Chapter Eighteen:

She was still kneeling by his side, trying to get him to wake up when the paramedics arrived. She felt someone’s hand on her shoulders, pulling her away from him. She struggled out of their grip, “No…”

“Mrs. Buchanan, you have to move out of the way so we can help him. She nodded, never taking her eyes off of him. She was afraid that, if for even a second she looked away, he would be gone. She watched them carefully strap him to the backboard and place him on the gurney.

She walked up to the paramedic, “I’m going with you to the hospital,” he nods his head and helps her up into the ambulance. She takes a seat beside him and takes his hand, running her other hand along the side of his face, “Come on, Buchanan. Open your eyes. Please just open your eyes.”

They pulled up outside the ER. The ambulance doors swung open and Larry was standing there. He looked up surprised to see Nora, “Nora, honey what’s wrong?”

“It’s Bo…he’s alive, Larry…” she held her hand out to him so he could help her out of the ambulance.

“I don’t understand.” They followed the paramedics into the exam room. He looked up at Larry, “How…”

“I don’t know how it happened, Larry, but it’s him. He called out to me…there was a truck,” she looks down at Bo, “he threw himself on top of me…he pushed me out of the way of the truck.”

Larry listened to her account of what happened while he assessed Bo’s condition. He walked over and took her by the hand, leading her outside, “He has a really nasty bump on his head. We’re going to take him down for a CT scan.”

“Is he going to be okay,” she places her hand on her back, grimacing as she tries to catch her breath.

“Nora, are you okay?”

“I’m…I’m fine. Larry, tell me…,” she reaches out and holds onto Larry’s arm, “Oh…” she looks up at Larry, “It’s the baby…I think he’s coming.”

Larry yells out to an orderly who is passing with a wheelchair. They help Nora into it and he instructs the orderly to take her up to the maternity unit. He quickly pages Dr. Conklin and then finishes writing up the instructions for Bo turning him over to the chief resident on duty. He runs towards the elevators still shouting his orders as the doors closed.

He rushed down the hallway, stopping at the desk to see what room she was in. She was just getting put on the fetal monitor when he walked in, “Hey, honey…how ya’ doing?”

“They’re trying to stop the contractions,” she chokes on her tears, “It’s too soon.”

Larry walks over and sits down beside her on the bed, “You’ve been down this road before, Nora, with Matthew. If they can’t stop it, his chances are very good.”

She nods, wiping the tears with the back of her hand, “Larry, you should be with Bo. Dr. Conklin is going to be here in a few minutes. I’d feel so much better if you were with him.”

He stands up and kisses her cheek, “I’ll go check on him and then I’ll come up here and check on you in a few hours.” He lays his hand on hers, giving it a squeeze, “He’s going to be okay, Nora. He came back from wherever he’s been; he’s not going to let a little bump on the head keep him from you.”

She laid her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes, opening them when she heard a knock on the door, “Susannah…how…”

“Larry called me,” She sat down on the edge of the bed, “Larry said that Bo’s here…that he saved you from being hit by a truck.”

Nora smiled through her tears, “It was so surreal, Suze, like a dream. I heard him call out my name and when I looked up there he was. He threw himself on top of me, pushing me out of the way. Larry said that he has a bump on his head.”

“He’ll be fine”, she stands up, “How about you? What happened?”

Nora looks over at the monitor registering each of his little heart beats, “I don’t know, I guess he just decided that he wanted to come out and meet his daddy.”

Susannah lays her hand on Nora’s stomach, “Well you just be patient, little one.”

Another contraction hits, “Whoa, I sure hope he listens…”

*~*

They brought Bo back into his room; a minor concussion was their diagnosis. As he lies there, his mind is filled with memories...memories of her, and the life they've shared....

"Do I look like a twist off kind of girl?"..."Spend all night dressed up as a 5 year old?"...a meeting of their lips, a passionate kiss,..."I want to know what Bo Buchanan would say." ...."You're not a friend."...."You should go ahead and risk it all. I sure as hell would."....”You just pace yourself, and don’t give up on me, please." He mumbles out loud, "I won't give up…never give up." Back to his rushing memories..."What’s all this talk about scoring and love?"..."Definitely a bear trap."....

*~*

Dr. Conklin walks in and checks the monitors. She makes a few notes in her chart and walks over to the bed, “What’s going on? Is he okay?”

“His heart rate is holding steady, Nora, but the contractions aren’t slowing like I hoped they would. I’m willing to give it a few more hours but if they continue to come at this pace and you continue to dilate we’re going to have to proceed with delivery. That being said, if at any time he seems to be in danger, if his heart rate drops or his stress level rises we’re going to have to proceed regardless.”

Susannah squeezes her sister’s hand as they both silently pray that if this baby makes his entrance into the world tonight; his daddy is there to witness it.

*~*

The nurse walks into the room and places the blanket back over him. She walks out of the room as Larry is walking towards her, “How’s our patient?”

“He seems to be trying to wake up. He’s mumbled a few things, nothing that I can make out though.”

Larry nods and walks into the room. He sits down beside the bed and watches him as he fights through his memories…

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that I am happy- because of you"..."God, it’s a great time to be alive."..."I love you. So help me God."...He murmurs "I love you." a smile on his face as he continues to remember..."I’m about to pull off the heist of a lifetime..."..."We’re supposed to be together."

*~*

Nora looks over at the monitor, breathing through the latest contraction, waiting for the peak to go down and the pain to subside. She turns and looks at Susannah, “They’re still coming, Suze. I don’t know if they’re going to be able to stop them.”

Susannah places the cold cloth on her forehead, “Just breathe through them and try and relax.”

Nora nods, squeezing Susannah’s hand as another contraction hits….

*~*

Larry walks back out into the hallway and drops off a few charts at the nurse’s station, “Page me if there’s any change.”

“I will, Dr. Woleck.”

Back in his room, Bo tosses and turns, his mind still lost in a sea of memories, "Don’t you dare walk away."..." I see love."..."Miss you already, Bo”…”I miss you, too."..."You would make me the happiest guy in the whole world if you would take this ring and say that you’ll marry me. "...He mumbles, "Marry me," as he twists in the bed… "I love you more than anyone’s ever loved anybody.”..."So miss me, a lot, and always love me, but go on living and remember how very much I have loved you, and always will."..."Never say never."..."Be sure."...."This dance can go on forever."....."Always come back to me."...

He sits up in bed, “Always come back…” He looks around the room, a smile spreading across his face, “Nora…”

He picks up the call button and a moment later the nurse walks through the door, “Mr. Buchanan, you’re awake. Dr. Woleck is going to be thrilled.”

“Larry…where is he?”

“He’s in his office. He wanted me to page him if there was any change in your condition.” She walks back over to the door, “I’ll be right back.”

*~*

Dr. Conklin walks over to the bed, “Nora, I’m sorry, but the contractions are still coming every few minutes, and you’re almost completely dilated. We’re going to have to deliver the baby, soon.” She turns to the nurse, “We’re prepping for delivery.”

*~*

Larry rushes through the door. Bo turns when he hears the door open, he walks towards Larry as he finishes buttoning his shirt, “Well you sure are a sight for sore eyes.” The two men embrace, “Welcome home, my friend.”

“It’s great to be back, Larry… speaking of family. Where’s Nora?”

“She’s in labor and delivery, Bo.”

“Now…the baby’s coming now?”

“They’re trying to stop it, Bo…but…”

Bo did not wait for Larry to continue. He ran out of the room and up the stairs taking them two at a time. He ran over to the nurse’s station. She pointed him in the right direction. He rushes towards the room, stopping to catch his breath before he walks in. He slowly walks into the room, she looks up from the bed; the tears begin falling down his face when he sees her lying there.

She holds out her hand. He walks over to the bed, pausing for just a second before placing his hand in hers, sitting down beside her on the bed. He reaches out and lays a hand on her face, leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips, “I promised you I’d always come back….”

Nora laughed through her tears, reaching out to run her fingers over his lips, “And you always keep your promises don’t you, Buchanan.” He leans in and kisses her, feeling her tense up as another contraction comes, “Our son’s eager to meet his daddy,” she says as the pain subsides.

Bo smiles, wiping the tears from her face, “Our son.” He leans down and kisses her again. He lies down beside her on the bed and together they wait until it’s time to bring their son into the world.