Forty-five minutes later, Kirsten was being seen by a doctor and Sandy was pacing up and down the hallway, too agitated to sit still for longer than a few moments. If anything happened to Kirsten or their baby, he would never forgive himself, even though Kirsten had reassured him that she would be fine, and that this trip to the hospital was just to be on the safe side. In one particularly bleak moment he wondered if it might not be better if she lost the baby, so she could get back to college and boys like Jimmy and the life she was supposed to have before he'd come along.
Sandy knew better, though. He knew that Kirsten loved him and that she wanted this baby as much as he did. He didn't know if that made him feel better or worse.
He'd called her house after Kirsten was taken in, and in a way that scared him most of all. After all the time and planning he and Kirsten had put into how to tell her parents that she was pregnant, it would now be up to Sandy to do so by himself. He had talked to Kirsten's mother, told her that he was calling from the hospital and asking her to come as quickly as she could. He would explain everything when she got there. Kate Nichol had promised to be on her way as soon as she'd let Caleb know what was going on.
He reached the end of the hallway and turned around to start walking the other way. Lucky thing he was already at the hospital, because he'd be needing treatment too after he'd told Caleb Nichol that he'd gotten his daughter pregnant.
Sandy shook his head in disgust. What was wrong with him? Why was he worrying about how he would be affected when Kirsten and their baby were in trouble? God, I'll make a deal, he promised silently. Let the two of them be okay and Caleb Nichol can do whatever he wants to me.
Looking up from his pacing, he saw Kate Nichol step out of the elevator. Sandy drew a deep breath and went to talk to her.
"Sandy." Kate gripped his arm, her eyes large and frightened. "What's happening? What's wrong with Kirsten?"
"Maybe we should sit down," Sandy offered, leading her to a chair. "It's likely not that serious. Kirsten wasn't feeling very well this evening, and she started having some stomach cramps so I insisted that she come here to be on the safe side." He paused for a moment and summoned his courage. "Just in case there was something wrong with the baby."
"The baby…" Kate repeated in disbelief. "Kirsten's pregnant?"
Sandy nodded. "The baby's due in June. We were going to tell you soon, but then this happened."
"I can't believe Kirsten's pregnant," Kate said again. "It's so hard to take in."
"As soon as she told me, I knew I'd always be there for her and our child," Sandy hastened to assure her. "My father left my mother before I was born, and I knew I would never do that to anyone. And I love your daughter, Mrs. Nichol. Kirsten and I want to get married next month."
Kate studied him closely. "What kind of life can you offer my daughter?"
"I'm just a law student now, but I've got a full-time job offer starting after graduation." Sandy tried his best to sound confident. "It's in Berkeley, so Kirsten can finish school, and the hours are flexible so I can spend as much time as I can with my family. And I want to be a good husband and father," he finished. "I'd do anything to keep Kirsten and the baby safe and happy."
Kate nodded. "Do you know how Kirsten is?"
Sandy shook his head. "The doctors won't tell me anything."
Kate set her mouth into a thin line. "We'll see about that."
Bewildered, Sandy followed her down the hall to the nurse's station where Kate politely but firmly asked for the status on Kirsten Nichol.
The girl in charge looked young, no older than twenty-five or twenty-six. "I'm sorry, ma'am," she apologized, "but we can't give out that information. You'll have to wait for the doctor."
"Could you pass along a message, then?" Kate asked. "Tell the doctor that Kate Nichol, wife of Caleb Nichol, would like to talk to him about how her daughter is doing."
The girl's eyes widened slightly. "I'll let him know right away," she promised. Obviously the name Caleb Nichol carried a lot of clout in Newport.
Sure enough, a doctor appeared within the next three minutes. "Are you here with Kirsten Nichol?"
Sandy jumped up anxiously. "How is she?"
"I'm pleased to say that she's doing just fine," the doctor answered. "We'd like to keep her overnight for observation, but that's just a precaution."
"What about the baby?" Sandy pressed. "The baby's okay, isn't it?"
"The baby's fine too," the doctor assured him. "We ran some tests, and it appears that Kirsten has a shortened cervix. In some instances it can lead to increased risk of miscarriage, but as long as she takes it easy for the rest of her pregnancy she'll likely be in good shape."
"What pregnancy?" Sandy's heart stopped as he recognized the voice of Kirsten's father. Now he was in for it.
"Caleb, we'll talk about that in a minute," Kate chided him. She turned her attention back to the doctor. "Can we see her, doctor?"
"I suppose that would be all right," the doctor agreed. "But I'll have to insist that there only be one visitor at a time."
"You go first, Katherine," Caleb said brusquely. "I'd like a word with Sandy."
"I think Sandy should go first," Kate offered. "Don't you?"
"I was just thinking that Sandy might want to spend the night here," Caleb clarified. His words sounded calm and reasonable, but his eyes were like ice and Sandy knew that he was furious. "Whereas you have to get back to Hailey, and I have to work tomorrow."
"I suppose." Kate looked doubtful. "Is that okay with you, Sandy?"
Sandy remembered the promise he'd made, that he would face Caleb's wrath as long as Kirsten and the baby were safe. It was time for him to live up to his part of the bargain. "It's fine. Tell Kirsten I love her and I'll be there soon."
Kate smiled at him. "My daughter is a lucky girl." She touched Sandy's cheek, then turned to follow the doctor down the corridor.
Sandy was left alone with Caleb. He raised his head slowly and met the older man's eyes, which were still ice-cold. "I suppose you want an explanation."
"I'd appreciate one," Caleb answered coldly. "If it wouldn't trouble you too much to explain why that doctor was talking about my daughter being pregnant."
Sandy gulped. "Mr. Nichol, I know you must be upset right now, and you have every right to be. And Kirsten and I never wanted you or Mrs. Nichol to find out like this. But I love your daughter, and I love our child and no matter what happens I will always be there for them."
"Sanford, I'm not the most popular man in Newport," Caleb began. "In fact, I'd be willing to say that most people think I'm a heartless bastard. I can be accused of a lot of things, but not of being a bad father. My children have always come first."
"I think that's very admirable," Sandy answered.
"Needless to say, I'm very unhappy at this turn of events," Caleb continued. "Kirsten has a bright future ahead of her and I would hate to see anything get in the way of that."
Sandy knew what Caleb was saying, that Sandy wasn't good enough to be with his daughter. "With all due respect, I don't think anyone can make Kirsten do anything she doesn't want to."
"Let's get to the heart of the matter, shall we?" Caleb asked. "How much for you to leave Newport tonight and never see my daughter again?"
Sandy's jaw dropped. "What?"
Caleb reached into his jacket and took out a checkbook. "Name your price."
Sandy struggled to keep his temper. "Your money's no good, old man. Kirsten is the only one who can tell me to leave."
"Your loss," Caleb shrugged, putting his checkbook away. "I just hope you don't expect to support a wife and child on my money, because it's not going to happen."
"Don't worry," Sandy snapped. "It'll be a cold day in hell before I come crawling to you." With that, he turned and stormed away.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Kate was still sitting by her daughter's bed when Sandy finally found them. Kirsten's eyes lit up when she saw him, and Sandy temporarily forgot the unpleasant conversation with her father. Kirsten was all right, and their baby was all right, and they would make it work somehow.
Kate smiled at them. "I'll give the two of you some privacy now." She bent over and kissed her daughter's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Kirsten smiled at Sandy. "Are you staying the night with me?"
Sandy returned her smile. "Wild horses couldn't drag me away. How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," Kirsten nodded. She looked down and blushed a little. "The doctor told me that we shouldn't have any more sex until after the baby's born."
"Shit." Sandy pointed a finger at Kirsten's stomach. "That's it, kid, you're grounded!"
Kirsten laughed softly. "I do have some good news, though."
"The baby's due tomorrow?" Sandy joked.
"Very funny." Kirsten shifted over to one side of the bed, and patted the mattress beside her. "Come join me."
Sandy glanced around. "Will we get in trouble?"
Kirsten rolled her eyes. "Do you care?"
"Not at all," Sandy decided. He sat down on the bed and gently maneuvered himself until he was lying with Kirsten, his arm around her shoulders. "Now what's this good news?"
Kirsten took his hand and placed it onto her stomach, which was starting to look a little bigger. "The doctor gave me another ultrasound. We're having a boy."
"A boy," Sandy repeated, joy spreading across his face. He cupped Kirsten's face gently between his hands and kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered, her breath warm and soft in his ear.
He would always love hearing her say that, Sandy decided. Jimmy Cooper and Caleb Nichol didn't matter a bit. Never mind Caleb's threats or Jimmy's sad eyes, or that he couldn't afford a wedding ring for Kirsten yet. Right here, right now, life was pretty damn perfect.