Ch. 3

Get-together at the hospital

Babe rushed out of the elevators, looking frantically around for Jamie. When she spotted him, she full out ran to him.

"Jamie what's going on?" Babe cried, reaching him.

Jamie pulled her into a hug and then pulled back, "its JR."

Babe looked up at him, "What about JR? What did he do now?" Babe figured he was up to something to cause her and Jamie more pain.

"He, he was in a car accident." Jamie told her.

"Oh my god," Babe whispered, "Is he OK?"

Jamie looked down, "We don't know. The doctors said it doesn't look good. They just finished surgery on him."

"Surgery? Oh god, for what?" Babe asked.

"We don't know yet, the doctors haven't told us anything."

"Where is Adam... and mama?" Babe asked, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Krystal went down to get Adam some coffee, and Adam is with JR right now. He is really torn up."

"They are allowing visitors?" Babe asked.

"Just family." Jamie said.

Babe sat down in a chair and looked up at Jamie, "Has Tad been called? Stuart? What about Little A?"

"My dad is on his way, Stuart is on vacation somewhere and Little A is with Winifred." Jamie filled her in.

Just then, Adam walked out of a room across the hall, rubbing his face with his hands.

Babe quickly stood up, "Oh Adam, I am so sorry." Babe told him.

Adam's head snapped up, "What are you doing here? Neither me nor JR want you here, so leave!"

"Hey, she is with me." Jamie stood beside Babe.

"Who said we wanted you here either?" Adam said, stepping up to Jamie.

"Guys, stop it! This is not gonna help JR!" Krystal came around the corner holding two cups of coffee.

Adam glanced at Krystal and then turned back towards the wall. Krystal walked up to him and held out a coffee in her hand, and Adam grudgingly took it. Krystal then walked up to Babe and hugged her.

"Oh mama... I really am sorry." Babe said.

"I know, baby doll." Krystal said, rubbing Babe's back.

"Ha!" Adam cried, and turned towards Babe, "You are a liar! You want JR to be in that hospital room, fighting for his life."

"Adam..." Jamie warned.

"No, I don't!" Babe yelled back.

"The hell you don't! You couldn't wait for something like this to happen, could you? I heard your conversation with JR earlier!"

"I didn't mean it..." Babe said weakly.

"Yes you did! You wanted my son to die!" Adam felt the tears slip from his eyes and turned towards the wall.

"Is it that bad?" Babe asked softly, walking closer to Adam.

"The doctors haven't told us anything. But the doctors at PVH don't know anything. Nothing at all. I'm going to have specialists fly in on the next flight to Pine Valley!" Adam growled.

"Specialists of what, Adam? We really don't know what is wrong." Krystal said.

"All I know is it's something with his back." Adam said quietly.

They all turned at the sound of Tad's voice.

"What's going on? Is everything alright?" Tad asked, running up to them.

"What are you doing here Martin?" Adam growled.

"Jamie called me, and told me I needed to get down here. He didn't tell me what for though."

"It's JR, Tad." Krystal said, walking up to him.

"What... what about JR? He's ok, isn't he?" Tad asked, and when Krystal didn't respond his voice became louder, "Isn't he?"

Krystal said, "He is alive, but we don't know what is wrong."

"Where are the doctors? I want to talk to them." Tad said, looking around.

"Don't you think I've tried that Martin? If they were going to talk to anyone it would be me, his father." Adam said.

Tad visibly cringed at the last words. JR was like a son to Tad, and Tad used to be like JR's father until... recently.

"I still love him." Tad said back.

"You kept his son away from him, if only everyone could have someone that loved them that much."

"Well at least I treat him like a human and not some possession!" Tad yelled.

"Guys, stop it!" Babe yelled, stepping in between the two men, "We are here for JR, not to have shouting matches over pointless things."

"The only thing you are here for Babe is to see if my son dies. Then, I know you will want to take full custody of my grandson. But I tell you right now, you will never, ever see him!"

"I am not here to see JR die, I want him to live! I don't want my child fatherless." Babe told Adam.

Just then, a doctor walked out of JR's room and everyone swarmed to him.

"Doctor, how is my son?" Adam asked.

"Is he OK?" Tad followed with his own question.

The doctor held up his hand to try and calm them down.

"We took a couple X-rays and MRI's and then we had to do some emergency surgery." The doctor informed them.

"What is wrong?" Krystal asked.

"We... we aren't sure. We do know he has a severe spinal cord injury." The doctor said.

"But what does that mean? He is going to be OK, right?" Babe asked.

"It means," Jamie cut the doctor off, "That JR could be paralyzed."