This story takes place after Todd has returned from Ireland. Blair is pregnant with Brendan and currently living with Dorian. Todd and Blair are separated and going through a custody battle as Blair wants to take Starr away from her father. Marty is siding with Todd because she believes he is a good father, and Patrick has been there for Blair who is carrying his child. Patrick and Marty are dating but are not officially a couple. The situation becomes more complex when suddenly Starr becomes very ill.
~*~o~*~
Marty was driving on Route 9 when she came upon the scene of a car wreck. Someone had appeared to have driven off the road and had struck a tree. Using her cell phone, Marty quickly dialed 911 to report the accident. In the driving rain, she exited her vehicle to see if she could help the victims. Suddenly she cried out when she realized the car was Patrick's. She rushed over to his window to see him unconscious in his seat. She opened the door and touched his arm. "Patrick, please wake up," she called to him.
"Margaret," he mumbled. He gradually came awake and looked at her.
"What happened?" he asked her.
"You had a car crash," she responded. "Are you alright?"
"I ... think so," he said quietly as his awareness began returning to him. Suddenly he remembered that Blair had been a passenger in the vehicle. He looked over to see her lying there unconscious, her head pressed up against the glass of the windshield. The glass had been shattered and there was blood on Blair's forehead.
"Ohhh my God!" Patrick mumbled as he reached out for Blair. She was as limp as a ragdoll when he touched her.
"Margaret, we gotta get her out of here!" Patrick cried out with urgency.
"We have to be careful, Patrick. She may have a spinal injury," Marty said as she helped Patrick from the car.
"I pray to God she and Brendan are okay," Patrick said as tears washed down his face to mix with the rain. He couldn't lose Blair or the baby. He wouldn't be able to withstand such a loss.
"An ambulance is on it's way," Marty told Patrick as the distinct scent of leaking gas met her nostrils. Considering the situation, they had to remove Blair from the vehicle immediately because there was a strong chance the car could burst into flames at any moment.
"Patrick, the car is leaking fuel. We need to get Blair out of there... NOW!" Marty said urgently.
Patrick rushed over to the other side of the car and pried open the passenger side door with all his strength. He had to get to Blair. He needed to get her and their son to safetly. Gently he reached into the car and lifted her into his muscular arms. Her head lay limply against his upper arm as he held her. "Ohhh Blair, I am so sorry. I should have been watching the road better. I should have-," he whispered as he held her.
"Patrick, come on!" Marty cried out to him. "Bring her over to my car!"
With the rain pouring down in torrents, Patrick carried Blair in his arms toward Marty's car. No sooner had he got her to safety when his car exploded, shooting flames up into the sky. He said a prayer of thanksgiving that at least for now, Blair and their son was safe. Patrick continued to hold Blair close in his embrace as he tried to shield her from the driving rain. "What should we do now, Margaret?" Patrick asked in a broken voice.
"Lay her down in the backseat and wait for the paramedics to get here," Marty stated as she opened a rear door of vehicle. "I'll do what I can for her till then."
With the utmost tenderness, Patrick placed Blair in the backseat of Marty's car. She wasn't moving or responding as he spoke to her. "Please Blair. I love you. Please be okay..." Patrick whispered as he caressed her hair. He looked and sounded like a man tormented.
"Patrick, you need to move out of the way. You gotta let me look at her," Marty insisted as she grabbed her first aid kit from beneath the seat.
She tried not to think of what she had just heard Patrick say to Blair. He LOVED Blair? Patrick had been claiming these past few weeks to be in love with HER! In an effort to save Blair's life, Marty tried to push her personal feelings aside and tend to the injured woman.
"Marty, is she alright?" Patrick asked as Marty was examining her.
"I'm not sure. She has a pulse but it's very weak. She needs to get to the hospital right away. There isn't much I can do for her right now..."
"Wh- what about Brendan? Is my son okay?"
"I don't know, Patrick. I can't find a heartbeat right now," Marty said as she pressed the stethoscope against Blair's bulging stomach.
"Ohhh my God!" Patrick gasped. "It'll kill Blair if she loses our baby."
"Patrick, we don't know anything until we get her to the hospital. Try to have hope. Blair needs you to be strong for her."
As Marty hovered over Blair and tried to access her injuries, Patrick took her small hand into his. "Why isn't that ambulance getting here?" he said as tears rushed from his eyes.
Just then, there was the sound of sirens in the distance. Moments later, an ambulance arrived on the scene. The paramedics started asking Marty all kinds of questions. "Was she wearing her seatbelt?" asked one of the paramedics as they loaded Blair onto a stretcher and prepared to transport her to Llanview hospital.
"Actually no, she said it was too tight on her stomach considering she's pregnant. I should have insisted," Patrick said sadly.
"Are you the husband?" he then asked.
"No, I- I am the father of her baby," answered Patrick. "You're going to save the baby, right?"
"We'll do all we can."
"We'll follow in my car," Marty said to Patrick as the ambulance sped away to take Blair to the hospital. "Someone needs to tell Todd."
"But he's NOT going to take this well," Marty predicted. Patrick nodded because he didn't feel like dealing with Todd Manning right now.
~*~Llanview Hospital~*~
Todd was still at the hospital with Starr. He was exhausted and thinking about going home to crash. He needed a shower and something to eat, but it had been difficult to leave his little girl when she was so sick. "You gotta get well now, Shorty. Daddy loves you so much," Todd said as he looked a her lying so still in the big metal crib. Her little face was so pale and she appeared to be barely breathing. If he lost his little Shorty, he'd lose his very existence. She was his world.
"Mr. Manning, someone is here to see you in the waiting room," a nurse said as she walked into the room to check Starr's vitals.
Wondering who it could be, Todd entered the nearby waiting room. To his surprise and shock, it was Marty and Patrick and both looked like hell. "What's going on here?" Todd demanded.
"There's been a car accident," Marty spoke quietly to Todd. "Blair's been hurt."
"What?" Todd cried out. "How the hell did this happen?"
"I was driving on Route 9. The car started to hydroplane. I lost control of the vehicle and we hit a tree," Patrick explained.
A look of fury overtook Todd's face. "YOU did this!" Todd screamed at Patrick. "All for your precious Margaret!"
"What?" Marty gasped. "What are you saying, Todd?"
Todd looked at Marty with pain and anger flashing in his eyes. "You couldn't deal with the fact that Blair was carrying his child, so Patrick drove off the road and hit a tree-!" Todd exclaimed.
"That's an awful thing to say," Marty responded.
"Shut up, Manning. Blair means the world to me and so does that baby. I would never-!" Patrick yelled.
"Excuse me," a voice said as their heated conversation was suddenly interrupted.
Todd looked up to see Dr. Sands standing in the doorway. "Where is she? Where's Blair?" he demanded urgently.
"She's in surgery."
"I want to see her," Todd insisted.
"I'm afraid you can't see her right now, Mr. Manning."
"Are she and Brendan okay?" Patrick questioned.
"I'm afraid Mrs. Manning sustained many injuries from the accident. And as for the baby, he didn't make it," Dr. Sands said sadly.
"Wh- what?" Patrick murmured. "My son is dead?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Thornhart. The baby's placenta separated at the crash site, and we couldn't save him."
"Wait!" Todd cried out. "What about the cord blood? You were able to get it for Starr's transplant, right?"
"No. I am sorry, Mr. Manning. I'm afraid the healthy cells died with the baby."
"No!" Todd exclaimed. If Starr didn't get the transplant, she would DIE!
"You did this!" Todd screamed as he got into Patrick's face. "You killed your son... and in the process, you killed my little girl!"
Patrick stared back at Todd, completely devastated. He had just found out his son was dead. How would he ever tell Blair? They already loved that baby- SOOO much! And now Todd was accusing him of willfully driving into a tree and causing the car crash?
"Get the hell away from me, Manning!" Patrick hissed.
"Todd, stop it!" Marty cried out. But it was too late; Todd had taken a swing at Patrick. As the pain weighed down heavily upon him, Patrick struck Todd back with all of his strength. It got ugly as Marty tried stepping between them. Dr. Sands ran from the room to get a couple of orderlies in an attempt to stop the fight. Meanwhile one of Patrick's punches accidently struck Marty, throwing her against Todd.
Todd caught Marty in his arms as he glared at Patrick dangerously. "Stay the hell away from me... and stay away from Blair or I'll fuckin kill you!" Todd threatened Patrick.
"Margaret, are you alright?" Patrick asked Marty as he ignored Todd.
Marty was dazed by the force of Patrick's punch as Todd held her steady. Gently, Todd caressed her cheek where a slight bruise was already forming. "The both of you disgust me," she said to both Todd and Patrick. "Blair's in there fighting for her LIFE... and all you two can do is fight and punch each other like a couple of jealous, love-sick teenagers. Patrick, you just lost your son... and Todd, your little girl is incredibly sick! We all have ENOUGH to worry about. Stop fighting and concentrate on BLAIR!"
Marty broke away from Todd and walked quickly from the room. The orderlies showed up with Dr. Sands but the fight had already ended. Todd and Patrick gave each other venomous looks. "Dr. Sands, can I see Blair now?" Patrick pleaded.
"She's still in surgery, Mr. Thornhart. I'm sorry," Dr. Sands responded.
With a heavy sigh of deep sorrow, Patrick stated quietly, "Then I need to go make arrangements to bury my son."