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Chapter Thirty Three: A New Life and A New Love

The hours passed each taking longer than the previous hour. Friends took turn pacing the hallways family members were holding vigil outside the hospital room. Everyone was nervous mostly silent as they waited for one single word. Once or twice various staff members would come out of the room and all conversation stopped on a dime. No one would say a single word or offer them a single sign of progress. Their fluid unhurried movements gave them hope but the second they were gone it was taken away again.

"We need a crash cart!" Jolene screamed into the phone outside the operating room door before disappearing back inside.

John jumped up first knowing what that meant and Cole wasn't far behind. A neonatal nurse soon rushed by dragging a tiny medical device behind her. John's eyes were frozen on the contraption well aware his child was now brought into the world.

"I'm a father." He whispered to no one in particular tears streaming down his face. "I'm a father."

Langston sat next to a very stoic Cole who had come back to sit in a chair. He was eerily calm his eyes focused on the door his mother was behind just like John's. A silence spread over the room again the minutes quickly spreading into hours. Langston wrapped her arms around Cole offering him any minuscule comfort she could as Michael McBain appeared before all of them again. "Johnny," He said to his brother. "I need to speak with you in private."

John nodded and glanced at Cole. He then obliged by following Michael into a private room where he was relieved Marty lay sleeping in a bed. "Well?"

"Marty's fine. From what I can tell she'll make a full recovery." Michael revealed happily. "The next 24 hours are critical but I don't foresee any complications. She woke up briefly just to reiterate your previous wishes."

"What about the baby?"

"Let me bring Cole in first. I'm sure he'd like to hear the news too. I'll be right back Johnny."

John nodded nervously drumming his fingers on the metal table in front of him while keeping his gaze fixed on Marty. Quickly Michael returned with Cole and explained the situation before bringing the conversation back to the baby.

"Well?" Cole asked expectantly.

"The baby is alive." Michael explained. "However there were complications which were to be expected. We moved her into the neonatal unit. She's being monitored very closely. She's unable to breathe on her own and we have to regulate her blood levels. For now she can't have any visitors but you can go to the nursery and see her. I'll leave it up to you two to decide who gets to look in on her first."

"Go John." Cole says, "Go see your daughter." "Are you sure you don't want to see her first?"

"Nah. I can wait. I want to spend sometime with my Mom. Besides I can go see her right after you. I'm sure she's anxious to see you anyway. You're her Dad."

John nodded a beaming smile crossing his face at the word "Dad." That word used to be such a pipe dream for him one that had died with his own father. But then had resurrected for him once he met Caitlin. Once she was gone, he never thought he could be a father that he could burden a kid with himself. Everything changed for him when he met Marty and she let him into her life and her son's.

Looking at Cole he ruffled his hair affectionately and pulled him into a hug saying, "You're just as much my child as that little girl in the nursery. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life Cole."

Cole reciprocated the hug tightly squeezing the man he loved as much as his own father. "Thanks for wanting me to be a part of yours John. You'll be a great Dad. You've already been everything I could want after mine."

Sheepishly they pulled away from each other embarrassed that things got so sappy between them. And instead of hugging again they settled for pounding fits before John left the room. He saw Michael explaining everything that was going on to everyone and he smiled at how many people cared about Marty and their baby. Walking down the quiet hallway that lead him to the nursery he took a deep breath and stood behind the panel of glass searching for the incubator that held his little girl.

There in the second incubator from the right with a nurse placing a white card in the identification tag holder labeled Baby Girl McBain was his daughter. The sight of seeing her for the first time was so strong he felt all the air in his body escape him. He figured she would be small since she was a preemie but he never expected her to appear as tiny as she looked from the distance he was. As the nurse moved to check all the wires, tubes and machines she was hooked up to he got a better look at her. A mop of dark hair covered her head and suddenly a pair of clear blue eyes as wide as saucers stared back at him.

"Hi." He breathed standing so close to the glass his breath fogged up the window.

Langston walked into the doorway Marty's hospital room to see Cole holding his mother's hand gently as he talked to her. She was still asleep but he talked to her like she would wake up any minute and join in the conversation. Langston's heart broke for her boyfriend but in a small way the scene gave her peace. She was comforted by how comfortable he was around his mother and just his presence made her calm.

Walking further into the room she stood next to him and softly asked. "How is she?"

"Good," Cole says smiling. "Michael said she should wake up in a few minutes. John went to go see the baby. She's a girl."

"Congratulations big brother."

Cole glanced up at the clock in the hospital room and saw that it was way past time for Langston to go home. It was almost 3:45 in the morning. She had stayed with him all day and all night, but why? He didn't ask her to.

"You stayed all night and all day with me. Why?"

"I figured you would do the same for me. Why shouldn't I do it for you?" Langston shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's it? You just stayed here in a hospital you Langston Wilde the girl that hates hospitals just because I might do this for you?"

"Okay so maybe it was more than that. Maybe I wanted to be here for you to show you that you could trust me with everything you've got Thornhart. That I'm not going to leave you," Langston whispers her cheeks flushing crimson. "That in staying here with you through all of this I could show you that you mean more to me than I can say right now. That maybe I'm falling for you."

A wide smile appeared on Cole's face and he let go of his Mom's hand. Standing up from the plastic chair he had been sitting in he faced Langston. "Are you sure that you may just be falling for me?" He questioned teasingly.

"Oh no I've created a monster! Help, help!" Langston cried in mock indignation.

"Admit it Wilde." Cole said using her last name. "You're falling for me."

Langston held her ground and didn't give in. She just stood there her arms crossed in a non verbal challenge.

Cole reached out to her with his hand pulling her flush against his body his eyes dancing with mischief and happiness. Something Langston had missed over the past 24 hours or so. He gently traced her cheek with the pad of his thumb leaving a pretty pink hue in its wake.

"I'm wearing you down Wilde. I'm wearing you down." He taunted. Before Langston could utter a syllable in protest Cole pressed his lips to hers in a soul searing kiss. It was the kind of kiss every little girl dreamed of that one kiss that made your foot pop and Langston felt her foot pop.

"God help me, but I am falling for you Thornhart." She admitted begrudgingly as she rested her forehead against his.

"Well then it looks like God's going to have to help me too. Cause I'm falling for you too, Langston hard and fast."