Chapter 39

The nurse looked sad, "It's still touch and go with Mrs. Benet. When the baby was born Mrs. Benet's uterus was delivered at the same time. The doctor is working very hard to keep her with us." She turned and was about to leave when AJ put a hand on her arm and said, "If she needs blood, I'm a universal donor."

"So am I!" Liiani stated eagerly.

The nurse looked at her belly and shook her head 'no' then turned to AJ and said in a low tone, "As fast as she's hemorrhaging, you couldn't donate enough," then she left the three of them standing there stunned.

"We have a daughter," Vince stated almost in a daze. "The ultra sound showed a boy both times, we don't have any girls names picked out."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something sweet. We could go and see her," Liiani told him.

"What about Collette?! It sounded like we could still lose her! I can't lose her! How can I raise a baby along…let alone a girl?!" Vince stood there shaking.

"We need to keep good thoughts, Vince," Liiani told him, giving him a hug.

Vince tried to smile at her, but it didn't quite happen. Taking his hand, she suggested, "Let's go see your daughter."

The three of them headed to the NIC U. When they got there a nurse showed them to a room where they were told to put on gowns and masks before they could be taken in to see the baby.

Liiani couldn't help but gasp, "Oh!" then tear up as she protectively put her hand over her own child growing within when she saw Vince and Collette's baby. AJ quickly put his arm around her shoulders.

The nurse came over to them as they stood next to the incubator. *Benet?" she questioned.

"Yes," Vince confirmed.

"Let me tell you about your daughter," she paused, then asked, "Does she have a name yet?"

"No," Vince shook his head sadly.

"Well we will just call her Baby Benet for now then. She's three pounds and two ounces, she is sixteen inches long. Her lungs are underdeveloped, that is why she in on the ventilator. We also have her under a heat lamp to keep her warm."

"All those tubes and wires," Vince's voice shook.

"Those are to help her, Vince," Liiani said, putting her arm around her brother.

"She's SO small."

"But she's here," AJ stated.

Vince nodded, "I need to find out Collette is," he said as he turned away from the incubator, tearing off the gown and mask he was wearing.

With one more look at the baby Liiani turned to follow her brother. AJ was right behind her,

Vince went up to the nurses' station and asked for an update on his wife. The nurse on duty told him she would get the doctor to talk to him. All of them knew this was not good, that the nurse would not tell him what the situation was.

In the doctor's office Vince and Liiani took the two chairs in front of his desk and AJ stood behind his wife with his hands on her shoulders. They had known the news was not good when the nurse called in the doctor, but when he took them to his office for the talk rather than just telling them where they met, they knew it was bad.

"Captain," the doctor said, "Mrs. Benet lost a lot of blood when her uterus prolapsed. I'm very sorry but that means she will not be able to have anymore children…"

Impatient, Vince interrupted, "But how IS my wife?!"

"Captain Benet, your wife…"

"Collette! Her name is Collette!" Vince snapped.

The doctor nodded, "Collette, is in a coma. We are giving her transfusions to replace all the blood she lost during the delivery, but all we can do right now is wait."

"Wait for what?! To see if she wakes up?! To see if she dies?!"

Sadly the doctor answered, "Yes, to both of those things. She is in intensive care and we are very hopeful that if she makes it through the next twenty four hours, then her chances of survival will greatly increase. Then we need to focus on her waking up."

Vince lowered his head into his hands for a moment as Liiani was about to reach over and put her arm around him. Looking up again Vince questioned, "And what about my daughter?! What are her chances?"

To be continued…..