Chapter 15

Lyle went to the waiting room and saw a stunned Will sitting on the couch.

"What happened? Did I miss it? Is everything okay?" Lyle was out of breath as he asked.

"Why do you care." Will looked up, coming out of his thoughts.

"Because I'm the father and I have something to tell, Karen." Lyle breathed, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath better.

"The babies fine." Will said. "Karen's not so good."

"What? Oh no, I have to see her." Lyle was frantic. He had done this to her. He needed to take it all back. Will pointed towards a hallway and told Lyle the room number.

Grace held on to Karen's hand as if she would never let go ever again. She had been scared out of her mind. Without Karen her whole world would be so different.

Jack sat on Karen's other side, his face buried in her hand, which he clasped with his own.

Karen opened her eyes and found herself in a hospital bed. She faintly remembered giving birth. Suddenly she noticed Grace and Jack on either side of her. She smiled at them. Slowly she pulled the hand the Jack was holding on to for dear life up and Jack looked at her. A smile spreading across his face. Karen smiled back and he leaned in, cupping her face with his hands and kissing her. "I love you, Kare." He said.

"Karen." Grace looked up startled, and noticed she was awake. "Oh, Karen, you had us all scared out of our minds!" Grace, too, leaned in for a kiss.

"Aw, well I'm still here." Karen whispered. She looked up at Jack and then looked at Grace, letting her hand cup her tear stained face. "I love you guys." She smiled. "Where's Will?" She asked looking around.

"I think he was pretty scared. He went to sit in the lobby. He had to think." Jack shrugged.

A nurse appeared in the door with a little cart. "I heard you woke up, so I decided to bring you your baby." She tried for a smile, knowing this poor mother couldn't even keep the baby. "He probably needs to be fed. Shall we start with the bottle?"

Suddenly Karen 's smile was lost, her face glazed over. The nurse carefully sat the baby into Karen's arms and Karen looked down at it. She wasn't going to cry. She'd already done that. Why were they torturing her with it? Normal mothers could nurse, but since the baby wouldn't be hers...

Just then there was a knock at the door. Lyle bounced in. "Karen, I can't do it." He cried.

She looked up angrily at him, and pulled the baby in closer, suddenly not wanting anyone to touch it.

"I'm sorry. I love you too much to take the baby away. It's yours. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure it's yours." He said sincerely. Jack and Grace looked at him, mouths open in awe. The nurse excused herself, not wanting to mettle in this personal affair and Will stood at the door, equally amazed.

Karen just sat there, staring ahead, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"All right, I'm leaving now." Lyle turned to go, but before he reached the door he turned again.

"By the way, what is it? Just so I know."

"It's a boy." Jack said.

Lyle nodded and left.

A smile appeared on Karen's face.

"Karen, it's yours!" Grace exclaimed happily, sitting down next to Karen. "See, I told you he couldn't do it."

Karen looked over at Grace. "Thank you." She smiled, and then looked down at her son. He was so tiny. He had dark eyes, much like her own, but he was very bald. Jack and Grace looked down at him as well, and Will came over too. He looked at it, amazed. Karen pulled back the blanket to see his little hands. "They're so cute." She said holding one and looking at the tiny little fingernails. Next were the toes. They too were tiny and Jack couldn't help but reach out and touch them.

"He's so calm." Grace noted, having not heard him cry, except for when they'd rushed him out.

"I know." Karen agreed. They, of course, had to make sure it was a boy. And he sure was. They all smiled to themselves.

The nurse came back in and smiled. "Have you decided if you want to start with the bottle?"

"No." Karen shook her head. "I'll nurse."

"All right, well if you need any help just page me."

"Okay." Karen grinned. He was hers. Forever.

TBC...thanks for the review typoqueen! I was wondering where everyone got off to. lol