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Chapter Thirty: Lives Hanging in The Balance

Cole smiled at Langston as they exited the front entrance of Llanview High holding hands. It was a bittersweet day for both teens since neither of them knew if Starr would ever forgive them. But they had taken the leap and found each other and could see nothing but happiness on the horizon for them.

"Today really hasn't been all that bad, has it?" Cole wondered showing her their linked hands.

Langston's brown eyes twinkled with happiness as she nodded her head in agreement. "No, it really hasn't."

"So you wanna head over to the diner? Get something to eat maybe? Or we could just hang out at the coffee shop?"

"Let's go to the coffee shop and then we can hang out in Angel's Square." Langston says, "Cristian Vega is supposed to be unveiling his latest masterpiece there or something today. Hopefully we won't miss it."

"Sounds good to me."

As Langston turned in the direction toward Cole's car in the parking lot, he stopped her. Now that she was facing him, he cupped her cheek with his hand and slowly captured her lips with his. The kiss was deepening just as the unwanted melody of his cell phone began ringing from deep inside the pocket of his jeans.

Rolling his eyes he pulled it out and answered it in an exasperated tone. "Hello?"

"Marty's in labor and there are complications." John rattled over the phone. "Just get here as soon as you can. It's not looking good."

Langston watched as Cole's face became decidedly pale and his hand shook slightly as he shut his phone. Putting an arm around him she rubbed his shoulder absently. "Hey what's wrong? Who was that on the phone?"

"It was John. He um said that my Mom's in labor and that there are complications. It's not good. We have to get to the hospital."

"Oh my God!" She gasped. Quickly grabbing Cole's hand she lead them to his car and quickly the two teens sped off to Llanview Hospital.

Cole followed Langston up the hallway both of them running as fast as their legs would carry them. His hand grasped hers tightly as they wove past nameless nurses and doctors they couldn't bother to acknowledge. As they turned the corner, they could see assorted members of whom Cole considered his family sitting single file in a row of chairs. Jessica Buchanan-Brennan looked pale and listless as she rested her head on her husband Nash's shoulder, who held their daughter Bree close to his chest. Marcie was hunched over gently rocking Tommy in a calming matter. Bo sat off to the end, Matthew and Nora tucked in close to him. John stood off to the side, vacantly staring at a closed operating room door.

"How's my Mom?" Cole asked Vicki Davidson quietly as she rejoined the group. The editor of the Banner looked tired and worried, clearly anxious about something. "Where is my Mom Mrs. Davidson?"

Vicki looked from Cole to Langston shaking her head slightly. "Sweetheart your Mom lost a lot of blood before the ambulance ever made it here." She explained in her gentle motherly tone. "They're going to have to deliver the baby via C-section. Marty was unconscious before she ever went into surgery."

"Have they told you anything?" Langston wondered searching the older woman's kind blue eyes for any indication on the state of Cole's mother.

"No one has come out yet. Dr. Winters Marty's OB is in surgery with her along with Paige Miller and Michael McBain is on stand by in case anything goes wrong. Marty has the best surgical team Llanview Hospital has to offer." Vicki promised.

Looking around the room Cole's gaze shifted to John. The man who was a father to him looked like he would jump out of his skin at any moment. Walking up next to him, he searched for the right words to say. When it became clear to the teen and the adult there were no words they just pulled each other into a silent hug. Eventually they both pulled away sheepishly wiping tears with the back of their hands.

"How are you holding up?" John asked Cole. "You get here okay?"

"Yeah, I got here okay. Langston she um drove me. As far as holding up I think I'm holding up about as well as you are." Looking down at his feet as he scuffed them across the floor before looking back up at John Cole whispered, "I'm really worried about my Mom and the baby."

Just then Michael ran past, stethoscope thrown over his shoulder. "Jolene Marty Saybrooke is coding!" He yells to a nurse. "I need you to assist in her now! Call Dr. Bennet to get him down here and then scrub in!"

"What's wrong with Marty Mike?" John demanded stopping his brother in his tracks.

"Dr. Bennet is on his way down to discuss the options with you and Cole." Michael explains, "Until then you need to wait here. Only one person will be allowed in the room with Marty. I'll leave that up to you to decide."

As quickly as Michael had appeared in front of John he was gone. Rushing back into the operating room that held his brother's girlfriend and baby.

"Are you going inside John?" Cole asked softly. John shook his head. "No, I'm not. You are. As much as I love Marty and our baby in there, she would want you in there with her. You're her son and that means more to her than anything in the world."

"Has a decision been made as to who gets to observe the surgery?" Michael asked popping his head out of the OR. "Cole's going in. It's what Marty would want."

Cole quickly followed Michael inside as he was prepared to observe the surgery. It was unusual that a family member got to observe another family member's surgery but all normal rules and regulations went out the window for this case.

Natalie and Evan rushed into Llanview Hospital to see almost everyone; they loved gathered together waiting on the news of the lovely psychiatrist Marty Saybrooke's diagnosis. Natalie's blue eyes darted around the room looking for John. When they rested on her ex-boyfriend, her heart literally broke. He looked broken, haggard, worn and utterly alone standing the furthest away from anyone.

Walking away from Evan, she walked over to John in the deserted part of the waiting room. She knew he knew she was there and waited for him to say something to her but he never did. "John?"

"Not now, Nat. Please not now." He pleaded through his tears. His entire body shook with sobs from the top of his head to the bottom of the soles of his feet. "I can't do this now."

Natalie was stunned to see John like this. In all the years she's known him he never cried like this before. She also knew that he never loved her like he loved Marty and this baby. In this moment she knew that he had finally put Caitlin behind him and his heart was now fully open. Open enough to accommodate the beautiful widow, her son and the little girl they had created together.

Thinking on her feet the red head did the only thing she could do. Wrapping her arms around him John could feel Natalie's chin bump against his shoulder as she nodded her head.

"Yes you can John." She pledged. "Yes you can. You can do this because you love Marty, you love Cole and you love that baby. You can do this for them."