"My Way - Chapter Forty-Five"

Author: Sydnie
Email: sydniep@hotmail.com

Because of Jenny's condition, climbing up the stairs to the apartment was becomming more and more difficult. Buffy transformed the large study which they never used on the first floor, into a bedroom for her.

Buffy's due date was drawing nearer. That meant that her friend's was close behind. Praying for a miracle, the retired Slayer sat in front of her computer and began searching for a way to keep Jenny alive.

Within seconds of typing in the information into the search engine, something caught her eye. It was a website for a medical center in Los Angeles that had successfully treated Jenny's condition. Buffy urgently e-mailed the doctor, leaving her phone number, and hoped for a quick return message.

An hour later the phone rang.

"Cleary residence. Buffy speaking."

"Yes, hello. My name is Dr. Phillip Martin. I just received your e-mail. I'm happy to say that that I believe I can help your friend. When can you get here?"

"That's a problem. I'm due to have a baby myself within the next couple of weeks and Jenny's due a week later. Neither of us are able to travel."

"Alright. Where do you live?"

"In Sunnydale. Do you know where that is?"

"Sure. I had family from there. Tell you what. Let me make arrangements to treat Jennifer at Sunnydale Memorial and I'll call you when I get to town."

"Thank you, Doctor. So much."

"But Buffy, you know my health insurance won't cover this. I can't afford..."

"It's taken care of, Jenn. Angel and I discussed it and we're paying for all of your medical expenses." Buffy interrupted.

Jenny was too exhausted to argue. "Fine." The baby kicked. "Just promise that if I don't make it," she ran her hands over her belly, "you'll take care of her."

"Jenny, nothing's gonna happen."

"Promise me."

Buffy was hesitant, but nodded. "I promise."

Angel sat in his office at the Bronze going over paper work. With an active toddler and two pregnant women in the house, one of whom was ill, he enjoyed his private time.

The phone rang.

"This is Angel." He answered.

"Hey sweetie."

He smiled at the sound of his wife's voice. "Hey baby. How's the search going?"

"Wonderful! I found a doctor who might be able to help Jenny. He's in LA but he's going to make arrangements to be able to treat her here."

"That's incredible, Buffy!"

"I know. He's gonna call me back when he has more details."

"What'd Jenny say?"

"Health insurance wouldn't cover it, but I told her what we'd talked about and she gave in." She paused for a moment. "Then she made me promise to take care of her baby if she didn't make it."

Angel was silent for a few minutes.

"Angel?"

He took a deep breath. "You know we'll do whatever you want."

"But it's not what you want. Is it?"

"What I want to say isn't going to come out the way I mean it to and it's going to sound very selfish. I know she's your friend and we will help her in any way we can, but we have our own children to raise."

Buffy sighed. "Hearing you say it out loud makes me feel so much better. I've been feeling the same way, but I haven't had the heart to say it."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"Pray ... a lot. And if something does happen to her, we can make sure the baby goes to a good home. Someone who will be sure to love her as their own."

Phillip Martin drove into Sunnydale three days later. He was going to check into his hotel, then the hospital and then call Buffy Cleary to set up a time to meet with her friend.

He should be on a plane to Belize with his flavor of the month, but something was pulling him to help this patient. Something was telling him it was what he had to do.

Buffy was in full nesting mode and was busy cleaning her house when the phone rang. "Cleary residence. Buffy speaking."

"Mrs. Cleary, it's Dr. Martin. I'm in Sunnydale. I was wondering if it would be possible to come to your home and meet with Miss Matthews?"

"Of course. Let me give you my address and directions..."

Fifteen minutes later...

The gate buzzed.

"Who is it?" Angel answered.

"My name is Dr. Phillip Martin."

Without another word, Angel opened the gate. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

"I dit it! I dit it!" Meghan ran for the door.

"I don't think so, silly britches." Angel scooped her up over his shoulder causing the little girl to squeal with laughter. He opened the door. "Dr. Martin, please come in."

He entered.

"I'm Angel Cleary, Buffy's husband." He held his hand out to shake the doctor's hand while balancing Meghan.

"Da down!"

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Cleary."

"Angel, please. Buffy will be down in a few minutes. She's due any day now and it takes awhile for her to get from one side of the house to another."

"Ooo dat?" Meghan asked while holding on to her father's pants leg.

"This is Dr. Martin, Meghan. He's gonna try to make Jenny all better."

Meghan pouted. "Denny dic."

Angel picked her up. "Yeah baby. Jenny's sick."

Dr. Martin smiled. "She's precious. How old is she?"

"Eighteen months." Buffy said as she entered the foyer. "A very active, very precocious and very nosy eighteen month old." She held her hand. "I'm Buffy."

"It's nice to meet you. Now, if I could meet Miss Matthews."

"Sure. She's in her room." Buffy led him to the converted den.

"I love what you've done with the house."

Buffy turned to him, confusion on her face. "You've been here before?"

He nodded. "My great aunt designed it."

"Adelle Martin was your aunt?"

He nodded again. "She was a bit eccentric."

Buffy smiled. "I wouldn't say that. I just think she had a unique vision."

Phillip looked at her strangely.

"This is Jenny's room." She knocked.

"Come in."

"Hey Jenn. This is Dr. Phillip Martin."

Jenny looked up at the handsome, early thirtysomething man. "It's nice to meet you. Do you really think you can help me?"

He sat beside her and grabbed her hand. "I promise to do everything in my power to get you through this. Why don't I explain everything, the proceedure and the recovery."

Two days later, Angel and Buffy walked into the OR Waiting Room. They'd just left Jenny who was being wheeled into surgery.

Dr. Martin had explained in great detail what would occur during the procedure before he personally took Jenny to the hospital and examined her. He told them that as he was operating on her to repair her damaged heart, her baby would be delivered by C-Section by her OB/GYN. Over all, it should take approximately twelve hours from start to finish.

As Buffy sat on a plush couch, she couldn't get comfortable.

"Are you okay?" Angel asked as he sat next to her and squeezed her hand.

She rubbed her lower back with her other hand. "My back hurts and my stomach's sore."

A nurse who was walking by, stopped. "How long's your back been hurting?"

Buffy raise her eyebrow. "Pretty much all morning."

The nurse place her hand on Buffy's belly. "Does your stomach feel sore or tight?"

Buffy thought for a second. "I guess tight would describe it better. Why?"

"Honey, you're in labor."

Angel's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean? She's not having contractions and her water hasn't broken."

"Darlin', I've been a Labor and Delivery nurse for thirty years. Trust me, she's in labor." She looked at Buffy. "Who's your doctor, sweetie?"