Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the delay. Thank you for all the reviews. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 8

Natalie's Room

Natalie laid on her bed caressing her stomach, trying to calm her nerves about seeing John for the first time in months. She couldn't understand why she was so nervous. This was what she wanted ever since she woke up from her coma. She wanted to see John and find out what he had to say for himself about cheating on her. But now that the moment was at hand, she was terrified about how he would react when he found out about the baby. She was almost afraid to tell him. What if he wasn't happy about it? It wasn't like they were in a good place in their relationship right now. Were they even in a relationship anymore? She just didn't know. What if he was still with that little tramp? Then the new baby would just mess up his life. Of course there was always the chance that he just wouldn't care. He didn't seem to care about Liam that much anymore or he would have been fighting to see him. What if he was so wrapped up in his new life that he just couldn't be bothered taking responsibility for the new baby or Liam? Was it possible that he had changed so much in just a few months? And if he had, was he still someone she wanted in the lives of her and her kids?

Natalie sighed as she leaned back onto her pillow and closed her eyes. All of this uncertainty and speculation was causing her head to hurt again. She needed to just stop thinking about all of this and relax like the doctor told her to. It wasn't like she could do anything til John showed up anyway.

John stood outside Natalie's room trying to gather his courage to go in. Taking a deep breathe, he walks into the room and watches her lie on the bed with her eyes closed. Needing to see her eyes, he clears his throat. "Hi Natalie."

Natalie's eyes flew open at the sound of his voice. When she heard the door open she had thought that it was the nurse here to give her some more tests so she hadn't bothered to look up when she heard someone enter the room. She knew that John would come to the hospital but she really didn't expect him to be here that soon. Sitting up in the bed and turning her head towards him, she faces him hesitantly. "Hello, John. I'm surprised Dr. Drake was able to find you so fast."

"He didn't," John says as he moves away from the door and into the room to the end of her bed. "I was already here. Dante had called me when they brought you in."

"Dante? I think that was the name of detective who helped me and Liam. Why would he call you?"

"He works with me at the PCPD. He must have saw your picture on my desk and when you wouldn't or couldn't tell him your name he called me to see if I knew you."

"I asked them to call Starr so she could take care of Liam."

"They called her. She was in the waiting room with Dante and Lulu when I got here. Why didn't you ask them to call me? Liam is my son. I should be the one taking care of him." John says with a little anger seeping in his voice.

"I didn't know if you would want to or care enough to take care of him. I didn't know if you would want to be bothered with him. How is he? I dropped him when those idiots knocked me down. Was he hurt? Have you seen him?"

"He's fine, just a little bruised I think . I saw him for a little bit before I came in here. Starr and Lulu are getting him checked out. They will come and tell us if there is anything seriously wrong with him. I would have went with him, but I was on my way in here when they called him back to see the doctor. But just so you will know in the future, taking care of my son in not a bother to me. I love him. I would do anything for him. How could you think I wouldn't?"

"Cause you haven't been there for him lately. You haven't seen him in months, John." Natalie defends herself.

"You got a restraining order against me, Natalie!" John practically shouted at her. "I couldn't come see him or I would risk losing him forever. What was I suppose to do, Natalie come back to Llanview, burst through the doors at Llanfair, and demand to see my son? That would have given you and your father all the ammunition you needed to keep me away from Liam forever."

"You could have fought, John. You know the law better then anyone I know. You had to have known that there was no real basis for the restraining order. Any good lawyer should have been able to get it rescinded within a week of it being issued."

"I am fighting it! My lawyer has been trying for months to get a court date to have it declared null and void. The one time we were able to get even a preliminary court date, it was postponed indefinitely. I have been doing everything I can to make it where I was able to see Liam again, but we have been stalled every way we have turned. I even took a job here in Port Charles just to prove I'm fit to be his parent, even though all I wanted was to go back to Llanview."

"Well you must not have a very good lawyer, because it only took Nora a little over a week to have it overturned." Natalie informs him snidely as she wonders about his choice of words. What did he mean by we? Did this "we" mean that him and this Sam person were now a couple and trying to take Liam away from her together?

"The restraining order has been lifted?" A shocked John asked. Natalie nodded yes. "Why? How? When did you do this?"

"I told Dad to have it rescinded only a couple of weeks after it was issued, but he didn't do it. I began to suspect that he didn't little less then a month ago but didn't know for sure until about two weeks ago. I got Nora to work on making it go away. It took her a little bit of time because dad had paid off a judge to have it issued in the first place. But I talked to Bo yesterday and he said it was rescinded two days ago. Your lawyer should have been informed yesterday. Didn't she tell you?"

"I haven't talked to her in a few days." John stalled wondering why Alexis hadn't called him. "But why wouldn't you know it was still in place? Surely you know that as soon as the order keeping me away was gone I would be home to you and our son."

"How would I know that John? You didn't seem to have a problem staying away for weeks or months at a time before the order was given so you could fight your demons. You even refused to come home when I called you on the phone and begged you to come because Liam was sick and I needed you. I had been up for two days straight with him while he was fighting that fever. I was exhausted and sick myself and I just needed you, the man I loved and who claimed to love me, Liam's father. I needed you by my side. But do you remember what you said? Cause I do. I remember every last word of that conversation. You said, 'Damn it Natalie! Don't do this to me. We talked about this. You know why I have to be here.' And I did know. I knew why you needed to be here, but what I didn't know is why you couldn't seem to understand why I needed you with me and Liam. You knew I needed you and you couldn't be bothered to come home then. So why would I think you would come home when you had obviously moved on to your new little slut?"

John was stunned silent by her outburst. He hadn't realized that his absence from her life before she saw the picture had been so hard on her. He had never really stopped to consider how she felt about him leaving her behind to fight his demons. Before he could form the words to explain himself the door to her room burst open and Dr. Drake rushed in followed by Epiphany.

While the two had been arguing they had failed to notice the spikes of the blood pressure monitor Natalie was hooked to. But Epiphany had noticed at the nurse's desk and had informed Dr. Drake. Worried they had rushed to the room to check on their patient. "What is going on in here? I thought I told you to not upset her." Dr. Drake fired at John as he rushed past him to Natalie's bed. "Are you ok? You need to remain calm especially now. How's your head feeling? Are you experiencing any pain?" He asks while shining a light in her eyes and Epiphany checked her vitals.

"A little," Natalie answered. "My head started hurting before John came in."

"Why didn't you call for me?" Epiphany asked. "I would have given you something for the pain."

"It was only hurting a little bit and I had hoped I could make it a while without taking anything. I don't have the pills with me they were giving me for the headaches before I left Llanview and I was afraid the medicine you would give me would knock me out. Dr. Drake had promised to call John, so I knew he was coming and I didn't want to be out of it when he got here." Natalie explained.

"You still should have called me," Epiphany said. "What Dr. Drake has prescribed you for pain is mild due to your condition so it more then likely wouldn't have knocked you out. It would have just helped to ease your pain."

"And that is important to keeping your blood pressure down." Dr. Drake agrees with Epiphany. "Whenever you are in pain it can cause a spike in your blood pressure. The same can happen when you become to upset. You know you need to stay calm because of your condition. Well that goes double with your blood pressure. It needs to stay down to an acceptable level to prevent dangerous complications from developing."

"I know." Natalie sighs. "I understand how important it is to keep my blood pressure down and I promise to try to stay calm but with what is going on right now, I'm just a little bit emotional."

"Yeah, I can see where you would be but you have to keep in mind that the calmer you are the better things will progress with your condition." Patrick tells her gently, trying to still keep John in the dark about the baby in case Natalie hadn't told him yet. "Has Dr. Lee come in yet?" Natalie shakes her head no. "Epiphany, will you go see what's keeping her? She needs that test as soon as possible."

"Yes, Doctor." Epiphany says before she leaves the room.

"What condition? What test?" John asks looking at the two of them. "Ok, one of you need to tell me what's going on with Natalie now!"

"I've already told you, Mr. McBain, that it was up to Ms. Banks to discuss her medical condition with you. Now I need to ask you to leave so I can discuss Ms. Banks latest test results with her."

"Sorry, Doc., but I'm not going anywhere. What ever is wrong with her effects my son and as his father I have a right to know."

Seeing that Patrick was about to argue back, Natalie intervened. "Its ok Dr. Drake. John can stay."

"Are you sure? Cause I can call security and make him leave if you don't want him here."

"No its alright. He needs to find out about what's been going on for the last few months and he might as well hear about it while I do."

"Hear about what? What's going on Natalie?" John asks confused.

Ignoring John, Patrick turns to Natalie. "Ok, I got some of your test results back and they answered some of my questions. You said you had a car accident about two months ago and sustained some sort of head injury but you weren't sure what. Is that right?" After Natalie nods yes, Patrick continues. "Were you unconscious from the moment of impact until you woke up from your coma?"

"When the accident first happened I was a little out of it but not unconscious. I clearly remember being in the car after impact. I vaguely remember them cutting me out of the car and the trip to the hospital in the ambulance. I was in and out most of the time but I do remember having a conversation with my sister Jessica. But no one ever told me what was going on. I remember them telling me that I was going into surgery but no one ever told me why. And I don't remember anything else until I woke up two months later."

"Wait a minute, what car accident? When were you in a car accident?" John asks in shock. "And what's this about you being in a coma for two months? Natalie, I have known you for ten years and you have never been in a coma in all that time, not even when Marty threw you off the roof. When were you supposedly in a coma?"

"After you left to be with your little slut here in Port Charles, John. Now shut up and let me and the doctor talk, that is if you want to stay in here at all." Natalie told him heatedly before turning back to Patrick. "What were you able to find out?"

"Your scans show a previous brain injury, possibly a subdural hematoma. Without your records there is no way to know for sure but I think your brain probably swelled and you were probably put in a drug induced coma to help reduce the swelling."

"Drug induced? But wouldn't the drugs hurt the..." Natalie broke off before she could say the word baby.

"No, it shouldn't have hurt anything but we will make sure to have it checked out. And from what I saw on your scans it seems as if your previous injury is healing well."

"But what about headaches and weakness I have had lately?"

"You told me earlier that they had gotten bad only this week. Is that right?"

"Yes," Natalie nods. "But this is really the first week I have tried to do anything other then walk around my room in my Mom's house."

"Well I think you have just tried to do to much to fast. But I do want to keep you for a few days to keep an eye on you to make sure everything is healing like it should. And I would also like permission to get your medical records so I can see for myself just how severe the original injury was."

"That could prove difficult. From what I can gather from my family, I was only in the hospital for a couple of days after my surgery. After that my father had me moved home with a private nurse and doctor. You might can get the records from Llanview Hospital, but if I know my father, he won't let Dr. Smith give you the others."

"You just let me worry about that. If he gives me any problems I'll just sic Epiphany on him. She has a way of getting things done."

Natalie smiles at him. "If that has to happen, you be sure and let me know. I would pay money to see my dad taken to task by a nurse." She laughs before turning serious again. "Dr. Drake, what about what happened today? Did it cause any more damage?"

"You have a mild concussion, but I think you will be just fine. The main concern is the old injury and making sure it has healed properly. But I don't want you to worry. You just rest and try to stay as calm as you can. They will be moving you to a room soon and Dr. Lee will be in here to run that other test we talked about. I'll come to see you again before I go home for the night." Patrick shakes her hand before he leaves the room.

John still stood at the end of Natalie's bed, stunned by all the information he had just heard. This was impossible to believe. None of it meshed with what he already knew to be true. He had to wonder exactly what she was trying to pull over on him. He hated to think that of her but with everything that had been going on for the last few months he wasn't sure he even knew her anymore and that hurt him to even think it. "Do you want to tell me what's going on? Cause none of this makes any sense."

"What's there to understand? You heard what I told Dr. Drake. I was in a car accident and it put me in a coma for two months. I woke up about a month ago. That all seems pretty simple to me."

"It would be simple to me too, if it really happened, Natalie. Why don't you just tell me the truth now instead of letting me discover it on my on? And you know I will. I always do eventually."

"Yeah, when someone buys you a clue. But sorry to disappoint you John, I am telling the truth this time. You heard what the doctor said. My test picked up an old injury. How am I suppose to have faked that?"

"I don't know but you had to. There is no way you could be in a coma for two months without me knowing."

"How would you know? You haven't exactly been around for the last few months."

"Someone would have told me. I have seen and talked to both Tea and Blair several times over the last three months and they haven't said anything about you being in a car accident. And then there's Bo. He's my friend..."

"But he's my uncle." Natalie interrupts. "Who do you think he would show the most support for with what is going on between us? My dad asked him to keep it quiet. And I don't know why Blair and Tea didn't say anything about it but I would guess they were never told. Dad made sure that no one but immediate family knew and most of them he didn't allow to come see me."

"There's no way he could keep something like this quiet. You're a Buccannan. You sneeze funny and Blanca Morales has it as the top story on her program. If you were in a car accident she would have created special news bulletin to report it and there would be no way your dad could stop it. "

"Well he did! John do you really think that I would lie about being in a coma? I thought you knew me better then that."

"So did I. And my gut is telling me that I still do. My gut is telling me that you wouldn't lie about something this serious. But the evidence is telling me something else."

"What evidence?"

"The letter."

"What letter?" Natalie asked with a confused look on her face.

"The letter you wrote and sent to me through the lawyers. The letter you used to break my heart. The one where you told me how you had met someone else and moved on."

"That's crazy! I have NOT written you a letter and I have definitely NOT moved on."

"Don't..." John starts to only be interrupted again when the door opened.

Both turned to face the door as an Asian looking doctor walked in the door followed by Epiphany pulling an ultrasound machine behind her. "Hello, Ms. Banks, I'm Dr. Kelly Lee." The doctor moves to the bed and shakes Natalie's hand before moving out of the way so Epiphany could set up the ultrasound machine. "I'm here to make sure your baby is ok."

"Baby? What baby?" A stunned John asks.