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Chapter Two: Wrapping Gifts and Being Worried

John smiled at Cole as they both tried to wrap Marty's Christmas presents, tired being the operative word.

"We are so bad at this." Cole laughed as he held up a present that had more tape than actual wrapping paper or so it seemed.

John nodded holding up a similarly wrapped gift, "Yeah I know."

"So did you get anything for my little brother or sister?"

John smiled wider at Cole at the mention of the baby he was having with Marty and walked over to one of the chairs in the dining room where his black suit jacket was hanging. Taking it off the chair he slipped his hand into one of the pockets in the lining and pulled out a small maroon box and handed it to Cole.

"Open it and tell me if you think Marty will like it even if it is for the kid."

Cole opened the box to find a small silver rattle inside with a green ribbon attached to the rod and asked, "Did this use to be yours?"

"Yeah it was. I remember how big you saying Marty was on traditions and that rattle's been in my family for a while. Mike had one too but my Mom's been waiting to pawn that off on me for years." John chuckled remembering how excited Eve had been that her oldest son had finally gotten his act together.

"My Mom will really like this. I think the baby will too." Cole replied thoughtfully.

John and Cole continued wrapping their gifts neither paying much attention to the time until Cole's eyes started getting droopy but since they only had a few left to wrap John agreed to let Cole share a cup of coffee with him even though Marty hated that he drank the stuff. Oh well what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her and besides if she asked it was the kid's idea anyway.

When John came back from the kitchen he found Cole asleep on the couch covered in ribbon, tape, wrapping paper and he even had a bow stuck in his hair. Shaking his head as he laughed, he glanced up at the clock on the living room wall to see that it was a quarter after 10; Marty should have been home by now.

Confused he picked up his cell phone and dialed hers but it went straight to voice mail looking out the window he saw the snow was really coming down hard and got this strange feeling inside his stomach. Something was wrong and unable to shake it, and he dialed the station just to be sure his head wasn't playing tricks.

"Llanview P.D. this is officer Morris."

"Hey Morris it's McBain you guys wouldn't happen to have any road blocks set up near or around Llanview Hospital would you?"

"Yeah actually we do and the blotter says there's been an accident about three to four blocks away from the hospital."

John sighed running his fingers over his face and through his hair hoping his instincts were wrong and that Marty was just waiting out the storm somewhere.

Marcie paced frantically inside the hallway just outside the Intensive Care Unit. It had been more than hour since she and Michael had brought Marty into Llanview Hospital. She had found her hunched over her steering wheel unconscious. Her car was smashed beyond recognition and there was gasoline pouring from the tank on the rear of the driver's side. Michael's own safety hadn't been an issue as he worked quickly to get the mother of his niece or nephew out of the car. Two minutes later the whole thing burst into flames sending pink ash through the winter night sky.

Laying her in the back of his and Marcie's silver SUV Michael prayed that Marty could hold out long enough to make it to LH. Her breathing was shallow and there was visible bleeding on her right arm covering her with his brown camel mohair jacket he placed a call to Paige on his cell phone before heading out into the winter storm.

"Paige it's me." Michael said as soon as the other doctor answered her office phone.

"Michael? What's wrong?" Paige asked hearing the worry in his voice.

"I just found Marty Saybrooke unconscious there's been a car accident. I had to move her. The car was leaking gas. It's burning now. You should call someone to put it out. Marcie and I are on our way with her."

"Maybe you should wait for an ambulance . . . "

"There's no time." Michael insisted before ending the call.