A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it and all of you. I'm sorry for the late post again. We're getting slammed by snow storms and extreme cold in the Midwest this week, nothing like what they're getting in the Northeast though. I'm thinking about you all up there. Today, the weather knocked out my cable and my internet connection for several hours. It's back up now, and I think and hope the snow is done. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. I will also put out there that I am not a doctor. Anything medical related in this chapter has been provided by using Google for my research. With that said, I hope you enjoy this update!
/
The next evening, the Tasker-Montgomery family was finishing up dinner when Bianca's cellphone rang. Glancing at the caller id, Bianca saw it was her brother-in-law calling.
"Hey, Zach. Is everything okay?"
"I'm not sure. It's Kendall. We're on our way to the hospital."
Bianca made eye contact with Marissa before she left the room to continue the call out of earshot of the kids. "The hospital? How is she? What happened?"
"I found her unconscious on the floor of the bathroom. I couldn't wake her up so I called an ambulance. I'm following them now. I don't know how she is."
"What about the boys? Do you need someone to watch them?"
"Greenlee and Ryan are watching them."
"Okay, I'm on my way. Do you need me to call Mom?"
"I would appreciate it."
"I'll see you there."
/
When Bianca walked back into the kitchen, Marissa knew something was wrong and that they needed to speak in private.
"So, minions, why don't you go pick out a movie for us to watch? Your Mom and I will finish cleaning up and be in soon."
The three oldest children nodded and headed to the family room. Danny was in his carrier and remained under the watchful eyes of his mothers.
/
When AJ, Miranda and Gabby were out of earshot, Marissa turned to Bianca.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Kendall. Zach found her unconscious, and she's being rushed to the hospital. That's all he knows right now."
"What about the boys?"
"Greenlee and Ryan are watching them. I need to get to the hospital and see how she's doing. Oh, and Zach wants me to call Mom."
"Alright. I need you to do something for me. I need you to take a couple of deep breaths."
Bianca realized what Marissa was trying to do. The brunette was on the brink of panicking, and her wife knew it and was pulling her back from that ledge. She closed her eyes and did as requested. Bianca could feel herself starting to calm down and re-center. Warm chocolate eyes met hazel when Bianca opened hers back up.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Are you sure you're going to be okay to drive over there?"
"I am now, thanks to you."
"Would you like me to call Erica for you? I want you focused on the road. I know you're worried about Kendall and so am I, but I really need you to be okay."
"I got it. I'm okay calling Mom. It's something I need to do. I should go. Will you be okay here?"
"We'll be fine."
"Alright. I really don't want to worry the kids."
"We'll just tell them that you need to go see Kendall. It's the truth. When we know more, we'll tell them more. Sound good?"
Bianca nodded. "Yeah, it does. I'll tell them goodbye, call Mom from the car and then drive over. I don't want to do it while I'm actually driving."
"That's very smart."
/
After Bianca said goodbye to the kids, Marissa walked her back to the inside garage door.
"Be careful, call as soon as you know something, and give Kendall and Zach my love."
"I will. I love you."
"I love you too."
/
Bianca found Zach only moments before Erica arrived.
"Any update?" Erica asked.
"Nothing yet. They're trying to get her stabilized. Dr. Rivera is back with her. Dr. Abbott and Dr. Chambers are both on the way."
"What happened?" Bianca settled on one side of her brother-in-law while Erica sat next to her.
"Ryan, Greenlee and Emma came over for dinner. Everything was going well. We were all having a good time. Kendall excused herself to go to the restroom and was gone for a while. I started to get worried. When I went to check on her, there was no answer, and the door was locked. I didn't want to risk busting it down since I didn't know where she was exactly in connection to the door so I had to take it off its hinges to get inside. That's when I found her unconscious on the floor. Her breathing was kind of shallow and her pulse felt weak. I couldn't wake her up either. That's when I called 911. She was still unconscious when they left. I'm going nuts out here not knowing how she and the baby are."
"How are the boys? I'm guessing they saw her being taken away." Bianca knew her nephews were absolutely crazy about their mother, and she could imagine how they were right now.
"They're scared and wanted to come, but I told them no. It's better that they're home and not seeing all of this, and I know that Kendall wouldn't want them here. Ryan and Greenlee will keep them occupied for now. I told them that she was going to be okay, the doctors were going to take care of her, and that she would be home before they knew it. She has to be alright. I don't know what I would do …" Zach's voice cracked with emotion, and he wasn't able to finish the sentence.
Bianca took her brother-in-law's hand and squeezed it. "Kendall will be okay. She's strong, tough and stubborn, and she loves you, the boys and your daughter. She's been doing everything the doctors have been telling her to so that both she and the baby are okay."
"Bianca's right. My daughters are fighters. Not only will she be alright but so will your daughter. We Kane women don't give up."
"Thank you, both. You just made me realize that I'm going to have two Kane women in the house."
"Marissa can give you some tips. After all, she lives with three." Bianca smirked.
"That's good advice. I'll do that." Zach chuckled. He was thankful that Erica and Bianca were there. They really were keeping him grounded and giving him hope which was something he desperately wanted and needed right now.
/
Zach spotted one of Kendall's doctors walking their way and stood. "Dr. Rivera, how's Kendall?"
"Mr. Slater, please have a seat." The doctor glanced at the women sitting next to him and recognized them. "May I speak freely?"
"Yes, of course. This is Kendall's mother and sister."
Dr. Rivera nodded at the women. "Kendall is stable and has regained consciousness."
"And the baby?"
"Dr. Abbott was just finishing up her exam and will talk to you in a few minutes, but she wanted me to tell you that the baby is fine."
The three breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Thank god. What's going on? Have you talked with Dr. Chambers?"
"I have spoken with her at length, and she will be here shortly. We're going to keep Mrs. Slater overnight, at the very least. We need to run some additional tests before we can confirm a course of treatment for her. Be assured that your wife is stable though, and you can go see her now. All of you can, but only for a few minutes. Both she and the baby need their rest."
/
Kendall glanced over to see the door to her room open and her husband, mother and sister entering. She gave them a sheepish smile. "Hi. I'm sorry."
Zach shook his head and gave her a quick kiss. "Stop it. There's nothing to be sorry about."
Erica kissed her oldest daughter's cheek. "Zach's right. You haven't done anything wrong."
"You've been doing everything the doctors have asked you to do, and we all know how hard it's been." Bianca smiled as she also kissed her sister's cheek.
"Well, I'm going to make it unanimous. From where I stand, you've been a model patient."
"Dr. Abbott, is the baby alright?"
"Your little girl is just fine, Mr. Slater. She's not quite ready to be here yet, but there's no indication that the baby has been affected by Kendall's latest incident. I'll be back to check on you both tomorrow, and I will also be talking with Dr. Rivera and Dr. Chambers after they've finished their tests." Dr. Abbott noticed several sets of eyes travel to a monitor. "That is a fetal heart monitor, and it is just a precaution. If you look, you can see that the baby has a very strong heartbeat."
The others relaxed somewhat at the doctor's reassurance.
"Alright, I'm going to go. Kendall, get some rest."
"Thank you, doctor."
/
"How are the boys?"
"Greenlee and Ryan are with them. They were a little scared, but they're doing okay. I'll give them a call in a few minutes and let them talk to you. They'll feel a lot better after that."
"They're not the only ones."
Zach sat next to his wife. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired and embarrassed."
"Don't feel embarrassed, alright? The doctors will figure this out and fix it. You with me on that?"
Kendall squeezed her husband's hand. "Completely." She turned to her sister and mother. "As for the two of you, go home."
Erica and Bianca were both about to protest when Kendall held up a hand and stopped them. "There's nothing you can do here right now so go home and get some rest. By staying here, you'll only increase my stress, and we know that's not good for me right now."
Bianca rolled her eyes. "No fair playing the guilt card."
Kendall feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh for the love of. Fine, I'll go, but I'll be back tomorrow."
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"No. Tomorrow morning."
"No. Tomorrow afternoon. Look, Binx, you just got back to work so I know you're playing catch up there. I don't need or want you stressing out about that. Besides, they're going to be running tests. All you'll be doing here is sitting around and worrying about everything you've got going on."
"But …"
"Please, for me, go to work. Zach will call you."
Zach nodded. "I promise that I'll call the minute I know something."
"They're right, sweetheart."
Bianca scowled seeing that she was completely outnumbered with Erica now agreeing with Kendall and Zach. "Fine, but I'm going to hold you to it, Zach." She kissed her sister. "I love you. Call me if you need anything or need us to help with the kids."
"I will. I promise, and I love you too."
Kendall watched as her sister left reluctantly before turning to her mother. "Now, about you."
"Oh, I'll leave for tonight, but I will be back tomorrow morning. Neither of you are in any position to stop me either."
/
Bianca arrived home in time to help Marissa get the kids ready for bed. They had asked how their aunt was, and the brunette assured them that their Aunt Kendall was alright. Marissa knew there was more to the story but decided to let it go until the couple was alone. The redhead could also feel the tension coming off her wife. The kids couldn't sense it, but she could.
Marissa entered the couple's bedroom and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Bianca was in the second rocking chair that Alex had made for them that was kept in their bedroom for the time being. She was holding Danny and rocking him ever so gently.
"Feeling better?"
"Much. Thanks to our little one. He's like a cure-all for what ails you."
"Yes, he definitely is. So, how are Kendall and the baby, really?"
Bianca sighed. "Kendall is stable, and Dr. Abbott said the baby was fine. They have Kendall hooked up to a fetal heart monitor as a precaution. They are going to run more tests tomorrow. I want to be there, but she made me promise to go into work. She even pulled out the guilt card to get me to agree. Zach said he would call as soon as they know something, but I know that if it's something bad that Kendall will make him wait."
Marissa bit her lip to hold back the smile threatening to make an appearance because of her wife's pout. No matter how old they got, Kendall couldn't help herself from telling her little sister what to do and also looking out for her. They all knew Bianca would be worried to death about Kendall, and by having Bianca go into work, Kendall was doing what she thought was best by trying to keep her sister occupied and focused on something other than her. For her part, Bianca did not like being told what to do or being coddled. This wasn't the first time Marissa had to mediate a conflict between the Kane sisters.
"I have an idea. Why don't I call either Susan or Carol to see if they would be willing to watch Danny for a little bit and then stop by the hospital myself? I will find out what's going on and call you. You will know the minute I know something, no matter what the news is. You have my word on that."
Bianca smiled softly. She knew Marissa would keep her word, no matter what, and knowing that helped calm her. That and holding their son. "Thank you. You know what to say to help, and I know you're there for me."
Marissa kissed her wife tenderly. "Always."
/
"Marissa, dear, how are you? How's Danny?"
"I'm good, Erica, and Danny is even better. How are you?"
"I'm well and not surprised to see you here."
"Bianca needed me here."
Erica studied her daughter-in-law for a moment. "She doesn't think that we would be completely forthcoming with her, does she?"
"Nope."
"And you promised her that you would be."
Marissa nodded. "No matter what."
"And there is no chance I could convince you to do otherwise?"
"Not a chance in hell."
"I didn't think so." Erica sighed. "Who is watching Danny?"
"Carol Walker."
"Ah, I have no doubt that she will thoroughly spoil him."
"You're right there. So, what's the latest?"
"They are running one more test. Hopefully, this will give us the answers we need."
"Hey, is there any word?"
Marissa glanced up and saw Greenlee. "Not yet. Any problems with the boys last night?"
"No, they were okay, especially after they talked to Kendall."
"Where's Bianca? Is she watching Danny?"
"She's at work. From what I've been told, she was guilted into it. Carol's watching Danny."
"Yeah, I can see that." Greenlee could tell Marissa wasn't happy about how the family treated Bianca sometimes. While Erica and Kendall saw her as strong, they also saw her as someone they needed to protect. It was something they couldn't help but do, and it drove Bianca crazy because in doing so they made her feel anything but strong. It also made her feel somewhat excluded from the family. Marissa understood this and fought against it every time it happened which made things a little tense sometimes.
Greenlee decided to change the subject. "Where's Zach?"
"I had him go to the cafeteria to get something to eat. He really needed the break." Erica said.
"I bet. He's got to be worried to death about Kendall and the baby." Marissa looked at her mother-in-law. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine." Erica saw that neither of the two younger were buying what she was saying. "I'm concerned and want some answers. I need answers. I can't stand to see either Kendall or Bianca sick or hurting and not being able to do anything to help them."
"I know how you feel." Zach said as he joined the women.
Erica looked at her son-in-law. "Aren't you supposed to be taking a break?"
"I took one."
Marissa and Greenlee shared a look. There was no way they were going to get in the middle of that.
"Mr. Slater."
Zach glanced up. "Dr. Chambers, how is Kendall?"
"She's back in her room and resting. The tests can be tiring. I need to analyze the results a little more closely and speak with Dr. Abbott and Dr. Rivera. After I've consulted with them and Kendall has gotten some more rest, I'll go over everything with you."
"You can't tell me anything now?"
"I want to exam her results more closely, and I won't have a conversation with anyone about Kendall's condition without her being present. She is my patient after all. I'll see you in an hour."
/
Bianca was relieved to find her family still in the waiting room. She raced over to the hospital as soon as she got Marissa's call telling her the doctor would be meeting with them in an hour. There was no way she was going to miss this meeting, no matter what her sister or mother said.
"Hey, you made it." Marissa smiled as Bianca leaned over to give her a quick kiss.
"I did. Thanks for letting me know. Is Zach back with Kendall?"
"Yeah, he went back a few minutes ago. You didn't get any work done at all today, did you?"
"No, I couldn't focus. Have you heard from Carol?"
"I talked to her a little bit ago, and Danny is doing great."
"How are you doing?"
"Okay. Angie helped find me a room so I could pump. It was getting a little uncomfortable."
"I'm glad you were able to do that."
A nurse approached the group. "Are you here for Kendall Slater?"
Erica answered for everyone. "Yes, we are."
"She asked me to come get you. You can go back now. The doctors are ready to go over everything."
"Thank you."
/
"Okay, Dr. Chambers, everyone is here. What's going with me and how do we fix it and also make sure our daughter is okay?" Kendall wanted and needed her family around her when she got this news.
"As you know, there has been an issue with your heartrate. It's been irregular for some time. I don't believe your pregnancy is the cause of this. It's the heart transplant. Your pregnancy has merely accelerated what I believe would eventually happen. The electrical pulses that are sent to your heart to regulate the heartbeat are being disrupted. This is not uncommon in transplant recipients like yourself."
"Is there anything that can be done to fix this?" Zach asked.
"There is. What I'd like to do is implant a pacemaker."
"A pacemaker?"
"Yes, it will help regulate your heartrate which in turn will help with the fainting, the dizziness and the shortness of breath that you've been experiencing. By getting everything regulated, it will be a tremendous benefit for your pregnancy as well. You will have less stress on your heart which will also mean less stress for the baby."
"Isn't that invasive surgery though? That can't be good for the baby." Kendall was definitely concerned and rested a protective hand on her baby bump.
"Traditionally, yes, but that has changed. We can put in what's called an intracardial pacemaker. It's placed inside your heart. We can do that because it's roughly 10 percent the size of the traditional pacemaker, and it doesn't require any leads connected to your heart muscle. The procedure to do this is considerably less invasive as well. It's inserted by using a steerable catheter fed into the femoral vein. I'll make an incision in the inner thigh to do this. Once it's in, you won't be able to see or feel the pacemaker. Because there aren't any leads, the restrictions that are normally in place for traditional pacemakers are eliminated. If the device needs to be removed for any reason, it's done the same way as it was inserted. The battery life for it is longer as well. Right now, they last from 9 to 13 years."
"You would need to remove it then to replace them?"
"Yes." Dr. Chambers took in the expressions of the family. "I know this is scary, but I have done this procedure several times before."
"With anyone who was pregnant?" Kendall asked.
"No. You are a special case all the way around. Not many heart transplant patients conceive after their procedure so the number who need a pacemaker while pregnant is small. Dr. Abbott will be present the entire time and be monitoring your baby."
"What about afterwards? What kind of recovery time are we looking at?"
"Your recovery time will be faster with this type of procedure."
Dr. Abbott stepped forward. "As for afterwards, you will be on modified bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. I won't put you on complete bed rest, but that remains an option. It all depends on how well the procedure goes and how you respond. Judging from your expression, I can tell you don't want to hear that, but that's how it has to be."
"I can rearrange my schedule and take some time off, and we can also hire someone to help out."
"You want to hire someone to babysit me? No. I don't want you taking time off either. I'll be fine by myself."
While Zach and Kendall went back and forth on the subject of her being at home alone, Marissa and Bianca had a quick private discussion. During a lull in the Slaters' discussion, Marissa spoke up.
"I think Bianca and I have a good compromise for you. Why not have Kendall come over to our house during the day?"
"I don't want or need a babysitter, Red. Besides, you have your hands full already."
"Kendall, you know I love you. We all do. I have to ask this question though. Is there anyone here that seriously believes you'll be able to behave yourself if you're all alone for the next several weeks?"
No one raised their hands which caused them all to chuckle while Kendall scowled.
"Are you sure, Marissa? I wouldn't want to impose or anything." Zach asked.
"Yes, I am, and you're not imposing. I'm offering. Besides, you're family. It's what we do. You know, when you think about it, it's basically like watching another kid, except this one is bigger and snarkier. I figure if I can handle her then puberty with the kids should be a breeze."
"You got that right on the snarkier part." Greenlee grinned.
Marissa could tell Kendall wasn't happy. "You know that you can't be by yourself, right?"
Kendall sighed. "Yeah, I know."
"Think of this as killing two birds with one stone, or more like a lot of birds with one stone. Zach won't have to take time off, you won't have to hire someone, you'll be keeping me company, and you get to spend time with your newest nephew."
Kendall weighed everything and could definitely see the logic behind it. The compromise was a win-win for everyone. "Can we watch trashy daytime TV shows?"
"Duh! Of course we can. I've gotten pretty good at guessing who is and isn't the father on some of them."
Bianca chuckled. She loved watching the interaction between her wife and her sister. Bianca could see the genuine affection between them.
Kendall nodded and looked at her doctors. "Okay. What next?"
"Your due date is in five weeks. I'll deliver the baby no later than on than that date at which time I will perform a C-section. I know you were hoping for a vaginal delivery, but Dr. Chambers and I both agree that that puts too much strain on you."
"Alright. So, when do we do the pacemaker?"
"I'd like to do it tomorrow. The sooner, the better for you and the baby."