It was now around 7:00 at night. They had been there for hours, and they still hadn't heard anything about Amy or the baby's condition. Everyone was waiting around anxiously. Jack and Grace had gone to get something to eat. George started pacing nervously around the halls. Adrian was in a bad mood; the shower she had planned and thrown at her house for Amy didn't even happen. Leo had left to close up his store for the night. Ben was eyeing the doors to the Maternity ward. Ashley was looking at a magazine, but even she couldn't concentrate. Madison and Lauren were talking as usual, and Henry was dozed off on Alice's shoulder. Ricky was watching the clock; he was starting to feel sick. Surely they should have at least heard something by now. Margaret, his foster mother was sitting beside him patting his hand.

"It takes awhile to have a baby," She told him. "I'm sure the nurses are taking good care of her."

Ricky wished he had his drums with him right there in the hospital. He really needed them. He couldn't stand sitting there wondering about things, wondering how Amy was doing, and wondering when his baby would be born. Come to think of it, he didn't even know if his baby was born yet or not. He could officially have been a father at that very moment, but he didn't know. Ben came over and sat in the chair next to him.

"Wonder what's going on back there." He told Ricky.

Ricky shook his head

"I don't know."

"I can't wait to see him; I hope he looks like Amy." Ben said.
Ricky looked at him

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked him hastily.

"Well I just.. I don't know.. I hope he looks like Amy.. because well, Amy is beautiful." Ben answered, focusing on the other side of the room.

"Yeah Yeah Ben I know what you meant, you don't want him to look like me. I know that's what you were trying to say," Ricky said "Well guess what Ben, he might look like Amy, he might look like me, but he's definitely not going to look like you." He added with a smirk.

Before Ben could say anything back, Anne came through the ward doors. Ricky's heart sank, this is it he thought.

"Well?" questioned a very antsy George, "Do we have a baby?"

Anne smiled
"No not yet, the doctor said definitely within the next couple of hours." answered Anne.

"How's Amy?" asked Ben

"Amy is doing great, she was in a lot of pain, but they just gave her an epidural. She's doing so well, I'm so proud of her."

Ricky looked at the floor, so she was in a lot of pain. He hated thinking about how much pain he was causing her, she didn't deserve it.

"Oh Great! Is the baby here?" Grace asked excitedly.

She and Jack had returned with cookies, and in Grace's arm, a bible.

"No, the baby's not here yet," Anne told her "Hopefully soon though."

"Well tell Amy that we're praying for her," Grace told her. "Did you come out here to eat? We went to the store and bought cookies, the cafeteria was closed."

"Actually, no, I came out here to get Ricky." Anne said.

Ricky's head snapped up.

"WHAT?" asked George and Ben together

"Amy told me to come out here and get Ricky." Anne told them.

"Ricky?" George asked again. "Why would she want to see Ricky?"

"George!" Anne exclaimed "Amy asked me to come out and get Ricky, and that's what I'm doing. Besides, he's allowed back there to see her. Come on Ricky." She said motioning for him to follow her.

Ricky sat there in disbelief. She wants to see me? He thought.

Margaret rubbed Ricky's back.

"Go on." She said smiling at him.

He got up numbly and followed Anne through the doors. He heard George muttering as he walked by.

_

The walk down the hall was awkward for Ricky. He had never talked to Anne before, and he was too nervous to try and start a conversation. But Anne, to his relief, didn't find it as awkward as he did.

"She's really doing well" Anne told him smiling "He'll be here before you know it."

"I'm glad she's ok." Was all Ricky could manage to get out. He thought he was going to be sick.

"Here we go" Anne said as she turned into a room.

Ricky followed her inside. Amy was lying in her bed. She looked tired, and miserable.

"Hey" Amy said with a smile when she saw Ricky.

"Hi" Ricky said back to her.

Amy looked at Anne. Anne looked from Amy to Ricky, and then back to Amy.
"Well, um I'm going to go out and talk to Ashley." She told them.

She had sensed Amy wanted to talk to Ricky alone. When she left, Amy looked at Ricky, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Amy, please don't cry. I know you're probably in a lot of pain. I'm sorry." Ricky said sympathetically.

He hadn't expected her to cry, he wanted to hold her, and he wanted to take the pain away.

"Ricky, I'm sorry." Amy said sobbing.

"Sorry for what? It's my fault your-"
but she cut him off.

"No Ricky, I've been so unfair to you. This is as much as my fault as it is yours. It just took me awhile to understand that." She said wiping her cheeks. "I haven't let you be involved in anything, and you wanted to be." She said to him.

It took Ricky a couple seconds to fully take in what she had just said to him. He was so taken aback. He had expected her to yell at him about being in so much pain.

"Amy," he began "I'm still going to be involved. I'll be there for you and him always, I promise." He told her.

Amy's face winced, although she wasn't feeling pain anymore, she still felt discomfort. Ricky walked over to her and picked up the wet washcloth hanging over the railing of the bed. He put it on her forehead.

"It's almost over." he said, comforting her

_

Ricky sat in a chair beside Amy while she slept. Anne had come in to make sure Amy was still doing alright, and told them she was going with Ashley and George to get something quick to eat. Ricky too was hungry, but didn't want to leave Amy's side. A nurse had come in to check her.

"Amy honey you're almost there." She told her. "The epidural is really working; you'll be able to start pushing soon."

Amy was exhausted. She was hungry, she was beyond tired and she wanted to see her baby. Ricky was watching Amy nervously. He was glad she wasn't feeling pain anymore, this made him feel better. He was tired; he'd love to take a nap, but he didn't want to miss anything.

"I had a dream about Camp today." Amy told Ricky.

He looked at her

"Yeah I thought about it today too." He said

"Funny how all this came from a cup of coffee." She said, looking down at her belly

"Yeah" Ricky said, looking at her belly too.

Ricky thought about how weird it was going to be, not seeing a pregnant Amy Juergans walking around the school. He had actually liked watching her belly grow bigger and bigger every week, amazed that his son was actually inside there. Amy caught him looking at her belly, and grabbed a hold of his hand. He looked at her, the last time she had held his hand was at Band Camp. She put his hand on her swollen belly.

"You never got to do this" she said looking at Ricky

Ricky stared at his hand on Amy's belly. He had longed to do this for a very long time. He had only brushed up against her belly once before, when he gave her a hug after upsetting her in the hallway. He wished he would have felt some kind of movement then, something to prove that his son was really inside there.

"He must be taking a rest before he makes his grand entrance", Amy said. "I think he's going to take after you, he's always drumming around in there."Ricky couldn't help but smile. He couldn't wait to teach his son how to play the drums. He couldn't wait to teach him how to play sports. He couldn't wait to do all the father-son things with him that he never got to do with his own father. Ricky was just about to take his hand away, when he felt it, a strong thump. He looked at Amy who smiled at him. She looked down at her belly.

"Baby, please come soon. Mommy and daddy are waiting for you."