Rafe was back in Ed's office holding a stack of books and looking frustrated.
"Nothing! Not a damn thing in ANY of these books that's gonna help me!"
"Hey...I told ya, kid. This is a very special situation you've got us in here...well, you and Blondie with a little help from our newly-appointed heavenly animal keeper. Believe me, I wish that the answer was in one of those books. It would save the council...and ME...a lot of time. Ya know I had to cancel a lunch with Sinatra for these meetings?!"
"Oh...I'm so sorry I ruined your social life." Rafe quipped.
"Don't get smart with me, sonny boy."
"I'm sorry...it's just that...I gotta go back to her, Ed! She needs me!"
"Here we go again!" Ed sighed. "She needs YOU! I see. Ya know, Rafe, you got a white-knight complex when it comes to your little girlfriend down there. Always have to go back to SAVE her... But I have a feeling that you going back down there has more to do with you needing it...or wanting it... as much as she does."
Rafe pouted, as Ed gave his typical fatherly lecture. He's heard enough of them by now.
"Ok, ok...I admit it...happy?! I want to go back because I need Alison as much as she needs me, and I am not gonna sit around here all day and do nothing while the council decides what's best for me, Alison, and our baby!"
"I shouldn't have let you look down there at her yesterday. I mean, you're always testy when it comes to the subject, but you've been out of your mind since I let you get a little peek at her."
"No...Ed...I appreciate it...I do...It's just that...well..."
"It's not enough...you want more."
"Yeah...I mean, it's something...It lets me see her, at least...but it's just that I see her down there, and I would give ANYTHING to be down there with her."
"Well, my boy....I'm sorry, but it's all I can do for now. Listen, I gotta go. We're meeting again in 15 minutes and I wanna grab some grub before the meeting." Ed turned to leave the office.
"Hey, Ed!"
"Yeah? What now?"
"You'll try, right?...I mean...you will TRY to get them to let me go back down there?"
"Son, I'm not making any promises...But I promise you this...If you don't let me go and get some food before this meeting, I won't be able to say ANYTHING to help you out, because all they're gonna hear is my stomach!"
"Alright, alright...go...goodbye." Rafe sighed to himself as Ed disappeared. "There's gotta be some way I can come back to you, Alison...and I'm gonna find it."
Alison woke up the next morning bright and early and headed out to GH for her doctor's appointment. She waited nervously in the waiting room before they called her name. As she got up and followed the nurse to the examination room, she felt as though everyone in the office was staring at her, as if they knew what was going on.
Well, it was official. Dr. Newman confirmed that Alison was, indeed, pregnant. She gave her what seemed to be the typical lecture on "becoming a new parent," and filled her in on everything Alison needed to know about taking care of herself during her pregnancy. When asked about the father, Alison lied and said that her "fiancee" couldn't make the appointment. She knew she'd have to spill the beans at some point, but she couldn't deal with that now, or any lectures about single-parenthood from Dr. Newman. On her way out, she signed up for birthing classes at GH and went on her way.
As Alison walked down the hall, she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of a certain person, and tried to turn and run as inconspicuously as possible.
"Oh my God! I can't let her see me. I can't deal with this...not today." Alison mumbled to herself as she tried to avoid being spotted. She was too late.
"Alison, dear? Is that you?" Amanda Barrington called out.
"Oh...ummm...uh...hi Nana."
"Well, what are you doing here, on this floor? Are you volunteering again? I know you always loved working in the nursery."
"Well...umm...uh...."
Before Alison could say anything at all, she heard Colleen running down the hall calling after her.
"Alison! Alison!...Oh good! I caught you before you left," Colleen panted, out of breath from running. "Dr. Newman's office sent me after you. You forgot your pre-natal vitamins."
"Oh....ha!...umm, thanks Colleen." Alison accepted the package and smiled nervously. She stood there for a moment staring at Colleen's back as she walked back down the hall, too afraid to turn back around and see her grandmother's face...if she was even still standing.
Amanda Barrington appeared to be dumbfounded, with a fixed smile on her face, as if she didn't quite know what expression she should have. "You forgot your what, dear?"
"Nana....there's kinda something I have to tell you."