Chapter 14
Steven walked into the kitchen to see Angie on the phone, Kitty was at the stove, and Red and WB both sitting at the table reading parts of the paper.
"Hey Jackie, Steven just walked in, I'll see you in a few hours" Angie hung up the phone and looked at her brother, "Where have you been?"
"I went for a drive to clear my head of some things" He looked at WB hoping he understood he had a lot to think about and process after their talk.
WB spoke up for him, "I guess sleeping wasn't easy after our talk, maybe it should have waited"
"No I needed to hear what you said, I think it helped me and I was able to get some things out that I never really had before." He then turned to Kitty, "I am going to go get a shower and get ready for today, I'll grab something to eat before I go to the hospital"
Angie took a seat by her dad at the table, "Jackie asked me to come too, but I have somewhere I have to be right after so I'll follow you in Jackie's car that way dad has his"
After Steven had left the room WB felt that maybe he needed to let the others know what his son needed to process all night, "Look I know he won't want you all to know, but I had to tell him some things about Edna and such. I am not going into detail with my daughter sitting here, but the main thing is Bud and Edna were killed in a car crash not long after they left here the last time almost 3 years ago. I had hired a PI to find her when you called me Kitty about Steven, I had questions for her. And then I never knew how or when to break it to him. And maybe last night was a bad night to do it, but he wanted to find her and ask questions, so I finally told him what I know."
Red looked up at his wife, he knew her and he knew Steven "Kitty don't you try and smother him right now, that is not what he needs. You wait for him to come to you when he is ready" Something about this he felt that Steven would come to her sometime, but she needed to back off for now.
Breakfast was quiet Kitty had put together something for Steven to take with him and some coffee that he would need. He came into the kitchen and no one looked up other than Angie, "So are you ready?"
Steven noticed she looked like she was bouncing with excitement, she had been around Jackie too long, he smiled at his sister "Ready as I'll ever be"
The both walked into Jackie's room together, Steven was able to keep the small box he was carrying hidden from his sister and slid it under a chair when they got to the room without either girl noticing. He would wait till after Angie left and hoped no one else showed up right away.
Angie practically ran up to Jackie gave her a hug and then bent down to her belly, "Hey Baby B, good morning Antie Angie can't wait to see you today"
Steven was taken back, "So Baby B, as in Burkhart?" He couldn't hide the hurt that his baby wouldn't have his name.
Angie knew she had said too much, they had taken to calling the baby Baby B since they didn't know if it was a boy or girl, and the one thing that Jackie had made clear was the last name, something only her and WB knew. "You know I am going to step out and let you two talk before the come to get you for the ultra sound" and in a flash she was out the door to leave the two to talk.
"Steven no child of mine is going to be Burkhart, after the way my parents treated me, the name does not deserve to be carried on"
He didn't speak right away, he thought about everything he processed during the night and what she was saying about her own parents and how they treated her, and then he thought of his own parents and how he was treated, Hyde was not a name that needed to be carried on either. But he was still at a loss of what the baby's last name would be.
"I guess if we are going to both be parents maybe I need to run this by you and hope you agree, or well let's just say we skip the parts where we fight till I get my way" She gave him a smile and a wink, he couldn't help but smile back at her. "I hate my parents and well I hate your parents too, at least Bud and Edna for what they did to you growing up. So I don't want the baby's last name to be either. I was torn between Foreman and Barnett, and well the Foreman's have Eric to carry on their name, and this baby will be WB's first grandchild and through his son and he deserves to have his name carried on"
He could feel tears starting to form, those where a rarity and he realized he still wasn't wearing his glasses, he went over sat in the chair by her bed and this time unlike last night didn't grab her hand but put his hand over her baby bump, "Baby B" and looked at her and smiled.
Jackie couldn't help but notice he wasn't wearing his glasses and his eyes looked tired behind that smile. "Steven were you out all night? When I talked to Angie she said you weren't home"
"I had some things I learned last night I had to process, but can we talk about that later? I know it's almost time and I don't want to get into it only to be interrupted if I can help it?"
At that a new nurse came in with a wheelchair, "Hi Ms Burkhart I am Natalie and I am going to take you down for the ultra sound Dr Stevens will meet us down there. Is this the father?"
"You can call me Steven and yes I am, my sister Angie is also going with us if that is alright?"
"That will be fine, now if you can help me get Jackie into the chair"
"I can't walk?"
"No the doctor still wants you to take it easy so that means a wheelchair for now"
Steven took Jackie's hand and helped her into the wheelchair and he and Angie followed them to the ultra sound room. After getting Jackie on the table Angie went to one side and Steven the other, the nurse covered the bottom half of Jackie with a blanket and raised her gown to show the bump. Steven looked in amazement and then he noticed movement under the skin. "Is that the baby?"
"Yea, and can we hurry up I think the baby just kicked my bladder"
"OK Jackie, it helps to have a full bladder to do this" Dr Stevens took and turned on the monitor and squeezed gel on her stomach, "sorry its cold"
"Great a full bladder and you are putting that cold stuff on me, I am going to end up peeing all over your table" Steven and Angie along with the nurse were all holding back giggles. But was cut off when the room was filled with the noise of the heartbeat and a picture came on the monitor. Jackie forgot all about her need to pee. As she looked at the monitor, without thinking she reached for Steven's hand.
"So guys do you want to know the sex of the baby?" Dr Stevens asked
"Well I might like to know to prepare for a sea of everything pink if need be" Steven winked at Jackie
Jackie for some reason had been prepared for plenty of light blues, she felt like a baby boy with dark hair and crystal blue eyes. "I think that is a yes", she couldn't wait to see Steven's reaction if her thoughts were right.
"Well this is the head everything looks fine there, we can see the heart and lungs, they appear to be normal, arms, legs, and it looks like a little boy here" the doctor pointed out each part as he said them. "We will print out copies of the pictures for you guys and let you go to the restroom Jackie before you go back to your room and I'll come talk to you there before we let you out of here"
Angie looked at her watch and looked up at Jackie, "I have somewhere I have to get to so I am going to go, are you going to be OK?"
"Yes I am going to be fine, but you have to keep your big mouth shut and not tell anyone any one that Baby B is a boy!"
Angie laughed, she knew what that meant, she wanted to be the one to tell Eric. She bent down and gave her a hug. "I guess I'll see you at the Foreman's then?"
"Yea see ya there"
Angie turned to her brother and gave him a hug and whispered in his ear "take care of both of them"
He hugged her back, "I will"
After Angie left Steven took the chair by the bed, before he could start Jackie ripped into him, "You told that nurse to call you Steven, you don't let anyone call you that for the most part, why her? That wasn't the nurse you cheated on me with was it?"
"Calm down doll and I'll explain why I did that, no that wasn't the nurse OK? And it all ties into what I was doing last night I hope we can have time alone for me to talk to you and get this out. I guess the best way to start is last night I had a long talk with WB, my dad, he told me stuff about what happened with him and Edna, how he never knew about me. We talked about a lot of stuff, but to get to the point of me being out all night, remember when Bud was back for that short time and he left me again?" Jackie nodded she knew whatever he was about to tell her he didn't need interruptions. "I only told Eric this, but when he left he took off with Edna, well WB hired a PI after he found out about me to track Edna down, Bud and Edna were killed in an car accident, he had flipped the car somewhere out in Arizona, both killed, both loaded and drugged. They had ID but nothing that linked them to Point Place or me. It happened a few months after they had left."
Jackie was at a loss for words, reached up and stroked his sideburn and cheek. Steven closed his eyes and relished in her touch. Taking a deep breath to finish what he needed to say. "I decided last night I wasn't going to follow their mistakes that I was going to learn from them. I have been doing a lot of drinking since I left you in Chicago, the hard stuff like they always kept around the house so I threw it out last night along with my stash I realized even starting from that first circle I was copying what I had seen them do. I went to Grooves and did the same there. I was out driving and before I knew it I was at my old house. I'll never get to say what I needed to say to Edna and Bud but I did last night out loud. I want to cut my ties with them. I don't want the Hyde name anymore, and when you said what you did this morning about our Baby B here" He let go of her hand and put it on the bump "I knew that I had to let go of Hyde, Hyde was a burnout with low expectations of himself, Hyde was always put down by his parents and even his friends. I want to be Steven, the Steven that you always saw, the man that fell in love with you years before I could admit it to myself. Hyde tried his best to not have feelings and let anger get to him when you made him feel things he never expected, I want to feel, I don't want to hide my feelings anymore." He stood up and went over to where he had stashed the box earlier and walked back but this time he sat on the edge of the bed. "I want you to have this, it's a t-shirt, it's dirty and it's used, you don't have to wear it, but it's still my favorite and I want you to have it, because I want you to be with me, because I love you. And I am sorry I never told you like I should, I am sorry I ever made you second guess how I felt about you. And I promise I will give you more presents to show how much you mean to me. Will you accept my shirt?"
Jackie looked at Steven and saw the sincerity in his eyes, she still couldn't bring herself to say anything, she just shook her head yes and took the shirt into her hands. He took this as a sign, and just like all those years ago sitting in the basement couch with Jackie they leaned in and kissed, when the both needed air and let go he moved to sit beside her on the bed and took her in his arms. They sat like that until Dr Stevens came into the room, Steven let go of Jackie and sat up.
"Ok Jackie everything is looking good here and we are ready to let you go, I am guessing he is going to be your ride out of here?"
"Yes, this is Steven and he is taking me home"
"OK then, I'll need you just to sign these papers and I want to remind you both to keep the stress down, we want to continue to keep an eye on your blood pressure, I'd like to see you in a week unless you are back in Milwaukee then make sure you see Dr Robinson. And don't do much this week"
"I'll see you in I'll probably stay here for a time, I doubt Kitty will let me leave her care right away."
The doctor knowing nurse Foreman laughed, "Yes she was pretty mother hen yesterday when you was brought in. I'll see you in a week, I'll let you get dressed then the nurse will be in here with a wheelchair to get you to your car"
"Will we need a wheelchair there too" Steven was confused why she couldn't walk out.
"No it's just hospital policy for discharged patients to be wheeled out. Just make sure she doesn't overdo it" The doctor took the papers from Jackie and walked out closing the door behind him.
"Steven can you get my bag I have no idea what Angie brought me other than the hair brush I made her pull out yesterday" She looked in the bag and saw she brought everything she needed, "I am going to take a quick shower and get changed"
"Do you need any help?" the words were out before he realized it, probably too soon for that "I'm sorry I didn't mean" he began stumbling over his words
"No it's OK, do you want to bring the El Camino around so I don't have to go across the parking lot in the wheel chair"
"Yea it looks like it is starting to snow so we better get you home" he leaned down and kissed her sweetly on the lips, "See ya down in front doll"