Doctors Dave Batista, John Cena and Dean Ambrose watched the sonogram as John ran the wand over Adam's abdomen.
Adam tried to look, but the neck brace prevented it. Dean held his hand, but the mask over his nose and mouth hid his expression.
"The baby, please tell me. Please." Adam's voice was filled with fear, his eyes like saucers.
Dean squeezed Adam's hand. "Stay calm, baby. Give John a minute." He was just as nervous and anxious.
John and Dave put their heads together. They nodded, then turned to look at Adam. "I'd say you better plan for an early May arrival. As you know, in males, we can tell much sooner. You are about three to four weeks. This tiny dot is your little one." John pointed out the brighter white spot where the baby rested and would soon start to grow.
Dean beamed under his mask. "Thanks, guys. Adam, I love you so damn much A baby, our baby." He pulled off his mask and kissed Adam.
John Cena and Dave Batista quietly left the engaged couple alone to celebrate. In the hall, Dave spoke. "They were very lucky. The accident could have easily...it's a good thing the male womb sits back further. Better protection in situations like this." John Cena nodded in agreement as they headed to check the next patient.
"Dean, I am happy about this baby. But please, Jan, Jade, James and Jordan. What...happened. Are they...Dean?" Adam tried to look at Dean but couldn't.
Dean held Adam's hand and moved to stand so Adam could see him. "Jade is in a room recovering. I had to repair a tear in her liver and do an appendectomy. She had a secret bleeder, but I found it and fixed it. She's bruised and cut, but very much alive. James was in a coma, but he woke up. He has tested fine, but will have a CAT scan later just to make sure. He's also banged up. Jordan and Jan are on the children's ward. Jan has a broken right arm, Jordan broke his left. They also have cuts and bruises. Adam, they and you will recover fully, but it will take time. Seth and Roman are going to move in so Seth can help. Randy is paying him. Randy said he would rather hire someone he knows and trusts than a stranger. Roman agreed. It will get them out of the way of the movers too. For as bad as it was, the five of you are extremely lucky." Dean spoke with honesty. Adam needed to know so he could rest and focus better.
Tears slid down Adam's cheeks. "My darling babies. All I remember...Jade screamed daddy stop...then I heard you...waking me up. Dean...what happened? I am always careful, more so with the kids." His voice was filled with deep emotion.
Dean pulled out his handkerchief and gently dried Adam's face. "They are alive, baby and so are you and baby Ambrose. Hunter hasn't given the final report yet. We won't know till then, but brake failure is the best guess. It happens, baby. It wasn't anything you did." Again Dean spoke honestly and dried more of Adam's tears. He also fed Adam a bit more ice.
Adam swallowed a few more ice chips. "Did I hit anyone else?" There was fear on his face again.
Dean sighed. "You didn't hit anyone, sweetheart. You were hit by an semi. Baby, according to witnesses, The Kia rolled four times and landed upside down. The air bags are what kept you alive." He hoped Adam wouldn't ask the question.
Adam saw the look on Dean's face. "The driver...died, didn't he?" He looked up at his fiance as Dean stood over him.
Dean nodded. "Yeah, he did. Adam, don't you think for even one second it was your fault. It wasn't. Adam, it was an accident...just an accident. I wasn't going to tell you till later, when you are stronger. Please, Adam. You need to stay strong and positive for the little lions, our baby and yourself. Baby, it was his time, not yours or the little lions." He feared the news of the deceased semi driver would set Adam's recovery into a tail spin.
Adam let go of a few more tears, and Dean wiped them away. Dean also held Adam's hand, he was very glad that Adam had a strong, firm grip as well. It was a good sign that there was no spinal injury. Dean caressed Adam's brow. They didn't speak, but the love flowed between them.
Finn Bálor paced the public waiting area of the St. Luke's Hospital emergency room. When the elevator dinged, Stephanie McMahon and Drake Younger stepped out. They headed directly over to Finn. Stephanie got there first.
"Finn, come with us." Stephanie spoke softly and took Finn by an elbow. She lead him out of the public area. Drake followed. She pulled a set of keys from her suit jacket pocket and unlocked a door marked; PRIVATE.
The room was a very comfortable waiting room with a long couch, two reading chairs, that were over stuffed. There was a coffee machine and a sink area. There was also a bathroom.
"Finn, what happened?" Stephanie asked as she led Finn to the couch and and sat close to him. Drake stood in front of the door to the room. He was ready to protect Stephanie if Finn got out of control.
Finn shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I wanted to take Wade to lunch to celebrate our success at getting Orton. Wade said he craved cashew chicken. So we went downtown to the little Chinese place he loves. We parked and walked half a block. By the time we got to the restaurant, Wade said he felt awful. He was pale and had started to sweat like rain. He doubled over in pain. He couldn't make it back to the car, and I wasn't about to leave him. I called for an ambulance. On the ride here, Wade began to vomit and they said his fever was one hundred three, and his blood pressure was low. I told them he is pregnant. The attendant looked worried. Ma'am, Wade felt fine, he was laughing and joking with me about England and Ireland in rugby. We were still laughing as we walked. Then, Wade...faster than lightening was...sick." Finn was mix of sadness and confusion, but there was also anger boiling in his eyes.
Stephanie took Drake's hands in his. "Wade has some kind of bacterial virus. They aren't quite sure how he got it. Finn...Wade..." She had to swallow hard before she could continue to speak.
Finn felt the tremble in Stephanie's hand. "No...please, don't say what I think you are going to say...please…" Finn Bálor, actually let silent tears rain from his eyes, with a sniff.
Stephanie sniffed as well. "Sorry, Finn. He lost the baby. They haven't told him yet. The doctors are afraid it would possibly kill him. Wade is very sick. He is in isolation, so you can't see him. It will have to wait until he is stable enough."
"He wanted her so badly. Alberta Maria. Oh fuck, it's my fault. I jinxed it. We went baby shopping. I thought it would cheer him up. He loved this pretty little pink and white dress, booties, hat and mittens, to bring her home from the hospital in. Wade asked me if buying it so soon was bad luck. I convinced him it wasn't. That it was okay to buy and plan. He was worried about it, like he...had a feeling. But no, I had to talk him in to it. God, it's my fault...oh love, I'm…." Finn covered his face with his hands and sobbed his heart out.
Stephanie looked over at Drake. They both knew now, that Finn's feelings for Wade ran much deeper than friendship. Stephanie felt bad for Wade, the baby was the last thing he had of Alberto's. She also knew Senor Del Rio would be heartbroken. He had told her he couldn't wait to hold his grandchild.
Stephanie indicated for Drake to make a pot of coffee. Drake was glad for something to do. He hoped Justin would be able to figure out how to help Wade. Stephanie had made sure that Justin had a chance to examine Wade in private.
Finn got up, he went to the sink and splashed water on his face. He dried his face with a few paper towels. "What's the news on Orton's ex-bitch and their brats? They had better be so messed up, they will never recover." His anger boiled up.
Drake filled Finn in on the injuries to Adam and the children had sustained. "...so while they will recover, they will carry scars for the rest of their lives. The driver of the semi died. The morgue just sent his autopsy report. He had a heart attack and lost consciousness, so he didn't even see the Kia, he was already dead when he impacted with Adam."
"It should have Orton's attention. What's the next step, ma'am?" Finn had to close off his mind about Wade and Orton was the perfect way to occupy his mind.
Stephanie poured coffee for Finn and handed him the cup as he sat back down. "We make contact with Orton and warn him that next time, it will be fatal, unless he turns everything over to us."
There was a knock on the door. Drake cracked it open. With a smile he waved Justin into the room. Justin was in a yellow gauze apron with matching shoe covers and cap. He also wore a yellow mask and latex gloves.
Justin stripped out of the yellow isolation coverings in the bathroom. He threw them into a trash bag and tied it tightly. He would later dispose of it in a hazmat container. Justin came out of the bathroom in normal hospital green scrubs and a white coat.
"Sorry, but you told me to stay undercover." Justin poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down in one of the overstuffed easy chairs.
"Finn, I know how close you and Wade are. I am sure Miss Stephanie told you. I am really sorry, Finn. I know how much the baby meant, to both of you." Justin spoke with sadness. The baby had been everything to Wade. It broke his heart to think about it. It also made him angry because he knew what had caused the miscarriage.
"Why, Justin? Why did it happen? How did Wade get so sick in a five minute walk?" Finn Bálor asked with a sip of coffee.
Justin sighed. "Finn, you've got to stay in control. I mean it." He spoke sternly to the explosive Irishman. He also looked at Drake.
Drake moved to stand next to Justin's chair. He put a protective hand on his lover's shoulder. What ever Justin had to say was going to be very unpleasant.
"Justin, tell us what you found out. I am sure Finn will stay calm, for Wade." Stephanie looked at Justin with encouragement.
Justin took another sip, then spoke. "I looked at him carefully. I found a tiny bruise, just like the ones you and Drew had. They aren't sure of the illness, but they suspect a very severe strain of flu. They will keep Wade in isolation to prevent any spread. I couldn't tell anyone that this is a single case, because of a pellet hit. I am sure Orton's men got him. It is too coincidental." He finished with a sigh. He truly hated what had happened to Wade, but he also knew, prices had to be paid. Sadly, Wade paid for Finn's crime against Adam and the children.
Justin also knew, with Adam and the quadruplets in McMahon's hospital, they were in grave, if not mortal danger. He had a plan. But in order for it to work, he had to be the one to execute it...five lives depended on it. His own life depended on it. He had to wait for the right moment.
Finn crushed the Styrofoam coffee cup like it was powder. "Orton is dead. His fucking kids are dead, and his ex-bitch is dead. All I have to do is get into their rooms and smother them." He growled like a rabid lion.
Stephanie looked at Finn. "No, Finn. You can't do that. It would be too obvious and that means the cops would be crawling around like cockroaches. We have to be careful. I can't get Saint Luke's involved. It is separate from the family business." She actually liked Finn's idea, but knew it would be a fatal mistake for the McMahon faction.
Justin shifted in his seat. "I have an idea, ma'am. But, I have to be the one to do it. That part is imperative. If I don't have your word on that, I won't tell my plan. I don't mean to sound disrespectful, ma'am but, I am thinking of you, Mister Vince and Saint Luke's. I am not trying to do it for personal gain or glory." Justin spoke firmly. He thought about the medal he wore.
Just as he'd left the isolation room of Wade Barrett. A man in a full yellow isolation suit, passed him in the hallway. Justin had barely felt something slip into the pocket of the yellow apron he wore. He turned to try to see the man, but he'd vanished like smoke. Justin found the item when he'd gone into the restroom of the private waiting room.
The item was wrapped in paper. It was a note that read, "Wear this, it's a camera and listening device. It is undetectable. Trust me." Justin looked at the item. It was an exact, perfect replica of his McMahon faction medal. He couldn't even tell where the camera or listening device were. Even though the camera wouldn't catch much, the listening device would.
Justin had quickly changed his medal for the bugged one. He put the real medal deep in the pocket of the trousers he wore. He would hide it later in his home safe. He put the new medal on. Justin was impressed with the way it even had indication of having age from constantly being worn. Justin crumpled the note and had wrapped it in the latex gloves, and would throw them, along with the garbage bag, in the hazmat trash. No one would dare search through it.
Justin knew everything would now be heard by Hunter Helmsley or Chief Hart. He hoped they were intelligent enough to understand what wasn't said, as opposed as to what was said.
Stephanie looked at Justin. "I understand, Justin. I know you wouldn't do anything for your own glory. So does Finn. So, tell me your idea. You know how much we value your intelligence. I know you would never do anything to betray my father, or myself." She gave Justin a kind smile. She had every faith in him.
Before Justin could speak, Finn spoke. "Justin, don't worry about me. I will gladly listen to any idea you have. As long as it makes Orton suffer." He gave Justin a hard stare.
Justin gave Finn a nod. He looked up at Drake, who still stood beside him. Justin looked at Stephanie. Justin hoped this would work.
"I can give Adam an injection that would stop his heart. He did stop breathing for a few moments at the accident scene. Now, the medication wouldn't be detected. It would be a natural death. However, I will not give it to any of the children. They didn't ask to be put in the middle of this, and neither did Wade's baby. I will do nothing to harm a child; any child, not even an Orton child." Justin laid out his idea and waited for the reaction.
In the little office, in a downtown bank, Hunter Helmsley and Jason Reso-Hart listened to Justin Gabriel speak. When he heard what Justin had said, Hunter growled with anger.
Jason looked at Hunter. "Hey, calm down. He actually doing something smart. He won't really harm Adam. He is trying to protect him. He wants Adam away from McMahon's hands. There is a problem, it's going to be very difficult to pull off. Adam will have to go into hiding, maybe the children too. Dean will have to be in on it and we must and I mean must keep Gabriel safe, no matter what." He spoke with a but of awe. Justin was a very intelligent man.
Hunter looked at Jason. "But Adam needs to recover, how can he go into hiding? It would also devastate the children. I simply don't know what to do." He leaned back in his chair and scrubbed his face with the palms of his hands.
"I am almost certain, there is a safe room in Adam's house. It could be set up to be comfortable for Adam and the children. It's just...getting the things they would need to the house, without raising questions." Jason had already started to think of how to work it out. It would be terribly difficult.
Hunter grinned. "It will be a piece of cake..." He went on to explain about Seth and Roman moving into Adam's house while the movers set up their new house next door.
"...so, the truck could back up to the garage, unload and none would be the wiser. Just stuff that belongs to Seth and Roman. Also, Seth will be there to take care of Adam and the children. There is another problem...Randy. He will want to take his children, it's only natural." Hunter finished with a shrug. Nothing was ever easy.
Jason let out a "hum" sound. "We may have to take a punt on Orton. We may have to convince him the children would recover better in their own environment, with Dean and Seth. We've got to meet with Gabriel and Dean to work this out carefully." He too gave a shrug.
"Call Bret. I have feeling we don't have a lot of time." Hunter stated firmly. He would make sure this worked without any real deaths.
At St. Luke's, Stephanie looked at Justin. "Okay, well, I hate to see Adam…he's a wonderful nurse and a good person. But, someone has to pay for Orton's crime. I also agree that the children will not be harmed. When do you want to do it?" She arched her brow at Justin.
"In ten minutes." Finn spoke with another growl.
"No, Finn. Tomorrow night. I have to get the medication first. Think Jericho can do that? The medication needs to be mixed with a common one that I do have. It has to be at night, less activity. I can step in, give him the fatal dose, the slip out with no one the wiser. Finn, this can not be rushed, and I need the other medication. It's not common to have in a hospital. Jericho needs to keep his fucking mouth shut." Justin spoke firmly to Finn and Stephanie. He also gave Finn a very hard glare.
Stephanie nodded. "You write down what you need and I will contact Jericho immediately. He will bring it personally. Finn, he's right, this has to be done carefully and slowly. There can be no mistakes. Once Adam is dead, we can use it against Orton. Because we can always tell him, Jade is next. She is the most injured so it would work. Orton will do anything to keep his children safe. It is a regrettable thing, but Orton left us with no choice. I will also run this by father, but I am very sure he will totally agree. Drake, stay with Finn, Justin has to get back to the children's ward. I will speak to father, then I will contact Jericho. Finn, be strong for Wade. He is going to need you. Forget everything else. It will be taken care of. Trust me, Finn, you did your job, now let Justin do his. You will have another chance, I promise." Stephanie spoke calmly to Finn. She had to keep him on a very tight leash, or the whole thing could go up in flames.
Finn nodded. "Yes, ma'am, you are right. We did do the job, and now Justin needs to do his. Justin, when can I see Wade? Or at least look at him?" He went from angry to sad as he thought of sweet, handsome Wade.
Justin put a hand on Finn's knee. "Finn, I will do what I can. Maybe if nothing else, I can sneak you in as nurse. But remember, he is not in any kind of condition to know about the baby. He also may not be awake. He slips in and out of consciousness. There is some good news, his fever is down to one hundred one. Considering, it is good. Hang tight, and be strong." He stood. Justin gave Drake a small kiss. With a nod to Stephanie, Justin left.
"I'm going too. Drake, get Finn to eat. I will take care of Jericho." She had the paper with the name of the medication in one hand. She dug a couple hundred dollars out of her pocket and handed it to Drake with a nod.
Drake to the cash and smiled at Stephanie. "Don't worry, ma'am. I will take care of Finn. We will be back here later. Thank you, ma'am."
Chief Bret Hart sat in the little private office at the bank. Jason and Hunter had just finished telling him about Justin, his idea and their plan to help carry off the deception.
"...so, we need to speak to Justin immediately." Hunter finished with a shrug and a bite of the fast food meal Bret had brought for him and Jason.
Bret nodded. "I agree and I guarantee he will drop a where and when in either a conversation, video or phone text. He is a smart cookie. By the way, how is Shane? Did you tell him?"
"He heard about it on the news. He's got a TV and radio. He isn't taking it well. He thinks if he'd still been at the mansion he would have heard about the plan against Adam and been able to warn us. I told him, that if Justin would have know he would have warned us. I told Shane that my guess was that who ever did it, didn't say what he was going to do. Which makes me suspect, they know their meetings were bugged at one time." Hunter gave a shrug. Couldn't anything ever just once, be easy?
"Shane is a strong young man. You will get him through it. I hope he can come out of hiding soon. I have a feeling, this could be the start of the end for Randy and the McMahon's. Does Adam know that the semi driver had a heart attack, just after leaving the Aldi?" Bret asked with a last bite of his own food.
"Dean was going to tell him. He hoped Adam wouldn't ask, but knowing Adam, he will. He will feel guilty. Dean will get him through it. Adam is soft, but strong." Hunter again shrugged.
At St. Luke's Hospital, Justin locked himself in the medicine room for the afternoon meds for the patients on the children's ward.
Justin spoke softly. "We have to meet immediately. Meet me at the Costco on Linwood. Corn Flakes sound good. I will be there at six thirty." He prayed Hunter or Chief Hart heard him. It would take a bit of work, but Justin knew he could do it.
At the bank, Hunter laughed. "You were right, Bret. I'd better get in disguise. We'd better move this to…?" He looked over at Jason.
"The Costco parking lot in an hour." Jason got up. He had to gather everything and get the van.
Hunter waved. "I will be there, thanks Jason." He smiled as Bret and Jason kissed.
Bret sighed. "That man of mine is a wonder. How he ever fell in love with a grumpy bastard like me, never ceases to amaze me. I am glad he did."
"He worships you, Bret. He don't take your shit. I ask myself the same about Shawn. I don't deserve him." Hunter too sighed.
Bret smiled. "We are both lucky then. I'd better go too. I will be at the Costco. Good luck, Hunter." The shook hands and Bret left.
At St. Luke's, Justin and Drake spoke, in the break room. "How about I cook you a nice dinner. I just have to go to the store first. You go to my condo, and make it nice for a romantic dinner." Justin had make a reason to keep Drake from going shopping with him.
Drake grinned. "Sounds great. But come to my place instead. You love cooking on my range better. I will make it really romantic for you." He gave Justin a wiggle of his brows.
Justin chuckled. "Okay. I am done here at six. I should be at your place between seven thirty and eight. I also need to do some regular shopping while I'm there. I am out of bread and stuff. But, by nine, I promise a delicious meal on the table." He gave Drake a smirk of his own.
"Perfect. Take your time. You have a big thing to do tomorrow. I thought you liked Adam." Drake had been a bit surprised at Justin coming up with the idea to actually kill Adam.
"It's...Wade deserves the justice. He did nothing wrong, and he lost his baby… It wasn't right. Okay, maybe if Finn had been hit with the virus pellet...it was retaliation, but Wade? All he did was drive the fucking car. Why hit him? That baby was everything to Wade. So, someone has to pay. Yes, I like Adam, he is a friend, but aside from the sick children I care for, business and loyalty to the faction comes first. It is the best revenge I could think of. I will not allow further harm to Adam's children. It will be hard enough on them." Justin hoped he planted enough seeds to deflect his true intentions.
Drake looked at Justin with deep admiration. "Behind that soft, sweet nurse, you can be a cold, calculated killer. I wish I could see the expression on both Dean and Orton's faces when they hear the news. They both deserve it." He had bitterness in his voice.
Justin "tisked" at Drake. "You do hold grudges don't you? Hope I never give you cause to hold a grudge against me. Look, we are both in a nasty business, and at times, we have to do nasty things. If you aren't prepared to kill a hostage, don't take one. Get me?" Justin had the look of a cold blooded killer.
Drake smirked. "That's why I...love you, baby. We gotta get back to work. I will see you at my place later. Madame wants me to check on Finn. He was okay after lunch and slept on the couch. Last time I looked he was still asleep. She's going to send Drew to stay with him." He stood as did Justin. They kissed then went their own ways.
Dean sat with Jade in the private recovery room. She rested her head on Dean's thigh. She clutched a teddy bear Dean had brought her. Jade also sucked her thumb, something she only did when she felt really sick.
"Yes, little lioness, I promise, daddy will be just fine. You know what, the operation he had, will help the nerve that breaks, so he won't have so many migraines. That's good, isn't it?" Dean spoke softly and gently stroked Jade's long hair. She'd been so scared when he'd finally gotten a chance to see her.
At six-thirty, two men in disguises stood in the vast breakfast food aisle of Costco. They were in front of the corn flakes.
Justin held a large box of cereal. "I take it you heard everything?" He ran his finger down the box like he read the nutritional information.
Hunter did the same with his own box of cereal. "Yeah. So, what's your real plan?" He arched his brow at Justin.
Justin gave a chuckle. "I knew you would read between the lines. We can't fake a death, but Adam and the children could vanish. It will take a lot of logistical planning, but with care, it can be done. Just… where do you hide an injured man and four injured children? If they aren't well hidden, my colleagues will find them and Adam will be dead for real." He had deep concern in his eyes.
"We have a plan…." Hunter quietly launched into the idea of where to hide Adam and the children. He knew it was a great risk to tell about the panic room, but Hunter also had to show Justin a lot of trust. He also knew Randy would have made sure the safe room would be well hidden and protected with the ultimate in security.
"...so, Seth and Dean will both be there to look after them. I hope all of this will cause Randy and the McMahon's to slip." Hunter finished and put the box of cereal in his cart.
Justin nodded. "It's a fantastic plan and will work. I have more to tell you, but let's move to another aisle." He pushed his own cart down a few aisles to the paper products. Once there, Justin told Hunter about Finn and what had happened to Wade.
"...so that's why I came up with the Adam idea. I hope next time I can warn better. I had no clue what Bálor was going to do…or when. So, I couldn't help. Adam and his children are suffering because I couldn't stop it. I feel terrible, but that is the business we are in. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I only want justice for people who didn't deserve to be hurt or killed...for personal gain. I am sorry I let Adam down." Justin sighed.
"Don't fret. You're so brave with what you are doing. I am going to make sure everyone knows what you did. You're a hero, son. It's not your fault about Adam. I know, if you had known, you would have warned us. Just wear that medal at all times. It works great. Audio is evidence in court." Hunter gave Justin a hearty pat on the back.
A plan was in motion. Like anything else, it was good news, bad news.