Trigger warning: this chapter takes place within the harsh realities of a NICU. If you find this triggering, I recommend skipping this chapter.

Waiting for news about Lacey and the baby reminded Sharon of the time Andy had the clot removal surgery and his heart attack scare several months earlier, only it somehow felt more extreme now. She knew that Andy's doctor was an experienced cardiologist, but the neonatal surgeon who was operating on Lacey didn't know her, and Sharon was not sure whether or not he was familiar with operating on terminal cancer patients and being able to save both the mother and the child. After her sobbing had subsided, Sharon mind and body felt empty, as if there was no more energy left in her. The tears she let out were a concentration of all the emotions she's held back ever since she's met Lacey.

Even though Lacey requested it, Sharon has not called Julio yet. As long as she didn't know whether or not Lacey and the baby made it out of the surgery, she could not bring herself to ask Julio to come to the hospital. Putting all the extra worry on the man who has already experienced so many losses didn't seem right to her. It was enough that he was about to deal with the emotional strain that having a premature child brought.

It had taken about an hour before the doctor walked down the hall towards them. Sharon stood up and shoved her shaking hands into her jeans pockets.

"The delivery went well," the doctor started. "The baby is a girl. 1.3 lbs. Her lungs are still undeveloped, and she's smaller than she should be. It's hard to tell at this stage if she will survive at all, but I urge you to remain hopeful."

"And Lacey?" Sharon asked.

"Lacey's condition made it a high-risk operation," the doctor said. "And even though she made it out of the surgery, her condition is critical. We've moved her to a reverse isolation room, where she will stay until she fully fights off her pneumonia. Her oncologist would be able to provide you with the rest of the details."

"Will we be able to see her and the baby?" Sharon asked.

"Lacey is still asleep from the anesthesia. You will be able to visit her once she is awake," the doctor said. "The baby is in the NICU, and you'll be able to visit her in a couple of hours or so." Sharon thanked the doctor, and he left.

"Do you want to call Julio?" Andy offered.

"No, not yet. It's late, and none of us will be able to see Lacey or the baby tonight. I'll call him in the morning." Sharon turned to Rusty. "You should go home and get some sleep. You have school tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Rusty asked. Sharon wrapped her hands around her son.

"It's been a few weeks since you slept in your bed. Go home," she said and pressed a kiss to her son's cheek. "We'll let you know if anything changes." Rusty reluctantly left the hospital, although Sharon had a feeling that he'll stop by to check on them in the morning before he left for school. Realizing that it was going to be a while before they got any access to Lacey or her baby, Sharon and Andy decided to go to the coffee shop across the street. They needed some caffeine to help them through the night.

It was 3 am when they were informed that Lacey was awake, but was told that they would not be able to visit her until the morning. The NICU was also off-limits for them until the visiting hours, and they found themselves in the waiting room again, for several hours, trying to get some sleep on the uncomfortable plastic seats.

Sharon's hands were shaking as she scrubbed them and put the sterile hospital gown over her clothes before entering the NICU. She wasn't sure what to expect. None of her children were born prematurely, and both her pregnancies were normal and healthy. The nurse ushered her into the room. The sound of alarms going on and off all around the NICU assaulted her ears as the nurse led her to the back of the room, where the baby's incubator was.

"Here she is," the nurse said. Sharon hesitantly looked into the incubator. The first thing she noticed was the baby's size. Sharon has never seen a baby so small. Her hands were smaller than Sharon's pinkie, and the fingers were long and slender. Her skin was a dark shade of pink and looked smooth and shiny. The baby was laying on her back, completely bare and motionless, except for the rapid rise and fall of her tiny chest. She was connected to a ventilator, several tubes and her eyes were taped shut. "You look terrified," the nurse said.

"I've never seen a baby so small and fragile," Sharon admitted. The nurse smiled affectionately.

"They're often stronger than they seem," she said. "Do you want to touch her?"

"Really?" Sharon wasn't sure if she was brave enough to do that.

"She won't break," the nurse promised and pointed at a hand sanitizing liquid by the side of the incubator. Sharon reached for it and squeezed some into her palms, rubbing her palms together until the disinfectant was absorbed into her skin. The nurse opened one of the round incubator windows. "You can very gently place your palm right above the tube in her stomach," she guided Sharon. "Just a light touch. Don't apply any pressure." The baby's skin felt warm against Sharon's palm. "You know, I've seen a lot of babies in here, but I can tell that this one is going to be beautiful." Sharon wasn't sure if this was something the nurse said just to give her hope or if she really meant it. "You can talk to her in hushed tones. She might find it comforting." She threw another look into the incubator and then went to care for another baby.

"Hi, Peanut," Sharon said softly and watched the baby's mouth twitching around the breathing tube in a silent cry. "I know it's scary in here, and it's probably uncomfortable. Your mother is so brave, and I know you are too. I don't know if you'll ever get to meet her, but very soon you will meet your father, and he is a great man. He already loves you so much. He will take care of you and make sure that you have everything you need. And you will also have Andy and me. We all love you. So all you need to do is hold on for us. Okay, sweetheart?" A loud alarm went off in an incubator behind her, and Sharon cringed when she realized that the baby inside it was taking his last breaths, despite the attempts of the attending doctor and two nurses to save his life. Sharon closed her eyes and prayed.

-To Be Continued-

I'm working on future chapters, and in the meantime, I'd love to know what you thought about this chapter, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.