CHAPTER THREE

"Mommy." Tyler called, from the back-seat of the car as Mags drove down the highway to Orlando International Airport. They were a 1/2 hour late to meet Mandy.

"Hold on." Mags replied, changing lanes.

"Mommy!"

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"

"Tyler! I am trying to drive."

"MO-OMMMIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!" Tyler screeched at the top of his lungs.

Mags turned around "WHAT?!" she asked frustrated. What she had said to AJ kept echoing in her head. When she had said it, it had just came out of her mouth, without thinking. Now she was beginning to think it was true.

"No buckle." Tyler responded, standing up to prove his point.
The next thing Mags knew, she felt the car jolt unnaturally. As her head it the steering wheel, she heard glass shatter.

Then everything went blank.

When Mags woke up, she was laying on the side of the road, with what she assumed was a paramedic, leaning over her. She had no recollection of what had happened. That was until she wordlessly pushed the paramedic away, and sat up. Her head pounded dizzyingly. When she saw her mangled Expedition she moaned. AJ had given her that car for her birthday. Then again, why would she want anything that AJ had given her? 'Okay, my life is officially screwed.' she thought The passenger side was fully cave in, all the windows shattered, even the windshield.

"Tyler!" Mags remember, grabbing the paramedics white collar. "Where is my little boy? What happened?"

"Your son just left for the hospital." he replied.

"WHAT FREAKIN' HAPPENED, YOU JACKASS????!!!!" she yelled, her anger about AJ, and the car, mixing the with panic of not knowing where her baby was.

"Ma'am, you need to calm down." he said quietly.

"YOU TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED, AND I WILL CALM DOWN!"

Mags informed him. The panic was increasingly taking over the anger, and rising throughout her body.

The paramedic sighed reluctantly. "He went flying through the window shield. He was unconscious when they left." he responded finally.

Tears formed in Mags' eyes, for the second time that day. "We have to go." she replied.

So they did. 45 minutes later Mags sat outside the waiting room, cell phone in hand, unable who to call. Part of her wanted to call AJ, but the other part didn't want to for some unexplainable reason. Finally she decided.

"Hello?" asked Leighanne.

"Oh God, Leighanne!" Mags blurted out, sniffing back tears.
"Mags? What's wrong?" Leighanne inquired, her voice full of motherly worry. In the background, she could her the boys asking the same questions.

"It's Tyler. We're at Merci Hospital, okay? Please come." Mags answered, before hanging up the phone, and bursting into tears.

It seemed like hours had passed, before Leighanne speed walked into the waiting room flanked by all BSB.

"What happened?" Brian begged.

Mags dug her palms in her eyes, to keep from crying "I was driving. I forgot to buckle Tyler. He was screaming my name. I turned around. I didn't see the car coming. It hit us. Tyler went through the windshield." she paused, to look around at the somber faces. She stopped at AJ's. His eyes were blood shot and his face puffy. You could tell something really was bothering him, because he didn't have his trademark sunglasses on. Her eyes once again locked on his. "I think I killed our baby."

Everyone's mouths dropped. Howie was the first to recover. "He's dead?" he asked.

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything." Mags replied, closing her eyes. Soon after, she felt arms wrapping around her. She smelled CK One. She had gotten it for AJ, last year, but then again one of the guys could have borrowed it. The arms quickly let go.

"Mrs. Mclean?" Mags heard an official sounding voice ask.

"Miss Magdelena." she corrected, standing up. Out of the corner of her eye she saw AJ's head drop.

"Okay. Your son is on ICU. He lost a lot of blood, and we had to give a blood transfusion. He had to give him 75 stitches. We did a cat scan, and there should be no brain damage, The only complication is that he is in a coma." The doctor stated. "I can take you to see him."

"Okay." she responded, following the doctor, as "no brain damage" echoed through her head. When they got to the room, Mags noticed, everyone was behind her.

"I'm sorry. Family only for the moment" the doctor announced firmly, as Mags opened the door, and everyone tried to follow. He let AJ pass without a question.

"Big mistake. In a few minutes, AJ will need to be admitted here." Nick muttered.

Mags was sitting a chair by the metal crib which Tyler lay in, when AJ entered. "I'm sorry Mags." he whispered, standing next to her, and putting his hand on her shoulder. When she didn't answer, he added "At least say something. Please?"

"How's go to hell for ya, AJ?" she answered, reaching through the rungs on the crib, top touch Tyler's little fingers. She lifted them up slightly, and let them fall. They were limp and cold, as if he was already dead. "But he's not dead."

AJ kneeled down next to her, his hand still on her shoulder "No, baby, he's not. Tyler's' a fighter. He's not going to die." he assured her.

"AJ! Shut up!" Mags yelled, pushing his hand away. "You don't need to be here."

AJ's mouth dropped, as he stood up. "He's my child, too."

Mags slowly turned her face to meet his gaze. She snorted. Her eyes were cold. So cold, it made him shiver. "You lost that privilege when you cheated." she stated, her voice surprisingly strong. She, then, turned back, to Tyler, plaintively ignoring AJ. "Hey, Ty-Ty. I'm really sorry this happened. It should be me not you. You have to get through this though. I need you. You are the only thing I have left. I have to love. Buddy.....please?"

AJ's heart sank. 'She doesn't love me anymore. She does not love me anymore.' he thought.

"Come on kid. We're gonna go on an airplane, right? You finally get to ride on one after watching the guys get on so many. Nap time is over," she pleaded.

"Your leaving?" AJ asked, as his heart sunk farther and father.

"Tyler, please? Baby, please? I'll give you all the gummi bears you want. I'll even get you a puppy like Lil' Tyke. You know, Uncle Bri, and Aunt Leigahnne's doggie." Mags begged, tears rolling down her face. "Tyler! Please......please?"

Tyler still lay oblivious and unresponsive.