But Why Daddy?

Chapter 20

By: Lizzie

©Lizzie 2002-2004

            The Captain nodded his head and watched as Liz and Robert walked out of the room, “Looks like it’s back to the cell for you.” He said, “You’ll get your phone call in an hour.” Randy stood up and headed to the door with the Captain right behind him.      

Ten minutes after Liz and Robert left the police station, they pulled into the hospital’s parking lot. Liz parked the car, they got out and walked into the hospital and were greeted by Josh.

            “We need to talk.” He said. He turned and walked in the direction of the empty cafeteria. Josh pulled out a chair and looked at Liz and Robert who did the same – sitting across from him. “Paula tells me you told her she could change her mind about give up her baby…”

            “I didn’t tell her that.” Robert said, “I reminded her of what was in the papers she signed.”

            “Same difference.” Josh said, “She’s changed her mind and wants to keep the baby.”

            “And she can do that.”

            Josh looked at Liz, “Sorry, Josh, she can.” Liz said, “With everything that’s come out, no judge would ever up hold anything that she signed. But, in that same token, Randy wouldn’t be given custody of the baby either.”

            “So either way, I’m out of the loop?” Josh asked

            “When the baby is born, you’ll get a paternity test.” Robert said, “There’s no waiting and it’s done before Paula is given the chance to see the baby.”

            A nurse appeared in the entrance of the cafeteria and Liz looked up. The nurse motioned, Liz stood up and walked into the hall, “Is everything okay?” Josh and Robert looked up as Liz and the nurse spoke.

            “The baby is under distress.” The nurse said, “The heart beat is slowing. She’s asking for you.”

Liz nodded her head and followed the nurse to Paula’s room, “What do the doctor’s want to do?” Josh stood up and rushed out of the cafeteria after Liz and the nurse.

“She won’t let them touch her until she’s talked to you.”

They got to the room and Liz walked to Paula, “I’m here…”

“Tell Josh…I’m…I’m sorry for doing this.” Paula said, “I never wanted to hurt him.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Liz asked, “You should be telling Josh.”

“Because I’m taking his daughter away from him.” Paula said, “I’ve known Josh was the father all along. That’s why I left him seven months ago.”

“What about what Randy said? Hmm?” Josh appeared at the door and stood there listening to what Paula was saying, “He said that you guys had been having sex for eight months.”

“True enough, I’ve been cheating on Josh for the majority of our relationship, but I was on the pill and I never told Randy, and besides that, he used a condom – every time we had sex. One weekend I flew from California to see Josh; I left my pills, but didn’t think anything of it. We made love, I left two days later.” Paula said, “Three weeks later when my period should have come, it didn’t. I took one of those home pregnancy test and it came back negative. I waited a couple more weeks and still nothing. So I went to my doctor, they gave me a test and told me I was about eight weeks along.”

“The baby could still be Randy’s…” Liz said, “A paternity test is going to be done when she’s born.”

“Aren’t you listening to me?!” Paula said, “Josh is the father!”

“Well, there a man in jail who, for the last six months, has thought otherwise.” Liz said

“Would it make any difference if I just let Josh have her?”

“Yeah…” Josh said walking into the room, “After she’s born, she came come home with me and that’s the end of it.”

Liz turned and looked at Josh, “As much as I would like to say yes, it can’t be done. Randy is going to fight this to the very end.”

“I don’t care about that.” Paula said, “I don’t want Randy to have her!”

“Why are you fighting this paternity thing? You get it done, it says Josh is her father and what you do after that is between you and Josh. If you don’t take the test you both may loose her.” Liz said, “The test takes but five minutes and done right after she’s born.”

There was a series of beeping noises and a nurse and doctor walked into the room, “Okay, everyone out.”

“Is everything okay?” Josh asked nervously

The nurse in front of the baby monitor held up the print out and motioned for Josh to come to her. Josh walked over and looked at the paper, “You see this?” she pointed to the lines on the paper, “This is the baby’s heartbeat, notice how its spikes are low?” Josh nodded his head, “Heart beat slowing isn’t good, the baby has to come out before…”

“Before what?” Josh and Paula asked

“Before it’s too late.” Liz said. Josh and Paula looked at Liz as she walked out of the room.

“Can I…I stay?” Josh asked. The doctor looked up from his position in front of Paula and nodded his head.

The nurse at the monitor walked to a cabinet, pulled out blue scrubs and handed them to Josh, “Put these on.” Josh put the scrubs on and looked at the monitor next to Paula. The nurse walked out of the room and came back with two orderlies and they wheeled Paula to the delivery room.

Liz walked to the waiting room where Cynthia, Karen and Robert were waiting. She sat in a chair and stared at her lap. Karen got up, walked over to Liz and sat next to her, “What happened?”

“Paula’s changed her mind. She wants to keep the baby even though she knows that Josh is her father.”

Go to Chapter 21