Hair still dripping wet, Max quickly dried off and found the clothes that were left for him. Stepping into the pants, he zipped himself up before slipping the shirt on. The clothes were old, warn, but nevertheless clean. He noticed how loose his clothes were, and knew he had lost weight. Feeling his hands shake, he caught just a glimpse of himself in the cracked mirror of the bathroom. He needed a shave, and his face was deeply tanned with lines around his eyes. He knew he was getting older, and the first few signs of gray were beginning to show near his temples. Turning, he walked out into the main room to find Diamond awake. She was sitting slightly up, her eyes huge and franticly looking around. The second he stepped out, he stared at her.

"Where are we?"

Max cleared his throat as he walked over.

"We're safe, lay back down."

Diamond snapped her eyes shut, a pained expression taking over her face as she held herself. Slowly her eyes went down to her body. A thick silence settled over the room as Max felt his heart drop. Instantly, she looked up at him her eyes terrified.

"Did…I have the baby?"

Max slowly walked over before sitting on the edge of the bed. Nodding, he knew how sore she must have been from the crude surgery. She was barley alert due to the drugs, and was shaking underneath the blankets. Taking her bandaged hand, he gently patted it.

"Yes…yes you did."

"What happened? Is it a boy or girl?"

Max dropped his eyes.

"A boy…"

"Is he okay? Where is he?"

"Diamond…"

Diamond went silent. Her eyes slowly starting to water. Cocking her head to the side, she gulped.

"What happened? Was it the accident? I fell didn't I? I blacked out…is the baby okay?"

"Diamond…it was early…"

Diamond instantly began to shake.

"Max? I…want to see my baby…please let me see him…"

"Diamond please…"

Instantly Diamond began to shake, trying to get up she cried out from pain as Max gently laid her back.

"Shhhhh…be still. It's okay…Shhhh…"

"I want to see him! You're lying!"

Max gently wrapped his arms around Diamond as she struggled, slapping at his shoulders as big fat tears rolled down her face. Trying his hardest to sooth her. He laid her back as she continued crying out for the baby. She begged him to stop lying, that she wanted to see him. That she just wanted to hold him.

"Please, let me see my baby…"

From all the commotion, the door opened and the doc walked in. Instantly holding a leather bag with rope straps.

"I heard the yelling…"

Max continued holding Diamond down as she kept crying, struggling from beneath him. Looking up with helpless eyes, he watched as the doc moved quickly, setting the bag down and taking out a set of syringes.

"Diamond, please listen to me. You need to take it easy you can pull out your stitches. You lost a lot of blood…"

"Where's my baby?!"

"Hold her down for me…"

He told max as he took her arm and injected the syringe. Instantly the drugs hit Diamond who's struggles and cries weakened. Laying back down with a dazed expression, she sniffled as tears continued to roll down her face. Staring up at Max her chest heaved up and down before she grasped his hand.

"It was the accident…wasn't it?"

Max dropped his eyes before nodding.

"Yeah, you were hurt bad. I didn't know what to do and we took the baby out. He was too early…I…"

He lost his words as he waited for her to say something. To scream why he decided to take the baby out? To ask why he could have done something so stupid. To demand why he let her climb out on the car when he was going so fast. To ask why he didn't take better care of them? Instead, all Diamond did was stare up at him with tear filled eyes.

"He's…really dead?"

Max nodded.

"Yeah…"

"Did…you see him?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Where is he? Can I…see him?"

The doctor nodded.

"I'll bring him up and give you two a few minuets. You need to take it easy though, you're body has been through a lot."

The doc got up and left, leaving the two alone. Taking heavy breaths, Diamond shut her eyes, tears clinging to her lashes.

"I was so stupid, why did I climb out…why?"

"Shhhh…"

Diamond began to softly weep as Max gently rubbed her arms. He had comforted her, just as she had with him. But never, never like this. Finally Diamond opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Did he open his eyes? Did you see him?"

Max shook his head.

"No, he… was never…he was…"

Max couldn't believe it. For the second time in his relationship with her he broke down. Lowering his head, he gripped tightly onto her hand trying to steady himself. Finally, he heard the doc return and sniffled, quickly wiping his eyes. When he turned, the doc brought over the basket, and lifted the baby wrapped up towards them.

"I'll give you some time alone, I'll come back in a bit."

Carefully, he handed the dead infant over to Max who held him out like he was some sort of unknown object. He held the wrapped up baby out, and listened to the doc leave them again. Feeling the baby, it's tiny weight in his hands his stomach rolled. It's face was tiny, gray with lifeless shut eyes and tiny purplish blue lips. Looking down at Diamond, she tried to sit up but hissed out in pain. Max held the baby against his chest as he offered his arm, helping her carefully up. As she sat back, her eyes bloodshot and raw she stared at the baby. Max looked at her. "Do you want to see him?" Diamond nodded before opening her arms. Slowly Max placed the baby against her as Diamond stared down. Softly he heard a wheeze escape from her throat as she sniffled and lowered her head crying.

"He's so tiny…"

"Yeah…he is."

"He was…dead when the doctor took him out?"

"Yeah."

"The accident?" Max shook his head. "Don't know, he said because he was too early."

Gently Diamond used her fingertip to stroke the baby's little cheeks.

"Oh my baby…"'

She lifted her eyes, more tears rolling down her face.

"I'm so sorry Max…it's all my fault."

Max fought back his own tears as he shook his head.

"No, it wasn't…"

Diamond nodded still looking down at the baby.

"It was. I should have taken better care of myself. I'm so sorry…I killed your son."

"Stop." Max knew he couldn't control himself much longer. "Diamond…please…" Diamond cried harder as Max reached forward holding her shoulder.

"He's beautiful…"

Max nodded, blinking away his own tears.

"He is."

"God he doesn't even have a name…"

"I named him."

Diamond lifted her eyes and met his.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I was thinking…Johnny. That okay?"

"Johnny…"

She looked back down at the baby, still gently stroking his face.

"Yeah, I like that…"

"We don't have long with him, the doc has to take him and bury him. I just wanted you to see him."

Diamond nodded.

"Can I have a little bit longer?"

"Of course." Diamond held the baby against her chest, closing her eyes as she gently rocked back and forth. Watching her, Max continued rubbing her shoulder knowing that at this exact moment they were both parents. Parents who had both lost a child. A few hours later… The baby was taken away by the doc. He told Max in passing when Diamond couldn't hear that he decided to cremated since this was the way they handled both of the bodies here due to wild animals digging up graves. He would supply Max with the ashes tomorrow. Giving Diamond another shot, he left demanding that Max get some rest. Once they were alone again, Diamond was half awake laying back almost unable to move nor speak. Crawling into bed beside her, he wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her against him.

"You okay?" Diamond lifted her drugged up eyes up at him.

"No, not really. You?"

"About the same."

"He was beautiful."

"Yeah, he was."

"I'm sorry Max. He wasn't just my baby, he was yours. I knew how badly you wanted him at the end and I…"

Before she could say anything further Max firmly held her and shook his head.

"Enough, please…my heart can't take anymore." Diamond cried hard against his chest as he rubbed her arm and tried to sooth her again. He knew both were badly broken, and most likely could never be the same again after this.

"Shhhhh, just sleep. Just sleep…" Leaning down he kissed her sweaty brow before kissing her head. Listening to her tiny broken cries, he waited until finally they died off and became soft breaths. Glancing down, he saw she was asleep. Feeling his own tears begin to build, he allowed them to roll down his face. "I'm sorry…" He whispered before shutting his eyes and falling asleep.