Bay City General

Cameron jumped up knocking his chair over. But he still didn't let go of Amanda's hand. For some reason, Cameron knew that he had to hold on to her. Morgan and a team of nurses came rushing in. Morgan ran up to Amanda and lifter her eyelid and shined a light in her eye. Seeming unsatisfied with the response he got, Morgan started to shout out orders.

"I need 5 milligrams of TS, now. Get ready to crash her. Cameron, you have to let go of her hand." Morgan turned away and rubbed the heart paddles together. He turned back around and saw that Cameron had not let go.

"I'm not letting go of Princess's hand," Cameron said through clenched teeth.

"Cameron, if you do not stand back and let go of Amanda's hand, I won't be able to charge her and her heart will remain stopped. She'll be dead Cameron, is that what you want? Huh?"

Knowing that he was right, Cameron reluctantly dropped Amanda's hand and stepped back. Morgan stepped forward and placed the paddles on Amanda's chest. There was a buzz and Amanda's body jumped. Everyone looked at the heart monitor.

Nothing. Flat line.

"Again!" shouted Morgan. They prepped the paddles and Cameron prayed silently as they were once again placed on Amanda's chest. The buzz sounded again. And once again everyone looked at the heart monitor.

Nothing. Flat line.

"Ryan what are you talking about?" Mac demanded.

"It might be too late. She has to try and go now!" Ryan said with urgency. He placed a hand on Amanda's shoulder and smiled down at her. "Give me Hannah, Amanda. I'll help watch over her."

"Amanda, do as Ryan says. You have to go now! If you don't, you'll lose the chance and everything that you saw will come true. Give Ryan the baby sweetheart." Mac said.

Amanda looked down at her baby sleeping in her arms. With a breaking heart, Amanda kissed her daughter and whispered, "Mommy loves you, my little Angel. Grandpa will take care of you. One day, I'll be back and you won't have to be alone anymore. I love you baby." She kissed her again and handed the baby to Ryan. He smiled at her.

"I'll help see to her Amanda. She'll be waiting for you when you get back here to stay. Don't worry, she'll be here." As he was saying this, Ryan was backing out of the room with Hannah in his arms. He got to the door and opened it. "Don't worry Amanda. She'll be safe. And she knows you love her." Ryan walked out the door and it closed behind him.

"Tell her I love her!! Please tell her Mommy loves her!" Amanda shouted after the closed door.

"What Ryan said was true. She'll be safe, knowing you love her and waiting here for you. But you must go now." Mac touched his daughter's cheek. Amanda started to cry even harder. She through her arms around him.

"Oh Daddy! I miss you so much. It hasn't been the same since you left."

"I miss you too, Baby. I will always be with you. Always. Now close your eyes." Not letting go of her father, Amanda closed her eyes. "Think Amanda. Think about all of them. Think about Ali and Cameron. Remember your mom and Matthew..."

As he was talking, Amanda felt herself spinning. She could no longer feel herself hanging on to her father, but she could still hear him.

"One last thing Amanda and this is the most important. You must........"

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

The entire room looked at Amanda's heart monitor. The spikes were back. Amanda's heart was beating again. Cameron could feel all the blood rushing out of him with relief. Her heart was beating again. She was alive.

Morgan continued his exam. The nurses, with the exception of 2, left the room. Cameron took back his seat. He picked up Amanda's hand again. But at this time, he no longer had that feeling. He had a different feeling. A choice had been made. "Whoa , where did that come from?" Cameron thought. He didn't know. He continued to stroke her hand. Cameron looked up at Morgan.

"Her heart stopped again."

"Yes, she temporarily went into cardiac arrest," Morgan said. He studied Cameron for a minute. Here was a guy who looked physically intimidating on the outside. Was intimidating just to talk to. A guy you would figure would never be caught dead showing sensitivity or feelings of any kind. And yet here sat Cameron. Holding the women he loves hand. You just can't tell a book by the cover. Cameron noticed him staring and finally turned to Morgan with cold eyes.

"Is there something wrong Morgan?" Cameron asked, once again readying himself for an attack.

"You really love Amanda, don't you?" Morgan surprised Cameron by asking that question.

"I really don't know what business of it is yours, but yeah. She's been the one light in my life, so to say that I love her is an understatement." Cameron answered.

Morgan felt a lump in his throat. His thoughts drifted to Courtney, his girlfriend. What a beautiful life cut short, brutally by the Bay City Stalker. There have been many times that Morgan caught himself wondering what if. What if... He cleared his throat and turned to Cameron.

"Well than, let me give you a piece of advice. Never, ever let her go. You hold on to her and fight for her any way you can." With that, Morgan left Cameron and walked out the door.

Puzzled by the remarks, Cameron turned back to Amanda. It suddenly hit him. He remembered a conversation he had with Amanda when they first met Morgan out with Cass at Carlinos.

Amanda and Cameron walked into Carlinos and noticed the 2 Winthrop brothers sitting at a table. They walked over and said hello and introduced Morgan and Cameron. When they finally sat down alone at their own table, Amanda leaned over and whispered the story.

"Morgan is so nice. It's such a shame. In fact, it's a shame about the both of them. About 2 years ago, there was a serial killer going around. The Bay City Stalker. Morgan at that time had a girlfriend, nice girl, a doctor named Courtney. She was killed, found strangled to death by this guy. And not to long after that, Frankie, Cass's wife was also killed by him. Such a senseless tragedy."

Cameron looked down at Amanda. He felt such sympathy for Morgan. He was a nice guy. Nobody should have to go through that. Nobody. Not Morgan and not Cass. And definitely not him. He was not going to lose Amanda.

"Come on Princess. Come on. I know you can hear me. I know your in there. I know your tired. What have I done to you? Oh God Amanda. What have I done? I know your still asleep because your tired of life. I know that. Wake up beautiful. Come back Princess. Our baby..." Cameron's voice cracked and he had to wait a minute before he could continue. "Our baby is not here. But one day both of us will see her, or him again. You have so many people out here who need and love you. Our baby will always know you loved it. Now come back Princess. Come back." No response from Amanda. Cameron sighed and closed his eyes. Never letting go of her hand. He felt helpless. And then...

A squeeze on his hand. Amanda squeezed his hand. Cameron's head snapped up and he stared at Amanda. Her eyes were still closed, no change there. But she had defiantly squeezed his hand.

"Come on Amanda. You can do it Princess. MORGAN!!! GET IN HERE!!! Come on baby. Come back to me. MORGAN!!!" Cameron hovered above Amanda, trying to coax her back while screaming to get Morgan all the while. The door slammed open and Morgan ran in and immeaditly to Amanda's side.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Morgan asked. He pulled out his stethoscope. He placed it on Amanda's heart and listened. "Talk to me Cameron. What happened."

"I was talking to her and she squeezed my hand. She squeezed it."

Morgan used a light in Amanda's eyes. "Are you sure? I mean did you just imagine it?"

"No. She squeezed my hand. She did it."

"All right, keep talking to her."

"Come on Amanda. You did it Princess. You took a step. Now do it again. I know you can hear me." Cameron and Morgan both stood and looked down at the women Cameron loved so much. Nothing. Cameron kept trying. "Your Mom went to go get Ali. Come on gorgeous, don't you want to talk to your daughter when she gets here. Don't you want to see her... Morgan, did you see that?" Cameron asked excitedly. While he had been talking, Amanda, ever so slightly fluttered her eyes.

"Yeah, keep talking. Amanda, can you here me? Amanda?" Morgan took out his blood pressure instrument and took Amanda's pressure while Cameron kept talking. "Come on Amanda. Come back to me. Let me give you the life that you deserve.... Amanda?" Cameron stood up and looked excitedly at Morgan and then back down at Amanda. Her eyes were open and she was focusing in on Morgan and Cameron.

"Amanda," started Morgan. "Your in the hospital. Do you understand what Is saying? I want you to blink once if you do."

One blink from Amanda.

"Your back Princess," Cameron said, tears of joy forming in his eyes.

"Cameron, I have to examine Amanda. You need to step outside." Morgan said.

"Okay. I'm gonna leave for a minute, but when Morgan is done, I'll be right back. It's so good to see your beautiful eyes again." Cameron smiled and walked out just as Dr. Flanders walked in.

"Paulina, she's awake!' Cameron shouted just as Paulina rounded the hall corner.

"Thank God! Amanda's come back to us." Paulina and Cameron hugged from sheer relief and happiness. "Can we see her?"

"Morgan and Flanders are in with her now."

"Okay. Look, Matt and Joe went with Gary to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite. I'm gonna run and get them. I'll be right back." Paulina hurried off and Cameron turned to watch what was going on in the room. Flanders was removing the tube from Amanda's nose. Next, he unhooked the ventilator and stood back, while Amanda coughed a couple times, just from the shock of breathing on her own again. She looked at the window and saw Cameron. she turned her head the other way.

Cameron, just from that one small gesture felt his entire soul breaking. He heard a crowd come up from behind him, all talking excitedly. Morgan walked out of the room and joined them all. So many questions were being fired at once. But Paulina asked the most important one and Morgan answered that one first.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Morgan smiled. "Yes, it looks like Amanda will be just fine."

Everyone just smiled and started expressing their relief. Cameron walked away. Amanda had turned away from him. she was going to be okay. he turned away from him. "She doesn't want me."

But that was far from true. Amanda had heard Cameron talking to her. She felt him holding her hand. And when she woke up, she knew he was right there next to him. But nobody told her some other important fact. Morgan didn't tell her why she's in the hospital, just that she was there. But he didn't need to. She knew that she had lost her baby. The baby that she and Cameron had made together. Her baby was gone.

That was the reason that she turned away from Cameron. She couldn't bear to see his face, knowing that their child died inside of her. Knowing that she lost their baby. Despite whatever feelings that she had for Cameron or those that Cameron had for her could not erase the fact that the life that was created from their love was gone, dead because of her.

Paulina came in the room then. She took a look at her sister and ran to the bed and gathered Amanda up in her arms just as the tears came. Paulina cried right along with Amanda.

"Oh God, Paulina. It's gone. My baby is gone," cried Amanda.

"Shh, Amanda. Don't do this to yourself," soothed Paulina.

"I tried Paulina," Amanda sat back and looked at her sister. "I tried to keep my baby safe inside and I failed. She's gone."

"Amanda, Amanda. Don't upset your self so. You need your rest."

"He hates me. He'll blame me."

"Are you talking about Cameron?"

Amanda nodded her head.

"Amanda, if you think that he hates, you or blames you, Amanda, you are so wrong. All the while, you were out, he never left your side. He loves you Amanda. As for the baby, this may sound harsh and probably won't bring you any comfort, but sweetie, sometimes these things happen. Look, just lay back and rest for a little while>"

Amanda did as Paulina suggested. She was very tired. She closed her eyes, wishing that she could feel Cameron's hand in hers.

Cameron blew out of the hospital and sped home. How stupid he had been to think things would be different. He left her, he got her pregnant, and in the end, because he got her pregnant, she miscarried and almost lost her life. He should never have gone near her in the first place. He turned on the radio and listened, hoping to find a song he liked.

Amanda lay on her hospital bed. She could hear Paulina and Matt talking. They thought that she was still asleep. Amanda didn't feel like talking, so she let them think that she was. She heard them leave and go out the door. However, they didn't close the door all the way. It stayed open a crack, just enough for Amanda to hear the music playing in the hall speakers. It was the same song that Cameron was hearing.

"See the stone set in your eyes. See the thorn twist in your side.

Cameron sighed and knew he couldn't leave. He turned his car around. Amanda, started to cry. She wanted him with her so much. The song played on, touching both their souls.

Amanda's tears came faster and faster. She wanted Cameron with her. She needed him. Her door opened and she turned her head to see who it was. She sat up with some difficulty and started to sob. Cameron stepped forward and took her into his waiting, open arms.

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