"Hey kid, are you okay?" the truck driver asked pulling Eric's car door
open. "Are you hurt?"
Eric woke up after the collision and realized that he had bumped his head on the
steering wheel. He looked at the truck that had crashed into the right side of his car and
he knew that he was lucky to be alive.
"Huh?" Eric asked looking at the
burly bearded man.
"Are you hurt kid?" the man asked helping Eric out
of the car. "Do you think that you damaged anything?"
"I hit my head." Eric explained feeling dizzy and sitting down on the ground.
"Other than that I think that I'm okay."
"Kid, I was sure that I killed you." the man explained handing Eric his
handkerchief so that Eric could wipe the blood off of his forehead. "You were traveling
so fast that I couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting you. What were you chasing after
anyways kid?"
"Mike, what is it?" John asked worried about Marlena.
"Marlena's
awake John." Mike explained with a smile.
"Then she's alright?" John asked looking at him.
"Other than some cuts
and bruises and what appears to be a sprained ankle, she seems to be alright." Mike
informed him calmly. "I would like to keep her at least overnight to run a few more tests
to be safe though."
"What about the baby?" John asked remembering his new discovery. "How's my
baby?"
"It looks like the baby's going to make it too." Mike said putting a
hand on John's shoulder. "It looks like God was on your side."
"Can I see her
Mike?" John questioned eager to see Marlena.
"Sure John, but I warn you that she's really wiped out." Mike explained to him.
"She was pretty worked up when she first came in here, but we've calmed her down a little
bit."
"Dr. Horton," A nurse said walking out of the emergency room, "Dr. Carver wants
to know what's taking you so long with Mr. Black. Dr. Evans keeps calling for him in
there."
"You heard the lady." Mike said letting John go to the emergency room.
"Lexie, are you sure that the baby is going to be alright?" Marlena asked weakly
from her hospital bed.
"The baby's doing fine." Lexie said smiling at Marlena. "You've got quiet a fighter
in there."
"The baby takes after it's father." Marlena said smiling
weakly.
"No, I disagree Doc." John said walking to her side. "I think that baby takes after
it's mother."
"John," she cried leaning to the side of her hospital bed and reaching out to hug
him.
"Doc," he said rushing next to her and holding her tightly.
"Why don't we give these two some privacy?" Lexie suggested to the nurse as they
quietly snuck out of the room.
"It sounds like the police are on the way here kid." the truck driver informed Eric
as he helped him to stand up.
"I have to get out of here." Eric said turning
to leave and almost falling over. "I can't let him get away."
"You're not going anywhere kid." the truck driver said grabbing a hold of him. "I
think that you should probably go to the hospital to get checked out."
"You
don't understand." Eric began trying to break free from the man.
"Look kid you are in no position to be running around town right now." the man
said as Eric broke free.
"I'm sorry mister, but I've gotta go." Eric said
running around the car.
"Not so fast!" A police officer ordered taking hold
of him.
"Oh Doc, I thought that I lost you." John said kissing her face softly. "I thought
that we were never going to be together again."
"I'm so sorry John." she cried
as tears rolled down her face. "I shouldn't have tried to keep the news about the baby
from you."
"You have nothing to be sorry about Doc." John said
kissing her again. "I understand that you were trying to do what you thought was right
for everyone."
"John, Roman was so angry tonight." she said
holding on to him tighter. "I was so afraid...."
"I'm sorry that he hurt you
Doc." John said wrapping his arms around her fragile body tenderly. "I should've been
there to protect you. Damn it, he should've never been able to get his hands on you
Doc."
"John, he knows everything." Marlena said looking into his blue
eyes. "I told him about us. He came into the penthouse tonight and I thought it was
you..."
"Doc, don't worry about that now." John said looking at her the faint purple bruise
forming under her left eye. "You need to concentrate on getting better."
"He had this look in his face John." Marlena continued staring off into the air. "He
saw me in this nightgown and he pieced it together. He charged up the stairs at me
and....oh God."
"Doc, shhh baby, don't do this to yourself." John said
holding her tighter as tears frantically rolled down her cheeks.
"He was so
crazy John." she sobbed into his chest as she felt her body growing limp. "I was so afraid
that he was going to kill me."
"I'm here now baby." he said as his eyes filled up with tears. "He is never going to
hurt you or anyone in our family again."
"John, I risked the life of our baby tonight." she said sadly pulling away from him.
"I could've lost our innocent unborn child because I wouldn't tell Roman the truth
sooner."
"The baby is alright and you are alright. That's all that matters." John assured her
as he reached out to her bloodstained nightgown and tenderly placed his hand on her
stomach. "We're all going to be a family and no one is ever going to hurt any one of us
again. I promise you that Doc."
"I love you so much John." Marlena cried
placing her hand on top of his. "Even though the timing wasn't the best, I was so happy
knowing that we were going to have this child."
"Doc," John said with tears of
joy in his eyes as he looked at her bruised face, "tonight you've blessed me with two of the
best things that a man could ever have. I didn't lose you and now we have this baby."
