Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars. Warner Brothers & Spondoolie do.
Summary: Logan honors Veronica's request.
Rating: T to M (for later chapters if there are any)
Pairing: Logan & Veronica
Logan stands against the wall of the surgical waiting room. He closes his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath before he dials the phone.
"Hello?" Keith Mars barks into the phone.
He tries to keep his voice from shaking as he replies, "Hey, Mr. Mars, it's Logan."
"Logan, you're my son-in-law now and you're about to make me a grandfather. You can call me Keith."
"Keith," Logan chokes back a sob as he says the name.
Veronica wanted to name their son after Logan and her father.
"Keith," Logan repeats, his voice breaking, "Veronica asked me to call you."
"Why didn't she call me herself?" Keith demands, alarmed. "Is she all right?"
Logan pauses before he answers, "She will be. I'm at the hospital with her now. She lost the baby. She's still in surgery."
"I'll be right there," Keith says his tone brooks no argument.
"See you soon, Mr. Mars …" Logan corrects himself, "Keith."
"Thank you for calling me, Logan. And for taking such good care of my daughter."
Logan chuckles, "I don't know about that, sir. We both know Veronica can take care of herself."
"She can," Keith agrees, "But with you around, she doesn't have to. Not all the time anyway. And I appreciate that. I have to admit I was skeptical of you for a while. But I've changed my mind. You're good for her."
"Thank you, sir." Logan says, closing his eyes again, frustrated by his helplessness.
All he can do is wait.
Logan isn't religious. He never prays. But right now in this moment, he prays that both his mother and Lily will watch over Veronica and make sure she came out all right.
He looks up as a door opens. Keith Mars walks through it, heading towards him, leaning heavily on his cane. He looks as tired and anxious as Logan feels.
"How is she?" Keith asks, collapsing into the empty chair beside Logan.
"Still in surgery," Logan sighs, "I haven't heard anything yet."
"What happened?" Keith asks, balancing the top of his cane in one hand and then the other.
"I came home and found her barely conscious and bleeding on the bedroom floor." Logan chokes back the lump in his throat. "There was nothing I could do for her," he says, the frustration evident in his voice.
"You got her here in time," Keith reminds him,"Thank God you did."
"In time for what?" Logan asks, dejected, "She lost the baby."
"Yes, that's terrible and I'm sorry for that. But if you hadn't gotten her here when you did, we could've lost them both."
Logan shudders at the thought of his world without Veronica in it. He'd lived in that world for too long. He would never live in that world again.
Not if he could help it.
Logan sighs and keeps pacing around the small waiting room. He wants to scream or hit something.
Or both.
Anything but wait helplessly for news about Veronica.
He puts his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. A few minutes later, the double doors leading to the operating room open. The doctor lowers her mask and walks towards them.
"Veronica's in recovery now. You can see her one at a time if you'd like."
Logan glances at Keith, who nods, "You can go first."
Logan follows the doctor through the double doors into the recovery room. He spots his five foot one wife in the hospital bed immediately. Her eyes are closed but they open as he bends to kiss her forehead. She's no longer warm. Her fever must have broken.
Thank God.
She smells like anesthesia and antiseptic instead of the familiar, sweet smell that is unmistakably Veronica.
His Veronica.
"Hey," he whispers, "How're you feelin'?"
She blinks against the harsh florescent lights, "Worse than I felt the morning after we rolled on E during Spring Break."
Logan winces at the memory, "That bad, huh?"
Veronica had been so sick that morning she'd refused to join him in the shower.
"Yeah," she groans, "Logan, I'm gonna throw up."
"Okay, hang on," He grabs the basin on the bedside table and holds it out to her seconds before she starts vomiting, "Oh, that's nasty," Veronica groans.
"Cowboy up, Mars," he whispers, "Get it all out."
Logan holds back her hair and rubs her neck, shoulders, and back. She vomits until there's nothing left in her system. She leans back against his shoulder, spent.
"Better?" he asks. She shrugs, "Why don't you kiss me and find out?"
He smirks, "I'll take a rain check until after you brush your teeth. You need a ginger ale or some water, or something?"
She shakes her head, "Don't go," she begs softly as she reaches for his hand.
He recalls the night he brought her home after her dad's car accident when she'd said the same thing.
The night they'd gotten back together for the last time.
The night they made love.
"Okay," he says, "You want me to send your dad in? He's outside. They won't let us both in. I can get you something cold to drink and be right back?" he suggests.
"And a toothbrush?" Veronica says, "Because I distinctly remember you and your Harvard mouth promising to show me some effing courtesy."
Logan smiles and waits for Keith to appear in the doorway before he gets up to leave. "I'll be right back," he promises.
"Okay," Veronica says softly.
Her lack of sarcasm speaks volumes. She's trying to put on a brave face but he knows emotionally she's hanging by a thread.
He'll be the one there for her when it breaks.
Keith claps him on the shoulder as he walks out of the room.
Keith shuts the door behind him.
"Daddy," Veronica whispers, as tears run down her face, "I lost the baby."
"I know, honey. I'm so sorry," he says, pulling his daughter close.
By the time, Logan gets back; Veronica's asleep in the hospital bed and Keith's in the chair beside it.
"Hey, Mr. Mars," Logan says, "The doctor says we can go home. Can you give us a ride?"
"Yeah," Keith replies, getting to his feet, leaning on his cane.
Logan lifts Veronica into his arms. "Logan?" she mumbles, "Are we home?"
"Not yet," he whispers, "I got you. Go back to sleep."
She nuzzles her head against his shoulder as he follows Keith to the car.
Veronica's still asleep by the time her father drops them off at the apartment.
Logan carries her up the stairs and unlocks the front door to the apartment. Pony barks and runs to greet them.
"Hey Pony," he says, "Let me set Veronica down and we'll go out, okay?"
At the sound of Veronica's name, Pony whines.
"She's okay. She's just asleep," he reassures the dog.
He lays Veronica down on their bed and then takes Pony out. She's still asleep when he gets back. Logan showers quickly and collapses into bed beside his wife. She reaches out and wraps her arm around him, pulling him close.
"You smell good babe," she mumbles pillowing her head on his chest, "I was promised some effing courtesy."
"Yes, you were. But it's been a long night. You're exhausted. We both are. Get some sleep. I promise my Harvard mouth and I will show you some effing courtesy tomorrow. And I promise to make it worth the wait."
"You'd better," she says, pressing her lips against his skin, "I love you."
"I love you too Veronica," he whispers, "Goodnight."
"Good night, Logan," she replies, she bites her lip, holding back tears as the events of the day wash over her again. She cries herself to sleep in silence.
Logan wakes before five a.m. the next morning, Veronica's side of the bed is empty. He hears the shower running. He gets up and goes into the bathroom. He strips and gets into the shower. His beautiful wife stands naked in the shower. He opens the shower door and slips in behind her. As he steps, closer he realizes she's crying. He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her naked body against his, "Don't cry. Hey. C'mere."
She turns to face him, "Why? How can you stand to look at me after I lost our baby?"
Logan shakes his head, "Because it wasn't your fault. Because I love you. And because my Harvard mouth and I are about to show you some effing courtesy."