John stood by the nurse's desk for a few minutes when he took a look around; the nurse had taken the girl into one of the rooms away from John's sight. The other nurse came over by John briefly and softly told him something as she walked past him.
"Come back in thirty minutes, she'll be at lunch" The nurse said referring to the first nurse.
John went out into his car and sat there for the thirty minutes. He wondered how this was all going to play out, how when he got the proof that he needed to prove that the little girl was Natalie's, how did he break it to her, how would she take the news. He also wondered how someone could do something like this., and a Dr, she had gone to him to help her with her pregnancy, to help make sure her baby was healthy and to make sure she was healthy, He was a doctor, Dammit! He said to himself. He wasn't supposed to be a kidnapper. John shook his head wondering if he was wrong, if his gut was wrong. He knew in his heart he wasn't but he needed the truth, the facts, the how and the why this happened. The how and the why these people did this to her. He again questioned his gut, but he knew his gut was right, the minute he saw the girls face, the minute he looked at her eye's, he knew, there was no doubt in his mind about it, that was Natalie's child and he needed to find out why they did this. He continued to watch the door of the clinic when the Nurse and a Man with white hair walked out with the girl, with Natalie's girl. He assumed the man was the Dr., the one responsible for all of this. John waited till they were out of sight and then he went into the clinic. He walked in and saw the nurse waiting for him and there wasn't anyone else around. She approached him.
"I'm Susan and I heard what you asked nurse Nancy for. I think I can help you; this is Natalie's Balsom's file. I'll make you a quick copy but...but there's also something I need to tell you. I'm not really sure why you need this information on Ms. Balsom but.. but I found something out a few years ago that pertains to her and I've felt really, really guilty for never saying anything to anyone. Elizabeth, Mr. Winters daughter, she is this Ms. Balsom's biological daughter that she had supposedly let Mr. Winters and his wife adopt. " Nurse Susan told John
"What!" John said not believing what he had just heard
" I know it's not true. The adoption papers are all legal and a copy of them are in her file, but I learned the truth a few years ago, Mr. Winters wife, she was sick and passed, I was her nurse, she told me stuff before she went, sort of making her penance, she said something that I later found out was true when I started working here for Mr. Winters. She told me that the girl, Elizabeth's real mom didn't know, didn't know that Elizabeth was alive, that her husband had Ms. Balsom sign papers while she was being given the anesthesia before they performed a C-section. The girl was very young and they told her, told her that her baby was stillborn." Susan said as she looked at her watch.
"I've gotta get you these copies now before they come back" Nurse Susan said as she ran with the file to make John copies.
John stood there frozen, thinking over what she just said, that the girl was Natalie's. She confirmed what John's gut was screaming, he had to play this smart, he couldn't just let them know he knew, he needed to build a case, get all his facts together, get them straight, then he would get her back, get her for Natalie, he again wondered how this was going to affect Natalie and even Elizabeth. It was going to be tough, really tough on everyone, but he knew it had to be done, these bastards had to be punished, punished for taking away Nat's child and putting her thru the heartbreak of thinking she had died. Nurse Susan returned with the copies for John.
"Here, this is everything, you've gotta go they'll be back soon" Susan said as she handed him the copies of the files
"You may have to testify in court as to what you know" John told her informing her of the fact that they would need her testimony.
"I know, I'll do it but for now please don't come here again to talk with me, I really need this job. Here's my number if you need anything" Nurse Susan said as she handed john her number on a piece of paper.
John left the Clinic and drove to the train station; he pulled out his phone while driving and called an old colleague from the AC police department who was now retired. He asked him to get info on Dr. Winters and to watch his house, to watch the whereabouts of his daughter. John had to make sure that Dr. Winters didn't get spooked when he found out someone was asking about Nat's files, that he didn't take Natalie's daughter and run. John still needed time to work all of this out like it was any other case and he didn't want to chance anything.
A few hours later John was walking into the station on his way to his office to put things together. He read the file on the train ride back and it just made him angrier and angrier with every word he read. Especially when he got to the adoption agreement, Nat's signature was definitely distorted, it never looked like that, and she definitely didn't know what she was signing at the time. All the facts were adding up, except one, Natalie said she felt no movement of the baby the day she was born, that was why she went to the clinic cause she thought something was wrong. John picked up his phone and called Michael for more answers. John asked Michael to come down to the station right away that it was important. Michael said he would be there in a few minutes.
John went to Bo's office to tell him and maybe get some advice from him on how to handle things but Bo was gone for the day. He was walking back to his office when he realized something, he realized he had to tell her, he couldn't wait, all the facts were there, he had to tell Natalie. He remembered there was a time when he didn't tell her something so important, something he hid to try and protect her and it caused both of them heartache. He picked up his phone and decided it was best she knew, knew right away and hopefully he could keep her from running to AC and doing something stupid and rash. He called her and told her to meet him at her apartment in a half hour. He was walking back to his office when he saw Michael by his desk waiting in one of his chairs.
"Hey, Bro so what's up?" Michael asked as he saw John walk in the room
" I got that file, the one on the baby and it's mother "
"The stillborn baby?" Michael asked
"Well...ummm. No, the baby wasn't stillborn, she was taken from the mother by a C-section and it seems the bastard Dr had her sign adoption papers when she wasn't lucid. The sons of bitches told her, her baby was dead!" John said getting upset, angry, angrier, he just couldn't keep his mind in cop mode, it was in Natalie mode. he couldn't help but think about her and the hurt in her eye's when she told him the story. He had a piece of paper in his hand and he grumbled it into his fist.
"John, Bro, calm down, it's just a case, don't get so personal about it, let me see the file and ask me the questions?" Michael told him noting that John wasn't handing him the file. John finally handed Michael the file reluctantly.
"Here Michael, but she doesn't know yet" John said softly as he realized he had to tell Michael if he wanted his help. Michael took a few minutes and looked over the file, then he flipped to the first page, and he saw her name, and he now knew why John was getting so personal about it.
"You've gotta tell her John, like now" Michael said looking up from the file to see John
"I'm going to in a few minutes, but I need to know why? Why see didn't feel anything the day of the C-section, I mean she said she didn't feel any movement and that was why she went into the clinic and they told her the baby was dead, why?" John asked trying to figure out if the Dr had planned all along to take Nat's baby.
"The baby was probably ready, sometimes when the baby drops, moves down in the womb, there isn't much movement, the baby's getting ready to be born. It would be perfectly normal for her not to feel a lot of movement at that point." Michael told John and John grabbed his coat and the file from Michael's hand.
"Thanks, I've gotta go tell her, and I'm not sure how to" John said as he quickly left his office
Ten minutes later John arrived at Nat's door. He knocked and she yelled for him to come in that she was in the bedroom. she was unpacking her stuff from the carriage house and he approached her by the bed. She had her hands in her suitcase and he took his hands and stopped her from what she was doing.
"John, is something wrong?" Natalie said as she noticed the serious look on his face
"Natalie I..." John started to say but didn't know what words to use. How do you tell the woman you love that you found out her child that she thought was dead before it's birth was alive and that the doctor tricked her into signing over her rights to her. The same Dr that she trusted since she was a little girl.
"I know John, this is about the baby?" Natalie said as she looked into his eyes.
"What?" John asked confused as to what baby she was talking about. He realized she must be talking about Jess' baby.
"Natalie, this isn't about Jess' baby, this is about your baby" John told her as he took her hand and led her over into the living room. He made her sit down.
"John, what is going on?" Natalie asked more confused than ever.
"I don't know how to tell you this...but...your baby.. it didn't die, it wasn't dead inside you, she's alive and her name is...Eli----" John said as he saw and heard her say her daughters name.
"Elizabeth," Natalie said cutting John's words off before he said her daughter's name.
"Natalie, how did you know that?" John asked her looking at her shocked face and glassy eye's.
"I don't know.. I just did" Natalie said continuing to look at John in shock