Ok I got this idea when I was watching TV and just had to try it. I hope I don't offend anyone, and I hope you will leave a little word at the end.
Thank you.
Ok Georg what do we have?
Female, Jenny Gibbs, 36, in labor, fully dilated but she only just entered her 31st week, she is in very server pain, had slight discoloration of the amniotic fluid, but the most scary thing is her husband."
Don't worry Georg, Allan we'll take it from here." The head nurse looked at the chart "Hello Mrs. Gibbs, now just relax and breath deep. We'll get this very impatient child safely into this world ok!" Jenny nodded and breathed deep.
Gibbs was holding Jenny's hand firmly in his own, both of the parents was scared to death of the sudden change. All week long they had been attending all different kinds of functions, but Jenny still thought she was taking good care of herself. Suddenly during the award ceremony at NCIS her water broke, 9 weeks to early. Panic had quickly spread.
A heart monitor was placed on her belly to keep track of the baby, and it didn't do much to relax Jenny, who in return grabbed Gibb's hands tighter.
"Jethro, I'm scared!" she breathed quickly as a contraction was hitting her hard.
"I know Jen, but just relax and listen to the doctors!" he kissed her forehead and watched as her eyes shot wide open as a mask was placed over her mouth.
"Mrs. Gibbs you are starting to hyperventilate, just try and breath in slowly and controlled. I know it's hard, in labor and all, but you need to try. Ok!" the friendly nurse said as she brushed Jenny's hair out of her face before returning to get everything ready for the baby.
Jenny had just nodded at the nurses instructions, her eyes shifting between Jethro and all the hospital staff in the room. Just as a contraction hit her again, a doctor introduced herself, and told Jenny and Gibbs that she was first going to take a look and see how far along Jenny was.
"Well Jenny, I can see your water has broken and that you are ready for birth, but it seems like your baby is stuck in the birth canal, so on the next contraction I'm going to press a little here, and it might feel very uncomfortable but it's in your baby's best interest ok." The doctor explained and waited for a contraction, while giving out directions to all the staff in the room. Gibbs noticed the prepped premature baby cradle for the baby, couldn't really believe that their baby would be born today. It was a lot earlier than they had anticipated but it was still thrilling.
Gibbs felt Jenny tighten her grip on his hand again and even more so when the doctor started pressing her fingers into her. A small cry left his wife's lips, and he kissed her forehead, whispering encouraging words to her.
Nine hours later Jenny had been pushing for nearly an hour, but this child was just as stubborn as it's parents, but now at least it was crowning, And the stubborn mother to be suddenly got a new shot of energy and pushed with all her might, and finally the head was born, luckily neither Jenny nor Jethro noticed the shared look of concern quickly passed among the staff in the room.
"Ok Jenny that was the hard part, now just one more big push and the baby will be out!" the doctor encouraged.
"I can't do any more!" Jenny softly whined and hid her head in Jethro's chest.
"Of course you can Jen, of course you can. You are more stubborn than that kid of ours, Just one more push ok!" Gibbs obviously found the right button, when the next contraction hit Jenny pushed one last time, and feel back into the pillows and Jethro's arms.
"If Daddy wants to cut the umbilical cord it's now!" the doctor ordered, Jethro moved quickly and cut it with the handed scissors and then just watch on in horror as the tiny baby was rushed over to the waiting staff of experts in prenatal care. He hugged Jenny to him as he noticed her shocked look, the nurse walked back to them, taking Jenny's free hand.
"Jenny, you have a very small baby boy, he had a few problems and is being treated by the doctors right now, I need to ask you a few thing ok." She smiled at both of them.
"What is wrong with him?" Jethro stammered.
"He is not fully developed yet, but nothing that can't be developed outside of the womb, but his heart has been under a lot of stress and his underdeveloped lungs keeps collapsing. He was very blue when he finally got out. But the doctors are experts and this happens every day, so it is not the first time, just keep your faith ok!" she this time also squeezed Jenny's hand.
"But he is going to be alright?" Jenny searched the nurses face for the answer.
"As I said this happens every day, and lots and lots of baby's pulls through this easily, but I will not set your hopes up to high. But Jenny I need to know, if there has been less activity lately from your baby?"
"I….I….I don't….I don't know. I've been so busy lately and….ah….it's just normal that the baby moves around I…..uhm I haven't noticed!" Jenny was still very much in shock.
"Ok hun I understand, but have you experienced anything during the past couple of weeks that had given you any sort of concern but let it pass?" the nurse tried a different angle.
Jenny just shook her head and tried to look past the nurse and through all the doctors and nurses that was shielding her baby from her view. She didn't even realize the doctor who was taking care of her.
Jenny and Jethro was moved from the birth room when their son took a turn for the worse and his heart stopped, the new parents didn't need to see that or the treatment there was required for getting the heart pumping again. Jenny was in hysterics, and was crying hard. Jethro did what he could to comfort her, along with himself.
An hour later, they were allowed to for the first time to hold their son. 16 inches and 3,5 pounds, so small and fragile. Jenny's hands shook as the nurse handed her, her son. Jethro had tears running freely down his cheeks, he did nothing to hide them, all he did was kiss his wife.
"You did wonderful Jen!"
"He is beautiful, but so small!" Jenny sniffled leaning into him, placing a soft kiss to the baby's forehead. Neither of them noticed the nurse taking their picture.
They had spent a few hours alone in a room, just watching their baby boy. The peace and quiet was interrupted by the door slowly opening, and the nurse and doctor from delivery entered the room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, congratulation on your son!" the doctor and nurse both offered.
"Thank you, you both have a look on your face that tells me something is wrong?" Gibbs inquired quickly.
"Well we do have bad news, I'm sorry to say so. Your son is born with a heart defect, a defect that need operational care to make sure he will survive, but due to the fact that he is a 9 weeks premature baby, he is not strong enough to handle an operation now. So it means that the next 72 hours are crucial. We cannot promise that he will be able to survive." The doctor explained.
"Jenny, maybe we should call the team?" Gibbs brushed a hand over hers as she sat in shock.
"We always advise people in situations like yours to call their loved ones, to both say hello and a possible goodbye. I know this is going to be hard, and if you wish just give me the phone numbers of those you want me to call and I will do it for you." The nurse offered with a sympathetic smile.
Gibbs nodded and handed her a list of numbers, while pulling Jenny into his side. The nurse left to make the calls and the doctor explained some more about their son's condition.
After a good half hour the doctor got up and left them alone. Jenny was softly crying while caressing her son's tiny hand. All the beeping machines quickly became a good and strong vital sign for them, as long as the beeping was steady he was alive.
"Jenny he will pull through." Gibbs kissed her temple.
"You don't know that Jethro, you don't know that!" Jenny stated whispering.
"He is stubborn enough to decide when he wanted to see the light of day and then again, he decided to get stuck and give you a hard time. Of course he will pull through!" Gibbs reasoned.
"Jethro please stop saying that. I will not get my hopes up until the doctor tells me he is out of the woods." She turned her head to him, an empty glare meet Gibbs soft and hurt eyes.
"I need to stay positive Jen!"
"Fine you do that, but quietly!" she turned back to her son "He needs a name!"
"William?" Gibbs softly said.
"William, I like it. Fits him to – William it is!" she began whispering soft words to William. Smiling like only an mother can at her child.
The nurse entered, telling Gibbs she had made the calls and that everybody was on their way. He softly thanked her and asked her if she would arrange for the hospital priest to come when everybody arrived to baptize William. The nurse hurried out to make the arrangements.
Two days later Jenny had gotten roughly six hours of sleep since the delivery. She wanted to get the most of her son's first days as she possibly could. Gibbs was worried about her, she had only left William's side to go the bathroom, and when she ate was it because Gibbs or the hospital staff brought her food. She had been looking forward to breast feeding. But William wasn't strong enough or healthy enough to eat on his own and Jenny had to do with a breast pump and had to comfort herself with the fact that he at least was getting breast milk, and even more so, her own.
William was showing signs of the heart defect he was born with, and it was not healthy signs. The Doctors had gone over all the symptoms he was showing, with Gibbs and Jenny and had advised them to at least try the operation on his third day. If they didn't try he would die.
Jenny was pacing the floor out in the hall leading to the operation quarters. Praying for a miracle. Gibbs was sitting on a chair, his head in his hands. The entire team was there as well neither dared to speak and everybody had been quiet since the doctor had disappeared to perform the thing everyone was praying for.
After four hours the doctor emerged from the room and walked to the large group.
"Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, William made it through surgery, now we just have to pray that it wasn't too hard on his body, but we repaired all the damage that was to his heart. He is a tough little guy. I have to inform you of the fact that he did flat line twice on the table. But I have a good feeling!" she squeezed Jenny's arm before turning and walked back in.
Jenny turned to Gibbs and threw herself into his arms, sobbing loudly. Gibbs himself had tears gliding down his face.
"Now we just wait!" Ducky whispered.
The team went home after seeing their favorite baby, Jenny and Gibbs stayed in the room with him, just looking over him, as the protective parents they were. All Williams vital signs was looking well for the first many hours, then suddenly all alarms went off, shocking both parents to the core. The room was quickly filled with doctors and nurses, barking orders around, bringing in new machines and instruments. The nurse, who was at the birth, walked over to Jenny and Gibbs and grabbed their hands.
"William is in need of another surgery immediately, otherwise he will die, but we need your consent to do it?" she asked with a sympathetic look.
"Do it!" Gibbs quickly said looking over at Jenny who was starring at their son.
"Is he in pain?" she suddenly asked after Gibbs nudged her for her answer.
"I have to be honest with you, yes we believe he is in pain – Jenny he needs another surgery!" she again tried for an answer from Jenny.
"Will he be able to survive another surgery this quickly after the first one?" Jenny was asking her questions very calmly.
"Jenny the doctors need your approval!"
"Jethro I need to know?"
"We don't know, but if he doesn't get the…..'" Williams heart monitor indicated that his heart once again stopped "Jenny he needs the surgery now!" Jenny didn't even seem like she saw the hospital staff give her baby heart massage to get it started again or hear the nurse.
"Jenny?" Jethro asked rubbing her arms while turning her to him, so that she was standing in front of him.
"No, no stop it. He's suffered enough as it is already. Please make them stop Jethro!" Jenny had tears trickling down her face.
"But Jen…"
"Make them stop! Please." She pleaded him and Jethro nodded.
"Please tell them to stop nurse!" he told the friendly woman.
"Are you sure?" the nurse looked concerned.
"Yes I can feel it in my heart that this will be the right decision. He need to be put to rest, he had a reason to enter the world to early." Jenny was crying softly now. Her eyes followed the nurse as she gave the staff Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs decision. After a few minutes the nurse came back.
"Come with me, he is hooked up to a machine at the moment that keeps his heart beating, would you like a few moment alone before we turn it off?" she asked and watched the couple nod.
Gibbs lead Jenny to the chair by the baby and watched her hold her arms out for their child, she embraced him, and Gibbs kneeled down besides them.
"William my darling. You've given your father and me so much more than we could want just in the few days you've been with us. We love you. And we promise you that we never will forget you!" Jenny pressed a kiss to the top of the baby's head, she looked at Jethro and he was stroking the baby's head with one hand and reached up and caught a falling tear on her cheek and stroked the cheek with his thumb, with his other hand. Neither of them noticed the nurse with the camera.
Not long after the machines in the room was turned off did they both feel William take the last breath. Jenny hugged the baby to her chest and rocked him back and forth over and over and over again. They both showed their emotions openly.
Jenny stayed at the hospital for a few extra days, mostly just starring out of the window, but she also spent some time with the hospital priest. Trying to get over or at least past the sorrow, of losing her son. The funeral was over and Jenny packed up the last few things in the hospital room. The team had been kind enough to not bring them anything, and Jenny was happy that her and Gibbs hadn't had time to get the nursery settled, that would have been a hard thing to pack up. Gibbs walked into the room and Jenny looked up at him.
"This feels so wrong Jethro, I gave birth but I'm leaving without my child!" she sobbed.
"I know Jen." He pulled her into his arms hugging her to him, they stayed like that for a long time until a knock at the door interrupted their silence. Jenny turned to dry her eyes as Jethro gave permission to enter. A younger nurse walked into the room, and gave them a soft smile.
"Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs I hope I don't interrupt, I have a little something for you to take home with you…"
"I don't want anything thank you!" Jenny interrupted.
"I know how hard this is Mrs. Gibbs, I did the same thing a few years ago. I had a baby but never got to take it home with me! But my husband did give me a huge gift, a gift that I now try to give to every couple that passes through here, and I hope you don't mind!" she handed Gibbs an envelope "When my son was born he was born with most of his vital organs outside the body, and he wasn't strong enough to handle the many surgeries, so we decided that he would just get to sleep in, and not suffer. I got him wrapped up in a blanket I had made for him and my husband shot some beautiful photos of me with my son. And it helped me to work through my pain. I hope these photos will help you as well!" the nurse squeezed Gibbs's hand and left.
Gibbs looked over at the door as it closed, and then opened the envelope; he revealed a half dozen beautiful black and white photos with a hint of color a few selected places. The dark set of hair William had, Jenny's red lips, Gibbs's blue eyes, a few small things like that. Jenny was crying full force now, but this time of thankfulness to the nurse who captured these few special moments and had handled them like a special moment to her, as well as Jenny and Gibbs.
Six years later
"Mommy who is this?" the blue eyed, redheaded, 5 year old, little girl asked as she was looking through family photos.
"That's William honey, remember we told you about him?" Jenny answered a little distant as she adjusted her newborn at her breast.
"You don't remember we told you about your older brother?" Gibbs added as he handed Jenny a cloth.
"Him who lives with the angels now?" Rachel asked.
"Yes, that's him, and yes he lives with the angels now, and watches over you and me and daddy and your baby brother too!" Jenny leaned back in the couch.
"You comfortable?" Gibbs softly asked and received a nod from Jenny "Those pictures were taken by Mimi, you remember her, the nurse who took photos of Ben here when mommy just had him!" Gibbs turned his attention to back to his daughter.
"Oh yeah that woman with the white hair? I liked her, she looks like Mrs. Claus." Rachel's lips turned up into a big bright smile.
"Who?" Gibbs looked at Jenny who just smiled at him.
"Mrs. Claus, Santa's wife! You know she says that about all women who has grayish hair and she thinks is friendly!" Jenny reached out for him and he quickly sat down besides her, drabbing one arm over her shoulders, and brushed his knuckles over his newborn sons head, and received a satisfied groan from the baby.
"Did Mimi take my picture?" Rachel suddenly asked as she flipped another page in the album.
"Of course she did princess, bring the album over here and I will show you something!" Gibbs patted the seat next to him. Rachel quickly moved over to her parents on the couch. She stopped to give her baby brother a kiss on the head.
"Here daddy!" Rachel handed over the album and crawled up on the couch.
"Look princess Mimi took this photo of William when he was born, in mommy's arms and me sitting down besides her, and when you came knocking on our door we called up Mimi and arranged for her to take your picture and had her make a picture just like this one we have of William, and look here we have an empty spot and that is for the picture Mimi took of Benjamin three days ago when he was born and it is going to be just like yours and Williams." Gibbs explained and noticed Rachel nodding understandingly.
Jenny shifted a little and held out Ben while arranging her cloth, she then lifted him up and burped him softly, the small family enjoying the quiet afternoon, which suddenly was broken by laughter from the two adult when Rachel's logic kicked in "And look Daddy you have a whole blank page right next to this one, that must be for the next babies!"
I hope you've enjoyed it. Review please.
