Chapter 4
Author's Note: Hi all! *waves* It's Friday, y'know what that means! Another chapter! Finally you all will find out what happens with Amy and their baby. I felt bad, hearing you all worried about what would happen. I had to force myself to remain tight-lipped!I wanted to get this chapter out right away and (hopefully) read some feedback so I didn't gget a chance to e-mail this chapter to my beta reader, my best friend and frister Sarah (You're awesome btw!) so please excuse any typos, grammar issues. I'll go back at some point and correct them!
The three of them sat in an uncomfortable silence in the waiting room with Anne sitting between the two men as they anxiously awaited news of Amy and the baby. Trying to remain positive, Ricky attempted to keep his mind off the current situation by reading a magazine with no luck. Every time someone in the room entered or exited, he'd instantly look up; hoping it was the doctor with hews. He bounced his leg impatiently, feeling as if someone heavy was weighing down on his chest as the minutes ticked by without word of how Amy was doing. He discarded the magazine, giving up on any attempts to preoccupy himself when Anne grabbed her purse on the side of her and stood up.
"I'm going to get some coffee. I'll be right back," she explained.
Needing something to do other than sit around anxiously, Ricky jumped at the chance presented to him. "It's okay Mrs. Juergens; I'll get it for you." He stood up quickly before Anne could talk him out of it. Looking over at George, Ricky risked the temporary truce the two men had settled on and asked, "Can I get you anything while I'm up, Mr. Juergens?"
George looked at Ricky for a brief moment before turning his gaze away. "I'm fine," George grumbled, waving his hand.
Ricky nodded and with that, headed out of the small waiting room trying to remember if the vending machine down the hall offered coffee or if he'd have to go down to the cafeteria to get it. He hoped not, he didn't want to be too far away in case a doctor or nurse came in with news. To his relief, he spotted the large machine propped up against the wall down the hall and quickened his pace over to it.
"Damnitt," he muttered under his breath when he walked over to it only to realize it wasn't one that served coffee. He gave the machine a good smack in frustration before finally leaning against it with one hand, looking down to the ground as he debated whether or not he wanted to venture down to the cafeteria for the coffee.
"Ricky?"
His head snapped up only to find Amy's mother walking over to him and the machine. His gaze then flickered past Anne, wondering if in the short time he had ducked out of the waiting room news had come.
"Did the doctor come in?" he asked, his pulse jumping at the thought as he pushed away from the machine. Here it comes, he thought, bracing himself for the news.
Anne shook her head. "No, not yet. I just wanted to apologize to you for my husband's behavior," she clarified. "He had no right to talk to you like that."
Ricky shrugged. "It's okay. It's not like he wasn't right." He pushed his hands into his jeans pocket.
"Still, it's not his place to put all the blame onto you. It takes two to make a baby." She chuckled. "I think sometimes he forgets that." She waited until she caught his gaze before continuing. "You're not the bad guy here, Ricky. We just haven't gotten the chance to get to know you To George… you're the guy who got his daughter into trouble. But I want you to know that we don't all feel the same way George does."
"But I am the guy who got your daughter into trouble," Ricky said. "Your husband was right; if I hadn't touched her, none of this would be happening. There'd be no baby, no hospital emergency." He paused, raking a hand through his hair in frustration at himself as he attempted to remain calm. "Amy didn't deserve this. She deserves go through high school like every other girl, not walk around her first year pregnant by some messed up jerk."
Anne stood there silently and studied him for a moment, making Ricky feel uncomfortable. His gaze darted back to the ground as he waited for Amy's mother to change her mind and agree with her husband. To see just how damaged he was. To turn against him like everyone else.
Before either could speak another word, George called to them from in front of the waiting room. Both Ricky and Anne looked over to see a tall, older man in a white coat standing beside him with a clipboard in his hand. They looked back at one another quickly before rushing back over towards the waiting room.
"This is her mother, Anne," George said to the doctor, motioning towards Anne. The doctor politely shook her hand. "And this is... the baby's father," he forced out, flicking a glance in Ricky's direction. Ricky ignored Amy's father and extended his hand out, shaking the doctors hand as well, eager to hear the news they had all been waiting for.
"I'm Ricky," Ricky said, shaking the older gentleman's hand. "How's Amy, is she going to be okay?" he asked, unable to wait any longer. His heart rate accelerated as he braced himself for the news.
"She will be. She's in recovery right now," the doctor confirmed. The three sighed in relief and Ricky felt as if a gigantic weight had been lifted from his chest; Amy was going to be okay. "We were able to stop the bleeding before she went into shock. Ah, like I said, she's in stable condition and resting right now."
"I don't understand what happened," Anne said. "Did she miscarry the baby?"
"No no no. Amy had what's called a Placental Abruption. It's not a common condition; it happens in about on in two hundred pregnancies. What happens is that the placenta, which contains the growing fetus, breaks away either partially or completely from the uterine wall," the doctor explained. "In Amy's case, by the time we got her in here, the placenta was only partially separated from the uterus. Being as Amy is only around twenty-three weeks along in her pregnancy we decided to give her some medication to speed the development of the baby's lungs just in case while she gives her body time to heal. With her being only sixteen, the baby faces the risk of being premature as it is; we want to keep him in there as long as we can to insure he develops enough to come out strong and healthy. With this added complication, we would like for Amy to be admitted here into the hospital for a week so that we can monitor both she and the baby. After that, I suggest she go under bed rest until we see the placenta has re attached itself and everything is as it should be. Of coarse it goes without saying Amy should take it easy for the rest of her pregnancy, just to be safe."
"So both Amy and the baby are going to be okay?" Anne asked.
"As long as we're able to keep the placenta from tearing away any farther and the baby doesn't become distressed. If that happens, we face the real possibility of having to deliver the baby early. We'd like to keep him in there at least another ten weeks to be sure he's developed enough to survive outside of Amy without any major complications."
Ricky was in the process of digesting all the doctor had just told them when one word suddenly stuck out. "Wait, a boy? You said the baby was a boy?"
The doctored looked from Ricky over to Anne and George, taking in their surprised expressions. "I'm sorry. Did you not know?"
"No we didn't. Amy actually had a doctor's appointment for later on in the week," Anne explained as Ricky stood there dumbfounded. "We were told it would be a possibility we'd be able to find out what the baby's sex was, but then this happened…"
"I apologize. I assumed you knew already," the doctor said.
"When can we go in and see her?" Anne asked.
"Shortly. Right now we're getting her settled into a room and you can see her after that," he explained. "I also need you to fill out some paperwork, for insurance purposes." He raised the clipboard up and handed it to Anne.
"Of coarse. Thank you, doctor," she said.
"Yes, thank you. So much," Ricky said, extending his hand to the doctor once more. The doctor promised once more they'd be able to go in to see Amy shortly and with that, disappeared as quickly as he appeared.
"Thank god she didn't loose the baby," George said, relief evident in his voice. Anne nodded, feeling thankful herself. She looked down at the paperwork attached to the clipboard and sighed before looking over at Ricky.
"Ricky, you okay?" she asked.
"A son," he said, unable to wrap his mind around the notion. Of coarse it had always been a possibility, but he was just told, with absolute certainty, that he was having a boy and everything was different now. He looked up at Anne and a wide grin spread across his face. "We're having a son."