Batting cages

For the past hour Ruthie had been watching Martin practice. She thought they would have talked, but instead they never spoke.

"So are you nervous about the scout coming later today?" It was time to break the silence.

"Ruthie listen, can you please not talk. I really need to concentrate." He wasn't trying to be mean, but to do his best for the scout he had to pay attention to the ball not her.

"Sorry I didn't mean to ruin your concentration." She wondered why he was being so cold.

The hospital

A very nervous Sandy lay on her bed trying to get a hold of someone. "Nurse I can't reach anyone, no one is home or answering their cell phones"

"Listen I want you to relax ok." the nurse said trying to calm her down." You need to calm down because all of this stress isn't good for the baby."

"You're right. I should keep trying everyone I know." She picked up the phone and dialed Martin's number. She figured it couldn't hurt to try.

At the batting cages Martin's phone began to ring.

"Martin your phone is ringing. Do you want me to answer it." Ruthie thought it might be important.

"No just let it ring." He was getting annoyed." I told you I really need to practice."

His phone kept ringing for 5 minutes and did not stop.

"Martin it's still ringing. What if it's important." He was being stubborn and she hated that.

Martin just ignored her. He didn't care if someone was trying to reach him because nothing was more important than his interview after school.

Sandy knew Martin wouldn't answer his phone so she called Lucy praying that she would answer.

Lucy was just getting ready to walk out the door when her phone rang.

"Hello"

"Hey Lucy it's me Sandy. I'm at the hospital, the baby is coming" She thanked God for letting Lucy answer.

"Oh my God you're having the baby! That's great. I will be right there." Lucy was so happy for her.

"Listen Lucy, can you bring Simon and maybe try and get Martin to come also." She really wanted him there for their child.

"I can try to get Martin to come to the hospital later, but for right now I'm going to call Simon and then I will tell the rest of my family and we will all be there for you."

"Thanks Lucy. This really means a lot to me that you will be here." She began getting teary eyed.

"It's ok Sandy. Listen I'm gonna go get everyone and then we will be there ok."

"Ok bye" Sandy hung up the phone just as the nurse came in.

"Well did you reach anyone?" She said with hope.

"Yes I did. They're coming as soon as they get everyone." Sandy was so relieved.

Martin had finished his baseball practice and he and Ruthie were on their way to class when they saw Eric walking toward them.

"Martin I have been looking for you everywhere." He was out of breath from running all over.

"Why were you looking for me?" He seemed confused.

Ruthie just stood there wondering why her father was looking for Martin. What reason could he possibly have to look for Martin?

"Ruthie, can you please give me some time alone with Martin." Eric said with eagerness.

"What? Why do I have to leave?" She didn't want to leave. She was curious.

"Please just do as you're told." He wasn't playing around with her and she knew it. Ruthie walked away very angry at her father for making her leave.

"Ok now that she is gone I can tell you. Sandy is at the hospital Martin, she is having the baby." Eric exclaimed. He hoped that Martin would change his mind and go.

"I can't. I have that meeting with that guy later, sorry." In his mind he thought, she had to have the baby now

"Don't you want to see your child brought into the world" He couldn't believe this." Please just think about going and please tell Ruthie. She deserves to know about the baby Martin. Listen, I'm going to the hospital right now along with Annie, Kevin, Lucy and Simon and we all want you to be there, so please Martin come and you can make the interview for a another day." Eric pleaded with him.

He didn't want to miss his interview, but he knew he should go." Fine I will go ok. Just let me get my stuff."

"Thank you and you need to bring Ruthie." he knew she was gonna be devastated.

Martin walked around the corner and found her by her locker getting her books for class.

"Ruthie come on we are going to the hospital. Sandy is having her baby and she wants us there." it wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth.

"Wow! I get to miss school for that? Great. I mean she must be so happy and everything, but I feel bad because she said the father wants nothing to do with her or the baby." she couldn't believe it; she got to miss school for a baby being born.

Everyone was now sitting in the hospital waiting room, hoping to hear how Sandy was doing.

"It's been an hour and we still haven't heard anything yet." said a very impatient Kevin who was holding his daughter.

"Why is everyone so antsy? And why is everyone always looking at Martin." Ruthie asked. Everyone just looked at one another and then looked at Martin. Simon was just about to say something when Lucy, Annie, and the nurse came out.

"We did it!! We delivered the baby." said a very excited Lucy.

"You all may go in, but only one at a time." The nurse said and then walked away.

"Ummm, how about Simon goes in first. Then Eric and Annie can go see Sandy. Lucy, me and you will go in afterwards, Ruthie you go after us and Martin you go last." Kevin said trying to keep everything calm and organized. He figured it gave Martin time to tell Ruthie what was going on.

"Ok. That sounds good to me." said Annie.

While Simon went into the room first, Martin was trying to think of how he was going to break this to Ruthie. He knew how hurt Ruthie was going to be and how angry at him she was going to be for not telling her long ago. Hiding that he got someone pregnant from his best friend and telling her the day the baby was born was not the best thing to do.

Eric came over, sat down by Martin, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be ok. You just need to tell her truth." He could see the hurt in Martins eyes.

"I know, but she is gonna hate me for not telling her all this time, but she is gonna hate that everyone knew before she did. You know, I'm kinda nervous about seeing the baby, but kinda excited." He was a father now and it scared him.

After everyone went in and saw the baby, it was now Ruthie's turn to go in. She walked in and saw the baby in Sandy's arms.

"He's so beautiful and so tiny." she was amazed at how tiny he was.

"Thank you Ruthie. It means a lot to me that you came here today after everything." She felt bad for Ruthie, knowing she only came to support Martin.

"What do you mean Sandy?" she was confused.

"Didn't they tell you who the father was?" She thought Ruthie knew.

"No they didn't tell me. Why would they need to? It's none of my business." She laughed but soon realized something. The baby looked so familiar to her, like she had seen him before. Then it hit her, everyone was staring at Martin the whole time they were there.

"Oh my God. It can't be him, it just can't be." She left the room and went to the waiting room where she was met by the others.

"That was quick." Martin noticed the tears in her eyes." Ruthie what's wrong."

"The baby is yours isn't it." she didn't want this to be true.

He shook his head yes." Ruthie I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid ok. You're my best friend and I..." He was cut off by her yelling at him.

"YOU KNEW ALL THIS TIME AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME. I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND AND YOU' JUST TELLING ME TODAY. THAT'S WHY EVERYONE WAS SO WEIRD AROUND ME, BECAUSE THEY ALL KNEW." The tears were falling down very hard.

"YOU TOLD MY WHOLE FAMILY BEFORE YOU TOLD ME...WHY MARTIN? WHY DID YOU SLEEP WITH HER...I THOUGHT YOU WERE WAITING TILL YOU GOT MARRIED." She was devastated. The one person she really cared about lied to her.

Everyone in her family just stood there watching her break down into tears. They couldn't do anything except be there when the tears stopped. But the one person, who was dying inside the most, was Martin.

"Ruthie please listen to me ok. I told your sister when I first found out, but the rest of your family guessed." His heart was breaking seeing his best friend hurt like this.

"I didn't want to hurt you Ruthie. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but I was afraid that you would hate me." It was the truth.

"You kept this from me for 9 months." She looked around at everyone." I hate you. I swear I hate you. You should have told me. I was your best friend Martin. I was always there for you when you needed me and this is what you do."

The thought of Martin sleeping with Sandy was killing her. She loved him so much that it hurt. Why didn't he tell her when he first found out? Was it because he couldn't trust her, or because he really didn't think of her as a friend?

"Please please don't hate me. I never wanted to hurt you." He moved closer to her.

"Stay away from me, you disgust me." she yelled so loud her voice echoed." She's 21 you stupid jerk. You had everything going for you. I mean your dad finally came home from Iraq and what's the first thing you do huh...you go and sleep with a slut." She couldn't believe what she was saying.

"You're just as bad as Simon. You're a screw up, no baseball team is gonna want you." Her family just stood there shocked at what she was saying.

"Ruthie calm down ok...please just calm down." Simon was trying to help the situation.

"Simon just shut up..." That was the first time she ever yelled at him. But she hated him to for not telling her.

"I hate all of you. You knew this whole time and you never told me what was going on." She began shaking and hyperventilating.

"Ruthie sweetie, don't say that…you don't mean it." Annie's eyes began to tear up at the sight of her youngest daughter.

"You're all dead to me…ALL OF YOU…Especially you." Ruthie yelled and turned her head toward Martin.

Martin couldn't believe how badly she was taking this whole thing. He couldn't believe how badly he had hurt the one person who was always there for him. But why was she acting like this, it wasn't like she had feelings for him. Did she?

"Ruthie why are you taking this so bad...You sound like I broke your heart." He thought of how Meredith took it and she was his girlfriend at the time and she did not act like this at all.

"Yes you broke my heart you stupid bastard..." this was the first time in her life she had ever cursed.

"Ruthie you may be angry, but you don't need to speak like this." Her father said in a very calm voice.

"Screw all of you…I hate you…I hate you..." She went up and pushed Martin and kept on hitting and pushing him and repeating how much she hated him.

He just stood there letting her get all her anger out. It was the only thing he could do.

"You stupid bastard I hate you so much." She began hitting him harder and shoving him. He grabbed her wrist and tried to stop her.

"Ruthie please, stop this." He begged her.

"No I hate you…I hate you." She tried to hit him but he was holding her wrist away from him stopping her from doing anything.

Martin finally managed to pull her into a hug and just let her cry into his chest. He saw how everyone else reacted to this. Annie was in tears and Eric was holding onto her because she was crying so hard. Simon had to leave the room because he couldn't watch his sister's heart break; it was too emotional for him. Lucy and Kevin decided to go to the chapel that was on the second floor.

"Get off of me." Ruthie pushed Martin away." Don't you ever touch me again, you disgust me..."

Martin's heart was breaking at the sight of this. She was in tears, her face was all red, and her eyes were puffy from crying.

"Ruthie…" He choked out trying, to hold back his tears. He couldn't speak. There was nothing he could say to ease the pain of her heart.

"I hate you." She went to go push him but he stopped her. Then she tried to go hit him, but he was holding her wrist, but that didn't stop her, she began kicking and shoving him.

"Ruthie stop it..." He tried holding her down but it was no use, she just kept going after him. Her parents tried stepping in but that didn't work. Ruthie just fell to the floor on her knees and cried.

"I hate you...God I hate you..." She couldn't stand it anymore. She just wanted to die from the hurt and pain she felt.

"Ruthie." Martin walked over to her slowly and bent down to where she was." Shhh, please just calm down and everything will be fine." He went to go touch her shoulder when she got up quickly and yelled.

"Nothing is ever going to be fine." With that she ran down the hall and out of the hospital with tears in her eyes.