ABC Owns Them

Chapter 19

Natalie ran with Thomas on her shoulder four blocks down to the Hospital, she felt like she couldn't breathe and she held on tight to Thomas, she ran up to the nurses station.

"Excuse, Excuse me I need to know where Lt. John Mcbain is" Natalie asked the nurse and didn't answer her.

"Are you family?" the nurse asked

"No, we're not family, well yes, I...I don't know sort of... I guess we are, we share a child," Natalie told her all confused and not being able to focus.

"Ms, you are or you aren't" Nurse asked impatiently

"I am! Where is he!" Natalie screamed at the nurse when she gave her the room number. Natalie and Thomas ran down the hall to the room. She didn't notice anyone around, not Michael, not Bo, no family, not anyone. she looked inside the window next to the door to his room and she saw him, he looked pale and he was unconscious, he only had a few machines hooked up to him, nothing major but he was asleep, a coma she thought and she quietly took Thomas and they went into his room. She sat in the chair next to his bed, just staring at him, cursing herself for being such a jerk, for not forgiving him sooner, for being her same stubborn self. Her eye's got teary, a few tears fell from her eye's and she heard someone clear their throat. She looked back to see Michael standing behind her.

"Michael please tell me it's not that bad, Michael please, tell me he's going to be alright, I...I.. was so stupid, and I...I...I can't live without him" Natalie pleaded with Michael, Michael got a strange look on his face and was about to talk when his pager went off.

"Natalie, I've got to take this I'll be back in a few minutes," Michael told her and he left the room.

Natalie turned her focus back on John, she took his hand in hers and she sat with Thomas falling asleep on her shoulder, she started to talk out loud to him.

"you can't do this to me you now, not now, not tonight when I realized that I was being pig headed and stubborn. you have to be alright, I meant what I told Michael, I can't live without you any longer John, I need you and so does Thomas." Natalie said as she took a breather for a minute when a nurse came into the room.

"Ms. Buchanan, DR Mcbain said if you'd like I can watch over your son in the nurses lounge while he sleeps, there's a crib in there." the nurse asked as she looked at Natalie

"I..I..I don't know" Natalie said as Michael poked his head into the room

"Natalie, let her, I think you need this time to be alone with John" Michael told her and Natalie got even more worried. She shook her head that it was okay and the nurse took a sleeping Thomas with her to the nurse's lounge. Michael left the room leaving them alone. Natalie turned back to John and again held his hand; she brought it to her lips and kissed it.

" I won't let you, You know, you can't just leave me again, I won't allow it, you've got stuff to prove to me remember, stuff so I can trust you again and I'm not letting you get out of it, you hear me, you're not getting out of it!" Natalie said feeling frustrated, she moved the chair even closer and she leaned her body into the bed, she leaned her mouth close to his ear.

"I love you John, damn it, I've always loved you, you jerk, so wake up so we can have of future, wake up so we can have a few more kids, wake up so you can take me home, if nothing else wake up me , for Thomas, for us." Natalie said as she leaned her head down on his chest while she still held on to his hand.

"John, the night we made love, the last time we made love, it was.. it was different" Natalie said softly trying to find the right words to say to him.

"So, you better wake up Mcbain cause I'm ready and I want you to Marry Me! Got it! Now wake up!" Natalie told him strong at first and then she got to emotional, so emotional she almost didn't get all the words out. She continued to rest her head on his chest when she heard a small noise come from his mouth.

"Yes" John said softly as he opened his eyes. She looked up at him and their eye's met, she smiled at him, he returned the smile.

"You're alright, I can't believe you're going to be alright, I was so scared, I have to get Michael and tell him" Natalie said as she got up out of the chair

"No, no don't, just lay here with me" John said trying to stop her before she got to the door to call for Michael

"John, I really need to tell Michael you woke and that you seem to be okay" Natalie started to insist

"No, Natalie you don't have to tell him that" John told her and she got a confused look on her face

"What? Why?" Natalie asked as she walked back near him on the bed

"What did Michael tell you?" John asked

Just then Natalie looked to the window of the room, she saw Michael standing their holding Thomas, he was smiling from ear to ear. She shook her head and realized she had been had. She laughed and turned back to John.

"Michael didn't tell me anything John, nothing," she said as she continued to laugh. She climbed into the bed with him, he moved so his arms went around her and he held her. Contently they lay holding each other for a few minutes.

"John, you aren't seriously hurt are you?" Natalie asked as she ran her fingers over his arm that was wrapped around her.

"No" John answered softly

"How much of what I said did you hear?" Natalie asked him softly almost a little embarrassed by declarations of Love to him while she thought he was in a coma.

"All of it" John said as he snuggled his head closer to her neck and he kissed it. Natalie started to laugh for a few minutes and then all of a sudden she jumped up, and ran to the bathroom adjoining john's hospital room. John heard her sick in the bathroom and after a few minutes she came out.

"Are you alright?" John asked watching her closely

"Yep, better than I've been in a long time" Natalie said as she smiled and rejoined him on his bed. she was still smiling and he was confused.

"What?" he asked

"Nothing " she said as she pulled his arm tighter around her body.

"So what did happen to you?" Natalie asked

"It's not important, I'll tell you later. I just .. it's been a long time since I held you lets just enjoy it Okay?" John told her softly as he tightened his grip around her.

"John" Natalie said barely able to get his name out.

"I'm sorry babe, I'll loosen my hold" John said as he closed his eye's, he brought his nose to the back of her hair and took a breath, breathing in the smell of her shampoo, the smell he always loved. after about a half hour of silently lying together they looked up when they saw Michael walk in with Thomas. Natalie got up immediately and walked over to Michael and took Thomas from him.

"He woke up and neither I nor the nurses could get him back to sleep." Michael told her as he handed him to Natalie.

"Thanks for everything Michael, I think?" Natalie said and she gave him a small smirk.

"Yeah, thanks Mikey, you're a good uncle, a pretty good brother and I'm sure you'll be an even better brother in law." John told him and he looked at Natalie. Michael smiled at John's words but before he could say anything he heard Natalie speak.

"An how would you know what kind of Brother in law he would make, planning on getting married Mcbain," Natalie told John as she walked around a bit with Thomas.

"Yeah, soon I hope I've just been proposed to" John told her smiling at her

"That's funny I didn't hear any proposal" Natalie told him and she looked at Michael quickly and gave him a wink.

"Well, I sure as shit did, it was just a little while ago and I remember it very clearly, you said something to the fact that you can't live without me and then you asked me to marry you" John told her as he still smiled

"I think you were dreaming Mcbain," Natalie told him as she and Thomas got closer to him in the bed.

"You're gonna make me work for this one aren't you?" John told her smiling, as he knew the game she was playing.

"Yup, as soon as your out of that bed," she told him as she put Thomas on her shoulder, she leaned in to give him a soft kiss but before she kissed him, he pulled his head back.

"You mean as soon as I'm out of this bed? Cause I can be out of this bed right now, see?" John told her as he stood to his feet, taking the IV in his arm with him. John kneeled down on one knee with his hospital gown on as Natalie tried to take a peak of the open back of it as he did. John smiled at her efforts and directed his attention to her smiling face, he took her hand and kissed it.

"Natalie will you marry me?" John asked and before Natalie spoke they turned towards Michael when they heard him clear his throat. They watched Michael take something out of his pocket. Michael walked closer to John and Nat. He took Thomas from Nat's arm and then handed John a velvet box.

"Maybe you should try it again and with the ring this time John." Michael said as he saw the puzzled looks on their faces.

"The nurse gave me your stuff when you were brought in, I was just holding it so it wouldn't get lost, I swear." Michael said smiling

"Yeah, I think you were gonna pawn it" John laughed as he took the ring out of the box and looked into Natalie's eyes.

"Have you been carrying that ring with you since you asked me?" Natalie asked him.

"No, since I bought it, now if I can get on with it, it seems to be taking forever here and I'm a little nervous." John told her sarcastically

"No need to be nervous Johnny it's easy, she's al--" Michael told him as John gave Mike an angry glare and cut off his words.

"If you don't mind Mikey, if you're gonna watch can ya just be quiet" John told him and Natalie laughed.

"Natalie Buchanan will you M----" John went to say and Thomas started crying.

"For petes sake" John said throwing his arms up in the arm, Michael tried to calm Thomas, as Natalie couldn't help but laugh. She put her hand to her mouth so to muffle her laughter. Thomas calmed down and John again started.

"Natalie will you Mar---" John again got cut off by Bo walking into his room, Bo was about to say something but saw John so he went over and stood by Michael and Thomas.

"Okay, I'm gonna attempt his one more time, Natalie w--" John again started when Bo's cell phone rang. Natalie couldn't take it anymore, he was trying so hard and getting so frustrated.

"Yes John, I'll marry you, can I have the ring now?" she told him with a bright smile. John laughed and put the ring on her finger, she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips as Michael and Bo watched as they clapped for them. Thomas started to cry again as they kissed and Natalie started to laugh as her lips were still on John's. They broke apart and John stood and looked at her as she went and took Thomas from Michael. Natalie walked back over to John with Thomas. John gently touched the top of Thomas head as he looked at him.

"I love you, both of you," John said as he put his hand on Thomas' back as Natalie held Thomas to her chest, he leaned in and kissed her.