Chapter 7

Hold on to me

"Hang a bag of O neg!"

"Push Epi!"

"Charge to 150!"

"Charged. Clear!"

And the paddles hit her chest, taking her whole body off the bed.

"Charge to 200!"

"Charged. Clear!"

Again the electrical jolt shook her body. Helplessly praying the light wasn't fading, hiding the shock and chills running through his bones, Connor took control. The whole time screaming please please don't leave me. He couldn't imagine a world without her. He didn't want to do this alone.

"Come back baby please. Come back to me." He pleaded with her, still doing compressions. Trapped in a nightmare he couldn't escape. No. this was not happening again. He was not going to lose her. Please God please.

"Stats are coming back. Normal sinus rhythm." He didn't know who said that or who was doing what. Just the relief that coursed through his whole body and made his knees weak.

"She's back. We got this Dr Rhodes." One of the OB doctors said, already moving the bed to wheel her out.

"Where are you taking her?"

"We're taking her upstairs for placenta evacuation. And to get her stabilized."

"I'm coming with you." They were already pulling her away, he couldn't just let her go.

"Connor, your baby. Here hold your son." Will placed the tiny bundle in his arms and his fuzzy mind came back. This was his baby. His son. And he was alert and looking up at him as if he already knew who his father was. Connor's heart was instantly wrapped around those little fingers as his son grabbed at his finger. Robin had to see this. She was going to be overwhelmed with joy. He looked on helplessly as they wheeled her out.

"I won't leave her side Connor." Natalie said.

"Me neither. We got this." Maggie said, following after Robin.

Connor was just left standing there, holding his baby boy in his arms, confused like never before. It wouldn't be the first time that they didn't come back with her. Too many husbands had been left in this same state, they took their wives away and never came back. Hell, this exact thing happened to Philip. He started to panic again.

"Hey, she's coming back. You saw her, she is stable now." Choi said, a hand on his shoulder. Will on the other side of him, both giving him their support. Which could never be enough if Robin didn't come back.

"Dr Charles, come see your grandson." Will said. It was the first time Connor noticed Dr Charles standing there leaning against the wall, a look of shock and terror on his face. Looked like the shrink needed a shrink this time. Sharon, who had been standing with him the whole time approached Connor with him to see the baby in Connor's arms.

Robin better come back, he couldn't do this on his own. God please bring her back. She needed to see this miracle they had created together.

About an hour later, Connor was called in to see Robin who had been settled into the VIP room.

She had been asking for him and their baby the very moment she woke up. He walked in with their baby bundled in his arms and all he could do was smile as he saw her sitting up in bed, looking alert. She stretched out her hand to him and he took it and leaned in to kiss her.

"You're always giving me a heart attack." He teased.

"I don't mean to. I'm sorry." She said

"Want to see our son?" he teased her, still holding the baby. He handed her their baby and she cried and smiled at the same time when she held him.

"He looks just like you." She said.

The good thing about VIP beds was, they were big enough for two. Now, this one had to be big enough for three. Connor climbed into bed with her and held her while she held their baby boy.

She looked up at him and smiled, he leaned in and kissed her long and hard, their baby between them. This was what happiness was made of, but the prize he would pay if he ever lost her would be too high. Still, this was worth anything.

They were a picture perfect family, that's what Clare thought as she came into the room much later on. Holding a teddy bear. She hugged Robin and the Connor and patted the baby's nose with her pinky finger.

"So, what have you named him?" She asked.

Robin smiled and looked at Connor.

"Dillon. Dillon Rhodes." Connor said.

"After granddad?" Clare smiled with pride. "He is a Dillon Rhodes alright. Feisty."

"Here, hold your nephew." Robin said, handing the baby over to her.

Clare was flattered as she stretched to take the baby in her arms. "Hey," She said cooing to the baby. "Hey, Dillon. You will be more and better than even your namesake was. And he was something."

They all laughed. "Oh, that he was." Connor concurred.

Dr Charles came in to see visit with the family, along with most of their colleagues, now celebrating the new born and the favorable outcome for both the mother and baby.

"Dillon Rhodes." April said. "Talk about a tall order."

"He'll live up to it, and more." Connor said. "It's more than the business. My granddad was the guy I always wanted to take after. His humility, integrity and humanity just made me want to fashion myself after him. He had grit like no other. And we all, even my dad, wanted to emulate him. I just hope my son will do better than I where I have failed."

"That's the hope of every father." Doctor Charles. "And you will teach him right from wrong. I have no doubt you'll both do a good job of that."

"And you haven't done too badly Dr Rhodes. Just knowing you makes me respect your grandfather too." Sharon said.

"Here here." Maggie said, having handed everyone a glass of wine in the VIP room, except for the mother and child. "The wine is courtesy of Gwen Gareth herself. Congrats for the baby."

"Nice. Of course, it's a VIP room." Will snorted.

Amidst their laughter, they raised their glasses to Dillon Rhodes Jr. And to the happy family.

An expensive bottle of wine wasn't going to cut it, but Connor would have to deal with Mrs. Gareth tomorrow. Right now he would just be happy with his family.

….

The surgery on the VIP had gone well, he got to have his name on that monumental surgery. His wife and baby were going home today, all happy and healthy. He could breathe again, he was overjoyed. He was not going to sue the hospital anymore, Robin had told him that she was the one who didn't want him to pull out of surgery. He knew why she had done that, the surgery was important to him but he would have left the whole damn thing to see his wife through labor. He also knew that the hospital had an obligation to notify him and didn't take it because they didn't want him to pull out of surgery. It would have ruined their Premier destination hospital reputation so they decided to sacrifice him. And he was going to let Gwen have a piece of his mind.

"Dr Rhodes…"

"No, Mrs. Goodwin, I know you would not have been on board with this. I know exactly who pushed for this."

Rhodes was 'angry, angry', Gwen could see that. If she didn't handle this well, he might just bring in his lawyers after all.

"Dr Rhodes, I should know that we were only honoring your wife's wishes…"

"Don't give me that. You had an obligation to notify me. Just tell me my wife is in labor, keep me updated while I perform surgery. Let me decide at which point I would pull out of surgery, if I had to. But no. You took that decision from me to the point where she almost died in labor. Without me knowing she was even in this hospital!"

"You have an obligation to us…"

"And you have an obligation to me. I know all about my responsibilities here but you had no right…"

"Ok, we missteped on that one…"

"Yes, you did! And I really would have sued this hospital. You should thank Robin for that, she thinks it was her decision. I want you to know this. Whatever I'm doing, wherever I am, my wife and my son are my first priority. I don't care if I'm operating on the President, you let me know."

With that he stood and excused himself. Sharon had that 'I told you so' look as she looked at Gwen and Peter in the board room.

"Dodged that bullet." Peter, the hospital lawyer said and excused himself as well. The hospital lawyer knew that Dr Rhodes had every legal right to pursue this and win. The hospital had indeed missteped.

….

Connor wheeled his wife and son out of the hospital amidst congratulations and happy wishes from their colleagues and friends. Robin held their baby, smiling at the well wishes from their friends. The hospital had graciously given him a few weeks for paternity leave. That would do for a truce. But if any of his VIP patients were to come in with any cardiac conditions that needed fixing, he would be called in. Fair deal. He took it. He hoped people would stop having heart failure issues for a while, he need this time to bond with his son and be there for his wife while she recuperated.

He wished his father was there to see his grandson. He would have really loved that, they had been getting close and Connor was sure the birth of his son would have brought them closer. But someone had decided to kill him. Ava had avoided coming to see the baby or congratulating him. Smart move, she should really stay away. He went cold with fear every time she was near anyone he loved.

Robin's mom would have been thrilled to see this moment. It was unfortunate she had passed before this moment happened. But he was grateful that she had seen their wedding. He remembered when he had proposed to Robin, just as soon as they got back from Japan and starting a new job at the Mayo Clinic, while Robin started hers at a nearby hospital. He had walked into her hospital one day and saw some guy charming her silly. She was a beautiful woman, any guy would want to take a shot, even if they were clearly out of her league. And that fact didn't stop him from filling jealous when he saw her smile at that guy and laugh. He had walked up to that guy, all possessive, outstretched hand and introduced himself.

"Boyfriend?" The guy said, not at all intimidated. The look on his face saying, 'dude, she's still fair game if she doesn't have your ring on her finger.'

That got him wondering, why had he waited so long to put a ring on her finger? She was his in every way except for the one that really counted. The little things that only he knew, that made him his, wouldn't hold water in court if he had decked that guy. He still had issues to work through but this wasn't one of them. She was his saving grace and if he let her slip away again, he would be the fool of the earth. That's when he decided, he was going to propose that night. He would arrange a nice dinner, buy the most expensive ring and beg her to have him forever.

So, he did. And she cried and smiled at the same time as she said yes to him. He was surprised with the relief that whooshed out of him at that moment, he had not realized he had been that nervous. He held her in his arms and really took in what it really meant to be happy.

They had invited a few friends to their wedding from work mostly. Clare and Russell, Robin's mom and Dad. Dr Charles gave him his blessing. In spite of whatever residual misgivings he still had about Connor's family issues, he knew his love for his daughter was the real kind. So, he gave her away to Connor on their wedding day, tears smarting his eyes as he walked her down the aisle and gave her hand to Connor who was waiting at the altar, his own eyes not anymore dry. She smiled up at him as she took his hand and he had no words. He could not take his eyes off her, she was an angel and she was his.

They said their vows, recited what the Priest was saying, but he had said all of his vows before this moment. Standing there with their friends and family gathered for them, he pretended it was just them two. When the crowd heard 'I do' he heard a pledge of love that was unbreakable come what may. He had kissed her a thousand times before this, but when they kissed for the first time as husband and wife, it was for the first time. He knew that not many people could understand that, not many had been as blessed to find the person they could not bear to live without. The one person who held his heart.

He whispered it in her ear the words he had inscribed inside their wedding bands.

"My heart, forever."

A tear rolled down her face as she said it back.

He couldn't wait to wake up tomorrow and say good morning to his wife. To say it then and forever, that he belonged to her only. He was making her a promise, that he would never break the heart she had given to him, as he entrusted her with his.

There was so much more behind the words they had spoken in front of their audience, but God was their witness. If only they could understand. They looked at them, at him, but she was the only one who knew the man behind the surface. And still said 'I do.'

They said it was a beautiful wedding, but for him, it was the beginning of his life, to the end of it.

As they were pronounced husband and wife, he made the loudest whoop of exhilaration. Carrying his wife in his arms, who was also laughing with joy. She threw the bouquet, Clare caught it. It was joyous dancing, laughing after that. She danced with her father the father daughter dance, he danced with her mom. His mother in law embraced him and welcomed him into the family. She knew she didn't have long to live but she was glad and grateful that her daughter was going to be safe with him.

A few months later Caroline said her goodbyes to close friends and family at a small get together party. Robin wanted to travel with her mom and dad to their honeymoon island for her mother's final days. But eventually she understood that this was a time they needed to be together one final time. She came back home, to him. It wasn't long before her passing, Dr Charles called Conner to tell him the news. He was the one to tell Robin. It had been hard for her, she went into a depressive state, and sometimes she couldn't get out of bed. It was hard trying to get her excited about anything. Then she found out she was pregnant and that woke her up. This baby, his son, saved his mother. Maternal instincts brought her back to him and just like that, they were whole again. They had gone through that and came up topside.