Your vision may be impacted, a lot of women say it feels like their eyes are crossed and they can't focus on anything. Your muscles and body might feel heavy and hard to move. Greg, she's going to need you to support her through this."
"Absolutely." He forced the urge to panic down to his toes. "I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm here!" Scott rushed into the room. "I'm here!" Panting, he asked, "What's the latest? Has it stopped?"
The Vartanns
7:41 pm
"We're ready to begin," Susan Troy, the Public Information Officer, announced when she entered the couple's living room. "Lieutenant Vartann, the Sheriff requested that we not open for questions after your statement."
"Fine by me." Tony grabbed his suit jacket. "The less I have to say, the better." He paused to embrace Becca. Thank you for doing this, not just for Jamal, but for me."
"You're very welcome." She reluctantly slipped out of her husband's arms. "It's good karma to pay it forward."
"Okay, lovebirds." Susan opened the front door. "We need to get this show on the road. Hold hands on the way out, and then stand to the left of me until I introduce you to speak. Lieutenant, you'll step up to the podium while your wife stands at your side looking supportive."
Becca smiled, That will be the easiest job I've ever had."
Desert Palms Hospital
7:45 pm
"You're one tough Princess," Greg soothed his wife, as he wiped her face with a cool rag. "And a very neat vomiter. Not a drop outside the bowl."
Standing on the opposite side of the bed, Scott joined in the pep rally. "And she's a very quiet vomiter too."
Appreciating the effort, Tawny pushed out a smile. "Surrounded by Sanders men…I'm a lucky girl too."
Watching Tawny struggle through the treatment, Greg's eyes welled, "And I couldn't ask for a better wife."
The Vartanns
7:50 pm
Releasing his loving wife's hand, Tony stepped to the podium. "To say I was devastated by the news of Jamal's murder is a gross understatement. In a very short time, my wife and I have come to know that wonderful little boy and his mother, Tanisha, quite well. On Sunday, we spent time at their home, and we're grateful that we had the chance to hear Jamal laugh and see him enjoy the bicycle he had received from the Las Vegas Police Department. This morning, someone told me it was my fault Jamal was killed. That the bicycle he was given made him a target. We know now that the bicycle was the reason for the altercation between Jamal and his young killer. I, along with many others, was deeply troubled and saddened by the news. We tossed around many questions. What kind of a world do we live in when a boy can't ride a bike without fearing for his life? What makes a child so desperate that he would point a gun to get a bike for himself? What can we do to help? That last question was answered by my wife, Rebecca Vartann." He paused to smile at the woman standing to his left. "I heard that someone in the crowd accused me of being a dirty cop because I arrived home in a Ferrari. I know he'll be grossly disappointed to hear that I didn't buy it with blood money, but rather, it was a gift from my financially endowed wife, who also bought this home I'm standing in front of today. I've taken a good deal of ribbing for marrying a woman with a much bigger bank account than me, and it's been hard for an old-fashioned guy like me at times, but not today." Lifting a check, he announced, "At six o'clock tonight, my wife suggested we open a community center and generously offered to personally fund the project. I am proud to announce that The Jamal Jones Community Center is officially underway. It will be a division of BPAC, a charitable organization founded by two of LVPD's finest CSIs, Sara Sidle and Nick Stokes."
As photographers snapped photos of Tony holding the check, Becca beamed a smile at her husband.
"It is our hope that this Community Center will provide a positive, safe environment for children in Jamal's neighborhood, and ultimately prevent tragedies like the one we unfortunately had to experience today. Jamal's mother, Tanisha, has blessed this plan and permitted us to use her son's name. The Sheriff has pledged that members of LVPD will be encouraged and rewarded for volunteering their time the Center. LVPD certainly hopes that our involvement will strengthen our relationship with the community. More information on the project will follow in the coming weeks. I'd now like to ask the media to let everyone who knew Jamal grieve and heal in privacy, thank you."
Becca's hand was waiting for her husband to grab it. "Nicely done."
Desert Palms Hospital
9:15 pm
"You're doing great, Princess" Greg tenderly stroked his wife's hair.
"Any change?" Tawny whimpered with her eyes clamped shut. "It feels…maybe it's stopping?"
Looking at his worried father, he answered, "I think it is." There had been no change. "Just keep your eyes closed and rest."
Weak from the harsh, but necessary, medical treatment, she could barely push out an 'okay'.
Watching the monitor, Greg winced as another contraction began. "I love you, Princess." He bit back his tears. "The babies will be fine. You'll see."
Author's Notes:
Thanks for reading!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Maggs