Chapter 29

Stefan was running through the halls and people were shouting at him for getting in their way, but he didn't care. He got up to maternity and went to the nurses' station,

"Elena Salvatore, what room?" he was really out of breath but the lady managed to understand what he was saying,

"Over there. Dr Salvatore, I am really sorry." He walked over to the room, but stopped just before he entered, just to let him catch his breath. He walked into the room, Caroline wasn't in there but Elena was lying on the bed hunched up in a ball, facing away from the door.

"Elena" he walked over and lied on the bed next to her and pulled her closer, she turned round and curled up to him,

"I lost the baby." Saying it out loud made it even more real, she started to cry and as hard as Stefan tried she wouldn't not stop. Finally she fell asleep, and Caroline came in.

"Where have you been?" Stefan looked at her and she was holding a bottle of water,

"I've been sitting outside the door for the last hours, I wanted to give you some time alone. I am so sorry Stefan I know how much you wanted this child." Stefan gave her a nod and he slowly got up from the bed and left the room.

He shut the door carefully and then the hard shell he had been putting up for Elena fell, he was pacing in the hallway, clicking his knuckles as he did so. He stopped, at one end on the hall, and stared at the wall, and then he screamed as loud and he could and put all of his weight into the punch. He managed to hit a missive hole into the wall, which made lots of nurses look at him, he stood with his back against the wall and then he slid down onto the floor and started to cry, he put his head in his hands and just cried.

Lots of the nurses carried on with what they were doing before but others made comments like 'is that Dr Salvatore?' or stupid ones like 'why is he so sad?' he screamed over and over again and then kept on crying. It was obvious as to why he was sad, he was in a maternity ward and was sitting on the floor crying.

"Stefan?" he looked up to see Logan kneeling in front of him, "I heard, come on let's get something to drink." He pulled Stefan up and then he headed for Stefan's office. As soon as Stefan got into his office, he sat on the sofa and screamed one last time. Logan had headed over to the coffee machine and was making him some coffee.

"Stefan I know you are sad, but you can always try again." Stefan looked at him and then hung his head again. Logan knew he should be quiet and just let Stefan drink his coffee.

They sat there for a good hour or so in silence before there was a knock on the door, Meredith came in with a chart and looked at Stefan, whose eyes were red and his whole face was covered in tear marks,

"Stefan I am so sorry, but she is asking for you. It would mean a lot if you were there." Stefan got up and then wiped his face with his sleeve and headed for Elena's room. On the way he got a lot of looks and heard a lot of comments but all he could think about is Elena.

He got onto the maternity floor to see Jeremy standing at the desk,

"You have real nerve coming here." Jeremy turned to see Stefan followed by Logan and Meredith.

"You shouldn't even have the right to see Archer or Elena after what you said. And I bet you are really happy aren't you." Stefan was now shouting and everyone was looking at them,

"What do you mean?" Jeremy gave Stefan a look, one of confusion and then one of regret,

"Don't give me that bullshit! You know what I am talking about" at that moment he pounded his fist onto the desk.

"Stefan I don't know what you are talking about, all I know is that my sister was rushed to the hospital."

"Don't lie to me! You know she had a miscarriage and you never wanted us to have another child! And you got your way!" everybody was looking now, and they were all whispering to the person next to them,

"Stefan I didn't know, I'm sorry. I would never be happy." Logan could see the fear in Jeremy's eyes as Stefan slowly approached him. Stefan lifted his leg and kicked Jeremy right it the balls, and he fell to the floor.

"Leave, as soon as you get up. I never want to see you again." Stefan left Jeremy on the floor and went into Elena's room.

She looked up as soon as he opened the door,

"Stefan, I am so sorry. I understand if you-" Stefan cut her off with a kiss, and they he laid down next to her again.

"Shhh, we can try again, all that matters is that you are ok." He kissed her head and then she started to cry again.

While Elena was asleep he had rung everyone and told them what had happened, he had told Ric, to get a sitter for Archer and then head to the hospital and for everyone else to stay put. He was sitting lying next to Elena on the bed and was running his fingers up and down her arm. He threw is head back and just lay there in the silence or sorrow.

"I wanted a boy, a little boy exactly the same as Archer, inhering none of me and all of you."

"Elena please don't." he kissed the top of her head and she was quiet. The door opened and Meredith came In with a group of other doctors including Logan and Dr Oliver. All of them stood at the end of the bed, with sorrow looks on their face.

Dr Oliver, looked at Stefan and gave him a quick nod but Stefan looked away as if nothing had ever happened. He noticed something, every single doctor was a surgeon, other that Meredith.

"Meredith why are they all surgeons?" Stefan sat up slightly in the bed,

"Because this is a surgical matter, if you choose it to be." Elena looked at Logan who she knew had spent some time with Stefan earlier, "now, Elena, when you gave birth to Archer, there was a tear in the uterine wall, so small that no one noticed, but when you became pregnant again it put pressure on the uterine wall causing the tear to enlarge, which caused your miscarriage." Elena looked up at Stefan who was closely paying attention, "now we can fix this with a simple stitch repair, and Dr Oliver, our best excluding Stefan has offered to do it, now if you choose this surgery, it can be done tomorrow and then you can try again within a month." Meredith looked at both of them and every doctor in the room knew Stefan well, which made him feel even worse,

"I want the surgery." Elena spoke up and turned round to look at them all. Stefan looked at her with a shocked look,

"Elena?"

"I don't care of the risks, I want it because it gives us a chance of having another child." Stefan kissed her head and gave Meredith a slight nod.

"Ok, we shall book you in for tomorrow." They all left the room apart from Dr Oliver.

"Can I help you?" Stefan spoke first with a tone of arrogance in his voice, Dr Oliver left the room as soon as Stefan spoke. The door opened again and Ric came into the room,

"Elena," Ric ran over to her side of the bed and hugged her, and she just started to cry all over again.