Don't know if all teh facts in this make sense, but if not then just try to ignore as best you can! Read and review, like always, and i'll try to give a reply if the comment begs it: any questions? I'll answer them!


Nathan, with Audrey gone doing paperwork or complaining so much about pregnancy stuff that she got sent home, had to work late into the evening to get everything done – he was loathe to bring work home with him because the stopped his time with Audrey and their baby. That day, a month after the wedding, Audrey had gone home complaining of nothing less than being tired – the baby kicking had kept her up all night and mood swings combined with bursts of energy directly followed by periods of exhaustion had taken their toll and Nathan had driven her home and ordered her to sleep. The calls were numerous as the summer gave teenagers more opportunity to generally mess around.

"Audrey!" Nathan called when he came home that night "I got take out for dinner – how d'you like Chinese?"

"Nathan!" he heard Audrey cry, and Nathan dropped the take-out bag, running to where her voice had come from. He rushed into the living room, seeing Audrey sitting on the floor, curled up as much as she could with her big stomach protruding. Her arms were wrapped around it and her face was red.

"Audrey." Nathan was immediately at her side "Tell me what's wrong, Audrey." Tears were streaming down her eyes.

"I tried to call you," whimpered "but you wouldn't answer. My water broke awhile ago and I've gone into labour, Nathan, and it hurts!" she cried and moaned as another contraction came and went.

"What? Already? You're only 36 weeks pregnant!" Nathan objected – this couldn't be happening. It was way, way too early.

"Well I guess it's premature then!" she yelled angrily.

"Ok, I we need to get you to the hospital – but I can't move you. I'll call an ambulance." Nathan flipped out his phone and the ambulance was there in less than ten minutes, the paramedics gently moving Audrey onto a gurney.

"Ok, it looks like the baby's in distress," the paramedic told Nathan quietly as they loaded her up "now, we could be ok, but since the baby is so early and breech then this birth is now high-risk. Don't worry, we've got the best doctor on call tonight and I'll make sure he attends the birth, but you need to prepare for the worst just in case."

"What, you mean like the baby not making it?" Nathan forced out, his eyes skipping to Audrey, who was almost in the ambulance.

"No," the man said gravely, his grey eyes steady and purely truthful "I mean like neither of them making it." He clasped Nathan on the shoulder, but he didn't know Nathan couldn't feel it, and let go, jumping into the back of the van. Nathan followed, holding Audrey's hand the whole way as she cried and screamed through contractions. When they arrived at the hospital, Audrey was surrounded by nurses immediately, like bees swarming around the queen bee. Nathan was told he needed to wait outside and passed the time pacing up and down the hall outside Audrey's room. Finally, the door burst open, and Nathan was just about to demand information and access when he saw Audrey was the one leaving, still on the railed hospital bed, with an IV trailing behind her, nurses pushing the bed.

"What's happening?" Nathan jogged beside them.

"She needs an emergency C-section," the doctor said briskly "we're taking her to surgery."

"Can I come?" Nathan said sharply.

"You can watch," the doctor sighed "but you're not allowed in the OR – there's a screen you can stand behind." Nathan nodded, then fell back to where Audrey was lying.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked her, gripping her hand in both of his.

"I've been better," she replied weakly – she looked pale and scared "you?" Nathan laughed once, harshly.

"Yeah, I can think of some places I'd rather be," he replied, a tear falling from his eye "but nowhere without you."

"I love you," she whispered "you know that, right?"

"Yeah," I sighed, lowering my forehead to hers "yeah, I know; but I always like to hear it. I love you too, Audrey."

"Yeah, I know." She copied my words with a small smile.

"See you at the other end," I said, returning the smile, but it turned out as more of a twitch of the lips.

"Yeah," she said, but I could see uncertainty in her eyes "sure." And then she was gone, through the doors of the OR. A nurse led me to the viewing screen and I saw Audrey, her hair covered with a thing that looked like a shower cap and covered by a sheet, her stomach a mountain of pink flesh surrounded by blue plastic. Nathan didn't know what to do as the surgeon's scalpel traced a line of red across her stomach; should he pace? No, that wouldn't do any good, but he couldn't just stay still. Suddenly, Nathan had the urge to cry, laugh and cheer for Audrey all at the same time. He just settled for a little spin in a circle and leaning his hands on the window sill, his eyes focused on Audrey and the surgeons, his fingers beating out a fast tune that had no sense in it, but still calmed Nathan.

"Nate," Duke's voice rushed in beside him "what's going on? I heard Audrey was taken to the hospital."

"God!" Nathan yelled, needing an output for all his emotion he was feeling "why do you always turn up when I need you least? And how did you even get in here? It's family only, and I'm her only family!"

"I was lucky enough to chance upon a new nurse – her first day, knows nothing about Haven. I told her I was your boyfriend and she led me to you with only the slightest of funny looks. Nice girl. Pretty." His eyes focused on Audrey, the surgeon still cutting gently through her stomach "What's going on? I didn't think she was due for another month." Nathan snorted in disgust.

"She isn't; and yes," Nathan said, glancing at Duke "it is weird that you know that."

"So why is she having a C-section?" Nathan didn't bother to ask how Duke knew what a C-section was.

"The baby's breech and distressed – it's a high-risk birth now. The paramedic said there's a pretty good chance neither of them will come through." Duke looked from Nathan to Audrey and back again, then turned around and ran his hands though his hair, punching the wall with a yell.

It was going to be a long night.


Sooooo, drama drama drama! With teh threat being on two lives, how will Nathan cope? and Duke, who thinks of Audrey as a sister, despite his stupid way of breaking the tension? Stay tune to find out. . . .