DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of Spelling Goldberg Productions and Viacom Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
TITLE: The Scare
AUTHOR: RkieFan1960
RATING: PG
SETTING: Early summer of 1977, a year after the series ended.
SUMMARY: Jill and Mike face a scare regarding their unborn child.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: In the story 'W Is For Wendy' I briefly mentioned why Jill had to take maternity leave earlier than expected. This story goes into more detail. I want to thank Bridget for beta reading for me, as always. I also want to once again thank Gina for her big red book of medical knowledge and for helping me with the more technical stuff.
PART ONE: JILL
It had been one of those long workdays that seemed to never end. Jill Danko was standing at the nurses' station filling out reports when her supervisor, Meggy Moran, walked up to her.
"You know, you'd probably be much more comfortable doing those sitting down," Meggy scolded her. "Standing so much isn't good for the baby."
Jill subconsciously rubbed her rounded abdomen as Meggy talked. The baby was still almost two months away and she already felt as big as a whale, especially on busy days like this one. But today was particularly rough. Her head was pounding and she'd been to the bathroom at least a hundred times since the shift started.
"Jill? Have you heard anything I've said?" Meggy asked, slightly amused at what she deemed to be pregnancy absentmindedness.
"Yes, Meggy," Jill sighed wearily as she continued to write, absently rubbing her forehead. "I shouldn't be filling out these reports standing up, but if I sit down, I'm liable to lay my head down and go to sleep."
"When are you planning on taking maternity leave?" Meggy asked.
"I'm not sure. Every time I go to the doctor I get a different due date. I'm just sure that the next time I go in he's going to tell me the baby'll be here at Christmas time," Jill complained.
"Okay, so what's the latest due date?" Meggy inquired curiously.
"Late July. I can't get him to be anymore accurate than that," Jill explained dejectedly.
"Well, as someone who's been through it, can I give you some advice?" Meggy asked as Jill slowly nodded. "Make it soon. I know pregnancy is a natural part of life, but I don't think God intended for all pregnant women to be nurses. Nursing's hard on the body under normal circumstances, and it's even harder when you're carrying the weight of an extra person. Take your maternity leave early and let Mike pamper you for a while."
"Oh, I don't have to worry about Mike pampering me," Jill reassured her with a smile.
"Hey, enjoy it this time, because I guarantee you with the next one, he'll probably have you out changing the tires on the car," Meggy grinned.
Mike pulled into his parking spot at the apartment shortly after five o'clock, happy to be home on time for the first time all week. Since Jill's pregnancy had become more advanced Lt. Ryker had scheduled Mike so he had the same shift as Jill, which made both Mike and Jill very happy. For the most part, the morning sickness had ceased. Now Mike just had to learn to deal with a Jill who was slightly more hormonal than usual.
Jill's headache hadn't eased up by the time she got home, so when she walked into the apartment she fixed a cold compress and lay down on the couch, the compress lying across her eyes.
Mike put his key in the door and walked into the apartment. The first thing he noticed was Jill lying on the couch, a wet towel over her eyes and her swollen ankles propped over the arm.
Jill struggled to sit up when she heard the door open. "Mike, is that you?"
"Yeah, don't get up," Mike said as he got a beer from the fridge and walked over to the couch. She sat up so he could sit beside her, then she stretched back down with her head in his lap.
"Another headache?" He asked, gently rubbing her temples.
"Mmm," she mumbled, enjoying the feel of his fingertips massaging her aching head.
"Maybe you're working too hard," he ventured cautiously.
"Now you sound like Meggy," she chided softly. "She was trying to tell me today that I need to take my maternity leave early and let you pamper me."
"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea to me," Mike agreed, continuing his gentle massage.
"I'm not a child, Mike!" Jill exclaimed furiously.
"I never said you were," he reassured her hastily. "But think about it. You're carrying extra weight now and it's throwing your body off balance. You've been coming home with headaches and swollen ankles almost every day now. Your doctor can't be okay with that. Or does he know?" Mike asked, looking at Jill suspiciously.
"The swollen ankles are normal," Jill sighed. "He told me I could continue working as long as I felt up to it. I don't want to sit around here doing nothing all day but watching TV and waiting for you to get home," she ended petulantly.
"Okay, if you don't want to take your leave early, will you at least consider cutting down on your hours?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, I'll think about it," Jill agreed wearily as she sat up. Everything started spinning and she put her hand to her forehead until her vision returned to normal.
"You okay?" Mike asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," she snapped, heading into the kitchen.
Mike came up behind her as she got things out of the refrigerator for dinner. He wrapped his arms around her and gently caressed her stomach, smiling as he felt the baby kick in response. "I'm sorry if I upset you," he said, kissing the back of her neck.
"I know, but we're fine, Mike. Really," she answered as she turned in his embrace and kissed him. "If anything were wrong, I'd tell you. Now, get out of here and let me get dinner started. You must be starving."
Later that night, Jill was awakened from a sound sleep by a pressing pain under her ribs. She gently rubbed the area, figuring the baby might've just kicked her exceptionally hard. Rubbing didn't ease the pain and neither did changing positions, so Jill carefully eased out of bed and decided to sit up and wait it out. She quietly pulled her robe on and went into the living room. As she sat down in the armchair she glanced down in distaste at her still grossly swollen ankles. Normally the swelling disappeared after a few hours and, in the worse case scenario, was always gone after several hours of rest. She leaned back in the chair, gently stroking her abdomen. The pain in her ribs did seem better after sitting down. The only thing was now that she was awake, the baby was, too. She smiled as she continued stroking her swollen stomach.
Mike woke up when he sleepily reached for his wife and she wasn't in bed. He sat up and switched on the lamp. When he didn't find her in the bathroom he put his robe on and went to the living room. He was worried when he saw Jill sitting in the chair. He walked over and sat on the floor beside her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think it was just heartburn or the baby kicked me hard in the ribs. It woke me up," Jill said, smiling at the expression on his face.
"Do you need anything?" He asked her as he stood up.
"Yeah. I need you to share my chair with me," she answered, holding out her hands as Mike pulled her to her feet. He then sat down in the chair and pulled her down on his lap.
"The baby was really active earlier," she continued conversationally, taking his hand in hers and placing it on her stomach. In response the baby made several taps against their joined hands.
"Hey, we can put this kid on the midnight to 8 a.m. shift," Mike teased, smiling at Jill as the baby continued to kick.
"I think he's just awake because I am," Jill said, leaning her head on Mike's shoulder sleepily.
Mike sat there for a long time in wonder, feeling the baby's kicks gradually stop as Jill fell asleep on his shoulder. He gently lifted her up in his arms and carried her back to bed. She briefly woke up as he was putting her under the covers. His smile was the last thing she saw as she surrendered to sleep.
PART TWO: MEGGY SOUNDS THE RED ALERT TO MIKE
A few days later Mike promised Jill he'd meet her at the hospital for lunch. The last several days hadn't been going very well for her and Mike wanted to cheer her up. The headaches were continuing to be a daily part of her life, along with the swollen ankles, but now she had new things to worry about. The heartburn she'd experienced that night was now occurring more frequently and more severely. Her hands had become so swollen that she'd started having to wear her wedding ring on a chain around her neck. Her doctor assured her that it was perfectly normal for her hands and feet to swell in late pregnancy.
Jill was sitting down at the nurses' station working on charts when her vision suddenly blurred so badly that she had to close her eyes in order for it to clear. She put the chart she'd been working on back on the cart and went to the restroom. When she came back a few minutes later, she began looking around her work area in confusion.
"Jill, what're you looking for?" Meggy asked curiously.
The chart I was just working on. Did you move it?" Jill asked, continuing to look around.
"Jill, you finished it and put it back on the cart," Meggy explained patiently. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just getting forgetful," Jill said slowly.
"Why don't you go back in the nurses' lounge and put your feet up for a while," Meggy suggested, trying not to sound as worried as she felt. "I'll come get you when Mike gets here. Okay?" She put an arm around Jill's shoulders and led her toward the lounge. After making sure she was comfortable, Meggy came back to the nurses' station deep in thought. She was becoming deeply concerned about Jill.
Something wasn't right, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly what it could be. Whatever it was had happened in the last several days. She remembered her own pregnancies and though each of them had been different, she couldn't remember experiencing anything like what Jill was experiencing now. In fact with her last baby, she'd worked through almost her entire labor, going upstairs only when her co-workers had begged and pleaded with her. She got one of the reference books out from under the counter and opened it up. She was reading, deep in thought, when Mike approached the counter.
"Hi. How's my second favorite nurse today?" Mike asked, grinning.
"Mike, you scared me to death! They should make you guys wear bells or something," Meggy remarked breathlessly.
"Nah, then we couldn't sneak up on suspects. Besides, your husband is much too macho to wear bells on his uniform," Mike continued. "Anyway, I've got a date with my wife for lunch. Where are you hiding her?"
"She's in the nurses' lounge. I really wanted to talk to you alone for a few minutes," Meggy said, coming around the counter. "Let's go over here. I'm worried about Jill."
"What are you talking about?" Mike asked worriedly, following Meggy over to the waiting area where they both sat down.
"Mike, pregnancy changes a woman's body in a lot of ways," Meggy began worriedly. " But I have to be honest with you here. It's changing Jill's body in a lot of ways that are concerning me."
"She told me she asked her doctor about the headaches and the swollen ankles," Mike explained slowly. "He told her they're due to the hormonal changes she's going through. The headaches, I mean. The ankles are on account of the extra weight of the baby."+
"That's true, but, Mike, she's forgetful and she never used to be before. I mean, I got absentminded when I was pregnant, too, but this goes beyond that," Meggy continued. "She'll be doing something and five minutes later, either she tries to repeat what she's already done or she asks one of us what it was she was doing."
"What are you going to do?" Mike asked quietly.
"I really want her to take maternity leave," Meggy answered. :I'm going to write down some things I want her to ask her doctor. If he sees what I think he's going to see, he'll make her take leave."
"What do you think it is?" Mike asked in a scared voice.
"They used to call it toxemia. Now, it's called pre-eclampsia. Mike, if it goes untreated it can develop into eclampsia, which can be fatal to her and the baby. I've seen it before," she said, taking his hand.
"I'll talk to her and see what I can do, but you know how stubborn she is," Mike replied as he got to his feet.
Jill was in the nurses' lounge with her head leaned back against the back of the hard sofa, feet propped up on the table in front of her. She was rubbing her stomach, willing the latest bout of heartburn to go away. She was so deep in her concentrated efforts to get rid of it that she didn't hear Mike enter the room.
"Heartburn again?" He asked quietly as he sat beside her, trailing his fingers along her arm.
"Did Meggy call you?" Jill asked weakly, starting to stand as a wave of dizziness almost made her sit back down.
"Easy," Mike cautioned, steadying her as she slowly sat back down. "I've been here for a few minutes. I was talking to Meggy. She's worried about you, babe."
"Mike, I told you that headaches and swollen feet are a normal part of being pregnant and from I've heard from some of my friends, so is heartburn. I wish all of you would just let me be a normal pregnant person and have this baby in peace!" She snapped angrily as she struggled to her feet again.
"Okay, I buy the headaches and the swollen feet being normal, Jill, but what about the dizziness and the forgetfulness? Or do you think I haven't noticed that? Will you at least talk to your doctor again?" he said, handing her the piece of paper Meggy had given him earlier. "Meggy gave me a list of questions you should be asking Dr. Miller."
"Mike, I've been asking him questions! This is our first baby and neither of us really knows what to expect. I mean, even as a nurse, I'm in the dark about what's going on in my body. I don't think I'm supposed to feel perfect every minute of these nine months, am I?" She exclaimed, bursting unexpectedly into tears.
"Shh, it's going to be okay," he said, gathering her into his arms and rubbing gentle circles on her back. "You know, I think Meggy would be okay with me taking you home early. What do you say? Would it be okay if I took you home and gave you some TLC before I have to head back to work?"
"Okay," she sniffled.
When they got to the apartment, Mike called Lt. Ryker to tell him he'd be late coming back from lunch. He sat on the sofa with Jill stretched out beside him on her left side with her head on his knees. He continued stroking her shoulders and back as she gradually calmed down. He still wanted her to talk to her doctor, but he decided to let the matter rest for the time being. He knew upsetting her wasn't going to accomplish anything.
"Babe, I have to go," he said reluctantly as he looked at his watch. "I told Ryker I'd only be half an hour late. I want you to take it easy and I'll see you this afternoon. How about if I pick up some Chinese food for dinner tonight?" He suggested as he carefully rested her head on the sofa and bent down to kiss her.
"Okay, but nothing spicy. This baby doesn't like spicy," she sighed, returning his kiss.
"Okay, nothing spicy," Mike agreed readily.
Jill lay on the sofa for about an hour after Mike left before she slowly got to her feet. She was bored and restless but was stuck in the apartment since Mike had the car. She walked to the window when her vision blurred again. She pinched her fingers on the bridge of her nose for a few minutes to clear her vision. This time, she didn't get the flashbulb effect when she opened her eyes.
Mike got home at 5:45 carrying bags of Chinese food. Jill was starving since she hadn't eaten any lunch. In fact, once the heartburn finally cleared up, she felt great.
Mike fixed their plates and brought them to the table, smiling as Jill ravenously began to eat. "I'm glad to see you've got your appetite back," he grinned as he began eating.
"Well, I seemed to have missed lunch," she smiled.
"I'm also glad to see you're feeling better this evening," he said, taking a drink of his beer.
"Well, I AM feeling better, but I was bored out of my mind. Would it be okay if I kept the car tomorrow?"
"Sure, I can ride with Terry. Chris should be home early in the afternoon. If you get too bored, you can always go keep him company," he smiled as Jill rolled her eyes.
Mike helped Jill clean up after dinner before settling down on the sofa with her snuggled close to him. He had his chin resting on the top of her head while he rested one hand on her abdomen, drawing lazy circles with his fingers. This had become a nightly ritual that never failed to relax Jill. But tonight she was having a hard time getting comfortable. She sat up and leaned forward, breathing through her nose.
"Are you okay?" Mike asked in concern, gently rubbing her back.
"Yeah," Jill answered breathlessly. "The baby seems to like kicking my ribs. He's been doing it all week. I think I ate too much too fast."
"Heartburn again, huh?" He continued gently.
She nodded as tears filled her eyes. She was so uncomfortable now that she didn't see how it was possible to feel much worse. She wrung her hands in desperation as Mike continued rubbing her back. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the pain in her ribs finally eased up. Jill let out a deep breath and leaned back against Mike in exhaustion. \
He kissed the top of her head as she relaxed. "You okay now?" He asked tenderly.
She nodded sleepily, too exhausted to answer.
"Come on, let's get you two to bed," Mike said, standing up and helping her to her feet.
Jill changed into her nightgown and crawled under the covers. Mike smiled when she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. He lay in the darkened bedroom for a long time just watching her sleep...his favorite pastime.
PART THREE: THE SCARE
Jill got up with Mike the next morning to fix him breakfast before he left for work. He was finishing his coffee when the doorbell rang. Jill answered the door to let Terry in. He smiled at the sight of Jill in her gown and robe.
"Hey, you ready to go?" Terry asked as Mike put his coffee cup in the sink.
"Yeah. I'll meet you downstairs in a minute," Mike told Terry, who nodded as he walked out the door. Mike then walked over and pulled Jill into his arms. "I want you to be careful when you go out today. If you start feeling too tired, stay home."
"Mike, I'll be fine," she remarked with a grin. "I'll see you this afternoon. Be careful. I love you."
"I love you, too," he said, returning her kiss.
After cleaning up the breakfast dishes Jill got in the shower and got dressed. A massive wave of dizziness overcame her while she was putting her shoes on. After it'd passed she got in the car and went to one of the baby stores a co-worker had recommended. She was walking around looking at baby things when her vision once again began blurring. After a few seconds everything righted itself, but she'd decided that she'd better go home. She got back in the car and drove back to their apartment. She started pulling into the parking space when her vision again began blurring and she kept seeing flashing lights in front of her eyes.
She parked the car haphazardly and made her way upstairs as quickly as she could. She unlocked the door and went inside, pale and trembling. Maybe Mike and Meggy were right. She picked up the phone and called her obstetrician, only to be told he was away performing a delivery. When asked if she wanted to leave a message, she told the receptionist no and hung up the phone.
Chris pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building shortly after noon and was going to park in his slot when he noticed that he didn't have any room. He parked in the visitor's area and went upstairs to the Danko's apartment.
Jill was sitting on the sofa trying to fight rising panic when the doorbell rang. She struggled to her feet and opened it. "Chris, what're you doing here?"
"Jill, are you okay? I tried to park my truck and I can't," he started to explain.
"Chris, I'm sorry. I had to go to the bathroom. Let me go move the car," Jill said, grabbing the keys.
"Jill, stop! What's wrong?" He insistently asked in a voice that wasn't going to brook an argument or a lie.
"I don't know. I was shopping this morning and my vision blurred on me. It happened again when I got home, but I keep seeing flashing lights too. I called my doctor, but he's off delivering a baby," she explained, fighting to keep the hysteria out of her voice.
"I'll take you to the emergency room. Come on, " Chris decided, gently taking her by the arm and leading her out the door. "I'll call Mike when we get there."
When they arrived in the emergency room, Jill tried to blow off Chris' obvious concern, but the on-call physician agreed with Chris and put her in a treatment room.
One of the nurses came in to take Jill's vital signs. She was shocked when she got Jill's blood pressure reading. "Jill, I'm going to page Dr. Miller and have him come down here as soon as possible," the nurse said as she removed the blood pressure cuff.
"His receptionist said he was delivering a baby," Jill said quietly, closing her eyes. "Is my blood pressure high?"
"I'll check it again in a little while," the nurse answered evasively. "Tell me about what's been going on."
"My hands and feet have been swollen and I've been having horrible bouts of heartburn and pain in my ribs," Jill answered weakly.
"Chris was saying something about your vision. How long has it been blurred?" The nurse asked, writing down Jill's comments.
"A few days, I guess. It doesn't last very long," Jill said. "Has Chris called Mike?"
"Yeah, he was getting ready to do that when I came in here. Let me go page Dr. Miller," the nurse said as she prepared to leave the room.
Mike was getting ready to leave the precinct when the desk sergeant called him to the phone. Mike took the receiver. "Hello?"
"Mike, it's Chris. I'm at the emergency room with Jill. I don't know what's wrong, but I think you should get here as soon as possible," Chris said in a tight voice.
"I'm on the way," Mike announced, slamming down the telephone
Jill was resting in the trauma room when Dr. Miller came in. "Jill, I understand that you're having a few rather unwelcome symptoms. Let's have a look at that baby," he said as the nurse came back into the room.
The nurse covered Jill with a drape and lifted her feet into the stirrups. Jill gritted her teeth as she endured the indignity of the doctor probing her. "Everything's good from this end. Let's listen to the heartbeat."
He helped the nurse strap a fetal monitor around Jill's stomach. He examined the strip that printed out of the monitor. "The heart rate's real good, Jill. It's right where it should be. I'm waiting on the lab to get back to me with the results of your urinalysis, but I think you have pre-eclampsia."
"Will I have to stay here?" Jill asked nervously.
"Probably not, but I'll know more when I get the results of your tests. Right now, Michelle is going to start an IV so we can get your blood pressure down," Dr. Miller told her.
"Can Chris sit with me until Mike gets here?" Jill asked fearfully.
"I'll send him in here," Dr. Miller smiled as he walked out the door.
Michelle was starting the IV when Chris walked in. "Are they admitting you?" He asked anxiously, when he saw the nurse inserting the IV needle into Jill's hand.
"No, they just want to get my blood pressure down," Jill winced as the needle bit into her skin. "Would you sit next to me?"
"Okay, Jill. You're all set. I'll send Mike in as soon as he gets here," Michelle said, gathering her equipment.
"Thanks, Michelle," Jill said as Chris pulled up a stool.
The medication in her IV made Jill feel sleepy, so she laid her head back to rest. Chris was sitting there with her when Mike walked in. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he approached her bed.
"Hi. How is she?" Mike asked softly.
"I don't know. The doctor was waiting for her lab results, but he hasn't come back yet," Chris explained.
As if on cue, Dr. Miller walked in. Chris excused himself as Dr. Miller shook Mike's hand.
Jill woke up with a start when she heard Dr. Miller walk in. She smiled when she saw Mike. "Hi, sweetheart," she murmured as he gently kissed her.
"Well, Jill, you have pre-eclampsia. Usually we'd hospitalize you and put you on complete bed rest until you're far enough along to safely deliver the baby. But, I think we've caught this early enough to allow you to rest at home. And I do mean rest. I want your blood pressure to be monitored very carefully. If it rises again, I'll be admitting you and keeping you here until it's time for you to deliver. So, starting right now, you're on maternity leave. And when you go home I don't want you doing any more than is absolutely necessary. Do I make myself clear?" He asked sternly.
"Yes," Jill answered meekly.
"You're very lucky that we caught this early. If it had evolved into eclampsia, things could've gotten very dicey. I'll take your blood pressure again in about an hour and if things look better, I'll sign you out. In the meantime, take it easy and enjoy listening to the baby's heartbeat. Speaking of which...would you like to see an image of the baby's ultrasound?" Dr. Miller asked.
"Oh, yes!" Jill exclaimed.
"I'll go get the equipment. We just got it and I'm having a lot of fun with it," Dr. Miller grinned as he walked out the door. He came back into the room about 10 minutes later, pushing a large piece of equipment. He plugged it into the wall socket before turning it on. He then took a tube of gel and lifted Jill's hospital gown. "This is going to be cold," he warned as he squeezed the gel on her stomach.
"Ow! No kidding!" Jill commented as the cold gel made contact with her bare flesh.
The doctor then took a transducer and ran it over Jill's abdomen above the monitor. "Now, if we're lucky, we might find out what we've got here. Do you want to know?"
Jill shrugged as she looked at Mike. "I don't know. I never gave it much thought before. I think it kind of takes away the element of surprise."
"Okay, then I won't say anything," the doctor said as he pointed out the baby's features to Mike and Jill. It was fascinating to see the baby's tiny arms and legs and to see its heart beating. "Well, as fate would have it, baby's being very shy and won't let me tell what it is, so I guess you'll just have to wait until d-day," he smiled, turning off the ultrasound.
"I think you wanted to know more than we did," Jill teased him.
"Well, like I said a while ago, I'm having a blast with this new equipment," the doctor smiled as he wiped the gel from Jill's stomach and lowered her gown. "Rest and I'll come back to check your blood pressure."
Mike pulled a stool closer to Jill's bed and took her hand in his. "I'm glad you're both okay."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she told him, squeezing his fingers.
"But, on the up side, it was so cool to actually see the baby. It makes it seem more real seeing an image on a screen," he smiled.
"Oh, he's real all right, and he lets me know at every opportunity," she grimaced as the baby picked that moment to give her a sharp jab in the side.
"I love you both so much. I don't want to ever be scared like that again," he confessed as he kissed her.
"I love you, too. And, just think, soon you're going to be a daddy, so this'll all be worth it," she told him.
"Well, until you have this baby, you're going to follow doctor's orders and I'm going to spoil you rotten," Mike told her firmly.
"You already spoil me rotten," she smiled back at him.
"Well, I'm going to spoil you even worse," he vowed, kissing her again.
THE END
TITLE: The Scare
AUTHOR: RkieFan1960
RATING: PG
SETTING: Early summer of 1977, a year after the series ended.
SUMMARY: Jill and Mike face a scare regarding their unborn child.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: In the story 'W Is For Wendy' I briefly mentioned why Jill had to take maternity leave earlier than expected. This story goes into more detail. I want to thank Bridget for beta reading for me, as always. I also want to once again thank Gina for her big red book of medical knowledge and for helping me with the more technical stuff.
PART ONE: JILL
It had been one of those long workdays that seemed to never end. Jill Danko was standing at the nurses' station filling out reports when her supervisor, Meggy Moran, walked up to her.
"You know, you'd probably be much more comfortable doing those sitting down," Meggy scolded her. "Standing so much isn't good for the baby."
Jill subconsciously rubbed her rounded abdomen as Meggy talked. The baby was still almost two months away and she already felt as big as a whale, especially on busy days like this one. But today was particularly rough. Her head was pounding and she'd been to the bathroom at least a hundred times since the shift started.
"Jill? Have you heard anything I've said?" Meggy asked, slightly amused at what she deemed to be pregnancy absentmindedness.
"Yes, Meggy," Jill sighed wearily as she continued to write, absently rubbing her forehead. "I shouldn't be filling out these reports standing up, but if I sit down, I'm liable to lay my head down and go to sleep."
"When are you planning on taking maternity leave?" Meggy asked.
"I'm not sure. Every time I go to the doctor I get a different due date. I'm just sure that the next time I go in he's going to tell me the baby'll be here at Christmas time," Jill complained.
"Okay, so what's the latest due date?" Meggy inquired curiously.
"Late July. I can't get him to be anymore accurate than that," Jill explained dejectedly.
"Well, as someone who's been through it, can I give you some advice?" Meggy asked as Jill slowly nodded. "Make it soon. I know pregnancy is a natural part of life, but I don't think God intended for all pregnant women to be nurses. Nursing's hard on the body under normal circumstances, and it's even harder when you're carrying the weight of an extra person. Take your maternity leave early and let Mike pamper you for a while."
"Oh, I don't have to worry about Mike pampering me," Jill reassured her with a smile.
"Hey, enjoy it this time, because I guarantee you with the next one, he'll probably have you out changing the tires on the car," Meggy grinned.
Mike pulled into his parking spot at the apartment shortly after five o'clock, happy to be home on time for the first time all week. Since Jill's pregnancy had become more advanced Lt. Ryker had scheduled Mike so he had the same shift as Jill, which made both Mike and Jill very happy. For the most part, the morning sickness had ceased. Now Mike just had to learn to deal with a Jill who was slightly more hormonal than usual.
Jill's headache hadn't eased up by the time she got home, so when she walked into the apartment she fixed a cold compress and lay down on the couch, the compress lying across her eyes.
Mike put his key in the door and walked into the apartment. The first thing he noticed was Jill lying on the couch, a wet towel over her eyes and her swollen ankles propped over the arm.
Jill struggled to sit up when she heard the door open. "Mike, is that you?"
"Yeah, don't get up," Mike said as he got a beer from the fridge and walked over to the couch. She sat up so he could sit beside her, then she stretched back down with her head in his lap.
"Another headache?" He asked, gently rubbing her temples.
"Mmm," she mumbled, enjoying the feel of his fingertips massaging her aching head.
"Maybe you're working too hard," he ventured cautiously.
"Now you sound like Meggy," she chided softly. "She was trying to tell me today that I need to take my maternity leave early and let you pamper me."
"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea to me," Mike agreed, continuing his gentle massage.
"I'm not a child, Mike!" Jill exclaimed furiously.
"I never said you were," he reassured her hastily. "But think about it. You're carrying extra weight now and it's throwing your body off balance. You've been coming home with headaches and swollen ankles almost every day now. Your doctor can't be okay with that. Or does he know?" Mike asked, looking at Jill suspiciously.
"The swollen ankles are normal," Jill sighed. "He told me I could continue working as long as I felt up to it. I don't want to sit around here doing nothing all day but watching TV and waiting for you to get home," she ended petulantly.
"Okay, if you don't want to take your leave early, will you at least consider cutting down on your hours?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, I'll think about it," Jill agreed wearily as she sat up. Everything started spinning and she put her hand to her forehead until her vision returned to normal.
"You okay?" Mike asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," she snapped, heading into the kitchen.
Mike came up behind her as she got things out of the refrigerator for dinner. He wrapped his arms around her and gently caressed her stomach, smiling as he felt the baby kick in response. "I'm sorry if I upset you," he said, kissing the back of her neck.
"I know, but we're fine, Mike. Really," she answered as she turned in his embrace and kissed him. "If anything were wrong, I'd tell you. Now, get out of here and let me get dinner started. You must be starving."
Later that night, Jill was awakened from a sound sleep by a pressing pain under her ribs. She gently rubbed the area, figuring the baby might've just kicked her exceptionally hard. Rubbing didn't ease the pain and neither did changing positions, so Jill carefully eased out of bed and decided to sit up and wait it out. She quietly pulled her robe on and went into the living room. As she sat down in the armchair she glanced down in distaste at her still grossly swollen ankles. Normally the swelling disappeared after a few hours and, in the worse case scenario, was always gone after several hours of rest. She leaned back in the chair, gently stroking her abdomen. The pain in her ribs did seem better after sitting down. The only thing was now that she was awake, the baby was, too. She smiled as she continued stroking her swollen stomach.
Mike woke up when he sleepily reached for his wife and she wasn't in bed. He sat up and switched on the lamp. When he didn't find her in the bathroom he put his robe on and went to the living room. He was worried when he saw Jill sitting in the chair. He walked over and sat on the floor beside her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think it was just heartburn or the baby kicked me hard in the ribs. It woke me up," Jill said, smiling at the expression on his face.
"Do you need anything?" He asked her as he stood up.
"Yeah. I need you to share my chair with me," she answered, holding out her hands as Mike pulled her to her feet. He then sat down in the chair and pulled her down on his lap.
"The baby was really active earlier," she continued conversationally, taking his hand in hers and placing it on her stomach. In response the baby made several taps against their joined hands.
"Hey, we can put this kid on the midnight to 8 a.m. shift," Mike teased, smiling at Jill as the baby continued to kick.
"I think he's just awake because I am," Jill said, leaning her head on Mike's shoulder sleepily.
Mike sat there for a long time in wonder, feeling the baby's kicks gradually stop as Jill fell asleep on his shoulder. He gently lifted her up in his arms and carried her back to bed. She briefly woke up as he was putting her under the covers. His smile was the last thing she saw as she surrendered to sleep.
PART TWO: MEGGY SOUNDS THE RED ALERT TO MIKE
A few days later Mike promised Jill he'd meet her at the hospital for lunch. The last several days hadn't been going very well for her and Mike wanted to cheer her up. The headaches were continuing to be a daily part of her life, along with the swollen ankles, but now she had new things to worry about. The heartburn she'd experienced that night was now occurring more frequently and more severely. Her hands had become so swollen that she'd started having to wear her wedding ring on a chain around her neck. Her doctor assured her that it was perfectly normal for her hands and feet to swell in late pregnancy.
Jill was sitting down at the nurses' station working on charts when her vision suddenly blurred so badly that she had to close her eyes in order for it to clear. She put the chart she'd been working on back on the cart and went to the restroom. When she came back a few minutes later, she began looking around her work area in confusion.
"Jill, what're you looking for?" Meggy asked curiously.
The chart I was just working on. Did you move it?" Jill asked, continuing to look around.
"Jill, you finished it and put it back on the cart," Meggy explained patiently. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just getting forgetful," Jill said slowly.
"Why don't you go back in the nurses' lounge and put your feet up for a while," Meggy suggested, trying not to sound as worried as she felt. "I'll come get you when Mike gets here. Okay?" She put an arm around Jill's shoulders and led her toward the lounge. After making sure she was comfortable, Meggy came back to the nurses' station deep in thought. She was becoming deeply concerned about Jill.
Something wasn't right, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly what it could be. Whatever it was had happened in the last several days. She remembered her own pregnancies and though each of them had been different, she couldn't remember experiencing anything like what Jill was experiencing now. In fact with her last baby, she'd worked through almost her entire labor, going upstairs only when her co-workers had begged and pleaded with her. She got one of the reference books out from under the counter and opened it up. She was reading, deep in thought, when Mike approached the counter.
"Hi. How's my second favorite nurse today?" Mike asked, grinning.
"Mike, you scared me to death! They should make you guys wear bells or something," Meggy remarked breathlessly.
"Nah, then we couldn't sneak up on suspects. Besides, your husband is much too macho to wear bells on his uniform," Mike continued. "Anyway, I've got a date with my wife for lunch. Where are you hiding her?"
"She's in the nurses' lounge. I really wanted to talk to you alone for a few minutes," Meggy said, coming around the counter. "Let's go over here. I'm worried about Jill."
"What are you talking about?" Mike asked worriedly, following Meggy over to the waiting area where they both sat down.
"Mike, pregnancy changes a woman's body in a lot of ways," Meggy began worriedly. " But I have to be honest with you here. It's changing Jill's body in a lot of ways that are concerning me."
"She told me she asked her doctor about the headaches and the swollen ankles," Mike explained slowly. "He told her they're due to the hormonal changes she's going through. The headaches, I mean. The ankles are on account of the extra weight of the baby."+
"That's true, but, Mike, she's forgetful and she never used to be before. I mean, I got absentminded when I was pregnant, too, but this goes beyond that," Meggy continued. "She'll be doing something and five minutes later, either she tries to repeat what she's already done or she asks one of us what it was she was doing."
"What are you going to do?" Mike asked quietly.
"I really want her to take maternity leave," Meggy answered. :I'm going to write down some things I want her to ask her doctor. If he sees what I think he's going to see, he'll make her take leave."
"What do you think it is?" Mike asked in a scared voice.
"They used to call it toxemia. Now, it's called pre-eclampsia. Mike, if it goes untreated it can develop into eclampsia, which can be fatal to her and the baby. I've seen it before," she said, taking his hand.
"I'll talk to her and see what I can do, but you know how stubborn she is," Mike replied as he got to his feet.
Jill was in the nurses' lounge with her head leaned back against the back of the hard sofa, feet propped up on the table in front of her. She was rubbing her stomach, willing the latest bout of heartburn to go away. She was so deep in her concentrated efforts to get rid of it that she didn't hear Mike enter the room.
"Heartburn again?" He asked quietly as he sat beside her, trailing his fingers along her arm.
"Did Meggy call you?" Jill asked weakly, starting to stand as a wave of dizziness almost made her sit back down.
"Easy," Mike cautioned, steadying her as she slowly sat back down. "I've been here for a few minutes. I was talking to Meggy. She's worried about you, babe."
"Mike, I told you that headaches and swollen feet are a normal part of being pregnant and from I've heard from some of my friends, so is heartburn. I wish all of you would just let me be a normal pregnant person and have this baby in peace!" She snapped angrily as she struggled to her feet again.
"Okay, I buy the headaches and the swollen feet being normal, Jill, but what about the dizziness and the forgetfulness? Or do you think I haven't noticed that? Will you at least talk to your doctor again?" he said, handing her the piece of paper Meggy had given him earlier. "Meggy gave me a list of questions you should be asking Dr. Miller."
"Mike, I've been asking him questions! This is our first baby and neither of us really knows what to expect. I mean, even as a nurse, I'm in the dark about what's going on in my body. I don't think I'm supposed to feel perfect every minute of these nine months, am I?" She exclaimed, bursting unexpectedly into tears.
"Shh, it's going to be okay," he said, gathering her into his arms and rubbing gentle circles on her back. "You know, I think Meggy would be okay with me taking you home early. What do you say? Would it be okay if I took you home and gave you some TLC before I have to head back to work?"
"Okay," she sniffled.
When they got to the apartment, Mike called Lt. Ryker to tell him he'd be late coming back from lunch. He sat on the sofa with Jill stretched out beside him on her left side with her head on his knees. He continued stroking her shoulders and back as she gradually calmed down. He still wanted her to talk to her doctor, but he decided to let the matter rest for the time being. He knew upsetting her wasn't going to accomplish anything.
"Babe, I have to go," he said reluctantly as he looked at his watch. "I told Ryker I'd only be half an hour late. I want you to take it easy and I'll see you this afternoon. How about if I pick up some Chinese food for dinner tonight?" He suggested as he carefully rested her head on the sofa and bent down to kiss her.
"Okay, but nothing spicy. This baby doesn't like spicy," she sighed, returning his kiss.
"Okay, nothing spicy," Mike agreed readily.
Jill lay on the sofa for about an hour after Mike left before she slowly got to her feet. She was bored and restless but was stuck in the apartment since Mike had the car. She walked to the window when her vision blurred again. She pinched her fingers on the bridge of her nose for a few minutes to clear her vision. This time, she didn't get the flashbulb effect when she opened her eyes.
Mike got home at 5:45 carrying bags of Chinese food. Jill was starving since she hadn't eaten any lunch. In fact, once the heartburn finally cleared up, she felt great.
Mike fixed their plates and brought them to the table, smiling as Jill ravenously began to eat. "I'm glad to see you've got your appetite back," he grinned as he began eating.
"Well, I seemed to have missed lunch," she smiled.
"I'm also glad to see you're feeling better this evening," he said, taking a drink of his beer.
"Well, I AM feeling better, but I was bored out of my mind. Would it be okay if I kept the car tomorrow?"
"Sure, I can ride with Terry. Chris should be home early in the afternoon. If you get too bored, you can always go keep him company," he smiled as Jill rolled her eyes.
Mike helped Jill clean up after dinner before settling down on the sofa with her snuggled close to him. He had his chin resting on the top of her head while he rested one hand on her abdomen, drawing lazy circles with his fingers. This had become a nightly ritual that never failed to relax Jill. But tonight she was having a hard time getting comfortable. She sat up and leaned forward, breathing through her nose.
"Are you okay?" Mike asked in concern, gently rubbing her back.
"Yeah," Jill answered breathlessly. "The baby seems to like kicking my ribs. He's been doing it all week. I think I ate too much too fast."
"Heartburn again, huh?" He continued gently.
She nodded as tears filled her eyes. She was so uncomfortable now that she didn't see how it was possible to feel much worse. She wrung her hands in desperation as Mike continued rubbing her back. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the pain in her ribs finally eased up. Jill let out a deep breath and leaned back against Mike in exhaustion. \
He kissed the top of her head as she relaxed. "You okay now?" He asked tenderly.
She nodded sleepily, too exhausted to answer.
"Come on, let's get you two to bed," Mike said, standing up and helping her to her feet.
Jill changed into her nightgown and crawled under the covers. Mike smiled when she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. He lay in the darkened bedroom for a long time just watching her sleep...his favorite pastime.
PART THREE: THE SCARE
Jill got up with Mike the next morning to fix him breakfast before he left for work. He was finishing his coffee when the doorbell rang. Jill answered the door to let Terry in. He smiled at the sight of Jill in her gown and robe.
"Hey, you ready to go?" Terry asked as Mike put his coffee cup in the sink.
"Yeah. I'll meet you downstairs in a minute," Mike told Terry, who nodded as he walked out the door. Mike then walked over and pulled Jill into his arms. "I want you to be careful when you go out today. If you start feeling too tired, stay home."
"Mike, I'll be fine," she remarked with a grin. "I'll see you this afternoon. Be careful. I love you."
"I love you, too," he said, returning her kiss.
After cleaning up the breakfast dishes Jill got in the shower and got dressed. A massive wave of dizziness overcame her while she was putting her shoes on. After it'd passed she got in the car and went to one of the baby stores a co-worker had recommended. She was walking around looking at baby things when her vision once again began blurring. After a few seconds everything righted itself, but she'd decided that she'd better go home. She got back in the car and drove back to their apartment. She started pulling into the parking space when her vision again began blurring and she kept seeing flashing lights in front of her eyes.
She parked the car haphazardly and made her way upstairs as quickly as she could. She unlocked the door and went inside, pale and trembling. Maybe Mike and Meggy were right. She picked up the phone and called her obstetrician, only to be told he was away performing a delivery. When asked if she wanted to leave a message, she told the receptionist no and hung up the phone.
Chris pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building shortly after noon and was going to park in his slot when he noticed that he didn't have any room. He parked in the visitor's area and went upstairs to the Danko's apartment.
Jill was sitting on the sofa trying to fight rising panic when the doorbell rang. She struggled to her feet and opened it. "Chris, what're you doing here?"
"Jill, are you okay? I tried to park my truck and I can't," he started to explain.
"Chris, I'm sorry. I had to go to the bathroom. Let me go move the car," Jill said, grabbing the keys.
"Jill, stop! What's wrong?" He insistently asked in a voice that wasn't going to brook an argument or a lie.
"I don't know. I was shopping this morning and my vision blurred on me. It happened again when I got home, but I keep seeing flashing lights too. I called my doctor, but he's off delivering a baby," she explained, fighting to keep the hysteria out of her voice.
"I'll take you to the emergency room. Come on, " Chris decided, gently taking her by the arm and leading her out the door. "I'll call Mike when we get there."
When they arrived in the emergency room, Jill tried to blow off Chris' obvious concern, but the on-call physician agreed with Chris and put her in a treatment room.
One of the nurses came in to take Jill's vital signs. She was shocked when she got Jill's blood pressure reading. "Jill, I'm going to page Dr. Miller and have him come down here as soon as possible," the nurse said as she removed the blood pressure cuff.
"His receptionist said he was delivering a baby," Jill said quietly, closing her eyes. "Is my blood pressure high?"
"I'll check it again in a little while," the nurse answered evasively. "Tell me about what's been going on."
"My hands and feet have been swollen and I've been having horrible bouts of heartburn and pain in my ribs," Jill answered weakly.
"Chris was saying something about your vision. How long has it been blurred?" The nurse asked, writing down Jill's comments.
"A few days, I guess. It doesn't last very long," Jill said. "Has Chris called Mike?"
"Yeah, he was getting ready to do that when I came in here. Let me go page Dr. Miller," the nurse said as she prepared to leave the room.
Mike was getting ready to leave the precinct when the desk sergeant called him to the phone. Mike took the receiver. "Hello?"
"Mike, it's Chris. I'm at the emergency room with Jill. I don't know what's wrong, but I think you should get here as soon as possible," Chris said in a tight voice.
"I'm on the way," Mike announced, slamming down the telephone
Jill was resting in the trauma room when Dr. Miller came in. "Jill, I understand that you're having a few rather unwelcome symptoms. Let's have a look at that baby," he said as the nurse came back into the room.
The nurse covered Jill with a drape and lifted her feet into the stirrups. Jill gritted her teeth as she endured the indignity of the doctor probing her. "Everything's good from this end. Let's listen to the heartbeat."
He helped the nurse strap a fetal monitor around Jill's stomach. He examined the strip that printed out of the monitor. "The heart rate's real good, Jill. It's right where it should be. I'm waiting on the lab to get back to me with the results of your urinalysis, but I think you have pre-eclampsia."
"Will I have to stay here?" Jill asked nervously.
"Probably not, but I'll know more when I get the results of your tests. Right now, Michelle is going to start an IV so we can get your blood pressure down," Dr. Miller told her.
"Can Chris sit with me until Mike gets here?" Jill asked fearfully.
"I'll send him in here," Dr. Miller smiled as he walked out the door.
Michelle was starting the IV when Chris walked in. "Are they admitting you?" He asked anxiously, when he saw the nurse inserting the IV needle into Jill's hand.
"No, they just want to get my blood pressure down," Jill winced as the needle bit into her skin. "Would you sit next to me?"
"Okay, Jill. You're all set. I'll send Mike in as soon as he gets here," Michelle said, gathering her equipment.
"Thanks, Michelle," Jill said as Chris pulled up a stool.
The medication in her IV made Jill feel sleepy, so she laid her head back to rest. Chris was sitting there with her when Mike walked in. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he approached her bed.
"Hi. How is she?" Mike asked softly.
"I don't know. The doctor was waiting for her lab results, but he hasn't come back yet," Chris explained.
As if on cue, Dr. Miller walked in. Chris excused himself as Dr. Miller shook Mike's hand.
Jill woke up with a start when she heard Dr. Miller walk in. She smiled when she saw Mike. "Hi, sweetheart," she murmured as he gently kissed her.
"Well, Jill, you have pre-eclampsia. Usually we'd hospitalize you and put you on complete bed rest until you're far enough along to safely deliver the baby. But, I think we've caught this early enough to allow you to rest at home. And I do mean rest. I want your blood pressure to be monitored very carefully. If it rises again, I'll be admitting you and keeping you here until it's time for you to deliver. So, starting right now, you're on maternity leave. And when you go home I don't want you doing any more than is absolutely necessary. Do I make myself clear?" He asked sternly.
"Yes," Jill answered meekly.
"You're very lucky that we caught this early. If it had evolved into eclampsia, things could've gotten very dicey. I'll take your blood pressure again in about an hour and if things look better, I'll sign you out. In the meantime, take it easy and enjoy listening to the baby's heartbeat. Speaking of which...would you like to see an image of the baby's ultrasound?" Dr. Miller asked.
"Oh, yes!" Jill exclaimed.
"I'll go get the equipment. We just got it and I'm having a lot of fun with it," Dr. Miller grinned as he walked out the door. He came back into the room about 10 minutes later, pushing a large piece of equipment. He plugged it into the wall socket before turning it on. He then took a tube of gel and lifted Jill's hospital gown. "This is going to be cold," he warned as he squeezed the gel on her stomach.
"Ow! No kidding!" Jill commented as the cold gel made contact with her bare flesh.
The doctor then took a transducer and ran it over Jill's abdomen above the monitor. "Now, if we're lucky, we might find out what we've got here. Do you want to know?"
Jill shrugged as she looked at Mike. "I don't know. I never gave it much thought before. I think it kind of takes away the element of surprise."
"Okay, then I won't say anything," the doctor said as he pointed out the baby's features to Mike and Jill. It was fascinating to see the baby's tiny arms and legs and to see its heart beating. "Well, as fate would have it, baby's being very shy and won't let me tell what it is, so I guess you'll just have to wait until d-day," he smiled, turning off the ultrasound.
"I think you wanted to know more than we did," Jill teased him.
"Well, like I said a while ago, I'm having a blast with this new equipment," the doctor smiled as he wiped the gel from Jill's stomach and lowered her gown. "Rest and I'll come back to check your blood pressure."
Mike pulled a stool closer to Jill's bed and took her hand in his. "I'm glad you're both okay."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she told him, squeezing his fingers.
"But, on the up side, it was so cool to actually see the baby. It makes it seem more real seeing an image on a screen," he smiled.
"Oh, he's real all right, and he lets me know at every opportunity," she grimaced as the baby picked that moment to give her a sharp jab in the side.
"I love you both so much. I don't want to ever be scared like that again," he confessed as he kissed her.
"I love you, too. And, just think, soon you're going to be a daddy, so this'll all be worth it," she told him.
"Well, until you have this baby, you're going to follow doctor's orders and I'm going to spoil you rotten," Mike told her firmly.
"You already spoil me rotten," she smiled back at him.
"Well, I'm going to spoil you even worse," he vowed, kissing her again.
THE END