John sits by Whitney's bedside and just holds her hands. The IV drips silently bringing her the needed liquids. The doctor had injected some vitamins into the drip as well hoping that would help her wake up. It's been nearly twenty-four hours.

John has never felt so heartbroken before. This is his fault. She's here because of him. She wouldn't be unconscious if he hadn't allowed himself, even hoped, to be captured. If he had just waited for that morning when they stormed the lair then she wouldn't be like this.

"You need to stop blaming yourself, John." Michael tells him standing in the doorway watching both his brother and his mistress. "She was dehydrated as hell and likely low on sugar from not eating. You saw the blood sugar test, that isn't your fault. She likely would have just passed out in her room if she hadn't been brought to you. You needed to do what you did and you had a pretty good idea that it would lead you to be near Whitney.

"Neither of us could have predicted her being brought to you by that fool. That was just fortuitous for us. The doctor said that nothing major was wrong. She just needs to relax and destress and when she wakes she'll need to eat." Michael frowns. Whitney was already under weight when they freed her a week ago. Now she lost even more weight. She hadn't been gone that long and so shouldn't have lost that much weight. The doctor assures them that it was likely just water weight that she lost and she should easily regain that.

"Then why hasn't she awakened yet? It's been hours, Michael."

Once the doctor had cleared her and taken a blood sample to clear her of any other possible illnesses the boys had both helped give her a shower and dress her in clean clothes.

"She's sleeping, which you should be doing as well. Whitney won't thank you for being an ornery bear when she wakes up, because you wouldn't sleep while she was."

Michael and John had been taking turns going to school since Whitney was kidnapped. It's John's turn to go in the morning and Michael is afraid what he'll do to the kids if he doesn't get some sleep. "John, get some sleep. There's plenty of room on the bed. Lay down by her and hold her if you need to, but sleep. You have a hard time controlling your temper when you are sleep deprived."

John nods his head and gets ready for bed. Slipping under the covers he carefully pulls Whitney to him and just holds her. Slowly he falls asleep.

He dreams that Whitney wakes up and is kissing him. Smiling he kisses her back and things heat up from there. That's when he realizes that it's not just a dream.

"Whitney?" Still half asleep he asks smiling.

"Hmm, sorry, I shouldn't have awakened you. You just looked so sweet sleeping though, I couldn't help myself." Whitney replies smiling at him.

"You can wake me up any time like that, love. How do you feel?" John asks even as he looks at the alarm clock. Two hours until he has to get up for school. He's only had about five hours of sleep, but hell, he's survived on less and being able to talk to Whitney will go a long way to helping him control his temper.

"I'm fine, a bit hungry, but I'll deal with it until the staff is up and ready to make breakfast." Whitney says and this also helps to relax John. Her wanting to eat is a good sign.

"I can go make you something if you want."

"John, I didn't know you cooked?" Whitney manages to hide the majority of the shock she feels, but not all of it.

"I don't, I can fix you toast, cereal and maybe fruit of some kind with some sort of juice?"

"Hmm, I'll take the toast and a banana if there is one, but I was hoping for eggs and can wait a bit for them. Unless you'll let me cook my own?" Whitney holds her hands up in surrender when John gives her a flat look. "I didn't think you would."

"I can do that for you, love. Anything else before I get your food?"

Whitney looks a bit embarrassed. "I need to use the bathroom, but I can-" John has her in his arms and carefully moves the IV stand with him as he carries her into the bathroom.

"Just yell out when you are finished." John instructs her as he leaves the room and closes the door.

As he does so the doctor comes in, "Sir, where's Miss Latimer?" The doctor asks in concern.

"She needed the restroom. She should be done soon." 

The doctor nods and waits patiently for Whitney to finish her business. John goes in and helps her to the sink, not letting her do more than stand. 

Whitney is a bit startled when she sees the doctor in her room. "Oh, hello? Do I know you?"

The doctor smiles, "You were unconscious when I looked you over. I'm Doctor Larimore. I just wanted to check on you and if you were conscious I was going to take out the IV. I also have the results of the blood tests we took yesterday when you came in."

The doctor is in the process of taking the IV out and so misses the looks the two give him and then each other.

"Is there something wrong with me, Doctor?" Whitney asks in a small voice.

The doctor finishes taking the IV out and wrapping the cotton in sports tape. "No, but there is something you do need to know." The doctor hesitates and looks at John. He's more than a little nervous telling the news with him in there. John had killed the last doctor and he has no wish to die by giving unwanted news.

"John sit down and stop staring at the doctor like that." Whitney says as she looks at the doctor staring in horror at John.

John sits by Whitney and pulls her into his arms, but he doesn't stop looking at the doctor.

"Most of your blood work came back normal. You are underweight, but you'd been working on that since last week. The problem is," the doctor starts pacing not sure how to say what needs to be said.

"Doctor if you don't want John to throttle you, you better tell me what is going on." Whitney says rather drily to the doctor.

"Right, well there is no easy way to say this. You are pregnant."

Whitney and John both stare at the doctor in shock. "That's not possible. His father made sure that I had my birth control shot on schedule. I'm not due for another week or so for the next one."

"Yeah, about that. I was going over you records and noticed it was about time for one. So I checked your blood for the pregnancy hormone and it was there. Have you been sick lately? Sick enough that you were given antibiotics?"

"Oh, yeah, about a week and a half ago. Why?" Whitney asks confused.

"Antibiotics will sometimes negate the birth control. You were close to the end of its efficacy any way so it was weak. 

"You aren't very far along, only about a week or so from hormone levels. I need to warn you, if you wish to keep this baby you will need to stay on strict bed rest until we get your weight up. You are too underweight to support the baby and add in the stress you recently went through, well, it was a miracle that the baby is still with you.

"If you wish to abort the child, it would be a good time and rather stress free for you as the mother. If that is the route you wish to go, just let me know and I'll make sure it happens.

"Until then you are on strict bed rest. I'll talk to you later after you have a chance to decide what you wish to do." The doctor gives her a warm smile then looks over to John and shudders. He takes the IV stand and leaves the room.

There is silence in the room until Whitney can't tolerate it any more. "I'm pregnant."

Whitney turns to John and he sees tears in her eyes. "I don't know who the father is. It could be either of the teachers, you or possibly although it's a remote possibility, Michael."

"No, babe, it's mine. I'll stand by your side no matter what you ultimately decide. If you want to end it, I'll hold your hand while you do. If you wish to carry it to term and then give it up for adoption I'll do that too, but I ask that you allow Michael the first opportunity to adopt him or her. If you wish to keep the baby I'll be by your side helping you raise our child. Even if you wise up and decide to leave me, I'll do my best to help you raise him or her."

"What are you talking about?" Michael says, having come in while John is talking. He heard the part about her letting him adopt a child.

"I'm pregnant." Whitney tells him simply.