So without saying a word, Ryan wheeled Kelly in to say goodbye to baby Bailey. The look on Kelly's face when she saw the lifeless body of her daughter nearly broke his heart, to say the least.

She stared at Bailey for a few seconds without saying a word. Finally, the reality of what had happened began to sink in, and she broke down, crying like Ryan had never see her do before.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered as he lovingly brushed the hair out of her face, which was now clinging to Kelly's tearstained eyes.

"No, it won't. It will never be okay."

"Would you like me to take a picture...so we can remember her?"

"I don't want to remember her like this, Ryan. I'll never be able to forget this day, as long as I live. She was my miracle, and I killed her. I did this to her. I did this to us."

"It's not your fault. She just was too young. Now you have a little angel waiting for her in heaven. She'll be your guardian angel, Kelly."

"that's not the way it's supposed to be. I was supposed to protect her. And I let her down. I'll never be able to live with myself."

"What are you saying? Are you thinking of doing something..."

"Yes! No! I don't know what I'm saying. I'm saying that I love my baby and I never even got to hold her. I never got the chance to tell her how much her mommy loved her. What kind of mother am I?" she sobbed into her hands.

"Do you want me to take you back to your room?" Ryan asked.

Without saying a word, Kelly nodded, taking one final look at the little angel she had to leave behind.

00000

No one knew what to say in the office. Michael had obviously been crying when he came out to tell the rest of the gang what had happened.

Even Angela was hardpressed not to cry. She didn't believe in out of wedlock babies, and she really didn't care for Kelly or Ryan at all, but she knew that even they didn't deserve what had happened to them.

"What should we do?" Phyllis asked as she put away the pink baby's blanket she had been knitting for Kelly and Ryan.

"What can we do? I'm asking you, I'm asking everyone...what can we do? Today we lost one of our own, and it is probably the saddest day in Dunder Mifflin history," Michael sniffed.

"Maybe we can buy them some flowers," Erin suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous. Flowers wither away and die. The last thing that Kelly and Ryan need is another reminder of how too short life is," Dwight huffed. Andy squeezed Erin's hand in support.

"Take up a donation?" Oscar suggested. "Funerals can be rather expensive, and maybe it can be a way we can offer our support without being too intrusive on their grief."

"That's it. We'll hold a fun-raiser. We'll play cards, poker night, anything to create enough funds to donate to Kelly and Ryan."

"Are you sure we really want to do something illegal in order to help them?" Toby added.

"Who asked you? What are you, the angel of death? Say, didn't you visit Kelly in the hospital?" Michael retorted.

"I don't think it's Toby's fault," Erin said softly. Andy had never been prouder of his girlfriend in all the time they'd spent together. "I think we should do something to help them. Maybe we should just ask them what they need from us."

"Don't be ridiculous. If people knew what they really needed then no one would really need for anything."

Jim and Pam approached Michael. "Michael, can we see you in the conference room?"

"Good idea. Conference room, five minutes."

"No," Pam said sweetly. "Just the three of us."

"Okay, whatever you say."

Jim and Pam looked at each other, then Jim hugged Michael, much to his surprise. But he held on, not wanting to let go. His friends were hurting, that meant he was hurting. How could anything ever be right again, after this?

Pam took her turn in hugging Michael. "I know you're hurting, Michael. We all are. But the best thing you can do is just to be Ryan's friend. I know how much you look up to Ryan. He doesn't need anything because all he wants is to have something that just wasn't meant to be. Sometimes when people are hurting they become terribly sad, and I think that just by being you, well, that would mean the most to Ryan."

Michael tried not to cry. "Okay. Okay. And Jim...I've never told you this before, but I think you're a very lucky man."

Jim looked at his wife, and he knew that he was in total agreement with his boss. Pam was a one of a kind woman, and if something like what had happened to Ryan and Kelly happened to them, he didn't know what he would do. He would spent the rest of his life showing Pam just how much he loved her.

TBC