When you were born
Present time…
Frank Reagan was looking at his youngest son, giving Jamie a worried glance. Today was Jamie's twenty-seventh birthday. Frank has always been a bit overprotective of Jamie, because, in Frank's eyes, Jamie has already been through more than enough. Not only did he lose his mother to cancer when he was just twenty-one years old, but he also lost his brother, who, as it turned out, was cold-bloodedly murdered.
Moreover, Jamie's fiancé called off the engagement just before the wedding. Naturally, Frank Reagan worried about his son, but there was another reason why he felt overprotective of Jamie. The commissioner gave his son another thoughtful look, not being aware of his own father, who was watching him the whole time. Henry came over to Frank, squeezing his son's shoulder. "He grew up just fine, Francis!" The former commissioner said.
"Well…," Frank Reagan uttered tiredly, still not letting his youngest out of his sight.
"I know, you worry about him, but Jamie, he is a fighter!" Henry emphasized to his son, giving his grandson a satisfied look.
"I know he is, pop. Always has, always was." The commissioner uttered, giving his father a weak smile. "In fact, he was a fighter since the day he was born," Frank mentioned, remembering far too well his youngest son's birth because compared to his other children's births this one was quite different. Of course, Frank Reagan remembered the day his youngest son was born very well. In fact, how could he ever forget his children's births? It was always a little miracle when he finally got to hold the little bundle in his loving arms, but in Jamie's case, it really was a miracle, and Frank Reagan was well aware of that.
"Hey, dad, you okay?" Jamie, who in the meantime came over to his father, asked the commissioner concerned.
"I have never been better in my whole life," Frank assured his youngest, giving him a warm smile. "I was just thinking about the day you were born." He admitted, looking in Jamie's blue eyes which reminded him so much of his late wife.
"You and mum never really told me about it," Jamie stated towards his father. "All I ever heard was I was a preterm," Jamie uttered as he gave his father a questioning look.
"Well, son, me and your mother never really talked about it, because it always reminded us how close we were to losing you," Frank told his son with a heavy heart.
"Was it that close?" Jamie asked his dad.
"Pretty much." The commissioner replied, looking thoughtfully into the distance.
***BB***
Twenty-seven years earlier...
Frank Reagan was lying in his bed reading a book while his beloved wife Mary was resting her head on his shoulder. She was twenty-eight weeks pregnant with their fourth child. She felt more tired than during her previous pregnancies but other than that she and the baby were doing well.
"Au," Mary cried out suddenly, drawing her husband's attention to her.
"You alright?" Frank asked his wife, looking up from his book, giving Mary a concerned look.
"Yeah, I am," she replied as she started rubbing her belly. "It's just, our baby is a bit restless today," she told her husband.
Frank put his book down on the nightstand and turned to his wife, embracing her with his right arm, while he gently rubbed her belly with his left hand.
"Better?" He asked Mary after a while, giving her a loving smile.
"Yeah," she laughed.
The detective gave his wife's head a kiss. "I'm glad to hear that!" He uttered.
"No!" She corrected herself after a while. "Our baby just kicked me again," Mary sighed heavily.
Frank just kept rubbing Mary's belly, while he talked to his unborn child: "You need to take it easy, little one, your mum and dad need to get some sleep." He told their baby as he held Mary in his arms. His left hand still resting on his wife's belly.
After a while, Mary managed to fall asleep in her husband's protective arms. Frank just gave his wife another tender kiss. She was so beautiful when she was sleeping. He thought. He was still in love with her like he was when he met her for the first time. She wasn't just his wife, lover, the mother of his children, but mainly she was his best friend. How many people could say that? He gave Mary another a loving glance before he turned off the lamp and went to sleep.
It was already two in the morning when Mary woke Frank up out of sudden. At first, he didn't understand what was happening.
"What is it, Mary?" He asked, confused when he finally woke up.
"Frank," Mary approached her husband with a shaking voice. "Something's wrong with the baby," she sobbed. "I'm having contractions." She cried. She was worried because it was too early for the baby to come to this world.
"You sure, it's the contractions?" Her husband wanted to know.
"Yes, I'm," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. This was not good. She thought.
"Okay, Mary, you need to calm down," Frank told his wife, trying to soothe her the best he could.
"Frank, I'm scared," Mary admitted to her husband.
"Mary, I know you are afraid, but it's going to be okay. You just need to keep breathing and try to calm down," he stressed as he stroked her hair. "I'm going to wake Danny up and tell him we are going to the hospital and then I will call my parents to come over to stay with the kids." He informed his wife, trying to stay as rational as possible, but the truth was he was scared. Scared for Mary, startled for the baby…
"Okay," Mary uttered weakly, knowing her husband was right.
"Frank, just hurry!" She cried out of pain because another wave of contractions hit her.
Oh, God, let the baby be okay! She begged being worried sick for her unborn child. Please, don't take our baby from us! She prayed to God as the tears kept streaming down her face.
"Okay, Mary, let's get you to the car." Frank, who in the meantime returned to the bedroom, suggested to his wife.
"Okay," Mary replied with a shaking voice.
Frank could see the fear clearly written in his wife's face. He took her hands and told her: "It's going to be alright, Mary, you'll see," planting her head a kiss.
"I pray to God, Frank, I pray to God," she whispered, but then another contraction hit her. "Au," she cried out of pain.
"Mary, just keep breathing," her husband tried his best to keep his wife calm, but he could see she was in a significant amount of pain.
"Yeah, it just hurts so much," she hissed.
"I'm so sorry, honey," Frank told his wife, planting her head another kiss. He was indeed feeling with her, but right now, they needed to get to the hospital as quickly as possible.
"Mary, we need to get you to the hospital, honey, okay?" He asked his wife.
"Okay," she uttered, having bit trouble to breathe freely.
***BB***
Present time…
Frank just took a sip from his glass, giving Jamie a weak smile.
"It's good to see that you grew up just fine," he uttered then, as he gently touched his son's cheek.
"You gave us quite a scare, you know," the commissioner told Jamie as he took another sip out of his glass, looking blankly into space, remembering the events twenty-seven years earlier.
***BB***
Twenty-seven years earlier...
"Okay, it looks your baby is coming earlier to this world," the doctor announced to the dreaded parents.
"Oh, my God," Mary uttered, being worried sick for her unborn child. "Oh, my God," she kept saying.
"Mrs. Reagan, you need to calm down," the doctor told Mary as he was making her an ultrasound. "I know, you are scared, but you need to calm down for you and for your baby's sake!" He reminded her as he was looking at the screen of the monitor. He didn't like what he was seeing. He was about to deliver a baby who was just twenty-eight weeks old with his lungs and heart not yet fully developed. Besides, the child's mother had a heartbeat up to the moon. The doctor knew the next few hours will be tough for the mother, and therefore, he needed her to calm down. The doctor had every right to worry, but for the mother's and the baby's sake, he had to stay professional.
"It will be okay," Frank tried to assure his wife as he squeezed her hand.
"Okay, the problem with premies is, their lungs and heart are not yet fully developed. Neither are their eyes, kidneys, etc." The doctor explained to Mary and Frank. "But our biggest concern right now is the baby's lungs and heart." The doctor informed the parents. Mary was now silently sobbing, while her husband kept clutching her hand, trying to give his wife a bit of courage, although he was fearing for his wife and child.
"We need to give your baby some steroids so his lungs can develop enough so he will be able to breathe with the help of the ventilator." The doctor tried to acquaint the parents with his plan.
"Did you say his lungs? Our baby is a boy?" Mary asked the doctor as the tears kept streaming down her face.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you didn't know," the doctor apologized quickly.
"We're having a boy, Frank," Mary stated towards her husband, tears glittering in her eyes. Frank just gave his wife a weak smile. He was unable to think about anything right now. He just wanted Mary and the baby to be okay. Oh, God, please, let them be okay! He kept praying.
"So, as I said, we need to give your baby the steroids so his lungs can develop," the doctor repeated again. "We need at least twenty-four to thirty-two hours for your baby's lungs to develop," the doctor explained to the worried parents. "Therefore, we need to give you some medicine to postpone the delivery," the doctor added. "Mrs. Reagan, I know it's a lot to take, but you need to be brave now. And for your and the baby's sake you really need to stay calm" The doctor told Mary, giving her a sympathetic look.
"Mary, it's going to be okay," Frank told his wife gently, but the truth was, he couldn't get rid of the shadow of the doubt. Please, God, let them be okay!
AN:
I just realized, one thing, ok, I might be the last person to realize it, but I don't really watch BB anymore, so that's my excuse… but how come they didn't invite Renzulli to the wedding?! Or at least according to the pictures I saw on the internet. Like seriously? Shame on Jamie! :D So sad the actor who portrayed Renzulli has been long gone Such a pity, he was my favorite.
Also, I'm working on my other story 'Losing Jamie' but I have been busy with work lately, and therefore I'm posting my older stories.