Chapter 17:

Salene stood with the tiny baby in her arms, looking down on the still sleeping May, how would they ever get through this, she wondered. "Please wake up May," she silently willed her friend, "I need you; I don't know how I'd ever be able to do this without you." Still May slept on. Salene had spent most of the night and the better part of the day pacing back and forth and worrying over May and the baby. With May unconscious and unable to care for the newborn, Salene had been forced to take charge. Trudy had helped her mix up some baby formula and Amber had dug up one of Baby Bray's old bottles. Consequently, the new addition to the Mallrats seemed to be well-fed and happy despite his mother's condition.

As Salene moved over to the makeshift crib to put the little one down for a nap, the door banged open behind her.

"Shhh!" she instantly reacted to the unknown intruder, then turning she spotted Lex.

"Well, I see you've finally decided to make an appearance. Its only been 24 hours. I didn't expect you for at least another week," Salene greeted him sarcastically.

Shrugging of her insult, Lex simply stared at the tiny bundle in her arms. "Is…Is that…it…?" he asked shakily.

"Yes Lex, this is the baby, your son," Salene replied.

"Son…wow…" Lex stammered, at a lost for words for one of the first times in his life.

"Just where have you been, Lex?" Salene asked testily.

"Huh? I was…out."

"Out where, Lex? May could've died, the baby may have starved to death, and where were you? Let me guess, out drinking…stealing…too busy dragging yourself out of the gutter to come back to the mall to see your newborn child." Salene half shouted at him.

As the child in her arms let out a small whimper, Lex shrank back as though he'd been struck.

"I know…I'm sorry. I should've come sooner. It's just…I needed some time alone…to think."

"You…think…" Salene quipped in reply.

"Salene, please, give me a chance," Lex pleaded. "Can I hold him?"

As he approached her and stood before her she began to soften. Reaching out she placed the baby in his arms. Suddenly, a familiar sent caught her attention.

"Lex, you're drunk," she whispered angrily.

"Not drunk," he said softly, "Just recovering."

"Lex, I will not have this kind of behavior around the baby."

"What are you talking about, it's my baby, you can't stop me from being a part of it's life. Or didn't we already go over this. Whatever is going on between you and May, and believe me, I don't want to know; I'm still the father of this child." Lex replied with minor slurring.

Salene rolled her eyes angrily and glanced toward the bed. Lex followed her gaze and for the first time since entering the room, noticed the pale, silent form on the bed.

"Is she…ok?" he asked softly.

"I don't know, Lex. I don't know anything anymore," Salene replied tearily, going to sit beside the bed. Salene lifted May's hand into her own and began to stroke the back of it softly. "She's just got to wake up…She's got so much to live for now...It just can't end like this for us." At last Salene let the tears flow. She had been strong for the baby and for May, now she was spent, she needed rest; she needed someone to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. But there was only Lex, and he certainly was no reassurance.

Standing in the middle of the room holding the sleeping baby in his arms Lex looked from the sobbing Salene back to the silently sleeping May. The drink must be starting to wear off, he though abstractly as a feeling of utter helplessness came over him. Seeking a way to difuse the situation he turned his full attention to the little one.

"Hi there, little one, I'm you're daddy…sorry it took me so long to get here, I was…busy. You're so red…didn't think you'd be that red…Nice black fuzz there on top, just like you're old man. What's your name, huh?" he said softly, speaking to his son for the first time.

"He doesn't have a name yet." Salene answered.

"What! No name! And a day old already. Well we'll just have to call you Little Lex." Lex stated proudly.

"Lex," Salene said, wiping her tears and looking up at him, "I really don't think that's a good choice. I don't think May will like that very much. And I think that one Lex in the Mall is definitely enough."

"Well, what else is there?" Lex replied stubbornly.

"Well, you could name him something different, something like Robert or Richard."

Lex made a face that told her he did not approve of either of those names.

"Well, what about your father, what was his name?" Salene said, trying to help.

Lex's frown deepened, "I am not naming him after my father."

"Well isn't there anyone else that you've respected and admired, someone you wouldn't mind naming your son after." Salene queried.

Lex stood lost in thought for a long time, so long that Salene began to think he had sunk into a drunken stupor. "Never mind Lex, we'll wait until May wakes up to name him. It's better that way anyway."

"Ryan," Lex said softly, looking down at the baby in his arms.

"What Lex, what does Ryan have to do with this?" She said shaking her head.

"No, his name is Ryan," Lex said, looking up at Salene. "You said it should be someone I respected and admired…Well, that was Ryan…he was the only one who was ever really my friend, no matter what stupid things I did or said. He was a good man, a good husband…Things I could never manage to be."

For a moment Salene could only stare at him in awe. Though she suspected that his earlier drinking binge was making him a bit more sappy than usual, he had seen the seriousness of the situation before him and had actually managed to touch her with his little speech.

Salene looked down at the sleeping May as though asking for her approval. As she watched, May's eyes fluttered open weakly.

Salene let out a sound between a sob and a yelp of joy. May was still with them, she was awake, she would recover and everything would be ok.

Reaching out to touch May's face, Salene answered him, never taking her eyes from May's.

"His name is Ryan," she said reverently.