24. Chapter 24
A/N: All I am going to say is please read and review, so I know what you guys think :)
"Please promise me you will go to the doctor's office today", Jay lectured as he sat at the end of his bed, looking towards a weak Erin.
A week after they had returned from the cabin, Erin got sick at work. Jay walked in on her throwing up in the locker room, after she had disappeared for almost fifteen minutes during a briefing. Luckily, it was Friday, so she got the whole weekend off with Jay and Maggie helping her with whatever she needed.
But, when she woke up this morning, Erin immediately threw up in the bathroom and had been laying on her side with a garbage can on stand-by.
"Jay, I probably just have a stomach bug that I could have gotten from Maggie's school", Erin rasped smiling as he felt her forehead, checking for a fever.
"Well, you're not warm", Jay said giving her a sad smile. "But, you are still going to the doctor", he stated.
"Why can't you stay", Erin begged like a child, pouting her lip.
"Because I can't get in trouble with the courts", Jay explained. Today was the day all of the trouble with Kaitlyn would be put behind him. She was pleading guilty to the kidnapping charges and today was her sentencing day. Jay's lawyer suggested he come to the hearing in case of any troubles or discussion of Maggie.
"Then go. Get Maggie to school. I will be fine", Erin stated giving him a smile.
Jay smiled as he bent over to kiss her forehead, "You have an appointment at noon", he whispered.
Erin sighed before he walked away, already calling for Maggie to make sure she had all of her things. "Bye mommy love you", she called from the living room.
"Bye baby. Love you too", Erin replied before she heard the front door of the apartment close.
Just as the door was closed, Erin felt a wave of nausea come over her. Immediately, she threw up in the trash can beside her bed. Jay was right, the doctor sounded like her best option right now.
xxx
Erin sat at the edge of the very uncomfortable doctor's chair, swinging her feet trying to count how many dots were on the tiled floor. She felt like a child, one of the main reasons she hated going to the doctor's. It made her feel vulnerable and helpless.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door startling Erin from her thoughts. "Come in", she stated smoothing down her paper gown.
"Hi Erin", Dr. Stone greeted as she entered the room. Erin gave her a smile watching her take a seat at the stool across from her.
"So, I hear you have a lot of changes going on in your life. Figuring your fiance called to make the appointment", Dr. Stone smiled.
"Yeah, he's kind of great", Erin laughed.
"He is concerned though about your constant vomiting over the past couple of days", she said making notes on her clipboard.
"I think I just got something from my daughter's school, you know with all of those kids running around and sharing things. She could have easily brought something home", Erin explained.
"Well, you don't have a fever", Dr. Stone openly stated continuing making notes on her clipboard.
"When was the last time you came in to get your birth control shot", she asked looking up towards Erin.
Erin immediately looked like a deer in headlights. She couldn't remember the last time she came to get the shot. With everything that happened with Maggie and her relationship with Jay, time really got away from her. But, they were always careful. There was no way…
"Why don't we take some standard tests, okay", Dr. Stone suggested taking Erin from her thoughts.
Erin just nodded, before the doctor left the room. Just like the morning before, as soon as the door closed, Erin felt the same wave of nausea come over her as she emptied her guts in the nearby trash can. This time there was some fear there as well.
xxx
On the other side of town, Jay sat in court waiting for his lawyer to return from talking to Kaitlyn's lawyer. The hearing was only supposed to last half an hour, but Jay knew it was going to be one of the longest half hours of his life.
"Alright, everything is in order. She may make a statement directly towards you in some form of apology. Her lawyer says she has really found some more stable emotions I guess", Jay's lawyer explained.
Jay just nodded as he watched the doors to the courtroom open and Kaitlyn appear wearing the prison issued jump suit. She didn't even look at Jay, thank god, he was hoping she wouldn't notice he was even there.
"All rise for the honorable Judge Simmons", the court officer announced as the judge entered from his chambers.
"Please be seated", Judge Simmons requested as soon as he took a seat at his chair. "We are here for an allocution of Ms. Kaitlyn Sanders, is that correct", he asked looking down at his files.
"Yes, that's correct your honor", Kaitlyn's lawyer announced.
"Alright let's get this show on the road. Ms. Sanders the floor is yours", Judge Simmons announced.
Kaitlyn stood and pulled out a wrinkled piece of lined paper with words scrunched on each line. "I am pleading guilty today, because I have come to terms that what I did was wrong and is a punishable offense. I should have never gone near my daughter, as I did sign away all of my parental rights years ago. In the beginning, I thought having given her away to her father was the wrong thing to do, but now I understand that is her home. I hope one day she will forgive me, for putting her through this ordeal, but until then I will accept any punishment you seek to give me", she stated.
There was almost an eerie silence in the courtroom, except for the sound of Kaitlyn folding back up her piece of paper and stuffing it in her pocket.
"Ms. Sanders. After reviewing your case and now hearing your statement, I understand you have complete remorse for your crime", Judge Simmons began.
"Ms. Sanders, I hereby sentence you to 15 years in Cook County, where you can still be released for good behavior after ten years", he finished.
Kaitlyn nodded her head as the judge wrote some things down in a case folder, before looking back up at everyone in the courtroom. "If that's all than we will dismiss", Judge Simmons announced leaving the room.
Jay stood and watched the court officers walk over to Kaitlyn, about to put her back in the handcuffs, when she turned around and saw Jay. "Wait Jay", she called out.
"I'm sorry", she apologized. "I'm sorry I put you through all of this. You and Maggie", Kaitlyn continued. "And Erin", she finished.
Jay gave her a weak smile, "I forgive you", he stated.
Kaitlyn just smiled and allowed the court officer to handcuff her and take her out of the room.
"Nice to have the put behind you, right", Jay's lawyer remarked.
"Yeah, I guess so", Jay answered leaving the courtroom and taking his phone out of his pocket to turn it on.
"By the way, Jay I should have the adoption papers finished a couple months after your wedding", his lawyer stated.
"Thanks again for doing all of this", Jay said as his phone turned on. Immediately, he got five text messages and two missed phone calls from Erin.
"Hey you're probably still in court, but when you get this call me"
"I really don't mean to bother you. I'm just really bored at the doctors"
"I thought you would be out by now. Please call me"
"Jay, please call me"
"Jay come to the doctor's office ASAP"
"Oh, and thank you for the invitation to your wedding. I am really looking forward to it", Jay's lawyer said taking Jay from his thoughts.
"Yeah", Jay said pocketing his phone. "I really hope you can make it, but I have to go meet my fiance. Thank you again", he said before quickly leaving the courthouse to find Erin.
xxx
"Where is Erin Lindsay's room", Jay asked upon arriving to the doctor's office. The nurse at the front desk looked ambushed as Jay leaned over the desk trying to get information.
"I'm her fiance. She asked me to come", he explained.
The nurse smiled, "She said you would be coming. Right this way", she said leading him down the hall.
"Your fiance is right here", the nurse said pointing towards the door they stopped in front of.
"Thank you", Jay said as the nurse walked away. Jay opened up the door and saw Erin sitting on the chair, swinging her feet.
"Hey", Jay said walking towards her and giving her a hug. "I got here as soon as I can. What's going on", he asked pulling back and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
"I'm pregnant", Erin whispered.
Jay just stared at her, not sure what to say. He really just thought she was sick, with like the flu or some type of virus.
"Please say something", she asked.
"You're pregnant", Jay almost asked in return.
"I skipped one of my birth control shots without even knowing because of all the stuff going on with Maggie and our relationship. And I'm pregnant", Erin shrugged a smile coming to her face.
"You're pregnant", Jay said returning her smile.
"Please say something else other than 'you're pregnant'", Erin joked.
"Fine then, I love you and this is one of the most amazing things I have heard because we are getting another baby", Jay explained before kissing her.
"Maggie's gonna be jealous", Erin stated smiling as they pulled away . "Nah, she's gonna love it", Jay said.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Erin's doctor came in with the ultrasound machine. "Are we ready to check on your baby, mom and dad", Dr. Stone asked with a smile on her face.
"Of course", Jay said grabbing Erin's hand as she laid back on the chair.
"Alright, this is gonna be kind of cold, Erin, but just relax and we will have a picture in just a few seconds", Dr. Stone explained as she put the gel on Erin's stomach.
"Here you go", she said clearing up the image on the screen to reveal their baby, their small tiny innocent baby.
"You are about two and a half months along, which explains the vomiting you have experienced the past couple of days. I can give you some medicine for those symptoms", Dr. Stone explained.
"This is amazing", Jay said as he looked from the screen back down towards Erin who had a huge smile on her face.
Erin smiled towards Jay as he bent down to kiss her forehead. She knew that he was so excited about this, how could he not be. But Erin of course, found it a little scary. It was unexpected and she was gonna be pregnant during their wedding. She also didn't have to do any of the hard stuff with Maggie, Jay did all of that.
Jay was gonna be there though, to help her and she could learn. Her fears about children and messing up were all put aside. This was their baby and he or she was already pretty amazing.