"I am sorry Ricky." Amy said as her tears started to fall.
"Amy it is not your fault. I would never think that or blame you. You heard the doctor this morning. She told you there was probably something not right with the baby and that was why you miscarried. You cannot blame yourself. I want you to stop that right now." Ricky said in a high voice.
"Now I have made you angry." Amy said.
"No you haven't. I just do not want to hear you talk like that anymore." Ricky said as he kissed her cheek.
"What am I supposed to tell everyone about what happened?" Amy asked him.
"You don't have to tell them anything. I told your parents that you weren't feeling good and you went to the hospital and the doctor decided to keep you overnight and that you needed your rest. They understood and they are dealing with Ashley and Toby arrived this morning and he just found out about Ashley being pregnant and he is taking it hard. But the doctor said they can do a DNA test if he and Ashley decide they want to when Ashley reached nine to twelve weeks I guess. I just want you to get well and get some rest." Ricky said.
"I would have wanted that baby so bad. Even though it was so shortly after having Lucy. And our apartment is too small. And we both work so much. I still would have wanted that baby so much." Amy said quietly.
"I know I would have loved another baby. But it wasn't meant to be Amy." Ricky said. And eventually they both laid quiet again and fell asleep after the long last few days.
Later that night the phone rang. Ricky awoke and picked up his cell phone. He answered the call. "Hello?" He said half asleep.
"Ricky can you and Amy come to the hospital as soon as you can. Ashley just woke up and she is asking for you both." George said in a high voice.
"Yeah give us a few minutes we both just woke up. And Amy cannot stay too long but we will be there. Bye." Ricky said and then he hung up the phone.
Thirty minutes later they walked into Ashley's ICU room. She was now off the breathing machine and she was awake. Toby, Anne, and George were all there. Amy went over to Ashley's bedside. She picked up her hand. "Ashley I am so glad to see you awake." Amy said as she smiled at her sister.
"I am safe?" Ashley said as she looked around at everyone.
"Yes, you are safe. Ashley what happened to you out there?" Amy asked her gently.
"It was horrible. The night before I left I spent a special evening with Toby and I packed my bag. Then he left the next morning to go to class. Then I got into my car and drove to the airport. I was coming home for the week to see everybody. I got on the plane and everything went ok. But when I went to the parking lot in the airport there was a man there. I had went to pick up my rental car. He had a gun and he pointed at my head. I thought he wanted the car but he shoved me into the passengers seat. We drove for hours and then we made our way into the woods and we went to a cabin. It was awful. He kept me there and he beat me and he... I didn't think I would make it out alive. Finally after weeks I think, I finally made it free and I ran and ran and finally I was near a parking lot but I was so exhausted and I could hardly remember anything after that." Ashley said as the fear in her eyes and her voice came very real to everyone.
"A nurse found you in the parking lot of the hospital. They brought you in and treated you. And they contacted me after we had faxed posters with your picture to several places. Ricky and I came up and we identified you to them. And you have been in a coma for about a week. But we have only been here with you the last few days. We have been so worried about you. There's more Ashley. Dr. Hughes who has been treating you ran some tests. They found out that your five weeks pregnant." Amy said as she felt her heart break a little more as she told the news to her sister.
"I thought I might be. After some time my period didn't come. I just hoped it wasn't that though. What am I going to do?" Ashley said and then she looked over at Toby who gave her a small smile from across the room.
"I don't know Ashley. But that is something you will have to decide. There are people here who can help you with choices and options. But if you want they can do a DNA test in a few weeks if that's what you want." Amy said as she watched Ashley face.
Ashley looked over at Toby and she thought about it for a few seconds and she knew it could be his child and even if there was the slightest chance she had to take it. She didn't want to take the chance if it was his baby. "Ok I will wait and have the test at that point.
Five weeks passed by. Amy, Ricky, George, and Anne drove up to see Ashley every week while Toby stayed at the hotel up there and looked after her. In that five weeks alot had happened. Adrian finally graduated from college. Although she couldn't attend the ceremony she was still glad to be done with school at least for now. Amy had healed from the miscarriage physically but she and Ricky still had the emotional scars left behind. Lucy continued to thrive and do well and measuring right where her doctor hoped she would. John's yearly screen for his cancer came back good. And Anna brought joy to everyone no matter the situation. The police had taken Ashley's statement and others and were now using the information to try to catch the person. Ashley had the procedure to have the paternity test. The results were in and everyone had decided to be there for them no matter what would happen. Everyone had driven back up to find out the results of the paternity test. Everyone was in Ashley's hospital room. The doctor came in and handed the results to Ashley. Then the doctor left quietly.
Ashley stared at the enevelope. Her future would change one way or the other. She thought she had wanted to know but maybe she didn't want to after all. She felt a few tears stream down her face. She quickly wiped them away. So much she had suffered, so much she had lost, so much had changed. She never thought she would have to make the decision that she might have to make. And she didn't know if she could go through with it even if she made that choice. Ashley looked over at Amy. Her blue eyes were filled with tears and so much sadness and pain. Amy went over to Ashley. She embraced her and gave her a hug.
"Do you want me to read the results?" Amy asked her. Ashley shook her head yes and then handed the enevelope to her sister.
Amy took it and slowly opened it. She pulled the paper out and she looked at for a long moment. She gasped and then she started to cry. Everyone looked over at her with concern. "No it's good. Toby is the father. He is." Amy said and then she embraced Ashley and then Toby, her parents, and lastly her husband.
Toby went over to Ashley and he kissed her cheeks and then her hands. Ashley gave him a smile for the first time since the entire ordeal. Yet everyone knew Ashley had a very long road of recovery in front of her. But this was good news and she was glad it was. Everyone left the room quietly to give Ashley and Toby some time alone together to absorb the news.
Amy and Ricky got into the car and Ricky drove the long drive home. Just as they were entering the city where they lived Amy's phone went off. Amy opened the new text message that had shown up on her phone. It read: I am at the hospital. I am in labor. But will have to have C-section. Adrian. "Ricky you have to go to the hospital. Adrian's having the twins like now." Amy told her husband. He turned the car around and drove as fast as he could to the hospital.
A half hour later Amy had scrubbed and been given a pair of scrubs. And she was brought into the operating room. Adrian was laid out on the table with a sheet hung up so she couldn't see them doing the surgery. Amy was instructed to take a seat next to Adrian. "I am here Adrian." Amy said with a smile.
"I am glad you are here. Next to Bryan being here I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have here with me during this wonderful event." Adrian said.
Then after a few minutes a small cry was heard. "You have a fine healthy little boy." Then the doctor held him over for Adrian could see. She admired his little face. Then the doctor handed the baby off to the nurse who took him to get cleaned up and evaluated. Then Adrian felt a little more pressure and a few minutes later another cry was heard from behind the sheet. "A fine baby girl. Hi mommy." the doctor said and then held up the little girl up for Adrian to see. She was a beautiful little girl. Then another nurse took the baby girl and took her to also get evaluated and cleaned up.
Amy squeezed Adrian's hand. She had tears streaming down her face. But they were happy tears. Amy wiped them away with a kleenex. Then she wiped away her own happy but bittersweet tears. She was thrilled for her friends and their new babies, but Amy knew she would never get the child she had lost. She would never be able to hold them or be with them and that hurt. But she pushed that aside and she enjoyed the moment with Adrian and the babies.