"Everyone clear the room! Mr. White, you'll have to go back to the waiting room. We'll call you when we have more news!"

"What's wrong with my wife? What is going on with my child?" Walt demanded.

"Please, sir, we need you to wait outside. Your son hasn't gotten enough oxygen..."

"A son! I have a son?"

"Please, Mr. White. We need all non-essential personal to clear the room. We'll be with you as soon as possible."

"But that's my wife! That's my son! What in the hell is going on?"

"Come on, Walt," Marie took him by the arm. "It will be okay. Hank's waiting in the other room with some coffee..."

"I don't want any damn coffee! I want my family!" Walt shouted so loudly that everyone, even the doctors that were working on Skylar, stopped to stare at him.

"Walt, what my sister needs is to allow those doctors to work on her and the baby. Our being here won't make a bit of difference. Please, just do as they say and come wait with me and Hank," Marie pleaded.

Walt took a breath, then regained his composure. "You're right. I'm sorry. Everyone, I'm truly sorry."

Without saying another word, he went to join his brother-in-law and gratefully accepted the cup of coffee.

"So...can I get you anything else?" Hank asked a bit reluctantly.

Walt shook his head. "They don't know..they don't know what's going on with Skylar and the baby. Something about him not getting enough oxygen."

"You have a boy?"

Walt studied Hank's reaction for a minute. So clueless. He had no idea of the complications that would come with a baby not getting enough oxygen at birth. But this wasn't Hank's fault. As usual, he took a deep breath and thought carefully before speaking. "Yes. It appears we do have a son."

"Hey," Hank patted him heartily on the arm. "That's wonderful news, ain't it Marie! Your own future high school chemistry teacher-genius! Ain't that terrific, Marie? Marie?"

He looked around and saw that no one was saying anything. "Look, Walt. You know I have a big mouth. Marie tells me that all the time. If I said something out of place, well..."

Walt smiled meekly and returned the pat on Hank's arm. "You're fine. Anyways, I have a boy. A boy! What better news than that could there be?"

"That's the spirit! Everything will turn out just fine. You wait and see."

"Hank," Marie tried to shush him, but he was oblivious.

Just then the doctor appeared. "Mr. White..."

"How are they? How are my family?"

"Mr. White, your wife has had an extremely difficult labor. We don't know why this happens; sometimes these things just happen."

"But she'll be all right?"

"After a period of rest, she will be just fine. Now your son,on the other hand..."

Marie put her hand over her mouth to keep from crying. Hank wrapped his arm around her.

"Your son has been born with cerebral palsy. That's not to say he won't have a long and healthy life. He just may have some difficulties walking, difficulties speaking. But you two seem like a solid and loving family; there's no limit on the life Walter Junior can have."

"Walter Junior?" Walt asked, a bit overwhelmed at all of the news.

The doctor smiled. "That is the one thing your wife asked of us before she fell back asleep. She wanted to name him after his father."

"Congratulations, man," Hank said -halfheartedly while Marie shot him a look.

This was all too much too take in. A son with a disability. A wife whom he couldn't visit, not yet anyways.

"Hey, look on the bright side..." Hank continued. "You have that nice teaching job. I'm sure they offer lots of decent benefits."

Walt took a deep breath. This was not his life, he told himself while he walked outside for some fresh air.

Now all he had was fresh air. Sitting outside in the middle of God knew where, Walt found himself alone with nothing but time and money. Eleven million dollars that he had to get to his family. He knew that his family hated him. But as Walt closed his eyes, took in the fresh but brisk air, he found himself transported to a very different time in his life. Yes, he'd been a loser high school teacher with a job washing cars to help make ends meet, but he knew that his family loved him. What he wouldn't give to go back to that place in time. Now there was no going back. His family wouldn't ever forgive him, wouldn't ever understand what he'd done was to protect them. But as he began to cough, the thought came to his mind; the only thing they'd ever really needed protected from was him.

tbc