Baby Boy Morgan

Jason hadn't got much sleep. He awakened with a start, after having restless dreams of the baby crying out in distress coupled with the painful image of Carly lying pale and lifeless on the floor of his penthouse soaked in a dark red puddle of blood. "Carly!" he gasped as he sat up in bed. Something told him that she needed him... right away and BADLY! He needed to get to her and fast.

He rushed off for a quick shower, got dressed in a hurry, then grabbed a quick bite to eat in the limo on the way to the hospital. All he could think about was Carly and how she had been so still lying in her hospital bed. "Can we get there any faster?" Jason asked Renaldo urgently.

*The baby and Carly need me,* Jason was thinking. Somehow he just knew something wasn't right. He could sense these things as he and Carly had an incredible connection.

Carly had slept deeply due to being sedated. When she woke up, she struggled to get out of bed. *I have to get to my son. I need to see him...make sure he's alright...* she was thinking.

She was off balance due to the pain in her middle. She upset a metal tray near her bed, overturning a pitcher full of water. "Damn!" she grumbled as she almost fell flat on her face.

That's when Jason showed up, catching her in his strong arms. "WHAT are you doing?!" he exclaimed. "You shouldn't be out of of bed."

She was so frail and wearing nothing more than a thin hospital nightgown. He held her against him, staring down into her face. She was grimacing with determination. "I have to get to my baby. He needs me."

"I'll take you to see him," Jason promised as he helped her sit down in a nearby wheelchair. He too was eager to see their son. It seemed like forever since he had laid eyes upon the newborn, while in reality, it had been just a few hours.

"Jase, do you think he will hate me?"

"Who?" Jason asked as he pushed her wheelchair down the hallway toward the NICU nursery.

"The baby. I should have taken better care of him. I should have..."

"It wasn't your fault, Carly. Bobbie said so. What happened to the baby, it was just one of those things. He's going to be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"He's your kid, isn't he? The boy is as tough as nails."

Carly smiled a little bit, despite her worries. "I am glad you're here, Jase. You make everything better."

Her smile faded quickly. Nothing could prepare her for the sight of her tiny child as soon as they entered the nursery. Her little one was tied up to all sorts of tubes and wires. He was adorable despite the bandage covering his chest, the only visible sign that he had undergone a risky surgery before he was even 24 hours old.

"Ohhh my God, no!" Carly cried out, completely traumatized as she stared at her baby son.

As Jason lifted her up to get a better view of the baby, she held her hand against her mouth, sobbing inconsolably. "Jason, look what I did to him," she said in a hopeless whimper. "Ohhh no...ohhh no! Not my baby!"

"You didn't do this. It just happened; I swear. He's going to be just fine."

She continued to cry as she gazed at the infant who wore a tiny knitted blue hat. It was all he was wearing, despite a small diaper. "Would you like to touch him?" Jason asked. "The doctor said it's okay. He knows you're here."

"No... no! I can't!" Carly cried out, trying to back away.

Jason held onto her tightly so she wouldn't fall. "I want to go back to my room now. I can't look at him anymore... I just can't."

"Okay," Jason said as he brushed his lips against the top of her head. "You do need to get some rest."

She turned in Jason's arms, pressing her tear-wet face against his chest. She inhaled his scent as she continued to weep. She felt like such a terrible mother and all she wanted to do in that moment was to run... but since she couldn't, she held on tight to Jason and cried.

Jason responded by wrapping his arms around her, letting her get all of her emotions out. Once she was somewhat subdued, he helped her back into the wheelchair so he could return her to her room. "Carly, are you okay?" he asked her, but she didn't answer. She was lethargic, lost between a state of total exhaustion and complete despair.