St Thomas has been alerted that Dr. Tara Knowles-Teller, the Queen of SAMCRO, is on her way in and that she is in critical conditional. Circumstances have dictated that the Prince will make his grand entrance tonight.
The emergency room doctors and nurses rush out to meet the ambulance as it pulls in front of the entrance. The doctors aren't the least bit surprised or irritated by the fleet of motorcycles escorting the ambulance SAMCRO wants to make sure their Queen arrives safely and gets treated with respect. Never mind that the staff at St Thomas knows Tara. SAMCRO won't take any chances. Too many have been taken so far.
Fiona had phoned Margaret ahead of time, and Margaret paged Dr. Nameed and Dr. Lewis immediately. They are waiting to take Tara back to the operating room immediately the medics confirmed surgery is needed. Margaret, Dr. Lewis and Dr. Nameed know Jax he will be on their heels heading to the operating room with them. He will not be kept away from his wife and child, not now. As they hurriedly push Tara's hospital bed towards the operating room, a newly hired, overzealous nurse tries to prevent Jax from entering as well. Jax's abrupt brush against her outstretched arm and his cold, hard gaze are enough to make her re-consider her intent
Since the Sons have gotten out of all illegal activities and now have solid family investments, their reputation has overwhelming been turned around to the positive. Margaret and Jax have a friendly and relaxed relationship now that Margaret is the chief administrator of the new Women's Center. Even Dr. Nameed shows Jax more respect. Dr. Nammed thinks it is commendable for Jax to want to build the Women's Center to help Tara find her way back into medicine. He is starting to have a better appreciation for why Tara loves her husband so much. The bond and faith they have in each other is truly amazing-that man would do anything for his wife and it shows. Even though Tara cannot operate she is still close to Dr Nameed along with the staf that she worked with for three years. Dr. Nameed gave them his insight during the planning and building of the new center.
Time is critical for Tara and the baby boy she is carrying. She has a placental abruption, and still unconscious with two bad gashes on her head, but the baby is the most pressing matter at hand. They have to get her in the operating room now she has lost too much blood it is not just the baby's life that is in danger now it is Tara's also. Upon examination they found that she is almost fully dilated and the baby is coming now it is too late for the cesarean section. After an intense conversation with Dr. Lewis and Dr, Nameed Jax has finally talked them into letting him be in there when the his son is delivered; however, once the baby is born he has to leave the operating room. He agrees, he had promised Tara that he would be there when their next child is born. Dr. Lewis explains to Jax that if they can't get the bleeding under control Tara will have to have a hysterectomy because of the blood loss. The doctors already know Tara will need a blood transfusion.
Dr. Nameed puts a reassuring hand on Jax's shoulder and looks him in the eye. He gently restates the facts, "Tara has lost a lot of blood, the baby is in duress he has to be born now, and the baby will need a blood transfusion. I've been told you both have blood stored in the blood bank so that won't be a problem." Dr. Nameed smiles and slaps Jax on the back, "Now let's have some fun. Let's go meet this baby of yours."
Jax smiles back at him. "Yeah, let's."
Jax runs to get his scrubs on and he finishes scrubbing his hands he flies into the operating room. He rushes in and stops at Tara's side. She is so pale she would blend in with the sheets if it weren't for the blood stains on her face. He reaches down and sticks a strand of loose hair under the paper cap. She seems so small here in the operating room under the big bright lights. He bends down and kisses her forehead then leans in and whispers in her ear, "I love you Tara and I am here. Like I promised I am here for you and our baby, everything is going to be fine." Jax is standing beside Tara as they are getting ready for the delivery of their baby boy.
Tara has been prepped for delivery and is lying motionless on the operating table. Jax is starting to get antsy shifting from one foot to the other waiting; he knows that Tara and his baby's lives are at stake. There hasn't been time to get her undressed and into a gown so for the time being she has just been stripped of her pants with a sheet draped over her knees. Jax readily admits that he has never been in the exam room with Tara as she was being examined, but he is starting to get pissed. He is pretty sure that the whole office staff didn't come in and take a peek at her while she was spread out on the table. Is this how it's supposed to be? Did Tara have to put up with this during Thomas' delivery? If one more person other than Dr. Lewis sticks her hands under that sheet I swear I'll rip their goddamn heads off. I can't believe my wife is getting goddamn molested right in front of me. NO ONE has a right to be looking at her there but me! Did Opie see this; did he WANT to see this? Okay, Jax, you need to pull your shit together. This is normal, just what happens when your wife has your baby. I know things are different this time this is a life and death situation but JESUS CHRIST was that just the fucking janitor. Seriously this needs to stop. Oh, shit they didn't...they just took the sheet down. They just took down the one thing that was keeping the last bit of Tara's modesty intact. Does she know they do this?
It was at that time that Dr. Nammed spoke, breaking him out of his trance, "Jax, you might want to watch now your son is about to be born" Jax slowly looks up with wide eyes and watches Dr. Lewis use the forceps to help guide the baby, no his baby along. Even with all chaos in the room Jax stands mesmerized as Tara's body produces his son, his son is coming into this world and at that moment it doesn't matter who is looking at what, or who has their hands on Tara. The whole world could be watching, it just doesn't matter anymore his son is here. "He's a beautiful baby boy Jax. Are you ready to cut the cord?" Dr. Lewis spoke to Jax patiently knowing this whole situation has not been easy on him. "Yes, yes." With that Jax takes the surgical scissors handed to him and he cuts the cord that has been the life-line from Tara to their baby boy. Now the baby is all, on his own. He thinks to himself shaking his head lightly I did it I actually cut my baby's umbilical cord. Jax figures that he must look like a bumbling-idiot he is just standing in a daze while the nurses keep pointing to the next place he needs to go. He can faintly hear in the background someone keep repeating the time 11:41 over and over again.
He follows the doctors and nurses running into the adjoining room with the baby. He stands off to the side watching; the room is in a frenzy everyone is moving around doing something to save the life of his newborn son. The baby hasn't cried, hasn't made a sound, but he knows his baby is still alive because a nurse is squeezing a black bag looking thing pumping air into his lungs. He is cleaned up a little, before they put him in a glass capsule like container on wheels Dr. Nameed and Dr. Spencer stop to let Jax touch his son. The nurse removes the bag just for a second so Jax can see his son's face. It is happening so fast. Jax is in shock but he lightly brushes the back of his hand on his baby's tiny little face, then he touches his tiny hand and just then he grabbed Jax's finger. Damn he's strong.The baby looking Jax dead in the eye with a stare so intense it makes Jax shiver, he is taken aback, that was a Tara stare, and love swells through Jax like nothing he has ever felt before. He is amazed truly amazed, that you can fall in love with something or someone that fast. Just in a split second and it's done. Dr. Nameed smiles at him. "We have to go." Jax nods and he watches as they put his baby in a space capsule running him down to the NICU. Jax follows them out of the room, watching them rush his baby up the hall. He is standing there watching, thinking. They put my first son in a toaster and my third son in a space capsule. He snorts and shakes his head. Dr. Nameed tells Jax, "Go to the waiting room and as soon as we know either Tara's or your son's prognosis we will come and get you.
"Thanks, doctor. I mean it." Dr. Nameed pats him on the back then briskly heads up the hall following the space capsule carrying Jax and Tara's baby.
All Jax can do now is wait not only for his wife but for his son as well. Standing there gathering his thoughts so much has happened, he looks at the clock, 20 minutes is that all, they have only been here 20 minutes so far it seems like years. His mind goes back to Tara lying on the operating table giving birth to their son he wonders how am I going to keep it together, I can't let Tara down this time, not this time, I just can't. I had rather face 100 bullets that to be standing here right now. Before he heads to the waiting room with the rest of his family to update them on Tara and the baby he sits in a nearby chair. He takes a deep breath he needs a minute, just one minute to get his shit together.
Jax doesn't know how long he was sitting there when he feels a slap on the back and a hand on his shoulder. He turns and Happy is standing there by his side wearing an unusual smile. They walk together where the rest of his family is waiting for an update on Tara and the baby.
Jax and Hap join their family in the waiting room as everyone sitting around talks in quiet voices.
"JAX."
Jax turns around and smiles "Hey Beverly." Beverly is Happy's old lady, well the guys call her his old lady but not to his Happy's face. Beverly is a coworker of Tara's she is a nurse in NCIU. Beverly will be joining the neonatologist team at the Women's Center. She plans to volunteer in the clinic as well.
"Hi, the recovery room just called looking for you Tara has just been moved there."
Jax looks at her expectantly, "And?"
"And you can go see her," Beverly realizes that's not what Jax's is asking. "She got through surgery just fine. That is all I really know right now."
"Okay thanks. Hap can you go to NICU and make sure NO ONE gets to the baby? I am going to go check on Tara." Jax doesn't wait for an answer because there is no need he knows Happy isn't going to move from his post.
Beverly looks at Happy as he puts his arm around her shoulder, "Do you think he will be alright?"
Happy looks down at her and smirks "He'll be fine. He is doing a hell of a lot better than last time." Then he mutters to himself. "He'd better fucking be fine this time."
She looks at him all confused. "I thought he was in prison last time when Thomas was born?"
"He was and that was hell to watch him go through that, you couldn't help to be sad and happy at the same time but I was referring to the last emotional turmoil that happened to his family when Abel was kidnapped."
"Yeah I remember that, it wasn't a good time around here, it was so depressing and helpless feeling. You couldn't help but to want to take Tara in your arms and hold her, protect from the club and take her away from here it just wasn't right. Then she was kidnapped."
"I know what you mean, a lot of the guys felt the same way. We didn't agree with the way he was treating Tara. Didn't matter to us if he called it quits and dump her as his old lady. None of us believe that bullshit anyway, Tara will always be family to SAMCRO. I missed it that morning but from what I heard I'm glad I did. Tig and Koz stayed here and I know she was hanging around the clubhouse cuz' she didn't want to stay at her dad's old house and she had for all intent and purposes moved out of Jax's so she hung around and slept in Opie's old room. Tig said she wouldn't go in Jax's room and she would just stare in the door so he had one of the prospects lock the door so she couldn't open it up. After the second night she was kidnapped and I think that was the scaredest Tig and Piney ever were."
Beverly was more confused than ever. "Jax wouldn't be mad at them because it wasn't their fault."
"No, it wasn't, Tara grew up in SAMCRO. She was Opie and Jax's best friend and you can't swallow shit happening to your own. She followed them everywhere like a kid sister. She had an abusive father and when he fell off the wagon she would run away to Piney's. Piney would protect her with his life, so would the other guys. JT, Jax's dad, thought the world of her so much he beat up Tara's dad put him in the hospital for beating the shit out of her. By that time Tara and Jax were in love each other they were so in love you wanted to vomit. I was in Tacoma and would come down with Kozik for club business with the Mother Charter; they knew how to take care of the guys, how to have a good time.
"I remember when Tara graduated from high school she was valedictorian and she was pissed because Jax was going on a run and wouldn't be there for her graduation. She pouted and cried for a goddamn week. I was feeling sorry for the poor girl, she had worked her ass off and no one was going. Jax had quit school in his junior year and Opie finished barely but they can say what they want Opie stayed to protect Tara. Then I found out that the run was only a day and it was a couple of days before graduation so if anything went wrong they could still get back in time for graduation. Tara never came around if Jax was gone so the brothers decked the clubhouse out big time for her graduation party, a surprise party. All of SAMCRO slipped into the graduation ceremonies, hell I went too you couldn't help but to be proud of Tara. She was smart, kept Jax on his toes and knew that she wanted more in life. I thought there wasn't any way possible that Jax could stay away from her before the party but he was adamant that it was going to be a surprise and he kept busy getting things ready and lying low. When she came out on that stage to give her speech SAMCRO was hooping and hollering you could see the tears and her red face, I didn't think she would be able to finish her nerd speech but she did. When she got her diploma there was so much noise and screaming the bleachers shook it was unbelievable. Tara snatched the paper out of the Principal's or whoever's hand it was and turned around and opened her gown. Jax thought she was going to flash us, hell everybody did it happened so fast but she had on a brand new SAMCRO reaper t-shirt on. I don't think that Jax, Clay, Gemma, Piney hell the whole damn club had ever been prouder. The thing is she didn't know we would be there and she was going to do it on her own without them. Or at least she had the t-shirt on and the flashing came to mind later. There was a hell of a party that night and it's still considered a legendary party that went on that night. It's the night SAMCRO rocked Charming, people came out of the woodworks for that party even the whole town came together to PARTY."
"That sounds like that was fun."
Happy squeezed her tight, "Baby it was."
Beverly was thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "I'm going to go get me something to eat. You want me to bring you something back?"
"Yeah I'll take a turkey on wheat, with white cheese, mustard, no mayo and a Dr. Pepper."
"Okay, I'll see you here at your post."
"Hey," Happy said a little sternly. "Don't take it lightly, Gemma is likely to come back and finish the job she started. Whatever the reason for all of this I assure you the reason it's still there and she WILL try to kill them again." Beverly just looked at him and could see that he was serious, dead serious, and he took his job seriously. They had only been dating a couple of months she had heard rumors of killings but she hadn't believed them but now... she wonders. She kisses Happy on his cheek and leaves for the cafeteria and Happy takes his post out in front of the NICU. She just can't understand why anyone would want to harm Tara she is one of the most loved doctors in this whole hospital. Especially Jax's mother. Not only did she harm Tara she harmed the baby too.
Jax is scared shitless. He has been allowed to see Tara in the recovery room and his wife is still unconscious she is as pale as she was earlier, she looks so frail. She still has blood caked on her face and head that no one has cared enough to clean it off. He can't stand to see her with all that blood on her and it reminds him of when she was kidnapped and had Lousia's blood all over her, so Jax ask the nurse for some gauze and something that he can clean her up with. She brings the supplies in for Jax and he gently and gingerly cleans the dried blood off of her face, he gets a wet towel and carefully takes the towel and tries to wipe off as much of the crimson blood out of her hair as he as he can, he's mindful of her stitches and staples. Luckily they didn't have to do a hysterectomy but she needed a transfusion, she had lost so much blood. They feel optimistic that she didn't lose enough blood to cause any permanent brain damage but now it is just a game of wait and see when she regains consciousness, and he has been warned that it could take a little time. Her head is bandaged where she needed 20 stitches across her forehead and hairline, 6 staples closing the laceration on top of her head and she has 3 cracked ribs lightly wrapped it is a miracle that they aren't all broken. It has been determined that she has a severe concussion from the fall and should wake up on her own it could be days.
In his mind all he sees is Tara laying in all of that blood. Blood was everywhere he doesn't think that he has ever seen that much blood before and he has seen a lot of blood, hell he's an outlaw. He knows he has only been this scared one other time before and that was when Abel as kidnapped. Not even seeing Half Sack dead on his kitchen floor or finding the dead girl Salazar killed on the side of the road. He was so scared then it took everything he had to lift that blanket up to look under, to make sure it wasn't Tara. There was just so much blood so much damn blood that's all he can see.
Jax pulls a chair from the wall over beside her bed to sit down in. Leaning in talking to her in a low even strong voice and brushing his mouth and whiskers lightly against her ear telling her, "Everything is going to be okay you are going to be fine. Abel is safe. You did it, Babe we have a little boy you did great, I was there with you just like I promised, I love you Tara."
He remembers when they were in high school and he would sit behind Tara in class. He would lean over his desk where the teacher couldn't see him and whisper in her ear just barely letting his mouth and whiskers brush lightly against her ear. This would drive Tara absolutely fucking crazy giving her goose bumps and chills down her spine and he would start laughing when he saw her shiver. He knows that he still has that effect on her. He would give anything if she would give him just one of those 'I am going to kill you Jackson Teller when I get out of here' looks, just one that's all he is asking for is just one. He smiles at the memory closing his eyes and places his head in his hands.
He sits there like that for almost an hour before Margaret comes in to check in on him and Tara. She asks him, "Is there anything you need or that I can get for you?"
"No we are fine."
She asks him, "Did anyone tell you how big the baby is?" He smiles and shakes his head with a smile Margaret tells him, "He weighs 4 pounds and 0 ounces and is 18" long." Jax thanks her and she tells him, "If you need anything just let me know" she quietly slips out the door.
He is left alone with his thoughts. He is scared and he doesn't care who knows it when it comes to Tara he is not afraid to show how much he loves her, his true emotions for her is what she loves the most. Her big badass biker, he loves her wholly never embarrassed or ashamed to show that he loves her no matter who is around. Anyone that knows them or sees them can see that they are still helplessly in love with each other it has always been Jax and Tara and they always will be Jax and Tara committed to each other and their boys. He will kill to protect her and he has, he will do it again over and over if necessary. When he finds out who all is involved in hurting his wife, trying to kill her and their unborn child hell hath no mercy he will find out who did this. When he does they will answer to him but right now the most important thing is getting his wife and child stable. The other part will come in time, and when the time is right. It's just not right now.
Dr. Nameed has stayed much longer than necessary to keep an eye on Tara's progress. He finds Jax in the recovery room and tells him "I know I am not the baby's primary doctor but I offered to come and talk to you about what is going on with him. I know Tara could explain all of this to you but that isn't an option right now. The baby is in critical but stable condition at the moment. We have given him a blood transfusion fortunately your blood is a match. The transfusion has already elevated his blood pressure. We are hoping that it stays up then we won't have to give him anymore. There are no signs of a congenital heart defect for now. That's the good news. The baby also has RDS respiratory distress syndrome and we have him on the ventilator to give his lungs a chance to heal on their own. The first 72 hours are the most critical. There are different things that can happen along the way but for now we are just going to wait and see that's all we can do. You can see him from the window inside if you want, you will still need to scrub up before entering in that section but I am sure you still remember how." Jax smiles giving him a knowing nod. "You won't be able to touch him or go in there, we are still working on getting him settled but he's been cleaned up. You will have a good view of him from there however."
Before anything else can be said Jax is bolting down the hall to the NICU dressing room to put on his scrubs, on the way remembering the first time he put scrubs on when Abel was born and he had to go through the exact same thing.
Jax runs into Margaret as he is flying down the hall she stops him and asks him, "Is anything wrong with the baby?"
"No sorry I was just got the green light that I can go see him through the window, it isn't much but I will take it for now. I need to stop by the waiting room to tell everyone that he is situated in NICU."
Margaret offers, "Would you like me to go update the club on what has been happening and the status of Tara and the baby?"
He tells her, "I would greatly appreciate it. Can you tell them when I can break away from Tara and the baby I will be down there to see them. I don't know when that will be but I am not leaving Tara or the baby until they are stabilized so for now they need to stay available." He continues on to the NICU to take a peek at his son.
Margaret goes out to the waiting room where Chibs and Fiona are with the rest of the club standing around waiting. Margaret has gotten to know Fiona quite well in the past few months since she and Kerrianne have come to the states. She tells them, "Jax asked me to come and give you an update on Tara and the baby. The baby is in critical but stable condition in the NICU. He had lost a great amount of blood and he had a blood transfusion which has raised his blood pressure, now he is being watched to see if it holds. He has respiratory distress syndrome and they have him on a ventilator. He weighs 4 pounds and 0 ounces 18" long. Tara is still in recovery. She also had to have a blood transfusion they were able to stop the bleeding in surgery, so they didn't have to perform a hysterectomy. She has a severe concussion which will keep her out for a while they feel optimistic that she didn't lose enough blood to cause any damage to her brain and her head injury shouldn't be permanent. They will know more when she wakes up. She has a laceration on top of her head that took 6 staples and she has a cut on her forehead that required 20 stitches to close up along with 3 cracked ribs."
Chibs shook Margaret's hand "Thank you very much Margaret for updating us." Margaret replies before making her way back down the hall to her office.
"Jax said he will be down here as soon as Tara and the baby are stabilized."
After Margaret heads down the hall Tig speaks up, "I am heading over to Tara's room I don't trust hospital security to protect her. I don't know what Gemma will do if she finds out she is alive but my guess is that she was convinced that she is dead or else she wouldn't have left her lying there like that. I've had years of experience with Gemma and she is not one to give up or let things ride. Hap is with the baby. Tell Jax to call me if he needs me." With that Tig strolls down the hall to Tara's room to check in on her then takes a perch outside of her room.