(See the first chapter for disclaimer, notes, spoilers, etc.)

Chapter 15: "Crash"

March 2004

"I need to call Mom."

"Don't tell her about-"

"She has to know!"

"Do you want your mother sitting up all night on a plane with this? She'll be worried enough as it is. When she gets here, then she'll know everything."

Three hours earlier

I push past an orderly and burst into the Emergency Room, breathing heavily. My eyes are wild as I glance around looking for someone, anyone, who can help. Who can explain. I need to know. It's the middle of the day. Why is the nurse's station empty? How can no one be there?

"Dad!"

I whirl, hearing my son's voice. "Sean. Where's your sister? Where's Trey?" I'm assaulting him with questions, but I don't care. "Where's the police? Where's Cole?"

He shakes his head, his eyes wide as he sighs. "Dad, hang on," he says, touching my arm. Our eyes meet as he says, "Cole's in San Antonio for a conference. I haven't been able to reach him. The police are with the other driver-"

"Who is it?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. The deputy said it's some old guy who mistook his gas for the brake."

There's no way to stop the thundering in my chest, the roar of static in my ears. I suddenly remember teaching Caitlin to drive when she was fifteen. Remember Caity, every other driver is a bad driver. She giggled when I said that, tossing her blonde hair effortlessly over her shoulder. Sure, Daddy.

"Your sister?"

His face turns and suddenly, I know. I watch as he takes a steadying breath and says slowly, "It's bad, Dad. The nurse-"

"Where the hell are all the nurses?" I ask, turning away. I can't listen to Sean. I need to, but I can't. I can't take the devastation in his eyes, his broken voice. I would've been the first one here, but I was stuck in traffic getting back from L.A. He was closer to the hospital than me.

He reaches out, pointing to a woman who comes through the double doors. "There's the one I was talking with."

I beeline for her, Sean hot on my heels. "Excuse me," I say, standing in her path. "I'm Gregory Richards. My daughter, Caitlin Deschanel, was in a car accident."

She's an older woman and her eyes soften as she nods. "Yes," she says, reaching for a clipboard. "Mrs. Deschanel is being prepped for surgery."

"Surgery?" I ask, my voice cracking. "What for?"

"Your daughter sustained a head injury and was unresponsive when she arrived here. A cat scan shows signs of brain edema, or swelling." Her hand comes up, gesturing to the area of her own head just over her left ear. "The swelling is depriving her brain of blood and oxygen. It's also causing fluid to build up. The doctor needs to relieve it."

"Will she be ok after the surgery?" Sean's question is infused with panic, but I still can't look over at him.

The nurse is quiet for a long moment. "Dr. Lagovich is an excellent neurosurgeon. The surgery will take several hours, but I'll make sure you're kept informed."

"Wait," I say, reaching out to catch her arm when she turns to leave. "My grandson, Trey, was with her. Where is he?"

Here, she smiles. "I just came from him. He's got a bump on his head, but the cat scan doesn't show signs of a concussion. However, he sustained some nasty lacerations and injury to his legs. The doctor is stitching him up as we speak."

Relief floods through me and I feel Sean grip my shoulder. "But, he's fine?" I ask, needing to be sure. Sure of something.

"Yes. However, the pediatrician on-call did request a blood transfusion for your grandson. Unfortunately, one laceration to his thigh was particularly deep and he suffered some blood loss. A man who witnessed the crash was able to apply a tourniquet until the ambulance arrived, so it wasn't more severe than it is." She looks from Sean to me. "It will be good for you both to make a donation for him as well as for Mrs. Deschanel." She looks down at her clipboard and says, "Of course, Trey's parents will be the best candidate for him, as you will be for your daughter, Mr. Richards."

Sean turns away as I reach for the Blackberry tucked into my suit's breast pocket. "My son-in-law is on a business trip out of town, but I'll get in touch with him." I finally glance over at Sean, who is ashen-faced as he gazes down at the floor. "Where did you say Cole was again?" I murmur.

"San Antonio," he replies vacantly.

"Is Mrs. Deschanel's mother available to donate as well?" the nurse asks.

I shake my head, my thumb flying as I click through my phone's address book. "No, my ex-wife lives in London." The breath catches in my throat. Olivia has to be told. I shake my head, dealing with one thing at a time. Cole, then Olivia.

"I'll arrange for you both to meet with our technicians for the donation."

I nod, finally finding Cole's entry as the nurse leaves us. The line rings for a brief moment before I hear the automated greeting for his voice mail. "Damn, his phone is off. Sean, do you have his number at the radio station? Maybe his secretary-" I feel Sean's hand on my arm and I look up.

"Dad, you can't call Cole."

My son's eyes are wide and his voice wavers. I frown, stepping closer to him. "Sean, did you hear her? The parents are the best candidate for the transfusion."

"Oh God," he gasps, covering his mouth as he turns away. A prickly sensation ripples in the pit of my stomach as he leans against the wall, shuddering. "Dad..."

I grip his shoulder and force him around. Sean's complexion is pale and sickly as he looks back nervously at me. "What's going on? Why can't I call Cole?"

A strange numbness sweeps through me as his eyes turn away and he whispers, "Cole's not Trey's father."

I sit quietly, watching as Gloria, the technician, inserts a needle into Sean's exposed arm. A moment later, his blood fills the line and begins to drip into the bag. Our eyes meet and he says nothing, just leans back as he exhales deeply. She turns back to me, concerned ever since she took my blood pressure before I donated. She couldn't imagine the high reading was about something more than my daughter and grandson's car accident. "Still feeling ok?" she asks, watching me carefully. I nod and a moment later, she picks up the pints of blood I donated and says, "I'll be right back." She turns to Sean and says, "Press this button if you start to feel dizzy."

The lab door closes behind her and I sigh. Sean's confession still feels like a bad dream. How could Caitlin do this? How could she lie? I feel my son's eyes on me as I hear a tiny voice in my head. You were going to do it to her. She learned from you. Everything that Caitlin and Sean had to do to get my grandson is because of me. My head throbs and I reach up, my fingers dancing along my temple.

"Dad, I-"

I hold up my hand and he's instantly quiet. So far, no one at the hospital seems to suspect the truth. No one can ever know. I saw Trey briefly before Sean and I came down to the lab to donate blood. The little blonde boy was extremely pale, but resting in an exam room in the Emergency Room. He was bruised and bandaged, but he was alright. Did I feel anything different for him when I stood at his bedside? Wasn't he still my grandson? His birth mother sold him, Sean said. I grimace at the disturbing thought, remembering him as the infant he once was. The boy was better off with Caitlin, who broke countless laws and lied to everyone in order to get him.

"Dad, she's here."

Sean's voice rings out in the silence of the lab and I look up. The windows look out into the hallway, allowing me to see the red head passing by. Annie lingers for a moment before she opens the door and steps through it slowly. "Oh, God," she gasps, covering her mouth and I follow her eyes to the I.V. line attached to my son's arm. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"It's just blood," I snap. She glances at me, her eyes dropping to my rolled-up shirtsleeve and the gauze bandage on my arm. "I don't have time for you to be sick."

"Look," she retorts, her eyes narrow, "you're lucky I even came here. Sean said it was an emergency."

My son sighs deeply. "Annie, I told him."

I watch closely as her eyes flicker nervously between me and my son. "Told him what?" she says and I sigh, irritated.

"Enough of these games!" I hiss and she takes a step back. "I know about Trey."

She pales and a nervous hand covers her mouth. From the chair, Sean says, "You need to get his birth mother here. She's the only one who can help Trey right now."

Annie's head shakes furiously as she backs into a metal cabinet. The clang echoes in the quiet room and I feel Sean's eyes on me. But, I'm riveted to my ex-wife, watching her closely. Her eyes are too bright and it's not just because her role in how Caitlin got Trey has been exposed. "I-I'm not..." she stutters, sucking air into her lungs. "I mean, we've lost touch. It's not like we exchange Christmas cards or anything."

My fist comes down on the tray table, the contents shaking and spilling onto the floor. "Enough!" I growl, traversing the short distance between us. As she shakes her head again, I say, "You're lying."

"Dad-"

"Gregory-" she gasps, slipping past me and fleeing to the other side of the lab. "I'm not lying. I haven't spoken to her in years!"

"But, you know where she is? You can get hold of her?"

"Gregory, I-"

"ENOUGH! I don't care that she sold him, but that boy needs her help right now!" I charge across the lab, gripping her shoulders and shaking her. The spot on my arm where the needle was inserted howls, but I barely feel it. She knows where the mother is. She knows. "Tell me! WHO IS SHE? WHERE IS SHE?"

"Gregory-"

Her entire body is trembling and she whimpers, trying to push me away. Vaguely, I hear Sean shouting behind me, but I don't stop. I know she knows the truth. "TELL ME!" I thunder, my fingers digging into her flesh. "TELL ME WHO SHE IS! TELL ME!"

"OLIVIA!" she shrieks, the vein in her neck throbbing. My hands fall away, as the syllables of my first wife's name echo in the sudden silence. I reel back, inhaling sharply. Behind me, the door bangs open and I hear Gloria ask, "What's going on in here?"

But, I can't speak. My heart feels like it's going to explode out of my chest, shards of ribs and blood flying out. "G-give us a minute. Please," I hear Sean say as Annie pushes past me, breathing hard.

I spin around, my hand locking around her arm. "What do you mean? Olivia?"

"Mr. Richards!" Gloria exclaims as Annie smacks my hand away, grunting. "What are you doing?"

"Stay out of this!" I bellow, dragging Annie against me. "TELL ME!"

"Trey is Olivia's!" she gasps, her nails raking against my hand as I increase my grip. "You two monsters killed Caitlin's baby, so I gave her Olivia's!" Her eyes glimmer as Gloria forces us apart, my arm falling limply to my side.

"Stop this!" she yells, pushing Annie away and out of the room. "If you're not donating blood, you need to leave."

I slump against the cabinet, breathing hard as the door slams. Olivia. Trey is Olivia's. If Trey is Olivia's, Trey is mine. Pain slices through my head and I wince, the truth forcibly sinking in. "Get it out! Pull the needle out!" I hear Sean cry and a moment later, I feel his hand on my shoulder. "Dad, we didn't know! I swear, we didn't know!"

I turn to my son, not seeing him. Trey is Olivia's. Olivia's. Blandly, I pat his arm as Gloria pulls him back to the chair, forcing him to keep his arm bent to his chest. "No," I say, my voice hoarse. They look up at me as I roll my other sleeve up. "It's my blood you need for Trey."

Gloria hesitates as my son moves aside. "Mr. Richards, I can't let you donate again so soon. You-"

"That boy," I growl, the words foreign as they come out of my throat, "is-is my...son." Her eyes widen as I hold my arm out to her. "Do it! Now!"

As I sit back in the chair, she turns and pulls out two bottles of orange juice from the small refrigerator. "Drink these," she says, holding them out to me. "And, that's not a suggestion."

Sean takes one of the bottles and opens it quickly before he passes it to me. He crouches next to me, looking up with pained brown eyes. It suddenly strikes me that he's the only one of my children who has my eyes. "Dad," he says softly, sounding broken, "we didn't-"

I swallow the cold juice, barely feeling the pinch as Gloria inserts a new needle into my arm. "I know, Sean." My hand settles heavily on his shoulder and I squeeze it. "You were just helping your sister."

"Annie said the birth mother didn't want him," he says and his eyes glaze over, no doubt recalling the web of lies she spun him and Caitlin. "She said she was some teenage dropout who-"

"Sean, please," I say, squeezing his shoulder. I can't hear this now. There will be time later to listen. "I need you to do something for me." He looks up, wiping his eyes quickly with the back of his hand. "Get back to the E.R. and do not leave Trey's side." He nods and stands quickly, almost relieved to be given something to do. "Don't say anything to anyone. I'll be there shortly."

I watch him leave, the door closing quietly behind him. Trey is Olivia's. Trey is mine. "Are...are you ok?" I hear Gloria ask as I exhale deeply. I lift my eyes slowly, watching as she looks worriedly at me. "I don't know," I murmur, reaching down for my Blackberry.

"Please keep drinking the orange juice," she says quietly as she sits down on the stool next to me.

I nod, taking a deep sip to appease her as I dial a phone number I haven't called in years. Trey is Olivia's. Trey is mine. The phone's screen blurs as I press Send and raise it to my ear. The line rings aimlessly and I close my eyes, listening until a gruff voice says, "Stanton."

"Morris," I say, opening my eyes. There's a long silence and I wonder if he's still there as Gloria straightens the I.V. line.

"Greg?"

"Yes," I sigh, rubbing my eyes. He was the only person to ever get away with not using my full name. "I need your help."

"How is he?" I ask.

The nurse removes his fingers from Trey's wrist and nods up at Sean and I. "So far, so good," he says quietly as I watch my blood get pumped into the child. My son. "No sign of a reaction, but I'll keep monitoring his vitals."

I nod, relieved, as he holds the chest piece of his stethoscope over Trey's heart. The child is sleeping, but I swear there's more color in his cheeks than there was just twenty minutes ago. Next to me, Sean exhales deeply and glances over. "It's weird seeing Motor Mouth so still, isn't it?" he asks.

I know what he means. Normally, the child is a ball of energy who always has something to say. I flinch, remembering the way he would run into my study, talking a mile a minute. He never stops. It's disconcerting to see him like this. From the doorway, I hear someone clear their throat and I look over, seeing Morris. "Sean," I say, beckoning him. He follows me out into the hallway as I ask, "Well?"

"I'm taking the D.N.A. samples to my contact at the F.B.I. lab in L.A. We'll have the results in a few hours."

"No chance of sooner?" I ask, even as I look back into the hospital room, my eyes riveted to the child in the bed.

"Greg, you've already paid for the quickest rush service," he points out and I sigh. "I'll be back as soon as I've got them."

"And the lab technician? Gloria?"

"You're financing her ride at Johns Hopkins. The future cardiologist sends you her thanks and her silence."

Our eyes meet and I nod. "Thank you, Morris." He nods, looking from me to Sean before he walks down the hall.

"I don't remember him," Sean says, watching him go.

"We were housemates in college," I explain, standing in the doorway. "We were friends," I clarify after a moment. "But we had a falling out years ago, around the time you were born."

"It couldn't have been that much of a falling out if he's helping you after all this time," Sean says quietly, standing next to me in the doorway of Trey's room.

Does the how and why of it even matter anymore? We're silent, looking in as the nurse monitors the I.V. line for the transfusion. The D.N.A. test will prove that Trey is my son, though I don't need it to know. When I look at Trey, it's like looking at Sean when he was that age. Dark blonde hair and blue eyes. I rub my own eyes, thinking that just a few hours ago, I attributed those features to Caitlin's genes, instead of Olivia's.

Olivia.

"Dad, what are you going to do with the test results?"

"I don't know," I murmur honestly. "One thing at a time, Sean."

He nods, digesting my reply. "Dad," he begins quietly a moment later and I know what's coming next, "she needs to know about the car accident. I need to call Mom."

I nod. Olivia had to be told. About everything. "Don't tell her about-"

He grips my arm, turning to me. "She has to know," he insists, his voice low.

I finally turn to him, seeing his wide eyes. "Do you want your mother sitting up all night on a plane with this?" I gesture pointedly to Trey and his mouth parts with a rebuttal. I sigh, the pitch of my voice bottoming out as I remind him, "She'll be worried enough as it is." He's quiet as my reasoning sinks in and I turn back to the hospital room. "When she gets here," I say softly, "then she'll know everything."

Olivia can't hear the truth about Trey from anyone but me. But, I can't tell her over the phone. I can't put her through that.

"Ok," Sean finally says and I hear his phone snap open. "I'll be..."

Something echoes in his tone and I glance over at him. He's gazing down at his phone, not dialing. "Sean?"

He shakes his head and his words are tight when he speaks. "What time is it in London?"

I look down at my watch, counting in my head. "After midnight." But, he doesn't move to make the call and that's when I understand. "Sean," I ask softly, "do you want me to call Mom?"

He's quiet for a long moment before he looks up. Tears dull his brown eyes, but he shakes his head. "I'm calling Colin's phone. I can't tell her about Cait's accident, but I can tell him."

I watch him click through his phone before he holds it to his ear. Our eyes meet and Sean flashes me a brave smile before he turns and walks down the hall. My chest expands and, in that moment, I've never been prouder of my son.