To Protect A Child, To Love A Child

Chapter 47

"...Mrs. Ramirez called me and ordered me to get to the hospital at once, that Ashley had...had an accident," Jack could not say the word 'overdosed", instead he fumbled around it.

"Accident?" Victoria whispered, as she recalled the events of her and Ashley's altercation over and over in her head. Unfortunately her whisper was loud enough for Jack to hear and he took it as sarcasm.

"Yes, Accident!" Jack shouted as he moved closer to Victoria enraged that she would suggest otherwise, "My sister had a life or death deciding accident because your father up and decided that he actually wanted to be a 'father' to Abby...but instead of easing everyone into it he thought it would be better to just take Abby away from her mother and bring her to the ranch sending my sister into a total depression."

"Jack I didn't mean..." Victoria tried to apologize as well as gather her thoughts and understand her part in this, coming to the conclusion that this was all her fault.

"Didn't mean to what, Victoria?" Jack continued to yell.

"Okay, Jack, that's enough," Nick tried to dissolve the argument not wanting it to go any further, but also because he was getting heated himself at Jack and his accusations.

"No it's not enough, you Newman's never ' mean to do' anything...Newman's act, but never think of the consequences unless it affects them...it's a Newman world and we're all just living in it, right? RIGHT!?!" Jack pushed.

"That is ENOUGH!" Nick demanded as he stepped between Jack and Victoria, "Jack I didn't want to be the one who told you this nor did I want to bad mouth your sister, but you leave me no choice, especially when you choose to yell in my sister's face...You want to know why my father and mother have Abby with them...huh? Because your sister is an alcoholic and a drug addict...two traits that do not make for a very fit mother...my father didn't take Abby, she came to the ranch on her own in a cab late one night, cold, crying, and scared...your so called saintly sister had invited some of her scum friends over and got so high and wasted she passed out leaving Abby alone in the house with a bunch of intoxicated men...one of the guys came after Abby and tried to rape her, but luckily he was too under the influence to keep up with her, she's been at the ranch ever since...and don't think Ashley tried to fix her mistakes, instead she continued to make things worse for herself, she came out to the ranch drunk and yelled at Abby and she was thrown out of the GCAC for being drunk in public and stripping...your sister has done nothing but bring stress into Abby and my parents lives here lately, so if anyone is to blame for someone being in this hospital it is your out-of-control sister," Nick informed him, holding nothing back.

"That can't be true...Ashley wouldn't knowingly put Abby in danger like that..." Jack tried to wrap his head around the things Nick had just told him.

"It's true, Uncle Jack," both turned to see Abby and Nikki, who had caught most of the argument, "Mo...that woman isn't my mother, she is a stranger, a completely different person."

"Abby, you don't mean that," Jack urged, shocked at Abby's words.

"I do mean it, Uncle Jack...at least for now...that woman isn't the mother I used to know, she doesn't make me feel safe or loved...not like Dad or Nikki...and I plan to stay with them from now on...unless something changes then we will go from there," Abby explained as she clung to Nikki's hand.

Before Jack could say anything else, Victor's doctor came out of the room to find them, thus giving Jack the signal to go back to his sister's room for now. "Mrs. Newman...your husband is stable again," Dr. Collins smiled, happy to share good news with the family.

"Oh thank God!" Nikki breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her children. "Doctor, what happened? Did more stress cause him to have another heart attack? He was stable before, will it happen again?" Nikki questioned. *So help me, if Jack Abbott is the reason I almost lost my husband again I will have his head,* Nikki thought.

"No, Mrs. Newman, Victor did not have another heart attack, but stress definitely made the reaction kick in faster...Victor's body was rejecting the bypass and unfamiliar organ and DNA, but fortunately Memorial has just recently been cleared a little over a month ago to use DNAzyme which is a new drug that helps the body better adjust to the new cells...and thankfully your husband seems to have taken to the drug very well," Dr. Collins explained.

"Could this happen again?" Nikki worried.

"It is highly unlikely, but yes, so in order to monitor that your husband has no further complications, we will have to keep him here a little while longer," Dr. Collins informed them.

"Dad's going to love hearing that," Nick joked as they all grinned.

"Well your father is just going to have to get over it, it is for his own health," Nikki stated, "And don't worry Doctor I will take care of telling him he has to stay longer this time so he doesn't argue...as much," Nikki smiled.

"I greatly appreciate that Mrs. Newman, I definitely think your husband will take it better coming from you," Dr. Collins thanked her.

"When can we see my father, Dr. Collins?" Victoria asked.

"Well I know you are all anxious to see him especially you kids since you haven't seen him at all, but I think your father needs his rest, at least for a few hours before you see him...if it is okay with you all I will have his nurse run a few tests a little later when he is up to it and if everything is okay you can see him, alright?"

"That sounds perfect Doctor thank you," Nikki smiled, but couldn't help feel disappointed for her kids who desperately wanted to see their father, "You can find us in the waiting room when it's time."

"Great, I will speak with you all later...and don't hesitate to ask if you need anything, I or a nurse will be glad to help," Dr. Collins replied.

"Actually, there is something you could do for me if it isn't too much trouble..." Nikki asked as Nick, Victoria and Abby headed to the waiting room.