AN: Alright, you guys have spoken! Two chapters a day until I wrap this up, then a sequel it is! There are some things that will be left unresolved in this story but they will come up again in the next one. Things are gonna be bumpy for Pipex for a bit here guys, just hang with me! Again, you guys are awesome and I LOVE hearing from each and every one of you! You make writing this so easy!

Chapter 16

The ride to the hospital had been the longest 22 minutes of Alex's entire life. She held Piper's hand and listened to her crying. Piper kept begging Alex to help her, to make it stop. Alex felt so completely helpless. There was nothing she could do but be there and try to calm Piper down.

Arriving at the hospital, they quickly unloaded Piper and rushed her into the Emergency Room. Alex followed close behind but was stopped by a nurse. The nurse told her she would have to wait outside the curtain. Leaning into the nurses face, Alex spit out, "Try to fucking stop me. That is my wife and that is my baby. I go where they go. Now move dammit." The nurse paled and stepped out of Alex's way.

Alex walked into the cubicle she had last seen Piper disappear behind. The area was a hurricane of activity. Doctors and nurses moving everywhere, words being used Alex couldn't begin to comprehend, empty packages being dropped to the floor; Piper crying for Alex and Liam. Alex rushed to her side, taking her hand she leaned down next to her ear. "I'm right here baby. I'm here now. Shhh, calm down. It's going to be ok. He's ok."

A young doctor pulled Alex to the side. "We have to take her to surgery right now. Is she allergic to anything that you know of?"

Alex stood frozen in fear. "Surgery? What's wrong with her? Is she ok? Liam? Is he ok? What the hell is going on?" she demanded.

"Your wife has a Class 2 Placental Abruption." Seeing that Alex had no idea what he was talking about, he explained "The placenta has detached from the uterus. She is hemorrhaging now and the baby is distressed. We have to take him and try to stop the bleeding in your wife."

"God, no. Is she going to be ok? Is she going to die?" Fear coursed through Alex. A bone deep fear she had never felt before. This could not be happening. Only a few hours ago she seemed fine.

"We were at our baby shower. She seemed fine. Complained of gas off and on and she was sick all night last night so she was tired. How did this happen? Could I have stopped this?"

The doctor looked at her with sympathy in his eyes. "I suspect the initial tear occurred some hours ago. Possibly what she was mistaking for gas pains. There is nothing you or your wife could have done. This happens. I have to go now. Go up to the fourth floor and wait in the waiting room there, I'll come find you as soon as I'm done."

"Wait, I want to come with you. I need to. Please." Alex begged.

"There isn't time. I have to go NOW. I'll find you as soon as I can" And with that, he rushed off. They were leaving with Piper. Alex ran to her, grabbing her hand, she leaned in and hugged her "I'll be here waiting for you when you come out Kid. I swear. I love you. Piper I love you." Alex was crying.

"Alex, please don't leave me. Please. Alex I'm scared." Piper was holding onto Alex's shirt. Alex gently removed her fingers. Fighting for control, Alex kissed Piper on the lips and told her she would see her soon.

/

Alex was pacing the waiting room when Polly, Pete, Cal and Neri came rushing in. Polly went straight to Alex and wrapped her in her arms. Alex instantly started sobbing. Clinging to Polly like her life depended on it, Alex Vause came unglued for the second time in her entire life. Both times were because of Piper. Polly just held her, telling her to get it all out. When Alex's sobs became whimpers, Polly led her to a chair and sat her down. "Now, tell me what's going on. It took us forever to get anything out of anyone." Polly said. Pete appeared at her side with two cups of coffee. Alex took one gratefully.

Blowing out a breath, Alex told her everything, starting with early this morning and Piper wanting artichokes and sour cream. She finished with what the doctor told her in the ER and she started crying again. "Polly…Polly…I can't. I can't lose her. There is no way I would survive." Alex heaved out.

"Hush now, Piper is going to be just fine. And so is Liam. You will see. Our Pipes is a fighter. She beat the shit out of that back woods meth head, didn't she? She survived SHU for a month, she survived YOU. And she will survive this." Sitting in the chair next to her, Polly pulled Alex's head over to her shoulder. She gently rubber her hair and just sat with her.

Eventually Nicky, Morello, Poussey, Cindy and Taystee showed up. They had stayed behind to clean up and load up all the gifts. Neri quietly filled them in on what was going on. Nicky swore under her breath and walked over to Alex. Squatting in front of her, she placed her hands on her knees. "You ok, Vause?" Alex just looked at her without saying anything. Nicky nodded and said "I figured as much. Listen, me and Morello ain't going anywhere. We're gonna be right over there if you need us." She told her before getting up and moving back across the room. Piper's dad walked in and Cal went to him, pulling him over to the corner to fill him in. He went to Alex and pulled her up out of her seat. "Our girl's a fighter Alex. We know this. We have to fight too, though. We have to be strong for her." Alex nodded her head and felt tears well up in her eyes again. "I love her so much" she whispered around the lump in her throat. "We all do" he answered.

After what seemed like hours, the doctor walked in, looking for Alex. She jumped up and went to him. "How is she? How is Liam?" she trembled out.

"Liam is good. He will spend a couple days in NICU to monitor his lungs, but so far he seems to be doing splendidly. He was 4 pounds 11 ounces. I think you've got a fighter on your hands." He said.

"And Pipes…" Alex whispered

"I'm sorry, I tried everything I could…."

Alex screamed and crumbled to the floor. She was rocking back and forth, crying so hard she couldn't see or hear the doctor in front of her. He took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. "Take deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. Good. Now listen to me. Your wife is fine. She is alive. But unfortunately, I had to perform a hysterectomy. She was given two bags of blood. We couldn't get the bleeding to stop. In order to save her, I had no other choice. I'm sorry."

Alex took in what he said. Piper was ok. She was alive. She was waiting on her. The rest she would think about later. "Can I see her? And Liam? Can I see him?" she asked.

"Why don't you come meet your son, first? They are getting your wife settled in recovery right now. She will stay in CCU for a few days. By the time you finish up with, Liam is it? By the time you are done there, she should be in her room and you can go to her then."

Alex turned to Polly and said she would call her in a bit. Polly pushed her out after the doctor. Alex turned to follow him and had never felt so alone in her life.