What Connor Wants... (BWWM)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: UNCONCIOUS

Connor drove in front of Aubrey's apartment, halted his car, and turned off the engine. Although their talk at the beach was emotional, Aubrey and Connor had come to terms with their past. Of course, nothing was dandy, and they still had a long way to go, but at least they had made some peace.

Aubrey and Connor sat in the car for almost hours, trying to absorb the silence before either uttered a word. Now tired of the silence between him and Aubrey, Connor let out a breath and turned towards Aubrey.

"Aubrey, we have to do this. Our son has to know that he has a father that loves and cares for him," Connor managed to say, but Aubrey was still not convinced that it was time. The thought had replayed in her mind as the two of them had driven from the beach and on their way to her apartment.

"But I am not ready, Connor," Aubrey responded, her voice soft and her eyes looking everywhere except in Connor's eyes.

"I know you very well, and I know this has nothing to do with you being ready; you just don't want to face the fact that you'll be sharing CJ with someone else," Connor told Aubrey. Connor was beyond furious; all he wanted to do was speak to his son, and he never thought that Aubrey would ever barrier between him and himself.

"Can't we do this another time?" Aubrey suggested to Connor, who did not seem pleased with this suggestion at all.

"No! I refuse to do it again because you had eight years to prepare for motherhood, and I had less than a day to let this idea of fatherhood sink in" Without another word from Connor, he got out of his car, and Aubrey ran after him.

Connor angrily stomped towards the entrance of Aubrey's apartment, and she ran after him. The fear in Aubrey's eyes was evident, more evidence that Aubrey was not prepared for the truth to come out.

Connor did not have to say a single word to Aubrey, he simply looked at her, and she inserted her keys into the door and unlocked it. Connor and Aubrey entered the apartment, and it was quiet, as if no one was around.

"CJ, mom's home," Aubrey called out to CJ, and there was no sound of her little boy, who would often come and greet her at the door. Aubrey continued calling her son's name, but when he did not answer, she began worrying and looking for him while Connor stayed in the living room.

He glanced at the house's interior, and he was horrified. The color on the walls was dull and looked like it needed repainting, the couch was old, and in the middle of it, it looked like it was sinking inwards, the TV was way too old for this modern day, and there was no carpet on the floor—only concrete floors.

Connor honestly did not know how Aubrey could live in such a place because all he saw were different health hazards that could injure Aubrey and his son.

See what you have done, Connor; you promised her that nothing wrong would happen— that she would not get pregnant. The thought of promising Aubrey that she would not get pregnant haunted him; he was irresponsible, and Aubrey had to pay for his mistake alone.

A loud scream came from the deeper parts of Aubrey's apartment, and without waiting for a second, Connor rushed to where the sound was coming from. Aubrey held their son in her arms in a small room on a thin mattress. With one look in her swollen eyes, Connor could tell that CJ was not okay. He was pale in color, and his eyes were shut.

Without asking any questions, Connor grabbed his son from Aubrey's arms and ran towards his car, placing CJ in the back seat. Aubrey sat with CJ while Connor started his car, and they went to the hospital.

If there was ever a time when Connor prayed, this was definitely one of those times. But, unfortunately, their ride to the hospital was not as easy; with Aubrey crying in the back seat, CJ still not responding, and Connor breaking every speed limit, there was nothing the pair could do.

With his hands gripping the wheel, a tear dropped from Connor's eyes. He prayed that his son did not die, had such plans for CJ, and wanted to give his son the chance of having a father.

Connor and Aubrey arrived at the hospital, and CJ was taken away from them before they knew it. Sitting in the waiting room was the worst thing Connor and Aubrey could do; not knowing what was happening to their son was disheartening.

Connor wanted to console Aubrey, but it seemed he could not get himself to move while Aubrey walked up and down the waiting room hallway as panic clouded her face.

"Aubrey, it's not your fault; our son is going to be okay," Connor blurted out as Aubrey stopped before him.

"But it is; if I had just—" Aubrey tried to explain herself, but Connor stood and placed his hand over her mouth to stop Aubrey from blaming herself. He knew that he, too, was to blame, and it was unfair for him to simply stand there and allow Aubrey to take all the blame.

"If you had just done what, Aubrey? If you could tell the future and maybe, just maybe, our son would be okay. Aubrey, it's not easy for you, and neither is it easy for me, but we have to be strong for CJ, okay" Connor told Aubrey, hoping that he could get through to her and put her mind at ease, but from the looks of it, he was failing miserably.

Aubrey nodded in agreement and wiped her tears from her eyes; right then, the doctor walked in, and the look on his face was not of a happy man. Aubrey and Connor walked towards the doctor, impatiently waiting for news about their son.