The next few minutes were a blur. Doctor James took Kelly to the small room for babies at the instruction of the paramedics. Jethro must have screamed because the next thing he knew Jackson had barged into the room demanding to know what was going on. Jethro was trying to be strong and collected so that doctor James would let him go back and be with Kelly. Unfortunately for the first time he could remember. The fear took over, his knees buckled underneath him and he crashed hard to the floor. Knocking over a tray of medical supplies in the process. The tears were pouring down his cheeks, and he was pounding the floor. His mind was stuck on the worst possible scenario. That Kelly would die. After all the hell she had been through leading up to and after her birth. He needed more time with her. She needed more time to be alive. She needed to grow, to walk and talk, to play, to go to school, to learn how to drive, to go to college, to get married, and have babies of her own. He just wanted her to wait until she was a little older and married first. Being a teen parent was near impossible. Especially having to do it alone. He remembered watching episodes of "Sixteen and Pregnant" with Jenny, Abby, Tony and Tim and thinking that the girls were just spoiled and whiny. Now he knew the cruel truth all too well. It was hard and scary. Especially when your kid was deathly ill. He felt somebody pulling him into a tight hug.

"Leroy?" Jack asked.

"What?!" Jethro demanded.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"Kelly has meningitis!" Jethro cried.

"What are they going to do?" Jack asked.

"Take her to an actual hospital and put her in the NICU or the PICU or wherever they put older sick babies." Jethro explained.

"Well at least they are taking her for better care." Jack replied.

"Dad she was already premature! She isn't as strong as a normal month and half old baby and even if she was. Meningitis is really serious! She is going to die!" Jethro cried.

"She beat the odds when she was first-born. Being born that early with all the trauma leading up to her birth. She shouldn't have made it." Jack explained.

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?" Jethro demanded.

"I don't know what the hell to say in this situation Leroy." Jack replied.

"Why does it have to be Kelly?" Jethro asked.

"I wish that I could give you answers to that." Jack replied.

"I love her so much dad!" Jethro cried.

"So do I love all of you kids. You know you gave your mom and I plenty of scares when you were first-born and look at you now. You are the healthiest kid in Stillwater." Jack explained.

"I'm not a kid anymore. I am an eighteen year old high school graduate with a baby girl. A sick baby girl." Jethro sobbed.

"I guess you are right but you are very strong and healthy now. Kelly will do the same." Jack replied.

"What if she doesn't?" Jethro questioned.

When the ambulance finally arrived. Jethro hopped in the back with Kelly. While Jack followed close behind in his car. During the forty-five minute race to the hospital. He heard the paramedics talk in convoluted medical speak. All he understood was that his baby girl was very sick. Much to his chagrin. The tears were back in his eyes about halfway through the ambulance ride. One of the paramedics noticed and sat down beside him.

"She is in very good hands. She is going to Columbia County Children's. That is where my own little girl went when she had pneumonia. She wasn't much older than Kelly here." The medic explained.

"I lost her mom to a car crash. They had to deliver her two months early. Now I may lose her too. It's not fair." Gibbs sobbed.

"I will make sure that she gets the best care." The medic assured.

"Thank you." Gibbs replied.

Kelly was immediately rushed back to the NICU. Jethro was dreading when she was allowed back there and seeing her attached to all those tubes and wires. He still had nightmares about seeing Kelly in the NICU after her birth. Now he was forced to relive it less than two months later. At least when she was first-born. The doctors were all cautiously optimistic. This time he could see right through their fake smiles and hopeful words. He knew that they were lying. They were just saying that Kelly would be OK and come through this. When in reality they knew that she was dying. They just didn't want to say the word die or any variance there of. To the teenage daddy who had already lost his fiancée, the baby's mother. Part of him took a sick level of comfort in the lies but the other part of him wanted to throw himself on top of the doctors and nurses and kick the crap out of them until they finally told the truth. Except that would land him in jail and God only know what would happen to Kelly. So he just fell back against the chair and waited. Sometime after arriving at Columbia Children's, Jack took the seat beside him.

"I called Darla. She is going to leave Abby and the boy with Mrs. Landon and make the drive up tomorrow. So that I can get back to the store and you aren't alone." Jack explained.

"It could be dangerous for Olivia." Jethro commented.

"She won't be bringing her to the hospital. She won't even be coming to the hospital that much. She is just coming up so that you won't go through this alone." Jack explained.

"I'd rather just be alone." Jethro replied.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked.

"Yes" Jethro replied.

"If that's really what you want. I will call Darla and tell her never mind but if you need support or anything at all. Just call home and one of us will be here in forty-five minutes." Jack explained.

"OK dad, thanks." Jethro replied.

A/N: Will Jethro be able to handle this alone? What about Kelly will she be OK? New chapter will be up soon.