Love Lies and Life
A/N: Thank you all for the awesome reviews.
Happy Reading!
Chapter 8
Liv was a bit on edge after speaking with Cyrus. Fitz hadn't reached out to her about their meeting. She would wait to see if he brought it up tonight if not she would. By the end of the work day Liv and Fitz both were anxious. Liv picked up Caleb from Abby and was headed home when she received a phone call. She hit the auto answer button on her car sound system. "This is Olivia." "Hello Olivia this is Dr. Ward at Jackson Memorial Hospital I'm calling on behalf of a Mr. Norman Pope. We need for you to come to the hospital as soon as possible." Liv is stunned silent. Her dad was in prison, why was the hospital calling about him. "Ms. Pope are you there?" Liv shakes off her shock as much as she can. "Um yes I will be there shortly." She disconnects the call and maneuvers her car to get on the expressway. She looks thru her rearview "Caleb honey we are going to have to wait to have dinner with daddy, mommy needs to go to the hospital to check on her daddy." "Is pop-pop sick mommy?" "I think so honey." Liv hit the auto call system "Call Fitz." She says and the phone rings thru the speaker system.
"Hi." "Hi Fitz I'm sorry I'm going to have to postpone dinner, I just got a call that my father is in the hospital. I'm on my way there now." "I'm sorry Liv is there anything I can do?" "Um no I don't think so." "Do you have Caleb with you?" "Yes." "Hi daddy it me Caleb." "Hey lil man." "Mommy said we can't have dinner cause pop-pop sick." "I know lil man how about daddy bring you and mommy something to eat instead?" "Ok." Caleb answers "Fitz you don't have to do that…" "Liv I want to, what hospital are you going to?" "Jackson Memorial." "Ok I will pick up something and meet you guys there. Caleb buddy what do you have a taste for?" "Umm… peanut butter and jelly." Fitz laughs "That simple enough, is that alright Liv?" "That's fine Fitz." "What about you is there something you specifically like?" "Something in a form of a healthy sandwich is fine." "Ok I will meet you guys there. Bye lil man." "Bye daddy." "Liv i'll be there as soon as I can." "Ok thanks Fitz." "No problem you're very welcome."
Liv arrives at the hospital ten minutes later and with Caleb in tow holding his mommy's hand they head inside and stop at the information counter. "Hi my name is Olivia Pope I was told to come in regards to my father Norman Pope." The desk clerk types in the information "His on the cardiac floor. Take the S elevator behind you to the 5th floor and stop at the nurse's station." "Thank you." Liv replies and head to the elevator. She walks up to the nurses station and repeat the information about why she's there once again. "Yes Ms. Pope your father is in room 510 I will notify the doctor of your arrival." Liv and Caleb walks to Norman's room. When she sees him her heart breaks into a thousand pieces. "Daddy." She says softly as she and Caleb approached his bedside. She looks at him from head to toe. He has wires coming from his neck and chest. There are tubes in each of his arms with a large tube inside of his mouth. "Oh daddy." Tears begin to cloud Liv's eyes "Don't cwy mommy." She lifts Caleb placing him on her hip as her hugs her tightly with his small arms. "Mommy don't cwy pop-pop awight." Liv pulls Caleb's tighter into the hug as she cries when the doctor walks into the room. "Ms. Pope?" "Yes."
"Hello I'm Dr. Ward I spoke with you on the phone."
"What happened why is my father here?"
"Ms. Pope your father had a heart attack he was treated and in need of surgery before surgery was performed he had us recognized you as his POA. We contacted you because during the surgery your father had another heart attack which we label as massive. We've reversed the anesthetic but he hasn't woken up on his own. We detect no brain waves at this time. He is being kept alive with the help of machines. I was instructed to give you this." He hands her a card. "Do you have any other questions for me?"
Liv pulls her eyes from the card "How long has he been here?"
"A little over a week when he first came in he was still conscious but in severe pain in his chest." "Has my mom his wife been contacted?" The doctor looks shocked "He didn't mention a wife. Do you have a way to contact her?"
"Yes but they are estranged does that mean the POA is invalid?"
"No he was sane and conscious when he signed it. You are still recognized as POA even though your mother is his wife."
Caleb wipes his mother's tears from her cheek. She smiles at him and wipe away the remaining tears. "So is there any chance he will wake up?"
"In my honest opinion Ms. Pope if he does he will most likely be a vegetable and forever bed bound." Liv nods "Can I get a moment?" "Sure Ms. Pope." The doctor leaves Liv places Caleb down on her father's bed in front of her as she places her father's hand in hers. "I'm sorry daddy. I wish I could have been here sooner. I'm sorry I never wrote you or came to see you. So much has happened in my life I wouldn't know where to begin. I never got to introduce you to your grandson but dad this is Caleb Nicholas Pope. "Hi pop-pop." Caleb says. He's very handsome and smart. I've always taught him who you are so that when we reunite you wouldn't be a stranger to him. As you can see he calls you pop-pop that's his very own name for you. I love you daddy."
Liv hears the door open as Fitz walks into the room Caleb lights up. "Daddy mommy cwying cause pop-pop sick…see." Fitz places the food down and immediately walks up to Liv and pulls her into his embrace. That's when the dam breaks. Fitz holds her without a word. Liv finally pulls back and Fitz lifts Caleb into his arms sensing Liv is about to break down again he pulls her to him. "I got you Livvie. I got you baby." Hearing him once again call her by the special name only her parents called her gave her more comfort and trust in this man she had a child with but never got a real chance to know.
Two hours later Liv would make the decision to disconnect her father from Life Support but not until her mother could say goodbye. She tried contacting her mother but got no answer after several attempts she finally left a message. She Fitz and Caleb finally left the hospital after 4 hours leaving her contact information in case her mother showed up. She called and shared the news with Abby. Abby was ready to come and stay with Liv but she told her Fitz was with her and promised to call her tomorrow Fitz decided to follow them home and stay with them not wanting to leave Liv alone in her vulnerable state. After putting Caleb down they both just set together cuddling. They both fall asleep on the sofa until Fitz wakes late into the am hour because he needed to use the bathroom. He looks down at Liv and instantly feels like he's falling in love. The urge to protect her and her wellbeing consumes him inside.
He slowly shifts as he calls her name "Livvie baby I have to use the bathroom." Liv lifts her head somewhat disoriented at first but clear enough to hear him call her baby once again. "What time is it?" Fitz looks at his watch "It's a little short of 3am." "Oh I'm so sorry Fitz I didn't realize it was this late." "It's fine Livvie why don't you go lie down I will just stay here on the coach until morning." "Will you lay with me instead…please?" Fitz smiles "Sure after I relieve myself I'll be right there." After his trip to the bathroom Fitz washes his hands and joins Liv in her bedroom. She pets the bed next to her and Fitz slides in behind her. She reaches for his hand and wraps it around her as Fitz pulls her close and spoons her they both quickly fall back to sleep. The conversation about the meeting with Cyrus totally slipped both of their minds.
Liv was the first to wake. She slowly removed herself from Fitz's grip and got out of bed. She looked down at a sleeping Fitz and smiled thinking damn my baby's father is fine and sexy. She shakes her head at the thought and decides to prepare breakfast and call Cyrus to inform him why she won't be in today and only hope she still has a job tomorrow. Just as she finished preparing breakfast Fitz walks into the kitchen with none other than Caleb in his arms. Liv sees them "Good morning baby." Both Caleb and Fitz answer back with a good morning only Caleb's ended with mommy and Fitz ended with Livvie. Caleb looks at his dad and says "I'm mommy's baby daddy...you Fetz." Liv raises a brow because she truly was talking to Caleb and never got the opportunity to greet Fitz. "Oh I'm sorry son you're right." Fitz feels a bit embarrassed. Liv chuckles "Good morning Fitz I made breakfast." "I see it smells delicious."
They all sit down to eat and discuss plans for today. "Liv I can take off and go to the hospital with you." "Thank Fitz but Abby's going with me." "I understand that but I would like to be there with you and Caleb as well. This is a big thing for anyone to do. I just want to be there for you and my son. I need to be there for you and my son." Liv looks up from her plate "Ok." "Great I will go home to change and meet you back here or would you like me to meet you at the hospital?" "The hospital is fine."
Fitz helps Liv clean up the kitchen while Caleb watches cartoons until his mom call for him to get dressed just as they finish there's a knock at Liv door. She wonders who it could be and thinks we need better security in this building no one should be knocking at her door they should be buzzing the doorbell from downstairs. "You need to live somewhere with better security it's way too easy to get inside this place." Fitz states "I see." Liv responds as she looks through the peephole and lets out a sigh before opening the door. "Hello mom." Her mother opens her arms and the dramatics begin. "Livvie dear oh livvie I got your message. I just left the hospital baby I'm so sorry this happened to your father." All the time she hugging Liv her arms are at her side she doesn't hug her mom back. Candice releases Liv and looks at her. "How are you holding up Livvie I…" She stops mid-sentence when she notices Fitz standing a few feet behind Liv. "Oh Livvie I'm sorry I didn't realize you had overnight guests." Liv rolls her eyes as she notices her mother's dramatics has suddenly stopped. "Mom this is Fitz Caleb's dad, Fitz this is my mom." Fitz speaks as he walks over to Caleb who is just standing and watching. Candice follows Fitz's movements. "Caleb! Hi honey it's me nanna." Caleb hides behind Fitz legs and waves, but does not verbalize his hello.
Fitz lifts Caleb's and gives him a tight hug and kiss on the check. "Daddy will see you later ok buddy?" "Ok." He answers "Fitz aren't you going to stay a bit so we can get better acquainted after all you are the one who impregnated my child." "Mom!" "Maybe another time. I'll call you Livvie." With that he leaves.
Until next time all…..