Chapter 2

Llanview

Natalie's eyes darted around her as she crept down the hall, knowing that if she got caught there would be hell to pay. But she just had to see her son. They hadn't let her see him in two days for whatever reason and she refused to let it continue. This was her son and she'd be damned if she let someone tell her when or if she could see him. Finally making it to the nursery, she smiled as she walked in seeing her precious little boy in his bed sound asleep. Reaching Liam's crib, Natalie gently caresses his hair. "I love you so much, my precious boy. I've missed you so much. Don't worry baby, Mommy is going to fix this. I'm not going to let them keep you from me any more."

"Natalie, what are you doing in here?"

Biting back a small screech, Natalie whirls around to face her sister. "Damn it, Jess! Don't scare me like that! You know I'm not suppose to be overly excited."

"Yeah, I do know that. Just like I know that you are not supposed to be out of bed either. So what are you doing in here?"

"I just wanted to see my son. They haven't let me see him in two days. And the last time I was allowed to see him it was only for a few minutes. I miss him. I heard him crying earlier so I know he is missing me too. He's still just a baby, he needs his Mother."

Jessica moves up beside her sister and pats her hand. "I know that sweety, but you need to rest. We don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm fine," Natalie whispers defiantly. "How would you feel if they were trying to keep you away from Bree and Ryder? I bet you wouldn't like it either."

"You're right I wouldn't. But you have been so sick that we are just trying to help you out." Jessica explains.

"He's my son and I should be the one making decisions for him. I should get to decide when and how much time I spend with him." Natalie says stubbornly.

"I know, Natalie. I know," Jessica said soothingly. "And maybe in a few weeks you will be well enough to make all those decisions yourself ." Placing her arm around Natalie's shoulders, Jessica turns her towards the door and starts to lead her out. "But for now, let's get you back to bed before Dad or Gretchin figure out you snuck off."

"Too late." Their dad's voice stops the girls in their tracks as they looked ahead of them to see Clint, Vicki, and Gretchin walking towards them.

"Hey dad. What are you doing up? It's late, you know. You should be in bed." Jessica asks guiltily, trying her best to shield Natalie.

"Yes, Jessica, it is late. So late in fact that your Mother and I were in bed asleep when Nurse Gretchin came to me saying that our little patient here had escaped. Natalie, what are you doing out of bed?" Clint asked moving towards his red headed daughter.

"I just wanted to see my son." Natalie explained. "As his Mother, I should have the right to see him anytime I like."

"You do, Darling," Vicki said trying to placate her. "But all you had to do was ask and we would have brought him to you."

"I did ask! For the last two days I have done nothing but beg Attila the Hun over here to bring him to me." Natalie said pointing at Gretchin. "But she refused. She said that she would let me see him when she wanted to. He's my son. No one gets to tell me when I can or can't see him."

Nurse Gretchin looks over at Clint for backup. "I was only following orders, Mrs. Buccannan. Mr. Buccannan said he didn't want Miss Natalie overly excited. And the last time Liam was with her, Miss Natalie's blood pressure was elevated."

"It was not, you incompetent idiot. You didn't even check my blood pressure. All you saw was that my face was flush and you took it upon yourself to tell me I couldn't see my son for a week." Natalie says hostilely. "And yes my face was flushed but that was because Liam and I were playing. I felt better at that moment then I have in months."

"I was just following Mr. Buccannan's orders. He told me to keep Liam away from you for a few days," Gretchin defends herself.

"Clint!" Vicki exclaims in shock.

Natalie looks over at her Dad. "You told her to keep my son away from me? Why? What gives you the right to do that?"

"Clint, was that really necessary?" Vicki asks.

"Dad why would you do that?" Jessica asks in shock.

Clint walks up to Natalie and grips her arms. "Natalie, Sweetheart, I just want you to be well again. After everything you've been through lately, I just think your health should come first. I just want to see you well again so you can be the Mother Liam needs you to be."

Natalie jerks away from her Father. "The kind of Mother Liam needs is a Mother that is there for him everyday. One that can play with him. One that can hold him when he is sick. And he needs one that is there to help him through the fact that his Father seems to care more about some two bit floozy then to make himself available enough to come around him any more. And I can't be that Mother if you or anyone else is keeping me away from him. From now on, I make the decisions for myself and my son. And if I think you are even trying to keep me from him again, I'll leave with him and you will never see us again! Do you understand me?"

" My men won't let you leave, Natalie. Now calm down. You getting upset is not good for the..." Clint starts to try to placate her.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Natalie interrupts. " I know what's good for me. You can't keep me a prisoner any more. This is my life and I will run it the way I want to. I'm fully capable to make my own choices."

"Yes, you are so good at making choices, aren't you? Like the choice you made to be with John McBain. That worked out well for you didn't it. He's the reason all of this started in the first place. If you hadn't been so upset about him cheating on you, then maybe you wouldn't have almost died." Her Dad hurls back.

"Don't you dare bring up John." Natalie fires back hurt. "Yes, he hurt me. And, yes, I made a bad decision because of what he did that almost cost me a lot. But I'm fine now and I think its time I start living my life again. I also think its time Nurse Gretchin over there is relieved from her duties."

"Well I don't and neither does your doctor. And until he does I will continue to make the decisions for you. Right now I think its time for you to go back to bed. You've had enough excitement tonight. You need to let Nurse Gretchin help you back to bed." Clint said, reaching out to pull her towards the Nurse.

"No!" Natalie jerks back. "She's not to come near me."

"Natalie," Clint started.

"Clint," Vicki interrupted him. "Why don't you back off for a bit. Jessica and I will help my daughter to bed. You and the good Nurse can retire for the night."

"But she is being paid to take care of Natalie. Why don't we let the woman do her job and go back to bed?" Clint said.

"Well if you don't mind, I would like to take care of my daughter myself for awhile. Now go to bed. I'll be in later." Vicki told him with anger in her voice as she and Jessica started to lead Natalie off, leaving Clint alone with the Nurse.

After his family walked away, Clint turned to the Nurse. "What do you think you are doing? You are suppose to watch her. How could you let her sneak off like that?"

"I was watching her, sir. But I can't keep my eyes on her all the time. She was determined to see her son and she doesn't take no for an answer very easily. Besides, I was busy." Gretchin explained.

"What could you possibly be doing that was more important then keeping my daughter safely in bed?" Clint asked.

"I was erasing calls from her phone. McBain called again a few hours ago. I intercepted the call like usual but she has been asking for her phone. So I thought it best to erase the call history before she got her hands on the phone and saw that he had been calling her after all." Gretchin said.

"Good," Clint said. "She can't find out that he has been calling her. She is a smart girl. It wouldn't take much for her to figure out what I've been doing. If she does, I will lose everything." Clint told her before they went their separate ways.

Down the hall Vicki and Jessica were helping Natalie into bed. Natalie looked around the room she had called hers since she came to Llanview and realized she just didn't fit any more if she ever did. Looking up at her Mother and Sister, she grabbed each one by the hand. "You have to help me get out of here."

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