A/N: I want to thank everyone for reading this story and sticking with me through the twists and turns that I have taken. This is the last chapter of Out of Sorrow. But who knows there could be a sequel in the future at some point.
Gemma walked out of Tara's hospital room for a moment to collect her thoughts and to catch her breath. She had been in the room with Tara for the last hour while they waited on the doctor to come in and examine Tara. The news Dr. Henderson shared with them was most unsettling and now it was up to Gemma to tell Opie and Jax. Gemma walked to the waiting room organizing her thoughts. When she walked into the waiting room she wasn't surprised to see all of the guys at the hospital awaiting little Quinn's arrival into the world. Her eyes scanned the room and she spotted Jax and Opie sitting side by side.
Jax was seated next to Opie drinking a cup of cheap hospital coffee in order to sober himself up. He had been wondering what was taking so long. They hadn't heard any news since they arrived at the hospital. Jax stood up hearing his mother's heels clicking against the tile floors. "Mom." said Jax standing up as he nudged Opie to get his attention.
Opie shot out of his seat and looked at Gemma expectantly. "Gemma...what's the word?" asked Opie looking at her. He couldn't read the expression on Gemma's face but it didn't look good. Opie could hear his heartbeat in his ears as his mind raced over the possibilities.
Gemma walked over to Opie and Jax. "Tara...and the baby aren't doing well...Dr. Henderson said that the umbilical cord is wrapped around Quinn's neck. The baby is in distress... He is going to have to perform an emergency c-section...they've already moved her to an operating room. Dr. Henderson assured me that he'd come to find us as soon as he knew anything...so for now...we just...wait. Opie...Tara is very scared right now...she really needs you in there with her. A nurse will give you some scrubs to change into...she shouldn't be alone for this...so if you can't be there let me know and I will go in there with her. But I thought you might want to be there when your son is born."
Opie's face fell hearing the news. He shook his head not sure what to do at the moment. He walked away from the group needing some space to figure all of this out in his head. After the rocky start of her pregnancy the last few months had been smooth sailing. It never occurred to him that something could go wrong in the final stretch...and something as serious as this. Opie stood at the window looking out at the dark sky. He didn't know if he could take being in the room if something went wrong.
Jax walked over to his friend and in his calmest voice said "I know...you are scared bro...I am too. But we can't leave Tara to do this alone...she needs you...your kid needs you. You need to get in there...or I will...and I'll never let you live it down..." Jax's heart was racing as he worried about Tara and the baby but he was trying to keep himself calm for Opie's sake.
"What if...?" asked Opie not even being able to finish the sentence. "Losing Donna...almost killed me Jax...looking at her lifeless body laid out on the street...I could have died right then. What if...what if something happens to Tara or Quinn...sometimes when I close my eyes I can still see Donna's lifeless face...I can't have another ghost haunting me Jax."
He understood Opie's fears. He had the same fears about Abel when he was first born. "You are so worried about yourself that you are willing to let down Tara and your kid when they need you the most?" He knew his best friend better than anyone else in the world and he knew that Opie just needed to be goaded a little.
Opie ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Shut up!" said Opie. He pushed passed Jax and headed down the hallway to catch up with the nurse. He got the scrubs from her and hurriedly changed. He rushed to the operating room with the nurse. When he got there the doctor was already cutting into Tara. Opie walked over to the head of the bed and took Tara's hand. He watched to action in the room in amazement as everyone flitted around the room like ants on an ant hill. "I am here Tara..." said Opie holding her hand.
Tara clutched his hand in a near death grip. She wasn't in pain but she was panicked. She had tears in her eyes and her cheeks were tear stained. "I didn't think you were coming..." said Tara in almost a whimper. She tried not to sob but she couldn't hold back. She was terrified
"Hey...you and Quinn are fighters...our little boy is going to come through this with flying colors." said Opie kissing the top of her head. He stared at the partition that was obstructing the view of the c-section. "You know you have a hell of a grip..." said Opie trying to get Tara to focus on him instead of staring at the partition.
After what seemed like forever Dr. Henderson handed Quinn's body to the nurse. The boy wasn't breathing at the moment. The nurses rushed Quinn over to the other side of the room and worked on him. The movements on that side of the room seemed almost frantic as they tried to coax the infant into breathing.
Tara asked "Is he breathing yet? Is he okay?" Tara was frantic at the moment. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to get off of that table and rush over to her son's lifeless body. And if she wasn't immobilized at the moment she might have done just that.
"He is going to be okay Tara...he is going to be okay." said Opie trying to convince both of them of that fact. Opie never let go of Tara's hand as he stared off in the direction of their son. The minutes seemed to tick away and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Opie closed his eyes and murmured a prayer 'Please God...please don't take my son away from us.'
Just then a wail was heard from across the room.
Tara started to cry tears of joy hearing Quinn crying. "That has to be the sweetest sound I've ever heard." said Tara clutching Opie's hand tightly.
Quinn continued to cry as the nurses and doctor looked after him.
Tara let go of Opie's hand and said "Go...go see our son. Make sure he is okay please..." Tara stared up at Opie. She just wanted to know that their son was really okay.
Opie nodded and kissed her cheek. He walked across the room feeling like his heart was in his throat. He stood behind a nurse watching them make sure that Quinn's airway was clear. His color was slowly improving and he was screaming his little heart out. Opie looked at all of his little fingers and toes and was happy to see ten of each. He felt tears welling up in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.
The nurse handed Quinn to Opie. Opie gingerly held his son. "Hi there...I'm your daddy." said Opie in a gentle voice.
A few hours later...
Tara laid in her hospital bed tiredly watching an infomercial on television. She still hadn't been given the opportunity to hold Quinn yet. Tara looked next to her bed and chuckled. Opie was half asleep in a chair next to her bed. He had been able to hold Quinn briefly. So his mind was at ease.
Jax walked into Tara's room carrying flowers and an oversized stuffed bear. He walked over to her bed and set the flowers down on the night stand. "How are you feeling baby?" asked Jax quietly. He didn't want to wake up Opie it had been a long night for everyone. He kissed Tara on the cheek and had a seat in the other chair next to her bed. "I picked up the Teddy bear for the little guy. Have you seen him yet?"
Tara smiled. "You are so sweet Jax...thank you. I am sure that Quinn will love a bear that is four times his size. No, they haven't brought him in yet. A nurse stopped by ten minutes ago and said they'd bring him in soon. They are happy with his apgar score. He is 6lbs and 2 ounces. And he is 21 inches long. I just want to hold him."
Jax smiled and said "Well, I can't wait to meet the little guy." He smoothed her hair out of her face. "How are you feeling?" asked Jax looking into her eyes.
"I feel like I want to pass out from exhaustion...as you can see Opie already has...I know that he is okay...I just...I want to see that for myself. I thought you had gone home for the night..." said Tara laughing softly.
"I know you need to see him before you can rest. I am sure they will get him in here soon." said Jax. "No, I was in the waiting room. I figured you and Opie could use some time alone. And I was saying goodbye to the guys. They were heading home for the night now that they know the munchkin is doing well. Mom and Clay are still in the waiting room though. Mom isn't going anywhere until she gets to see Quinn."
Tara laughed and asked "I just want to hold my boy...that is all. That definitely sounds like Gemma. Quinn and I are so lucky to have so many people care about us. I can't believe all of the guys came over here to the hospital. They were all so drunk at the party to begin with."
He smiled and said "I know waiting has never been your strong suit darlin. Of course they came to the hospital. You are family baby...and family is always there for one another. They might have been drunk and sprawled out in the waiting room but they were right there waiting."
"Well, I've seen him...they held him up for me to see but it isn't the same thing as holding him in my arms. Hey, I am a very patient person...just not about this." said Tara laughing softly.
"Do you want me to get you anything to eat or drink?" asked Jax. "I can run to the vending machines and see what I can find for you..." said Jax.
"I really just want some ice chips if you could find a nurse to get that for me I will be grateful." said Tara. "My mouth feels so dry right now."
"Sure I can do that. I will be back in a few minutes." said Jax. He kissed her cheek and walked back out of the room looking for a nurse. Jax walked back into the room ten minutes later with a cup of ice chips and stopped in his tracks seeing Tara holding Quinn. Opie was sitting up watching Tara with the baby.
Tara smiled and said "Jax...come over and meet your godson." Tara was cradling Quinn against her chest. She stared down at his little face admiring his piercing green eyes. "He's so perfect...he's the most perfect baby ever." gushed Tara in a quiet voice.
Jax walked over to the bed sitting his cup down. He smiled looking at the baby. He kissed Tara's cheek. "You did good kid...you did real good." said Jax with a smile. "Look at that sandy brown hair on his head." said Jax chuckling softly.
Jax hugged Opie. "Congratulations brother. I am happy for you. And thank you for making me the godfather of your son. It means a lot to me. I should go get mom and Clay."
Opie smiled and said "Thanks." He chuckled and said "I can't think of anyone else that I would trust with my flesh and blood if something happened to me...I called Gemma and Clay they are on their way back here to meet the kid."
Jax smiled and said "So Tara did you decide to stick to the name you picked out?"
Tara smiled and said "I changed my mind a little bit...I decided to name him Quinn Patrick Winston. When I looked at his little face he just didn't seem like a Ronan to me...he seems like a Quinn Patrick..." Tara handed Quinn to Opie.
Opie smiled and said "He is so small I feel like I am going to break him with my gigantic hands." Opie gently rocked his son seeing his little eyes getting heavier. Opie looked at Jax. "Do you want to hold him?"
Jax nodded and said "Sure...I'd like that." Jax gently took Quinn. "Hi little guy...I am your Uncle Jax..." said Jax. "I'll teach you about all of the awesome things in life...that your parents don't want you to know about. "
Gemma and Clay walked into the room carrying balloons and Teddy Bears. Gemma walked over to the bed and smiled. "Oh look at him...and he's wide awake." said Gemma with a grin.
Quinn started to get cranky and Jax chuckled. "Okay time to give you back to your mommy." Jax gently gave Quinn back to Tara.
Tara smiled at her son and rocked him. "What are you fussing for hmmm?" cooed Tara.
Jax chuckled and said "He is probably sad that his mommy has chickened out of breastfeeding him. I know I would be disappointed if I was him." Jax winked at her.
Opie laughed and said "That is a reason to be cranky."
Jax kissed Tara. "I love you babe."
Tara smiled and said "I love you too Jax." She looked back down at her son and smiled at his precious little face.
Gemma stood back watching how Opie and Jax both looked at Quinn adoringly. She stood with Clay and smiled at him. "I think they've finally got it figured out." said Gemma in a low voice.
"Yeah...baby...I think they do." said Clay watching them.