Will, Sonny and Justin stepped out of the elevator, and onto the 5th floor of the Salem University Hospital. Justin explained several things to Will and Sonny on the way there. First among them was that Rafe was the one that caught Sammi and EJ while they were trying to break into the evidence locker of the Salem Police Department. Sammi told Rafe everything concerning Nick and Will. At least it was her version of events. Even so, Rafe was not impressed with Nick and was inclined to arrest Nick strait away for violating his parole. EJ called Justin. It was Justin that convinced Rafe to wait and that Gabi needed to be told about Nick and also that it was Will that needed to tell Gabi about everything.
What have I gotten myself into now?
The second piece of information was that Rafe would be in charge of persuading Nick out of Gabi's room so that Will would have complete access to her without the threat of Nick interfering with what Will had to do.
God give me strength. I am going to need it.
They walked slowly towards Gabi hospital room, Will holding Sonny hand tightly. Justin walked a few steps ahead of them and peaked through the doorway to see if the coast was clear. "All right, Gabi is alone." Sonny squeezed Will's hand lovingly and whispered in his ear, "Just be yourself Will and you'll be just fine. My dad and I will be right outside the door. If you need me I'll know. Although I don't think you will." Will looked and Sonny breathed in deeply and walked into the room.
Gabi was lying in the hospital bed, propped up with pillows. There was an abundance of flowers surrounding her. She appeared to be reading a romance novel. Will coughed, a letting-you-know someone is here cough. Gabi looked up from her novel, and noticing Will, a smile crept across her face. "Hey you, what are you doing here?" Will approached the bed and sat kiddy corner, making sure not to intrude too much on Gabi's personal space. "Oh, you know, just came by to see how you and the baby were doing?" Gabi looked her friend in the eye and stated, "We are doing just fine. How are you?"
Okay. Here we go.
Will's features started to take up the shape of a frown. "I've been better. " Will sighed and continued, "Gabi, I need to tell you something. It might be hard for you to hear, but I need to say this, and I want you to be ready to hear it and not over-react. Do you trust me?" Gabi scanned Will's face, watched as his eyes filled up his compassion and a little bit or hurt. "Of course I trust you Will. But you are scaring me a little. You're looking way too serious." Will took another deep breath and continued, "Gabi, it is serious. I'm sorry but it is. Something happened yesterday. Something you need to know about if you haven't been told already." Gabi simply tilted her head, an anxious and inquisitive expression rolled across her face. It was obvious to Will that Nick had not said anything to her and the documents yet.
So far, so good, then.
"Yesterday, Nick forced me to sign a document acknowledging that I was willing to give up my rights as a parent to our soon-to -be baby girl." Gabi looked skeptical, "Why would he do that that? Why would you let him do that to you?" Will, shifted his wait on the bed and trying project an aura of composure, than was beginning to slightly wane. "I let him do that to me because Nick found something out about my past. Something that, I thought at the time, if it got out, I could have been in serious trouble, along with quite a few other people. He threatened to oppose this if I didn't sign the papers. I didn't have time to think it through. So, I signed/ This secret has no baring whatsoever on my ability to help raise our child Gabi. But if you need to know what it is. I will tell you."
Gabi looked at Will's eyes and facial features, which were becoming more and more to resemble a stricken, hurt person. She thought of the secrets that she herself had. Secrets that she thought had no baring whatsoever on whether she could raise her baby. She decided to give Will the benefit of the doubt. "I don't need to know Will. I don't understand why he would do something like that. And not ask me first."
Okay Will, breathe.
"I thought it was because of my Mom, because she interfered and practically brought on your pre-mature labour single-handedly. But that was not it Gabi. If it were, I could almost understand it. Although resorting to blackmail seemed a bit much, even to me. So, earlier today I asked him, point blank, why? And he answered me. And I was shocked."
Will shifted his weight on the bed again. Gabi was staring at him. Waiting, with anticipation, for what he was about to say. "Nick said that he did all this because I was gay. He said that I was disgusting and that he didn't want your daughter to have to be around someone who was destined to go from one sexual partner to another. He said that I was sick, that I shouldn't be around children and that if Sonny and I wanted someone to love, we should get a dog". All these words came out from will's mouth like a hurricane. With these words, all the emotions he was feeling came back to him.
I won't let my emotions and my insecurities control me. I am strong.
Gabi stared. Will's words hit her hard. They did so because there was more than just a small kernel of truth to them. She hadn't wanted to admit the truth to herself, a truth that she had known for a while. Nick was a homophobic bigot. She couldn't deny it. Not with Will, sitting there at the foot of her bed, tears threatening to fall across his face. Will was one of closest friends. He wouldn't lie to her about that. What reason would he have?" I believe you Will."
At that moment Will and Gabi could hear a sound coming from just outside Gabi's room. That sound was a voice, an angry voice that shouted, "What the hell are you doing here?"
To be continued….
