Let's see how Vanessa's doing and whether Cameron can learn anything new about her little brother.

We still have a long way to go in this story. Hope you're enjoying.

Chapter 49.

Cameron's first stop when she arrived at the hospital on Tuesday morning was Vanessa's room. The little girl was wide awake, listening to her mother read a Fiddlesticks book, and grinning.

"I heard you were doing much better," Cameron told Vanessa.

"The doctors who were here yesterday said she could go home soon," Michelle Corrigan said hopefully.

"Yes, if Vanessa continues to improve, she can go home tomorrow or the next day," Cameron assured her.

"Did you hear that, Nessie?" the woman asked her daughter. Vanessa nodded and smiled.

"Good morning, everyone," a cheerful voice said from the doorway. "Hi, Vanessa. You're looking well this morning," Gretchen told the child.

"Dr. Billings, isn't it?" Michelle asked. "Your mother just said that Vanessa can go home tomorrow!" She was beaming.

Gretchen raised her eyebrows at Cameron.

"I said only if she's even better than today," Cameron said. She smiled at Vanessa. "I'm sure you want to go home and see your baby brother."

Vanessa nodded at her, then looked questioningly at her mother. "Is Kyle home now?"

Michelle glanced at the two women doctors. "He will be." But she desperately wanted to change the subject. "Boy or girl?" she asked Gretchen.

The young doctor grinned. "Boy." She patted her stomach.

"Your mother told me she already has a grandson who likes the Fiddlesticks books."

"A.G.," Gretchen said. "My two year old. Actually, he insists we say 'two-and-a-half year-old'."

Michelle smiled. "Yes, that half a year seems so important when they're that young."

"They change so much at that age that it really does make a difference," Cameron said. "I bet Kyle is changing every day now," she added, bringing the conversation back around.

Michelle said a curt, "Yes."

"And you don't want to miss any of those changes," Gretchen said, not sure what her mother was getting at but willing to go along.

"No," she whispered. But of course, her husband would pick that moment to make an appearance. "Oh, Josh! Dr. Cameron says that Vanessa can go home tomorrow!"

Cameron didn't bother to correct her again. She'd deal with it on Wednesday if Vanessa wasn't ready to go home. "I have some other patients to see," she said, turning toward the door.

"Me, too," Gretchen said, and they left together.

Cameron walked her daughter to the elevator. Gretchen was waddling more than ever. "How are you doing?" her mother asked.

"I tire more easily, I spend more time in the bathroom than I did at the end with A.G., and I've already had some false labor. Other than that, I'm just ducky!" Gretchen replied, but she was smiling. "What was going on in there?" she asked.

"We still don't know why the Corrigans were in Bolivia. And yesterday, Mrs. Corrigan told your dad that the baby was 'safe'."

"How odd!" Gretchen exclaimed.

"Exactly."

"Was Kyle born at PPTH?" Gretchen asked. She seemed to have something in mind.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he was."

"I wonder who Mrs. Corrigan's Ob/Gyn was. If it was Nelson, maybe he can tell us some more about the family," she said.

Cameron wondered why she hadn't thought of that before.

"I have an appointment with him later today," Gretchen said. "I'll ask him."

The elevator arrived and Gretchen got on. "I forgot to ask about your trip to Yale," she said, keeping the door from closing.

Cameron saw the impatient expressions on the faces of the other passengers. "I'll catch you later and tell you about it."

Gretchen nodded and let the door close. Cameron walked down the corridor towards her office. She was surprised by who was waiting for her but shouldn't have been. Someone else wanted to know what she'd found out at Yale.

"Hi, Chase," she said with a smile. "I think I can guess why you're here."

He smirked and nodded.

She smirked back. "Pat's dating a pretty brunette named Carla," she told him. "An older woman. At least I think so, since she's a sophomore. She's majoring in linguistics," she reported. "And he promises to call and message you and Les more often."

"Wow, you learned all that in just a few hours?" Chase asked.

"Yes."

"Carla, huh?"

"Yes. She seems very nice," Cameron said.

"You met her?"

"I had lunch with Alex, Pat, Carla, her cousin and Alex's roommate. Rob, Pat's fine, nothing for you to worry about."

"I think we'll have to take a trip ourselves," Chase said. "It's not that I don't trust your judgment, just that I'd like to meet this girl."

"Young woman," Cameron corrected.

He smirked. "Okay, young woman. And Les will want to meet her too."

"I guess so. But give your son some space," she advised.

"We will," he promised.

Chapter 50.

Justin returned to the hospital with Cuddy after showing her the fuel cells that had been installed in the Appleton Building in downtown Princeton.

"I feel confident now in proposing the use of the cells as a backup and emergency power supply for the hospital," she told him. "I can even see them replacing our traditional power sources someday. Thanks for suggesting them."

"Glad to help," he replied. "PPTH means a lot to me, and not just because my wife works here."

"Have you talked to Scott about the cells?" she asked. "I can see him using something like that to power the machines he uses in Radiology,"

"He knows what we're doing with them, but I never thought to suggest that," Justin admitted. "I guess I now have your go ahead." He grinned at her.

"That you do," she agreed. "Thanks again. I'll see you Thursday night at the board meeting. Seven sharp."

"I'll be there."

They parted outside her office door. Justin looked at his watch. He had just enough time before meeting Audra for lunch to pay a visit to Scott.

Scott was on the phone in his office in Radiology. Justin waited until he finished the call before saying 'Hi'.

"Hi Justin. What brings you here?" Scott asked.

"I took Aunt Lisa to see our fuel cells in action this morning," Justin replied,

"The ones you went to see in California?" Scott asked.

"Yes. There are two kinds, one for residential use and the other for larger buildings and facilities. She's going to ask the hospital board to authorize the second kind for emergency power for the hospital." He paused. "She also suggested that you might be interested in using them to power some of your scanners and other equipment."

Scott raised his left eyebrow as he thought about it. "How big are they?" he finally asked.

"That's the beauty of them. They're very small. A full set takes up only a third of the space of a generator," Justin replied.

"That sounds promising. Are you getting a commission for every one you sell?" Scott said with a grin.

"Do you think I should?" Justin asked, eyes wide. But he realized Scott was only joking. "Hank Page, the head of the company that manufactures the cells, will be in town in a couple of weeks to see how our installations are going. Maybe you should talk to him."

"Good idea. I definitely will."

"Um, how's Gretchen doing?" Justin asked.

"She says she feels like a beached whale, but she's doing just fine. Which reminds me, I have to meet her in Nelson's office in..." He checked his watch. "...ten minutes."

"Then I won't keep you," Justin said. He had to meet Audra then, anyway. "Tell Gretchen I said 'hi'."

Scott arrived at the Ob/Gyn office at the same time as his wife. He smiled at her and kissed her lightly. "I really love seeing you like this."

"You mean blown up like a beach ball?" she asked.

"You're glowing and you know it. You look like a healthy eight-month pregnant woman, and a beautiful one at that."

"Flattery is kind of lost on me right now," she groaned, but she was smiling. She found a seat in the waiting room, happy to be able to get off of her swollen feet for a while. But she'd only been sitting for about five minutes when they were called to go into an exam room. The nurse handed Gretchen a disposable gown and left. Scott helped his wife remove her clothes and put on the gown. She was just sitting down again on the exam table when Nelson entered.

"Hi, Guys!" he said. "Ready to take another look at the peanut?"

"Absolutely," Gretchen said. She stretched out on the table while Nelson got the ultrasound wand ready and turned on the screen. Soon three sets of eyes were glued to the clear image of a well-formed boy with arms and legs moving as if he was swimming.

"He's an active one," Nelson said.

"Definitely, even more than A.G. was," Gretchen said, rubbing her stomach. If anything, the baby's limbs moved more quickly.

"I'd like you to start coming in weekly now," Nelson told Gretchen, completing his examination. "You only have about three more weeks to go to your due date, and I think you may give birth even sooner."

"I hope so!" Gretchen said. "I'm not sure I could take three more weeks!" But she knew she would if she had to for the baby's sake. She got off the table as awkwardly as most women in her condition usually do. "Nelson, I recently met a former obstetrics patient of yours, Michelle Corrigan."

"Ah, yes. I remember her. It was her second pregnancy, too," Nelson said. "She had a three-year-old, a girl if I'm not mistaken, and gave birth to a boy."

"Kyle," Gretchen said.

"Is that what she named him? I never heard. She never came back for her post-natal visit," Nelson said.

"Well, she seems fine," Gretchen said. "Her daughter is a patient here now."

"One of yours?" Nelson suddenly looked worried. Gretchen's patients didn't always make it.

"No, my mom's. She's going to be all right. It was something she picked up in Bolivia."

"Bolivia?" Nelson asked. "What was she doing there?"

"That is the million dollar question."