Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites I've received for the first chapter - glad there seems to be interest for this storyline. :o)
The second chapter is inspired by a friend of mine's pregnancy, she had horrible pelvic girdle pain, but recovered pretty well after labor. I wanted a bit of Auggie supporting Annie through a rough time and thought this was a good storyline for that.
If you haven't read "To Live Again" Michelle is Auggie's physical therapist, that he's worked with since he finished rehab. In "To Live Again" she also helped Annie recover from a broken ankle.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Annie, Auggie or the other characters I've borrowed from CA. Just my alternate universe and the characters I've created.
-2. Worst case scenario?-
Annie's pregnancy was far from a picnic; pelvic girdle pain had affected her mobility severely and by the time she was seven and a half months pregnant she struggled to walk more than a few feet, even with crutches. Auggie had been thrilled when they found out they were expecting twins; coming from a large family he wanted multiple children. Annie was more hesitant, she was happy she was pregnant too, but the prospect of two babies at once was a bit daunting to her. Auggie's excitement helped calm her nerves a bit, she knew he'd support her in every way he could.
The thing that worried her Annie most was her mobility; the pelvic girdle pain had gotten so bad that she'd had Auggie get his old wheelchair from the garage, but it hat turned out that the seat that was adjusted to Auggie's slim frame was too narrow for her pregnant body and the low back on it didn't provide enough back support for her. With the help of their physical therapist, Michelle, Auggie had arranged for a rented chair that fitted her needs better and it had been a huge relief when it arrived. She'd researched the condition online and all the worst case scenarios had her brain working on overdrive; there were woman that didn't recover and ended up depending on wheelchairs and crutches for years after their pregnancies, a few for the rest of their life.
"Annie, talk to me," Auggie insisted a Thursday evening about a month before her due date. "What's on your mind?"
They were in bed and Annie was as comfortable as she could get, her body supported by multiple pillows.
"What if I don't recover from this Auggie? I know I've got it bad and I'm afraid I'll end up with permanent mobility issues. What if our kids end up with both their parents in wheelchairs?"
"I hate to see you in so much pain honey, but most women get much better soon after they've delivered their babies. You've done everything right; tried to exercise as much as you've managed despite the pain, worked with Michelle, you've eaten right and haven't put on that much weight. In less than a month it's over and we're parents."
"But what if…"
Auggie cut her off. "If we end up with a worst case scenario we'll make it work; the house is already fully accessible so that won't be a concern. If we need help we'll hire a nanny or something. We'll figure things out. We always do."
"I know we do Auggie. It's just…"
"Sssssh," Auggie cut her off. He scooted closer to her and placed his right hand on her belly. "Try to get some sleep."
"Okay, I'll try. I love you."
"Love you too."
A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A
Three and a half painful weeks later Annie was admitted to the hospital and delivered healthy twins, a boy and a girl, by c-section. To her, and Auggie's, relief the pelvic girdle pain symptoms decreased fast after the delivery and they returned the wheelchair to the rental company not long after Annie was discharged from the hospital. She still felt some discomfort, but Michelle had assured her that it was normal and with right exercise and some physical therapy she'd be back to normal soon.
Please let me know what you think :o)
