Chapter 14
Cafeteria, Memorial Hospital
Tom is sitting in the cafeteria, having just gotten off the phone with his assistant, Tyler Ramsey, after having made arrangements to have some files brought over to him while he's at the hospital with Margo.
After taking a drink of his soda, Tom dials Casey's cell phone.
"Hello?" Casey says after he answers the phone.
"Hey bud, it's Dad." Tom replies.
"Hey Dad. What's up with Mom? Is she coming home today?"
"No, I'm afraid she's not. Dr. Samuels wants to keep Mom for observation for a couple of more days to see if her blood pressure comes down some more and Dr. Martinez wants to do at least one more round of liver function tests after she's been on the medication for the ICP for 24 hours." Tom states to his son.
"Is the baby okay?" Casey asks.
"Yes, the baby's fine. Dr. Samuels has had your mom on a fetal heart monitor to monitor the baby's heart rate. Hopefully, within the next couple of days, Mom should be discharged." Tom says as he grabs his soda glass.
"Grandpa Bob said he'll take me to my surgery appointment tomorrow so you can stay with Mom." Casey states.
"Yeah, I just talked with him a little while ago. I told him that you should have at least one of your parents with you and Grandpa said I need to be here with your mom. You okay with that?" Tom asks.
"Yeah, he told me he would bring me back home here so I can sleep in my own bed and him and Grandma Kim are going to stay with me to keep an eye on me." Casey replies.
"I hate this situation right now. I should at least be there tomorrow." Tom states just as he's about to take a sip of his coffee.
"But Mom shouldn't be alone right now, either." Casey retorts. "I'll be fine."
"I know your mom shouldn't be alone right now, especially being in the hospital." Tom states. "I'll come by the house sometime tomorrow after you're home to check in on you."
"I'll probably be passed out asleep, though. Didn't Grandpa promise to call you tomorrow after to let you know how things went?" Casey asks.
"Yes, he did. I'm going to get your mom a sandwich and go back up to her room. If I don't talk to you later. I love you, bud, and good luck tomorrow. I'm sure everything will be fine." Tom states.
"Love you, too, dad. I'll talk with you later." Casey replies just before he hangs up.
After ending his phone conversation with Casey, Tom finishes his lunch, then orders a chicken sandwich with a side salad for Margo, then heads back up to her room.
Margo's Room
After having left a voice mail for Hal letting him know she's back in Oakdale, but in the hospital, Margo rubs her hands over her face. Still feeling emotionally drained from the visit from Dr. Martinez and talking with Tom about what he wrote in the card, she sinks back down into the pillows. Just as she closes her eyes, the phone rings.
"Hello." Margo says.
"So, this is how you decide to let me know you're back, uh? What are you doing in the hospital?" A familiar voice asks on the other end.
"Hi Hal. I came home the other night and ran into Tom at the house. After talking with him, I collapsed in pain. Tom ended up calling for an ambulance and I've been here since." Margo replies.
"How are you and the baby?" Hal asks.
"I've been told the baby's fine. I have something called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of pregnancy, or ICP. It could cause problems for the baby. My blood pressure as also been somewhat on the high side and they would like that to come down. I'm basically on maternity leave as of now and I'm going to be on partial bed rest for at least the next 15 weeks or so." Margo tells Hal. "The pain I was having that caused me to collapse was from an UTI that is being treated with antibiotics."
"Is this because of your Hepatitis C and your liver transplant? Are you having problems with those?" Hal asks.
"The ICP, probably because of the HCV. So far, the lab results are still showing that my viral levels are still pretty low and there hasn't been any problems with my transplanted liver. My meds for those have been adjusted for those due to the pregnancy. However, I pretty much have to avoid stress because the ICP can cause the baby's heartbeat to become erratic and there's a chance I could end up delivering early. They want me to carry to at least 37 weeks and I'm 22 weeks along right now." Margo replies.
"So, this is pretty serious? When did you find all of this out? Is that why you were still feeling pretty lousy before you left?" Hal asks.
"I found out that I have ICP yesterday. The partial bed rest, I just found out about that today. The ICP could have played a part in why I was feeling pretty lousy, part of it was also because of the nausea and my having not slept much because of everything going on." Margo states.
"And what about Tom? You said that you ran into him at the house? Why didn't you call me to let me know you were coming back?" Hal asks. "Your car is still at my house from when I brought you to the airport."
"I was planning on calling you the next morning to bring my car over. I had to change my plans and had to come back home early because my appointment with Dr. Martinez had to be changed and the only appointment that was available was supposed to have been tomorrow, so I had to take that appointment. My flight got in late the other night and it was too late to call you, but Belmonte was finishing up an accident call when I was trying to call for a cab and he gave me a ride home. Tom was at the house when I got home. Casey told him I packed everything of theirs up and Tom was over at the house to see it for himself. He told me about the video tape that was taken from the surveillance system at the Oakdale Country Club that showed Doc trying to force himself onto me and he told me that he knows about the baby. I ended up doubling over in pain while he and I were talking and I've been here since." Margo says.
"Where's Tom now? I spoke with him afterwards and we did go over that tape with Tyler Ramsey about possible charges. Tom recused himself on that because of his marriage to you. He was devastated to find out about the baby the way he did, Margo. Does he know where you were?" Hal asks.
"Tom's been here at the hospital with me. He went to go get something to eat. I told him I needed a little space after my appointment with Dr. Martinez earlier. He was going to call Casey to let him know that it'll be a couple of more days before I get to go home. He's having surgery tomorrow on the hand that has the broken bones in it. I assume Tom knows I went out of town, but I haven't told him where I was. What do you want to do with my car?" Margo asks.
"I'll talk with Tom to bring it over to your house. Casey must have broken that hand pretty badly if they're doing surgery tomorrow." Hal retorts.
"All I know is that they have to put a bone back in place and insert a pin or something to keep that bone and another bone in place. Bob's going to take him tomorrow because Tom wants to be here with me, even though I told Tom that Casey really should have one of his parents around tomorrow." Margo replies.
"Right now, it sounds like you're Tom's top priority right now and Casey's in good hands with Bob and Kim. Which, by the way, you never answered my question on how are you doing? How are you?" Hal asks.
"I'm hanging in there. I'm not liking the fact that I'm on partial bedrest for basically the rest of this pregnancy, which I told Tom you weren't going to be happy about since I've already been gone for the past three weeks." Margo replies.
"You told me yourself that your doctor told you that you need to take it easy. Well, I'm still agreeing with that assessment and we'll deal here at the station with you being gone. We've done it once before, we'll do it again. How are you doing with Tom being around? I know you were completely avoiding him before you left town." Hal says.
"I don't know. I mean it is somewhat of a relief that he now knows about the baby. He was here yesterday when I had an ultrasound done and we found out that we're having a girl. He was here when I had the appointment with Dr. Martinez a while ago and he's basically been here since I was brought in, except for several hours yesterday when he and Casey moved back into the house. Casey's even been here once already." Margo states.
"Tom and Casey already moved back into the house?" Hal asks.
"Yeah. Casey was adamant about sleeping in his own bed after his surgery tomorrow and Tom wants to make sure that I follow doctor's orders and take it easy for the rest of this pregnancy. I told him I wasn't too sure about them moving back in right away. But, it is what it is. Tom's already working on making sure this baby is going to be a daddy's girl." Margo replies.
"You're having a girl? You must be in shock." Hal surprisingly states.
"Yeah. I just found out yesterday when I had the ultrasound. I had the fluid draw done today for the amino, which should confirm in it. I was and am still surprised by that, especially after having both Adam and Casey and got used to having so much boy stuff around the house." Margo says.
"And how does Tom feel about the baby?" Hal asks.
"I think Tom's elated we're having a girl. After everything that has happened, especially with the last miscarriage, I gave up on ever having another baby with Tom. Then I was diagnosed with HCV and ended up having to have the liver transplant, I knew there was no way I'd be able get pregnant—or so I thought." Margo states.
"How long are you going to be in the hospital?" Hal asks.
"I believe another day or two. Hey. I have to go. Tom's outside of the room, about to come in. I'll call you later." Margo says right before she hangs up the phone and Tom walks into the room.
Tom walks into the room as Margo hangs up the phone after talking with Hal.
"Hey. I brought you a grilled chicken sandwich and a side salad. Feeling any better?" Tom asks as he shuts the door to Margo's room.
"A little bit, I don't feel as overwhelmed as I was a while ago. Hal's going to be getting a hold of you. My car is still at his house from when I left town." Margo states.
"Your car is at Hal's? How did you get home from the airport?" Tom asks as he hands Margo the sandwich and salad.
"I was able to get a ride home from one of the uniforms who happened be at the airport finishing up an accident call. He saw me and offered me a ride home. Hal has my car at his house because I left my car at the station and he drove it to the house to take me to the airport the day I left town." Margo replies.
"Where did you end up going when you left town?" Tom asks.
"John convinced me to come spend some time with him and get out of Oakdale for a while, which I took him up on that offer." Margo replies.
"Anywhere in particular? I know you flew into Boston." Tom states.
"We went out to the coast for a while." Margo vaguely states. "Sometimes, I wish I was still there."
"Why do you say that?" Tom asks.
"Because I was able to relax out there. I was able to sit out on this patio swing and look out to the ocean to watch the waves. I sat out there for hours either reading or just watching the waves as they hit the shore. It was nice to be able to get away from everything and out of Oakdale for a while." Margo replies.
"Hal suggested that you might have been heading out of town when I asked him if you were going to be available for a preliminary hearing. It was not long after that I found out that you were pregnant when I had Jill Anders on the stand. I was scared about not knowing where you were. I was scared about not knowing how you and the baby were. I was scared at the possibility that you might not have come back to Oakdale until after the baby was born." Tom states.
"I thought about staying out there for at least the remainder of this pregnancy. Being out there, I could be away from all of the bad memories from the last time I was pregnant and then miscarried that night..." Margo quietly says as she looks away from Tom just as tears start to fall from her eyes.
"Hey…" Tom states as he notices Margo looking away from him. "Why don't we change the subject? I can tell you're getting upset and right now, that's not good for either you or the baby. You've had quite a day so far. Why don't you try to relax some and try to eat some of the lunch I brought for you? I'm going to go by the house, see if there is anything I need to take care of before Casey's surgery tomorrow and let you have some time alone. Is there anything you want me to bring back from the house?"
"Not really. Maybe my favorite throw blanket that was on the couch." Margo replies quietly as she looks away from Tom.
"I'll look for it and bring it back with me. Take it easy, try to eat some and relax. I'll be back in while. Okay?" Tom asks as he takes Margo's hand into his and gives it a slight squeeze.
"Tom, you don't have to fuss over me while I'm here in the hospital. I know you have work to do and the boys. You don't have to be here 24/7 because I'm here." Margo states.
"Margo, yes, I do need to be here. You have already gone through most of this pregnancy so far by yourself. You're dealing with a high risk pregnancy and I would not be able to forgive myself if something were to happen and I wasn't here. I wasn't there when you had the last miscarriage and I still kick myself over that to this day. So, yes, I do need to be here. I've told you I'm not going anywhere and I mean it. Like I said earlier, you try to take it easy, try to eat some, and relax. I'll be back in a couple of hours." Tom says just before he leaves Margo's hospital room.
Just as the door closes to Margo's room, Tom pulls out his cell phone and calls the one person who would love to see Margo—his grandmother, Nancy.
"Hello?" Nancy replies as she answers the phone.
"Hi Gram, it's me, Tom." Tom states.
"Hi dear. How are you? I haven't seen or spoken with you since you left Chris and Alison's wedding early the other night. Is everything alright?" Nancy asks.
"It's been a rough past couple of days, Gram. Margo came home the other night when I stopped by the house and to make a long story short, she's in the hospital here at Memorial. I don't know if you have been told, but Margo's about 22 weeks pregnant and it's a high risk pregnancy." Tom replies as he runs his fingers through his hair.
"Margo's pregnant? Your father didn't say anything about that when he was home earlier. How is she doing?" Nancy asks.
"She's hanging in there. Her blood pressure's been somewhat high, so her doctor wants to see that come down. She has a pregnancy related problem to her HCV and her liver transplant, so she is going to be on partial bed rest once she goes home and for the next 15 weeks or so. Margo isn't too happy about that, but with this complication she has, she has to avoid stress as much as possible." Tom replies.
"Is this complication life threatening at all for Margo or the baby?" Nancy asks with concern.
"What she has is called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of pregnancy. From what's been explained to Margo and I is that it's a pregnancy-related liver disorder. She's been started on a medication called Actigall that she has to take twice a day until she has the baby. The major concern is that this ICP could cause the baby's heartrate to become erratic and there is a possibility of pre-term delivery. Dr. Samuels and Dr. Martinez want Margo to carry until at least 37 weeks. However, we did find out one piece of good news." Tom states to his grandmother.
"What is that?" Nancy asks.
"You're going to have a great-granddaughter. Margo and I found out that the baby is a girl. We found that out yesterday with the ultrasound. I've been here at the hospital with her basically since she was brought in. I did have to leave for several hours this morning to move back into the house with Casey. But, yes, Margo and I are having a little girl." Tom says as he walks over to the elevators.
"Margo must be thrilled. She must be happy that you and Casey moved back into the house." Nancy implies.
"I think Margo's still in shock about finally having a little girl. As far as Casey and I moving back into the house, she's unsure. She knows Casey wants to sleep in his own bed after his surgery tomorrow and I'm going to take the guest bedroom for the time being. I'll feel better being there at the house with what's going on with both Margo and with Casey having his surgery tomorrow. I need to be there in case something happens with Margo." Tom replies.
"I'll feel better now knowing you're going to be there. She needs to know that she and this baby are a top priority for you." Nancy states sternly to her grandson.
"I have been reminding her of that. I feel really bad now for walking out on her like I did—especially finding out after the fact that she was pregnant when I did. I told her she's not dealing with the rest of this pregnancy by herself, with the condition she's in. However, she has told me a couple of times that I don't need to fuss over her while she's here in the hospital." Tom says.
"Margo will eventually come around and she'll appreciate you being there. This whole situation is hard on everybody. You, Margo, and Casey have a lot to work out, which is going to take time—which you already know. It's not going to be easy." Nancy states.
"Yeah, Gram, I know it's not going to be easy. She gets upset real easily right now and one of the things that she needs to avoid is stress because of the ICP. The other thing is that she's going to be on partial bed rest once she leaves the hospital, which she's also not happy about. She's on maternity leave, effective immediately. She told me right before I left her room that she wishes she was still out on the east coast where she was at with John and not back here in Oakdale." Tom replies.
"Out on the east coast?" Nancy asks.
"Yeah, she mentioned to me that Hal was going to give me a call because he still has her car at his house. I asked her where she went and all she told me is that she went out to the east coast to stay with John while he was on vacation. She hasn't told me where exactly she was at with John. All I know for sure is that she flew into Boston." Tom states.
"At least she was able to spend time with John and possibly relax." Nancy replies.
"She said she liked being out of Oakdale and away from everything for a while. I thought I should let you know she's here at Memorial in case you would like to give her a call." Tom says.
"I have to be at Memorial for a volunteer meeting this afternoon. I could stop in and visit with her beforehand. I would love to see her." Nancy states.
"I think she would like that." Tom replies "I'm heading over to the house and I'm going to be gone for a couple of hours, maybe three, to see if there is anything I need to take care of before Casey's surgery tomorrow and then I have to stop by the office to pick up some files that I need to go through for cases that I need to work on. She was getting upset when we were talking about her being out of town, so I'm giving her some time to relax and some space."
"Well, I'll head over to Memorial here shortly and bring her a couple of slices of the banana bread I made this morning that she loves. What time is Casey's surgery tomorrow?" Nancy asks.
"Dad and Kim are taking Casey to his surgery so I can be here at the hospital with Margo. I think he has to be here around 7 am. It's an out-patient procedure and Dad and Kim are going to stay with him at the house afterwards. I think at least one of them was going to stay at the house tonight with the boys." Tom replies.
"I'll make sure they have something for dinner tomorrow night, so you don't have to worry about that with everything you have on your plate." Nancy says.
"Gram, you don't have to do that. I was going to call Mom to see if she can have an order delivered to the house from the Mona Lisa." Tom states.
"It's not a problem and at least the boys will have a good meal. I need to get ready so I can leave for the hospital. Please let me know if you need anything and please let me know how Casey's surgery went." Nancy replies.
"I'll have Dad or Kim call you. Thank you." Tom says as the elevator door opens.
"You're welcome. I'll chat with you later. I love you. Bye." Nancy states.
"I love you, too, Gram. Bye." Tom replies as he closes his phone and walks into the elevator.