Chapter 29

It was February 15, 2041. The day after Valentine's Day. My babies came almost 10 weeks early. They were just five weeks shy of being premature. Though we were informed they would be still be pretty small. When Charlie got me to the hospital I could have waited it out to deliver all three girls naturally. I was that far into my active labor. Dr. Payton agreed with the doctor performing my C-section that I could spiral into preeclampsia. I already had signs of it. Due to it being a multiple birth; I could suffer internal bleeding and die. It was a high risk situation. They asked Charlie that if it came down to it, they'd have to save me or the babies. He'd have to make a choice. Charlie chose the girl's over me. As I hoped he would. Even though he loves me so much, giving our children a chance at life was something we both wanted. I bruised my tailbone and my spine from the fall. It was going to be a rough couple of hours.

They put me in a room, on my back on an examination bed. I was lying as flat as possible. There were cables and wires everywhere. It looked like something out of a mad scientist horror movie. Except much nicer, and cleaner. I had an IV stuck in one arm and a breathing tube in my nostrils. I was going to be awake for the entire duration. I had on a hospital gown, that was loose in the back for easy access around my front. They then covered me with medical mesh blue plastic.

They put up a blue curtain in front of me just below my breasts. I couldn't see a thing. On my head was a surgical cap. A few nurses and were talking among each other before we got started. They were all dressed in scrubs with surgical caps, gloves, and masks. I couldn't feel anything either. Everything from my adomen down felt completely numb. I felt as if I didn't even have legs.

"Harmione?" Dr. Payton's voice called out.

"Yes?"

"How are you doing, we're almost ready to start here."

"I'm fine...I can't feel anything."

A chair was placed beside my head. I looked at it for a brief moment. A male nurse wearing the same thing as all the others sat down. He then took off his mask. It was Charlie.

"Charlie!"

"Hey babe."

I smiled. He grabbed my hand.

"Didn't think I let you do this by yourself did you?" He grinned back at me. As I held his hand I placed his knuckles to my lips and kissed them.

"Okay Harmione we're going to make a small incision horizontally along your abdomen."

"Okay...I'm ready."

I squeezed Charlie's hand and they began to take the babies. I looked at Charlie. He began to bob his knees up and down.

"Char..."

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright?"

"Huh...oh yeah I'm fine...it's not my sugar I'm just nervous."

I smiled shyly at him and reached up for his face. He leaned down and I stroked the side of his face with my thumb.

"Don't be nervous...I know everything will be alright."

"I trust you Har."

He kissed my hand. We suddenly heard a baby's shrill cry. Charlie looked around the curtain.

"It's one of the girl's they're cleaning her off now." Charlie told me with a smile. I began to cry. I felt my tears run past my nose onto the bedding. We heard another cry.

"That makes two." A nurse's voice rang out over the cries.

I watched as Charlie's nerves faded and his excitement grew. Like a little boy in a candy shop. A nurse brought one of the girl's over to Charlie as the third one began to cry. The first one was all wrapped up in a blanket. She was tiny. She weight three pounds and 12 ounces. Her entire body could almost fit in Charlie's hand.

"Hi babygirl." Charlie said and pitched his voice up a bit. "Hi...I'm your Daddy...and that's Mommy..."

"Awww hi baby." I said sweetly.

Charlie began to cry but tried not to let me see. They then handed him the second girl. She weight three pounds

"Oh my goodness...hey baby...come here to Daddy."

Both girls were so happy to be in his arms. They then brought me the third girl for me to hold. She was the smallest at two pounds and 11 ounces. They began to stitch me up as we admired or precious new additions to our family. I couldn't wait to introduce them to everyone.

Although they needed names, so we could properly introduce them. The girls were placed in the NICU for futher observation and treatment. I was placed in a hospital room to recover from the surgery. That night Charlie and I discussed names and came up with the perfect names for our girls.

Annabelle Haven LeMay.

Mirabelle Hattie LeMay.

Isabelle Helena LeMay.

They were are new good luck charms. Our new gems to add to our ever-changing charm bracelet that is our charmed life.

It was early in the morning, the sun hadn't even come up yet. I awoke in the darkness to pain. I whimpered and tried to ignore it. It grew stronger. I wasn't sure if it was my heart or my breasts, but the pain was radiating from that area. I felt hot so I tried to get my blankets off me as best I could. I looked over at Charlie asleep in the chair near my bed. I didn't want to wake him, but I had too. It hurt so bad I started crying.

"Char...Charlie." I spoke out in a sob.

He didn't hear me.

"Charlie!" I tried to shout.

He was snoring. He then snorted as he drew in a large breathe. He was startled by my calls. He was quickly tossed into panic mode.

"What?!" He yelled. "What's the matter, what's going on?!"

"I'm hurting really bad Charlie!"

He stared at me with great concern.

"Is it your stitches?"

"No...its in my chest."

He quickly called a nurse to my room. We discovered that since I had attempted to breastfeed Isabelle because she was the smallest, I contracted mastitis, so my milk was now clogged in my breast; and inflamed. They did all the could to aide the sitution. In the meantime I was told with three babies I wouldn't be able to breastfeed all of them. I would dehydrate myself and run myself to death trying to feed them. We did have an alternative solution. I was grateful I had a wonderful team of nurses who stayed on top of everything.

It was then we heard that Isabella wasn't doing too good. In fact she was sick. All of their lungs were under developed, and she was having trouble breathing. She also had a fever. They were afraid of her having long term effects of being born so early. They were having trouble getting her to eat. By the end of the night they came to tell us about her condition.

I was sitting up in bed with a warm compress on my breast. Charlie was sitting in the chair near my bed. We talked about the kids for a while before the nurse came in.

"Mr. and Mrs. LeMay...I'm sorry to tell you this but...Isabella's vitals are dropping we're afraid we might lose her."

Charlie and I just stared at her too shocked for words.