3 years Later....
Laura stirred the milk on the stove absently, a worried frown marring her brow. She had woke up a little while ago with a feeling that something wasn't quite right. After checking on Lulu, who was sleeping peacefully, then making a circuit of the house, checking the locks, and making sure nothing there was amiss she had gone to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate, in hopes that it would help her get back to sleep. But now she was wondering if there might be a problem with one of her other children. Nikolas? He should be safe and sound at Wyndemere right now with his wife of two years whom he had met in Greece. Maybe it was Lucky? She always had a little worry to spare for her youngest son ever since the kidnapping. Not that he would want to be worried about, or even needed it. He was living a happy and peaceful life with Elizabeth, working and taking classes at PCU. He and Elizabeth had moved up from the tiny studio they had lived in for two years and were living in a nice apartment in a quieter part of town. Helena was safely in prison, and no one had heard from Faison since he had left town three years ago. It was probably nothing, maybe the pizza she'd had for dinner that had made her wake from a sound sleep tonight. She took the milk off the stove and poured it into a mug, then jumped when she heard a noise behind her.
''Can't sleep, Angel?'' Luke had reached for his wife in his sleep only to find her side of the bed empty.
''Well, you know how I sometimes get these weird feelings...'' Laura shrugged. ''I checked on Lulu and she's fine. I guess it was nothing.''
''It's awfully lonely up there without you,'' said Luke pulling her to him. ''Wanna come back to bed?''
Laura smiled up at him. ''Okay.'' She decided to skip the hot chocolate and let him lead her back up the stairs, trying to put her premonition out of her mind.
Elizabeth woke from a sound sleep with a feeling that something was wrong. She instinctively put her hands on her protuding belly and looked over at Lucky sleeping peacefully next to her. As if he felt her gaze on him his eyes opened and he reached out to touch her face.
''Hey,'' he said, giving her a sleepy smile, ''Is the baby keeping you awake again?''
She smiled back at him and rubbed her stomach lovingly. ''No, I think he or she is sleeping for once. I don't know what woke me up this time.'' She climbed out of bed. ''I'll be right back.''
Lucky watched his wife leave the room with a smile still on his face. He had never thought Elizabeth could be more beautiful until he saw her pregnant with his child. His musings were interrupted by a scream from the bathroom. Lucky was out of the bed and bursting through the bathroom door in seconds. The first thing he saw was Elizabeth's terror-stricken face, her eyes huge and full of tears. Then, he saw the blood.
The wail of a siren broke through the quiet night as the ambulance pulled up to the ER at General Hospital. The doors opened with a whoosh as the EMTs pushed it quickly through. Alan Quartermaine was on night duty that evening, and was listening and nodding as the man pushing the gurney spat out medical jargon that Elizabeth couldn't understand. Lucky was holding her hand and running alongside as Elizabeth was pushed down the hall, and she looked up at him fearfully. ''Lucky, our baby. They have to save our baby!''
''They will, Elizabeth,'' he reassured her. ''Our baby will be fine.'' He squeezed her hand. ''Everything is going to be okay. You'll see.''
As Elizabeth was wheeled into the cubicle and moved onto a table, Alan tried to make Lucky leave, but when Elizabeth begged to let him stay, he told him he could if he stayed back. He stood as close as they would let him as he watched her being hooked up to all the machines that cluttered the room. Just then, Bobbie rushed through the door. Seeing Lucky, she patted him on the arm as she passed him. ''It'll be okay Lucky.''
He watched, feeling like he was in the midst of a nightmare as the obstetricial on call hurried in and examined his wife. Elizabeth looked so pale and tired, in spite of the blood that was being pumped into her. The ekg beeped and he could hear the baby's heartbeat on the fetal monitor. He remembered the wonder of hearing that heartbeat for the first time, and being filled with amazement at the tiny life growing inside of Elizabeth.
''Lucky.'' It was the OB, motioning him over to the table where Elizabeth lay. He moved over and grabbed her hand, listening in confusion as the doctor explained, using a lot of medical talk that Lucky didn't understand, why Elizabeth was hemmoraging, and that they were going to have to do an emergency C-section.
''No!'' cried Elizabeth fearfully. ''It's too soon! The baby's too little!''
''Elizabeth, you're in your thirty-second week,'' said the doctor soothingly. ''Babies are born all the time that soon, often without needing special treatment. Your baby already weighs at least seven pounds, and the heartbeat is strong. But it's absolutely necessary to deliver now.
''It's okay Elizabeth,'' Lucky said, looking into her eyes, and caressing her cheek. ''Pretty soon you'll be holding our son.'' He smiled at her and tried not to show how terrified he was. Her dark lashes closed against her pale cheek. She looked so weak.
''Or daughter,'' she whispered, just before one of the machines started beeping shrilly. ''Doctor, her pressure's dropping,'' he heard a nurse say.
''What's going on?'' Lucky cried as Bobbie pulled him away from the bedside and propelled him toward the door.
''Lucky!'' she said firmly ''You have to go out now. I'll be out as soon as I can to let you know what's happening.
''Take care of her!'' he said, and as she went back in he heard a nurse say that she had lost consciousness. He stared through the window in the door, but the curtain in front of the bed obscurred his vision. A cold hand of fear clutched his heart as he fought off the panic that was threateing to overwhelm him. Slowly he moved over to the chair across from the door, but instead of sitting down, he dropped to his knees in front of it, burying his head in his arms. ''Please God,'' he prayed. ''Please don't let her die. Please.'' His shoulders shook with silent sobs, as he stayed in that position and repeated the same prayer over and over.
Luke and Laura, after a phone call from Amy and a quick drive to the hospital, hurried down the corridor to the ER. By then, Lucky was sitting in the chair looking, but not seeing straight ahead of him. Laura went to him and held him tightly to her when he stood up. ''Lucky, what happened?
He pulled back and wiped his eyes. ''She's bleeding. Alot. I think she's unconscious.'' He took a shuddering breath. ''Mom, she has to be alright.''
''She will be,'' Laura crooned hugging him tightly again. She understood that while Lucky was worried about the baby, his main concern at the moment was his wife. Luke walked over after trying to see into the window and hugged him next. Lucky was struggling mightily to hold on, and not give into the despair and fear he was feeling. He nodded absently when his mother offered to go get him some coffee.
He sat back down and resumed his staring at the door as Luke sat quietly next to him. Suddenly, the stillness was broken by the sound of an indignant wail from inside. Lucky jumped up and ran over to the door just as it flew open and a nurse was pushing the portable incubator out. Lucky tried to get a glimpse of the baby but they were rushing toward the NICU. Bobbie emerged then and smiled at Lucky. The surgery went well, and the hemmoraging has stopped. She's still unconscious, though, and we're watching her closely. And, Lucky, congratulations. You have a beautiful daughter.''
Lucky felt a lump in his throat at her words. A daughter. Elizabeth had wanted a little girl so badly, although she would have been happy with a boy too. She had to wake up. ''Can I see her?''
Bobbie shook her head. ''Not yet. Give us a little time to finish stitching her up and get her moved to ICU. Then you can sit with her awhile.''
''Well, can I see the baby?'' He asked.
''Sure. C'mon. She motioned to Luke and Laura to follow them to the NICU.
Once they were there, Bobbie went in and talked to one of the nurses. She came back out and smiled at her nephew. ''She's doing good. Come on in.'' Luke and Laura had to stay behind and watch through the window as Lucky went inside. Bobbie led him over to where the baby, who had just been washed and swaddled tightly in a blanket, lay quietly in the arms of another nurse.
''Is she...okay?'' Lucky asked. ''She's so tiny.''
''She's very okay,'' answered the nurse. ''And actually, she's not so little. She weighs 7 lbs 3 oz. She's very healthy.'' The nurse came forward and placed the baby in her father's arms.
Lucky looked down into the blue eyes that were trying to focus on his face. She was beautiful. ''Hello little girl.'' he said softly, rubbing his finger lightly on the silky cheek. ''I'm your daddy.'' He felt a tear run down his cheek as he brought her over to the window to show his parents. The nurse showed him a rocking chair that he could sit down in, and he did, without taking his eyes off of his daughter. Since Elizabeth couldn't nurse right now, and the baby was getting hungry, Lucky got to give her her first feeding. She didn't drink much before falling asleep, but Lucky still rocked her, and talked to her softly. ''You look just like your mom. So beautiful. Just wait til you meet her. You'll love her so much. She'll be such a great mom.'' His voice broke a little on that.
A soft tap on the window caught his attention and he saw Luke, who had promised to come get him when he was allowed to see Elizabeth, motion to him. He stood up and kissed his daughter on the forehead before handing her to the nurse, then hurried out to talk to his father.
''She's asking for you, Cowboy.''
Lucky felt his heart leap with joy as he took off at a dead run down the hall. He ran all the way to ICU, taking the stairs instead of the elevator in his hurry to get to his wife's side. When he got to the nurse's station, he skidded to a stop. ''Where is she?'' he asked the nuse on duty, who pointed to the open door across the hall. He took a deep breath, wanting Elizabeth to think he was calm, before he entered the room. Elizabeth's doctor was standing by her bedside, scribbling on her chart. She gave Lucky a smile when he entered. ''She's going to be just fine.'' At the relief on his face she patted his shoulder and left the room, but Lucky only had eyes for Elizabeth, who was slowly waking up. He moved over to her and took her hand. Her cheeks had more color in them now, he noted with relief.
Her eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Lucky looking down at her with love and concern on his face. ''Lucky,'' she whispered, then tried to shift positions so that she could see him better. When she moved she felt a stab of pain in her belly, and everything came rushing back. As she felt her flattened stomach with her hand, she gasped. ''Lucky! The baby! Where's the baby?'' She tried to sit up, but stopped as pain washed over her, and Lucky took hold of her shoulders, easing her back onto the pillow.
''Shhh. Don't try to move, you just had surgery.'' His hand smoothed the hair off her brow and he smiled. ''The baby's fine, in fact...''
He was interrupted by a light tap on the door. It was Bobbie, pushing the little bassinet where their daughter was beginning to stir fretfully, making snuffly noises. ''Hey mom and dad. I think someone's hungry.'' Bobbie smiled at Lucky as he carefully picked the baby up and cradled her close.
''Ready to meet your mom?'' he asked, walking back over to the bed. Gently he laid her in the crook of Elizabeth's arm after Bobbie raised the head of the bed and helped her to sit up a little bit. ''Elizabeth, meet our daughter.''
Her eyes filled with tears as Liz took the baby from Lucky. ''Ohhhh Lucky!'' she whispered. ''She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.'' She looked up at him in wonder, then back down at the baby. ''Is she...she's healthy?''
''Very healthy,'' answered Bobbie. ''And ready to eat.'' She helped Elizabeth guide the baby's mouth to her breast and then left the little family alone.
Lucky watched the baby suck greedily, then his eyes met Elizabeth's again, communicating the huge love he felt for her, and this new little person in their life. He was sure at that moment that no man had ever been as blessed as he had been.
The Very End