Chapter 8 Snow White's Poisoned Apple

Rex had never felt so numb in his life. Was it possible for one's shattered heart to ache this much? Rex didn't think he had the strength to move on; his whole life was taken from him by one deranged sociopath. Rex felt a hand on his shoulder and he shook it off. He didn't want comfort. He didn't deserved comfort. It was his fault that his family was dead, he deserved to be put to death for failing to protect those closest to his heart from that monster. He felt the hand on his shoulder and heard Bo Bunchan call out his name. Rex turned to him and couldn't see anyone.

"Open you're eyes Balsom," Bo instructed.

Rex slowly opened his eyes and found himself laying on a hospital gurney, "What am I doing here?"

"What do you remember?" Michael McBain asked him as he put his hand on Rex's eye lids to look into his eyes for a possible concussion.

"I was at the church," Rex said, "Gigi and Shane's funeral." Rex witnessed the confused look shared between the two men, "What is going on? What does that look mean?"

"Rex," Bo said, "they aren't dead."

"What do you mean?" Rex said quickly, "I was there…Brody…"

"You past out," Michael explained, "Gigi's flat lined and when I went to shock her heart you passed out."

"How long have I been out of it?" Rex asked.

"Just a few minutes," Michael explained, "Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Grey took Gigi to the OR. They called in a collage that is doing a talk at the university. She's a heart specialist. I can't remember her name…"

"Dr. Erica Hahn," Bo filled in for the frazzled doctor.

"It doesn't matter what her name is," Rex said, "How is my family?"

"Gigi is in emergency surgery," Michael explained, "Dr. Shepherd is hoping to relieve the pressure to her brain while Dr. Hahn works on the stab wound."

"Will she be okay?" Rex asked hesitantly. He was too afraid of the answer. He didn't want his nightmare to become true.

"The odds are not in her favor," Michael said as he looked away from Rex. These last 18 hours was starting to wear him down as well and looking at Rex didn't make it any better. The young doctor felt helpless in this situation as specialists were being called in due to Dorian Lord's influence. But if it was Marcie, he'd want the best possible care for her as well.

Rex felt his shattered heart break even more as Bo put his hand on his shoulder.

"Remember Balsom," Bo said, "Gigi is a fighter. She won't go down without a fight."

"Have they found him yet?" Rex asked.

Bo looked down in shame, "Not yet," he felt Rex roll his shoulder to remove his hand from Rex's shoulder, "But I promise you that we will find him. Brody Lovett will pay for his crimes."

"You better pray to God that I don't find him first," Rex threatened, "because if I do, he's a dead man!" Rex jumped off the gurney and stumbled a little as his equilibrium was still off. He started walking to the door when he stopped. "My son," he asked Michael as he turned around, "How is my son?"

"Shane is out of surgery," Michael said, "but he is in very critical condition. The next 24 hours will be crucial for him. He's still unconscious from the anesthesia but it will wear off soon."

"And then?" Rex asked.

"And then we wait for him to wake up," Michael said, "I told you that he's in critical condition. Shane's next battle is making it through the night without his body failing."

"What will happen if it does?" Rex asked.

"Shane's body went through a lot of trauma when Brody attacked him," Michael explained, "and the surgery he just went through reeked havoc on his body." Michael paused and looked at the man before him, "These next 24 hours are critical," he said to one of his wife's good friends.

"Can I see him?" he asked, "I want to see my son."

"In a few minutes," Michael said, "He's being transferred to the ICU. I'll come and get you when he's ready for visitors."

Rex watched Michael leave the room before collapsing on the chair behind him. He buried his hands in his head and started to cry. He knew that it was taboo for men to cry, but he didn't have the strength to hold back the tears. His family was fighting for his life and the big strong protector was helpless to do anything about it. As much as he had the superman complex when it came to Shane and Gigi before he knew they were his, he couldn't save them now when it matter the most. He couldn't protect them. He had failed them in every possible way. He failed as his father. He failed as her soul mate. He just flat out failed them.

Bo sat down next to Rex and put his hand on his back as a form of comfort. When it didn't help he pulled Rex into his arms like a father comforting the broken spirit of his son.

"I don't think I have the strength for this anymore," Rex confessed through his tears.

"No man would," Bo said, "our strength comes from our love and your loves are…" Bo just trailed off, not sure how to continue.

"They're dying," Rex said, "and it's my fault."

"They are not dying," Bo countered, "They are fighting for their lives right now." Bo pulled Rex away and looked him in the eyes. "You are strong enough to fight this because you're strength comes from the ones you love. Rex they need you and that's why I know you're strong enough for this."

"But you just said no man would," Rex said.

"On his own, yes no man would have the strength for this," Bo said, "but there are so many people here for you that love you that can give you strength. You'll find the strength because you have to because that is your family in there fighting. You give them strength to fight just like they give you strength to fight."

"Are you sure I'm not alone?" Rex asked, "I feel so unbelievable alone."

"I'm here, your mother, Marcie, Natalie, Clint, Nora, Jared of all people, and even Charlie," Bo said, "We are here for you. You will not go through this alone. You need strength son," Bo said, "take mine, it's yours."

Rex looked at the face of the man he had long ago wished was his father. Bo Bunchan would never ceases to amaze him. This is where he would learn to be a father…no a dad to his little boy…correction his growing young man. "I wish you were my father," he mumbled.

"Me too Balsom," Bo whispered back. Bo embraced his faux son and wished that Rex could feel his love for the him as if he was his son.

"Rex," Michael said as he approached the duo, "You can see Shane if you'd like."

"Thanks Mike," Rex said removing himself from Bo's fatherly embrace and wiping away the tears.

"I need to warn you," Michael said, "Shane still has a breathing tube in his throat since he's not ready to be taking off the ventilator. There are wires and tubes coming from him. I want you to prepare yourself for the sight you'll see."

"No man could prepare to see his son like that," Rex said cutting off the doctor, "But I can give him strength to fight his way back to me and his mother."

Michael smiled at his response and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "That is one lucky boy you have there."

"I'm the lucky one," Rex corrected the doctor again, "have you seen my family." Even in this dire situation Rex couldn't stop himself from bragging about his loved ones.

"That I have," Michael said, removing his hand from Rex's shoulder, "Shane needs positive energy around him right now."

"I know," Rex said, "I won't fail him this time around."

"No one is accusing you of failing him," Michael said, "You're the reason he's alive right now."

"And I'm the reason he's like that now," Rex said in shame, "I should have known what was happening."

"I have a waiting room full of people thinking the same thing Rex," Michael said, "what you need to focus on is what you did when you found out. If it wasn't for you, they would have died hours ago." Michael stopped in front of Shane's room, "Remember positive energy and thoughts. Shane is like his father, he's strong."

"Thanks Michael," Rex said as he hesitated at the door.

"Dr. James will be in shortly to check on Shane," Michael said, "He said he would be personally keeping an eye on Shane during this recovery."

"Thanks," Rex said, "I didn't think specialist did the checking. I thought that is why they had interns."

"Usually," Michael said, "but he's doing this as a favor to Dorian. Plus I think that boy of yours charmed the doctor."

"He is a charmer," Rex said with a smile on his face.

Michael was satisfied with the genuine smile on his face and knew Rex was ready to walk into the room now, "Go see your son," he said.

Rex nodded at the young doctor before turning to face the door to his son's room. He took a deep breathe and walked into the room. The sight before him made him want to break down into tears. This was nothing to what Michael had described. Shane had tubes and wires coming from every part of him. Rex looked at the heart monitor and saw a low heart beat. His son was hanging on for his life. What could he do to save him? He sat down next to Shane and took his small hand in his. "Hey Shane," Rex said, "It's me Rex. I have something to tell you and I really need you to get better so I can tell you. Something incredible happened to me today and well…it happened for the both of us…all three of us," he corrected. "I know this might be confusing and hard to understand; but I'm your father Shane. It involves a long story with your mother and me leaving before I knew about you that I promise to tell you later. But what you need to know is that I loved you like you were my own child before I even knew you were really mine. I love you Shane," he said as the tears fell from his eyes again. "I love you son," he said as he reached up and brushed away his bangs from his eyes, "I need you to come back to me and your mother. We would be lost without you." Rex rested his head next to Shane's arm on the bed as he continued to hold his precious son's hand.

After a few minutes Rex felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked up with his red eyes and saw the intern looking down at him. "What's going on?"

"Dr. Shepherd requested I come find you," she said, "Can we talk outside?" Meredith went to the door and turned around to watch the young father whisper something to his son and kiss the boy's forehead. He walked up to her and gestured her to walk out the door first. He closed the door behind him and took her a few yards from Shane's door. She figured she didn't want the boy any chance to over hear about his mother's condition, even if he was still unconscious.

"What's going on with Gigi?" Rex asked the intern.

"Dr. Shepherd requested that we wait for him," Meredith replied.

Rex didn't like that reply, something was going on and he didn't like it, "Or you could tell me now, what happened?" The intern refused to answer him he asked, "Is she…did she die in surgery?"