Clinging tightly to Jax, Avery felt his motorcycle accelerate through the town towards St. Thomas Hospital. Jax drove recklessly fast, swerving to avoid pedestrians, his urgency evident. Avery was unsure what compelled his frantic rush to the hospital, but she sensed it was something serious requiring immediate attention.

Jax pulled the motorcycle into the parking lot and stopped. Almost immediately, he took her hand and rushed her towards the hospital's emergency entrance before she could even remove her helmet.

"Slow down Jax." She said when she stumbled and nearly fell.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he helped her stand back up.

"Yes. I'll be okay." she replied. "Just please, slow down."

Knowing she was safe, Jax took her hand and ran, a little slower this time. In any other situation, she would have pondered the significance of him holding her hand. However, the immediate danger overshadowed such thoughts. Those reflections would have to wait for a quieter moment later.

Avery and Jax raced through the hospital, earning disapproving looks for their frantic pace. Reaching the surgical unit, they found Gemma, John, Bobby, and Tig talking with Tara, a former high school classmate now recognizable as a surgeon by her scrubs.

"What happened?" Said Jax as he rushed the group, pulling Avery close to his side. She didn't think twice about wrapping her arms around him as a show of kindness and strength.

"Mrs. Teller came after ODing. She coded twice on the way over in the ambulance. Luckily they were able to administer suboxone and bring her back." Explained Tara.

"The baby?" Said Jax almost whispering.

The baby?
Mrs. Teller?

Avery felt a cold dread grip her as the nurse's words echoed in her ears. Another person with Jax's last name, brought in after an overdose. The information slammed into her, each detail a fresh wave of nausea. Pregnant. And for reasons the nurse hadn't specified, Jax needed to be there. A whirlwind of panicked questions and terrifying possibilities erupted in Avery's mind. Was it a relative? A cousin she'd never met? Or could it be someone closer, someone from Jax's past she knew nothing about? The pregnancy twisted the knife of her anxiety. How could Jax be involved simply because of a shared last name? Unless... unless there was more to this story, a connection Avery was completely unaware of. Her hands trembled as she tried to process the fragmented information, her imagination conjuring a multitude of unsettling scenarios, each more disturbing than the last. The insistent pounding of her heart mirrored the chaotic turmoil within her as she grappled with the unknown and the unsettling implication that Jax had a life, a history, that she was only beginning to glimpse.

Avery abruptly broke away from Jax, needing distance to process her feelings. Surprisingly, Jax released her hand, which he had been holding tightly. As Avery stood aside, trying to sort through her thoughts, she listened to Tara explain the situation to everyone.

"We did an emergency c-section. Because the baby is ten weeks early, he will spend some time in the NICU. But that's not all. He has a congenital heart defect and a tear in his abdomen. The tear is because of drug use but the congenital heart defect is hereditary."

"The family flaw." Said Gemma, a sadness in her voice. Avery knew all too well that the Jax's family had heart issues. It had been a worry of hers for any future children that she and Jax had hoped to have.

"Yes. As I said, it's hereditary. Neither are life threatening by themselves as long as it is treated properly but with the baby being born so early and suffering from both at birth, Dr. Meed is only giving the child a 20% chance of survival. And I'm afraid that's being optimistic." Explained Tara.

"I swear doc. I didn't know she was using." Said Jax, clearly feeling like he was to be blamed for this.

"No one knew. The OB said she missed her last 3 appointments." said Tara.

"Do you know what she OD'd on?" Asked Avery from the sidelines. She wasn't even aware she was speaking until the question was out in the open. Tara stated sadly that while toxicology results weren't available yet, she suspected methamphetamines or heroin use given the track marks on the mothers arms and legs.

Stunned silence followed Jax's revelations, each word a fresh wave crashing over Avery. The weight of his concealed life pressed down on her, making it difficult to breathe. Unable to bear another moment within those walls, Avery turned and retraced her steps, the echoes of his words chasing her. Emerging into the open air felt like a desperate gasp for oxygen. She sank onto the cool metal of the park bench, the reality of his confessions a tangled knot in her stomach.

Jax was married. The simple statement reverberated in her mind, shattering the image she had carefully constructed of him. A wife. A shared life she knew nothing about.

He has a kid. The second revelation hit with even greater force, adding another layer of complexity and responsibility to the man she thought she was getting to know. A child. An innocent life intertwined with his.

His kid may die because of the mother's poor choices. This final, devastating piece of information twisted the knot in her stomach tighter, adding a sharp pang of fear and helplessness. A child's life hanging in the balance, a consequence of decisions made by someone else.

"What the fuck am I doing here?" The whispered words escaped Avery's lips, a desperate plea for clarity in the swirling chaos of her thoughts. She leaned forward, pressing her palms against her forehead, as if trying to physically contain the overwhelming emotions. It was then that she registered the wetness on her cheeks, the silent tears tracing paths down her skin. She hadn't even been aware of them falling, a testament to the shock that had momentarily numbed her senses. A wave of confusion washed over her. Why was she crying? Was it for Jax, for his child, or for the shattered illusion of what she thought they had? The question hung in the air, unanswered, as her tears continued to flow.

Fighting back tears, Avery pulled out her phone, longing to escape the hospital and the overwhelming events. She needed space to understand everything that had happened. Before she could call her dad for a ride, Jax, Bobby, and Tig rushed out, heading for their bikes. Tig noticed Avery on the bench and paused briefly to speak with her.

"You gonna be okay baby girl?" He asked as he knelt down in front of her so he could look her in the eyes.

"Yeah. I'll.. I'll be fine."

"You don't look fine." Said Tig warily.

"Don't worry about me. Jax looks like he's on a mission. Go make sure he stays out of trouble. But if he does get into anything, give me a call. I'll do what I can." Said Avery as she tried with all her might to make sure Tig thought she would be okay.

"Ok baby girl. Stay close. He's gonna need you." Said Tig before he took off at a run to catch up with Bobby and Jax.

Avery watched as the three of them tore out of the lot towards town, no doubt going in search of the guy who sold drugs to a pregnant woman.