Farmer's Daughter

Chapter 36~ You Don't Have To

The drive home went through without a hitch and we arrived home on the second day of travel. Surprisingly Dad absolutely loved the tattoo and now it was time to go back to the hell otherwise known as school.

I was going with Kristen after school to have her ultrasound. She told me she has names picked out for both a boy an girl but won't tell anyone what they are.

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I was halfway through lunch when I got a call from Mason.

"Hey, whats up?"

"Um I was wondering if you could meet Ben at the hospital? I have a test that I can't miss and everyone else is-" he rambled on.

"Hey, its okay I will be there, is he okay?" I asked worried.

"Physically yes other than that I am not so sure."

"What do you mean physically?"

"Just meet him there and he will explain,"

"Okay bye." I drove up to the same hospital I have been to 4 times before, when Mom died, when Seth died, when I was four and broke my arm and when I flipped the fourwheeler and had to get stitches. I walked up to the receptionist when Ben caught my eye. He was in the waiting room with his hands over his eyes, leaning on his knees. I ran over and pulled his chin up so that his eyes met mine.

"Wow your the last person I expected to be here." His voice was hoarse like he had been crying.

"Of course, Mase called what happened?"

"My dad...... he was...... hit by a semi truck this morning," he broke down and started to cry.

"Is he alive?" I cautiously asked.

"He hasn't woken up yet and they say that he is brain dead, if he doesn't wake up in an hour they are going to take him off life support," his body shook as he started to sob.

"Shhhh I'm sorry." I soothed him.

"I can't lose him...... he is all I have left....please.... I can't lose them both in a year." He said really talking to God I assume cause saying please to me isn't going to help at all.

"Ben, look at me." I tilted his head to make him look at me again, "Whatever happens me and all the idiots we call our friends will always be there for you and we are your family like it or not," he laughed a little when I called our friends idiots.

"Thank you," he hugged me as hard as he possibly could.

"Mr. Reid's family." The nurse behind us called out. Ben and I stood up and walked over to her, Ben held my hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm sorry sir but your father has not woken up and we have waited the 6 hours now its up to you, do you want the machines to keep him alive or would you like to unplug the machines?"

"There is no way he is ever going to wake up right?" Parker asked.

"Probably not," she shook her head.

"Then take him off." I held Ben as he started to cry. And I asked him questions so that I could fill out the paperwork.

"Do you want an explanation?" He asked after he calmed down.

"Of what?"

"Of what happened New Years," what he said shocked me.

"Ben, you don't have to, your dad just died-"

"No I want to, because I was an ass."

"Okay, go ahead then,"

"I was so drunk, and I went into the room to lay down because I had just thrown up, I was just about asleep when Amy who I thought was you, came in and started to kiss me. Now I thought she was you so I kissed her back and it was dark and then I broke when I saw you in the hallway. Then after that I was still expected to be the player so I acted the part. I went along with Amy since you wouldn't even look at me and everytime you did you were disgusted with me and I couldn't take it. Then when the guys beat me up, I knew they had finally picked a side and I knew it wasn't mine. And as weird as it may sound I loved it, I loved that they picked you over me, cause that meant they finally realized that you were ten times the person I ever was. It made me happy that they saw what I had seen in you all along. And you being here after all the shit I have put you through just proves that fact even more.The worst part abut that night was when we walked to the front yard and you told me you wee sorry you ever loved me." After he said that both him and I were crying. But then I got a phone call.

"Hello?" I sniffled.

"Hey are you okay? I haven't seen you all day?" Kristen asked.

"Yeah I am just at the hospital with Ben,"

"O...kay um I was just wondering if you still wanted to come to the appointment with me?"

"Yeah absolutely, I will meet you downstairs okay?"

"Yup see you there," she hung up.

"Hey I have to go to an appointment with Kristen for the baby, um do you want to fill out the rest of the paperwork and then I will come back and you can spend the night on the farm so you don't have to be by yourself," I stated.

"Thank you, Lex. For all of it,"

"Of course,"

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"Hey Krist,"

"Hey what happened?"

"His dad was brain dead and he died, and then after all of that he gave me an explanation of New Years, so yeah I look like crap because I have been crying for like four hours,"

"Oh Lex, well lets get some good news now," she smiled.

"Hello Kristen how are you today," the doctor greeted us.

"Good excited to find out," she squealed.

"Okay well we are going to do an ultrasound and then we will let you know okay?"

"Sounds great."

"Okay Kristen, you are going to be the proud mom of a baby...." Krist squeezed her eyes shut, "Boy!" The doctor congratulated.

"Thats what I wanted, and I have the perfect name." She whispered to me.