Not What I Expected

Part 16

Chad sat at the bar of his latest hangout and downed a shot of Tequila. It had been three hours since his counselling appointment with Nicole and Dr. Mason and he felt horrible. After the appointment he had gotten in his truck and just drove. He didn't go home to Anna because she wouldn't be able to help him in this situation and after Nicole had called him, he had felt more ashamed than ever.

After driving around for three hours he decided to stop at the pub before heading home, but one tequila shot turned into several more and he finally numbed the pain he felt deep within. After he had confessed to Nicole about everything and saw her reaction, he had realized that he had made a huge mistake. However, he knew that Nicole had made her mind up. There was no way she was going to give him a third chance to make things right between them and there was no way that Anna would let him go without a fight.

He looked down at the bar where his phone was resting when it vibrated against his hand. He rolled his eyes when he saw who was calling and reluctantly answered the phone.

"Yeah," he grumbled.

"Chad, baby...where are you?" Anna asked, the concern evident in her voice, "I'm getting worried. You said you would be home after your appointment...is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chad replied, trying to hide the fact that he was three sheets to the wind at this point, "It's been a rough day. I'll be home in a couple hours."

Without waiting for her to respond he pressed end on his phone and shoved it into his back pocket. He didn't want to talk to her at that particular moment. He had been too focused on all the damage that he had caused with his family. Nicole and Hudson should have always been the most important thing in his life, but instead they took a back seat to Anna, who was only a mistress and now, pregnant with his child. His heart hurt and Ryan Wilson was just sitting there on the sidelines waiting for Nicole to go running to him.

He couldn't handle it anymore. He didn't deserve Nicole and he knew that more than anything, but he sure as hell was going to try and win her back, even if Anna tried to sabotage him in the process.

Chad threw a few twenties on the bar and stumbled out of the pub. He decided to walk for a little while to sober up and then he would go home to Anna. But everything in him told him to pursue his wife and child. They were worth the fight, he just hoped that Nicole would see it the same way.

Nicole woke up with a start when the home phone rang on the table beside her bed. She groaned and rubbed her eyes before looking at the clock.

"Who the hell is calling at 3:00 a.m?" she mumbled, "Whoever it is better have a good reason..."

"Hello," Nicole asked, her voice sounding sleepy.

"Hi is this Nicole Sanders?" the person on the other end asked.

"It is," Nicole replied, "May I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Aiden Burrows, I am a doctor here at Emergency at Vancouver General Hospital," she replied nicely, "I'm so sorry for the time, but we have your husband, Chad Sanders, here."

Nicole's heart began to pound in her chest. What the hell happened, Nicole had wondered to herself, and why didn't they call Anna? She was no longer his next of kin, but he more than likely hadn't changed that information.

"Is he ok?" Nicole asked hesitantly, feeling afraid of the answer.

"Actually, he is not doing well," Dr. Burrows replied, "He was very drunk and as he was crossing the street downtown, he got hit by a car. The driver of the vehicle didn't see him and when he finally did notice him crossing the street, it was too late. Mr. Sanders is in critical condition and even after the emergency surgery we did, we weren't able to stabilize him."