Parenthood - (completed)

Part 24

Jacob sat holding a sleeping Connie and Noah when Victoria and Derek, his parents arrived.
They knocked on the door of NICU so he lifted Connie off his knee and into the chair carefully then carried Noah outside to them.
"This is my grandson? He's beautiful Jacob" Victoria said.
Jacob nodded and held him out to his mother who took him gently, "his name's Noah, but mum he's" he said but she cut him off.
"So where's the lovely lady I need to thank for this little bundle of joy?" she asked.
Derek looked through the window and saw Connie sat by Maya, "darling I don't think" he tried to say but she cut him off too, "Jacob he really is the spit of you!" she exclaimed.

"Victoria, I don't think Jacob's here for him" Derek said.
"What?" Victoria asked.
"He's right. You have a granddaughter to" Jacob said as he looked back through the window.
She looked at the incubator seeing Maya looking so small and frail as Connie sat sleeping by her.
"Twins?" she said.
"No, come and see her and I'll explain everything" Jacob said before walking back into NICU.
Connie stirred as he walked back in and smiled weakly at him, "hey muscles" she said sleepily.
"Hey baby, my parents are here" he told her.
Connie stood up and looked around at them, "I'll leave you too it. Do you want me to take Noah?" she asked.

"Stay, please babe" he said softly.
"Ok" she said with a weak smile.
"Jacob I don't understand, they aren't twins, but there isn't 9 months between them. What's going on?" Victoria asked.
Jacob sighed, "this is Connie, my girlfriend and Noah's mum. 9 months ago we both wanted a baby, no we weren't together at the time, but she got pregnant. We weren't dating so I ended up seeing another woman for a few months, then when Noah was born we ended things and me and Connie got together. Last week Layla came to tell me she was pregnant, six months, but she was unsure who the father was as she'd cheated on me. She was involved in a car accident a few hours ago. She died, but this is my daughter. Maya" he explained.

Victoria stood there in shock, unable to take in everything she had heard so decided not to comment. Instead she held Noah in her arms whilst looking at Maya.
"Will she be ok?" she asked no one in particular as she looked at her.
"I don't know mum, I hope so but I can't promise anything" Jacob told her.
"You're a nurse Jacob, you must be able to tell me something" Victoria said.
"Mum I'm not a neonatal nurse and I can't make promises that I might not be able to keep. I wish I could make everything better but I can't. She's sick and I don't know how much progress she's going to make, if any. At this point she has a 60% chance of pulling through, but that's just an estimate. She could over come every hurdle and live a normal life, but maybe not. There's no guarantees" Jacob said.

"But there must be, there must be something that will improve her chances. Let me speak to the doctor" she said.
"Mrs Masters, I assure you that every precaution to improve Maya's chances is being taken and as horrible as it is, all we can do is wait" Connie told her.
"And what would you know it? To me you just seem to be the woman that caused this. If you hadn't been so selfish as to want a baby with a man you had no intentions of being with until he was taken, then he and Layla would still be together, and she'd still be pregnant. My granddaughter would be ok" Victoria said.
"Mum!" Jacob said defensively.
"I'm going to put that down to you being upset, and not pure arrogance. But I'll be taking my son thank you" Connie said as she scooped Noah up from her arms, "oh and I know a lot more than you think. Connie Beauchamp, Lead consultant in cardiothoracic surgery and emergency medicine" she added before turning on her heel and walking out.
"Connie come back!" Jacob said after her but she didn't listen.