I didn't get my snow day after all but I got to update! YAY!

But I just want to let you know that I might not be able to update this often starting from next week because I'll have to study for a bunch of tests until February! :/ I might update once a week though.

Anyways, here's chapter 3.

I hope you'll enjoy it!

The paramedics rushed Kate into the ER where a team of doctors where already waiting for her. Jack waited a little while until they took Kate behind the curtains, where Aaron can't see her.

He took hold of the boy's little hand and walked into the ER. A kind nurse Jack knew for a very long time met them there. She was a pediatrics nurse and Jack knew Aaron would be in good hands with her.

"Aaron this is Emily. She will take care of you while I go and take care of your mom, okay?"

"Don't leave me!" He cried and wrapped his arms around the man's leg. the boy had seen so many unfamiliar faces that night. Jack was the only person he felt safe around.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. But now I need to be with your mom and make her better. You've been a very brave young man, Aaron. Can you keep being brave and stay with Emily?"

He nodded slowly and held the nurse's hand.

"Can you give him one last check up and then take him down to the cafeteria for something to eat?"

"Of course Dr. Shepherd. Do you want me to call the family members?"

"No, they don't have anyone to call."

"Oh, social services then... Should I or will you? The mother looks like she will be here for a long time and a hospital isn't a place for a child to stay."

"I'll do it Em. Just keep the boy safe and happy until I come."

He ran back to the private room where they kept the critical patients. Kate was lying on the bed, unconscious, with a bunch of doctors over her. The doctors quickly informed Jack that she was having acute respiratory and multi system organ failures with possible internal bleeding.

They all concluded on the same thing: she needed surgery.

Immediate, intensive, critical surgery…

He was ready to scrub into Kate's surgery but he was stopped the general surgeon who was in charge of the entire procedure. He reminded Jack that he was a spinal surgeon and he needed to step back and let them do their job. He got furious, but knew that there was nothing he could do.

He found Malcolm, as he was about to scrub in and stopped him, grabbing by his arm.

"You can't let her die. She has to come out of this alive, okay?" he warned him. "You have to make sure they do everything they can to save her life."

"Jack have you met this woman before?" his friend asked. He'd noticed that Jack was showing extra special care for this woman and her son. Last time Jack was like this was with Sarah.

And Malcolm didn't want another 'Sarah incident' again.

"Save her Malcolm." Jack repeated.

Because that was all he could do to help Kate…

Malcolm nodded and went inside.

He went back and started waiting at the surgery waiting room that was filled with other people, waiting for good news about their loved ones. He paced from one end of the room to the other, talked with some other families who were trying to help him and prayed.

Jack Shepherd actually prayed for Kate.

He was never a man of faith but right now, faith was all he had.

She couldn't die.

Not when he had this huge desire to get know her better, not when she left him with all this questions, not when Aaron is still waiting for her to come back to him.

And not when her face appeared before Jack's eyes every time he close them.

He went to his lockers and changed back into his old, dirty clothes.

'At least these weren't covered in blood.' He thought

He then went to find nurse Emily and Aaron. He found them in the pediatrics ward with Aaron sleeping on the old woman's lap.

"He was so tired that he dosed off immediately. He kept asking for you and his mom though. Poor baby, he must've been so scared tonight." Emily said while she played with the boy's soft, blond hair.

"He really was."

"No child should live through that fear." she shook his head. "You said he had no other family right? No father?"

"That's what his mother told me."

"You should call social services as soon as you can. The sooner he gets out of this environment the better. Trust me."

"I will. Thanks for everything Em."

Jack carried the sleeping child to his father's office. The room hadn't been used since his dad, Dr. Christian Shepherd, died two months ago. The hospital had asked Jack about what to do with his office and he was still in the process of deciding whether to let the new chief of resident use it or turn it into another storage room.

He gently placed Aaron onto the leather sofa and covered him with his lab coat. He remembered the nights he himself used to spend on that sofa sleeping while his dad was in surgery.

He sat down by the wooden desk and took a breather.

Everything was going so fast.

He wasn't sure if he had made the right decision by promising Kate to break the law and keep the child.

He tried to think about what his father would do. Of course he would give the boy to social services and let Kate deal with her own problems alone. He wouldn't interfere with other people's lives, especially strangers'.

He was as selfish as a person could get. But Jack didn't know if by being like this, his dad was doing the right thing or not. Because Christian never seemed to get into trouble and he kept rising, becoming the best at everything.

He had the best job, most adoring wife who would do anything to help him achieve his business goals, a son who did everything he told him to do and even though it wasn't his dream, became a surgeon.

So Jack sat in his father's chair with his head buried in his hands, trying to make the right decision. When he closed his eyes, he again was met by Kate's face. The desperation in her eyes instantly made it easier for him to keep his promise.

To do the right thing…

He finally took out his phone and dialed the number of his childhood home.

It was late so it took a few rings for Margo Shepherd to finally pick up the phone and she was worried sick when she saw the number that was calling her.

Her beloved son was still hurting since what happened with his wife, Sarah. And there was nothing she could do to make him feel better. For the past few weeks she called him everyday and begged him to come home but he would just tell her he was fine and hang up as quick as he could.

But she was a mother.

And mothers could understand that their child is unhappy by just hearing their voice, no matter how hard they try not to sound like that...

"Hi mom."

"Jack? Is everything okay dear?"

"I'm sorry for calling you in the middle of the night but something happened..."

"Oh dear god!" she gasped, expecting the worst. Jack's dad, Christian, the man she had devoted her 32 years to, was in the same mental situation as Jack was when he crashed his car to his death. Margo was scared for something like this to happen to her son as well.

"No mom, I'm fine. I just... Need you to do me a favor."

The old lady sighed in relief. "What can I do for you sweetheart?"

"Can you come to the hospital mom?"

"Now?"

"Yeah... I need your help."

"I'll be there as soon as I can Jack."

"Okay."

"I love you baby." she said before he could hang up. She just wanted him to say it one more time. When Jack was little they used to race to tell each other how much they loved them right before hanging up. It was a little game the mother and son shared.

But now, her little boy was all grown up and didn't want to play anymore. And she missed him enthusiastically telling her he loved him.

"Love you too." He quickly said and hung up, leaving Margo on the other line with watery eyes.

Margo stood by the door of her late husband's old office. Her mind instantly filled with memories of the hours she and Jack used to wait in that room for Christian to get out of surgery. Usually they would wait there for a few hours and finally cancel the dinner reservations or movie dates they were supposed to go to, because as always there would be another emergency surgery he needed to attend.

She didn't want her son to have that life and back at the time she fought so hard to change his mind so that he wouldn't choose to become a doctor. But Jack was choosing that life to finally be able to make his father proud. And because of that, there was nothing she could do to change his mind.

First, she knocked gently and then opened the door, making it squeak. She smiled at her son, but her expression quickly turned into confusion when she noticed a little boy sleeping on the sofa.

"Jack Shepherd?" She asked with a warning tone.

"Mom, this is Aaron. And he's the reason why I asked you to come here so late."

"I'm listening to you, son" She said and sat down in front of him. She impatiently waited for an explanation.

"It's a long story and I no longer have the energy to explain everything. Hell, I don't even know the whole thing myself! I was going home when I saw a car that had crashed into a tree. Inside were a woman and her son. I helped him get out but she was stuck so I stayed with her until the rescue team came. You had to see her mom she was so desperate. She was seriously injured and all she could think was her son."

"That's what any mother would do sweetheart. Our children are the most important thing in the whole world for us. How's the mother doing now? Is she...?" Margo couldn't finish her sentence. Even though she was around death all the time because of her husband and son's job, she still wasn't used to talking about it.

This woman was a complete stranger to her, she didn't even know her name but just because she was a mother, Margo could relate to her. She glanced at the boy, sleeping on the couch and tried to imagine what he must be going through.

"Kate, the mother, is still in surgery right now but I'm not sure if she could make it."

"What will happen to him then?" she asked turning her attention the boy again.

"That's why I asked you to come here. I need you to take care of him until I sort some thing out."

"Isn't social services for that Jack?"

"I didn't call them. And I won't because-"

Margo quickly stopped him with her eyes wide open in surprise.

"That is against the law, isn't it?"

"Yes it is. But Kate told me specifically not to inform the authorities. She begged me, mom. I made her a promise."

"Jack, as a doctor it is your duty to-"

"Mom! I've made up my mind." Jack said a little louder than he intended. He immediately lowered his voice when Aaron started tossing and turning around.

"I'm going to protect them. Protect him… So you can either help me or leave and let me deal with this alone."

"If it had been your father, he wouldn't risk getting into legal trouble for a stranger."

"My father was a selfish bastard and you know that mom! This boy will loose his mother if I make that call."

"What do you mean by that Jack?"

"I don't know. That was what she told me. I could feel the emotional pain she was in by just looking at her." He took a deep breath. "Mom, please… He's just four and he went through hell today. I can't keep him here but I also can't leave Kate. I promised them. Please trust me, I'm doing the right thing."

"Oh, Jack…" she said softly while she shook her head. She stood up and walked to the sleeping child. Pulling his hair out from his face, she took a good look at him. She gently rubbed his scars as if doing so; she could make them go away.

Jack came behind her. "I need you mom. I'm exhausted and I need your help."

Margo first looked at her son and then the boy and sighed. "Okay, honey I will do what you asked me to but I hope you're ready to face the consequences if things go bad. I don't know how you're going to hide this from the rest of the hospital's staff but I will support you. Just be careful, okay?"

"I know I'm doing the right thing. Don't worry."

"I hope you are, son. I hope you are…"

Jack went over to the couch, sat down next to the boy and lightly tapped on his shoulder, trying to wake him up.

"Aaron? Wake up, buddy"

It took a few tried but he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the light in the room.

"Aaron, I want you to meet someone. This is my mom Margo."

The old lady came closer and sat down as well, leaving Aaron in the middle.

"Hello Aaron." She gave him a warm smile.

"Hi." He quietly said. It was obvious that he was still trying to adjust to his new surroundings. Jack knew that his tiny blue eyes were searching for his mom.

"She is going to take you home now. You need to go with her and rest."

"Are you coming with me?" he asked, looking up to him with puppy eyes.

"I can't kiddo. I need to stay here and help your mommy."

Tears formed in his eyes as the boy shook his head.

"Are you going to leave me alone?"

"Sweetie..." Margo chimed in. "I promise you we will have so much fun once you get your rest. You wont even realize how the time passes."

She started playing with his hair but he quickly pulled back, giving her a fierce look.

"No! Jack protects me! He saved me and mommy. He is superman! I need to stay with him.

'I couldn't save your mommy yet, buddy' Jack thought

"You will be perfectly safe with her Aaron. She is my mom, right? She used to protect me when I was little. She's even more powerful than I am."

"Yeah… We can do whatever you want; watch some movies, bake cookies… I can even give you some of Jack's old toys if you want." She added.

"No!" he yelled, ready to throw a fit. He looked around the room searching for his mom once more and then started crying hysterically when he couldn't find her.

"I want my mommy!" he cried. He stood up and jumped into Jack's arms, holding onto him as tight as his little hands let him.

"Aaron…" Jack whispered.

"You promised! Don't leave me Jack! I'm scared!" he cried on his shoulder.

Jack helped the boy sit up on his lap and wiped his tears away. "Shh…" he soothed him.

"I know you're having a very scary night. But tonight will be over very soon. And tomorrow, Aaron, will be much better.

"Promise?" he asked

This time it was Jack who reached out his pinkie. Aaron slowly wrapped his around it and gave him a little smile.

"Pinky swear." They both said at the same time.

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