Self Destruct (28 page)

Aiden

The hospital was crawling with cops.  They paced the floors holding bad cups of coffee.  "How is he?" I asked one of the officers that had volunteered to protect Becca and I in Roslyn. 

"He made it through surgery.  The bullet went straight through, so he mostly needed stitches.  He was demanding to talk to you as they were wheeling him into surgery.  As stubborn as he is, I'm sure he is going to want to talk to you once he comes back out," the cop answered.

"Is there an Aiden Ryan here?" a nurse asked from the desk.  "That's me," I answered.  "Mr. Martin would like to see you.  He is in the first door on the right," she said pointing. 

"But my wife.  I don't want to leave her," I argued.  "She needs to be seen.  Dr. Williams is the attending tonight.  He said he could see her in the same room.  I'm also supposed to tell you he is going to give you a punch card for frequent visitors."

Becca laughed.  I shook my head.  I failed to see the humor in the drama we had been through.  Her assault by Nick, the mysterious "illness", the concussion she suffered during her abduction, and the stress that constantly threatened the life of my son were not things I found funny.

Dr. Williams motioned for Becca to sit on the vacant bed.  He started taking her blood pressure, and checking the baby's vitals.  I looked on the other side of the room and saw a strangely happy Reed.

His shoulder was bandaged, he had I.V. lines running into his hand, and he had a big smile on his face.  Actually, he had the same look I've seen in pictures of myself.  The ones Becca took of me, where I was looking right at her.  Finally I noticed the object of his affection, and began smiling myself. 

"Hi Kate," I greeted.  She looked up and blushed before returning the greeting.  Well I'll be damned.  "How are you?" I asked Reed.  "I'm alive, and the service here is pretty good," he answered, and returned to staring at Kate.  She turned even redder.  "I'm glad Becca is ok," Reed commented.

I turned to the doctor for confirmation.  "What's the verdict Doc?  Is she going to be ok?"  "Her blood pressure seems to be elevated, probably due to stress.  Otherwise she and the baby are both doing fine," Dr. Williams reassured. 

Becca was instructed to rest until her next check-up in a week, and we were free to leave.  "Take care Reed, we'll drop by and see you tomorrow.  Thanks for everything.  We couldn't have handled this with out you," I promised. 

"I take care of my friends.  Besides, I have a feeling meeting the two of you was the luckiest thing to ever happen to me," he replied, and smiled at Kate again.  Yep, he was a goner.  That would be fun to watch.

I put my hand on Becca's back and led her out of the hospital.  "Come on Mrs. Ryan, let's go home."  "Aiden, we don't have a home to go to right now," Becca reminded me.  "Doesn't matter.  I'll get us a suite at a hotel.  It'll still be home, because you'll be there.  That is home for me, where ever you are."

Rebecca

God, I was so tired.  I had barely slept for the last thirty hours.  Everything hurt, but I had never been this happy.  Across the room Aiden paced slowly, rocking our son in his arms.  I didn't think it was possible to love him more, but seeing him cradling our baby made my heart thump harder and faster than ever before.

Scott Ryan was a big baby at nine pounds.  The waiting room and hallway was packed with family and friends, who some how managed to endure the long hours of my labor and had yet to leave.  Aiden was being stingy, and hadn't brought Scott out to see everyone yet.

My parents were out there, all three of them.  Jeremy and Toni were bickering on the other side of the door trying to figure out who was going to get to hold him first.  Kate and Cameron were waiting quietly.  Reed and Aiden's dad Frank were discussing sports.  Particularly the probability Scott would play football since he was so big. 

Aiden's mom was not present since she was convicted in the conspiracy of my abduction.  She reached a plea bargain, and only served five months of her sentence.  Frank finalized the divorce while she was behind bars.  He started dating a paralegal a few months later.  She was young, and it was totally a cliché, but he seemed really happy.

Vanessa and George were both convicted of more serious crimes.  Vanessa was convicted of the attempted murder of a police officer among other things.  Neither of them would see the outside of a prison for many years.

Even though the danger had passed Aiden still made good on his threat.  Our new house sported the biggest fence I had ever seen.  It had a crazy security system inside and out.  In addition there were four, huge, snarling, but secretly gentle Doberman Pinchers running the grounds.  It made him feel better, so I didn't put up a fuss.  Well not much of one at least.

"Are you going to share?" I asked Aiden.  I tried to tease, but honestly I just wanted to hold my baby again.  He smiled the brightest, happiest smile I'd ever seen.  He swaggered over to my bed and crowded in next to me.  He placed the baby in my arms, and then positioned me inside of his.  "There, now everything is perfect."  And it was as close to perfect as I could imagine.

The End