AJ awoke to another nurse entering Dawn’s room. They had been in and out monitoring her all night.

"Damn", he groaned as he massaged his neck.

"Oh, sorry", he chuckled shyly as he let go of her hand.

"That’s alright," she smiled back at him.

"How does it look?" AJ asked, breaking the silence.

"Everything looks very good. The baby is doing well, too."

AJ perked up at the nurse’s words.

"How much longer do you think before she wakes up?"

"It’s hard to say, could be anytime now. Could also be hours or days."

"But she’s okay, right? She’s gonna pull through?"

"It looks that way, but she’s been through a traumatizing ordeal. A lot can happen. The most reassuring thing I can tell you right now is that she has made it through the first six hours with no further complications. We will continue to monitor her closely."

He looked back up at Dawn. A little more color had settled into her cheeks.

"Is it alright if I stay?"

"Sure, it would probably help her if you did."

The nurse turned and headed towards the door.

"Nurse?"

She turned back to look at him.

"Can she hear me?"

"Yes, she can hear you. She may not respond, but talking to her certainly might help matters."

"Thanks," AJ smiled at her, turning his attention back to Dawn.

The nurse smiled at him as she walked out the door.

"We need some sunshine in here", he said as he got up and walked over to the window, opening the shades to let the sun shine through.

"Ugh, bright light!" He joked as he shielded his eyes.

He chuckled at himself, suddenly remembering that the only person he was amusing, was himself. He walked back over to Dawn and sat down next to her in the chair.

"Angel?" He said quietly as he held her hand in his again.

He gently ran his finger up and down her arm.

"I hope you can hear me. There’s so much I want to tell you, so much I have to say."

He thought for a minute, still stroking her arm.

"We’re gonna have a baby. Just like we always wanted. This baby is such a miracle, especially considering everything you’ve been through. I know I’ve messed up, I know I’ve been difficult. I promise, I’ll change. I want to be by your side through all of this. I want us to be a family again. I’ll give up everything for that. I’ll give up touring, I’ll give it all up if you’ll just, please, come back to me. Help me make it work. I love you so much."

Tears started falling down his cheeks once again.

"I need you, baby. I need you to forgive me and tell me that you still love me and wanna work through this. I’ll do anything."

He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Kevin peeked his head in and AJ wiped the tears from is eyes. He looked at Dawn and was shocked at how fragile she looked. She looked pale and weak. It took all he had not to break down in tears.

"Wow", he gasped as he looked her over.

"I know, she looks bad, doesn’t she", AJ asked, rhetorically.

"She’s gonna be okay", Kevin replied, trying to sound sure of himself.

"AJ, man, why don’t we go get some coffee," Kevin whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I don’t want to leave her."

"We won’t be long. D wants to come in and see her. She’ll sit with her until we get back. You need a break. You’ve been in here all night."

AJ sighed. He did need a break.

"As long as D stays until we get back," he said, breaking his gaze from Dawn and looking up at Kevin.

"She will," he squeezed AJ’s shoulder. "I’ll go get her."

Kevin left and a returned a minute later with D. AJ reluctantly got up and gave Dawn a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I’ll be back soon, Angel," he whispered in her ear.

He gently placed a hand on her stomach.

"And little Angel," he smiled.

He turned to D.

"Please stay until I get back, okay?"

She nodded and gave him a tight hug. She wished she could do more for him. He looked terrible. She had never seen him look so bad. His eyes were red and puffy from all the crying he had done. His hair was a mess, and he had worry lines in his forehead that seemed to have found a permanent home there. He looked back at Dawn one last time as Kevin ushered him towards the door that he held open for him.

"Come get me if anything happens. I mean anything," AJ commanded.

"I will," D smiled as AJ and Kevin left and D took a seat where AJ had been.

"Hey girl. AJ had to go get some coffee but he’ll be back soon. He’s been in here all night, we had to get his blood circulating again," she chuckled. "He’s been worried sick about you. We all have been. You gave us all quite a scare."

She looked at the machines surrounding her friend and sighed.

"Why did this have to happen to you? After everything you’ve been through. If I could take your place I would, in a heartbeat."

She looked down at her hands and played with her ring.

"Nick yelled at me today. You would have been so proud," she chuckled looking up at Dawn’s face.

There was no reaction. She looked back down at her hands.

"He got mad that I was being so hard on J and that I should get over my anger. Maybe he’s right. It’s not all his fault that you’re here. I just can’t forget all the awful things he said. Does that make me a bad person?"

She sighed and thought for a moment.

"I suppose I could cut him a break. I like yelling at him, though. He deserves it. Kevin’s ready to kick my ass, too," she laughed.

She ran her hands over her face as she thought about all the things they had kept from Dawn in the recent months. Everything Noah had done or had threatened to do. They kept it from her for her own protection, but would she understand?

"I sure hope you understand," she whispered. "You’re my best friend. Like the sister I never had….."

She felt tears start to slide slowly down her cheeks as she quickly wiped them away. She didn’t want AJ to come back and see her crying. She had to be strong…..for him. She sat there for a while just listening the bleeps on the machines. She got lost in thought. She didn’t even hear the door open. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Nick and he smiled down at her. She smiled back at him and grabbed his hand.

"I’ve been telling her that everyone’s mad at me but I haven’t gotten any sympathy," she joked.

"You don’t deserve any, baby," he joked back, kissing the top of her head.

"Thanks," she laughed. "You’re right though. I was a bitch and I’m sorry," she said, looking up at him.

"It’s okay. You have every right to be angry but just cut him some slack. He’s going through hell right now. We all need to be here for him. "

She nodded.

"Isn’t it supposed to be one at a time in here?" She asked.

"The nurse said I could come in. She felt sorry for me sitting out there all alone," he smiled.

"Oh okay. I’m glad you’re here," she kissed his hand.

Nick glanced up at Dawn. She looked so lifeless. He wished there were something he could do. As he continued to watch her, he said a silent prayer that she and the baby, would be okay. He and D stayed with her until AJ and Kevin came back.

"No change?" AJ asked, hopeful as he hurried into the room.

"No," D said sadly. "No response whatsoever. I tried, J, I really did."

"I know. I did, too," he sighed sadly as he looked over at Dawn.

"I wish she would wake up. I just want to hear her voice."

"You will," Kevin offered as he put his hand on AJ’s shoulder. "She’s strong. She has a lot of people pulling for her."

AJ looked up at him and smiled weakly.

"I have to call my mo…"

"Already done", Kevin cut him off. "I called her a little while ago and filled her in on everything that’s happened. She wants to come up for a little while, so I’m gonna go stay with Arianna for a couple hours later."

"Thanks, man. Tell my little jellybean that I love her and I’ll see her soon".

"I will", Kevin smiled.

"Why don’t you come with us and get something to eat?" Nick asked.

"No, I’m gonna stay here. I wanna be here in case she wakes up. I don’t want her to be scared."

He squeezed AJ’s shoulder and started out the door. D stopped him.

"I want to talk to J for a minute. Just wait for me outside okay?"

Nick smiled at her and kissed her cheek. Kevin gave her an unsure look.

"It'll be okay, I promise," she smiled.

Kevin smiled back and left with Nick. AJ looked at her curiously as she approached him.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you. You don't need my bitchiness right now. I know I've apologized before, but I mean it this time. I swear!!" She crossed her heart.

"It's okay," he laughed back. "I know the way you feel about what happened. I know I said some really shitty things and I'm paying for them now."

He started to get choked up thinking about everything that happened between he and Dawn.

"I know you are. That's why I'm promising not to yell at you anymore."

"That's good because I don't think I can take it anymore," he told her. "I don't want you hating me. You're friendship means a lot and it hurts that you blame me for all of this even though I deserve it."

"You're friendship means a lot to me too," she said, blinking back her own tears. "That's why I'm apologizing. I was out of line."

"No you weren't. You love Dawn and you were looking out for her. I know how close you two are and I hurt her so much."

He put his face is his hands and let out an unexpected sob. D embraced him.

"Oh J," she sighed. "I wish I could say that everything's going to work out but I can't."

"I know," he sniffed.

"That means more to me than you could imagine."

He wiped his eyes and looked over at Dawn. She hadn't moved at all. He was worried that it was taking so long for her to wake up. D followed his gaze and sighed.

"I tried getting her to wake up. I joked that she would have been proud of Nicky when he yelled at me today but I got nothing."

"She definitely would have been proud," he chuckled.  "It’s so hard, D. This is taking so long. Why isn’t she up yet?"

"Remember what the doctor said. He said that it could be a couple days".

"But what about the baby? How is the baby eating?"

"The same way Dawn is eating", she stroked his arm as he turned to Dawn. "The doctors are taking care of them, J. You just think about when she comes home. All the time you’ll have to spend together…."

He chuckled at her words.

"I don’t think she’ll come home with me. I think I’ve lost her forever…"

"Don’t think like that."

"Are you sure you don't want to come and eat some lunch?"

"No, thanks. I'm gonna stay with her in case she wakes up. I hope she comes around soon."

"I'm sure she will. Just keep talking to her. We'll be back this evening. I’ll bring you some food, you need to eat. Call us on Kevin’s cell phone if anything happens."

She walked over, kissed him on the cheek and left.

"Angel?" He said softly as he stared at Dawn. "I’m back. I see you didn’t miss me, though", he chuckled.

He wanted to talk to her, but he didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t want to start repeating himself. But then again, maybe he did. Maybe something would bring her to and she would remember the things he had said. He took her hand in his and gently caressed it.

"Baby, please wake up. I need you…..Arianna needs you…our baby needs you".

He surprised himself when he said it.

He thought back on the whole terrible argument he and Dawn had when he said the baby wasn’t his. The hurt look on her face, she was so heartbroken.

Tears started to stream down his face once again and he didn’t even make an attempt to fight them. He brought her hand to his face again as he tenderly kissed it, clutching her finger that wore his engagement ring.

"I’m so sorry, Angel. Please forgive me", he pleaded as he ran her hand against his cheek.

He lay his head on the bed next to her and sobbed. Next thing he knew, he drifted off to sleep.

A couple hours later AJ was awakened by someone gently caressing his head. His first thought was that it was a dream. Then, as he woke up a little more, he thought maybe it was someone just trying to wake him.

"Angel? Tell me this isn’t a dream….."

Chapter 57
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