CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
I beg Jax to take me back to the Winston's past the impound lot where I spend 10 minutes explaining to the Officer stuck on impound duty that all I want to do is check my car is okay. Eventually Jax steps outside and rings Unser who rings the Duty Officer to approve our access as long as we don't touch anything.
After swearing I won't touch a thing and remarking that the officer can handcuff me if he doesn't believe me Jax and I are allowed through the doors. I immediately spot my car in the corner; it's been parked as far away from the roller door as possible. Heading over I run my eyes over the paintwork but it's all exactly the way it was when I last drove it.
Thanking the Duty Officer we head back into the car-park where we get back on Jax's bike. Because Opie still isn't back from Tara escort duty we can't go back to the Winston's house. Donna has gone with Gemma to their house to spend some time with her kids.
We end up heading towards the hospital and I feel bad for intruding on Jax's visiting time with his son. When we get to the waiting room near the doors of the NICU I take a seat. Jax is almost through the doors when he notices I'm not behind him anymore.
He turns and strides back to the corner where I've sat down, "What are you doing?"
"I'll wait here while you visit with Abel, I'll be fine. Craig's not going to come into the hospital." I look up at him and I'm surprised when his eyes darken and he scowls at me.
"Get up and come meet my son." he holds his hand out and waits until I put my hand in his before pulling me to my feet. He wraps an arm round my shoulders.
Walking through the door to the ward we pass a lot of unoccupied rooms before we get to the one with TELLER written on the board.
Opening the door I'm shocked. I knew that he was born 10 weeks premature but I didn't expect him to be so tiny. He looks like he'd easily fit in one of Jax's hands.
Walking over to the contraption that Abel's lying in Jax comes to stand behind me, one hand resting on the plastic, the other on my waist, almost like he's waiting for me to try and bolt.
There are a couple of hand holes in the side and we've both scrubbed our hands and forearms before coming in so I slide a hand through and gently run my finger down Abel's tiny arm. Behind the unit that protects Abel from everything outside there's a wall of beeping monitors and the second my skin comes in contact with Abel's one of the beeping patterns slows down.
I pull my hand away and the beeping increases. Jax looks a bit confused but pulls the single chair over, buzzes a nurse and sits down, pulling my onto his lap.
The nurse comes in a few minutes later, "Hey Jax how's things?" Even though she's the other side of 40 Jax gives her a grin that makes hearts melt.
"Things are great Anne, this is Sarah." Anne doesn't offer to shake my hand and I presume it's due to the ward and protection they have to go through for the baby's health. "But watch this." He turns to me, "Do that again."
"Do what?"
"Put your hand in the toaster and touch his arm." Jax says, lifting my hand and pushing it through the guard into the 'toaster'.
I run my finger down Abel's arm again and the beeping slows, looking over my shoulder Anne's face is a combined mixture of shock, confusion and awe.
"That's incredible." She mutters, running her hand through her short blonde hair.
"What, can someone please tell me what's so incredible about my having my hand in a...what is this?" I ask, still running the finger down Abel's arm.
"The thing that Abel is in is an incubator. We use them for babies who are prem and don't have the body functions to survive out of them. It controls oxygen levels, temperature and allows us to monitor him 24 hours a day through the sensors in it." Anne informs me, the knowledge coming out like it probably has a thousand times before.
"However, what is so amazing is Abel's reaction to you. Is this the first time you've been here?"
I nod at her; Jax grins and slides his hand in the other opening. "Take your hand away for a second."
I pull my hand back, but leave it sitting on the edge of the mattress at the base of the incubator. Jax slides his hand right up to Abel's head and rests his hand on it. The same machine that was reacting oddly to my touch does the same thing with Jax's contact with his son.
I turn to Anne, "Please tell me what's going on."
She leans against the cabinet in the corner, "The monitor that is beeping audibly is the heart monitor. The speed is how fast his heart is beating. We expect the reaction that Jax got, somehow babies know exactly who their parents are, but Abel's reaction to you is unusual given this is the first time you've been here."
Anne leaves the room letting us know she'll be back soon. The minute the door is closed I turn to Jax, "What the hell is happening." I haven't stopped stroking Abel's arm, the repetitive motion is relaxing me while my brain is churning.
"Abel has only ever reacted like that with me. Tara came in a few times to see him but only ever touched him once, he got upset. Instead of slowing down his heart rate speed up and his oxygen levels dropped." Jax nods at the display that's showing the O2 level.
Anne comes back in as Jax finishes speaking. "Sarah, can I borrow you, I want to see if the baby next door reacts the same."
"Sure." I stand up and follow her out the door, stepping into the next room I see two people who I assume are the parents standing by another incubator. The baby in this one looks a lot bigger than Abel.
Anne doesn't say anything and after washing my hands I step over to the machine, sliding my hand in I touch the babies arm and nothing happens. I'm not sure if I should be happy or disappointed.
"Exactly like I thought. Thanks guys." Anne comes back out the door with me and we head back into Abel's room. I stop and wash my hands again before taking my perch back on Jax's knee.
"Why was that like you thought?" I ask.
"Well, I would have been shocked if Max had reacted to your touch as well, but he didn't. Basically Abel thinks that you're family to him."
"So his heart rate does the same when Gemma touches him?" I ask.
"No he doesn't, the only person before you that's been able to get that reaction is Jax." Anne sounds like she'd like to put my under a microscope. "You aren't related to his mother are you?"
"Oh god no!" I can hear the horror in my own voice at that thought, but thankfully Anne just laughs.
"I'm not sure why he's reacting like that, but it's a miracle." Anne leaves the room again, pulling the door closed behind her.
I put my hand back through the hole and gently start stroking Abel's arm again; Jax's thumb is running in long lines across Abel's forehead while he looks down at his son. It's plain to see the love shining in Jax's eyes.
We spend an hour there talking about Abel; how he's doing, what was wrong with him when he was born and the likely time he'll spend in the toaster.
By the time we leave it's dark outside, Jax turns his phone back on and calls Opie for an update, heading across the car park towards his bike Jax listens to Opie talk before he says, "Hang on a second." and passes the phone to me.
"What's up Ope?"
"She's not gone yet. She's leaving in the morning. All her shit is packed but the painkillers she has for her face knock her out. Are you good with that?"
"Yeah I guess. As much as I want her gone I don't want her dead. But make sure you get a copy of her insurance details please, my insurance company is going to want it." I tell him, passing the phone back to Jax.
They talk for another couple of minutes before Jax slides the phone back in his pocket and slings his leg across his bike, handing me his helmet before I get on, "You know, maybe you should carry a spare."
"Spare what?"
"Helmet!" I reply, knocking on the top of his unprotected head.
He laughs, "That's not a bad idea."
He starts the engine and we roar out of the car park.