A/N: Welcome to Birth of a Family. This piece is an exploration into the early marriage of Densie and Frank Sherwood, exploring exactly how they went from a couple to a family. All opinions shared within are those of the characters as the author/authors see fit, they do not necessarily reflect any personal views. For entertainment purposed only. Enjoy!
She threw up again. He heard her. Twenty one year old Frank Sherwood stumbled out of bed exhausted, back throbbing from landing sideways on his jump. He went to his young wife and knelt behind her. "All right Dee, enough is enough. I'm calling my Mom and she'd taking you to see the doc, no more excuses." He rubbed her back as she continued to get sick.
"I know what it is Frank," she sighed. "All of this is just too much; I'm trying to adjust...my stomach always gets upset when we change posts, ask my mother."
"No, Denise, we've been her two months, this is ridiculous. You might be real sick, baby and I can't concentrate on training for deployment worrying about you. You are going to the doctor, conversation over!"
Denise tried to protest but the feeble attempt was thwarted by another bout of nausea.
As Frank walked out the door Denise laid on the couch, garbage can by her head weak tea on the coffee table and dread in her soul. Her mother in law was coming too help? That was an oxymoron if she ever heard one!
As she lay there she began to wonder if she could be pregnant or just ill from the relocation, either way life is miserable. Now Liz was coming, she was domineering and bossy, just like Frank's dad.
She raised her eyes to the wall clock - he'd been gone 20 minutes. It took 30 to get to the airport 10-15 minutes to connect with mom and another 30 back home. Denise swallowed painfully, "Please God let her be gentle." She weakly reached for the cup of tea and sipped, then put her head down and fell asleep.
By the time Frank got back the tea was out of her stomach and on the floor, she was laying with her arm over her eyes. Frank went into protective mode immediately. "Denise! Mom, you see. She's so sick. What's wrong?" Frank turned into a little boy around his mother.
His mom felt Denise's head and looks at her pale face. She didn't seem to have a fever but she was dehydrating. "She needs to go to the emergency room now, she shouldn't wait to see a doctor later."
"Let me clean up this mess while you get her ready. Now Frank," Liz ordered.
Frank ran to the bedroom and brought back a clean house dress. He helped Denise sit up and change while his mom cleaned up the floor. He carefully picked Denise up and carried her to his truck while hie his mother grabbed plastic bags and towels just in case they were needed during the short trip.
She cried when he laid her down in the backseat. She didn't want to be out of his arms, she didn't want him to leave her. But as soon as she was delivered to the ER he left her with his mother to go to work. Thank Heavens the older Mrs. Sherwood, was a connected and pushy Army wife.
"My daughter-in-law is very ill she needs your help now!" she ordered. "She's been ill for days."
The triage nurse looked at Denise and saw how bad she was; pale, dehydrated, and listless. She quickly got a wheelchair and pushed Denise towards the back, with Mrs. Sherwood following behind.
They drew her blood and ran tests, started fluids, and offered sips of water. "I want Frank here," she whispered not even opening her eyes. "I want my husband."
Liz Sherwood looked at her daughter- in- law. "Frank has to work dear. I'm here, now just relax we'll know soon what is wrong."
Denise turned her head away as tears slid down into her hair. "I'm here in the hospital with Liz when I need my husband," she thought miserably.
Out on the training field Frank was having a hard time concentrating. If he was on live fire he'd be dead by now. As they took a break his squad leader came to him, "What's going on Sherwood? You're head is up your behind man."
Frank stood at attention, "No excuse, Sergeant!" he replied looking at a point over the man's shoulder.
The squad leader wiped his forehead. "Get your act together or you'll do double duty! Understand?"
Frank quickly acknowledged and watched his leader walk away. His stomach was rolling with worry about his wife. But mom was here and he had no choice in the matter.
Still half an hour later he made another mistake, it was so unlike him to do that, his leader questioned him again, "I don't want to discipline Sherwood. I'll give you one more chance to tell me the truth."
Frank was embarrassed, soldiers didn't lose their focus, if he wanted to be an officer and make a life for Denise he had to concentrate. "It's my wife," he admitted. "She's at the ER right now with my mother, first time I've ever seen her sick."
The leader looked at him and sighed "Okay, Sherwood get yourself over to the ER before you kill yourself or someone else. But tomorrow you better be up to snuff no excuss. Dismissed!" Frank looked at him bug eyed and hurried to his car before his sergeant changed his mind.
He arrived just as Denise was getting sent home. "Don't tell him Liz, please," she begged. "I want to tell him myself." They'd hydrated her and given her medication to help ease the severity of her nausea. "Speak of the Devil," Liz said nodding t her son running to his bride. She admitted only to herself how jealous she was of them, of their love.
As Frank ran up to the ER porch he saw Denise and his mom. "Hey, you're going home! Everything okay?"
Denise smiled at him. "I'm okay, they hydrated me and gave me meds, really I feel better," Denise assured him.
" I called a cab let me tell the nurse to cancel," Liz said then quickly walked back in thru the doors.
Frank squatted down and looked into Denise's eyes. "You really okay? What is wrong?"
Denise caught his hand and held it to her chest uttering the words she was still struggling to believe herself. "I'm pregnant."