December 13th 1954
"You look horrible," Margaret woke up. "Why don't you go get some sleep?"
"Because I don't want you to be here by yourself, besides Junior will pick that exact time to make his first appearance," she couldn't help but smile (comments like that reassured her that it was going to be OK). "There's that smile. It hasn't been around lately; I've missed it. So how are we feeling?" he stroked her hand over her extremely swollen stomach.
"I'm tired, board, and I want to go home."
"I know, but Dr. Strauss wants you here just in case."
"You worry too much, you know that?" she cupped his jaw and pulled him to her.
"It's in my job description," he said each work in between pecks.
"Oohh," she pulled away with a flush of pain.
"What?" he jumped up.
She had to sit herself up. Her back hurt. The baby was kicking and punching her in the ribs. She was only seven and a half months pregnant, and she was bigger than Sara was with Jimmy. The doctor told her he wanted to keep an eye on her; he was concerned with how fast she was progressing. She was able to have a lovely, but cozy (small) hospital room in Portland. She hated it. All they let her do was sit in bed. She felt so useless. The pregnancy was weighing on her. She was exhausted. The doctor said that all the nutrients she consumed went straight to the baby. He ordered her to eat so much at a time even if she wasn't hungry.
She didn't dare tell Hawkeye. He was worried enough as it was. He had been there with her the entire time. Daniel had been taking care of things at home. He was enjoying being back at work, just not the reason why. Both men were deeply concerned about her. Hawkeye, in fact, was frantic; he had come home to find her collapsed on the couch. He hadn't been an arm's length away since.
"It hurts," she cringed with pain.
"Here," he flipped off his shoes and crawled into the hospital bed with her. He sat behind her and held her close. He hated to see her in such pain. He had seen women have hard pregnancies, but they were never his wife with his child. He was so happy when she told him. He couldn't believe that they were going to have a baby. She and Sara had been working on the nursery. It was beautiful; the room was white with a crib and books and toys and a changing table and a small closet and just about everything else new parents would think of needing. He had Bill Kochman make the most comfortable rocking chair, with a match. One was hers and one was his. He had remembered every word B.J. had told him about missing out and he promised himself that it wouldn't happen to him. Now he just prayed that the baby would come. He could see Margaret getting weaker and weaker. He wanted it to come so it and Margaret could become healthy again.
"Looks like you're in good hands, Margaret," Sara said softly as she removed her heavy coat.
"Ah!" she cringed again. "Hawkeye, this isn't right."
"It's going to be OK," he reassured her giving Sara a concerned look.
"No, Hawkeye this doesn't feel right," she was scared out of her wits.
"Sara, go find Dr. Strauss, quick," he could feel Margaret's breathing become stressed and shallowed.
Sara went as fast as she could. Margaret was in bad shape; she was very worried about her friend. Margaret confessed that she was scared for the baby and made her promise not to tell Hawkeye; something she very rarely asked her to do. Only one other time had she made her promise to keep something from him.
Day and a half later:
"What time is it, now?" Hawkeye violently paced the length of the waiting room.
"Five minutes since the last time you asked me," she said calmly.
"Sorry, it's just that I'm so.," he trailed off running a shaky hand through his messed up air.
"I know," she put a soft hand on his shoulder.
He gave her a grateful smile. He could just imagine how nervous he would be if she wasn't there with him. He had bags under his eyes; he was so worried and exhausted.
"Dr. Pierce," Dr. Strauss walked into the room.
Hawkeye jumped over a table to get to the doorway where the short stout doctor was standing. It had been more than thirty hours since they'd heard anything.
"Congratulations Dr. Pierce, you're a father," the doctor shook his hand. "Your wife is fine; she and your son and daughter are taking a well deserved rest."
"S-s-son and daughter?" his face went white. "Yup we found a stowaway in there. Why don't you come and meet them, Doctor." Strauss led him to Margaret's room.
Sara stayed behind. She so wanted to see them and Margaret, but she figured she had better let him have his time first. She went to go call Molly, the telephone operator; she would have the business all over town in two seconds flat.
"Here we are. Go on in," Strauss turned the handle for him.
Hawkeye slowly pushed the door open. He didn't want to disturb anything. "Hello, anybody home?" he gave a cute smirk as he came in.
"Hi," she said with an alluring smile. She as looked as exhausted as she felt. "There are two little Pierces here who want to meet you," she was holding both of them in her arms.
"I guess we use both names," he stood in front of the door watching them. He was in awe; it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Two little people that he and Margaret made.
"Hawkeye, they don't bite," she noticed that he was keeping his distance.
"Uh, yeah," he pulled a chair up next to her. He was uneasy. He wasn't sure if he trusted himself. He had been trying to become more at ease around infants, but his fear was taking over; he was trying not to let it show.
"Do you want to hold them?" she was hoping he would say yes. She didn't want to pressure him, but she didn't want to just let him off the hook either. She could tell that he was thinking; he was a bit pale and his eyes weren't fixated on any particular thing. "Here, my arms are tiered," she was already moving to hand them over. She trusted him; she had to.
They were in his arms before he could say any thing. They were so small, he felt like he might break them. He was concentrating on them. He didn't trust himself. Their red faces were scrunched up, then his little boy yawned. His mouth was as open as his skin and jaw would let him, he made fists and stretched out his limbs and squealed a breath with it. As soon as the bitten lip smile came to Hawkeye's face, a few tears of absolute joy swelled up.
"Alexander Ryan, Katharine Marie, meet your father," Margaret watched them. She had the same loving tears streaking down her face. He was going to be OK; he may have some trouble, but she could feel it deep inside her that it was going to be all right.
"You look horrible," Margaret woke up. "Why don't you go get some sleep?"
"Because I don't want you to be here by yourself, besides Junior will pick that exact time to make his first appearance," she couldn't help but smile (comments like that reassured her that it was going to be OK). "There's that smile. It hasn't been around lately; I've missed it. So how are we feeling?" he stroked her hand over her extremely swollen stomach.
"I'm tired, board, and I want to go home."
"I know, but Dr. Strauss wants you here just in case."
"You worry too much, you know that?" she cupped his jaw and pulled him to her.
"It's in my job description," he said each work in between pecks.
"Oohh," she pulled away with a flush of pain.
"What?" he jumped up.
She had to sit herself up. Her back hurt. The baby was kicking and punching her in the ribs. She was only seven and a half months pregnant, and she was bigger than Sara was with Jimmy. The doctor told her he wanted to keep an eye on her; he was concerned with how fast she was progressing. She was able to have a lovely, but cozy (small) hospital room in Portland. She hated it. All they let her do was sit in bed. She felt so useless. The pregnancy was weighing on her. She was exhausted. The doctor said that all the nutrients she consumed went straight to the baby. He ordered her to eat so much at a time even if she wasn't hungry.
She didn't dare tell Hawkeye. He was worried enough as it was. He had been there with her the entire time. Daniel had been taking care of things at home. He was enjoying being back at work, just not the reason why. Both men were deeply concerned about her. Hawkeye, in fact, was frantic; he had come home to find her collapsed on the couch. He hadn't been an arm's length away since.
"It hurts," she cringed with pain.
"Here," he flipped off his shoes and crawled into the hospital bed with her. He sat behind her and held her close. He hated to see her in such pain. He had seen women have hard pregnancies, but they were never his wife with his child. He was so happy when she told him. He couldn't believe that they were going to have a baby. She and Sara had been working on the nursery. It was beautiful; the room was white with a crib and books and toys and a changing table and a small closet and just about everything else new parents would think of needing. He had Bill Kochman make the most comfortable rocking chair, with a match. One was hers and one was his. He had remembered every word B.J. had told him about missing out and he promised himself that it wouldn't happen to him. Now he just prayed that the baby would come. He could see Margaret getting weaker and weaker. He wanted it to come so it and Margaret could become healthy again.
"Looks like you're in good hands, Margaret," Sara said softly as she removed her heavy coat.
"Ah!" she cringed again. "Hawkeye, this isn't right."
"It's going to be OK," he reassured her giving Sara a concerned look.
"No, Hawkeye this doesn't feel right," she was scared out of her wits.
"Sara, go find Dr. Strauss, quick," he could feel Margaret's breathing become stressed and shallowed.
Sara went as fast as she could. Margaret was in bad shape; she was very worried about her friend. Margaret confessed that she was scared for the baby and made her promise not to tell Hawkeye; something she very rarely asked her to do. Only one other time had she made her promise to keep something from him.
Day and a half later:
"What time is it, now?" Hawkeye violently paced the length of the waiting room.
"Five minutes since the last time you asked me," she said calmly.
"Sorry, it's just that I'm so.," he trailed off running a shaky hand through his messed up air.
"I know," she put a soft hand on his shoulder.
He gave her a grateful smile. He could just imagine how nervous he would be if she wasn't there with him. He had bags under his eyes; he was so worried and exhausted.
"Dr. Pierce," Dr. Strauss walked into the room.
Hawkeye jumped over a table to get to the doorway where the short stout doctor was standing. It had been more than thirty hours since they'd heard anything.
"Congratulations Dr. Pierce, you're a father," the doctor shook his hand. "Your wife is fine; she and your son and daughter are taking a well deserved rest."
"S-s-son and daughter?" his face went white. "Yup we found a stowaway in there. Why don't you come and meet them, Doctor." Strauss led him to Margaret's room.
Sara stayed behind. She so wanted to see them and Margaret, but she figured she had better let him have his time first. She went to go call Molly, the telephone operator; she would have the business all over town in two seconds flat.
"Here we are. Go on in," Strauss turned the handle for him.
Hawkeye slowly pushed the door open. He didn't want to disturb anything. "Hello, anybody home?" he gave a cute smirk as he came in.
"Hi," she said with an alluring smile. She as looked as exhausted as she felt. "There are two little Pierces here who want to meet you," she was holding both of them in her arms.
"I guess we use both names," he stood in front of the door watching them. He was in awe; it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Two little people that he and Margaret made.
"Hawkeye, they don't bite," she noticed that he was keeping his distance.
"Uh, yeah," he pulled a chair up next to her. He was uneasy. He wasn't sure if he trusted himself. He had been trying to become more at ease around infants, but his fear was taking over; he was trying not to let it show.
"Do you want to hold them?" she was hoping he would say yes. She didn't want to pressure him, but she didn't want to just let him off the hook either. She could tell that he was thinking; he was a bit pale and his eyes weren't fixated on any particular thing. "Here, my arms are tiered," she was already moving to hand them over. She trusted him; she had to.
They were in his arms before he could say any thing. They were so small, he felt like he might break them. He was concentrating on them. He didn't trust himself. Their red faces were scrunched up, then his little boy yawned. His mouth was as open as his skin and jaw would let him, he made fists and stretched out his limbs and squealed a breath with it. As soon as the bitten lip smile came to Hawkeye's face, a few tears of absolute joy swelled up.
"Alexander Ryan, Katharine Marie, meet your father," Margaret watched them. She had the same loving tears streaking down her face. He was going to be OK; he may have some trouble, but she could feel it deep inside her that it was going to be all right.