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Chapter Three: Sitting, Wishing, Waiting
John was still on hold with the station when his cell phone beeped alerting him that he had another call coming through, sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down to see that it was Marcie. What made him take her call was the 911 alert blaring by the familiar number. Telling the station he'd call them back he took her call wondering if she or Mike knew something about Marty.
"John, it's Marcie you need to get to Llanview Hospital right away. Marty's here Michael and I just brought her in there's been an accident."
John felt a feeling of dread go throughout his entire body as he dropped the phone out of his hand sending it down to the wooden floor with a hollow thud that echoed throughout the entire apartment. Quickly regaining his bearings he picked up the phone telling Marcie he'd be there as soon as he could. Grabbing his jacket off the chair, he looked over at Cole who was still sleeping soundly without a care in the world.
Cursing quietly to himself he knew he had to wake him up, he'd never forgive him if he didn't tell him what happened with Marty and the baby. Walking over to the couch he shook him as gently as he could but forceful enough that he would hopefully wake up in a timely manner.
"What's the matter?" Cole mumbled as his long eyelashes fluttered open revealing the same big chocolate eyes that his mother had.
"There's been an accident, Cole just outside the hospital. Marcie just called she and Mike found Marty unconscious slumped over her steering wheel they got her to the hospital."
Cole felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him and could only nod as John told him what happened to his Mom but it wasn't computing through his brain. Getting up off the couch it was like he was in slow motion he felt like he was reliving the day that his Mom had been taken hostage by the crazy Spencer Truman. As fast as his body would move he followed John out of his apartment and they drove to the hospital.
Marcie sat down on one of the small plastic chairs outside the ICU biting her lip as she worried for her brother-in-law and one of her favorite students. The sounds of the swinging doors that lead into the ICU hitting each other made her stand up and when she saw Michael walking out looking like something was really wrong all she could do was gasp and cover her mouth with her hand.
"How bad is it Michael?" She asked softly wrapping her arm around her husband in a sign of support.
"Marty's still in surgery," Michael informed, "There is some internal bleeding and she's lost a lot of blood. They're waiting on the next of kin to get here to make some decisions."
"The next of kin? But that's Cole he's too young to make decisions like this. Is that bad Michael? Has it really come that far? What about John can't he do that? I mean he is the father of Marty's baby."
"Well to be honest," He retorted looking down at his hands unable to face his wife and the mother of his child, "It may come down to saving her life or the baby's and since John is the baby's father he'll have to make that decision should it come to that."
"Mike!" A deep forceful voice yelled as pounding footsteps echoed throughout the hospital as they came closer to them.
Marcie looked up to meet the anxious azure gaze of John while Cole's chocolate gaze who was standing next to him seemed to be devoid of any emotion. Unable to control the sniffle that rose within her and being a mother herself she quickly walked over to Cole and pulled him into a warm hug. Michael couldn't hear the hushed words being exchanged between his wife and Cole as he pulled his only brother into a hug but knew Marcie was trying her best to be there for him.
As Michael broke the hug between him and John he watched as his older brother slumped down in a near by chair tears forming behind his normally strong secure azure eyes. It stunned Michael to see John this way, looking completely broken and afraid but he knew the minute Cole focused on him that would all go away much like it had gone away when their father died and he needed him.
"She's gotta be all right Mike. I don't know how Cole's gonna take it," John laughed sardonically at his soft statement, "Hell I don't know how I'm gonna take it. Marty and this baby I love them so much; they're my life, them and Cole."
Michael only nodded and put his arm around his brother in a show of support knowing he would feel the same way about Marcie and Tommy if something like it this were to happen to them.
Paige walked out of the ICU to see John and Michael sitting in chairs while Marcie had Cole in a warm embrace. Taking a deep breath she gathered herself and walked over to the two brothers announcing in her most professional voice, "I have news on Marty."
Cole and Marcie quickly rushed over and Cole somehow managed to ask Paige, "How is she? How's my Mom?"
Suddenly Paige's job got about a million times harder when she looked into the large chocolate eyes of the teenage boy who suddenly seemed so small and so alone. John got up from his chair and pulled Cole against his side, wrapping him tightly against his body as if protecting him from the news Paige was about to give.