A/N: Thank You so much for the warm welcome back to the land of the living I can't thank you enough for the feedback and encouragement. It definitely keeps me going. You guys are the best! We are down to the last chapter or so left after this.

Red paced back and forth outside of Liz's room. Mr. Kaplan talked him into airlifting Liz to the nearest hospital. They just couldn't access all of the equipment needed to assess her and the baby on the island with such short notice.

Mr. Kaplan and Dembe stood sentry with Red, looking at him pace with concern in their eyes. He knew the picture he must make. Clothes mussed, agitated pacing. Dembe confiscated his gun before they walked in or he would most likely be gripping it tightly and terrifying the staff further.

"How long does it take?" Red spit out as he glanced at the closed door again. "Why won't they let me inside?"

Mr. Kaplan laid a hand on his arm and squeezed reassuringly. "They need to get her settled without us looming over them. I'm sure it didn't help that you practically growled every time she made a sound."

Red spun around and paced back down the hall, eyeing every visitor and staff for potential threats. After what seemed forever, Liz was finally placed in a private room. The ER physician had determined that there was no immediate trauma to Liz and the baby and admitted her for observation. She'd only woken up intermittently, and she was confused and shaky each time she regained consciousness.

Her arm was set and wrapped in a sling to prevent further injury. Her wounds and scrapes had been tended to and Red was assured she would make a full recovery. They had an ultrasound and fetal heart monitor applied to ensure their baby was safe. But Red needed to see her.

The door opened and a nurse held up her hand to prevent Red from entering once again. Re could feel his patience stretching to the limit.

"Sir, she is resting comfortably now. She was just given something for pain. Try not to overexcite her. I know you're anxious. It's difficult to see the ones we love in pain, but for her you need to calm yourself."

Red swallowed and nodded, her point was rational and exactly what helped him take a deep breath and school his face into what he hoped was less alarming.

His chest tightened when he got his first look at Liz lying on the bed. Her arm was carefully placed across her chest, just over the swell of their baby. Her legs were curled up in a huddle as if she were still trying to protect herself. A bruise darkened her cheek and Red closed his eyes against the murderous rage that threatened to swallow him once again.

In that moment, he mourned the loss of Tom Keen. Not only was his love forced to kill to protect herself and their child, but he mourned the fact that he could not be the one to wrap his hands around that despicable man's neck and relish the light leaving his eyes as the life was slowly strangled from him.

He slowly crept closer to the bed, noticing the dark shadows under her eyes. As her dark lashes rested on her cheeks, giving her already fragile appearance an even more delicate air. The nurse must have cleaned her hair because it laid softly against the pillow, much less tangled than before.

The flimsy hospital gown did little to cover her adequately and he knew she would be terribly uncomfortable without a bra. The pregnancy had been causing her to ache as her body prepared to nourish their baby. He'd have comfortable clothing delivered for her as soon as possible.

H reached out to touch her, but his hand shook so badly e pulled it back in an effort to control his emotions. She had been through so much. How long would it be before she decided that he was no longer worth the toll she seemed to pay all too often. She would grow weary of having a target painted on her back, take their baby and leave him to live an empty and lonely life.

A life without her would not be worth living.

She had survived insurmountable odds not once but twice, and yet the look in her eyes when she discovered the truth of what he'd done to their marriage seemed to break her when nothing else could. He was a danger to her well-being and had done nothing to disprove that.

He bent down and pressed his lips to her forehead. The bay-fine hairs at her temple felt like silk under his mouth. Her skin was so soft. He inhaled her scent and held it there, savoring the fact that she was there, that she was alive.

"I love you," he whispered. "I need you to believe that, sweetheart. I need you to believe that above all else."

He backed away only long enough to grab a chair and stationed himself as close as possible to her, leaning towards her and holding her hand to the side of face. Every once in a while her brow would furrow in distress, but would always smooth out as she slipped back under, the beeping of the fetal heart monitor a balm to his soul.

So he waited. An as he waited he replayed all of their happiest memories from day one. He focused on those, refusing to dwell one second further on the bad one in the past and the bad ones sure to come if ever she decided to leave.

He must have eventually fallen asleep, because sometime later he woke to the sound of Lizzie's screams.

TBC….