Bay City General

Cameron looked straight ahead at Morgan, but not really seeing him. He was just reliving Morgan's words. "Very bad." Amanda was "very bad." She was in there, in "very bad" condition and he was out here, helpless. He focused back in on Morgan.

"What happened?"

"Why don't we go and listen to Dr. Flanders? He can tell you more about it than I can." Morgan pointed over to where the doctor was, surrounded by Amanda's support system.

Cameron walked over and as he got closer, he could hear the doctor talking about Amanda. He quickened his pace.

"Ms. Cory was probably one of the worst cases I have ever seen in my 35 years as a doctor."

"How is she Dr. Flanders? Will she make it?" an anxious Rachel asked.

Cameron held his breath. Gary appeared by his side and took hold of his baby brother's hand. He squeezed it, but Cameron didn't squeeze back or respond in anyway. And that was because he couldn't feel it. He couldn't feel anything. His entire body was numb. Cameron just stood there with waited breath waiting for news about Amanda.

"Mrs. Hutchins, your daughter's condition is very, very grave. She lost a lot of blood. During the surgery we had to use 17 units of donor blood, that is how bad the rupture was. It was not only a rupture of the tube, but one of the uterus and the liver as well."

"The liver?" Paulina asked. "What does that have to do with a pregnancy?"

"The liver is the first organ to be touched by the toxin. It usually sustains heavy damage and did in this case. Most of the blood was coming from her liver."

"What happened during the surgery?" Rachel asked.

"We tried to to repair the tears and internal bleeding. She was hemorrhaging very badly. We were just about to close, we had thought that we had repaired all of the damage when there was another tear. Ms. Cory's uterus completely ruptured. We had to remove a good portion of it. We.."

"You removed it?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, about 60% of it. There was no other way- the bleeding was so bad. If we didn't remove it immediately, we would have lost her, the blood loss would be so great. As it was, because of the loss of blood, your daughter's heart stopped on two occasions."

The people surrounding the doctor gasped and Cameron just closed his eyes. Her heart had stopped. Her heart had stopped while he was out here, doing nothing.

"Her heart stopped?" Matt asked.

"Yes, we were able to get it going again. But her lung capacity also greatly suffered. She's on a ventilator. We did all that we could. She's unconscious, which is also partly from the anesthetic but also from her loss of blood. She never regained consciousness from the time she was brought in, which does concern me."

Cameron cleared his throat and tried to find his voice. "You said you removed part of Amanda's uh, her uh..."

"Her uterus, yes we had no other choice." Dr. Flanders said.

"Does that mean she can't have a baby anymore?" Cameron asked.

"Most probably yes. It's very unlikely that Ms. Cory will be able to conceive a child again and if she does, it would be even more unlikely she would be able to carry that child to term."

Cameron nodded. He felt Gary's hand at that point and angrily jerked his away.

"Dr. Flanders, is my daughter going to live?" Rachel asked the question that everyone wanted an answer to.

Cameron once again held his breath.

"Your daughter is in very serious condition..." he began.

"Will she live? That is the question that I asked Doctor, now you give me and answer!" Rachel demanded.

"Mrs. Hutchins, we just don't know. The damage was very bad. It was very bad. I'll be back to check on both her and you in a little while."

Dr. Flanders, turned and left at that point. Morgan stepped forward, wanting to offer his support and knowledge in case anybody wanted to ask more questions. They did. Everyone quickly gathered around Morgan. But not him. Cameron drifted away. He didn't have anymore questions. He also didn't feel like listening to anymore medical stuff either. The bottom line was Amanda was very bad and they didn't know if she was going to make it. He needed to see her.

"Do you know where I can find Amanda Cory's room?" Cameron asked at the nurses station.

"Well Ms. Cory is in ICU, but you can't get in unless you are immediate family." A little red headed nurse told him.

"I am. My name is Matt Cory, Amanda is my sister." Cameron lied through his teeth. God, I hope she buys that and doesn't through me out. But luckily for Cameron, it was late and this nurse was tired. She didn't feel like checking out his story. "Ms. Cory is in room 74 on the ICU floor."

Cameron didn't say thank you. He didn't say anything. / He just walked to the elevator. Cameron hit the up button. He got on the elevator and pushed the ICU floor button. He waited as the elevator took him up 3 floors. Cameron exited the elevator. He walked down the hall to room 74.

There was a window that looked into Amanda's room. Before Cameron went in he stopped at the window and looked in. Tears came to his eyes and his breath caught in his chest at the sight he saw.

The women who was his Princess, who was always so full of life was in that room. Amanda lay on a bed admits a room filled with machinery. A tube went into Amanda's mouth and was held there by tape. The tube was hooked up to a machine that held what looked to be an accordion inside a glass jar. Her left nostril had a smaller tube running up it. On the right side of her bed, was an IV with a slightly blue colored liquid running into her arm. And on the opposite side, was a bag that held a clear liquid the went running into her left arm. And this was his Princess. Amanda, who once was so full of life and love. Amanda, who lit up a room when she graced it. Amanda, the love of his life. And now look at her. Here she lay. Clinging to life. Hooked up to so many machines that it was like an electronic store in her room. And at any moment those machines could fail to help her cling to life.

Cameron left his watch at the window and went in. The sounds in the room exploded in his ears. There was the beep, beep of the heart monitor and the hissss-pop of her ventilator. Amanda lay on the bed in front of him, unconscious. He walked over to the side of the bed and looked down on his Princess.

Amanda's hair that was once so vibrant and flowing was now matted to her head. He skin looked jaundiced and her cheeks were pale. Cameron noticed that there was a chair in the corner. He picked it up and set it down beside her bed. He sat down and watched her. Cameron didn't stroke her hair or even pick up her hand. He did nothing but sit there and watch. And that is what he did. But after about 10 minutes he got the courage to touch her. He picked up her hand. His Princess's hand felt icy cold. He covered it with both of his and tried to warm it by rubbing it softly. Cameron was also very careful that he wasn't disturbing any of her tubes. And after another long time, Cam opened his mouth and tried to speak. Nothing came out. He opened it again and tried once more. Cameron tried once again and just as his voice came, the tears came too.

"I am so sorry Princess. I am so very sorry. Oh God, oh God. Please don't take her. If you want someone, take me. Oh God. I am so sorry Amanda. Oh no. Oh God, I am so sorry." By this time, Cameron was sobbing. He didn't here the door open and someone walk in. He was sobbing and holding Amanda's hand to his face. And then Cameron felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and a hand that was somewhat familiar to him brushed away a tear.

"It's my fault. She's here because of me."

"No, Cameron, she's not." Rachel said, her hand still on this poor boy's face. She felt such pity for Cameron at this time. Here he was blaming himself for Amanda's illness.

"I got her pregnant. I'm responsible."

"Cameron, you can't think that way. You and Amanda created a child. I don't know how much Amanda told you but I'm sure she didn't seem thrilled with the idea." Rachel said.

Cameron snorted. "Well what can you expect? Now after she finally got rid of me, she finds out that she's stuck with my kid? Can you blame her?'

"Cameron, I know that you may think that. And at the beginning, I'm sure Amanda was afraid. But I can tell you, rest assured, Amanda loved that child. From the very beginning. She loved it with all her heart, all her soul and all her being. Just as she loves you."

"She doesn't love me."

"Oh yes she does. Amanda has been looking for you all her life.."

"And I left her."

"Yes you did. Cameron, Amanda told me about your, well your childhood."

Cameron said nothing, just sat there, preparing the defensive if an attack would come. But one didn't.

"She told me about your father, and about your jail and such. I understand why you did that. I also understand why she left after the night you two obviously shared. Love, the kind that you 2 have is something new to both of you. It caught you both off guard. I don't know about your romantic history or any past relationships that you have had, but I know Amanda's whole story. Let's see, she and Sam had a child together when Amanda and him were both kids. They got married more out of obligation than love. Evan Frame, I hated that boy so much, charmed her and she thought she was in love with him. Someone rigged his car, cut the brake lines and Amanda was in a wheelchair for about 8 months. And then when she was in the hospital, Grant Harrison walked right in and swept her up of her feet. She was at a vulnerable point and he took advantage of it. But not you.."

"No, instead I convince her that this is the real thing, allow her to feel safe and then walk out on her," Cameron said bitterly, furious with himself.

"Yes you did, but so did she. She knew that you made a mistake, but her pride and fear wouldn't let her take you back. She loves you Cameron, help her through this."

Cameron said nothing. He just returned to watching Amanda. Rachel sighed and touched her daughter's cheek. She put her face down close to Amanda's and whispered in her ear. "I'm here baby. So is he. He's here. I'm leaving for a little bit. I'm going to get your baby and bring her here. I'm going to get my baby's baby to help her get better." Rachel kissed her daughters cheek and stood up. She looked at Cameron.

"Cameron, I have to go to Switzerland and get Ali. I don't want to leave Amanda but I don't want anyone else telling Ali how bad her mother is and I don't want anyone else bringing her here, or flying alone, so I have to go. I'll be back as soon as I can, probably about 2 days or so. While I'm gone, I would like you to stay here and watch over Amanda. She knows your here, believe me, she knows your here. She knows, will you stay with her?'

Cameron looked up at Rachel. "I give you my word. I will not leave her side."

Rachel stooped down and also kissed Cameron. It was easy to see why Amanda loved him so much. Despite his physical appearance, he was blindly loyal, and very protective. He was just what Amanda needed, what she wanted. Rachel walked to the door. She didn't want to leave and she was not looking forward to telling Ali about her mother. But Rachel also knew that Amanda would get better with her daughter by her side. Well she shouldn't waste time, the quicker she left, the quicker she would get back. She stopped at the door and looked back. Cameron was holding Amanda's hand, with his back to Rachel. Before she left, Rachel whispered into the air these words, "Mac, take care of our daughter. Please."

People had crowded in and out of Amanda's room all day. Cameron never left his chair and never let go of Amanda's hand. He didn't even acknowledge anybody else's presence in the room. Matt had tried to tell him that Rachel had reached London and was tying on to a connecting flight and would reach Switzerland in about 4 hours or so. No response from Cameron. Not even a nod. Gary and Matt exchanged looks.

Rachel held Ali in her arms as the girl cried out of fear. How much she looked like her mother. How much she looked like Amanda. Rachel sobbed on the inside and tried to look strong and remain positive on the outside. But on the inside, she was just as afraid as Ali was.

Cameron remained by Amanda's side, never leaving her and never letting go of her hand. There was no change in Amanda's condition.

And while all this was going on, there was something happening that nobody else was seeing. Amanda as she lay there on the bed, with Cameron holding on to her hand was not really there. She was in another room, sitting in a rocker holding something in her arms. Amanda didn't look like she did in the hospital, she looked like her old self, full of life. She smiled down at what was in her arms, a baby girl. The child had soft blonde peach fuzz hair on the top of her head and she had the beautiful green eyes of her father. Amanda was holding her and Cameron's baby girl. She stroked her child's cheek with her finger. And as she rocked her baby she sang softly to her.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird. And if that mocking bird don't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring. Shh my love. My little love. Mommy's little love. Shhh. Mommy's here and she will never ever leave you again. She'll never let you go."

"Hello Amanda."

Amanda looked up and saw before her a sight that she had wished for for so long and so many times. Tears came to her eyes as she looked upon a face that she had missed so much. A tear ran down the side of her face and dripped of her cheek.

"Daddy, is it really you?"

Mac smiled at his daughter and his granddaughter. "Yes, yes Angel, it is. I'm here."

"But how is that possible? How, why, where?"

"Slow down!" Mac laughed. "Amanda, you have only a short while here. Then you have to go back. Is that my granddaughter?"

"Yes, but she doesn't look like I remembered Ali looked."

"That's because she isn't Ali," Mac said as gently as he could.

"What?" Amanda was thoroughly confused. "Then who is she?"

Mac sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "Amanda, that is what Cameron and your child would have been like if things turned out differently."

Amanda understood. Tears filled her eyes and she clutched her daughter even more possessively. "No. No don't you say it. When I leave here, I'm taking my daughter with me."

"Sweetheart. You can't do that. She will stay with me and Adda. You know who else will be here to take care of her and watch over her? Frankie and Ryan. All of us will take care of her.."

"You may take care of her and everything, but you are not her mother. I won't leave her. So is she can't go, then I won't go. I won't leave my beautiful little Hannah Rose." Amanda looked back down at her daughter and started to sing.

"So you take the high road and I'll take the low road. And I'll be in Scotland before you. For me and my true love will never meet again...."

Mac stood up and sighed. Amanda did not understand the situation she was in. There was a very small window of time that Amanda had to go back. And now there was no talking to her.

"Amanda, you have to go back. You don't belong here now."

"Can Hannah come with me?"

"No. She can't Angel."

"Then you know my answer."

"What about everyone else you'll be leaving? What about Ali? Your mother? Cameron? I must admit. I rather like that boy. You finally found someone who can match you."

"Ali will be fine. She has Sam. Mom will be fine, too. She has more people around her and who love her than I can count. And Cameron, well he never loved me to beginning with. None of them need me. But Hannah, she's just a baby. She needs her Mama with her to take care of her and to love and protect her."

"So you answer is you are definitely not going back?"

"Yes."

"Amanda, you think that it won't make a difference if you go back? That everyone will be just fine without you? Would you like to see what will happen if you don't go back?" Amanda just stared at Mac. Mac nodded and suddenly....

Amanda was no longer sitting. In fact she was no longer in the room where she just was. Hannah, however, was still in her arms and Amanda tightened her hold on her daughter even more. "Where are we?" "This is what will happen to Ali if you don't go back. You really think that she'll be all right? Well why don't you just watch."

Amanda looked on. They were in a room, it looked like a college dorm. Messy, with text books and rock posters on the wall. The door opened and an older Ali walked in. Amanda smiled to see what a beautiful women her daughter had become. She was about to turn to Mac and say how fine and stable Ali looked, but she didn't get the chance. Ali sat down on the bed and pulled something out of her pocket. It was a small plastic bag with white powder in it. Ali emptied the contents onto the night stand next to her and started to use the cocaine. Amanda felt cold and terrified all over.

"No. You are doing this just to scare me," Amanda said to her father.

"No, I'm not. This is 10 years in the future, Amanda. Ali has had very little guidance in her life. Sam tried, but you know Sam. She started on drugs about 8 months ago. And in about 6 minutes, Ali's heart will stop and she will die."

"Oh God," Amanda whispered. Tears starting to fall like rain from her eyes.

"Not my baby." Amanda watched with horror as Ali started to cough and clutch at her chest. "NO! Please stop it!" Amanda begged her father. She closed her eyes and held Hannah tighter, tighter. She could hear Ali's painful breathing and coughing in the background and then silence. Terrified, Amanda refused to open her eyes.

"It's all right Amanda. You can look now." Amanda opened her eyes. She was home. "I won't make you watch your daughter die. But trust me, if you stay here, at the age of 25, Ali will overdose on cocaine and die. But that's not all. Take a look at what will happen to your mother."

Amanda watched as Rachel, older and with gray hair come gliding into the Cory living room. A young girl about 10 years old followed behind her, desperately trying to get Rachel's attention. The girl was Elizabeth. Little Lizzie, all grown up. She was trying to show Rachel something about her doll. Rachel just ignored her and brushed out of the room. Lizzie looked heartbroken and sat down on the couch and started to cry.

"Why didn't Mom look at her?" Amanda asked.

"After your death, and that's what will happen if you stay here, your mother isolated herself from all her children. Matthew, Jamie, Paulina, Cory and Elizabeth. She saw too much of you in all of them, too many memories. Lizzie and Cory will grow up feeling that their mother didn't love them and they will have cold lives. Two children getting no love because their mother never allowed herself to heal after their sister's death."

Amanda looked at her father. And then she looked back at little Lizzie, sitting on the couch, so alone. The tears came faster now. "I don't want to see anymore. Please Daddy, no more."

"I'm sorry Amanda. But we haven't seen what happened to poor Cameron."

"Cameron.'

"Aren't you curious what happened to him?"

Amanda was afraid to look. She heard the sound of someone being punched and she heard Cameron yell in pain. She forced her self to look. Cameron was seated in a cell, tied to a chair. His face, that once looked upon her with tenderness and love, now looked up at his abusers with a coldness that scared Amanda. His abusers were two men who were working him over, yelling at him in a foreign language. One pulled out a gun and held it to Cameron's head. He put his hand on the trigger and before Amanda knew what was happening, a loud explosion sounded. BANG!

"CAMERON!!!! OH GOD!!! OH PLEASE GOD NO!!" Amanda screamed. She started to sob. She looked up, expecting, fearing to see Cameron dead before her eyes, but to her astonishment, he wasn't. The room had frozen. The men were frozen, mouths open just as if they were talking. A drop of blood, about to fall off Cameron's cheek was frozen in mid-air. And the bullet that had been fired from the gun was hovering in the air, about a centimeter from Cameron's right temple.

"What has happened to Cameron? Why is he in this place?"

"Welcome to Rangoon, Burma Amanda. Lovely isn't it?"

"Why is Cameron in Burma?"

"You were all he had. Even for the brief while you two were apart, he still, in a sense had you. After you died, Cameron went back to Quantico, re-trained and joined up with the FBI. Well, as you know, Cameron is very good at that kind of stuff. What was that nickname you call him? James Bond? He heard you talking to Vicki about him and called him that one time. He was very pleased. Well, to get back on track, it wasn't long before the CIA took interest in Cameron. And one mission led to another and to another and before you know it, Cameron will wind up dead on the floor of a Burmese prison. Dead at the hands of two terrorist drug runners. His death will have meant nothing. Gary will never find out what happened to his brother and he will turn back to drink. Well one day, after he has a few to many...."

"STOP IT!! JUST STOP IT PLEASE!!" Amanda sobbed out. "Please take me away from here! I don't want to see anymore." Amanda sank to her knees and wept. She felt a hand stroking her head and looked up. They were gone from the cell and back where they had originally started . The nursery room with a rocking chair.

"No, please say it isn't true. Say you did it to scare me. Please..." begged Amanda.

"I didn't Amanda. That is what will happen if you stay here before your time. You have to go back baby." Mac said, still stroking his daughters head.

"But I don't want to leave my Hannah." Amanda sobbed. "Oh God, Daddy please let me take her with me! Please!" Amanda said with tears running down her face.

"You can't do that Baby," Mac said, tears starting to run down his face. "I'll take care of her, as will Adda, and Frankie and Ryan. They are all here, waiting to see your beautiful little baby."

"Will I ever see her again?"

"Oh yes baby. When the time is right, the two of you will be reunited. I swear to you."

"Can I have a little more time with her?"

"No, Amanda. We are running out of time to get you back."

"But I can't leave her yet!" Amanda held her baby's cheek up to her own. Hannah smiled at her mother and looked up at her with the green eyes of her father.

"Sweetie.."

"No Daddy, not yet!"

"Sweetie, you have to listen to me..." Mac tried to get out.

"But I'm her mother!"

"You have to go now. Give Hannah a big hug and a kiss. It will have to last the both of you for a long time."

Amanda held her baby and kissed her while sobs racked through her body. She was leaving her baby. Oh God, she was leaving Hannah. Suddenly Amanda heard a noise. She looked up and the door to the room opened up. Amanda gasped when she saw who rushed in. One of the nicest and most decent men, she had ever had the honor to meet: Ryan Harrison.

"Mac, I think it might be too late to send Amanda back. She might not be able to go!" Ryan said.

Mac looked at Amanda, worry and fear on his face.

Cameron had not left. Not for a minute, not for a second. He had not let go of her hand. Not for a minute, not for a second. Amanda's condition had not changed. But Cameron studied her. There was this feeling in his gut that something that he couldn't see was happening. And what ever it was, it was significant. In fact, Cameron had the feeling it was huge. And there was this other feeling he had. It was as if he was afraid that if he let go of her hand, she would be gone. So he stayed.

He had been sitting there for a while, having this feeling. When suddenly, the muscles in the back of his neck tightened. And before Cameron knew what was happening he heard a sound that he had been terrified of hearing.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!

Cameron looked over and saw that Amanda's heart monitor no longer had the spikey pattern jumping across the screen. Instead there now was a long flat line.

Amanda's heart had stopped. Amanda was dying.

continue