Nickolas sat beside Sunshine�s bedside as she laid there and stared right through him. He held onto her hand, but she didn�t do anything or say anything. He just looked at her and wondered what she was thinking. She wouldn�t speak or look at anyone directly. She just stared right through them like they weren�t even there.
It�s been over a month and they had moved Sunshine to the psychiatric wing of the hospital and Nickolas visited her everyday. Today was like every other day; he would get up in the morning, shower, have a little breakfast, and be at the hospital by the time visiting hours started at eight a.m. There he would stay for the next twelve hours until it was time to leave at eight p.m. He would go home then do the same thing the next day.
It was killing him not being able to be with her and hold her in his arms like he loved doing. All he could do was sit there and watch her helplessly. All the doctors would tell him to do what just talk to her and remind her of the love they share. That�s all you can do right now, they said. But there had to be something more he could do. Even the books said the same thing and it was driving him crazy. There just had to be something else he could do. He would give her kisses, but that wasn�t working either�nothing was working.
�Sunnie.� She did nothing. �Sweets, I�ve been sitting here for the past month or so and you won�t give me any kind of response. The doctors said if you soon don�t get better they�re going to have to send ya to a different hospital. They said it would be, like, a psych rehab and I know you don�t want that. They we�re going to send ya away a couple weeks ago, but I talked them out of it. I promised them that you would come around in a few weeks. I couldn�t stand seeing you going to that place. I wouldn�t be able to visit you like this. I wouldn�t know what to do. I don�t know what to do now.� He took a deep breath to hold back his tears.
�I know you�re upset about what happened, but it doesn�t mean ya have to put yourself through this. Ya have to be strong. I�m just as upset, but I�m staying strong. You have to be strong. We can try again in a couple years, I promise.� He pushed the hair from her face. �I miss you, Sweets, and I know you miss me too. I hate waking up and not having you beside me. I even wake up in the middle of the night wanting to share my love with you, but you�re not there and I hate it. I love you so much.� He kissed her lips, but she did nothing. He looked at her and she just stared through him. �Sunnie, please.�
He sat there in silence a few minutes just looking at her then he started singing and old Backstreet Boys song, �Late at night�I reach to hold you tight�but you�re not there�I know you still care�and oh how I miss�your soft tender lovely kiss you give to me�so tenderly�we used to feel�.time would stand still�when I see you�Baby, it will�so hurry home�you know your man needs you so...if I don�t have you�to hold onto�I can�t go on�in this world alone�Baby, it�s true�if you said goodbye�Girl, I would die�I�m a star with no light�a day with no night�if I don�t have you�.�
�Um, Mr. Carter,� a nurse interrupted and he looked. �Dr. Jackson would like to see you in his office.�
�Right now?�
�Yes.�
�Um�alright.� The nurse walked out. �Maybe Dr. Jackson has an idea of what I can do to help you. I guess we�ll see though. I�ll be right back.� He kissed her and got up. He looked at her a moment then walked to the door.
�Nicky,� Sunshine whispered as he opened the door. He didn�t hear her and walked out closing the door. �Nicky.�
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�No, Doc,� Nickolas said. �I am not sending my wife to a damn rehab center.�
�Nick, they�ll be able to treat her better than we can here,� Dr. Justin Jackson pointed out. �The psych rehab facility in Houston is good. They�ll be able to give her the proper medicine and the proper treatment she needs. TBG is just an emergency hospital. We can�t care for Sunshine like you think.�
�But I ain�t sending her to know rehab in Texas or anywhere else. I�ll take care of her myself before I send her away.�
�Nick, you can�t. She needs professional help which is something you can�t give her.�
�She just needs me.�
�Sunn needs more than that.�
�No she doesn�t. I can take care of her. I can do it.�
�When I took over for Dr. Timmons I read over all his files including Sunshine�s. She had to go through a rehab program for her addiction to anti-depressants. You couldn�t help her then.�
�But I was with her the whole time and I�m going to be with her this time also. She needs me.�
�And she also needs professional help.�
�But she�s not hooked on anti-depressants this time. We gave up our children to save her life. No professional can help her this time, only I can and you and everyone else know that.�
�There�s a psychiatrist in Houston who went through the whole abortion thing herself. She can relate to Sunshine.�
�I don�t care. If I can�t be with her then she ain�t going anywhere.�
�This is for her own good.�
�I�m not sending her away. If there was a way I could be with her everyday then I might do it.�
�There isn�t anyway to be with her everyday.�
�Then forget it.�
�Maybe you should talk to her parents before you make your final decision. I�m sure they would want her to get the help she needs.� Nickolas shook his head. �Nick, it�s��
�No. I promised her I would take care of her and that�s what I�m going to do. If I send her away against her will she�ll never forgive me and hate me. I don�t want that.�
�But she�ll be thankful that you got her help.�
�You don�t understand.�
�Maybe not, but as her doctor I understand her medical needs.�
�She doesn�t need anymore doctors, doctor. She�s seen enough of them to last a lifetime.� They looked at each other. �Are you sure there isn�t another alternative? Couldn�t I just take her home and have a doctor or nurse that deals with this stuff come by?�
�There�s not a lot that will and when you find one ya have to be willing to pay a lot of money for it.�
�Well I got money to spend. I�ll do whatever it takes to get Sunnie better, but I will not send her away.� Dr. Jackson sighed. �Please, Doc.�
�Alright, I�ll give you one more week in here and if she doesn�t start to show signs of recovery then you can take her home and I�ll get you a house doctor.�
�Thank you. I promise she�ll show improvement soon.�
�You better hope so.�
�I know she will.� Nickolas shook his hand and then walked out.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kevin took the lasagna from the oven, as he heard the front door shut. Just in time, he thought knowing it was Venus. He set the pan on the table and got two plates from the cupboard and some silverware from the drawer. He walked over to the table and set it all up as his wife walked into the kitchen.
�Hey, Baby,� Venus said walking over to him.
�Hey,� Kevin said as they kissed and she walked over to the refrigerator. �How was work?�
�Work.� She got the milk and walked back over to the table. She filled the glasses and put the milk back. �They needed someone to go out to the L.A. office, right?� Kevin nodded and they sat down. �So I volunteered to go, but they won�t let me, because I�m pregnant. Isn�t that discrimination?�
�In some cases I think it is, but they want you safe for the sake of our children.�
�But it would just be for a couple days next week. I�m going on maternity leave the following week and I just wanted one more job.�
�V, you haven�t been on plan since we found out you were pregnant. Flying has a big effect on pregnant woman.�
�I know things will be fine though.�
�They probably think otherwise though just like me.�
�You people worry too much.�
�You�re due next month so maybe you should take it slow this next month.�
�I�m perfectly fine.�
�I just think that you shouldn�t over do it.�
�Don�t worry about me all right?�
�Can�t I worry about the people I love?�
�I didn�t say that.�
�That�s how you�re making it sound.�
�You don�t want me to over do it yet you�re fighting with me.�
�I ain�t fighting. I was just merely making a suggestion.�
�A suggestion I didn�t ask for by the way.�
�Then I�m sorry.�
�Alright. How was your day?�
�Good. I went down to see Sunn and Nick.� Venus didn�t say anything and continued eating. �Nick said they were talking about sending Sunn to a psych clinic in Houston, but Nick talked them out of it. He said if she doesn�t improve any in the next week he�s going to take her home and just get a house doctor.� She still didn�t say anything. �Nick has faith in her showing improvement though.�
�Why should I care?�
�Because they�re your friends.�
�If it wasn�t for Nick she wouldn�t be in this situation. Sunn hasn�t been my friend since she met that bastard and he has never been my friend. Look at everything he�s done to hurt her.�
�And look at everything he�s done to show how much he loves her. I�ve known Nick a long time and if he didn�t love Sunshine he wouldn�t have married her.�
�You�re defending him?�
�Because he�s a decent guy and deserves to be defended. He�s one of my best friends just like Sunn is yours.�
�Perhaps you didn�t hear me the first time; Sunn hasn�t been my friend since she met that bastard. Ever since she did it�s always been about him, just like it was before we did. Things never changed with her. He�s managed to hurt her over and over and she keeps going back for more.�
�It�s because she loves him. If she didn�t she would�ve walked away a while ago, but she loves Nick the way we love each other, but perhaps even more.�
�Well I ain�t continuing this conversation.� She got up.� Excuse me.� She walked out and Kevin shook his head. He sat there eating a moment then heard, �Kevin!� He quickly got up and ran to find his wife. He found her at the bottom of the stairs doing her Lamaze and holding her stomach.
�Venus!�
�My water just broke. The babies are coming.�
�Right now?�
�No tomorrow. Yes now.�
�Ok, um�to the hospital.� He led her to the door and grabbed her overnight bag sitting there and then went out.
CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 34
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