*Reminder* Italics= dialogue spoken in sign language
Addison stared at the monitor beside her bed, watching the line as it bounced up and down across the screen. It still hadn't completely set in that she was watching her child's heartbeat.
A knock at the door snapped Addison from her thoughts and she turned to see a nurse poking her head in.
"There are people here to see you Mrs. Necrodopolis. Shall I let them in?" The nurse asked.
"Call me Addison." Addison replied. "And yes, let them in."
The nurse nodded, opening the door wide enough for the small group to enter. Bree, Bonzo, Wyatt, Eliza, Bucky, and Ziva all crowded into the small room.
Addison was immediately smothered with hugs and questions as everyone wanted answers to what had happened.
"Alright, alright, everyone calm down." Missy said, causing the group to go quiet. "Addison has been through alot in the last few hours. I know you all have questions, but now really isn't the best time."
"Mom." Addison grabbed Missy's arm. "It's okay. I think talking would be a good distraction for me right now."
Missy's face turned serious. "Are you sure you're up for it?"
Addison nodded. "I am. And I promise of I start getting tired I'll tell you that I need a break."
Missy reluctantly backed down. "Alright, go ahead then."
Bucky immediately stepped forward, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "I think the main question we have, is are you okay?"
"Yeah," Wyatt chimed in. "How are you holding up?"
Addison looked at her family and friends. "Honestly, I'm still wrapping my head around everything. I mean, I never expected any of this."
"People usually don't when stuff like this happens." Eliza replied solemnly. "But what matters is how you choose to handle it."
"You're right." Addison nodded. "But I'd be able to handle it better if I knew how Zed was doing. No one will tell me anything."
Ziva tapped Addison's hand. "They won't tell us either. We've all been trying. Not even Zevon or Zoey have any news."
Addison frowned. "Really? They know nothing?"
"Za. (Yeah)." Bonzo sighed. "Zedka ro gast zeng. Ag goriz agro harg. (Zed is my best friend. I'm worried about him.)"
Bree patted his hand. "We're all worried Bonzo."
Addison held out her good arm, motioning Bonzo over. "Can I get a hug from the best hugger in Seabrooke?"
Bonzo's face broke into a grin as he walked over and carefully hugged her, avoiding her bad shoulder. "Zet zazig. (Of course.)"
Addison wrapped her good arm around him, hugging Bonzo as firmly as she could. It wasn't the same as hugging Zed, but it gave her great comfort none the less.
After a moment, Bonzo began to pull away, only to freeze when he noticed the monitor strapped to Addison's stomach. The blanket had been hiding it before, but now it was in clear view.
Bonzo instinctively reached out to touch it, only to pull back when he realized what he was about to do. This was Addison, not Bree, but he knew what that monitor meant. The doctor had shown him and Bree one just like it at their last appointment when they had asked questions about the process they would go through when it came time for their baby to be born.
Bonzo slowly shifted his eyes from Addison's stomach to her face. The knowing look in her eyes told him she knew he had already put the pieces together, but he needed to know for sure.
"Addiska? (Addison?)" Bonzo questioned softly so the others wouldn't hear. "Aza ru zegren? (Are you pregnant?)"
Tears pooled in Addison's eyes and dripped down her cheeks as she nodded slowly, answering his question.
Bonzo gently pulled her into another hug which Addison gratefully accepted.
"I didn't know until I woke up and the doctor told me." Addison sniffled quietly. "I didn't know."
Bonzo held her as she cried into his chest. "Rah zu garzabe grodge? (Is the baby okay?)
"Yes." Addison nodded slowly. "Everything is fine."
Bonzo relaxed at her words. Addison and her baby were both okay. That was good news.
"Um excuse me?" Bucky cut in. "Would you two like to tell us what you are whispering about? The rest of us are a little lost."
Bonzo gently pulled out of the hug and Addison dried her eyes. "When I woke up, the doctor explained all my injuries to me. However, she also informed me that I am pregnant."
"Pregnant!?" The group gawked, staring at her with wide eyes.
"Oh Addy." Bree rushed over to hug her. "That's wonderful."
Addison nodded, accepting the embrace. "It is, but it would be better if Zed was here."
"He will be." Wyatt reassured her. "But until then, Uncle Wyatt will be around to help."
"Excuse me?" Bucky chimed in. "Uncle Bucky will be around to help as well."
"I'm glad to have you both." Addison replied, flashing a small smile at their banter.
"Dear Z, just what this world needs, a tiny half- Zed hybrid running around." Eliza groaned, but a small smirk was tugging at her lips.
Addison couldn't help but laugh. "Come on Eliza, you know you're excited to be an Auntie."
Eliza rolled her eyes but smiled none the less.
Addison sighed. "It feels good to have the playful banter going around. I needed a little normalcy."
"Its good to see you smiling." Wyatt replied. "Frowning isn't your style, that Eliza's job."
"Hey!" Eliza hissed, jabbing him in the ribs.
"Alright, go easy on him." Addison told her. "We don't need anyone else ending up in the hospital tonight."
"Fine." Eliza sighed. "But he's pushing it."
Just then the door creaked open and everyone turned to see the nurse coming into the room.
"Mr. Necrodopolis is out of surgery." The nurse explained. "The doctors would like to talk to you then you may see him if you like."
"Okay." Addison nodded.
The nurse brought in a wheelchair and helped Addison get settled before wheeling her out of the room. The group followed them as they made their way down the hall and into a small waiting room.
"Immediate family only." The nurse explained, addressing the rest of the group. "You may go to the waiting area down the hall if you like."
Everyone in the group frowned but nodded solemnly, walking off as the nurse took Addison into the room and shut the door behind them.
Once inside, Addison noticed Zevon and Zoey sitting on a small couch with the doctors standing over them.
Zoey's eyes lit up when she saw Addison and she immediately rushed over to hug her. "Addison, you're awake! We were so worried about you."
Addison hughed her back with her good arm. "I'm a little banged up and bruised, but I'm okay Zo."
Zevon walked over and joined the hug before gently pulling away with a smile. "I'm glad you could join us. I take it to mean you and the little one are doing well?"
Addison nodded, remembering that her mother said the doctors had told them about the pregnancy. "We're both fine Mr. Z."
"Good." Zevon sighed in relief. "Besides Zoey and I, you are the most important person in my son's life. I know he'd want me to make sure you were being well taken care of, especially if he knew about the precious cargo you are carrying."
Addison smiled. "That's probably true."
Dr. Andrews cleared his throat, grabbing their attention. "I apologize for interrupting, but we should really discuss Zed's condition."
Dr. McCoy nodded. "It would be best if we got started."
The three of them nodded as Zevon and Zoey sat back down on the couch as the nurse pushed Addison's wheelchair over beside them before stepping back.
The two doctors each pulled up a chair, sitting in front of them with serious expressions.
"Zed made it through surgery." Dr. McCoy began. "But he isn't out of the woods. He is going to have a great deal of recovery ahead of him."
"What do you mean?" Addison asked. "Just how badly was he hurt?"
Dr. Andrews took a deep breath. "As you know, Zed's side of the car took most of the impact when the other car struck you. By taking the brunt of that force, Zed's body was literally whipped around like a rag doll."
Dr. McCoy nodded. "The impact snapped Zed's left leg and fractured several of his lumbar vertebrae. The leg was easy to set an place in a cast. However, the fractures to his lumbar vertebrae caused an incomplete spinal cord injury. We successfully removed the bone spurs that were pressing against his spinal cord but it is difficult to determine at this time how much damage they may have caused."
"Are you saying Zed may be paralyzed?" Addison asked, her voice shaking.
"It's a possibility." Dr. Andrews replied solemnly. "But seeing as it is an incomplete spinal cord injury, there is a good chance he will regain some function in his legs. But only time will tell how much."
"But, Zed's football career." Addison rambled. "He's been playing pro football for three years now. It's his dream come true."
Dr. Andrews placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Between his leg and his spinal cord injury, I doubt Zed will ever play football again. I'm so sorry Addison."
Addison sat frozen in shock as tears ran down her cheeks. One moment Zed was living his dream and the next it was over? How was that fair?
Zevon wrapped an arm around Zoey who was crying against his chest, and used his free hand to pat Addison's hand comfortingly as he turned to the doctors. Is there anything else?"
Dr. McCoy nodded. "Zed also took a large blow to the head, causing a hemorrhage in his brain. We were able to relieve the pressure in his skull and stop the bleeding, but it has left Zed in a comatose state. Because if this, he is unable to maintain his own breathing so we had to put him on a ventilator to stabilize him. Zed's current state is very fragile at this time. All we can do now is continue to keep him comfortable and see where time brings him."
Addison was numb by the time Dr. McCoy had finished talking. The tears had stopped, but now she just sat there with a vacant expression. The information the doctors had given her was too much to process all at once.
The world around her faded out as Addison turned to the doctor. All she could focus on was the on was the one thing she wanted most. "I want to see him. I want to see Zed."
Dr. Andrews nor Dr. McCoy argued with her request. They wheeled her down to Zed's room as Zevon and Zoey went to explain what was going on to the others before joining her.
Dr. McCoy led the way into the room as Dr. Andrews pushed her wheelchair inside. He rolled her over next to Zed's bed side before slowly backing away.
"We'll give you some privacy." Dr. McCoy told her before he and Dr. Andrews left the room.
Addison stared at Zed's still form on the bed, the only sound being the beeping of the monitors around them. Wires stuck out of him from all sides, a thick white cast surrounded his left leg, thick white bandages were wrapped around his head, and the breathing tube connecting him to the ventilator was heartbreaking to see. She almost didn't recognize the young man laying in front of her.
Addison took his hand in hers, surprised to find it's normal warmth had been replaced by a sickly chill. Despite the abnormal feeling, Addison moved Zed's hand down to place it on her stomach.
"Do you feel that Zed?" Addison asked softly, tears pooling in her eyes. "That little bump, that's our baby. You're going to be a daddy. That's why I need you to wake up, so you can be apart of this, okay?"
With those words the dam broke loose and Addison began to sob. Her best friend, the love or her life, was hurt and their was nothing she could do. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming.
The group had gathered outside the door, they heard the sobs, but no one dared enter. Addison needed time to vent her pain, and they were going to give her just that.
Author's Note
So tired. Night night.
-Meloetta246