~*~ Chapter 15 ~*~

Scott stepped out of his car just as Rhonda was returning to hers after her little jaunt around the corner of the firehouse.

"Rhonda, what are you doing here?" he asked knowing that Rhonda and Serena had left the station hours ago.

"I was just dropping Serena off..."

"Now? You were supposed to do that two hours ago." He remarked.

"Well, I took her to Kelly's for a soda. After you practically disowned her at the police station, she was a little upset. I thought maybe I could get her to open up to me."

"What did she say to you?" he quickly asked, hoping Rhonda did get some information.

"Nothing." She replied with disgust.

"Don't lie to me, Rhonda...tell me everything that she told you."

"I'm not lying to you, Scott. I couldn't get her to talk about it. What is this all about anyway? What does the scene that was played out at the police station have to do with Karen and Serena's accident?" she asked.

"That's nothing that you need to worry about," he said turning his head away from her. "How was Karen when you left the hospital tonight?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"Now who's lying to whom, Scott? Karen was fine, Lee and Gail were with her. Now don't avoid the question. If you know something about our daughter, you'd better tell me..."

"Like you told me, Rhonda!" he shouted. He looked at her seeing the hurt expression on her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." He put his head down, finally getting ready to admit to Rhonda the details of the accident. "Jessie was smoking marijuana, the night of Karen's accident. They had it in Serena's bedroom." He said turning away from her so that she couldn't see the hurt in his eyes.

"Serena, too?" she asked.

"I don't know. You heard what she said at the station. She claims it was just Jessie."

"You don't believe her?"

"I want to believe her, but after Karen caught her and her so-called friends drinking..."

"Wait a minute. Karen caught Serena and Jessie drinking? When?" Rhonda asked obviously surprised.

"A couple of months ago. I was on a business trip; Serena and her friends skipped school for a little party here at the house. Karen surprised them by coming home and caught them finishing a bottle of whiskey." He admitted.

"Oh wow! Just what she needed to find. Does she know about the accident?" Rhonda asked.

"No!" Scott snapped out quickly. "And she better not find out, either. I'm going to handle this. It has become a high priority to find the dealers and bring them to justice."

"You're going to do all of this, and still manage to keep it from Karen?" she asked.

Scott nodded. "That's right, I will do anything to protect her. And right now that means not telling her about the drugs."

"Well, all I have to say is, maybe you should start with that floozy that you're living with." Rhonda mumbled more to herself.

"What does that mean?"

"I mean, something is not right about her, Scott. What do you know about her?"

"I know enough about her. She has nothing to do with this!" he growled out at her.

"Fine...I just think that it's a little odd that..." she trailed off changing her mind on what she was about to say.

"What's odd?'

"Nothing...just forget I said anything."

"Rhonda?"

"Fine...it is odd at that she would be traipsing around the side of the house and going towards the lake at 11:30 at night." She finally said.

"What's odd about that? She goes for a walk down there everyday. She missed it today because we were at the hospital with Karen. It's a safe place, so she probably just went this evening." He explained.

"Alright. Whatever you say. You know her better than I do." Rhonda said getting into her car. "I'll see you tomorrow. I have some papers for you to sign that were faxed to me from the Ontario office."

"Bring them by in the afternoon. I'm going to see Karen in the morning." Rhonda nodded as she backed out of the driveway. Scott walked into the firehouse completely unaware that Serena was sitting at her bedroom window and heard the entire conversation.

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The next morning, Karen awoke to find Chris curled up in the chair next to her bed. She sat there and watched him for a minute until she noticed Alan in the doorway.

"Good morning, Karen." He said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Hi Alan. I'm sore, but it's nothing that a little time won't heal."

"I looked at your chart. Everything looks good. I discussed everything with Tony and it looks like you will be ready to go home tomorrow."

"Oh...home...that sounds so nice right now."

"I checked in on the baby also. She is a beauty, just like her mother. She is getting stronger everyday. Soon she'll be able to go home too" he reported. "So has sleeping beauty been there all night?" he asked nodding his head toward Chris.

Karen looked at Chris and gave a little laugh. "Yeah, I think he has."

"He's a good man, Karen. He loves you so much," Alan said as he placed his hand on Karen's. "You're like a daughter to me Karen, I glad to see you so happy."

"Are you making me share my kid, now, Alan?" Scott said as he entered the room behind them. Alan got up and approached Scott to shake his hand.

"Hi Scott, How are you? You've got a great girl, there, Scott. And another one upstairs." He said with a smile as he turned to Karen.

"Ah...you're not telling me anything that I didn't already know!" Scott said with a big proud grin.

Alan picked up Karen's chart and proceeded to leave. "I'll check on you later."

"See ya, Alan." Scott said approaching Karen's bed with a wheelchair. "I promised you, that I would take you to see the baby. So hop in, while dear old dad, takes you for a test drive in this new set of luxury wheels I bought for you."

"What are you so happy about?" Karen asked as she slowly got out of bed and into the wheelchair.

"What? Can't a father be happy that his daughter is making a wonderful recovery and will be coming home tomorrow?" he innocently asked. "I talked to Tony and he said everything is all set for you to go home."

"So that's what I hear," she said trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

"Karen, come on, I know you better than that..." he said as he pushed her off the elevator and toward the nursery.

"I just wish I could take her home with me," she said staring at the baby lovingly.

"Soon, honey, very soon." Scott said as he put his arm around his daughter. "Hey, tell me...does my granddaughter have a name yet?"

"Yes..." she said as she turned to him and smiled. "As long as it is okay with you."

"With me? Karen, I don't think that I'm the one who has to approve."

"Well in this case you do. Chris and I were talking and we decided to name her Dominique Meredith. Dominique after my stepmother, and Meredith after Chris' grandmother; two very important people in our fathers' lives;" she explained. She looked at Scott and noticed tears coming to his eyes. "Dad?"

Scott looked down at the baby and then at Karen. "I love it. Dominique would be so proud of you. I love you so much, sweetheart;" he finally said pulling Karen into a hug and kissing her on the cheek.

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Chris awoke only to notice that Karen was not in her bed. He jumped up in a panic and rushed out to the nurse's station.

"Where is my wife?" he almost shouted to the volunteer behind the desk.

"Calm down, Dr. Ramsey. Her father took her upstairs to see the baby," she explained.

"Oh...I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." he apologized but was interrupted by Alan.

"Chris, I'm glad you're awake."

"Good morning, Dr. Quartermaine," Chris greeted.

"I stopped by Karen's room this morning, you were sleeping. I wanted to let you that Karen is ready to be released tomorrow. She is recovering quite nicely."

"Thank you, Dr. Quartermaine. I'll have everything taken care of for her at home."

"Chris, I also wanted to tell you that your Conference Request has been approved. You have been registered and your hotel and flight reservations have been made and confirmed."

"What? I can't go to the conference now. Not with Karen coming home. Beside, That conference starts in two days. I requested to go three months ago. I would have to leave tomorrow," Chris responded with mixed emotions of disappointment and disgust.

"Dr. Ramsey, I realize that the timing isn't perfect. But due to budgeting, only certain conferences were approved. Your request happened to be one of them. Now, although you are not the only doctor qualified to attend this conference, I do think that you are the doctor who will benefit from it the most." Alan finished and walked away as Scott and Karen approached.

"Chris, are you okay?" Karen asked with concern over his discussion with Alan.

"Yeah. Alan just told me that my conference request has been approved."

"Chris, that's great, you were looking forward to attending that conference."

"Karen, I made the request three months ago. It just got approved now? It is a month long clinic. I would have to leave tomorrow and I can't leave you and the baby for a month. Not with you coming home tomorrow."

"Chris, go to the clinic. I will be okay. The baby will be in the hospital for at least another month, honey. And maybe Serena will spend the first week at the house to help me out."

"I have a better idea," Scott interjected. "Chris, you go to the conference. And Karen, you come home with me and stay at the firehouse while he is away."

"Dad, no...I can stay at my own place," Karen started to refuse.

"No Karen..." Chris said "for once, I agree with your father. I can't get out of this conference, not after the speech that I just heard about the budget and the fuss I made about needing to attend this conference in last months board meeting. I would feel much better knowing that you were at your father's. At least at the firehouse, there is usually someone always around. Just incase you need something."

"Well since it looks like I'm out voted...Dad...I guess I'm moving in. But only until I'm well enough to go back to my place."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart. Now let's get you back into bed. Your mother and I will be by in the morning to take you home. Okay?" Scott said.