Sorry the update has taken a while, I've had Christmas, then essays for University, and I'm currently skiing in Austria with every part of me in pain!

Enjoy x

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Jade had been rushed to the hospital immediately. Despite attempts to delay labour as much as possible, it was a foregone conclusion by the time she got to the hospital.

All the attempts to delay the labour had simply staved it off for a few hours, not even half a day.

Ethan and Mia had immediately taken Faith to her apartment, aware that they could do nothing to help at the hospital and that the little girl was probably scared and confused enough already without going to the hospital.

Jade was in serious pain, every muscle was tight and she was sweating and shouting in pain, physically her body probably wasn't really ready for labour, but something -probably the stress and strain of the last few weeks- had triggered it regardless.

Luke took a break from standing next to his wife and holding her hand to speak to Christian and Ana, who were sitting outside on the little plastic chairs, able to hear the shouts and screams from the room inside.

Both looked pale and shaken, looking up at the sad, beaten look on Luke's face.

'Is she okay? Is the baby okay?'. He sighed, running a hand through his hair

'I...she's in pain, it's bad...of course she's refusing any pain relief and it's too late for anything strong...the baby's heart rate seems to be okay...I...uh...'.

Christian looked at the lost look on his son in laws face 'Luke, are you okay?'.

There was a pause and Luke shook his head, eyes becoming slightly watery as his voice cracked

'I-no-no-that's by wife and my baby...if anything happens...I don't know...'.

Christian did something he never imagined when he first hired sawyer all that time ago that he would ever do. He stood up and pulled the you get man into a swift hug, simply giving him a shoulder of support for a few seconds before he stepped back, looking Luke straight in the eye.

'That's my daughter and Grandchild in there Luke. If anything happens I will be devastated, but it's not your fault, and the only thing you can do is go in there and be with your wife. You love her don't you?'.

Luke looked almost affronted at the question

'More than anything in the world'. 'Then go in there and be with her, she needs you more than she will ever admit'. Luke simply nodded and turned on his heel, walking back into the delivery room.

Grace was in the delivery room too. Regardless of wether this was her granddaughter giving birth or not, the baby was early and she was one of the best paediatricians in the state.

The labour lasted for only an hour, before the little boy arrived. Jade sat up slightly, watching as they whisked him away to Grace, who was standing with a nurse by equipment, ventilators and drugs.

After a few minutes, Grace looked over at them, as the tiny bed was pushed out of the room.

'He's small, and he's having trouble breathing by himself. He's on a ventilator and he's been taken down to the ward here he can have better care. We can move you to a wheelchair and take you both to see him if you want?'.

Luke and Jade nodded and she looked broken 'I just want to see my son...is he...is he going to be okay?'.

Grace nodded slightly 'we can't know anything for certain dear for a few hours maybe even days. For now, all I can say is that he isn't as bad as some of the preemies I've seen who are older than him. We just need to pay him special attention for now'.

Grace nodded and left, off to reside over her great-grandson, and Luke kissed her quickly, saying he needed to phone his mother and tell her what was going on. As he left, Christian came to the door.

Jade was sweaty, pale and drained of all energy, lying with a blanket over her, looking lost. 'Jade, can I come in?'

She glance over and nodded slightly, beckoning her father in.

'I saw him being taken to the ward. What is the situation?', she sighed 'he isn't breathing on his own...that's all I know'.

Christian sat on the edge of the bed, expression pensive 'well, you know that he is in good hands, Jade. He's in the best hands in the state, they'll do everything they can to help him'.

Jade nodded and leant over slightly to grip her fathers large hand 'Please, stay with me Dad'. Christian swallowed slightly and nodded, kissing her on the forehead.

'Never'.

Ana, Christian, Jade and Luke were taken to the ward not long after.

The baby was lying on his back in a small incubator type crib, tubes and pads attached all over him.

He was early, but as Jade looked around at the other babies in the ward she realised it could have been a lot worse.

He was small, but not unbelievably so, a breathing tube was attached to him, making his chest rise an fall slowly.

His name was on a card at the front of the incubator.

Carrick Junior Christian Mikel Sawyer.

Ana glanced up 'Who's the Mikel named after?'. Christian quietly replied 'Luke and Rory's father'.

Ana smiled slightly 'that's lovely, Carrick will be happy'. Jade nodded slightly, not looking away from her son's incubator 'mmm, exactly. I don't even think he knows yet...I don't really know what is going on anywhere at the moment... Faith is with Mia isn't she?'.

Christian nodded 'yes, and Ethan is there too, she's fine'. Jade nodded slowly, looking at her sons chest slowly rise and fall, the ventilator slowly beeping and making a hissing noise intermittently.

'I never appreciated before just how fragile life is...he can't even breathe on his own...am I just supposed to sit and wait?'.

Christian nodded slowly 'yes, that's all we can do. I've had Andrea clear my schedule for the next two weeks, which means I can be here and so can Luke, if that's okay?'.

Jade said nothing but stood and hugged her father tightly, as of her life depended on it. Christian was the only one close enough to her her quiet, tearful words 'thank you daddy'. He hugged her back, coughing away the lump in his throat.

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