Chapter 28
"The Magic of Life"
Doug and Lily arrived at the hospital. While Doug drove, Lily had called almost everyone. Rick was the only one she hadn't been able to reach. When they arrived at the hospital, Judy, Eli and Jessie were waiting for them.
"Lily, how are you feeling?" Eli asked, helping her walk inside the hospital.
"I've felt better." She answers, breathing heavily.
Eli and Jessie help Lily sign in. A nurse brings a wheelchair to her and takes her inside. Eli and Jessie follow. Judy and Doug are left at the entrance hallway.
"I should leave." Doug says getting his car keys.
"Why? After all you have done."
"I don't feel I should be here."
"Lily and Rick like you a lot, Doug. And me too. You're almost like family. Especially after tonight."
He looks at her still unsure.
"Well, at least stay to keep me company." Judy says, touching his arm.
"OK." He says. At this moment, Doug really wished he felt something for Judy.
***
At Jake and Tiffany's house, Grace is rushing her Dad to take her to the hospital.
"Maddie is crying and I can't make her stop. Tiffany is not here. Don't you understand that?" Jake says, rocking Maddie in his arms.
"Dad, if you do this to me, if you make me lose this, it's the end."
"I don't get this. It's not like you're going to be in the delivery room with your mother. Besides, you were never very fond of the idea of another brother or sister."
"My Mom is practically adopting Jessie! They shopped for baby stuff together, and I never had a chance to give one little opinion!" Grace is almost crying. "This wouldn't be happening if you didn't take me and Zoe away from Mom."
Jake looks at Grace. No, he can't dare risk losing his daughters' love. He remembered what happened when Grace found out about his affair with Tiffany.
"OK, let's go now. But you'll help me with Maddie."
"Fine, anything. Zoe! Let's go now!!" Grace yells, and Zoe runs to the door.
***
Back at the hospital, Lily is lying on the bed. Eli and Jessie are on her side, and Dr. Welling, her gynecologist, is talking to her.
"Well, Mrs. Sammler, your baby could be born in one or two hours. Things are going pretty fast. Which is good, because you won't be in pain for long."
"But we still haven't found Rick!"
Dr. Welling laughs. "Tell that to the baby, but I don't think he or she will listen."
"Don't worry, Lily, Judy and Doug are doing everything they can to track him down." Eli says. Lily nods, sad. Dr. Welling leaves the room.
"You know, Lily, I still can't believe you and my Dad didn't want to know if it's a boy or a girl." Jessie says, trying to lighten up the moment.
"Well, we wanted it to be a surprise for everyone." Lily says, smiling hugely and caressing her belly. "But I can't wait any longer to know."
One hour and half later...
Judy calls Eli on his cell phone. He answers it.
"Eli! Don't say it's me. Come outside." She says.
"Oh, OK." He says, and starts to leave.
"Where are you going?" Jessie asks.
"I just have to make a call." He lies. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."
Outside, Judy looks worried.
"How is Lily?" She asks.
"Dr. Welling said it could be any moment. Have you found my Dad?"
"That's the problem! We haven't found him! Doug went to the construction site where Rick's working to see if he's there."
"What if my Dad is not here in time? Lily will be crushed." Eli says.
"We'll be here for her."
***
At the construction site, Doug is asking about Rick.
"He left about an hour ago." One of the workers says.
"Did he tell where he was going?" "Of course not. We're not his mommy." All the workers laugh. Doug doesn't think it's funny at all. He starts to walk away and calls Judy.
"Judy? Doug. He's not here either."
"Oh my God! The doctor said he'll be taking Lily to the delivery room in fifteen minutes."
"Well, I try his office. Bye." He hangs up quickly.
Just after Judy hangs up, Eli's cell phone rings again.
"Dad?!?" Eli exclaims happily when he hears Rick's voice.
"Where the hell are all of you?" Rick asks. He's at home.
"Didn't you get Doug's message?"
"Oh no! I forgot about the meeting with Doug! Why?"
"Lily got into labor while she was there. We're at hospital now. You'll have to run, because the doctor is taking her to the delivery room in fifteen minutes!"
No word from the other side of the line.
"Dad? Are you there?"
Rick is totally confused, stumbling and trying to get his car keys. "Yes, I'm going."
They hang up. Jake and the girls arrive. Maddie is still crying.
"You're finally here." Eli begins to say to Grace, but she ignores everyone and runs to Lily's room.
"Oh, Mom, I'm so glad I got here on time." Grace says holding Lily.
"I'm so happy you're here."
"How are you?"
"Fine, but I'll be better in a few hours, when I'll have my baby with me."
Jessie smiles at the scene. She feels Lily and Grace should be alone and leaves the room.
***
Rick is driving as fast as he can, but an accident is holding the traffic. He honks the car's horn as strongly as possible, but it doesn't help.
"I can't miss it, I can't miss it." He repeats to himself.
The cars start to go faster, and Rick drives like he's in a car race. ***
In the hospital, Lily is going to the delivery room. Since Rick is not there, Judy is getting ready to go in with her. Lily can't help crying on the way.
"Lily, he's on his away. But there's an accident holding the traffic."
"I know. It's just..." The tears barely let her speak. She wipes them off. "I'll just think about my baby now."
"That's the best you can do."
They go into the delivery room. Dr. Welling tells Lily to start pushing.
Rick parks the car in front of the hospital.
"Push, Lily, push!" Dr. Welling says to her. Lily is pushing as hard as she can.
Rick runs inside the hospital. He meets everyone in the waiting room and they point out where Lily is. Rick runs there, while a nurse goes to get him some special clothing.
"I can see the head, Lily. Push a little more!"
Rick rushes into the room. Judy sees him and gets out of the way.
"Just one more push, Lily!" Dr. Welling says.
Rick kisses Lily's forehead. "I love you." He says.
She pushes one more time.
"Congratulations! You have a beautiful and healthy baby boy." Dr. Welling says, holding the baby up. A nurse wraps him up and hands him to Lily.
Lily and Rick can't hold the tears when they see their son.
Soliloquy Rick: "There's no feeling like this, when the woman you love gives birth to your child."
Soliloquy Lily is holding her newborn son. "This is... It's..." She looks at him. "It's just wonderful."
"The Magic of Life"
Doug and Lily arrived at the hospital. While Doug drove, Lily had called almost everyone. Rick was the only one she hadn't been able to reach. When they arrived at the hospital, Judy, Eli and Jessie were waiting for them.
"Lily, how are you feeling?" Eli asked, helping her walk inside the hospital.
"I've felt better." She answers, breathing heavily.
Eli and Jessie help Lily sign in. A nurse brings a wheelchair to her and takes her inside. Eli and Jessie follow. Judy and Doug are left at the entrance hallway.
"I should leave." Doug says getting his car keys.
"Why? After all you have done."
"I don't feel I should be here."
"Lily and Rick like you a lot, Doug. And me too. You're almost like family. Especially after tonight."
He looks at her still unsure.
"Well, at least stay to keep me company." Judy says, touching his arm.
"OK." He says. At this moment, Doug really wished he felt something for Judy.
***
At Jake and Tiffany's house, Grace is rushing her Dad to take her to the hospital.
"Maddie is crying and I can't make her stop. Tiffany is not here. Don't you understand that?" Jake says, rocking Maddie in his arms.
"Dad, if you do this to me, if you make me lose this, it's the end."
"I don't get this. It's not like you're going to be in the delivery room with your mother. Besides, you were never very fond of the idea of another brother or sister."
"My Mom is practically adopting Jessie! They shopped for baby stuff together, and I never had a chance to give one little opinion!" Grace is almost crying. "This wouldn't be happening if you didn't take me and Zoe away from Mom."
Jake looks at Grace. No, he can't dare risk losing his daughters' love. He remembered what happened when Grace found out about his affair with Tiffany.
"OK, let's go now. But you'll help me with Maddie."
"Fine, anything. Zoe! Let's go now!!" Grace yells, and Zoe runs to the door.
***
Back at the hospital, Lily is lying on the bed. Eli and Jessie are on her side, and Dr. Welling, her gynecologist, is talking to her.
"Well, Mrs. Sammler, your baby could be born in one or two hours. Things are going pretty fast. Which is good, because you won't be in pain for long."
"But we still haven't found Rick!"
Dr. Welling laughs. "Tell that to the baby, but I don't think he or she will listen."
"Don't worry, Lily, Judy and Doug are doing everything they can to track him down." Eli says. Lily nods, sad. Dr. Welling leaves the room.
"You know, Lily, I still can't believe you and my Dad didn't want to know if it's a boy or a girl." Jessie says, trying to lighten up the moment.
"Well, we wanted it to be a surprise for everyone." Lily says, smiling hugely and caressing her belly. "But I can't wait any longer to know."
One hour and half later...
Judy calls Eli on his cell phone. He answers it.
"Eli! Don't say it's me. Come outside." She says.
"Oh, OK." He says, and starts to leave.
"Where are you going?" Jessie asks.
"I just have to make a call." He lies. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."
Outside, Judy looks worried.
"How is Lily?" She asks.
"Dr. Welling said it could be any moment. Have you found my Dad?"
"That's the problem! We haven't found him! Doug went to the construction site where Rick's working to see if he's there."
"What if my Dad is not here in time? Lily will be crushed." Eli says.
"We'll be here for her."
***
At the construction site, Doug is asking about Rick.
"He left about an hour ago." One of the workers says.
"Did he tell where he was going?" "Of course not. We're not his mommy." All the workers laugh. Doug doesn't think it's funny at all. He starts to walk away and calls Judy.
"Judy? Doug. He's not here either."
"Oh my God! The doctor said he'll be taking Lily to the delivery room in fifteen minutes."
"Well, I try his office. Bye." He hangs up quickly.
Just after Judy hangs up, Eli's cell phone rings again.
"Dad?!?" Eli exclaims happily when he hears Rick's voice.
"Where the hell are all of you?" Rick asks. He's at home.
"Didn't you get Doug's message?"
"Oh no! I forgot about the meeting with Doug! Why?"
"Lily got into labor while she was there. We're at hospital now. You'll have to run, because the doctor is taking her to the delivery room in fifteen minutes!"
No word from the other side of the line.
"Dad? Are you there?"
Rick is totally confused, stumbling and trying to get his car keys. "Yes, I'm going."
They hang up. Jake and the girls arrive. Maddie is still crying.
"You're finally here." Eli begins to say to Grace, but she ignores everyone and runs to Lily's room.
"Oh, Mom, I'm so glad I got here on time." Grace says holding Lily.
"I'm so happy you're here."
"How are you?"
"Fine, but I'll be better in a few hours, when I'll have my baby with me."
Jessie smiles at the scene. She feels Lily and Grace should be alone and leaves the room.
***
Rick is driving as fast as he can, but an accident is holding the traffic. He honks the car's horn as strongly as possible, but it doesn't help.
"I can't miss it, I can't miss it." He repeats to himself.
The cars start to go faster, and Rick drives like he's in a car race. ***
In the hospital, Lily is going to the delivery room. Since Rick is not there, Judy is getting ready to go in with her. Lily can't help crying on the way.
"Lily, he's on his away. But there's an accident holding the traffic."
"I know. It's just..." The tears barely let her speak. She wipes them off. "I'll just think about my baby now."
"That's the best you can do."
They go into the delivery room. Dr. Welling tells Lily to start pushing.
Rick parks the car in front of the hospital.
"Push, Lily, push!" Dr. Welling says to her. Lily is pushing as hard as she can.
Rick runs inside the hospital. He meets everyone in the waiting room and they point out where Lily is. Rick runs there, while a nurse goes to get him some special clothing.
"I can see the head, Lily. Push a little more!"
Rick rushes into the room. Judy sees him and gets out of the way.
"Just one more push, Lily!" Dr. Welling says.
Rick kisses Lily's forehead. "I love you." He says.
She pushes one more time.
"Congratulations! You have a beautiful and healthy baby boy." Dr. Welling says, holding the baby up. A nurse wraps him up and hands him to Lily.
Lily and Rick can't hold the tears when they see their son.
Soliloquy Rick: "There's no feeling like this, when the woman you love gives birth to your child."
Soliloquy Lily is holding her newborn son. "This is... It's..." She looks at him. "It's just wonderful."