"Great job, Duke," Coach Lam said, not only was he the coach of the team, he was also an old and on of the legendary player, a middle-aged man who was Rome and Vido Core's friend and teammates, his physique may not look as good as a soccer player but he still got good moves and smart tactics in him.

"Thanks, coach," Shay said back.

"Listen. Why don't you take a break for a moment, you've been working hard today?"

"I can't I need to perfect my new move."

"You have time," The man assured him.

"I can't waste it, Coach," Shay insisted.

"At least for five minutes."

"I can't, coach, what if I mess it up in the match?"

"You won't, you are a Super Tundra player and losing is not the the worst thing that could happen," the Coach told Shay. "You need breaks sometimes, now go get one, that's an order."

"Yes, Coach," Shay replied, he went to the bench and drank some water then started talking to the other players. All of a sudden, Rome came and was suprised, not in a good way, that he saw his son sitting down.

Once practice ended, he confronted his son about it inside their limo, "if I knew this is how he coach, I should've applied for it," he huffed.

"Dad, it was just a five minutes break," Shay clarified.

"More like slacking off."

"Dad, I'm getting better with my new move don't worry about it."

"You could've been done right now if you didn't sit around, tomorrow you better practice harder," Rome commanded.

"Yes, sure, Dad," The teenager huffed.

"Anywho, I have to go back to Haymoore to take care of some documents since I'm selling the house."

"I still can't believe you did that."

"Son, we've been over this. It's because we're travelling all the time and..." The controlling father reminded.

"Pfftt... I didn't ask you to come with me anyway," Shay muttered.

"I have to, to make sure your head is in the game."

"But what about Mame?"

"She has her family to take care of her."

"She's not gonna be in Haymoore and it's bad enough that you didn't let me go attend Trevor's funeral, you're not even letting me go back home with you to see her one last time," The soccer star complained.

"It's just a two-day trip, Duke," His father retorted.

"Gosh, whatever, Dad," Shay decided to stop the conversation since it was going nowhere. "Anyway, I'll be going to the Undominated United party tonight. Mikey will be there."

"You are aware that he's playing in the rival team?"

"He's still my friend, Dad."

"Do what you want."

"I'll take that as a yes then," the soccer star muttered under his breath. He looked out the window after that, he saw happy young couple walking out a restaurant holding hands and being all happy, it made him missed Erika like how she supported him from every problems he had such as his father for one thing or most times.

----

The young mother went to the NICU again to talked to her son, "Hi! Baby Thirdy, I hope you like your name, I named you after a good friend of mine who took care of us," Erika greeted him. "But I want to call you something else so I came up with Thirdy. I hope you like it."

"By the way, Crumbs will be staying with us soon. Don't worry, you'll meet him once you're okay. So for now, Mommy will read a story to you." All of a sudden, a beeping noise occured and the heart monitor were showing red. "Nurse! Nurse!"

A nurse came in to see what was going on, "Doc, code red!" then ran to Erika and started pulling her away from her child. "I'm sorry, you need to step aside."

"What's happening? What's happening to my baby?" Erika cried feeling very scared for her son.

The Doctor arrived and started pumping the baby's tiny chest, "The ventilator malfuncation," he said.

"What?!" Erika reacted.

"Get the defibrillator," he told the nurse.

"The defi...?" Erika heart sank when she heard that. "Why? Ahat... what's wrong?"

Celine entered when she saw choas ensued from outside, "Erika, what's going on?" she asked her daughter but she was too choked up to respond since she too had no idea.

"The baby's heart is weakening," the doctor answered.

"Oh my God!"

Erika was agaped and nearly fell to her knees. "NO! No. No," she whimpered. "Thirdy, please! please, save him!."

The nurse arrived with the defibrillator, then the doctor began reviving Thirdy with it while the two ladies were pleading to the heavens to not take him away. "He's stabilizing," the Doctor sighed in relief and the situation eased. "His heart rate is normal now."

"That's good," Erika panted. "But why did... it happen?"

"The ventilator broke down. We're very sorry."

"There's another one here, right?" Celine asked.

"We are ordering one right now."

Erika was horrified to hear that. "But when will it get here?" she questioned.

"As soon as possible," The doctor answered. "So for now, he will be manually ventilated with a pump."

"So he's okay now?"

"Yes, but we'll keep a closer eye on him in the mean time."

"Thank you so much, Doctor."

"Anytime." the doctor left the room as the two breath easily.

About an hour later, Thirdy was being ventilated manually by a nurse, Erika watched her son like a hawk. The poor girl was like that since he was in trouble and when he was fighting for his life. "Sweetie, come, let's go back to your room," Celine said to her.

Erika turned to her. "Mom, I want to stay with him. You can go ahead if you want to," she asked.

Celine could see that her daughter was shaken from what happened, "Honey, I know you're scared for him but you need to rest too, you're not well yet," she advised.

"But what if it happens again? And... I'm not here for him? Mom, I almost lost my son today."

"Erika, Erika, calm down. They won't let anything bad happen to him."

"I almost lost him," Erika weeped.

"Sweetie, look at me." Celine held her face. "I know what you're feeling, but he's okay now. Right now, you have to be strong for him and you have to be strong for your son."

The teenager nodded in response and hugged her mother after that.

However. It was late at night, Erika couldn't move on from that incident that she was not able to sleep even though she tried to, but the thought of almost losing her child because of a machine that should help him broke out of the blue.

Her mother already dozed off and snoring on the sofa not far from her bed, that Erika decided to sneak out to see Thirdy. She quietly stood up and went out the door.

When she got to the nursery, still wearing the hopital gown and also barefooted, as she saw her baby again being manually ventilated by a nurse. Erika just stood there staring at her son.

"It's okay, Baby. Mommy is here," she told to her son. "Oh God, why does he have to suffer? Give me all the pain and suffering that he's going through."

Watching him so little and frail, Erika was worried to see him like that. That anytime he would just went away because he was too weak.

The teenager looked back the time she hated having the baby after discovering that she was pregnant with the guy that took advantage of her. What she used to say, not wanting to carry the rapist's child and how she felt about it.

While watching the infant inside a plastic box being pumped to help him breath, she regretted having to feel those anger towards an innocent baby who did nothing wrong to her.

"I'm so sorry for the times that I didn't want you," She added as tears was starting to pour down. "But now, I want you here with me and I want you in my arms. So please, please, stay for me, okay? Please, stay. I'll do anything, anything to take care of you and raise you well and also support all your dreams you will have. I love you so much."

----

The following day, Erika continued to keep a close eye on Thirdy until she noticed the nurse's eyes was closing like she was getting drowsy. The teenage mother started panicking. "Hey! wake up!" she banged onto the window with her hands to the nurse that it jolted her. "Doctor! Doctor!"

"Where the hell is the ventilator? We need it now!" the doctor was on the phone as he went to Erika. "Yes, what's happening?"

"That nurse nearly dozed off. What if my son is in trouble again?"

"Please, calm down, we promise you that he's in good hands."

"But..." The girl was giving the doctor the crazy eyes.

"Listen. I'll talk to the nurse to be more vigilant, okay?"

"Okay," Erika said yet she was still worried as hell. "What if I get in there and keep an eye on them."

"That's not necessary, really. I just got off the phone for the ventilator, it will be here very soon."

"Please, let me be with my son," Erika begged but the doctor was hesitant. "I just think it'll be better that way."

"Alright, go ahead." the doctor finally allowed her.

Later, Erika walked inside the room wearing the disposable gowns, face masks and hairnet, "hi, how's he doing?" she asked the nurse.

"He's doing well, don't worry," the nurse said to her.

Erika was jittery. "you look tired, if you want, I can do it."

"No, I'm fine," the nurse said politely.

"Maybe I can help you... do you need food... or drinks?"

"I'm good."

"I'm sorry if I'm pestering you, I'm worried that's all," The girl apologized.

"I'm a mother too, I know where you're coming from," the nurse told her. "I would never let anything happen to your baby."

Erika felt more lightened up. "Thank you. I'm sorry. Again. I had this nightmare one time... that I lost him."

"That's every parents' nightmare."

"Yeah," The teenager sulked. "A lot has... happened after I found out that I'm pregnant. I gave up my dream school and ballet and... other stuff just so I can keep him and now that he's here, all of those doesn't even matter to me."

"Don't lose hope, okay. Your son will live a long life to be with you and I know that you're gonna be a great mother to him," The nurse said to her.

"You think so?"

"Yes, of course. He's lucky to have you raising him."

"Thanks," Erika smiled and turned to Thirdy. "Actually, I'm lucky to have him."