A/N: Thank you shephards, sandyba, vinzgirl,Tangler and all the Guest reviews! I enjoyed reading them. Thank you to Tangler again for your help and beta! :)
"Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us direction on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us." – Nicole Reed
Jack and Marc ran through the ambulance bay doors towards the trauma rooms behind the nurses' station. Jack had a strange sense of deja vu. Less than a week ago, he ran through the same doors wheeling Kate on the ambulance cot.
"Jack! Jack!" Desmond ran caught up to him. He could see Jack didn't want to slow down. Fear was etched into his friend's face. Fear of losing the person most important to him.
"Hey, Brotha!" Desmond didn't want to delay his friend. He lowered his voice when he caught up. "We'll be waiting if ya want to know what really happened. We didn't tell anyone about Ben."
Jack nodded. He was already jogging backwards to get to Kate. "I have to see her!"
"Go on, man! She needs ya!" Desmond backed off and returned to the seats.
Jack took off running full tilt after Marc, yelling "Where is she?! Where is she?!" Something pulled him towards her like a gravitational force. He had an overwhelming need to be with Kate, to make sure she was okay.
A nurse at the desk recognized him. She stood quickly and pointed. "Trauma 3, Dr. Shephard."
Marc was grateful Jack was delayed. He was racking his brains, trying to figure out how to break the news to Jack that Kate was pregnant. He didn't know how he would handle it on top of everything else going on.
He rushed into the room. She was still unconscious. Dr. Amy Liao, his colleague, stood at the foot of her bed making notes on her chart. Her dark eyes were round, startled by his abrupt appearance. He was glad Kate was under her care. She was a great doctor and discreet.
Kate was in a hospital gown, her legs covered by a blanket. A bundle of grey cables poured out of the left side of the gown's neckline, connecting her to a heart monitor. She wore an oxygen mask with an SpO2 monitor clipped on her left index finger. There was an 18G IV catheter sticking out of her right hand. Marc traced the lines upward, observing the bag of normal saline that was running.
Marc was short on time. He pulled Amy aside and spoke rapidly. "Dr. Shephard is about to come in. He doesn't know she's pregnant yet. I want to take over. It'll be better if I tell him."
Dr. Liao knew Dr. Shephard from working with him in the past. He was engaged as far as she knew, but also on paid medical leave for the past few months. Rumors circulated the hospital about why.
She didn't like gossip or speculation. She also didn't question why he didn't know about the pregnancy. He was an incredible surgeon that had been through a lot in the past few years. That was between him and the patient.
She raised an eyebrow. "Sure. I was about to do a FAST scan to rule out further injury. I asked OB to come down and take a look at her and the baby as a precaution."
"Who's on call?"
"Stopes," she answered and handed him the chart.
Marc breathed out in relief. Stopes was the best. He braced himself. Jack would be in any moment demanding answers. He quickly flicked through the chart and notes.
Jack burst through the trauma bay doors, as if on cue, and breezed past Marc to Kate's side. His eyes took in her injuries and waxen appearance. He took her hand gently. It was cool and limp.
"Oh, Kate." It came out as a low moan. I didn't protect you. His chest ached. He ran the back of his fingers across her forehead. No response. The only movement was the steady rise and fall of her chest.
He looked sharply at both doctors. "What's wrong with her?! Why is she on a heart monitor?" His voice had an edge to it. Jack's was flushed from anger and a myriad of feelings lurking beneath it.
"Dr. Liao was about to give handover." Marc nodded at her.
"Okay. As you know she's a 30 year-old assault victim brought in with decreased LOC with a GCS of 11. Witness accounts suggest she has been chemically restrained in some way. She was briefly conscious, but hasn't been overly responsive since she was brought in. She'll open her eyes to painful stimuli and localize to pain, but otherwise it's hard to get much sense out of her. Rapid body survey revealed ligature marks on her wrists and ankles with minor abrasions on her palms. Heart rate has been bradying down to the low 30s so we'll keep her on the monitor, but otherwise she's stable. I've sent off the usual labs along with a serum and urine tox and we've got some oxygen and fluids running."
Marc sighed quietly. Kate just couldn't catch a break.
Dr. Liao gave Jack a sympathetic glance. He didn't notice. He shifted the strap of Kate's oxygen mask slightly so he could tuck her hair behind her ear.
Amy mouthed "good luck" when she and Marc made eye contact. She slipped out of the room.
The update made bile crawl up the back of Jack's throat. He wanted to inspect every wound himself but had to wait. Marc and two nurses were in the room and the bedside machines and monitors were in his way.
His long fingers stroked Kate's hair. The mass of auburn brown waves felt like silk. He bent over and kissed her forehead. "You're going to be okay." Her high-flow oxygen mask fogged slightly as she exhaled. "I'm so sorry, honey." His voice trembled with remorse. He swallowed and turned his head to the wall a few seconds to compose himself.
Marc stood on the opposite side of the bed. He knew Jack was beyond worried and Dr. Stopes could arrive any moment. Jack turned to him, his brown eyes downcast. "A full set of labs have been sent out and I'm about to do a FAST scan just to be totally safe." The nurses stood back.
"I'm not expecting to find any trauma, Jack. She's got some marks on her wrists and ankles. She's also dosed with something, but her exam didn't reveal much else. This is just a precaution. Okay, buddy?"
Jack nodded once. He had no words. Marc didn't like how pale he looked.
The ultrasound machine was ready. Marc made sure the screen was positioned so Jack could see it. He rolled up Kate's gown and pushed the blanket down just enough to expose her lower abdomen.
"All right, Kate. This is gonna be a bit cold." He squirted a glob of blue gel onto the probe and watched her abdominal muscles tense.
"Everything's okay." The words were more to reassure Jack.
Jack watched. His chest constricted. I should have protected her. Why didn't she wake me up? He was feeling helpless again and hated it.
To Marc's surprise, he didn't question why he started the scan on her lower abdomen.
He fanned the probe, first landmarking her bladder and then moved it lower until he found the tell-tale stripe of her uterus. "Um, Jack. You're going to want to see this." Marc held his breath and waited for Jack's reaction.
Jack's eyes flicked up to the screen, then locked on the image like two magnets. His already pale visage was leached of any remaining color.
He stood and moved closer, his mouth slightly open. "Is that…? She's…?" The logical part of his brain knew what he was seeing. His mind struggled to believe. He gripped the bed's side rail with white knuckles.
Marc gestured to the nurse who stood nearby. She swiftly put the chair behind him. "Jack, maybe you should sit." Jack dropped into the chair heavily.
"She's pregnant?" His mouth was bone dry.
"Yeah. At least 10 weeks along. OB consult has been called. Looks like the baby's heart rate is lower than normal but to be expected from the sedative."
I'm going to be a dad? The thought made his stomach twist into knots. He was a shitty father figure to Aaron. He abandoned him and Kate, not once but twice. He wished he could take it all back. Now she was carrying his child. He didn't want to fail her again.
Jack rubbed his forehead. His gaze anxious and intense. "Did you know she was pregnant?" He raised his voice. "Why didn't she tell me?!"
Marc asked the nurses to step out. He regarded Jack steadily, his brows lowered. "Keep your voice down, Jack. We don't know if she can hear us or not." He watched Kate breathe slowly and his expression softened. "She found out when I spoke to her alone in her room."
He knew Jack's emotions were all over the place but wasn't going to tolerate him losing his shit in front of Kate. She wasn't just a friend, she was Marc's patient.
"That's why she was crying," Jack said to himself, remembering her curled in up bed before the shower. She looked so fragile and sad. Maybe she didn't want to tell him. Maybe she didn't get the chance because she and his baby were stolen right out from under his nose!
He turned on Marc. "Ben kidnapped her and you didn't say a thing!" Jack hissed in a whisper.
"I can't share her medical information." Marc spoke calmly for Kate's sake. "You know that."
Jack's brow darkened. He retreated briefly to his thoughts. He knew the baby was his. They didn't use protection when living together. It was a joint decision. It made him a little nervous, the thought of being a dad, but he knew she was the one. Everything clicked and felt right between them.
It was too early to tell, but there was one particular, amazing night he felt certain they did it and the next test would be positive. Less than two weeks later, he walked out the door leaving her in tears clutching little Aaron. He put it out of mind and sank into an ongoing stupor with pills and alcohol to quell his anxiety and guilt. It caused an empty pit to open up inside of him. Part of his heart was missing, torn out his chest when he turned his back on her.
He swallowed hard. "How could she not know?" He stood again and paced slowly alongside her bed. She missed at least two, maybe three periods by now. He didn't understand.
Marc shrugged. "She had no idea until I told her. What happened prior is between you and her. You both need to talk when she's ready." Marc refused to pass along what Kate told him in confidence. She was heartbroken and oblivious after the breakup. Jack would just blame himself again if he knew.
Jack put his head down and rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb. His eyes were full of self-recrimination. "I had no idea. Morning sickness. Her body has changed. I saw it with my own two eyes this week and was clueless. What kind of doctor am I?"
"One who is committed to staying sober and is worried sick about the woman he loves." Marc could feel Jack's pain. It radiated off him in waves. "Some women don't have many symptoms. She thought it was a virus, remember?"
Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He held his hand out for the probe. "Let me." Marc passed it to him. He wanted to do this, to see it again. He scanned her abdomen carefully and looked at the fetus. Marc was right about its heart rate. He watched the tiny image, transfixed. He was staring at his own son or daughter.
He didn't know what to do or think. He was almost 38 years-old, on medical leave and barely sober. The woman he loved within an inch of his life was in a hospital bed after being drugged and kidnapped. He was staring at their unborn child, one created with her two months ago. He didn't know it existed until now.
He lifted the probe and handed it to Marc. He took a towel and gently wiped the gel from Kate's abdomen.
Ben Linus. He did this! The bastard could have killed them both.
He tossed the towel in the linen bin and ran both hands through his hair. So many emotions coursed through him. God, he wished Kate was awake so they could talk. He looked at her face tenderly before his eyes drifted over her body.
A panicked look flitted across his face. The injuries. He bent over to examine them closely. Her wrists were chaffed from being tied. There were little crescent marks on her upper arms. Jack sucked in air through his teeth, seething anyone would harm and mark her tender skin.
"There are identical red marks above her ankles and you can see something was taped to her." Mark pushed her gown up slightly. Two faint, pink horizontal lines ran parallel across her abdomen. "Maybe she can tell us more when she wakes up?" Jack gritted his teeth. He lifted the blankets briefly to view her ankles before carefully covering them and tucking the blanket in to keep her warm.
Jack's eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. "If I ever get a hold of him…" he whispered vehemently.
Marc heard approaching footsteps and stared hard at Jack. "I know. Tell me later."
The trauma bay doors opened. Dr. Stopes walked in. She was a tall, lean woman in her 40's, her brown hair swept into a neat bun. Her eyes swept over Kate solemnly. "Marc," she said, greeting him with a nod. She turned to face Jack. "And you're…"
"Dr. Jack Shephard, Neurosurgery," She held out her hand and he shook it. She was a senior staff member in her practice and had a no-nonsense attitude. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Shephard. And you are the patient's…"
"Boyfriend," Jack said steadily. Something arose inside of him. He wasn't going to have Kate perceived as a fling or his child as a mistake by anyone. "And the father." His voice betrayed him. Some anxiety surfaced when he said the last three words.
Dr. Stopes was reading the chart but didn't miss his nervous tone. "Don't worry, Dr. Shephard. It looks like your baby is hanging in there." She looked at Marc. "I see she was in an MVA this past Sunday morning with a concussion and head lac. Is this the patient you wanted me to see this week?"
Marc didn't look at Jack. It was another thing he and Kate needed to discuss. "Yes. She has a Friday appointment and was going to bring Jack."
Dr. Stopes put on nitrile gloves after hanging the chart at the end of the bed. "Let's see what's going on now with mom and baby."
Dr. Stopes used the ultrasound again and studied the screen. She agreed with Marc about the baby being fine. The heart rate would pick up as the drug came out of Kate's system.
She spoke to Jack. "I need to examine her thoroughly but can't until her appointment." She froze an image on the screen and printed out two copies. "Here, Dr. Shephard. It's your son or daughter's first photo." She handed one to him and put the other in the chart.
Jack took it and peered down at the little shape. He could see the head, body and its little limbs. His hands shook slightly.
"Dr. Shephard?" Dr. Stopes sounded concerned.
"Yes." He looked up.
"I asked if you have any questions for me," she repeated. He must be a first-time dad, she thought. She saw it all the time. Virginia gave him a warm smile.
"The baby ... it's going to be alright? Will the sedative harm it?" He prayed it wouldn't.
"We don't have labs back but your baby appears to be fine. Bring Kate in Friday. We'll do a thorough exam and I'll go over some things with both of you."
She glanced at Kate with some concern. Her new patient had been through a lot physically within a short period of time. She turned back to Jack. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. Congratulations, Dr. Shephard. To both of you."
Jack leaned back in his chair after Dr. Stopes left. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. He looked at the picture she gave him. He was going to be a father. Marc stepped out briefly and he found himself alone with Kate. It was quiet except for the occasional whirring of the IV pump and the faint sound of her exhaling through the mask. The room was cool and smelled of disinfectant. He checked her vitals on the monitor and sighed as he exhaled.
He put his hand over hers through the bed rails. It looked small and dainty in comparison to his. "Kate. I wish I knew." His eyes sadly traced the features he could still distinguish with the mask on her face. Her long, dark lashes curled slightly and brushed the top of her cheek bones.
He wanted to see the eyes they framed and their lush, green color, full of vitality and life. He longed to kiss each closed eyelid again and see the sides of her mouth curl up, dimples appearing before she rolled over to pull him close.
His tongue loosened and words poured out of him briefly. "I love you, Kate. I don't know what kind of father I'll be, but I promise to take care of you, the baby and Aaron." He took a deep breath to finish. "I need you, Kate. Please wake up." He lifted her hand and kissed it fervently before placing it back on the bed.
The doors opened and Marc walked. He had retrieved his white lab coat from his locker. Jack had one arm resting on the rail as he watched her and held her hand. "Jack. I know you don't want to go anywhere, but your friends are still here. They can probably tell you more about what happened."
Jack didn't look at him. He didn't want to leave Kate's side. Despite that, he needed information. He had to know what transpired at the docks.
"Labs will be back soon. Kate's going to be transferred to a room for observation overnight. I assume you are staying with her."
Jack blinked as if he had just woken up. Marc thought he looked dazed.
"Yeah. Of course." There was no way he was leaving the hospital without her. Jack stood and wiped his damp palms on his jeans. He didn't realize he had broken out in a sweat. He wiped his forehead and did the same.
He walked a few steps. He didn't want to leave her side. His anxiety rose a notch with each step, but the burning need for information propelled him forward.
Jack gripped Marc's arm. "You have to stay with her Marc. Don't let anyone except nurses you know personally near her. Not even a janitor." His eyes bore into Marc's to drill the point home.
Marc understood. He had heard what happened to Sayid. "I'm not going anywhere." He watched Jack exit with a slow gait.
He stretched and sat down to keep vigil over her. "Well, Kate, Jack has gone from the baby's daddy to your 'boyfriend' and 'the father' already. I wonder what you'll think of that?" He gave her a half-smile devoid of mirth.
Her current state bothered him. He didn't hear her leave the house during the night. She didn't wake him to talk about Ben's threat. He understood and didn't at the same time. He chewed on his lip while thinking. At least they got her back. It was something to be thankful for.
And Jack finally knew about the baby. He didn't lose it when he found out, but was still processing everything. He made a mental note to check in with him later.
The chair creaked as he leaned forward, not knowing if she could hear him or not. "Your baby is going to be fine, Kate. I want you to rest. Don't worry."
He patted her hand. "Jack will be fine with everything, you'll see. As you know, your 'boyfriend' is a bit of a control freak and overprotective. The baby is going to make it worse. You'll probably want to strangle him at some point."
He sat back and continued to observe her. He couldn't begin to imagine what she had been through since last night and sincerely hoped things would calm down for her and Jack.
Jack came out to see Desmond and Penny who were waiting patiently for him in the lobby. Charlie ran past Jack as he made a loop around chairs. Jack stopped to let him go by. "He's getting big," he commented.
Desmond and Penny looked at him hopefully. "How's she doing?" Penny asked. "Will she and the baby be okay?"
Jack settled in a chair directly across from them and leaned over, his elbows resting on his knees and fingers interlaced. He did his best to remain calm. "She isn't awake yet. They are going to keep her overnight. Whatever he gave her should wear off by then."
"And the baby?" Desmond's brown eyes searched Jack's, full of compassion. He didn't know what he'd do if this happened to Penny when she was pregnant. He'd probably go mad.
Jack's face was still pale, but his voice remained steady. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact there was a baby and it was his. "The baby is doing okay. An OB doctor came in to look at it. Its heart rate is a little slow from the drug." He paused. "I think we have a little fighter."
"A fighter? Aye, like its Mom and Dad." Desmond smiled. "Just wait. Before you know it, your boy or girl'll be running around like this one." He snatched Charlie as he ran by and dangled him above his head. Charlie giggled and kicked.
"Da, down!" he insisted. His cherubic face was flushed and brown eyes gleamed mischievously.
Desmond put him on the floor gave him an affectionate swat as he took off. "Go on, ya little scamp."
Desmond looked at Penny before turning back to Jack. "Should we tell ya everything here or somewhere more private about Ben?"
Jack's scalp prickled at the mention of Ben's name. His emotions shifted from anxious to angry at the mention of his name. The single syllable set him off. He stood decisively. "In private. Come with me." He waited until they stood and led them to Marc's empty office.
They settled in quickly, declining water or coffee. Penny held Charlie, who sat quietly. He sensed the somber mood of the adults and leaned against his Mummy's chest. He peeked at Jack while playing with a lock of her hair.
Penny described how Ben showed up on the dock with a gun when Desmond was out getting supplies. He said he was going to shoot her. It was revenge because her father killing his daughter. Charlie distracted him briefly when he climbed onto the deck from the boat cabin.
Penny saw Kate on the dock ramp, but something was wrong. She could barely stand and kept falling.
Jack's eyes darkened. He remained quiet until she began to talk about Kate. "She couldn't stand up?"
"No. She couldn't keep her legs under her, poor thing. She didn't stand upright either. She fell down face-first when she made it to the dock and only said a few words after. I thought she was losing the baby."
"What did she say?" Jack's brows shot up. The baby was just cleared. He wondered if they missed something.
"She was barely awake. She said 'baby' and 'pain.'" Penny's eyes were damp. "I don't know what she meant. Ben lowered his gun and ran to her. When he bent down to check her, she stuck a taser gun in his chest before she fell over. It happened so fast, Jack. He shook and fell. It looked like he was having a seizure."
Jack felt grim sense of satisfaction at the thought but was still upset about Kate's lack of coordination and words. Why did she say that? Was something wrong or was it a ruse? He wished she was awake to tell him.
"Aye. I saw it." Desmond spat the words out. "The bug-eyed bastard had it coming and more. I bloodied him up. Broke his nose and a few ribs before tossing him in the water. He threatened my Penny and Charlie and did something to your Kate. No man deserves to live after that." His face was contorted with anger initially but dialed down into a dour expression. "I couldn't finish him off." He shook his head slightly. He was no murderer and there was likely a hidden witness or two at the marina.
They didn't have much information beyond the fact they couldn't wake her. Both had agreed earlier not to question Jack about how Ben got a hold of Kate. He was distraught but covering it the best he could.
Jack rubbed the back of his head. There was something he needed to tell them... His eyes opened wide as he remembered. He felt a sense of foreboding when he looked at them both.
"Penny, Sayid said your dad has men in the area. I don't know where Widmore is. You all should get out of here. They tried to kill him and were waiting to take a shot at Hurley. Kate's address was in the wallet of another man who tried to kill Sayid at hospital." He frowned as he spoke. Even the hospital wasn't safe.
Desmond scowled at the news. They had eluded Charles Widmore for years. "Thanks, Jack. We'll be off then. Keep a close eye on your Kate."
Penny was alarmed and held Charlie close. She kept her voice calm for his sake. "We should go. Give Kate our love. Tell her thank you. She saved us both." A few tears escaped but she wiped them quickly.
She stood to leave. Charlie wrapped his arms around her neck while he buried his face in her hair.
"Aye. Give her our love. We owe her." Desmond stood too as Jack came around the desk. They shook hands and hugged briefly by pounding each others backs.
"I'll tell her but you owe us nothing. Not after everything you've done for us. Both of you." Jack turned to Penny and hugged her from the side. She kissed him on the cheek.
Jack's anxiety crept up again. He desperately wanted to be with Kate, to watch over her. "I'll walk you to the lobby."
Jack briskly returned to Trauma 3. Marc looked up as he entered. "Anything happen?"
"No," Mark answered. "No changes either."
Julie, the day nurse, walked in. She added some paperwork to Kate's chart and handed it to Marc. "Labs, Dr. Silverman." She paused before leaving. "I hope she feels better soon, Dr. Shephard." She remembered Kate from a few days ago. The nurses had been quietly conversing about it and felt bad for her.
She went to leave but turned quickly. "Oh, there's an incoming by the way, a male…"
Marc shook his head. "I'm not officially on shift. This is a special case. Let Dr. Liao know." He went to the end of the bed and put the chart down so they could review the results together.
"Everything looks good but she has elevated serum phenobarb levels. It should wear off within hours. We'll keep her overnight to monitor her." Marc's was pissed. Ben was a sick animal to give that to a pregnant woman.
Jack's body was tense. "I could kill him, Marc. I really could." He clenched his fists.
"I know. Jack, you need to stay calm for both you and Kate's sake. You're not out of the woods yet with the withdrawal." Marc noted a sheen of sweat had reappeared on Jack's forehead. "We need to get you both healthy. She's going to need you." He patted his shoulder.
Julie came back. "The porter is ready to take her to her room."
Marc wanted to ask Jack about his conversation with his friends but had to table it for later.
Kate was wheeled out of the trauma room. The new case arrived by ambulance and was wheeled to Trauma 2. Jack was facing Kate, watching her. Something caught his attention. Her bed had stopped.
Jack looked at Marc. He glared at someone behind him.
Jack pivoted in time to see Ben Linus being transferred to the hospital cot with his head bandaged. Paramedics finished their handover to Dr. Liao and the nurses and left.
Jack boiled with fury. He clenched his jaw so tight it hurt. He heard Marc say his name but it was background noise. He could hear his pulse in his ears.
"YOU!" he snarled. The veins throbbed in his neck. His body coiled up like a spring as the adrenaline hit.
Ben was sitting upright on the cot. He was handcuffed. Two police officers had accompanied him but were standing back near the nurse's station while Dr. Liao assessed him.
Marc raced around the bed to intercept Jack.
Jack had tunnel vision. He didn't see the police, but Marc did. Both officers looked his way after the outburst.
So did Ben.
"YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU DRUGGED KATE AND MY BABY AND KIDNAPPED THEM!" Jack roared.
For once, Benjamin Linus was speechless. His eyes bulged in fright beneath red, swollen lids.
Jack took off towards him in a sprint.
"YOU COULD HAVE KILLED THEM!" Jack was blinded by rage.
Marc reached for Jack, desperate to stop his mad charge as the police officers ran towards them both.