Gone Away Awhile 9/11
Title: Gone Away Awhile 9/11
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Word Count: ~6800
Rating/Warnings: NC-17 for sexual situations, MPREG, and medical/health problems
A/N: This story is based off a prompt by the amazing imogen_lily . Thank you so much for the gorgeous banner and for letting me play with this idea! I appreciate all the help and nudging sweetie!!! You are an amazing person to work with!
Summary: Jensen has it all…great job, lots of money, the love of his life…and NO kids, just the way he wants it. Everything seems perfect, until one night following a big fight Jensen comes home to find Jared has left, turning his world upside down. Four years down the line, he might finally find the answers to all his questions…in the form of two little boys who look a lot like him and Jared…
The wind started whipping rather violently around the zoo, and the animals were all growing restless. One of the employees had already come on the loudspeaker to announce an impending storm. Most of the zoo patrons were heading towards the main gate for rain check tickets as the thunder began booming above. Jensen on the other hand was trying to calm two little boys camped out in the gift shop.
“Shh…it’s ok you two,” Jensen soothed. He wasn’t sure which was bothering the twins more, the thunder or the fact that they had to cut their zoo outing short. “We’ll come back next week when it isn’t storming.” At this point Jensen was just trying to find a way to calm them down…it didn’t matter which was causing them to be so upset.
Jensen hated seeing his sons like this. They had all ducked into the gift shop when the announcement about the storm had been made. Originally, the weather forecast had said the day would be beautiful, however a rather nasty looking storm had popped up on the radar and everyone was taking precautions. It was definitely ruining an otherwise nice day.
The twins had both been sad to see their daddy have to stay home, but the animals and their grandparents had managed to cheer them up. They had spent the last couple of hours going from section to section, laughing and mimicking the animals. They had even tried to climb all over Jensen after seeing some young monkeys do the same thing to their mom. Needless to say, they were having fun.
Jensen, however, really wanted to get back to Jared. He hated leaving his husband alone like that when he wasn’t feeling well. Jared had been doing so well the last few months. Logically he knew Alona was only a phone call and a three-minute drive away, but still…
So he basically was willing to try anything to get the twins to come out from the little play section of the shop where they were currently crouched down. Jensen was crouched nearby as well, and his legs were starting to cramp. The little area wasn’t exactly made for people over four feet tall.
“Come on, munchkins. We better head out.” The twins sighed and started to move, but a bright streak of lightning lit up the store while a rather loud crack of thunder echoed in the distance, causing them to freeze for a second before jumping at Jensen. “Hey…it’s ok guys…shh. It can’t hurt you. I’m here. Your Pop’s here.”
Donna knelt down beside him and rubbed the twins’ backs. “Aww…you guys aren’t big fans of the storm huh?”
Jensen felt them shake their heads no against his shoulder. He hadn’t seen them during a big storm yet; most of the ones they’d had since the twins had moved to Texas had been small or during the day when he was at work.
“It’s ok, sweetie,” Donna continued. “How about we get you two out of here and safe at home?”
“Can we get home fast?” Remy asked, still shaking as the storm began to escalate again. Raindrops were starting to pelt the roof of the shop.
“Please?” Dimi added. “Don’t wanna be in the storm…”
“Well,” Jensen sighed, “it will take a while to get back home, kiddo. It’s farther out.” The thunder boomed, practically shaking the ground with its intensity. The twins whimpered and burrowed into Jensen again.
“Honey,” Donna said, “why don’t we bring the boys to our house? It’s a lot closer than the ranch. That way they aren’t out in the storm for as long. Might be better.”
“Yeah, but I really need to go check on Jared. I tried texting him a minute ago and he didn’t answer.”
“He could just be sleeping, son,” Alan suggested.
“Still…I don’t want to be gone for much longer. He had a bad headache when we left and I want to see how he is doing.”
“We can watch the twins for awhile, Jen,” Donna added. “We’ll take them to our place so you can head back to the ranch. Once this storm dies down, we’ll bring them home…maybe I could even fix dinner for you all since Jay isn’t feeling too hot.”
Jensen sent her a smile. His mom had been a huge help during Jared’s pregnancy. “Thanks, Mom.” He looked at the twins and squeezed them gently. “How about it, guys? You two want to go with Nana and Granddad for a bit? Will be much quicker to get to their house than ours in the storm.”
“You come too?” Remy asked softly.
“Sorry buddy…I’ve got to go home and check on your daddy.”
“But we’ll bring you two back to your dad and pop as soon as the storm’s over, sweetie,” Donna answered soothingly. “You two can hang out with me and your granddad for a little while. Think I saw some of those chocolate chip cookies we made the other day still in the cookie jar…”
Jensen sent her a look at the obvious bribe, but he couldn’t be mad…not when the boys were starting to finally stop burrowing into his chest. Now, they were peeking out at their grandmother with a little more interest.
“What do you say?” Jensen asked hopefully. “Think you two will be ok going with Nana for a bit?”
“Ok,” they both agreed.
“Thanks, kiddos.” Jensen hugged them tight as he stood up with them in his arms. “Got everything still?” He felt them nod. “Alright…let’s run to the car. I’m going to carry you so you don’t have to worry about slipping in the puddles.”
“You protect us from the storm?” Remy asked.
“Of course,” Jensen replied with a smile. He held his sons close as he hurried to their cars. He didn’t bother going back for a rain check ticket. His parents had bought the twins a season long pass to the zoo for their Birthday not too long ago.
“God, this is an awful storm!” Alan huffed as they finally reached the car. The three adults were soaked from the rain, while the twins had stayed dry against their father. “Hand me the boys and I’ll get them buckled into their car seats so you can take off to check on Jared. Give us a call and let us know how he’s doin’, ok?”
“Sure, Dad.” Jensen gave his sons a quick kiss to each of their foreheads before handing them over to their granddad. He waved to them and rushed over to his Impala. He was thoroughly soaked and cold, despite the fact that it was June. The rain had brought on a chill in the air that had soaked through Jensen’s bones. He wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed next to Jared and wait for the storm to end.
With a sigh, he cranked up the heater and began driving home. The traffic was hectic and nerve wracking, everyone wanting to hurry home before the storm became worse. The roads were already rain slick and becoming more hazardous. The Impala’s tires threatened to hydroplane a few times, but Jensen managed to keep it under control. Other cars around him were having the same problem. The downpour was also making it harder and harder to see as the water pelted the windshield.
It became worse with each mile Jensen drove, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled into the long driveway of the ranch. Thunder and lightning were still wrecking havoc on the darkened sky. Jensen could see water pouring out of the gutters and drains around the house. He also noticed Harley and Sadie were still outside in the yard…
Jensen climbed out of the Impala and ran towards the gate. The dogs jumped and barked at him as soon as he opened the gate. “What are you two doing out here?” he yelled above the wind. He ushered them towards the door quickly and fumbled for his keys. He placed his hand on the doorknob while he dug into his jean pocket with his other hand. He was surprised when the knob opened under his hand. Jared never left things unlocked…even all the way out on the ranch.
The dogs whined and ran inside. They barked loudly once they were in the front room, trying to get Jensen’s attention. He felt anxiety build up as he stepped inside. He could see a few things knocked over here and there. Something just didn’t feel right…
Before he could react, Sadie bit into the fabric of his jeans and tugged on him. She missed the skin, but was ripping his pants. “Hey, Sadie! Stop!” He tried to pull her off, but she just tugged harder, making him stagger forward until Jared came into view. “Oh God…”
Jared was curled up against the wall, shivering and panting for air. Jay hadn’t even heard Jensen come inside, which only made him worry all the more. Jensen didn’t waste any more time in getting over to his husband. He pressed his hands onto Jared’s trembling back; the younger man flinched at the touch.
“Shh…it’s just me, Jare. It’s ok baby.” Jensen rubbed at Jared back and breathed a sigh of relief when Jared leaned back a little into him.
“Th-thank…God…I-GAH!” Jared wrapped his arms around his belly and tried to curl down over it. He cursed under his breath as the cramps went through his stomach, stealing what little breath he had. He rocked his way through the pain, leaning on Jensen all the way through it.
“It’s ok,” Jensen tried to sooth. He placed his hand on Jared’s where it lay on his stomach. Jensen nearly jerked it away at how hard Jared’s stomach felt. “God…what’s…are you…”
The pain slowly started to ebb and Jared practically collapsed against Jensen. He laid there for a minute as he tried to get a grip on himself. “Y-yeah…I’m…in lab-shit!” It started up again and Jared had to stop until it ended. He could barely catch his breath, but he did manage to speak. “In…labor.”
“But…you’re…it’s too soon! How…”
Jared didn’t know. He just shook his head. “Is happening too fast…too intense. I…can’t get…my breath.”
“Shit! I’ll call Al! How long?”
“’Bout…hour…”
Jensen paled. He had read up enough to know that Jared was definitely farther than normal for an hour. He pushed down the worry and dug out his cell phone. He prayed Alona would be home…
“Hey Jen...what-“
“You need to get here now!”
“Ok…what’s going on?”
Jensen could hear her mumbling to another person in the background as well as shuffling of some objects.
“It’s Jared…he’s in labor. Has been for the maybe an hour he said. Came home and found him. He needs help, Al! He can’t catch his breath and it’s happening way too fast and-“
“Take a breath, Jen! You hyperventilating right now won’t help either. I’m on my way! I’ll call an ambulance! Just try to keep calm…keep Jay calm too!”
Before Jensen could reply, the call was disconnected. He didn’t mind though…it meant Jared would be getting help soon. He turned his attention back to Jared, who was busy trying to get through another contraction. Jensen paled again as he realized that they had to only be about two or three minutes apart.
“Hold in there for me, Jay. Al’s on her way. We’ll get you help. You’ll be ok, baby.” Jensen slid in behind Jared once more, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He rubbed at Jared’s sides, but stopped as soon as he felt Jared flinch and whimper. “Sorry! I thought it would help.”
“H-hurt there…”
Jensen’s brows knit in confusion. He carefully batted Jared’s hands away and slid up his shirt. His eyes widened at the ugly purpling bruises along the side of his abdomen. They looked raw and painful as they stretched around the overly tight skin. “Oh my God! How…who did this?”
Jared was still shaking and panting from the latest contraction. “M-my dad…”
“Your dad?!? Son of a bitch…”
“P-parents showed up. Wanted money…said…said they’d t-tell me where Jeff was if I gave it to th-them.” Jared couldn’t help the few tears that escaped from his clenched eyes. He normally didn’t let things with his parents upset him. He’d grown up with them and knew how they were. But with everything today, it was just too much and too overwhelming. “W-wouldn’t give them…any. Dad…pushed me…k-kicked me. I-AH!” Jared tried to curl around himself but he was too tired to even do it at the moment. “I…should’ve…Jeff would…”
Jensen saw red at Jared’s words. Gerry had done this! The bastard had hurt Jared! He had put their little girl in danger! Jensen wanted nothing more than to go hunt the guy down and make him pay. His hands clenched and unclenched into fists at his side. The only thing that was keeping him from jumping up and going to the Impala was the death grip Jared had on his hand.
“Shh…don’t talk babe. It’s ok. Jeff wouldn’t want you to. It isn’t your fault. It’s ok.” Jensen ran his hair through Jared’s sweaty bangs. “It’s going to be ok.”
A few moments later, the front door burst open as Alona and Chris came running in. She tore off her raincoat and skidded to a halt beside Jared and Jensen. Chris hovered in the background, carrying all kinds of medical bags and equipment. He looked shell shocked and panicked. Alona just looked determined.
“Hey sugar,” she soothed as she started moving around Jared. She felt around his stomach, stopping when he whimpered at her touch. She too saw red when she saw the bruises and looked to Jensen for help.
“His parents paid a visit…”
“Son of a bitch,” she muttered. She continued feeling around Jared’s sides until another contraction started. “It’s ok, Jay. You’ll be ok. I don’t think Gerry broke any ribs. They just feel bruised…at worst cracked. They’ll do an x-ray at the hospital later.”
“Where the hell is that ambulance? You said you were calling?” Jensen spat.
“I did.” She turned her attention to Jensen again. “Damn storm caused a big pile up on the main road. Nothing can get through to us ‘til it’s cleared out.”
Jensen looked sick at her words, prompting Chris to come over to him. “It’s ok son. You got Al here. Jay will be ok. Just keep breathing.”
“Wh? What are you doing here?”
Chris blushed a little. “Um…I was spending the day at Al’s place…”
Jensen was about to comment when Al spoke up again. “You two can swap stories later. I need you to help carry Jared to the nearest room now. Don’t think he’ll be able to walk there on his own.” She gently stroked Jared’s arm as he sent them all a panicked look. “It’s alright.”
They both nodded. Jensen picked Jared up around his chest while Christ took his feet. They carried him over to the nearest bedroom, which was a guest bedroom located on the first floor. Alona walked in front of them and pulled the comforter off the bed before fixing the sheets. Jared was still shivering and she wanted to be able to wrap him up in the blankets yet still be able to examine him properly.
“Jen, change out of those wet clothes so you don’t make Jared any colder,” Alona instructed softly. “And get a dry shirt for him too.”
Jensen just nodded; he was starting to feel numb as everything went on around him. Chris tried to help him stay grounded though, pushing him and prodding him along the way.
While Jensen took care of that, Alona set to work. She wrapped the blankets around Jared’s upper body before sliding off his sweatpants. She grabbed the gear she and Chris had brought in with them and pulled it towards the bed. She ran to clean her hands and put gloves on, knowing Jared needed things to be as sanitary as possible right now. By the time she returned, Jensen had changed and was sitting on the bed beside Jared, helping him into a clean shirt. Jared couldn’t help the few whimpers that escaped his lips every few seconds as his body was wracked with more contractions.
“Ok, guys,” Al sighed as she approached the bed. She grabbed the oxygen tank she had brought in with her and set it up quickly. She slid the mask over Jared’s mouth. “Leave that on for now, sweetie. You need it.” She then pulled up the blankets. “I’m going to check how far you along you are now, Jay. Just relax.”
Jared squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head into Jensen’s shoulder. “Shh,” Jensen soothed. He held onto Jared throughout her exam, running his hand through Jared’s hair. “It will be ok.”
“No…I…should’ve just given him…”
“Stop blaming yourself babe. He probably would’ve hurt you anyway.” Jensen saw Alona stiffen, knowing Jensen was right.
“Ok, Jay,” Alona said a moment later. “You’re already at eight.”
“What? How…I…”
“Jay…I think you are experiencing precipitous labor. It isn’t all that common, but it can happen. It’s basically rapid labor with extremely strong contractions. I’d say your parents showing up and Gerry kicking you like that put the baby in distress and jumpstarted labor.”
Jared looked terrified, but nodded nonetheless. “Wh-what now?”
“Now…I’m going to check your blood pressure and go from there.” She wrapped the cuff around his bicep to take his pressure. A moment later, her worry increased at how high it was. “Ok, Jay…here’s the deal…I know you are scared right now, but you’ve gotta try to calm down. It’s hard, I know sweetheart. But your BP is up too high and that’s not good for you or your baby girl. Got it?”
“C-can’t…I…can’t do this.” Jared was shaking again and exhausted. He was in too much pain to be able to really talk for long. All he could do was try not to scream or cry at the situation he was currently in.
“Look at me, Jared,” Alona said a little more sternly. “Yes you can. You can, and you will.” She grabbed his hand and placed it on his stomach. “Your daughter is depending on you to do this.”
“And s-so am I,” Jensen added. “You can do this, Jay. I know you can. You are one of the strongest people I know. And you are a great daddy. You can do this.”
Jared didn’t say anything at first but after a moment he tugged on Jensen. “Can…will you let me lean into you? P-please?”
“Anything you need, Jare.” Jensen shifted so that he was behind Jared and supported his head. “Just hang in there.” Jensen rubbed at Jared’s shoulders and did whatever he thought would help. He still felt like it wasn’t enough.
After a few minutes, Alona checked his blood pressure again. “A little better…but still higher than I’d like right now. Was it high this morning?”
“He woke up with a headache,” Jensen replied. “He chalked it up to lack of sleep last night, but he was planning on checking in case.”
“Didn’t get to before parents…” Jared stopped talking to work his way through the next contraction. They were cascading down on him with little relief at this point and he couldn’t really do anything during them. His muscles clenched and ached while his lungs burned. The pain in his cracked ribs were a dull ache compared, only flaring up when he tried for a deep breath.
“I’m sorry, Jay,” Jensen soothed.
“Jared, I want you to try laying on your side with Jensen. It might slow things down a little. There has been some cases where it has. I don’t know if it really will at this point, but it might make you feel more comfortable.
“’K,” Jared sighed. Chris and Jensen helped him move so that he was lying on his side. Jensen moved so that he was lying down beside him. He wrapped his arm around Jared and pulled him close, letting Jared burry his face in Jensen’s neck. Jensen’s heart broke a little when he felt tears wet his skin.
“Love you, Jay. You’re doing so great.”
Jared couldn’t reply, but he nuzzled Jensen’s neck a little. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around Jensen neck. He was still shivering, prompting Alona to wrap the blanket higher around the couple. There wasn’t much they could do except to wait. With the way Jared was going, it wouldn’t be much longer.
Jensen hated feeling so helpless. There was nothing he could do except let Jared grab onto him and rock against him as he went through it all.
“God,” Jared gasped a moment later. Thunder boomed outside and the lights flickered for a second. “Sucks…”
Alona looked up at the lights and sent up a silent prayer that they would stay on for the rest of this. She didn’t want to think about how hard it would be to do everything in the dark.
Jared moaned out at the next contraction and arched his back.
“It’s ok, Jay.” Jensen moved his hand down to the small of Jared’s back and massaged it gently. “Hurt there, baby?” Jared nodded into Jensen’s chest, whimpering slightly. “Ok…I’m here.” Jensen continued to rub carefully around the tender flesh and muscles. Jared relaxed a little, however he didn’t say much. He was too wrapped up in everything to be able to.
For the next few minutes, Jared barely spoke, except to utter a few curses and moans. Everything faded to the background so much so that he barely realized when Alona was talking to him. He was too busy focusing on his pain and trying to breath.
“Jay? Honey, you’re ready. This baby wants out.”
“Wh’?” Jared blinked exhaustedly at her. “Too…soon,” he muttered, even though he knew Alona was right. He could feel how close it was himself.
“You’re ready sweetheart,” Jensen added, trying to stay strong for his husband. Inside he was scared shitless. He didn’t like the pale color to Jared’s body or the way he was trembling.
Alona pushed around on his stomach for a moment. “Jared,” she continued, “I need you to let Jensen push you up in bed a little. Then you need to grab your legs. You remember the drill don’t you?”
Jared nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment. He pushed himself a little further up in the bed and allowed Jensen to help maneuver him into a better position. He tried to take deep breaths to prepare himself, however he couldn’t do it as well as he would have liked. In the end, he was practically sagging against Jensen and trying to listen to what Alona told him to do.
Chris stood off to the side, feeling as if he should be doing something yet was too nervous to really move. He let Alona take action and waited. He knew if someone needed him, they would yell. Until then, he would just stay out of the way. He hated seeing Jensen so scared. His friend was trying so hard to hide it from Jared and Alona, but Chris could tell. With every moan or grunt of pain and exertion from Jared, Jensen tensed up and paled.
“God,” Jared groaned. “So…tired...” He flopped back against Jensen completely spent.
“Hey!” Alona sternly yet gently ordered. “I know you are, buddy. But you can’t give up yet sweetheart. We’re almost there. She’s right here. Give me one more, Jay. That’s all you need.”
Jared screwed his eyes shut, wanting nothing more to give in to the exhaustion and pain. Then he felt Jensen gently swiping his bangs out of his eyes and whispering in his ear. The words were a blur but the tone they were spoken in calmed Jared a little. He felt another contraction build up in him and he went with it, doing as Alona had asked despite how awful he felt. His lungs burned and he ached at the effort. The pressure was intense and he cried out at the pain.
A second later, a very soft crying sound filled the bedroom as Jared fell back against Jensen again. The noise was much softer than he would have liked, but he was relieved to hear it nonetheless. He wanted to lean up more to see his little girl, yet he was just too tired. Even the thought of sitting back up made him feel even more drained.
Jensen’s hands stayed on Jared, running through his hair and rubbing his shoulders. His eyes, though, stayed on his daughter. She was tiny, however she was moving a little in Alona’s hold. Before he could comment, Alona was setting the baby in Jensen’s arms for a moment.
“Jen, take your shirt off honey,” she commanded gently. “You’ve gotta keep this little one warm.”
“W-with my shirt off?” Jensen stuttered out.
“Skin to skin contact will do that.” She reached up and pulled Jensen’s t-shirt up over his head before he could say anything else. He blinked as she placed his small daughter against his chest and wrapped a thick blanket around the two of them. She brought his hands up to keep his baby in place. “Just hold onto her and keep her warm. Let her stay at your chest. With her being this little, her lungs aren’t going to be perfect. Let her feel you breathing. It can help until we get to the hospital.”
“H-how is she?” Jared asked weakly. He craned his neck to see Jensen with the baby.
“She’ll be alright, Jay,” Alona assured. She squeezed his knee slightly. “Let’s just get you taken care of. You’re not done yet.”
Jared grimaced. He knew he still had to do a little more work before he could sleep, but he wasn’t sure he could. He was already having trouble staying conscious right now. He blinked, trying focus blurry eyes on Alona or anything really.
“Jay?” Alona pushed at Jared’s slightly deflated stomach, massaging the muscles a little. “Come on, Jared.”
He blinked again, more sluggishly at her.
“You need to stay with me, hun. You need to try to push again. Your placenta isn’t coming on it’s own. You’re starting to bleed too much.”
Jared nodded, or at least he tried to. He was just so tired and hurt too much.
“Jay? Sweetheart?”
“Come on…baby?”
All their voices blurred together, just as their faces did. Jared tried to focus on the baby but it wasn’t enough. He gave into the exhaustion and fell unconscious.
“Shit,” Alona cursed. She pulled the bloodied sheets away from Jared and tried to figure out what was going on.
“Al?” Jensen asked with a shaking voice.
“He’s bleeding too much…I…there isn’t much we can do without a hospital for much longer.” She looked up at Jensen and Chris.
Chris nodded and stepped out of the room to call emergency services again.
“Jared?” Jensen brought his hand that wasn’t holding the baby down to shake Jared a little. Alona was busy working at the bottom of the bed, doing everything she could to stem the blood flow. Nothing was working.
Chris rushed back inside the room. “Ambulance is about a minute away now. Told them Jay was in bad shape and the baby is a preemie. They said they’d inform the hospital. Al, you can ride along with them.”
Jensen barely heard any of it. All he could hear was Jared’s ragged breaths. He was pale, much too pale. His face and body was completely lax, not even reacting to the pressure Alona was putting on it. His daughter was moving a little against, but he knew she wasn’t fairing too well either. She needed medical attention just as much as her daddy.
True to their word, the paramedics arrived within the minute. They small team rushed into the ranch house and followed the sound of voices until they reached the bedroom.
“Thank God,” Alona sighed. She didn’t move from Jared. “We’ve got a mid twenties male who just went through his second delivery. He has uncontrolled bleeding and has not delivered the placenta. There,” she pointed to Jensen, “his husband is holding their preemie…a girl born…29 weeks gestation.”
One of the paramedics carefully took the baby out of Jensen’s hands. He tried to grab her back, despite the fact he logically knew she needed to go with the guy. “It’s ok, sir,” he tried to calm Jensen. “We’ll take care of her for you.”
Jensen felt even number, yet nodded nonetheless. He didn’t exactly have a choice. Before he knew it, Jared was already on a gurney and being rushing out to the ambulance. Alona was sitting on the end of it, still trying to stem the blood flow.
“Come on, son,” Chris said softly, placing his hand on Jensen’s shoulder. “Let’s get you dressed again and we’ll follow in my truck. I’ll drive.”
“But-“
“Al has to go with them and they need room to work on Jared and your little girl. It’s ok…I’ll make sure I stay close the whole time. Come on, Jen.” With Chris’s help, Jensen put his shirt back on and followed behind to the truck. Chris tailed the ambulance the entire way to the hospital. When they first arrived, Jensen jumped out of the truck at the front entrance before it could even come to a complete stop. He rushed in behind the paramedics, trying to catch a glimpse of Jared. He couldn’t see much.
“I’m sorry, sir,” a middle aged nurse said, placing her hand on Jensen’s chest. “You can’t follow.” She blocked his way into the exam rooms. “We’ll take care of your…”
“Husband…he…just had a baby…and…”
“Shhh…we have a great team here. One of the best. He’s in good hands. Come with me. Let’s get you settled in the wait room.”
“But I-“
“Listen to the nurse, Jen,” Chris added as he came inside the ER as well. “Let’s go over here and wait for Al, ok?”
Jensen sighed but nodded nonetheless. The nurse guided them to a smaller waiting room a couple floors up where they were assured a nurse would come out to talk to them as soon as possible. Jensen’s leg bounced nervously and his hands shook.
“You want me to call your parents?”
“Not yet…not until I know what’s going on. Don’t want the twins to worry. I just can’t…”
“Hey, it’s ok. He’ll be fine.”
“You saw all that blood. That’s not fine…that’s not.”
“They’ll patch him up.”
“But-“
“You two will be holding your girl in no time.”
“She’ll be in the NICU, Chris. Doubt we’ll get to and-“
“But you will. She’s part you and Jay…kid has to be stubborn as hell with that combination running through her veins.” Jensen smiled a little at that. “What’s her name? Never heard you say.”
“Paige…we had decided on Paige just last week.”
“Good name.” Chris clapped Jensen on the shoulder.
After that, they both fell into a silence. There wasn’t much else that they could say to help. They both sat there waiting for nearly half an hour before Alona came into view. She had changed out of her ruined clothes and into a pair of scrubs. “Hey!”
Jensen jumped up from the chair. “Al…how is he? And the baby? What happened? I-“
Alona cut him off by throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a hug. “They’re both going to be ok. Just might take some time.”
“What’s wrong?” Jensen asked as they pulled apart.
“Sit down, hun.” She waited until he was in the chair again before continuing. “Ok, normally after you give birth, your muscles will keep contracting to get rid of the placenta and to stop the bleeding. But sometime if labor is really strenuous or if there are complications, the muscles won’t work properly. In Jared’s case, that’s exactly what happened. They were too exhausted from how rapid and strong everything came on for him. It couldn’t expel what it needed or clamp down on the blood vessels.”
“Shit…”
“It’s ok, Jen. They’re going to operate on him to remove everything that is left and to clamp down on the vessels properly. They’ve already taken him back in there to work on him.”
“Did he wake up first?”
“No…I’m sorry but he didn’t. He’s exhausted from labor and blood loss.”
Jensen sniffled and nodded. “And my daughter?”
“She’s in the NICU, which I can take you to while you wait on Jared if you’d like.”
“Please,” Jensen sighed.
“Of course. Christ, you’ll have to stay here for now please.”
“Sure,” he replied. He then leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You did good today.” She blushed before taking Jensen back towards the NICU.
“So…you and Chris?”
“Shut up…”
“Jay will be happy to see you happy.”
“Thanks.” They rounded the corner and entered a section of the NICU. “You need to put these on and then follow me.” She handed Jensen a sterile gown to put over his clothes, gloves, and a mask. “Now, don’t be afraid of all the tubes and wires. She’s actually doing a lot better than most preemies at this stage.”
“R-really?”
“Her lungs are holding their own well. We are giving her oxygen in her little incubator. She isn’t really able to suckle just yet, so we have a tube through her nose to give her nutrients so she can gain weight. She’s almost at four pounds…which is pretty good considering.”
Alona held open the door for Jensen so he could go in and see Paige. He stopped dead in his tracks as his daughter came into view, and he felt his throat constrict with emotions. “God…”
“I know it looks scary, but she’s really ok. Come on.” Alona pushed Jensen forward until he was at her side. “You can touch her through there.” She pointed at a little section of the incubator where he could put his hand through. Jensen seemed skeptical at first, so she grabbed his arm and pushed it through. “It’s ok. Contact is good for her, Jen.”
Jensen’s throat worked up and down. “Don’t wanna hurt her.”
“You won’t.”
“But she’s so tiny and-“
“And she’ll grow bigger quicker than you think. She’ll be fine. Preemies born at 29 weeks have a good survival rate. And like I said, her development was farther than it could have been.”
Jensen nodded and stroked her miniscule fingers with his own. He nearly cried with relief when she wrapped her own hand around his finger.
“I’ll come get you when Jared’s out.” With that, Alona left Jensen alone with his baby.
Jensen continued to stare down at her for a few more minutes. “Hey baby girl…um…I’m your pop.” Her grip on his finger tightened as much as possible. “You’ve gotta get bigger so your daddy can hold you. He worked really hard to get you here after all.” Jensen sniffled again as tears threatened to fall. “You both gotta get better.”
Jensen continued talking to Paige, telling her stories about Jared and the twins for nearly an hour. It helped to pass the time quickly and took his mind off obsessing over how long the surgery was taking. Before he knew it, Alona was coming into the room again.
“Hey, sweetheart,” she said softly as she entered. “Jared made it out of surgery. He’s going to be fine. They gave him blood transfusions and took care of everything. We’ve got him on some pain meds and antibiotics. We’re worried about infections since he had such a complicated labor and delivery outside of a sterile environment. It’s just something we’ll have to watch for.”
“C-can I see him?”
“He’s being transferred to a room as we speak, so come on. He’ll be groggy when he does wake…which could still be awhile. It’s really hard to tell.”
Within minutes, the pair was outside Jared’s room. Jensen sent her one last look before entering. Just like he had with Paige, he stopped in his tracks at the initial site of Jared. He looked awful. He was pale with dark circles under his eyes. There was an oxygen cannula hooked under his nose and various tubes snaking into his body.
“God Jay…nothing is ever easy, huh?” Jensen felt a few tears fall down his cheeks as he sat beside Jared. He took his husband’s hand in his and laid his head down beside Jared’s chest. He allowed himself to cry into the bed.
***********
“Jensen? Baby? Wake up?”
Jensen jerked awake as he felt a hand on his back. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep beside Jared, but the events of the day had caught up with him. He looked up to see his mom standing above him. “M’m?”
“Hey sweetheart.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his head. “How you holding up?”
“Not the one who had to deliver a kid at home, Mom.”
“No…but you had to watch it all happen to someone you love very much.” She stroked the side of Jensen’s face. “Why don’t we step outside for a minute so we don’t wake Jay? That way you can fill us in. Al told us all the medical stuff…but not what happened.”
Jensen nodded. He gave Jared’s hand a kiss before stepping outside. He found his dad, Mack, Andy, and Josh all outside. “Where are Dimi and Remy?”
“Kate has them,” Josh answered.
“Thanks,” Jensen sighed, knowing they were in good hands with Josh’s wife.
“What happened, son? You said Jared was doing better…that he was just having an off day,” Alan asked.
“He was…until his parents paid a visit.”
“Oh my God,” Donna gasped. Jensen had told them years ago about how abusive Jared’s parents could be when he was growing up.
“Apparently they tried to blackmail him. Told him they’d tell him where Jeff was if he gave them money they wanted. When he wouldn’t cater to them, Gerry’s temper flared up. From what I got out of Jared, he pushed him and kicked him in th-the side of his st-stomach.”
“Son of a bitch,” Josh muttered. “Did you call the police?”
“No…want them to have my own form of punishment,” Jensen gritted out in reply.
“Jen, you can’t do that,” Mack sputtered. “Jay needs you…he doesn’t need to bail you out of jail for murder.”
“But-“
“I have a friend on the force,” Josh interrupted. “I’ll give him a call and take him out to the house to dust for prints so that we can nail them for real.” Jensen was still grinding his teeth. “I know it sucks, but if we do this right Jared will never have to deal with those pieces of shit again.”
“My way would give that result too…”
“Yes but what good are you in jail?” Josh sighed.
“Who says I’d be in jail? I could-“
“Enough,” Donna soothed. “Let us handle everything with Jared’s parents.” She squeezed Jensen’s arm softly. “How’s my granddaughter doing?”
Jensen sighed and tried to focus on not going after Jared’s parents. “She’s ok…is in the NICU now. Not sure how long she’ll have to stay. Al said she’s breathing pretty well and just needs a little support for that. She can’t suckle yet so they are giving her food through a tube now. She’s a fighter…”
“Just like her daddy,” Mack assured. “Jay wake up yet?”
“Not yet…but I’d like to get back to him, guys. I just…”
Mack stood up on her toes and kissed her brother’s cheek. “Go take care of your man.”
“Thanks,” Jensen said with a smile. He then turned and headed back into Jared’s room. He glanced at the clock and realized Jared had been out of surgery for a couple hours now. He walked back to the chair and leaned down to kiss Jared’s forehead. It scrunched up a little at the touch. “Jay? Can you hear me baby?” Jared replied with a small moan and a twitch of his hand. Jensen captured the hand in his own and used the other to cup the side of Jared’s face. “Come on…”
It took a few moments but Jensen was rewarded with the fluttering of Jared’s eyelids and the gorgeous hazel underneath. “J’n?” he croaked out tiredly. He blinked slowly at Jensen. “Wh’re? I…”
“Shh…it’s ok. You’re going to be ok.” Jensen kissed him on the forehead again and squeezed his hand.
“B’by?” Jared’s eyes focused better on Jensen. “She ‘k?”
“She’s doing good, Jay. You did so good with her. They’ve got her in the NICU for now. Our Paige is going to be ok.”
Jared smiled despite the bone deep exhaustion and nodded. His eyes were already growing heavy.
“Get some more sleep. You’ve gotta get better so you can go see her.” Jensen rubbed his thumb gently up and down Jared’s cheek. “Love you, Jare.”
“Love you too,” Jared mumbled as he fell back asleep.
This time Jensen didn’t cry when he sat back own beside Jared. Instead, he had a small smile on his face and a hope that he hadn’t thought possible a few hours ago. For the first time all day, he felt like things were going to be ok…
Next Chapter -->
Masterpost
A/N: See…told you I wouldn’t let anything too awful happen ☺. Story is almost finished! I just have 2 more chapters to write. I’m hoping to get 10 up later this week and then 11 early next week!