Ch. 32

Visitors

JR walked into Babe's hospital room, and the tears instantly sprung to his eyes as soon as he saw the love of his life. She was pale, and she looked so small and delicate lying on her bed. Her shoulder was wrapped in bandages along with a part of her neck. She had breathing tubes up her noses and her wrists were red and swollen.

JR shut the door quietly and walked to her bed, sitting next to her bed.

"You need to stop coming here so much. This is becoming like a second home for us. One with really, really bad food." JR said to an unconscious Babe.

Babe didn't respond, and her chest continued moved up and down. JR watched her breathe, and wasn't as thankful for anything else in his life as he was for her chest just rising and falling. He remembered her heart had stopped beating. Her laying on the ground, in her own blood, the lifeless look on her face…

JR shook his head, trying to forget that memory, but he knew he never would. That memory would plague his dreams and turn them into nightmares for years to come.

JR was startled when he felt a hand rest over his.

"Babe, oh honey." He said, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it.

"Hi…" Babe's voice was scratchy, and it hurt for her to talk.

"You've been out of it for a while, that's why it's hard to talk." JR explained for her.

"H-how long?" Babe asked weakly.

"You've been going in and out for about two weeks now." JR said, getting nearer to the bed so he could be closer to her, "Do you remember what happened?"

"Paul took me h-hostage. He took me to a warehouse. Tad was there. Tad… how's T-tad? I remember he was shot trying to save me."

"Tad's fine. He had to have surgery like you did, but he's fine. He's getting released soon." JR said and Babe smiled.

"And what about Paul?" She asked, frowning.

JR sighed, "After he… he shot you he tried to attack a detective with a knife. They struggled, and Paul got it stuck in his stomach." JR enlightened her.

"Is he dead?" Babe asked, and JR nodded.

"JR, he was trying to take our son. He and Amanda were planning on raising our son. That's why I went with him, so he would leave our son alone. JR…" Babe paused.

"What sweetie?" He asked, brushing hair out of her face.

"I'm pregnant. Paul switched the results. Oh my god… the baby!" Babe panicked.

"Shh, it's OK. The baby is fine. You both scared us a little, but you're both healthy. All the doctors said is you have to take it easy during you're pregnancy now." JR grinned.

"JR… we're pregnant." Babe grinned in spite of her pain.

JR smiled back at her and leaned in and lightly planted a sweet kiss on her lips.

"Now all we have to do is tell Little A that he is going to have a brother or a little sister." JR said.

"And we have to tell our families." Babe pointed out.

JR's smile faded a little, "Let's wait a little for that one."

"OK," Babe laughed gently.

JR's smile faltered. Babe noticed this and grabbed his hand a little tighter.

"What's wrong?" Babe asked.

"Babe… I almost lost you. That bastard, he almost took you away from me. He strapped you to a chair and terrorized you." JR looked down, away from her face, "He shot you and Tad, and killed Amanda. Babe, I swore I would protect you, and I didn't. I'm so, so sorry." JR finished, looking back up with her with tears about to fall from his eyes.

Babe reached over and ignoring the sharp pain in her shoulder and neck, put her hand on both sides of his face, "Don't you do that. Don't you dare blame yourself. JR, you couldn't have stopped that psycho any better than anyone else could have. You did the best thing for me when you kept our son safe. The whole time I was there, I didn't care about me. All I wanted to do was to make sure the two men in my life were OK."

Babe said and smiled at him, trying to reassure him. JR still didn't look too convinced.

"JR, you kept me alive. Did you know that? You were the one who brought me back. I fought because of you. I was ready to let go. I was in so much pain, I could barely stand it, and I just wanted it over with. I had this strange dream, one where I had died and I was being buried. Then I saw your face, and I heard you're voice, and saw your pain. It led me back. I couldn't leave you like that, nor could I leave our son. JR, you did protect me, and even more than that you saved my life." Babe finished.

JR wiped the tears from his face and kissed her forehead, and then her lips.

"I love you so much Babe, so much." He said, and then laid his head on her uninjured shoulder.

"I love you too." Babe said, closing her eyes and welcoming sleep.