The nurse smiled.

"Well, it's lovely to meet you Susan." she said before going to see how Marianne was.

The doctor came back a few minutes later, looking grave.

Susan smiled.

Lewis noticed the grave look on the doctor's face. "Is it bad?" he asked.

The doctor took him aside, seeing the children and not wanting to upset them. The nurse came back with a smile and sat with them.

"Mr. Filler, the truth is, they're very severe complications." he began. "She's several months early, and the risk of stillbirth is almost certain at this point."

"So you think the child isn't going to make?" he asked swallowing nervously, "What about Marianne??"

"All we can do, Mr. Filler, is pray." he sighed. "I think she'll be alright, but she'll need all the strength she has just for the birth. After that..."

Lewis took a couple deep breaths. "They both have to be alright," he said softly, "My whole life revolves around Marie.."

"Mr. Filler, would you like to sit down?" the doctor offered.

He gave a brief nod, feeling sure that his face was white from the worry as he thought about life without Marianne. But then he closed his eyes and told himself not to think like that, that she would be alright, that the baby would be alright. "I need her," he whispered to himself.

The doctor lead him over to a seat and Rowan wandered over.

"I thought you said we were gonna see Mommy." she said.

"I can't quite yet," he told her, "I have to stay out here with you for now."

Lewis sighed as he sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug.

Rowan stayed in his arms, still the baby.

The doctor turned and went back to check on the woman who held their lives together.

"I love you Rowan," Lewis said softly kissing the top of her head, "I love you so much..."

"I love you too daddy." she whispered.

Lewis just held her tightly, his hands shaking slightly as he worried about the love of his life.

Alberta was bored and scoured the office for something to read.

Susan came up beside her. "Hey Ally," she said, "What are you looking for?"

Lewis watched them both, his arms still around Rowan.

"A book." Alberta said. "There's nothing to play with."

"I want to sleep," Susan said, "I'm tired."

Alberta found a somewhat raunchy magazine and, innocent about it's content, picked it up and started to read it.

Susan sat down next to her and closed her eyes.

Alberta acted willingly as a pillow.

Soon Susan was asleep and Lewis smiled as he looked at his two oldest children then back down at Rowan in his arms, praying for Marianne.

Rowan fell asleep, snuffling like a sleepy puppy.

Lewis watched her sleep, unable to think of anything else to think about that would help him feel less worried about his wife. He wanted to know how she was.

"Daddy, what's a corset?"

Alberta looked up, looking genuinely confused.

((XD))

"It's like a type of undershirt," Lewis said, "Why?"

She held up a rather provocative picture of an actress.

"It says it costs one hundred dollars."

Lewis looked at it. "Isn't there anything else you could read?"

"I can't find anything." she said. "There's no kid stuff here!"

Lewis grabbed a magazine about the world war and tossed it to her. "Here," he said, "You can read about what I did for a job when I first meet your mother."

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