CHAPTER 37
"Beth honey you need to try and relax …" Joe said as he held her hand, sitting on the chair a
nurse had brought into her room.
"I'm so scared." She admitted.
"I know, I know … You heard the doctor say the baby was ok for now … but he's concerned
about you … You're blood pressure is so high … you have got to focus on taking deep breaths
and letting your mind and body relax." He repeated what the doctor had said when he was with
her earlier.
Beth's eyes watched the fetal monitor and the strong, steady heartbeat going across the dial.
"She's going to be ok isn't she?" Beth asked, needing him to tell her it would be all right.
"The doctor said the baby was going to be fine." He repeated. "But I thought it was too early to
know that it was a girl."
Beth gave him a sheepish look. "I could find out … but haven't gone in for an ultrasound yet …
It's just a hunch I have … and Craig so wanted a little girl to spoil …" her voice trailed off.
"Her heartbeat is strong … she's a fighter like her mother." Joe said, patting her hand. Beth
smiled.
Outside in the hallway the four immortals waited impatiently for news. When Adam spotted
Beth's doctor he stopped him. "Can you tell us anything?"
"Are you the father?" the doctor asked, noting the man's concern.
"The father is deceased … we're … family …" Amanda interrupted quickly.
"The baby is fine … but I'm worried about the mother. She's obviously been under tremendous
stress and she hasn't been experiencing normal weight gain in her pregnancy. Her records
indicate she's in her 15th week … and although she's not underweight for a healthy woman of her
age and build, I see she's lost weight since her last appointment … and you can see for yourself
that she's hardly showing." He told them. "She needs to rest … and eat … and avoid stress."
"Joe?" Beth said, unable to close her eyes and rest. She knew it was almost midnight, but her
mind was processing everything that she'd learned and she couldn't relax.
Joe scooted his chair closer.
"What Duncan said about immortals … that was true wasn't it? And I really saw what I saw?"
she asked.
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true … I swear it's all true. And you weren't imagining anything
Beth. You aren't crazy. You really saw Devan come back from the dead … and the wound
disappeared on Adam's arm."
"It's just so hard to wrap my mind around …"
For the next half hour he tried to calm her by frankly answering her questions … Joe was glad
she didn't ask how he knew so much … he didn't want to get into the Watchers or his
involvement. She told him about what went through her mind when she first saw Adam's arm.
"All I could see was Devan's body repairing itself … I couldn't see Adam … I couldn't see him at
all."
"Don't try to work through this all tonight … just let it be for a few days. You need to rest and
think about your baby." He encouraged.
"I can't … " she leaned back against the pillows and her eyes filled with tears. "I hurt him so
much …I pushed him away like he was some … some … monster" she hated herself. "I accused
him of being like Devan … my God how could I have done that?" her voice little more than a
whisper. Joe could see she was getting upset again by the numbers on the monitors.
"You've been through so much in the past 24 hours Beth … you need to deal with that later."
"No … I can't … I hurt Adam so much Joe… I can't get the look on his face out of my mind …
You saw what my reaction did to him … you saw him … " she began to cry again and Joe knew
there was only one thing he could do … "I'll be right back."
"How is she?" Richie jumped up from his seat in the waiting area when he saw Joe coming
toward them.
"She's still pretty stressed." He said as Amanda and Duncan walked up to hear. "she's upset …
and she can't make herself relax."
"Can they give her anything?" Richie asked.
"No … it's not safe for the baby to sedate her." Joe replied. "But he can." He added, nodding
toward the place where Adam stood at the end of the hall staring out the window into the
darkness.
"He's a wreck Joe." Duncan confided quietly. "To tell you the truth I've been waiting for him to
disappear … he's about as bad as I've seen him."
"All I know is that woman in there loves him … and is beating herself up pretty badly over how
she reacted to the news. And if he can't pull it together and show her he's all right … her blood
pressure is going to go through the roof and … "
Joe didn't have to explain any further. They all knew.
"I'll go talk to him." Duncan said.
"Can we see her for a minute Joe?" Richie asked, trying hard to focus on what Beth needed and
not on his own pain at hearing just how deep her feelings ran for another man. "If you think it
won't upset her."
"I think it would be good for her to see you two ... She seems to be coming to terms with this thing
… I'll wait out here … "
Richie peered around the door, knocking as he opened it slightly. "Feel like some company?"
Beth smiled. "Yeah"
Richie came in the door followed by Amanda. He walked over to the far side of the bed and
kissed her on the cheek. "You can't scare us like that again." He said seriously, taking her hand.
"I'm sorry …" she replied. "I'm sorry for everything … You must think I'm wretched the way I
treated all of you." She turned to Amanda who smiled and shook her head.
"You don't need to apologize. We know how tough this is … how much of a shock …I'm just
sorry if you had to find out it wasn't a little easier for you."
Beth glanced briefly at Richie and then turned to Amanda. "How is Adam? Is he angry with me?"
"Angry?" Amanda put her hand on Beth's shoulder. "He's not angry with you honey … He's
worried about you though … we all are. "
"Beth, Adam will be all right … unless something happens to you." Richie told her. "You need to
try and relax … try not to think about anything that stresses you out." His eyes went to the
monitors, realizing the numbers were still too high.
Out in the hall Duncan was trying to convince Methos that Beth needed to see him and he
needed to make her believe he was all right.
"I'm the last person she needs to see MacLeod … you saw her reaction … I repulse her."
"Would you listen to me?" Duncan said, forcing the older immortal to look at him. "Joe said she
is worrying herself sick in there. Her blood pressure is through the roof and she won't rest … She
won't rest because she's not worried about herself … she's worried about you."
Methos shook his head, still not believing.
"Damn it Methos do you love her or not?" Duncan demanded.
"Who said anything about love?" Methos denied.
"UGH …" Duncan threw up his hands in exasperation. "Sometimes I really want to beat the shit
out of you and that damn wall you throw up."
"I wouldn't recommend it MacLeod." Methos replied dryly. "After the day I've had I wouldn't take
it well. I've already taken one head tonight …"
"Are you going in to see her or not?" Joe couldn't wait down the hall any longer.
"Why don't you two understand? I'll make things worse." He argued, his face drawn with worry
and a deep sadness.
"Try convincing me of that tomorrow when her blood pressure doesn't go down and she loses that
baby." Joe replied. "Or worse. She flat out told me she can't rest because she is worried about
you. What more do you need? An engraved invitation?"
Methos stared back out the window. He desperately wanted to see Beth, but he didn't think he
could stand it if he saw the betrayal and the fear in her eyes that he'd seen earlier. "I can't be
responsible for making it worse …"
"It will be worse if you stand out here and make her worry even more. She knows I was coming
to find you. If you don't go in then you are confirming her fears that you don't care … and we
both know nothing could be further from the truth … don't we?" Joe finished, completely
frustrated with the entire situation.
"Beth honey you need to try and relax …" Joe said as he held her hand, sitting on the chair a
nurse had brought into her room.
"I'm so scared." She admitted.
"I know, I know … You heard the doctor say the baby was ok for now … but he's concerned
about you … You're blood pressure is so high … you have got to focus on taking deep breaths
and letting your mind and body relax." He repeated what the doctor had said when he was with
her earlier.
Beth's eyes watched the fetal monitor and the strong, steady heartbeat going across the dial.
"She's going to be ok isn't she?" Beth asked, needing him to tell her it would be all right.
"The doctor said the baby was going to be fine." He repeated. "But I thought it was too early to
know that it was a girl."
Beth gave him a sheepish look. "I could find out … but haven't gone in for an ultrasound yet …
It's just a hunch I have … and Craig so wanted a little girl to spoil …" her voice trailed off.
"Her heartbeat is strong … she's a fighter like her mother." Joe said, patting her hand. Beth
smiled.
Outside in the hallway the four immortals waited impatiently for news. When Adam spotted
Beth's doctor he stopped him. "Can you tell us anything?"
"Are you the father?" the doctor asked, noting the man's concern.
"The father is deceased … we're … family …" Amanda interrupted quickly.
"The baby is fine … but I'm worried about the mother. She's obviously been under tremendous
stress and she hasn't been experiencing normal weight gain in her pregnancy. Her records
indicate she's in her 15th week … and although she's not underweight for a healthy woman of her
age and build, I see she's lost weight since her last appointment … and you can see for yourself
that she's hardly showing." He told them. "She needs to rest … and eat … and avoid stress."
"Joe?" Beth said, unable to close her eyes and rest. She knew it was almost midnight, but her
mind was processing everything that she'd learned and she couldn't relax.
Joe scooted his chair closer.
"What Duncan said about immortals … that was true wasn't it? And I really saw what I saw?"
she asked.
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true … I swear it's all true. And you weren't imagining anything
Beth. You aren't crazy. You really saw Devan come back from the dead … and the wound
disappeared on Adam's arm."
"It's just so hard to wrap my mind around …"
For the next half hour he tried to calm her by frankly answering her questions … Joe was glad
she didn't ask how he knew so much … he didn't want to get into the Watchers or his
involvement. She told him about what went through her mind when she first saw Adam's arm.
"All I could see was Devan's body repairing itself … I couldn't see Adam … I couldn't see him at
all."
"Don't try to work through this all tonight … just let it be for a few days. You need to rest and
think about your baby." He encouraged.
"I can't … " she leaned back against the pillows and her eyes filled with tears. "I hurt him so
much …I pushed him away like he was some … some … monster" she hated herself. "I accused
him of being like Devan … my God how could I have done that?" her voice little more than a
whisper. Joe could see she was getting upset again by the numbers on the monitors.
"You've been through so much in the past 24 hours Beth … you need to deal with that later."
"No … I can't … I hurt Adam so much Joe… I can't get the look on his face out of my mind …
You saw what my reaction did to him … you saw him … " she began to cry again and Joe knew
there was only one thing he could do … "I'll be right back."
"How is she?" Richie jumped up from his seat in the waiting area when he saw Joe coming
toward them.
"She's still pretty stressed." He said as Amanda and Duncan walked up to hear. "she's upset …
and she can't make herself relax."
"Can they give her anything?" Richie asked.
"No … it's not safe for the baby to sedate her." Joe replied. "But he can." He added, nodding
toward the place where Adam stood at the end of the hall staring out the window into the
darkness.
"He's a wreck Joe." Duncan confided quietly. "To tell you the truth I've been waiting for him to
disappear … he's about as bad as I've seen him."
"All I know is that woman in there loves him … and is beating herself up pretty badly over how
she reacted to the news. And if he can't pull it together and show her he's all right … her blood
pressure is going to go through the roof and … "
Joe didn't have to explain any further. They all knew.
"I'll go talk to him." Duncan said.
"Can we see her for a minute Joe?" Richie asked, trying hard to focus on what Beth needed and
not on his own pain at hearing just how deep her feelings ran for another man. "If you think it
won't upset her."
"I think it would be good for her to see you two ... She seems to be coming to terms with this thing
… I'll wait out here … "
Richie peered around the door, knocking as he opened it slightly. "Feel like some company?"
Beth smiled. "Yeah"
Richie came in the door followed by Amanda. He walked over to the far side of the bed and
kissed her on the cheek. "You can't scare us like that again." He said seriously, taking her hand.
"I'm sorry …" she replied. "I'm sorry for everything … You must think I'm wretched the way I
treated all of you." She turned to Amanda who smiled and shook her head.
"You don't need to apologize. We know how tough this is … how much of a shock …I'm just
sorry if you had to find out it wasn't a little easier for you."
Beth glanced briefly at Richie and then turned to Amanda. "How is Adam? Is he angry with me?"
"Angry?" Amanda put her hand on Beth's shoulder. "He's not angry with you honey … He's
worried about you though … we all are. "
"Beth, Adam will be all right … unless something happens to you." Richie told her. "You need to
try and relax … try not to think about anything that stresses you out." His eyes went to the
monitors, realizing the numbers were still too high.
Out in the hall Duncan was trying to convince Methos that Beth needed to see him and he
needed to make her believe he was all right.
"I'm the last person she needs to see MacLeod … you saw her reaction … I repulse her."
"Would you listen to me?" Duncan said, forcing the older immortal to look at him. "Joe said she
is worrying herself sick in there. Her blood pressure is through the roof and she won't rest … She
won't rest because she's not worried about herself … she's worried about you."
Methos shook his head, still not believing.
"Damn it Methos do you love her or not?" Duncan demanded.
"Who said anything about love?" Methos denied.
"UGH …" Duncan threw up his hands in exasperation. "Sometimes I really want to beat the shit
out of you and that damn wall you throw up."
"I wouldn't recommend it MacLeod." Methos replied dryly. "After the day I've had I wouldn't take
it well. I've already taken one head tonight …"
"Are you going in to see her or not?" Joe couldn't wait down the hall any longer.
"Why don't you two understand? I'll make things worse." He argued, his face drawn with worry
and a deep sadness.
"Try convincing me of that tomorrow when her blood pressure doesn't go down and she loses that
baby." Joe replied. "Or worse. She flat out told me she can't rest because she is worried about
you. What more do you need? An engraved invitation?"
Methos stared back out the window. He desperately wanted to see Beth, but he didn't think he
could stand it if he saw the betrayal and the fear in her eyes that he'd seen earlier. "I can't be
responsible for making it worse …"
"It will be worse if you stand out here and make her worry even more. She knows I was coming
to find you. If you don't go in then you are confirming her fears that you don't care … and we
both know nothing could be further from the truth … don't we?" Joe finished, completely
frustrated with the entire situation.