Chapter 11:
Margo's room at Memorial, 8:30 am
Tom wakes up after sleeping in the chair when he hears a knock on the door. He stretches then walks over to the door and sees Casey standing there with a gym bag in his hand.
"I wasn't sure if I should come in," Casey says quietly. "Um, how's mom?"
"Come on in. She's still asleep. She's going to be here for a couple of days and then she is going to have to take it extremely easy for the rest of the pregnancy. Right now, we're waiting to find out the results of her liver function tests and to see if she has a condition called intrahepatic cholestasis. It can affect pregnant women and with your mom having HCV and having had a liver transplant, there's a very good chance she has it. Stress apparently aggravates this condition, so that's why it's important that she take it easy for the rest of her pregnancy. That's if Dr. Samuels and Dr. Martinez don't recommend bed rest until she has the baby." Tom quietly states.
"Who is Dr. Martinez?" Casey quietly asks. "I thought she was seeing Dr. Bartlett, the doctor who performed her transplant surgery."
"Your mom was seeing Dr. Bartlett. She switched doctors after Dr. Bartlett suggested she terminate the pregnancy because of her illness." Tom quietly replies as he looks over at a sleeping Margo.
"What? What do you mean terminating the pregnancy?" Casey asks, careful not to wake his mom.
"I mean that Dr. Bartlett wanted your mom to have an abortion. She asked Grandpa to go with her to talk to Dr. Samuels to seek a second opinion. Dr. Samuels put her in touch with Dr. Martinez after telling your mom that terminating the pregnancy was on the extreme side. Dr. Martinez told your mom that she could go through with the pregnancy, but she's going to be monitored closely." Tom replies.
"Mom's not going to like having to take it easy until she has the baby." Casey quietly states.
"She's already expressed her displeasure on hearing that. What's with the bag?" Tom asks, looking down at the gym bag Casey has in his hand.
"Oh, this? Grandpa called and left a message to let me know about mom. He asked if I could bring a change of clothes for you. I packed a long-sleeved t-shirt, pajama pants, a t-shirt, your tennis shoes and your travel kit. I stopped over at the house and grabbed a pair of jeans and a pull over for you. I also packed a pair of pajamas for Mom in case she wanted them instead of the hospital gown. I figured that way, she might be more comfortable, and I stopped at the bookstore along the way and picked up the new Ann Rule novel so she would have something to read while she's here." Casey states quietly as he hands the bag to his dad. "I figured it was the least I can do. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't want to see me right now."
"You never know. She might want to. She did ask me last night when I told her I was going to call you why I bothered you with her being here. I told her that you're worried about her too and that you feel really bad about what you said to her." Tom quietly says as he takes the bag from Casey.
"Dad, I do feel bad. I told her I don't want anything to do with her because of this. I know I hurt her when I said that to her. I could tell that it crushed her. I don't think she's going to want to see me." Casey says.
Margo starts to stir. Tom and Casey look over to her in bed. Margo opens her eyes and sees that not only Tom is still there, but Casey standing there as well.
"Hey there. How are you feeling this morning?" Tom asks, diverting his attention from Casey to Margo.
"I'm still a little achy. Uh, did you stay last night?" Margo asks, still somewhat sleepy.
"Yes, I did. When I came up here last night, you were asleep. I decided to stay in case something happened." Tom replies. "You were pretty exhausted."
"I guess I was." Margo quietly replies.
"Uh, Dad, I think I'm going to go." Casey says.
"Why don't you stay and try to talk with your mom? You two do need to talk. Just remember, don't get her stressed out. She needs to take it easy. I'm going to leave you two alone to talk and go take a shower. It will be okay. Just talk to her." Tom says as he puts his hand on Casey's shoulder to try to reassure him then walks over to the bathroom and closes the door behind him.
"What's with the cast?" Margo asks.
"This?" Casey asks as he looks at his cast. "I broke a bone in my hand and a finger. I have to have surgery on Tuesday to reset the bone in my hand."
"What happened?" Margo asks.
"I was in gym class four weeks ago. We were playing flag football when I tripped and fell. One of the other guys didn't see me laying there and accidentally stepped on my hand. I tried calling your cell phone from the nurse's office at school, but all I got was a message saying that your cell phone was temporarily shut off." Casey replies. "I tried calling you before calling Dad."
"I'm sorry about that. I had it shut off while I was out of town. I left town to get away from things. I needed to get away for a while." Margo says.
"I brought you a pair of your own pajamas in case you don't want to wear that hospital gown and I also brought you the new Ann Rule novel, so you at least have something to read while you're here. They're in the bag that I gave to Dad, along with a change of clothes for him." Casey says, still standing at the foot of the bed.
"Thanks." Margo quietly says.
"I noticed that you packed up my stuff, along with Dad and Daniel's stuff. You didn't have to do that, Mom." Casey says looking down at the cast on his hand.
"Casey, listen. I had the same conversation with your dad last night. Everything I packed up, your things, your dad's things, Daniel's, the pictures, mementos—all of it, was nothing but a constant reminder of your dad walking out on me and you not wanting anything to do with me. There was no point for me keeping all that stuff out. My marriage to your dad is over and I've finally have begun to accept that fact. You're old enough to decide on which parent you want to live with, and you've pretty much made that choice." Margo states.
"Mom, I reacted to what I thought was the truth. After Dad and grandpa told me what happened in court, I was so confused. I really didn't know who I was angrier with—Jill for lying about what happened or Dad for believing her over you. I laid there, awake in bed, thinking about what I said to you about not wanting anything to do with you ever again. I keep thinking that you might not want anything to do with me after what I said. When I went over to the house with Chris to get Grandpa Chris's pocket watch and saw everything packed up, it kind of confirmed for me that you don't want anything to do with me because of all of this." Casey says as he sits on the bed next to his mom's feet.
"Case..." Margo says
"Mom," Casey interrupts, "I know what I said to you about not wanting anything to do with you. I was wrong and I realize that now. I am so sorry for telling you that I didn't want anything to do with you ever again. I wasn't thinking when I said that. I saw how it crushed you after I said that. I can totally understand if you don't want me to come back here while you're here." Casey says as he looks down at his cast.
"Case, I was hoping to get a chance to explain things to you and what really happened. I was really hurt when you didn't give me that chance. That's what hurt the most about this whole thing—I didn't get that chance. Both you and your dad didn't give me that chance." Margo says as she curls up in the bed and looks away from Casey.
"Mom, I know that I didn't give you the chance—just like Dad. We were both wrong in doing that. Dad's been beating himself over that for the past couple of weeks. I feel extremely guilty over telling you that I didn't want anything to do with you ever again. I am really sorry about what I said to you. I just hope that you can eventually forgive me, and Dad, for hurting you like this." Casey says just as Tom walks out of the bathroom.
"I'm going to need time on that one." Margo says quietly as she avoids looking at her son.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Casey says as Tom walks out of the bathroom.
"What's going on?" Tom asks as he sets the bag down on the chair.
"I think I might have made things worse with Mom. Maybe I should get out of here. Do you want me to take your tux so Grandma Kim can return it along with mine, Chris, and Grandpa Bob's?" Casey asks as he runs his fingers through his hair.
"Hey, are you okay?" Tom asks as he looks over at Margo who is curled up under the covers looking away from her estranged husband and son.
"I have a headache. Can I have some time alone, please?" Margo asks quietly.
Anna quietly knocks on the door and walks in.
"Hi. Margo, how are you feeling this morning?" Anna asks as she walks over to the bed.
"I have a headache this morning." Margo quietly responds.
"It could be from the IV antibiotic. Are you still having the achy feeling from earlier this morning" Anna asks.
"I'm still feeling a little achy." Margo replies.
"I can bring in some Tylenol for you. Here's a menu card, why don't you fill out what you would like for meals today so I can get that down to the cafeteria. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Anna says.
"Anna, there was something mentioned about an ultrasound this morning. Do you have any idea when that is scheduled for?" Tom asks, stopping Anna before she walks out.
"I can go check on that. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Anna replies then walks out of the room.
"Tom, Casey, can I have some time alone, please? I have this headache and I could really use some time to myself." Margo pleads. "You guys don't need to be here because of me."
"Margo, I told you I'm not going anywhere. I'm not. You've already been through enough with this baby by yourself. Besides, I need to know that you and the baby are going to be okay and I'm not going anywhere until we know what's going on, okay? I'll go with Casey and get something to eat after Anna comes back about the ultrasound. That way you can have some time to yourself. Just do me a favor, please?" Tom asks as he walks over to the bed and gently rubs Margo's arm.
"What?" Margo asks quietly as she looks over at the fetal monitor, trying to divert any eye contact from Tom.
"Will you take it easy, please? I think talking with Casey might have upset you. Please don't get so worked up over it. Getting stressed out right now is not good right now for either you or the baby. Remember that. Dr. Samuels also said that stress could trigger the itching that you've had. While I'm with Casey, why don't you change into the pajamas that Casey brought so that you might be more comfortable?" Tom suggests as he grabs the bag from the other chair and places it on the bed next to her.
"Okay." Margo quietly replies just as Anna opens the door and walks in.
"Margo, here's some Tylenol for your headache. This was also dropped off at the nurses' station for you. It's Sarna lotion. It's lotion that Dr. Samuels prescribed to help with your itching." Anna states.
"Here's the menu card that you asked for me to fill out. I was wondering if it's okay to change into some pajamas my son brought me." Margo inquires.
"I don't see why that would be a problem, if you feel more comfortable wearing those—I don't have any problem with that. I also just wanted to let you know that my shift is up, and I'll be back tonight. Saree is going to be taking over for me. She's going to be in about a half an hour to check your blood pressure. When I checked it last night, it was down—but not by a whole lot. I already spoke with her about what is going on. I'll see you tonight." Anna states.
"Did you find anything out about the ultrasound?" Tom asks.
"Yes, I did, Mr. Hughes. Dr. Samuels was able to get one scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon. She should also have the liver function test results back by then, too. I will go and get this to the cafeteria so that they can get Margo's breakfast up here." Anna states. "Have a good day, I will see you tonight."
"Thanks. Bye." Tom states as Anna walks out of the room.
"You take it easy and I'll be back in a little while. Do you want me to bring you back anything from the cafeteria?" Tom asks.
"Can you see if they have any hot tea? If they do, could you bring me some with lemon and honey? Otherwise, if they don't, a mixed berry smoothie will be fine." Margo replies.
"Okay. I'll be back. Remember take it easy. I have my cell phone on me if you need anything." Tom says as he squeezes her hand, trying to reassure her that everything is going to be okay.
Tom and Casey walk out of Margo's room.
"I don't think Mom was ready to see me." Casey states.
"She's going to need time. Why don't we go get some breakfast and we can talk about this down in the cafeteria?" Tom says as he stops by the nurses' station.
"Can I help you, sir?" a nurse asks.
"Yes, I was wondering if I can leave a message for Saree that I am going to be down at the cafeteria." Tom inquires.
"I'm Saree. Who are you?" Saree asks.
"I'm Tom Hughes. My wife, Margo, is in room 1521. Anna Trenton said that you were going to be taking over because her shift was up." Tom replies.
"Yes, Mr. Hughes. Anna informed me of what was going on with your wife. It says here on her chart that this is a high-risk pregnancy because she has HCV and had a liver transplant, correct?" Saree inquires.
"Yes, that is correct." Tom replies.
"Okay, I just wanted to make sure. I am going to go check her blood pressure here in about 15 minutes. It also looks like that a cot has been ordered for you. Housekeeping just informed me that they are bringing one up for you here in about a half an hour. Also, Dr. Samuels has an ultrasound scheduled for her around 1:30 pm. If your wife would like, I can have arrangements made to have the ultrasound machine brought up to her room." Saree states.
"That would be up to Margo. I should be gone for about an hour. This is my and Margo's son, Casey. We're going to go get some breakfast." Tom states as Casey silently stands there.
"Is there a phone number that you could be contacted at in the case of an emergency?" Saree asks.
"Yes, it's 555-9812." Tom replies.
"Okay, then. I'll see you back up here in about an hour." Saree states.
"Thank you.' Tom says.
"You're welcome, Mr. Hughes." Saree replies as she answers the phone.
Just as Tom and Casey start to walk over to the elevators to go to the cafeteria, Chris approaches them.
"Chris, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at Susan's with Alison?" Tom asks.
"I had a patient who was brought into the ER earlier this week who was a victim of a drunk driving wreck and she was declared brain dead yesterday afternoon. She was about 31 weeks pregnant at the time of the crash. Her baby was delivered this morning via C-section. I came in this morning to discuss the options with her family about organ donation and to fill out the paperwork for the Transplant Network and to fill out the paperwork for her death certificate. Alison and I don't have to be over to Susan's until about 1:30 this afternoon anyway. Emily came over and she and Alison were going to go run some last-minute errands before this afternoon. Alison and I are leaving tonight for Antigua for our honeymoon. What are you doing here?" Chris asks.
"Margo was brought in late last night/early this morning because of stomach pains she was experiencing. It turns out she has a UTI and her blood pressure was elevated. Dr. Samuels had some other tests ran and we're waiting to hear if Margo has this condition called intrahepatic cholestasis. She's going to be here for a couple of days for observation." Tom replies.
"Margo's back in town? When did she come back?" Chris asks.
"She came home late last night. I went over to the house and when I was coming downstairs, about to leave, Margo walked through the front door." Tom replies.
"What were you doing over at the house?" Chris asks.
"I told him that Mom had packed up my stuff, his stuff, Daniel's things, mementos—basically anything having to do with us. Remember when we went over there after my appointment with Dr. Schiller to get Grandpa Chris's pocket watch and we walked through the front door and saw all the stuff was packed up." Casey states.
"Yeah, I remember seeing that and you couldn't believe it when you walked around. I take it you guys aren't coming over then." Chris implies.
"I might. I don't know. I have homework I have to get done before Tuesday because I won't be in school for the rest of the week because of my surgery." Casey states.
"No, sorry. I plan on staying here with Margo. She is supposed to be having an ultrasound this afternoon and we should know more about that condition I told you about and whether or not she has it." Tom replies.
"Is your office going to need anything in particular relating to this patient and her passing away in regards to possible charges?" Chris asks.
"I will take a look at the case when I get the file on the investigation. I will call Hal in the morning to see where things are at. If I need anything, I can contact Dad and get the information." Tom replies.
"Hal should be over at Susan's. I'll let him know that she's not going to survive her injuries." Chris states.
"Okay. Casey and I are going to go get something to eat. I'll talk to you when you get back. Have a great time." Tom states. "By the way, can you not tell everybody that Margo's back in town. I asked Dad not to. It's so that Margo doesn't get stressed out with everybody coming to see her and so that we can find out what's going on."
"I can do that. Sure, not a problem. Thanks, bro. I'll talk to you later." Chris says.
"Hey Case, good luck with your surgery. I'll try giving either your dad or my dad a call to see how it went." Chris tells his nephew.
"Thanks, man. Have a great trip." Casey say as he walks away with his dad and over to the elevators.
Memorial Hospital Cafeteria, 9:30 am
Tom walks back over to the table after refilling his coffee. He notices that Casey picking at the blueberry muffin he ordered.
"Hey, what's wrong? You've been real quiet since we've been down here. You've also been picking at that muffin there, bud." Tom says as he sits down.
"I think I've might have made things worse with Mom than they already are." Casey replies quietly.
"What did you talk about with her?" Tom asks as he takes a drink of his coffee.
"Mom asked about the cast. I told her what happened and that I have to have surgery. I told her that I tried calling her cell phone before I called you and that her cell was temporarily shut off. I told her that she didn't need to pack up our stuff. She told me that it was nothing but a reminder to her that your marriage is over and me not wanting anything to do with her. I apologized about what I said about not wanting anything to do with her. I told her that I reacted to what I thought was the truth and that I saw how it crushed her when I told her that. I told her that I feel really guilty about what I said and I asked if she would be able to forgive me, which I don't think is going to happen." Casey replies.
"What did she say after you asked her?" Tom asks.
"She said that she needed time on that one." Casey quietly replies.
"Yes, she's going to need time on that one. It's not just you, Case. She's also going to need time if she's going to forgive me. We both hurt her pretty bad. This whole thing with Doc has made some pretty bad memories resurface for your mom and she's been dealing with everything alone. She's going to need time. This whole situation has definitely taken a toll on her and possibly on your little brother or sister. Right now, we have to make sure that your mom avoids stress as much as possible until the baby is born. From now on, we need to show your mom that we're there for her and try to talk things through. If things get real tense, then back off so that something doesn't happen to your mom or the baby. Okay?" Tom asks.
"Okay." Casey says quietly. "Dad, do you think Mom would have a problem with me staying at the house after my surgery? I really would like to sleep in my own bed. I don't like the bed I've been sleeping in at the Lakeview. I think you should talk to Grandma Lisa about getting those adjustable mattresses—where you can have it as soft or as firm as you like."
"I'll talk to your mom and see what she says. I don't think she would. I'll let you know." Tom says as his cell phone rings. "The mattress thing, you can bring that one up with Grandma."
"Tom Hughes" Tom replies as he answers his phone.
"It's me." Margo says quietly.
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" Tom asks.
"Yeah, we're still hanging in there. I was wondering if you can do something for me." Margo replies.
"Sure. What's going on?" Tom asks.
"Do they have any kind of muffins down there?" Margo asks.
"Yeah, they do. There's banana nut, blueberry, apple cinnamon, maple nut. What's wrong?" Tom asks.
"I just don't like what I chose for breakfast. The eggs are runny, and the oatmeal was only lukewarm. Can you bring me an apple cinnamon muffin?" Margo asks.
"I can do that. Is there anything else that you would like?"
"Maybe some milk or orange juice." Margo replies.
"Do you still want the hot tea?" Tom asks.
"Not right now. Maybe later." Margo replies.
"I'll be back up there in a few minutes with those. I'll see you then." Tom states.
"Bye." Margo quietly says.
"Bye." Tom says as he hangs up.
"That was Mom, I take it." Casey states.
"Yeah, it was. She didn't like what she chose for breakfast this morning and she asked if I could bring something back for her from here." Tom replies.
"I've never been a big fan of hospital food." Casey states.
"I was thinking about calling Grandma Lisa and see if she could bring something by from the Mona Lisa for lunch or dinner tonight for your mom and I. Do you want me to have her bring something over for you?" Tom asks.
"I was thinking about staying with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Kim tonight. When Grandpa called this morning, he invited me to spend the night at their house. Emily was going to let Grandpa take Daniel tonight so we could hang out before I have my surgery." Casey replies. "Are you going to be staying here again tonight with Mom?"
"Probably. I'm going to have to go over to the office in the morning to check on a couple of things. It all depends on how long she's going to be here for. I am going to go get a muffin and the juice for your mom and bring that up to her. Are you going to be okay?" Tom asks.
"I'll be fine. I'm going to call Grandpa to see if he can come pick me up and take me over to the Lakeview so I can get some things from over there." Casey replies.
"Okay. I'll call you when I find out anything more about your mom and I'll let you know what she says about you staying over at the house after your surgery. I'll talk to you later." Tom states as he gets up. "It's going to be okay."
"I know. I guess I'll talk to you later." Casey replies as Tom walks over to the line.
After picking up an apple-cinnamon muffin, some strawberry yogurt, a banana, a bottle of orange juice and a coffee from the cafeteria and a stop at the hospital gift shop to pick up a copy of The Argus, Tom makes his way back up to Margo's room.
As Tom walks into Margo's room, he notices that Margo is asleep. He quietly sets the bag down, along with his coffee and his newspaper then walks over to the bed. As he brushes the hair out of Margo's face, Saree walks in.
"Hi. How long has she been asleep?" Saree asks quietly.
"I just got back up here. She couldn't have been asleep for very long. I just got off the phone with her about twenty minutes ago. She called when I was down at the cafeteria with Casey." Tom quietly replies as he walks over to the chair.
"I would have been in here sooner to check Margo's blood pressure. I was in with a patient who was in labor. I see she didn't eat much of her breakfast." Saree quietly states.
"Yeah, Margo called me while I was down with Casey. She asked if I could bring a muffin back for her. She said something about the eggs being runny and something about the oatmeal. I brought her a muffin, some yogurt and a bottle of orange juice. I was wondering if it would be okay if I had some thing delivered here for Margo and me from the Mona Lisa. My mom is the owner." Tom informs Saree.
"I don't see why that wouldn't be the problem. Were you planning on for lunch or supper?" Saree quietly asks.
"I was thinking about supper." Tom replies.
"Just let me know so I can cancel Margo's request for the kitchen." Saree quietly states as she carefully slips the blood pressure cuff under Margo's arm.
Tom stands there quietly as Saree checks Margo's blood pressure and the fetal monitor.
"Margo's blood pressure is still a little high. It's not as high as it was last night. It's come down some. I'll be back in a couple of hours to check it again. Everything looks good with the baby. Its heart rate has been steady, so that is a good sign there. The cot was delivered just after you left with your son. It's right over there in the corner. They just dropped off a couple of pillows and a blanket for you about thirty minutes ago. I was able to arrange for the ultrasound technician to come here with the machine instead of moving her for it. Is there anything else that you know she might need?" Saree quietly asks as she writes down Margo's blood pressure.
"Not that I know of. I know she was complaining of having a headache earlier this morning and Anna brought her some Tylenol, along with a bottle of the Sarna lotion to help with her itching. Thanks." Tom quietly replies.
"Okay, I'll be back in a couple of hours to check on Margo again and to see how she's doing. The ultrasound technician will be in around 1:15 to set up and Dr. Samuels should be in around 1:30 then. I'll see you two later." Saree quietly says as she walks out of the room.
Tom walks over to the bed. He notices how peaceful his wife looks, asleep. Thinking to himself about how he hates to wake her up, knowing that she could use the extra sleep right now, Tom leans down over his wife and brushes her hair away from her face and ear.
"Hey. I'm back and I brought you something to eat." Tom quietly says to her as he gently rubs her arm, hoping to get her to wake up.
"Mmmmm" Margo manages to get out while she stirs.
"Why don't you wake up and eat something, then you can go back to sleep for a while." Tom quietly says to her, "I know you don't want to wake up."
"What did you bring?" Margo asks, still half asleep.
"I brought you an apple cinnamon muffin, some strawberry yogurt, a banana, and some orange juice. Why don't you at least have the yogurt and the juice, so they don't go bad? If you want, you can save the muffin and the banana for later." Tom quietly replies.
Margo slowly wakes up. She sees that Tom is the only one that came back to the room.
"Where's Case?" Margo quietly asks.
"Casey went over to Dad and Kim's. He wanted to work on some homework and hang out with Daniel before he has his surgery on Tuesday. Besides, he thinks that he made things worse with you and he kept saying that he knows you don't want him around." Tom replies.
"I was actually surprised that he even showed up, considering he told me he doesn't want anything to do with me." Margo says as she looks away.
"Well, you'll be surprised to know that he asked me if it would be okay with you if he stayed at the house after he had his surgery. He said that he hates the beds at the Lakeview and that he really would like to sleep in his own bed after his surgery." Tom states.
"I don't know. First of all, we don't know how long I am going to be here. The other thing is that you told me that I have to take it easy until I have the baby." Margo replies.
"We'll figure something out. What I told you about taking it easy until you have the baby wasn't my order. That would be Dr. Samuels's order. We can talk about that later. Why don't you get something to eat since you didn't eat most of your breakfast?" Tom states.
"What did you bring?" Margo asks.
"I brought you an apple cinnamon muffin, a container of strawberry yogurt, a banana, and a bottle of orange juice. It's right here in the bag." Tom states as he hands Margo the bag from the cafeteria.
"Thanks." Margo says quietly as she takes the bag from Tom and opens it to take them out.
"Are you feeling any better?" Tom asks as he reaches for his coffee and the copy of The Argus he brought back with him.
"Somewhat. I still kind of have the headache. I don't feel as achy as I did when I was brought here." Margo replies.
"Saree came in right after I came back. You were still sleeping. She checked your blood pressure and she said it was still a little high. She said that it has come down some since you were brought in. The ultrasound is scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon. Saree arranged for it to be done here in the room. She said that the tech is going to be here around 1:15 to set up and Dr. Samuels should be here about 1:30. Anna told me this morning before she left that Dr. Samuels should have the results of some of the tests that she had ran when you were brought in." Tom states.
"I guess we'll know more then. Don't you have something going on today with Chris and Alison?" Margo asks quietly as she peels the lid off from the yogurt and starts to take a bite.
"No. I don't. I spoke with Chris this morning. He came in to fill out some paperwork a patient of his who was brought to the ER and died this morning. I told him what was going on. Besides he and Alison are leaving tonight for Antigua. They weren't planning on having a whole lot of people over at Susan's anyway. He knows what's going on." Tom replies.
"Great. Everybody is going to know that I am back in town." Margo says as she sinks back into the pillow.
"No, I asked Dad and Chris not to tell anybody, so you don't get stressed out with everybody coming here to see you and until we find out what's going on with you and the baby." Tom states. "Besides, I was hoping that maybe you and I could use this time to talk some more."
"I don't know." Margo says as she diverts her gaze away from Tom.
"You don't know about what?" Tom asks.
"If talking about all of this is really a good idea right now." Margo says quietly.
"Is it because of what happened back at the house?" Tom asks as he sits on the bed next to her.
"Yeah, kinda. We were talking about things then and look what happened. Look where I ended up, here." Margo says sarcastically as she finishes the yogurt.
"What are you trying to say?" Tom asks, "Are you trying to tell me that you don't want to try to work things out?"
"I don't know. Right now, I just don't know what to think or even believe anymore about what's happened." Margo replies quietly.
"Does this have to do with all the bad memories, and everything being brought back up for you?" Tom asks.
"Yeah, somewhat." Margo replies as she looks away from Tom.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Tom asks. "If it starts to bother you, let me know and we can stop talking about it. I don't want you to get all stressed out by all of this. We can take this slow or what ever pace you feel comfortable with."
"I just don't know where to start. I just don't know." Margo says quietly.
"Are you feeling overwhelmed right now with everything that has happened since last night?" Tom asks
"Yeah, somewhat." Margo says as she stifles out a yawn and starts to rub her neck and shoulder.
"You okay, there?" Tom asks, noticing Margo rub her shoulder and neck.
"My shoulder and my neck are a little knotted up. I don't know if it's because I slept funny on that side last night or because I don't like hospital beds." Margo replies.
"Are you still tired?" Tom asks.
"A little. I just don't know if I can go back to sleep." Margo says quietly. "I guess I'm too wound up right now."
"Would a neck rub help? It could help you relax. You've got a couple of hours before the ultrasound to take a nap. Speaking of that, I was going to ask if you want me to stick around for the ultrasound." Tom states.
"Yeah." Margo replies.
"Yeah, what? Was that for you wanting me to stick around for the ultrasound or for the neck rub?" Tom asks.
"For both." Margo quietly replies. "My neck and shoulder are really bothering me right now and you being here for the ultrasound."
"What's wrong? You seem to be down or bummed out." Tom says as he gets up to sit behind Margo.
"I'm a little scared." Margo says as she sits up and scoots forward on the bed so Tom can sit behind her.
"About what?" Tom asks as he begins to massage her neck and shoulders.
"I'm scared that something could be wrong with the baby." Margo replies as she hangs her head.
"What makes you think that?" Tom asks, continuing to massage her neck and shoulders hoping to get Margo to relax.
"A number of things—my age, my HCV status, the liver transplant, my meds. Even though I've been told everything is fine when I've had my appointments, I haven't been able to get the thought out of my head that there could be something wrong with the baby. " Margo replies quietly.
"You and the baby are going to be fine. Okay? Don't get yourself all worried and stressed out about this. We both know that stress of any kind isn't good for you right now. That's why Dr. Samuels wants you to start your maternity leave immediately so you can avoid the stress that comes with your job." Tom states as he reaches around Margo and gently rubs her slightly rounded stomach.
"It's something that's been in the back of my mind since I found out about this pregnancy. I just can't shake that feeling." Margo quietly replies as she reaches for the bottle of orange juice and starts to drink some of it.
"Why don't you relax? We'll know more when Dr. Samuels comes for the ultrasound and to let us know what your test results are. I'll work on getting these knots out of your neck and shoulders and why don't you try getting some more sleep before the ultrasound, okay? The extra rest would definitely do you some good." Tom states as he takes the bottle of orange juice from her and sets it on the tray table then resumes massaging Margo's shoulders and neck, hoping to release the tension that has built up in her muscles.
After a few minutes of massaging Margo's neck and shoulders, Tom notices that Margo is having a hard time keeping her head up. He wonders if she is starting to fall asleep. Margo, who can't fight keeping her eyes open, quietly closes her eyes and starts drifting off.
"Wow, you're really knotted up here." Tom quietly states as he works on a knot in Margo's shoulder.
After working on the knot in Margo's shoulder and not getting any response from her, Tom gently leans Margo back against him and notices that she has fallen asleep. He then gently lays Margo's head on his shoulder and kisses her forehead.
"You and the baby are going to be okay." Tom whispers to her as he brushes his lips against her forehead and wraps one arm around her shoulder then starts gently rubbing Margo's stomach with his other hand as he feels the baby starting to move.
As Tom sits there with Margo asleep in his arms, he closes his eyes, leans his head against Margo's and starts to think back to her first night at home since she had her liver transplant.
After seeing Bob, Kim, and Nancy out, Tom walks back over to the couch where Margo is sitting with her feet up on the coffee table.
"How are you doing there?" Tom asks as he starts to massage Margo's shoulders.
"I'm starting to get tired, but I am definitely happy to be home." Margo says as she leans her head back. "That feels so good."
"You don't know how happy I am to finally have you home." Tom says as he kisses his wife's forehead. "It is so good to have you home. Casey's definitely happy to have you home, too."
"It's good to be home. I am so looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight." Margo replies looking around, "Where did Casey go?"
"He went upstairs not long before Dad, Kim, and Gram left." Tom replies as he walks around the couch and sits down next to his wife. "Do you want to know what I was thinking?"
"What would that be?" Margo asks as she lays her head on Tom's shoulder.
"I was thinking about not waiting any longer and getting you upstairs." Tom replies.
"That sounds really good to me." Margo implies as Tom gets up from off the couch and scoops Margo up off the couch to carry her upstairs.
"Wow, what's this for?" Margo asks as she wraps her arms around Tom's neck.
"Just because I love you." Tom replies as he brushes his lips against hers.
"I love you, too." Margo says as she kisses him then lays her head on Tom's shoulder.
"Let's get you upstairs then." Tom says as he kisses her forehead again.
"Yeah, let's go." Margo quietly replies as Tom starts to walk over towards the stairs.
As he finishes carefully climbing the stairs and starts walking toward their bedroom, he notices that Margo's eyes are closed.
"Hey, we're almost there." Tom says as he looks down at his wife.
"Mmmmm…" Margo replies as Tom carefully opens the door.
Tom walks over to the bed and gently lays Margo down as she opens her eyes.
"I thought I would never get to lie down in my own bed again." Margo states as she gingerly gets up to pull back the covers then sits back down on their bed.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Tom asks as he brings Margo a pair of her own pajamas. "I thought you would like these."
"And to wear my own pajamas again." Margo says as she takes the pajamas from Tom.
"Here, let me help you." Tom says as he begins to help Margo change out of her shirt and track pants and into her pajamas. "Besides, I have a surprise for you."
"Oh really? What would that be?" Margo asks.
"I am taking tomorrow off from work." Tom replies as he changes into his pajama pants.
"I thought you had a real busy week this week." Margo surprisingly replies.
"I managed to reschedule my appointments for tomorrow. I just told them that you were coming home from the hospital. The clients I was supposed to meet with tomorrow understood the situation." Tom states.
"So, what do you have in mind for tomorrow, counselor?" Margo asks as she carefully climbs into her own bed.
"I was thinking of spending the day in bed with you, after Casey leaves for school in the morning." Tom implies as he crawls into bed besides his wife.
"Really?" Margo asks as Tom pulls up the covers.
"Okay, instead of actually thinking about spending the day in bed with you tomorrow, I actually planned it. I figured that since it's been a long time since we've done this and have actually had the day to ourselves, without any interruptions, and since tomorrow's going to be your first full day back at home, I thought tomorrow would definitely be the perfect day to do just that—stay in bed all day, just the two of us." Tom replies as he snuggles up to his wife and wraps his arms around her.
"I definitely like that plan, baby." Margo replies as she lays her head on Tom's shoulder and snuggles up to her husband.
"I thought you would." Tom replies as he brushes his lips against Margo's. "I can't tell you how much I missed having you here in bed with me."
"You don't know how much I missed being able to lie in bed with you and fall asleep snuggled up to you and your arms around me. I missed that so much while I was in the hospital." Margo replies as she reciprocates Tom brushing his lips against hers.
"It's safe to assume that we'll both be sleeping well tonight then." Tom states.
"Yeah, it is." Margo replies as she stifles out a yawn.
"One more thing." Tom states.
"What?" Margo asks as she gingerly sits up.
"Come here." Tom says as he lies back into the pillows and gesturing to Margo to lie with him.
As Margo gingerly lays next to Tom, mindful of her incision, Tom gently guides her to lay her head on his chest then wraps one arm around her shoulder while he gently eases his other hand up under her pajama top and starts rubbing her back.
"I definitely missed this." Margo quietly says as she lets out a sigh.
"Me too." Tom says as he kisses her forehead and continues to rub her back, thinking to himself how grateful he is to have his wife home and lying in his arms again. "It feels so good to be able to lay here like this."
"Yeah, it does. It really does." Margo says as she yawns again.
"You've had a long day. I think it's about time that you get some sleep." Tom says as he brushes the hair back from Margo's face and leans down to kiss Margo. "Good night, sweetie. I love you.
"Good night, baby. I love you too." Margo says as they part from their kiss and lays her head back down on Tom's chest then closes her eyes.
As Margo drifts off to sleep, Tom gently slips his hand up under Margo's pajama top and resumes rubbing her back.
After watching his wife sleep for a few minutes, Tom gently reaches up to turn off the light then wraps his arm around his sleeping wife as he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep with a slight smile on his face knowing that Margo's asleep in his arms again.
Tom wakes up a couple of hours later, thinking that he might have heard someone knocking on the door. After he sees that no one was at the door, he looks down and sees that Margo's still asleep, with her head still on his shoulder.
"I definitely missed you laying here like this with me." Tom whispers to a sleeping Margo as he brushes the hair out of her face just as Tom hears someone knocking on the door.
Tom gently gets up, so not to disturb a sleeping Margo, and walks over to the door and quietly opens it.
"Hello. I'm Kristi, the sonogram/ultrasound technician. I was told that Dr. Samuels scheduled an ultrasound for Margo Hughes this afternoon." Kristi states.
"Hi, I'm Margo's husband, Tom. Come on in. Margo's sleeping right now. I'll wake her up." Tom says as Kristi pushes the cart with the ultrasound machine into Margo's room and Tom walks over to the bed.
As Kristi starts to set up for the ultrasound, Tom sits back down on the bed next to Margo.
"Hey sleepyhead, it's time to wake up." Tom says as he rubs her arm. "Dr. Samuels is going to be here in a few minutes and the ultrasound technician is already here."
"Mmmmm…" Margo growls as she shifts in the bed.
"I know, but we will get to find out more about the baby if you wake up. If you want, you can definitely do back to sleep after this is all done." Tom says quietly. "Does she need to drink anything before hand?"
"When was the last time she had anything to drink?" Kristi asks.
"A couple of hours ago, she had some of the orange juice there in that bottle." Tom replies.
"She should be okay; it depends on the doctor on whether or not they want to have their patient have a full bladder when the ultrasound is done. Maybe, just to be on the safe side, she should probably try to finish it or drink some water." Kristi says as she turns on the machine to get it to warm up.
Margo opens her eyes when she hears the loud beep from the ultrasound machine as Kristi was turning it on.
"Hey sleepyhead, how are your neck and shoulder feeling now?" Tom asks.
"Definitely better. How long have I been asleep for?" Margo asks as she looks at the clock on the wall.
"A couple of hours. You fell asleep when I was giving you a neck and shoulder rub. You were pretty knotted up. This is Kristi, the ultrasound technician. She's here setting up." Tom says as he gives Kristi a quick glance.
"Hi, Margo. I'm just about finished setting up. Dr. Samuels should be in a few minutes." Kristi replies as she checks the bottle of gel that she has on the cart.
"I'll be back in a couple of minutes. I need to get a new bottle of gel." Kristi states as she heads out of the room.
"Are you okay?" Tom asks as he looks back over at Margo.
"I'm nervous." Margo quietly replies.
"Nervous about what?" Tom asks.
"About the baby, that there could be something wrong with it." Margo replies as she averts her gaze away from Tom.
"Everything's going to be okay. The baby's going to be fine. We'll know more about what's going on after Dr. Samuels lets us know about the test results, okay?" Tom asks as he sits down on the bed next to her and takes her hand in his as he grabs the bottle of orange juice with his free hand. "Why don't you finish the rest of your orange juice here and try to relax?"
Margo takes the bottle of juice and takes a drink of it. As she does, she scrunches her face after tasting that the orange juice is warm.
"Is there any ice in here?" Margo asks. "This orange juice is warm."
"Let me check the pitcher over here." Tom says as he gets up from the bed and walks over to the counter. "No there's not any in here. Do you want some water instead?"
"That'll work." Margo says as she puts the bottle back on the tray.
Tom walks back over towards the bed after he pours Margo a glass of water. He hands Margo the glass then takes the bottle of orange juice and walks into the bathroom as Kristi knocks on the door as she opens it.
"Hi. I just saw Dr. Samuels outside and she's going to be in here in a minute or two." Kristi says as she walks over towards the machine.
"Kristi, am I going to need to change out of my pajamas here for this?" Margo asks.
"No, what you've got on is going to be fine as long as the top can be pulled up so your stomach can be exposed. I'll place a small towel over both your top and your pajama pants to that none of the gel that I am going to place on your stomach won't get on them." Kristi says as she puts the new bottle of gel on the cart.
Tom walks out of the bathroom after dumping the rest of the orange juice down the drain in the sink just as Dr. Samuels knocks on the door and opens it.
"Hi you two. I see you met Kristi already." Dr. Samuels says.
"Hi Dr. Samuels. Yes, we did." Margo replies.
"Margo, can I get you to either unbutton your pajama top or pull it up so your stomach can be exposed?" Kristi asks.
"Sure." Margo replies as she starts to undue the bottom three buttons on her pajama top to expose her stomach.
"While Kristi is getting you already there to do the ultrasound, I do have your lab results here from when you were brought in. The blood tests did come back positive for a condition called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of pregnancy. ICP, for short, is a pregnancy-related liver disorder that causes a buildup of bile acids in the mother's blood. ICP can be treated with a medication called Actigall, which Dr. Martinez also recommended. Tom, that is the UDCA course of treatment I told you about earlier. The Actigall, or UDCA treatment, will help with your liver function during this pregnancy. Margo, you and the baby are going to have to be closely monitored for the rest of this pregnancy because of the chance that you could go into preterm labor with having this condition." Dr. Samuels explains.
"What am I going to have to be monitored for?" Margo asks with a concerned look on her face.
"The first thing is to monitor the baby's heart rate, to see if the baby appears to be developing any difficulties such as abnormalities in the baby's heart rate. You are also going to have to be closely monitored because of your HCV. Dr. Martinez will be coming in to see you sometime tomorrow to discuss your medications with you." Dr. Samuels responds.
"What about passing HCV to the baby" Tom asks as he stands next to the other side of Margo's bed, opposite from where Kristi has the ultrasound machine.
"The risk of Margo transmitting the virus to the baby is very low. There's about a 5 percent chance of that happening. However, the baby is going to need to be tested itself when it is approximately 4-6 weeks old to determine whether or not the baby contracted the virus from Margo. Now the good news is that the viral levels are still pretty low, which haven't changed since the last time I saw you. Your liver function tests came back a little on the low side of the normal range, so you'll be monitored for that also. So far, your donor liver is functioning without any problems." Dr. Samuels replies. "Why don't we start the ultrasound and see how things are at with the baby?"
Kristi places the small towels over Margo's pajama top and pants.
"Margo, this gel might be a little cold against your skin." Kristi states as she squeezes the bottle to apply the gel onto Margo's stomach.
As Kristi turns the monitor on, she places the transducer against Margo's skin and starts moving it around on Margo's stomach. Tom sits next to Margo on the bed when the image of their unborn baby shows up on the screen and they start hearing the baby's heartbeat.
"Wow!" Tom says as he looks at the monitor and takes Margo's hand into his.
"How's the baby? Is everything okay?" Margo asks as she watches the baby on the monitor.
"Everything looks good so far. The baby's heart rate is steady, which is a good sign. I can tell you the sex of the baby, if you would like to know." Dr. Samuels says as Margo looks up at Tom as he nods his head.
"Yeah, we'd like to know." Margo replies as she gazes back at the monitor.
"You know that the ultrasound isn't 100% accurate and we'll know for sure when you have the amnio done and I get the results back from the fluid that will be drawn then. I can be fairly certain it's a girl." Dr. Samuels states.
"A girl?" Margo asks as a tear starts to roll down her cheek.
"Yes, a girl." Dr. Samuels reiterates. "And so far, everything with the baby looks good. She's developing normally."
"What are we looking at as far as a due date?" Tom asks.
"Tom, as of right now, Margo's about 22 weeks along. We're looking at a due date of around February 26th. " Dr. Samuels replies.
"Great, Casey's not really going to like that this baby's due around his birthday." Margo says.
"Ahh, Casey will get over it. He's still somewhat in shock that he's going to have another sibling" Tom replies back.
"Is there anything else you need from this, Dr. Samuels?" Kristi asks.
"The only thing I need is a printout of the heart rate." Dr. Samuels replies.
"Okay." Kristi says as she prints out the heart rate then a picture of the baby for Tom and Margo. "Here's the printout of the heart rate for you."
"Thank you, Kristi." Dr. Samuels replies as she takes the printout from Kristi.
"Here's a printout of the picture of your baby." Kristi states as she hands the picture from the ultrasound to Margo. "I'm done with this, so let's get this gel wiped off your stomach."
Margo takes the picture from Kristi and stares at it as she takes one of the towels and wipes the gel off from Margo's stomach.
"Margo, I will speak with Dr. Martinez in the morning and the determination will be made whether or not you will have to be on bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. Dr. Martinez will be in to see you in the morning and I will also be here." Dr. Samuels states. "Do you have any other questions that I can answer right now?"
"When can I expect to go home? Casey's having surgery on his hand on Tuesday." Margo states.
"Probably within a couple of days and that depends on what Dr. Martinez says, too. I'd like to keep you here for a couple of days to monitor your blood pressure. From the last time Saree checked it, it was still a little high. I am going to have Saree come in here in an hour or two to check it again. I am also going to schedule the fluid draw for the amino." Dr. Samuels states. "Anything else?"
"When is she going to start on the medication for the ICP?" Tom asks.
"She's going to be started on that this afternoon. It's recommended that the Actigall be taken at the same times every day. The Actigall will also help with the itching, along with the Sarna lotion that I had ordered for her." Dr. Samuels replies. "I called the prescription down to the pharmacy already. That should be up here shortly. Anything else?"
"No. Thank you, Dr. Samuels." Margo replies.
"Thank you." Tom states.
"I'll be around in case you need anything. I have a patient in labor, so you'll know where to find me." Dr. Samuels says as she walks towards the door.
"Thanks again." Tom states.
"You're welcome." Dr. Samuels replies as she opens the door then walks out of Margo's room.
"I'm going to get this machine out of here. Margo, I was able to get most of the gel off. Here are a couple of small towels for you to use in case I didn't get it all. You two have a good afternoon." Kristi says as she unplugs the ultrasound machine and winds up the cord.
"Thank you." Margo says.
"No problem." Kristi says as she starts to push the machine towards the door.
Margo looks down and stares at the picture Kristi handed her as Kristi opens the door and pushes the ultrasound machine out of the room as Tom gets up to go over and hold the door for Kristi.
"Are you okay?" Tom asks as he walks back over to the bed and sits down next to Margo.
"I can't believe we're having a girl." Margo quietly replies as a tear rolls down her cheek and as Tom puts his arm around her.
"We're finally having the little girl that you've always wanted and we talked about having to add to the roster with Adam and Casey." Tom replies. "Are you okay now knowing that she's okay and that everything will be fine?"
"Yeah, I'll be okay now." Margo quietly replies. "I'm not thrilled about the possibility of bed rest."
"I know, but you were supposedly running yourself ragged for the past couple of months and basically throwing yourself into your work without taking any time off to take care of yourself. This little girl here is the reason why you need to take it extremely easy for the rest of the pregnancy so something doesn't happen to her now that we know what's going on. I know that you don't like to hear of having to take extremely easy or even having to go on bed rest to avoid stress right now, but right now there really isn't a choice considering this is a high-risk pregnancy. We thought that the chance for us to have another child had passed and here we are, expecting another child together—one that we've wanted for such a long time. So, let's make taking care of you and our daughter our main priority here. Okay?" Tom states.
"Okay. I just wish it wasn't for so long. Four and a half months-that's a long time, especially to be moping around the house." Margo quietly states.
"Yeah, I know you don't like it. Its doctor's orders and I'm going to see that you follow them, for your sake and the baby's because I don't want anything to happen to either one of you." Tom states as he takes the ultrasound picture from Margo and looks at it for a moment.
"How are you going to be doing that while you're living at the Lakeview with Casey?" Margo asks.
"We won't be. We'll be moving back home before you're released." Tom states.
"I don't think I'm ready for that." Margo states quietly.
"It's not what you're thinking. I'll stay in the guest bedroom. Listen, Casey wants to sleep in his own bed. Daniel, he misses you and he hates staying at the Lakeview with me when it's my weekend to have him. I think it would be good for the boys to be back home, instead of living in a hotel. It would also give you the chance to see them. It would give us more opportunities to talk and try to work things out, but it would do the same for you and Casey. Besides, I think it would do us all some good to have some sense of normalcy again after the past several months." Tom states. "Besides, I told you I am not going anywhere. I mean that. You are not dealing with a high-risk pregnancy by yourself."
"Tom, you and the boys shouldn't have to put your lives on hold because I have to take it extremely easy or be on bed rest for the rest of this pregnancy. We both know that you can't be there 24-7 and with the boys and what they have going on, we both know that is impossible." Margo implies.
"First of all, the boys and I aren't going to be putting our lives on hold. We'll manage. We did it before when you were sick and in here after your liver transplant surgery. I'll arrange it to work from home more often and besides, Tyler has been looking for an opportunity to prove himself on prosecuting a bigger case than the ones he has been and I have been thinking about giving him the chance of doing that and the timing couldn't be better. My parents and Kim are always willing to help with the boys. Gram really misses you. You know she would love to see you and be able to spend time with you. She's been asking me about you a lot. Daniel will be at Emily and Hal's part of the week. Casey isn't going to be able to finish the season for fall baseball because of his hand surgery and he wants to sleep in his own bed again. We'll figure something out. We always have in the past. Besides, I'm getting kind of tired of living in the Lakeview." Tom states.
"I wasn't expecting you to move back to the house. Daniel doesn't know anything about the baby, does he?" Margo asks.
"No, he doesn't. I haven't told him that. I figured that would be something we could both tell him. I know that this whole thing with you coming home, then ending up here and now Casey and I moving back home is a lot to take. You probably got used to having such a quiet house after we moved out. We'll take it one thing at a time. It's going to be okay. I know that you're having a hard time believing that, but it will be okay." Tom states.
"Yeah, there were times where it was nice not having all the commotion going on. There were times when it seemed to be too quiet." Margo replies. "I guess I am going to have to get used to having the commotion again and having people in the house again."
"Hey, there'll be times when the house is quiet—like when the boys are at school or after they're asleep, when I have to be in court, times like that—if that's what you're worried about." Tom implies.
"No, I am not worried about that. It's what you said to Jessica that I overheard that just keeps replaying in my mind right now and I wonder." Margo says as she looks down at her hands.
"Wonder about what?" Tom asks as he places his finger under Margo's chin to try to get her to look at him.
"I wonder if being here in the same room as me, just the thought of it…." Margo begins to say as she feels a lump in her throat and her voice trails off.
"What?" Tom asks as he gently wipes a tear away from Margo's cheek with the back of his finger.
"Does it make you sick?" Margo quietly asks.
"No. I never meant for you to hear that. You shouldn't have and I know you did. I said that to Jessica out of anger when she started to plead with me to at least talk to you. I was angry at the situation and what I thought was the truth at the time. I know it hurt you a lot and I know that you took that as I didn't want anything to do with you or the baby. I was wrong for saying that. You don't have to wonder about that anymore. Does that make you feel more at ease with this?" Tom asks.
"Somewhat." Margo quietly replies. "There are times I think that you're just going to leave again and not come back."
"I told you I am not going anywhere, and I meant it. I am definitely not going to turn my back on you now and leave with the condition you're in. I will reassure of that when you have those thoughts again." Tom says. "Why don't we change the subject here? Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, a little." Margo replies.
"Do you want something from the cafeteria, or I can call the Mona Lisa and see if they can bring something over here?" Tom asks. "What are you hungry for?"
"I was thinking something along the lines of some minestrone soup and that three-cheese grilled-cheese sandwich they have at the Mona Lisa for lunch." Margo replies.
"Okay. I'll go call over there and place an order. I am also going to call and check up on Casey and let him know what's going on. I'll be back in a few minutes." Tom says as he gets up from the bed and walks over towards the door.
"Okay." Margo replies.
"I will be back, okay?" Tom says, trying to reassure Margo that he's not going to take off.
"Okay." Margo quietly replies as Tom opens the door.
After Tom leaves the room, Margo picks up the ultrasound picture and stares at it.
"I can't believe I am finally going to have the little girl I wanted for so long." Margo says as she looks down and starts to rub her stomach, still somewhat in a state of disbelief over the fact that she is going to have the daughter she and Tom talked about having all those years ago—and thought she was never going to have.