She walked into the waiting room and was surprised not only by the additional faces but whom those faces belonged to. She stood near the door and stared around the room until Kevin walked towards her,
"Hi there." She licked her lips and ran her fingers through her hair from sheer nervousness as she smiled uncomfortably at him. She didn't trust her voice to be able to speak to him too many emotions were surging through her body. He placed his hand on her shoulder,
"How have you been? I hope you've been getting some rest. She needs you." He was still the same Kevin wanting to be in charge. She nodded,
"Yes." She wondered what was going on in his head. She could only imagine what Nick had said about her. There was no telling what slant he put on things to make himself look as if he was the victim. The only reason Nick wasn't handling things was because he was selfish.
"Why didn't you tell Nick about the baby?" She knew he liked to control things but he was out of line here. This was a situation he had no control over. He has no say so whatsoever and there was no way she was going to let him think he did; not for a minute. He was not apart of her life and she wasn't go to listen to any of his bullshit orders and advice,
"Kevin, that's none of your business. You can question Nick if he let's you stick your nose where it doesn't belong but that's not me." He seemed a little taken aback with her words and the bite she used to deliver them which was exactly what she wanted. She looked over his shoulder and noticed Nick and Brian were watching them. Brian looked concerned and Nick looked pathetic which was par for the course lately. She was sick and tired of people coming to his rescue. Asking her why she did this or that to him. Validating his fears and why it was so difficult for him to settle into his role as a father. She did what she had to do to take care of their daughter; she sacrificed, she struggled, she went through an emotional roller coaster. What she was asking of him was not too much. Brian made his way over to them and smiled at Quinn,
"Hi." He placed his hand on Kevin's shoulder as he continued to address her,
"Can you show me to the cafeteria? I'm starving." She took pity on his awkward smile and obvious discomfort. She nodded her head and sighed,
"Sure." She threw Kevin another look just for good measure before walking out the door.
She sat down watched Brian sit down before her with a salad and an iced tea. She wasn't in the mood for this game and she wasn't going to humor him. She leaned back and looked him directly in the eyes,
"What do you want to talk about?" He smiled and shook his head,
"Nothing really." She shook her head and looked at him disgustingly,
"No one comes to a hospital cafeteria for the food. There was something specific you wanted to talk about so just say it." The shock was all over his face and she didn't care if she was coming off rude,
"Let me guess. You want to talk about me and Nick." He nodded his head,
"Actually yes." They stared at each other as he worked up the courage to start the difficult situation,
"Why didn't you tell Nick he was a father?" Here we go again she thought.
"I knew whether Nick knew or not the outcome would be the same; he wouldn't be there for her." He didn't prove her wrong he hadn't been there. She still couldn't figure out why he was still there now. She wasn't even sure why he came in the first place. Maybe guilt played a part in his change in attitude. When she first told him Mac needed surgery he mentioned the tour and no plans of coming to see her.
"You didn't even give him a chance." She shrugged her shoulders,
"Doesn't matter, he proved me right." He sighed,
"It should have been his choice whether or not he was in her life." He had a lot of nerve. Where did he get off trying to lecture her?
"Look, I knew he wasn't going to do what he was supposed to do. He didn't even tell you guys; he acts as if he is embarrassed. He's hardly been there for her. And to say hardly gives him too much credit." She could tell what she said about Nick bothered Brian but she didn't care. She was beyond giving a damn about Nick and that meant Nick's defense and the friends who did the defending.
"Maybe had you told him from the beginning he would have been there, he would have bonded with her. It would have given him time to get used to the idea before she even came into this world." She couldn't get over this. The way everyone tried to justify Nick's actions. No wonder he still acted like a kid; everyone did everything for him. Not only were people cooking, cleaning and arranging his schedule for him; he didn't even have to think. All he had to do was wake up and put one foot in front of the other. Brian was not going to put Nick's inability, or refusal, to be an adult on her,
"Oh, so it's my fault he's a sorry excuse for a man?" They both looked over and noticed Nick was standing within an earshot of them both. She had no clue how long he had been there and how much he had heard but she didn't care. He no longer got any sympathy from her. It was time for him to grow up and move beyond the shock of it all. It seemed that more and more he was acting like a child. She already had one to deal with and if this was what it was going to be like to have Nick in their lives she would prefer he left. She didn't want the wishy-washy act from him. One moment he was in her life the next he was gone; leaving her to answer all of Mac's questions. Leaving her to explain that she wasn't the problem. Some people might disagree with her way of thinking but that was how she wanted to handle things. She glanced over as Nick shifted from foot to foot before walking off like a wounded animal with his head down. Brian looked over at her and for the first time she saw anger,
"He is not a sorry excuse for a man. He may have some growing up to do but he is a good person." She was tired of hearing about all his potential as well. Being a good person didn't always get things done; sometimes it required more than that. She sighed heavily,
"He's a fucking useless kid."
"Well, it didn't stop you from fucking that kid." She was thrown off. Not by the bad word, she knew no one could be as much of an angel as Brian was portrayed but by the harsh tone. It didn't take her long to recover though and she was on the defensive,
"Whatever Brian. You know as well as I do that Nick does not have the mental capacity to handle this." Her hands began to fly around,
"This isn't about Nick not being able to come to terms with being a father. He just can't; he's not ready. He doesn't know how to deal and you know it." Brian shook his head as she watched him try to quickly swallow what he was eating,
"Nick is quite capable of taking care of your daughter." Your daughter? He said your daughter.
"My daughter? Like Nick had nothing to do with it. You're right, she's my daughter." He rolled his eyes,
"That's not what I meant but now that you mention it. Why did you wait so long to tell him? You never answered that." She sighed,
"I did answer it. He wasn't going to be a father so I didn't bother." He stood up and shook his head as he looked down at her,
"You need to get over whatever anger you have towards Nick. For your daughter's sake and your own." There was no anger towards Nick. The only feelings she had towards Nick was that of disgust and she wished Brian and Kristin would stop trying to see something that wasn't there as far as her feelings for Nick were concerned.
Chapter 62
Reunited
Stories