Jethro's heart dropped to the floor and he felt like he was going to be sick. That was Kelly's bed... No it couldn't be Kelly's bed. Not his little girl. His sweet little baby that he had only known a few short weeks. Part of him actually thought it would have been better if she had died in the accident with Jenny. Before he got attached to her and the family had bonded with her. How was he supposed to go home and be around Olivia when his own baby girl was dead? He turned his head towards the cubicle that Kelly was in, a group of doctors was crowded around her trying their best to bring her back to life. Time seemed to stop until Jethro heard the most wonderful song he heard in his entire life.

"Waaahhhh!" Kelly cried.

His baby girl was back. Somehow the doctors had managed to bring Kelly back to life. Of course he knew that Kelly was still far from out of the woods but she was safe. If she could just keep fighting. If she could just be as strong as Jack had claimed that Jethro was when he was born. She would be home before anybody knew it.

"Are you her father?" One of the nurses asked.

"Yes" Jethro replied.

"Kelly was legally dead for two minutes. Unfortunately we won't know if there is any permanent brain-damage just yet." The nurse explained.

"What about effects from the illness?" Jethro asked.

"That will also be unknown until she recovers." The nurse replied.

"Can I still see her?" Jethro asked.

"Yes but please be warned she is in really bad shape." The nurse replied.

"I know. She was born two months early with a traumatic birth. I have seen her lying in an incubator fighting for her life before." Jethro explained.

The nurse walked away to attend to the next patient. Allowing Jethro to spend time with Kelly. He had lied to the nurse. Of course he was scared to death. His baby girl was fighting for her life again. Anybody would be terrified. He hoped that this was the last time Kelly was in he hospital. Until many years from now when she had her own children. He hoped that this wasn't a sign that she would have serious health problems and hospitalizations. He reached his hand into the gloves on the side of the incubator and carefully picked his daughter up.

"Kelly girl please don't leave me. I love you so much. I will not be able to cope if I lost you. I already lost your mom. You have to know that. I told you and I know she made you go back. Please listen to her." Jethro begged.

Jackson arrived back in Stillwater in time for the noon rush. He was glad he got there when he did. Darla looked like she was about to cry and Olivia was already screaming her head off. Tony was trying his best to help but seemingly everything he did resulted in a bigger disaster. Abby had insisted on sweeping which was never a good idea when the store was that busy and Tim was arguing with old man Wilson about his credit card.

"Alright! I am here now! Darla take care of Olivia! Tony run down to Widow Hamilton's place and see if she needs any groceries! Tim you go with him you have been inside all day! Abby go sweep and dust in the back! I haven't cleaned back there in weeks! Ted I will be with you in a minute!" Jack called.

"Thank you Jackson." Darla replied.

"Alright daddy!" Abby cried.

"We can do that dad." Tony replied.

"Yeah I haven't hung out with Tony in forever." Tim added.

"Thank you Jackson. I know I paid my bill. My boy was right there when I did it." Mr. Wilson said.

Visitors were only allowed in the NICU for fifteen minutes at a time and the doctors preferred that you wait two hours between each visit. So Jethro spent most of his time in the waiting room watching soap operas and game shows. After visiting with Kelly around noon. He went downstairs to the cafeteria for lunch. He noticed a girl around his age sitting alone in his usual back corner spot. He reluctantly took the next table over hoping she wasn't one of those talk to everybody who comes withing an arm's length of her people.

"Hi!" The girl greeted.

"Hi" Jethro grumbled.

"Who do you know here?" The girl asked.

"None of your business." Jethro grunted.

"Is it your girlfriend?" The girl asked.

"No!" Jethro snapped.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" The girl asked.

"No!" Jethro barked.

"Well it must be somebody special. You don't get that grumpy for just anybody." The girl replied.

"It's my daughter OK!" Jethro snapped.

"You have a little girl?" The girl asked.

"Yes! Her name is Kelly! I got my girlfriend pregnant at seventeen and then she died! OK?! She died in a car accident and my daughter was born two months early as a result! Now she has meningitis! She died this morning! They revived her but she was still dead! I had to watch it all happen!" Jethro cried.

"I am so sorry." The girl replied.

"Yeah well it's just great that you tried to get a date with me. Jen has been gone less than two months and you were hitting on me!" Jethro snapped.

"I am sorry I didn't know I really was just making conversation." The girl apologized.

"Oh yeah well you are lousy at it!" Jethro hissed.

"Maybe it would be best if we started over. I am Laura. What is your name?" Laura suggested.

"Jethro! I am Jethro! How about I ask you a painful question?!" Jethro demanded.

"Don't bother I will tell you my pain. I have cysts in both my ears and when they remove them next week I will be deaf." Laura explained.

"Oh" Jethro replied.

"I was going to be a teacher but I can't if I am deaf." Laura replied.

"Not true." Jethro replied.

"I will be profoundly deaf!" Laura snapped.

"I know but my god mother was a teacher and she was profoundly deaf since birth. She taught at a special school for the deaf and she was amazing." Jethro explained.

"Really?" Laura asked.

"Yes now I need to go, my daughter needs me." Jethro replied.

"Good luck Jethro." Laura replied.

A/N: Laura will be back in the sequel I write after I finish this one. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.