I hate waking up in the hospital. At least I am feeling no pain. I hear whispering in the room, I really just want to lay here and go back to sleep. The voices are getting louder and sound angry. I can hear that Lester is arguing with someone but I am not sure who. Since they are fighting in my room I am just going to keep my eyes closed and listen.

"Man you left. I guess that is why she changed it. What do you expect?" I can tell that is Lester.

"I want to know what the doctor said." The other voice says.

"When she wakes up and wants you to know anything about her condition she can tell you. Until then it is none of your business." Lester is angry.

Someone picks up my hand. "Babe" Crap it's Ranger. Why is he here? I guess he is pissed that I changed my Medical Power of Attorney to Lester and Mary Lou instead of him and Tank. What did he expect? I guess it is time to wake up.

"Hey guys. What happened?"

" I am so happy to see your baby blues, Beautiful. Jonas nicked your shoulder with his knife and you fainted so we brought you here to have you checked out. You were dehydrated so they gave you some fluids. You have been out of it about 24 hours. I am going to let the nurse know you are awake so the doctor can come in and talk to you. Be right back."

"Ranger, what are you doing here?"

"You were hurt Babe, I had to come. Why did you change your POA?" Ranger asks as just as the door opens and Joe walks in.

"Hey Cupcake, you ok?" He asks as he is giving me a quick kiss on the top of my head. "Manoso thought you left town." Here we go.

"Morelli I still have a business here and Steph was hurt so I rushed back. You left town before I did. What are you doing here?"

"Not that it is any of your business Manoso but my grandmother is a patient here."

"I'm sorry Joe what is wrong with Grandma Bella" I ask hoping to change the subject.

"They're not sure yet. She has been here a few days. I drove in last night to help my mom out."

"So do either of you know when I can get out of here? If it was just a nick and I am no longer dehydrated shouldn't I be able to leave?"

"Babe, Lester went to get the doctor. He has talked to her but I haven't been able to. I want to be here when she talks to you."

Lester and a female doctor I don't know walk in. "Joe, Carlos can both of you leave please so the doctor can check Steph out?" Lester is taking his job as my next of kin seriously.

"Santos, we have just as much right to be in here as you." Ranger is getting his back up at Les.

"Manoso, let's get out of here. If Stephanie wants us to know what the doctor has to say she will let us know. I'll be back in a little while, Cupcake" Joe says, kisses my forehead and walks out the door.

I am getting a weird vibe from Lester. "Ranger, I would rather you left as well, please. " He looks pissed at me now but he leaves.

"Ok what's going on?" I ask as Lester walks over and sits on the side of the bed with me putting his arms around me.

"Ms Plum, I am Dr Stewart. When we discovered you were dehydrated we did some blood work. Mr. Santos told us that you have had some issues with your stomach recently so we ran a pregnancy test. It was positive. You are pregnant."

"Did you just say I am pregnant?" I am stunned. "I haven't had sex in almost four months and I have had a period. Well I spotted but that is not unusual for me. Are you sure you have the right patient? I am Stephanie Plum. The lab had to have made a mistake."

"Mr. Santos thought you might feel this way, so we are sending you down to the maternity floor for an Ultrasound."

"Hold on. I need a few minutes to think and process this. How can this be. When Ranger and I were together I was on birth control. I stopped taking them after he left town. Could I be four months pregnant? OMG! I'm never getting cake from my mother again. Lester what am I going to do?"

"Beautiful, let's get through the ultrasound and we can talk."

"I'm going to leave you two alone. Someone will be up shortly to take you down."

"Wait! Dr Stewart, Please don't tell anyone out there what we talked about. I need to think things through before anyone besides Lester knows."

"Of course Ms. Plum. Also if you need a referral to an OB let me know."

"Lester, what in the hell am I going to do? I don't want Ranger to think he needs to move back here. I was doing so good with him being gone. I was ready to meet someone new. Who is going to want to date a pregnant thirty something former bounty hunter?"

"Take a deep breath, Steph. I am going to go tell Ranger you need some more tests and see if I can get him to leave for a little while. I want to go to the ultrasound with you. We will get through this together. That's what friends are for."

"Thanks Lester. You really have become my best male friend since Ranger left. I don't know what I would do without you! Do you have my phone? I want to call Mary Lou."