YOU'LL STILL BE THE SWEETEST LITTLE BABY IN TOWN

Carson's hands were shaking as he run fast he could down the hospital corridors. The stench of disinfectant was making him sicker than she was already feeling and he was wringing his hands, as he spotted a receptionists desk ahead of him.

"Alexa Martin" he half yelled, half whispered at the middle aged woman sitting behind the desk.

She sighed as she glanced at him before she looked back at her computer, typing in the name. The woman looked around fifty with short grey hair and she definitely didn't appear to be a people person, which was ironic considering her job.

"Are you family?" She asked in a mocking tone, most likely knowing that he wasn't.

"She's having my baby" Carson replied wiping the smug smile off her face. The once smug expression was now replaced by that of disapproval.

He tapped his hand impatiently on the desk, feeling himself getting even more worked up at the prospect of what was happening.

"Room 201" She replied simply not even looking up from her computer.

Carson didn't thank her. Instead he bolted down the corridor to the left of the desk scanning the doors of the rooms as he tried to find room 201. After a few moments, he stopped outside a grey door marked "201 intensive care room" and he felt his stomach drop.

Intensive care? He hadn't realized it was this bad when her mom had called him an hour ago. He'd only left the house a few hours ago and she'd been fine. How could it have gotten to this point? Her mom hadn't told him what was wrong, she just kept crying that Alexa was in the hospital and he needed to be there for their baby. He didn't fully understand what she meant by their baby but he'd known she was deadly serious.

Carson took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves as he reached out a shaking hand and opened the door slowly, peering into the brightly lit room. The room was large and spacious but he was only focused on the girl lying on the hospital bed. He closed the door gently behind him as he made his way towards her. He spotted a woman that he assumed to be her mom, asleep on a chair to the side of the room. He sat down quietly at her bedside, pulling the chair closer to the bed.

Carson did not recognize the girl lying in the bed in front of him. Her face was tired and bared the pain of the last few months. He would have thought she was a complete stranger had it not have been for the receptionist telling him that this was her room. Staring at her angelic face as she slept, he knew that this was all his fault.

"Carson?"he heard a groggy voice ask and he glanced over to see that her mom was awake.

"I'm here" he replied simply as she stood up stiffly.

"That's good" was all she replied. He noticed immediately that her eyes were red and swollen as if she'd been crying.

"What's... What's wrong with her?" he asked hesitantly, scared of her answer.

He saw a flash of pain in her eyes as she replied in a shaky voice, "She...she took a whole box of pills. I found her on her bedroom floor when I came home from work. I thought... I thought she was going to die.

Her chest began to move up and down as tears streamed down her face. Carson wanted to get up and comfort her but he hardly knew the woman and he doubted she wanted to be comforted by the guy who had made all this happen. He felt a wave of sickness surge over him. By the sounds of it, he had only left when she'd tried to kill herself. Had he made her feel that about her life?

"This is all my fault" he whispered, his eyes welling up with tears now too, "all my fault Mrs Martin"

"It most definitely is not" her mom retorted her voice stern, "and it's Lissa honey. Call me Lissa"

She was standing beside him now, looking down at her daughter, her hand on his shoulder.

."But..." he tried to argue but she cut him off.

"She had an argument with her father. He did this" She said angrily..

"What's going to happen to her?" He asked her expecting to tell him she'd be released soon and everything would be okay. But she didn't.

She sighed, before stifling a sob. She explained to him in between sobs that everything was uncertain at this point. He didn't understand what she meant but he let her continue. She told him how he doctor had had to induce her into a temporary coma to try and save the baby. They didn't know how long she would remain in it but for now she was stable.

He Felt a lump in his throat as he realized she might never wake up. Temporary coma or not. He could lose them both. He realized her mom hadn't mentioned how the baby was. Had something happened to it? He felt his stomach churn at this prospect.

"And the baby?"Carson asked, a tear tumbling down his check. He was bracing himself for the worst.

"She's okay" she replied smiling, for the first time since he'd arrived,v"She's a fighter"

Carson sighed in relief. It wasn't until the moment you nearly lose someone that you realize just how much you love them. And he did love this baby. He always had, he'd just been hesitant to let himself get attached to someone and then fail them.

Suddenly though, Lissa's voice echoed in his head "She's okay, She's a fighter". She? They knew the sex already?

"When did you find out the sex?" he asked curiously, guessing it had been when he'd disappeared.

"Has nobody told you?" she asked, a concerned expression on her face once again.

"Told me what?"

"They had to deliver the baby, otherwise she wouldn't have made it. She was born on 2nd February at 3am. "She replied, eyeing him as if she was waiting for him to run away.

Carson gasped in shock. He wasn't prepared. He wasn't ready for a baby just yet. Maybe she was right, expecting him to run. Maybe he should run, it wouldn't be uncharacteristic would it?

Before he had the chance to leave, he spotted something in the room that he hadn't before. In left side of the room stood a transparent incubator. He could see a tiny figure squirming about quietly and he felt the corners of his mouth turn up into a smile automatically. His baby. Their baby.

He pulled himself up off the chair and cautiously walked towards the incubator, Lissa following behind him. He glanced down in the incubator at the tiny baby staring up at him. It's little hand reached up gently as if she was reaching out to him. He looked back at Lissa expectantly and she nodded, smiling warmly. Carson gently reached his hand into the incubator and stroked her hand. Her hand wrapped around his baby finger instantly and there was look of contentment on her little face.

Carson felt himself losing control of his emotions as he burst into tears. They were happy tears though, although he felt an ache in his stomach that Alexa wasn't here to see her. But he knew she would be soon. she was a fighter, just like her daughter.

The baby started to fuss, tossing around in her cot. Carson froze. He didn't know how to settle a baby. He knew nothing about them. Luckily Lissa began to speak softly behind him,

Hush, little baby, don't say a word.

Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,

Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass,

Papa's gonna buy you a looking Glass

And if that looking Glass gets broke,

Papa's gonna buy you a Billy goat

And if that billy goat won't pull,

Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull won't turn over,

Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

And if that dog named Rover won't bark

Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart

And if that horse and cart fall down,

You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

He smiled at her gratefully. He remembered his mom singing that to him when he was little and refusing to go to sleep. Now it would be his turn to sing it.

" Hi baby girl" he cooed his face blushing slightly as Lissa chuckled light- heatedly, " It's your daddy, I love you very much. So does your mom"

Carson knew his last comment was true. Alexa did love their daughter. And she would be with him soon.