Even I'm not sure the math of her pregnancy is right, so we're just going with it. Think suspension of disbelief or SORAS.

The paramedics rush Carly into the hospital, directly into a trauma room. There's a crowd in the lobby, including Sonny and Brenda, practically all of the Quartermaines, and Bobbie and all of the Spencers, minus Luke who's following the ambulance. All of them are deathly quiet as the bloody young pregnant woman is wheeled past with her husband following behind, wearing streaks of her blood on his hands and his face, though his all black outfit of jeans, T-shirt, and leather jacket masks the worst of it. Jason's face is a picture of pain and fear as he desperately stays glued to Carly's side.

She had flatlined once in the ambulance, but they were able to bring her back with compressions and the defibrillator. Jason felt like his heart had stopped right along with hers. It was only for less than a minute, but it was the most terrifying moment of his life, and he didn't breathe until her heartbeat returned.

They are met by Dr. Winters, who jumps immediately into action, checking the patient and the unborn fetus. The paramedics run down her stats as Jason stands numbly in the corner, his eyes never leaving his wife. When the medics are finished with their explanation and the doctor has finished her exam, Dr. Winters looks at Jason and tells him with compassion, "Mr. Morgan, your wife is suffering from a placental abruption. It is causing her to hemorrhage. We have to take her in for emergency surgery immediately to deliver your child and stop the bleeding."

Jason clears his throat, but his voice still comes out rusty as he asks, "Isn't it too early for the baby? Will he…" He can't force out the words.

She walks over and tells him kindly, "It's early. His lungs are going to be our biggest concern, and he will probably spend some time in the NICU. But if we don't, we are going to lose them both. And your wife is far enough along that your son has good odds. At almost seven months, babies tend to be able to survive with minor complications."

A tear falls down Jason's cheek as he nods, "Okay. Do you need me to sign something?"

She nods, "Yes, the nurses will bring it to you." She puts her hand on the clearly distraught man's arm, "I will take good care of your family. We will take her up in just a moment if you would like a second with them."

He gives her a tearful nod, and then she rushes off to prepare for the surgery. Jason walks over to Carly's side, leaning down to kiss first her forehead, and then gently kiss her lips. The nurses bustling around preparing her and the various sounds of the hospital disappear. Carly is the only thing that exists for him at this moment. His voice is broken as he tells her, "They are going to take you to surgery now. I… uh, I need you to be strong and fight for me. I need you here with me. I love you, and I can't… I can't do this without you. Please fight hard to come back to me. They…" he lets out a gust of air, tears painting his lashes, "… uh, they are going to deliver our boy. I will watch over him and protect him always, but I'm going to need his mom's help. A baby needs his mother. He needs you, and I need you, so please don't leave us." A tear falls from his cheek, landing on her lips. He gives her one more soft kiss, tasting the saltiness of his tear when he presses his lips to hers. Then, his eyes shift to her belly. Leaning down to talk directly to her baby bump, he swallows down the lump in his throat to explain in an emotional voice, "Hey, son. I know you have to be scared right now. I am too. I am going to ask you to do something hard for me. Your mom is… she's not doing good, so the doctor has decided you are going to be born today. I know you might not be ready… that you want to stay with your mom a little longer, but you are going to have to come out now so we can save her. Your mom and I love you so much. Be strong and fight for us, please."

A gentle hand lands on his arm. He looks up to see Audrey giving him a compassionate look, "I'm sorry, Mr. Morgan… Jason. They need to take her now."

He stands up nodding, tears dripping down his cheeks. "Okay. Thank you." His eyes once again glued to his wife. He leans down, giving her one more kiss on her forehead, whispering, "I love you."

Then, an orderly wheels her away and the busyness and activity leaves with her. He's suddenly all alone in a room that has dark red pools of his wife's blood littering the floor. His eyes move to his hands, which also have dark red dried up blood caked on them. The weight of everything catches up to him at the sight of her blood on his skin, and he sinks to his knees as an avalanche of tears floods his face. He wants to howl, to break apart the world with his bare hands. Instead, he curls in on himself and cries.

After just a moment, a

hand rests gently against his shoulder, Sonny's voice breaking through the tears, "I have you brother. I've got you." The mafioso helps Jason rise to his feet, then pulls him into a hug.

Jason cries out, leaning all his weight on his friend, his arms crushing him tightly, "Her heart stopped… on the way here, she died. I promised to protect her, to protect the baby, and I…"

He breaks down, crying too hard to speak. Sonny holds him back tightly, reassuring him, "You got them to the doctors. You found them and got them to help when it was critical. The doctors have them, and we've gotta believe they are going to make them better." Sonny pulls back, his hand gripping his friend's neck. "The thing you hold onto is that they are alive, Jason. Your wife and your baby are alive."

He nods, desperately wanting to believe. But the thought that he could lose them both weighs heavy on his chest. He knows Carly is convinced he can handle any situation, but he has no idea how he's supposed to sit and wait to see if they make it through, if they survive. "How do I do this? How do I go sit in some chair while she could…"

Sonny grabs him by both shoulders and demands urgently, "Hey, no. You can't think like that. We are going to be out there believing they are both going to come out okay. We will believe so hard they can feel it from here." He gives him a long look, "Luke told me you've been having some dreams, that they helped you find them." Jason nods, too overwhelmed by his emotions to feel bashful. Sonny continues emphatically. "She can feel your faith, your belief that they will make it through. Don't doubt that."

Jason takes a deep breath, but before he can speak Amy pops her head in the room, "Oh, there you are, Jason. I have some paperwork I need you to fill out."

Jason turns around, hiding the evidence of his tears by wiping his hand over his face. His voice is unsteady when he answers, "I'll be right out."

When she leaves, Sonny warns Jason, "I hate to add to how you're feeling, but you should know the cops are out there, including Taggert. He's being his usual obnoxious self. Edward and Luke are giving him hell. Which brings me to bad news number two, just about every damn Quartermaine is out there. I swear if Tracy shows up I'm going to have to start taking some of them out."

Jason lets out a sigh, his shoulders slumping further. "Dammit. Alright, let's get it over with."

"I've got you, brother. You aren't alone." Sonny tells him with a serious, sincere expression.

Jason's voice is shaky as he responds, "Thank you."

Wiping his face once more, he walks out of the trauma room to chaos. Luke and Edward are raising hell at Mac and Taggert, on the same side for once in their lives, with the young black detective giving back as good as he gets. Mac, on the other hand, stands back silently, simply observing, as does Justus. Alan is consoling a crying Emily. Brenda is joining the group with Virginia following behind, being wheeled in by a nurse, and Bobbie is coming out of an exam room with Lucas.

Jason stands back silently watching all the disruption, too emotionally and physically exhausted to do anything else. For the moment, no one has seen him. If he weren't going through emotional torture, he'd appreciate the way the Q's and the Spencers are showing up for him and his wife. Even Edward is being a jackass in his defense. But the world has no color as he waits in limbo. Carly gives his world color, and if he loses her, she will take it with her.

His calm before the storm is broken by Amy yelling over the noise, her voice cutting through so everyone stops and turns to look as she calls, "Jason. I have your paperwork here."

He lets out a groan as the crowd begins to move in. Striding up to the desk, he keeps his back to the group as he fills out the forms, giving himself a moment before he faces the crowd. Signing the paperwork, and handing it to Amy, he takes a deep breath and turns around. Bobbie is immediately in his arms, beating Emily in getting the first hug.

Bobbie wraps her arms desperately around him, and he realizes she feels this gaping hole too at the thought of losing Carly. Suddenly, he's squeezing back as desperately. His voice sounds broken as he apologizes, "I'm sorry. I should have gotten to her quicker. If I'd just…"

She's shaking her head at him, looking up with tears pouring down her cheeks. She silences him with her praise, "Thank you for finding her, for bringing my son home safely. If you hadn't found them when you did, I would have lost both of my children. You have given her a chance, Jason. She would be…" she tightens her lips together, refusing to say the word. "They have a chance because you found her when you did."

There are tears in the eyes of many in the room. Bobbie steps back, asking, "What did the doctor say?"

All eyes are intently focused on Jason as he answers, "She's in emergency surgery because she had a… uh, placental abruption." His voice breaks as he continues, "They have to deliver our baby to try to stop the bleeding. They are worried that his lungs won't be developed enough for him to…" He breaks off.

Alan steps forward at this, reassuring him, "They have made big strides in treating premature babies, son. I have seen babies born even earlier than your child make it. And Dr. Winters is an outstanding doctor. Your family is in good hands."

"Look, this is touching and all, but I have some questions for Anger Boy." Taggert swaggers over, a sneer on his face. "You killed a man with the police as witnesses. You have to answer some questions."

Several voices start yelling at the detective at once. Bobbie, who's standing beside him and therefore loudest in his ear, yells, "To save my children, you jackass!"

Justus speaks up, breaking through the noise, "Jason won't be answering any questions without me present. And I'd like to remind you, he has had a heartbreaking day and his wife and child are in critical condition, so I expect you to do this with none of your usual harassment, detective. Otherwise, I will be filing suit."

Taggert scowls, but Mac nods, "Noted, Mr. Ward."

Mac leads them to a conference room, where Justus and Jason sit on one side of the table with the cops on the other. The commissioner lets out a deep sigh, his face unusually weary as he admits, "I'm not going to lie, I don't want to do this as much as you don't want me to. But Taggert's right, a man is dead, so we have to make sure this is done right. Can you walk me through the events of this afternoon?"

Jason looks at Justus with a raised eyebrow, and when the lawyer nods, he begins explaining, coldly and unemotionally, his mask up, "Luke and I got a tip that Robin was going to leave some supplies for Tony." Mac sits up at this with suddenly intense focus. Jason continues without acknowledging the man's reaction, though his eyes watch it with interest, "We staked out the drop off point, the abandoned warehouse on Industrial Ave. Robin dropped off three trash bags worth of supplies in the dumpster, some medical supplies and kids clothes for a baby and a kid about Lucas's size. A few hours later, Tony showed up and pulled them out of the trash. We followed him, concerned when he drove to Bobbie's place. Tony broke into a vehicle, and when Lucas and his nanny came home with one of the guards, Tony rammed the stolen vehicle into them. He took Lucas, flashing a gun around. Then, we followed him out to the cabin. I jumped out before we reached it, coming into it from behind. Then Luke drove up to distract him, and Tony ran inside with Lucas, but I could see him from the side window. He was hurting the little boy who was scared and trying to pull away. I'm sure if you talk to the doctor who treated Lucas, he'll tell you the boy got some bruises from Tony's grip on him." His eyes narrow, meeting Mac's directly, "Then, you showed up. Tony yelled out that he wasn't going to let anyone take his children, then turned his gun towards Lucas. I wasn't going to wait to see if he was going to go through with it, so I fired two shots, one to break the window and one to shoot Tony."

"Why would Tony kill his own kid? You're just saying…" Taggert breaks in.

"Detective, I'd advise you to stop. Or do I need to file harassment charges against the department, Commissioner Scorpio?" Justus's voice booms out.

Mac nods, commanding the detective, "Keep your temper in better check, or I will ask you to leave." Then, he leans forward, focusing back on Jason. His voice sounds slightly broken and very weary as he asks, "Robin was helping Tony?"

Jason's eyes are hard when he accuses, "The only reason Tony kidnapped my wife and tried to steal my child is because he had Robin telling him lies. She told him that I confessed that the baby isn't mine, that we had hatched up some crazy plan to try to screw him over. He was a jackass, but Robin's influence made him a kidnapper and someone willing to kill his own son. He yelled out that no one was allowed to steal his children a minute before he turned the gun on a little boy." His tone is icy as he adds, "Robin didn't just have clothes for a baby. She brought some that looked like it was about Lucas's size. She apparently knew he was going to kidnap Lucas, and helped him."

Mac blanches at the news while Taggert grumbles, "This is a load of crap."

"Detective, don't make me send you out of here." Mac commands in an increasingly aggravated voice. Then, looking back at Jason, he asks, "Who gave you the tip about Robin?"

"It was anonymous. Luke got it from an unknown number. He said it was a guy, but that's all he knows." Jason informs them, bending the truth. He's not willing to admit he had her phone tapped and a couple guards watching her 24/7. He's certain Mac and Taggert will take issue.

Justus speaks up, "You have gotten your questions answered. My client meets the criteria for self-defense under the 'defense of others' subsection. If he hadn't killed Tony, a little boy would be dead, and Jason's wife would have bled to death. So, clearly his use of force was justified. I think the person you should be arresting tonight is your niece. Unless you have any further questions or are planning to arrest him for killing a monster who abuses children and pregnant women, I think my cousin is finished." He and Jason stand up at Mac's nod. "If you need anything else from my client, he can be available at a later date."

"This is bullshit! We both know Anger Boy wanted to take him out, reason or not. We're just going to let the hitman go when we've finally got him dead to rights?!" Taggert stands up, shoving back the chair so hard it slams against the wall.

"Taggert, sit down and stop talking." Mac demands with a scowl. As Jason walks through the door, he hears the police commissioner berating his detective, "What do you think a jury is going to do when they see pictures of a beaten and battered pregnant…"

When Jason enters the full waiting room, Emily immediately takes her place in his arms. "I'm so sorry, Jase. They are going to be okay. Sonny says we have to believe for her, that it'll help her get better." She looks up at him with big, vulnerable eyes. "She's going to feel how much we love her and the baby will feel how much we love him, and they'll fight extra hard."

A tear drips down Jason's cheek as he pulls his sister in for a tight hug. He clings to her a moment like she's the only thing keeping him afloat. When he can finally speak, he tells her, "Thank you. I'm sure they can. I know how much it means to Carly that you're here, that you love her, and I'm grateful too."

"Always. I love you, big brother. And I love Carly. And I love my nephew so much I can't stand it." She gives him a serious look, "I think God is going to come through for us. I already lost my mom; I don't think He will take them from me too."

He smiles at her, his eyes heartbreakingly hopeful, "I think that's… I hope so."

"You can hope so, but I know so. I can believe extra hard for you." Tilting her head, she gives him a look of determination and unbreakable belief.

Lila rolls over in her wheelchair, bringing with her the comforting fragrance of gardenias and roses, as though bringing a garden everywhere with her even in these circumstances. Edward follows right over her shoulder, the only situation where he follows meekly. For the first time, Jason recognizes it for the deep love that it shows. He desperately hopes he will be as glued to Carly's side when they are his grandparents' age. Lila reaches her hand out to him, which he takes, leaning down and kissing her cheek. "Grandmother."

"Oh my darling, I won't ask how you are. My heart breaks for what you and your family have been through." There are tears in her eyes.

Edward adds in a gruff voice, "They will get the best care money can buy. We will make sure of it."

Jason gives him a tight nod, not feeling his usual anger and resentment at Edward's pushy behavior. He's too shattered inside. His mind plays over and over the moment he found her lying in a pool of blood, her usual fire quieted, her body pale and lifeless. It's a nightmare that he's being forced to live out. He doesn't understand how this makes sense. Why give him a taste of a family and a home just to rip it all away? Why not let him remain clueless if Carly and his son were going to be brutally taken from him?

He remembers waking up from the coma feeling no fear, riding his motorcycle as close to the edge as he could get to try to feel some twinge of anything. There were times it pissed him off that he felt so empty. Now, though… God, the fear is ripping him apart at the seams. He wishes desperately for a little bit of that fearlessness now.

He hears a voice behind him, and turning around, he finds a young, blonde haired, compassionate nurse, "Mr. Morgan, your son has been delivered." The words almost take him to his knees, hitting him like a punch in the chest. It takes a second and a Herculean effort before he is able to focus again, "…in the NICU to help his lungs develop a little better. The doctor will meet you down there to explain the treatment for your little boy. Your wife will be in surgery for a bit longer, but she's doing well. Dr. Winters was able to stop the bleeding, and they are currently repairing the area." Jason takes a deep breath, his eyes tearing up. She tells him with a gentle smile, "You can go see your son. There are limited visitors allowed in with the baby, family only and no more than two at a time, but I'm sure he would like to meet his family."

He nods, "Thank you."

He looks at everyone in the room, all smiling at the positive news. With some anxiety leaking through, he asks, "Will you let me know when the doctor comes out, when Carly is out of surgery?"

Alan speaks up, "We will come get you immediately. Go meet your son. We will hold vigil here."

"Thank you." He tells his father, which brings tears to Alan's eyes. He just gives him an emotional nod, not trusting himself to speak. In the past, he'd say the wrong thing and his son would shut down. He isn't risking the progress they have made.

Bobbie grabs onto his arm, giving him a pleading look, "Can I come with you? I will give you space, but I really need…"

"I'd be happy for the company." He tells her with a sincere smile, and she sees the fear lying underneath.

When they get to the NICU, Jason stops at the window, looking scared. He is hit with the enormity of the responsibility in front of him, and the incredible frailty of the little bodies in that room. What if he messes this up? He already feels like he's failed to protect him and keep him safe. What if he fails him again?

Bobbie sees the fear, and puts her hand on his arm in comfort. "It'll be okay. The most important part is showing up and loving them. And you have done that in spades today. I know it's scary, but you've got support. And that kid is part Spencer. We fight dirty." She opens the door, just waiting for him to enter the area set aside for parents to don the protective gear. "Let's go meet your son. I bet hearing his father's voice will make him feel less scared."

The words galvanize Jason into action, and before he knows it, he's standing in front of the incubator helping his son survive. The little boy is so tiny, so impossibly fragile. He is connected to sensors and tubes, which look unnatural on the too small body. His heart swells and breaks at the same time. He feels a love so intense it fundamentally changes him inside. This tiny little human has suddenly become the center of everything, his purpose to protect him and help him grow into a strong, good man.

He remembers Emily's words from earlier as he sits in a chair by his son. In a voice filled with love, he tells the baby, "I'm your dad, son. You are doing a real good job of fighting. I know this has to be scary, but you have a whole family who loves you, and wants you to grow up to be big and strong. And we're going to be here to help you do that. You are so small right now, but I'm going to protect you… I was going to say until you are bigger and can take care of yourself, but to tell the truth, I'll probably protect you for as long as I'm around to do it. Your mom…" he has to clear his throat as his eyes fill with tears, "Your mom will be here as soon as she can. She's pretty sick right now, but if I know her, she's going to be in here the second she's awake. She loves you so much. We both do. So, I need you to fight to stay here with us, okay?"

Bobbie, who had stayed back to give Jason some privacy with his son, steps up and puts her hand on his shoulder. He looks up at her with misty eyes, and gives her a look that somehow straddles vulnerable and determined. Looking back at the tiny baby, he explains, "This is your Grandmother, one of your grandmothers. She's another good one to have in your corner."

She gives him a grateful smile, before introducing herself to her grandson, "Hello, Mr. Man. Maybe you can call me Grandma Bobbie. It'll make it easier since you've got three. Though, one of them you might have to wait a minute to get her head out of her a… Well, that's not important. I have to admit, I'm tickled that I'm a grandma. I am going to spoil you so much, and love…" her voice breaks, "Love you so much. Anytime your Mom and Dad tell you no, you can come to me. I'll always fight for you."

A man clears his throat behind the pair, causing them both to swing around surprised. They find a thin, tall doctor of about forty standing there. He's in scrubs and a white doctor's coat. His voice is direct, but compassionate as he speaks to his patient's father, "Mr. Morgan, Nurse Spencer, I'm sorry to interrupt this important moment, but I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Dr. Hamilton, and I will be your son's primary physician while we get him stronger." He gives him a reassuring smile, "He is stable at the moment. His chances are good since she was a few days shy of seven months. That makes his chances of survival fairly high. There are a couple things I'm going to keep a close eye on. First, your son's lungs are underdeveloped, making a respirator necessary. We are giving him medication that will help him develop a little quicker. The other concern is his heart, and we will be monitoring whether his heart is efficiently outputting enough blood. We will closely keep an eye on both. I'm hoping they will clear up on their own. Babies' bodies can be incredibly resilient, healing with an almost miraculous rate. However, if it's not healing quickly enough, we may need to consider other alternatives."

Jason gives a tight nod, not trusting his voice. Bobbie speaks up instead, "Thank you, doctor. We appreciate all you are doing."

"Of course." He gives them a crooked smile, "I have to admit, there's something about this little boy. He's a fighter, and I will do everything in my power to help him fight." He gives them one more smile, then moves away, filling out something in the baby's chart.

Bobbie smiles, though it wobbles, "He is a special little boy. I can see it too. God wouldn't send someone so special and just take him away from us." Her words come out as more of a plea for reassurance than a statement of fact. Jason just pulls her into a hug, the two leaning on each other as they look down at the little boy.

About thirty minutes later, Dr. Winters enters the NICU, heading straight for Jason. Her voice is quiet in this room, not wanting to disturb the babies fighting for their lives, as she tells him, "Your wife's surgery was a success. She is currently in recovery, but will be moved to a room in about forty five minutes to an hour, the presidential suite I believe. She sustained a lot of blood loss. We have given her transfusions and fluids to stabilize her. I was concerned we might have to give her a hysterectomy when I saw the damage caused by the abruption, but I was able to repair it well enough that she should have minimal scarring and damage to the uterus. She should be able to conceive again in the future, though it will probably need to be a little more closely monitored." She smiles as she adds, "Mr. Morgan, I expect your wife to make a full recovery."

Jason lets out a huge breath and feels his knees go weak for a moment. The wave of relief sends a tear sliding down his cheek. He has no idea if he thanks her, because suddenly it's like he's blacked out, the emotion too overwhelming. When he comes back to himself, he's hugging Bobbie as she rejoices, "Our girl is going to be okay. Oh, thank God, she's coming back to us."