Carly Ashton pursed her lips, tried to take in a breath, and willed herself to not pass out as Ned wheeled her down the corridor of 3 East into 3319. After he had needed to help her physically get out of the shower and then dressed Ned had called Dr. Meadows and inquired if it would be possible for her to go to a room on L&D for her ultrasound. He had suggested it would be more comfortable for her and convenient in case Dr. Meadows felt additional fetal monitoring was necessary after the study. Because Ned was on the PCGH Hospital Board and Edward Quartermaine's grandson it seemed that his wish was easily accommodated.

Carly had to admit that left her a bit conflicted. When she had worked as a PT Assistant, the entitlement of certain patients and families had been her Achilles heel. So, it was highly hypocritical if she was ok with Ned doing the same thing. Or perhaps it was different because Ned hadn't actually overtly demanded. Or perhaps even if it wasn't different, it didn't matter because Carly had never felt so weak and exhausted in her life. Or maybe she really was just a hypocrite.

Once in the room, Ned stopped the wheelchair beside the bed and gave her shoulder a squeeze. Then, before Carly could say anything he leaned down and scooped her into his arms. "It's ok, honey, I've got you," he whispered as he laid her gently on the bed.

"Thank you," Carly whispered through pursed lips. She desperately needed to believe he did.

"Of course," Ned said. He gently kissed her forehead before he stood up.

"I'll be ok if you need to go move your car," Carly suggested.

Ned looked at her warily. "Are you sure?" he asked as Carla Grecco RN came into the room.

Carly nodded. "I'm sure. I need to change and everything anyway," she said.

"Dr. Meadows wanted us to get some labs, vitals, and start external fetal monitoring before we called ultrasound for your scan," Carla said as she laid a gown down on the bed.

Ned still looked a bit wary, but he left the room.

XXXXXXXX

Carla Grecco regarded her patient carefully after helping her change into a gown. Her lips were pursed, and her breathing was labored from that simple act. As she applied the fetal monitor to Carly's gravid abdomen, she noted that it seemed very taut and much larger than it had a few days earlier. It would be unlikely for the baby to grow so much almost overnight.

Carly seemed to notice her observation. "Yeah, I guess I am finally showing now. It kind of happened almost overnight. That is like the only encouraging thing," she said as fresh tears glistened on her lashes and she wiped at them with her hand.

"What do you mean?" Carla asked as she applied the blood pressure cuff and then started attaching the cardiac leads.

"Is pregnancy really supposed to be this hard?

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I was sure I was just being a wimp before. My mother would say I was being melodramatic, but I have never felt so exhausted and weak before. I can't imagine doing this for a few more months. I have basically stayed in bed since I was discharged. I actually thought I was a little better this morning but then I had to lie down in the shower and call my husband because I really thought I was going to pass out," Carly said right before she burst into tears.

Carla patted her shoulder. "Just try to relax, we're going to take good care of you and your baby. I think it might be easier if I just put in an IV and then drew the labs from that," she said. That only made sense since it was clear to her that Carly was going to be readmitted. She had heard some of the whispers that suggested Carly got special treatment since her husband was a hospital board member, but she wasn't sure how anyone was supposed to feel good with a blood pressure of 70/42 which was what Carly's had just registered at.

XXXXXXXX

Ned Ashton pushed the up button on the elevator with some impatience. He felt a bit guilty that he had agreed with Dr. Meadows that Carly would be more comfortable at home. He really had thought she would be especially since there was no possibility that Dr. Tony Jones could just wander in and harass her there. Seeing her lying limp and helpless on the tiles of the walk-in double shower in their en-suite bath had called all of that into question. Even after he had carried her from the shower and helped her dress in dry clothing, she had seemed terrified and unsettled. Tearfully she had admitted just how ill she felt. He wished he knew how to support her better. Unfortunately, his conversation with Simone hadn't really clarified enough.

October 27, 1997

Ned Ashton took the plates his wife's best friend Simone Torres was handing him and started to scrape them off into the trash. "I hope you don't mind but my cousin AJ and his girlfriend were heading in the direction of the train station so they could drop you off."

"No, it's fine. I agree that you should stay here with Carly," Simone said.

Ned nodded as he opened the dishwasher and started to load the additional plates in. "I wish you were able to spend more time together, but she wasn't feeling well last night, and it seemed that perhaps sleeping in was the best for her and the baby," he said.

Simone shrugged her shoulders. "I guess there really isn't any easy way to ask this," she said.

Ned closed the dishwasher and wiped his hands on the towel hanging by the sink. "What's on your mind?" he asked.

"She isn't well…" Simone began but then her words dropped out.

"This hasn't been an easy pregnancy," Ned restated the obvious.

"It has to be more than that. She looks pale and extremely ill. I can't imagine her body can carry this pregnancy for another two or three months. Don't get me wrong, Carly is committed to doing whatever this baby needs in a way I have never seen her commit to anything else. I think she also underestimates her actual presence as something that this baby needs so, please don't let her literally give her life for this child. No child thrives in that scenario" Simone said.

"Of course not," Ned said quickly but then he thought about what Simone had really said. He agreed that Carly was devoted to the child she was carrying. She was doing all she could for them. He had no doubts there and seeing that made him respect Carly in a way he just hadn't known her before. "This is just a hard situation and if there was some option other than her carrying this baby, you have to believe that we would take that," he added.

"Perhaps I'm being unfair. I've just never seen her like this sick," Simone said.

"No, you're her friend and perhaps you can see some of this more clearly than I can. You've known her much longer than I have so maybe you can help me help her," Ned said.

Simone appeared confused. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. I know she isn't feeling well, and I want to take care of her but sometimes I'm not sure what is most supportive and what just stresses her out more," Ned admitted.

"Her mom never really believed her. She used to think she was exaggerating or just making it up. Things like that take their toll after a while, and she really doesn't complain as a result. I'll be honest when she walked into her baby shower at the Quartermaines I was shocked at how ill she looked. But when she admitted to me that she doesn't feel well I knew there was really something wrong. Maybe the best thing you can do is believe her unconditionally and just physically be there. Her mom was always kind of cold when we were growing up. Her dad was definitely the warmer parent, but he was devastated by his sister's death, and she hasn't seen him since right before her fifteenth birthday," Simone said.

Ned nodded. Carly had explained most of that. It was a little ironic that he sensed they had both felt very alone during their teen years. He made a mental note to not mention that to his mother, but perhaps it would help them do better by their son.

"When does she go back to the doctor?" Simone asked.

"She has another ultrasound tomorrow morning and then an appointment with Dr. Meadows after that along with some blood work."

"You're going to go with her to that right?"

"Of course, and my grandfather understands that my appearances at ELQ will be scant until after Carly is feeling stronger and likely until after the baby is here. I think you met my cousin Mark's wife, Beth, at Carly's shower. Carly has become comfortable with her so if I have to go into the office, she can come be here for Carly."

When he finally made it back to Labor & Delivery, Ned found that Carly seemed to be resting uncomfortably on her left side, wearing an oxygen mask, and once again plugged into some kind of an intravenous drip. "What happened?" he asked.

"I guess my blood pressure was too low again," Carly said. Her voice sounded so weak, and those few words seemed to take effort she just didn't have.

"Dr. Meadows will be over soon. She was going to do the ultrasound herself and then likely arrange for a bed on our high-risk obstetrical unit," Carla Grecco explained.

Ned wasn't sure what to say so he just carefully and gently lowered himself onto the edge of Carly's bed and started rubbing her back.

XXXXXXXX

Carly Ashton struggled to keep her eyes open as Dr. Meadows laid the probe on her swollen abdomen. She wasn't sure how to explain that every day seemed worse than the one before. She was too exhausted to sleep as weird as that sounded, and it was impossible to find a comfortable position. She couldn't catch her breath anymore even if she just laid in bed. There was definitely something wrong, but she didn't know how to explain that in a way that people wouldn't just think she was a melodramatic complainer, like her mother always had.

"So, even if everything looks good with the baby, and Carly and I both pray it does, I worry that Carly should still be in the hospital. Maybe some of this is my fault because I should have seen that she basically was feeling worse every day and I think I should have advocated better. There is clearly something wrong, maybe it's just the anemia from the bleeding before but if she is too weak to be able to move then maybe she needs another blood transfusion," Ned said.

Carly hadn't considered it that way. It was about a week ago when she had believed a blood transfusion would fix everything. Of course, it hadn't but maybe Ned was right and maybe now that his Uncle Alan had fixed the ulcer the transfusion really could make her feel better.

"That is possible, and I accept full responsibility for the decision to discharge your wife. At the time I thought it was safe and appropriate, but I agree with you that she clearly needs to be readmitted now. We will see what the labs look like and determine a plan from there," Dr. Meadows said.

That sounded reasonable but it also sounded like her words cut out abruptly. Terrified, Carly forced her eyes open and tried to focus on the screen in front of her. Her head felt fuzzy, and everything seemed to be spinning which made it impossible to focus. She had an ominous sense that there was something wrong with the baby as everything faded to black.

XXXXXXXX

Ned Ashton felt his wife's hand go limp in his. "Carly," he called desperately but she didn't, couldn't, respond.

"Carla, we need to roll her back onto her left side, then give another bolus of normal saline," Dr. Meadows said as she reached up and palpated Carly's neck.

Ned forced himself to take a step back out of the way and allow them to work. He leaned back against the wall and then found himself sliding down it with his head in his hands.

Time only seemed to stop he supposed. He was loosely aware as the nurse announced that Carly's blood pressure was better 92/60 and when a different nurse came in with several sheets of lab results which she handed to Dr. Meadows who looked at them intently, frowned, and looked again.

"Reach out to Dr. Quartermaine, he needs to rescope her emergently and make sure that ulcer isn't bleeding because if it isn't then we're going to need to give steroids. Call blood bank we need at least 2 units of packed cells to start," Dr. Meadows said.

Despite the ominous words, Ned forced himself to stand. Carly needed him to pay attention and be her and the baby's advocate and he was going to do exactly that.

**I am still very committed to finishing this...and actually to writing additional stories in this verse but I'm kind of stuck at this point so bear with me as I figure it out and updates wane. As always reader reviews/feedback is very helpful to me and sometimes helps me write myself out of corners.**