Chapter 5
After what seemed like hours of holding Presley in his arms, all the while his mind consumed with fears for Suttons life and his recent infidelity, he excused himself from the room to call the guys and let them know what was going on. Retreating to the waiting room he pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down for AJ’s number. He needed to make sure that AJ let the other guys know the urgency and severity of Sutton’s condition. Plus he wanted to ask AJ one more time if he was sure that it was a good idea to keep his infidelity a secret from Presley.
After a few rings AJ answered the phone. “Nick man, I’ve been worried sick. How is the little guy?”
“It’s not good Alex. He has a heart defect that is going to require major surgery. It is called Tetralogy of Fallot. I don’t know much about it, because the doctor hasn’t been in for me to talk to him, but Presley said that it has something to do with the lack of oxygenated blood making it to the lungs, so he turns blue. According to Presley his has been doing much better since they have him hooked up to an oxygen machine.”
“Dude, I am so sorry man. This has got to be killing P. How is she handling it?” AJ asked carefully. He didn’t want to come across the wrong way, but he wanted to make sure she was hanging in there.
Nick took a deep breath shaking his head in defeat and he prepared to tell AJ, “Bad, she is not doing well. I don’t think she has slept in a couple of days, and her eyes are almost swollen shut from crying so much. She is blaming herself. Saying that she drank when she didn’t know that she was pregnant, and that she didn’t take care of herself like she should have. I keep telling her that it isn’t her fault, that things like this happen all the time for no reason, but of course she doesn’t believe me.”
“Man, I am so sorry. I can’t imagine how you two must feel. I don’t think I could handle it. I mean, how are you holding up?”
“I am trying to stay positive for Pressie, I don’t want her worrying any more than she already is, and I think that if I try and focus on the positive, that maybe she will too. But honestly man, I am so freaking scared. I mean seriously how are you expected to stay calm and not totally freak out when your kid as a major heart condition. I really don’t know how I am going to keep it together.”
“You are a tough guy Nick. You will be amazed at what you can pull through.” AJ said trying to comfort him.
“Generally, I would agree with you, but I am not so sure this time. I mean, dude I just fucked some random girl last night, and now I am here consoling Presley all the while the guilt is eating away at me. She was at the hospital trying to save our sons life, while I had my dick in some girl whose name I didn’t even know. It is just making the entire situation worse. Are you sure I shouldn’t tell her. I mean I know that she will be hurt, but don’t you think she deserves the truth?”
“I understand where you are coming from, but dude…”
“Fuck!” Nick said loudly with surprise in his voice. Nick looked towards the door to see Presley shaking her head disappointedly at him, before turning to walk away.
“What? What wrong?” AJ asked.
“Mother Fucker!....Shit Alex, she heard me. She fucking heard me!”
“How do you know?” AJ asked still confused about what was going on.
“I just looked up and there she was standing in the door way giving me this look that told me she heard everything, then she just shook her head and walked away. I am so screwed!...I gotta go. I gotta try to fix this.” Nick snapped the phone shut without even waiting for a response from AJ. Shoving the phone into his pocket he made his way out into the hallway and rushed down to Sutton’s room.
Presley stared down at Sutton with tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn’t seem to notice Nick when he entered. However, Nick assumed that she was merely ignoring his entrance. She ran her hand along Sutton face and gently swept the blonde wisps of hair off of his forehead. Nick, not sure of what to do or say, kept his distance and sat in the chair along the wall of the room. While his mind ran wild with scenarios that could possibly unfold, his body stayed tense and terrified of what her reaction was going to be.
“P, I don’t know where to start.” Nick said finally breaking the silence.
“Then don’t Nick. Don’t start. I don’t want to talk about it. I already knew that is what you were doing. I am not an idiot. So don’t start treating me like I am one.”
“I am so sorry Presley! I swear! You have no idea who guilty I feel. I don’t know what came over me. We had that stupid argument about AJ, I went out and go drunk and the next thing I realize I am fucking some girl. I swear Presley, it wasn’t malicious, and I wasn’t trying to get you back or anything. I swear! I am so sorry!” Nick pleaded with tears rolling out of his eyes.
Presley took a deep breath and closed her eyes considering all of her options. Swallowing her pride she accepted the fact that she was going to forgive him. She really needed him right now, and his one night stand with some strange girl was not going to change that. “Forget about it okay. Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen okay.”
Nick looked at Presley like she was crazy. This wasn’t the strong independent woman he was used to. The Presley he knew would have at least ripped him a new asshole before forgiving him. However, she was putting up and fight, she was just sweeping in under the carpet, pretending it didn’t happen. “Presley, do you hear what you are saying? I cheated on you! I fucked some girl whose name I don’t even know and you are just going to sweep it under the carpet? You aren’t going to scream and yell and totally flip out on me? I mean seriously this isn’t you P.”
“I don’t have it in me anymore Nick. I heard you talking to Alex, and it seems that you are really regretful about it, and I know in the end I would forgive you. I am skipping over all of the stupid stuff in the middle because I need you right now. I need your support through all of this with Sutton.” Tears began flowing freely as she broke down again. “I can’t do it…I can’t do it alone Nick.”
Nick got out of his seat and made his way over to her, taking her into his arms holding on to her tightly. Kissing the top of her head, he made a vow to himself that he was going to be there every step of the way, and he would not let his male hormones ever get in the way of that. Seeing how much she needed him made him realize how much he needed her. “I am not going anywhere, baby. As long as you want me I am here.” He said kissing her head again. “I am so sorry.”
Just then there was a knock on the door, and almost immediately a few doctors walked into the room. Both Presley and Nick quickly wiped the tears off of their faces and turned their attention to the doctors. Nick noticed that there were three doctors, all of them wearing different expressions on their faces. He didn’t particularly care for any of the expressions, because none of them looked pleasant.
“Mr. and Mrs. Carter, I have brought a couple of my colleagues with me, so that we can explain a little more about Sutton’s condition. This is Dr. Grey” he said pointing to the short chunky doctor to his right, “And this is Dr. Bishop. And I have met you Mrs. Carter, but I haven’t met you Mr. Carter. I am Dr. Nadell, Sutton’s attending.”
“Nice to meet you.” Nick replied. He caught that they were referring to Presley as Mrs. Carter and he smirked inwardly to himself, however, he didn’t bother to correct him. He actually kind of liked it.
“So, do you have any specific questions that you want answered?” Dr. Nadell asked looking back and forth between Nick and Presley.
“I have so many, but right now not many are coming to me.” Nick said scratching his head. “I guess my biggest question is what are his chances of coming through this?”
“His chances are really good, actually. He is actually a very lucky little boy that he has a mom that is so attentive, because his body was being deprived of oxygen, and after a while that can start to do brain damage. However, it was caught really quickly, and the tests haven’t showed any sign of damage to his brain at all.”
“What about his heart. I mean I know there is this defect, but other than that is it strong?”
“His heart is strong; it is just laid out in the wrong way. That is what we will repair in surgery.”
“When can he have the surgery?” Nick asked.
“The repair is made at around 6 months of age, or even a little earlier.”
“What exactly does the surgery do?”
“Repairing the heart defects will allow oxygen-poor (blue) blood to travel its normal route through the pulmonary artery to receive oxygen.”
“What exactly takes place during surgery? I mean what will you do in there?
“The operation is performed under general anesthesia; consist of us closing the ventricular septal defect with a patch. We will also open and enlarge the obstructed pathway between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. And in Sutton’s case we will also be enlarging his pulmonary artery.”
“That sounds like a lot of stuff. I mean isn’t this really dangerous?”
“All surgeries come with risks, but I assure you that Sutton has a way better chance of a full life with the surgery, than without it?”
“A full life, you mean he can live a normal life after the surgery?”
“Most children who have had the surgical repair will live healthy lives. Activity levels, appetite, and growth will eventually return to normal in most children. He may have to have another surgery in his 30’s to replace the valve, but other than that he will be like every other child out there. It will be like he never had the defect.” Dr. Nadell assured him.
“That is awesome. Do you hear that baby! He is going to be fine! Everything will work out!” His said pulling Presley into his arms. He had one more question that he had to ask though.
“Umm…Doc, I have one more question. Sutton is only a month old. Is he going to have to stay in the hospital until he has the surgery?”
“It all depends on what you want. Some mothers feel more confident with the child her in the hospital, but if the two of you are up for the challenge it is more that plausible that Sutton can go home. He will need to be on oxygen full time though, only taken off to be bathed or for feeding.”
“Thanks so much. We will talk it over and let you know.” Nick replied. He glanced at Presley and noticed a small smile creeping across her lips. She had thought the news was good too.
The doctors left the room, and a silence fell between them. It was almost a comfortable silence. Both of then thinking about how lucky it seemed they had gotten. Heart conditions can be fatal. They could’ve easily lost their baby, but instead they were going to get to keep him. He was going to be fine. And the idea of taking him home pleased both of them.
However, Nick knew that if they bought Sutton home that meant the end of the tour for him. He was more than willing to cancel the rest of it. However, he was not looking forward to giving a press release about why the tour was being canceled. It had to be done at some point though. And now was a good a time as ever.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry it has been so long guys! School has really been keeping me busy and my little boy started a new therapy programs so things have been kind of crazy! Hope you guys are still interested!
