to be with you

"What does this mean, exactly?" Geoff shook his head as he listened again to the young doctor in his blue scrubs. He looked far too young to even know what any of this really meant. Especially, what Nancy might be going through right now at this very moment. He kept listen but the words meant nothing to him.

Nancy had had a stroke.

"But the baby is all right," Dayton said as he held on Geoff's arm. They walked by ICU to see Nancy as if maybe she was dead and just hooked up to life support.

"We'll have to see how tomorrow goes and the next day after that." The doctor sounded it might be weeks, perhaps months if that, to recover.

Geoff shook his head. How was this possibly? He hadn't wanted to stay late after school, but there was a meeting he'd forgotten about. It seemed to go on forever. If only he'd been at home on time. Why had she let her Mom go so soon? Someone should have been with her.

"You didn't take the paternity test, did you?" Geoff looked at him then. It was as if everything was on schedule. Wasn't it? Everything but Nancy.

"That's the next thing," Dayton nodded.

"Don't. I just want to sign the birth certificate, all right." Geoff stared at Dayton as if that was the way to go.

Dayton just nodded.

"You go sit with her, and I'll see if I can bring the baby down here." Dayton gave Geoff a pat on the back.

Geoff was still in the state of shock.

"You're sure she's not in a coma?" Geoff wanted to know, but a nurse told him she'd been awake and had gone back to sleep. He grabbed her hand, hoping she might squeeze it back, but she didn't.

There was talk of moving her to a private room. He guessed it would be soon. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine this. How had it happened? Had it been her blood pressure? Had she been dehydrated. He shook his head.

They'd taken the baby by C-section. As of yet, he hadn't seen the baby, and he felt a bit envious of Dayton. Really, deep down he wasn't sure if he wanted the baby to be Dayton's. He might envy him more then. But he wouldn't dwell on it. There was no time for that. He just wanted Nancy to come out of this. To know, she was a mother now.