Once again sorry if the editing is not up to scratch, I've been busy (as well as being lazy) so I just whacked this out quickly. This is the trouble when you have a story wandering around in your head demanding attention, and your typing skills (and fat thumbs) won't keep up to your brain :) Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.
Deacon and Brooke stood as a nurse entered the waiting room and asked if any of Hopes family were there.
"It's just some forms we need you to fill out for administration," she said apologetically.
Deacon looked over at Brooke but she sat down immediately and proceeded to ignore the woman, he figured this would involve insurance and any hospital cover Hope might have, and seeing Brookes reaction, he knew that was none, and that Brooke had no intention of putting her own name down to anything.
He sighed and turned to Katie, "I'll take care of this and be right back, if Bridget returns could you come and get me?"
Katie nodded and touched his hand for a moment, "Of course, just go and do what you have to do, you'll be the first to know if she comes back while your away."
He followed the nurse out to her station and began to answer questions, it was easy for the most part because they still had her files from the last time she was admitted, they basically just needed to reiterate that nothing had changed.
"Taking a deep breath he began, "look, I don't think she has any insurance at the moment, is there any way we could work out some kind of payment schedule after she leaves?"
The nurse frowned in confusion, "I'm sorry Mr Sharpe, the bill has already been taken care of. I thought you knew?"
Deacon blinked in surprise, "Who?"
She looked back at the computer for a moment, "both the ambulance and hospital bills are to be forwarded to Mr Liam Spencer, he's already signed off on it."
Deacon closed his eyes in sheer relief, although it was the last thing on his mind at the moment, he knew when the time came and the bills rolled in, this would be a huge relief to both him and his daughter, especially given what other debts she'd already accrued.
He thanked the nurse profusely and before going back to the waiting room he quickly phoned Taylor who he knew would be waiting for him. As he told her what had happened, he heard his own voice begin to shake with pent up emotion. Surprisingly, she had offered to brave the Logans and come and just sit with him if he needed her. Deacon had been genuinely shocked, he'd never had anyone just want to support him, for no other reason but to give him comfort, he'd been so grateful he was almost moved to tears.
He'd thanked her but told her that he had -surprisingly – Katie, Donna and Bridget there with him, and that he'd call her later, then he went back to the waiting room, just in time to see Bridget followed by a security officer enter from the other door.
"Bridget?" said Brooke jumping to her feet as Deacon hurriedly joined them.
"She's out of surgery and in recovery, I've spoken to her briefly and she knows she lost the baby," she said sadly.
"Did the have to perform a hysterectomy?" asked Katie.
"Luckily no," as everyone sighed in relief she continued.
"But she will have to be extremely careful and be well monitored if she should ever become pregnant again, her risk factors have gone up a lot. In the meantime she should be up and in a room in the next ten minutes."
She turned to Deacon, "she knows you're here and she want's to see you as soon as she gets to her room."
She then turned to Brooke and Eric, "she doesn't want to see either of you, so I'd suggest you go home and get some sleep."
Brooke's eyes widened in outrage, "you can't do that, I will be seeing my daughter Bridget, and you can't stop me! She needs me, now more than ever!"
"For the last time, this isn't about you mother, it's about Hope, and as I figured you'd try some crap like this I have brought along a friend," she said pointing to the silent man standing behind her.
He stepped forward immediately, "I know this is a difficult situation ma'am, but Miss Logan made sure I was in the room when this request was made. Hope Logan made it very clear that you were to be given no access to her whatsoever, and I'm afraid I'm here to enforce that!"
Brooke looked at him in horror, "NO, YOU CAN'T, BRIDGET, PLEASE, SHE'S MY DAUGHTER!" She screamed hysterically.
Bridget turned to Eric, "this is what Hope wants dad, so please, take her home before she does even more damage!"
Eric turned and held Brooke in his arms.
"We'' come back first thing tomorrow, when everything's settled down, but Bridget's right, if she won't let you see her then there's nothing we can do."
Brooke was still sobbing as Eric gently pulled her away and took her home.
Katie and Donna went and put their arms around Bridget, holding her as she tried to gain control of the emotions the confrontation with her mother had elicited.
Deacon stared at her for a long moment before he said, "Bridget, I know I don't deserve any forgiveness from you for what I did to you when we were married, and I don't expect it, but, I want you to know, I really am sorry for all the pain I caused you. I was a selfish, arrogant, twat! And worse, I thought I was in love, and believe me, it took me a long time to realise how idiotic, not to mention wrong, and just plain out and out cruel I was. I know it might not mean much after all these years, but I want you to know, I'm sorry."
Bridget turned to Deacon in surprise, she looked at him for a long time before nodding. "I was over it a long time ago Deacon, but thanks, surprisingly it does mean something."
They all turned as a gurney was wheeled through the door and Hope was wheeled past them, her eyes closed as if in sleep.
"You guys go get some rest, I'll stay with her tonight, and I'll call you if there's any change." Said Deacon as he watched his daughter wheeled into a room adjacent the waiting room.
"You're sure you're alright by yourself, we can stay if you need us?" said Katie.
Deacon smiled and hand Katie his phone, "just add your phone number to my contacts list, I've got this."
He snorted and shook his head before adding, "I think it's way past time I was there for my daughter, I won't let her down, I promise you."
Both Katie and Donna kissed his cheek as Bridget once again nodded at her ex-husband, then they left and Deacon entered Hopes room.
Hope looked over tiredly as Deacon walked up and stood beside her.
"I'm here sweetheart," he said gently as he took her hand and leant down to kiss her forehead.
"Oh dad," she gasped brokenly before breaking down and sobbing.
Deacon sat beside her on the bed and took her into his arms and held her as she sobbed onto his chest. His heart broke to hear the pain inside of her, and his anger at Brooke for what she had done flared anew. He said nothing, he just stroked her back and kissed her hair as she continued to weep. When she had finally finished she fell into a light sleep, so he continued to sit there all through the long night, just holding her, and comforting her when she woke at brief times through-out the night.
The next morning when Hope awoke she found herself still in her fathers arms, she smiled despite her anguish.
"Have you been here all night?" she asked unsteadily.
Deacon nodded, "haven't let you go since I arrived, and I don't intend to until you feel up to it."
Hope smiled at him, "it's okay dad, thanks for being here for me, now go, grab a shower and get some coffee, I'll be fine, in fact, I need some alone time, I have a bit to process, and I want to do it alone."
Deacon looked down at her, "you're sure?"
At that moment a nurse walked in, "time to check your vitals Miss Logan."
Hope nodded, "any chance for a cup of tea?"
The nurse nodded, "it's only six fifty, so too soon for breakfast, but as soon as I'm done here, I'll go and get you some tea or coffee if you feel up to it?"
Hope thanks the nurse and turned back to Deacon. "See dad, I have some thing to do, and your restaurant isn't going to organise itself, now go, and I'll see you a bit later.," she said.
Deacon nodded, "if, you're sure?"
"I'm sure, now go."
Deacon turned to the nurse, "if there's any change, please, call me immediately." He turned back to his daughter, "I won't be long, I'll just grab a quick shower and ring Katie to give her an update, okay?"
Hope nodded, "and thanks dad, for just being here when I needed you."
Deacon leant over and kissed the top of her head, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Then as Hope watched on, he hurried out the door, his phone already in his hand.
Deacon arrived back a little over an hour and a half later, in that time he'd managed to shower, change, organise the restaurant, ring Katie and Taylor, and once he finally arrived back at the hospital, he'd even rang Liam, to thank him for taking the burden of the medical expenses off his daughter. He may not have liked Liam very much, but what he had done was helpful, and he wanted him to know it was appreciated, as soon as he'd hung up he went straight back to Hope, surprised to find it had just turned eight thirty.
"You're back quick," she said as he entered.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet, but I've managed a couple of cups of coffee and have freed up the rest of my day to be with you." He replied smiling.
Hope sighed, "Dad, when I get out of here, would it be alright if I came to live with you, just until I find my own place?"
Deacon nodded enthusiastically, "of course sweetheart, I know I haven't got much at the moment, but the spare bedroom is yours for as long as you need. I could even look around for something a bit better for us if you want to stay a bit longer?"
"Lets just take it by ear okay, if there's one thing I've come to learn it's, never to get to far ahead of myself. I've made that mistake in the past so for now, well, I'm just looking at most things short term."
"Most?" asked Deacon as he caught a subtle change of tone in her voice.
"Since you've been gone, I've been thinking a lot, actually, if I'm being truthful, I've been having these thoughts on and of for a while now. I have an idea, and it's going to cause quite a stir, but it's something I feel I need to do. And believe it or not, it doesn't even matter whether it's successful or not, I need to do something for me, I need to be honest about myself if I ever want to put all of this behind me and be happy." She said on the verge of tears again.
"Honey?" came a voice from the doorway interrupting their conversation.
"Oh honey, I wanted to be with you last night but they wouldn't let me," Brooke said tearfully as she glared at Deacon.
Deacon stood, ready to throw Brooke out of the room forcefully, but Hope grabbed his arm.
"It's alright dad, I have something I need to say to her," she said as Eric followed her into the room.
Hope turned to Deacon and took his hand in hers. "Dad, if it's alright with you, I want to officially change my surname to Sharpe."
"Honey, NO," Brooke gasped.
Deacon ignored Brooke's outburst as he said, "I'd be honoured sweetheart, it's always been a dream of mine to have you recognised as my daughter."
Hope turned back to Brooke who was looking at Hope with horror, "as to you, I will be sending around someone to pack my stuff for me, I'm moving in with dad as soon as I leave the hospital. After today, I never want to set eyes on you again! You are a vile excuse for a woman, no, you're a vile excuse for a human being, and I want nothing to do with you. I've been stupid and selfish for far to long. I've listened to your hatred and bile all of my life, the horrible nasty little plans you cooked up, the secret vendettas, and I've always supported you, I've even gone along with your ideas and advice. And because of that stupidity I've turned myself into a cartoon caricature of you, and I hate it. I hate me, I hate my life, so I'm going to be making some changes, big ones . . . if you'd ever listen to anyone, I'd suggest you do the same, now get the hell out of my room," she ended in a snarl.
Brooke blanched, tears falling freely down her face, "please Hope, please just listen to me, I can explain everything, I was drunk, Liam came onto me, I swear, it wasn't my fault!"
"DON'T YOU GET IT? I DON'T WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN! I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD THAT COMES OUT OF YOUR LYING WHORE MOUTH! Hope screamed, "JUST GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"
A nurse came running into the room and demanded Eric and Brooke leave immediately as Deacon stood protectively over his daughter's bed.
"Are you alright Hope?" he asked as he turned back to his crying daughter.
Hope nodded, as tears of pain and rage ran down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I knew that it's be tough to say those things, but I had to dad, I had to. If you knew how much I've sacrificed through-out my life, always trying to live up to an unreal expectation of me, always trying to live down the Brooke Logan legacy! And it still wasn't enough for her, she still went and threw it all back in my face, because she was probably feeling sorry for herself again. I've seen the same pattern play out so many times Dad, it's an inevitability with her. That's why I need to go ahead with my plan, one way or another, I have to break this cycle, I have to break free from her, so I can truly be me."
Deacon frowned, "What do you mean?"
Hope slowly, falteringly, told him her plan, and why she wanted to do it so badly, when she was finished, he raised his eyebrows at her.
"Thank you for telling me this Hope, I'm so proud of you, but are you prepared for the fallout sweetheart? Because trust me, it'll be big!"
Hope nodded, her eyes filled with tears, "Once it's done there will be no turning back, and that's why I need to do it, so I can't hide ever again."
Deacon smiled down at his daughter, "then I'm with you all the way, just tell me what you need and I'll get onto it.
Hope thought for a moment before starting to list the things she needed to do.