A/N: Again, (How many times have I said this? Three, I think.) I am not a
doctor, and you shouldn't believe anything I say medically in here without
doing thorough research of your own. However, (yay for me!) I did do a
little bit (and I don't mean a lot) of research on the subject at
webmd.com. This is the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue after
this. It is going to be short, so I should have it up by Saturday.
Chapter 11
"God, that hurts. Why did you choose to go through with this six times?" asked Lucy after another painful contraction.
"Because, afterwards, having children was the most joyful experience of my life," answered Annie simply.
"But I don't know if I can do this, Mom," said Lucy. "Without him, I mean."
"You won't have to," said Simon, who had just appeared in the doorway. "Kevin's awake." Lucy could feel the joy and relief that rushed into her heart, as if suddenly her blood grew warmer after being frozen for a lifetime. A huge grin appeared on her face, and she found herself unable to say anything.
"I'll bring him here in a minute," continued Simon. "I wanted to tell you first, or else you would have thought you were hallucinating or something." Lucy nodded as Simon left, the grin still plastered on her face.
"Wow. I've never seen a woman in labor look so happy," said Dr. Scollins, who had just walked in as Simon left. He didn't wait for a response. "So how's it going?"
"About the same," said Lucy.
"On a scale of one to ten, how painful are the contractions?"
"A million. No, make that two million." Dr. Scollins nodded as if this was not an unusual response - and perhaps it wasn't - and wrote something down. Then he placed his hand on her belly while staring at the moniter.
"How intent are you on having a normal vaginal delivery?" he asked as he fixed his attention back to the clipboard. Lucy and Annie looked at each other, and then back to Dr. Scollins.
"What do you mean?" asked Lucy in a scared voice.
"I mean that, as a precaution, I think you should have a C-section."
"Why?"
"Because you're early, and since it hasn't been a great day for me, I don't really feel like taking any risks. I wouldn't worry, though. Everything looks fine; the only reason I'm recommending a C-section is because you're so early."
"Okay," said Lucy, unsure of what to think. Dr. Scollins nodded.
"I assume you want to do it sooner than later."
"Yes."
"All right, in an hour or so, we'll take you to an operating room and we'll do it there."
"Okay."
"Don't worry," he said as he walked out of the room.
*******
"Where's Lucy?" was the first thing Kevin said when Simon walked into the Kevin's room.
"Well, hello to you too," laughed Simon. He was feeling especially cheery after seeing his sister's face light up and smile, and his hunger had abated.
"Well, um, I don't know how to say this, so I'll just be blunt. Lucy's pregnant." Kevin stared at Simon seriously.
"Did I know that?" he asked.
"That she was pregnant? No, I don't think so."
"I.. I feel like I should be shocked, but I'm not. It's like I knew that without anyone telling me. At least I don't remember anyone telling me."
"What if I said she was in labor right now?" Kevin's jaw dropped.
"You're kidding."
"No, I'm not."
"Where is she?"
"Room 248." Kevin jumped out of bed, and ran like Simon had never seen him run before, toward Lucy's room.
"Kevin!" screamed Lucy as Kevin appeared in the doorway.
"Lucy," said Kevin as he rushed over to the bedside and kissed her.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
"It's great to see you, Kevin," said Annie.
"Thanks," responded Kevin as he and Annie hugged.
"I'll leave you two alone," said Annie. She walked out of the room, and Kevin took her seat at Lucy's bedside.
"I've missed a lot, haven't I?" said Kevin, placing his hand on her belly.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," apologized Lucy.
"It's okay. And I'm sorry too."
"For what?"
"That I wasn't here for you." Lucy smiled and rubbed his hand.
"It's okay. You're here now. I'm having a C-section in a little while."
"Why?" asked Kevin, concerned.
"I'm not really sure. The doctor just recommended it because I'm so early." Kevin nodded. He wasn't sure what to feel about this; he'd never done this before.
"Do you know what we're having?" Lucy shook her head. "Have you thought about names, then?"
"Yeah, but I wanted to wait for you to make a final decision. But I like William or Andrew for a boy, and Michelle or Jessica for a girl. Or maybe Megan."
"Andrew. I like that more than William. Andrew Kinkirk."
"Andrew it is. What if it's a girl?"
"I like Jessica myself." Lucy nodded in agreement.
"Can you believe this? We're going to be parents." Kevin shook his head.
"Not really, but I couldn't be happier." Dr. Scollins walked in at that same moment.
"Are you ready, Ms. Kinkirk?" he asked. Lucy looked from him to her husband, who gave her a reassuring smile, and finally back to Dr. Scollins.
"I guess so." And with that, Dr. Scollins and some nurses helped put Lucy on hospital bed on wheels and to another room, Kevin by her side the entire way. In the operating room, they put up a curtain across Lucy's body and numbed her lower half.
"See that curtain?" a nurse asked Kevin.
"Yes," he said.
"Don't look on the other side." Kevin nodded to show he understood and knelt down to Lucy's level.
"How're you doing?" he asked her.
"I don't know," she responded. "I feel like this is all a dream. In just a few moments we're going to be parents. We're going to have a baby. A son or daughter, to love, to raise." Kevin smiled and nodded.
"I guess we'll have to move out of the garage apartment, huh?"
"Yeah." Just then Kevin thought he heard Dr. Scollins say something like, "Oh crud," but he wasn't sure. Lucy didn't seem to have heard anything.
"Luce?" Her eyes were closed. "Lucy?"
She was unconscious.
"Lucy!" Kevin almost yelled. Fear swept over him.
"Sir, you're going to have to leave," said a nurse as she tried to push him out of the room, but Kevin pushed back.
"No! What's happening?"
"She has too much internal bleeding. With your cooperation, we can stop it and deliver your child," explained the nurse quickly. Reluctantly, Kevin let himself be pushed out of the room. He sat down on the floor beside the door, and no one in the hallway questioned him. He prayed continuously for the forty-five minutes - although it felt like an eternity - he sat there, until he saw Dr. Scollins walk out the door.
"Where would that guy be?" he muttered under his breath.
"Here," cried out Kevin hoarsely.
"Oh," said Dr. Scollins, turning around. "You have a beautiful daughter, she's in the nursery now. She's small, only five and a half pounds, but she's healthy." Kevin smiled and tears of joy came to his eyes. He had a daughter. Jessica.
"How's Lucy? Can I see her?" Dr. Scollins frowned, and Kevin thought he might faint.
"We couldn't stop the bleeding. I'm sorry. Your wife is dead."
Chapter 11
"God, that hurts. Why did you choose to go through with this six times?" asked Lucy after another painful contraction.
"Because, afterwards, having children was the most joyful experience of my life," answered Annie simply.
"But I don't know if I can do this, Mom," said Lucy. "Without him, I mean."
"You won't have to," said Simon, who had just appeared in the doorway. "Kevin's awake." Lucy could feel the joy and relief that rushed into her heart, as if suddenly her blood grew warmer after being frozen for a lifetime. A huge grin appeared on her face, and she found herself unable to say anything.
"I'll bring him here in a minute," continued Simon. "I wanted to tell you first, or else you would have thought you were hallucinating or something." Lucy nodded as Simon left, the grin still plastered on her face.
"Wow. I've never seen a woman in labor look so happy," said Dr. Scollins, who had just walked in as Simon left. He didn't wait for a response. "So how's it going?"
"About the same," said Lucy.
"On a scale of one to ten, how painful are the contractions?"
"A million. No, make that two million." Dr. Scollins nodded as if this was not an unusual response - and perhaps it wasn't - and wrote something down. Then he placed his hand on her belly while staring at the moniter.
"How intent are you on having a normal vaginal delivery?" he asked as he fixed his attention back to the clipboard. Lucy and Annie looked at each other, and then back to Dr. Scollins.
"What do you mean?" asked Lucy in a scared voice.
"I mean that, as a precaution, I think you should have a C-section."
"Why?"
"Because you're early, and since it hasn't been a great day for me, I don't really feel like taking any risks. I wouldn't worry, though. Everything looks fine; the only reason I'm recommending a C-section is because you're so early."
"Okay," said Lucy, unsure of what to think. Dr. Scollins nodded.
"I assume you want to do it sooner than later."
"Yes."
"All right, in an hour or so, we'll take you to an operating room and we'll do it there."
"Okay."
"Don't worry," he said as he walked out of the room.
*******
"Where's Lucy?" was the first thing Kevin said when Simon walked into the Kevin's room.
"Well, hello to you too," laughed Simon. He was feeling especially cheery after seeing his sister's face light up and smile, and his hunger had abated.
"Well, um, I don't know how to say this, so I'll just be blunt. Lucy's pregnant." Kevin stared at Simon seriously.
"Did I know that?" he asked.
"That she was pregnant? No, I don't think so."
"I.. I feel like I should be shocked, but I'm not. It's like I knew that without anyone telling me. At least I don't remember anyone telling me."
"What if I said she was in labor right now?" Kevin's jaw dropped.
"You're kidding."
"No, I'm not."
"Where is she?"
"Room 248." Kevin jumped out of bed, and ran like Simon had never seen him run before, toward Lucy's room.
"Kevin!" screamed Lucy as Kevin appeared in the doorway.
"Lucy," said Kevin as he rushed over to the bedside and kissed her.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
"It's great to see you, Kevin," said Annie.
"Thanks," responded Kevin as he and Annie hugged.
"I'll leave you two alone," said Annie. She walked out of the room, and Kevin took her seat at Lucy's bedside.
"I've missed a lot, haven't I?" said Kevin, placing his hand on her belly.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," apologized Lucy.
"It's okay. And I'm sorry too."
"For what?"
"That I wasn't here for you." Lucy smiled and rubbed his hand.
"It's okay. You're here now. I'm having a C-section in a little while."
"Why?" asked Kevin, concerned.
"I'm not really sure. The doctor just recommended it because I'm so early." Kevin nodded. He wasn't sure what to feel about this; he'd never done this before.
"Do you know what we're having?" Lucy shook her head. "Have you thought about names, then?"
"Yeah, but I wanted to wait for you to make a final decision. But I like William or Andrew for a boy, and Michelle or Jessica for a girl. Or maybe Megan."
"Andrew. I like that more than William. Andrew Kinkirk."
"Andrew it is. What if it's a girl?"
"I like Jessica myself." Lucy nodded in agreement.
"Can you believe this? We're going to be parents." Kevin shook his head.
"Not really, but I couldn't be happier." Dr. Scollins walked in at that same moment.
"Are you ready, Ms. Kinkirk?" he asked. Lucy looked from him to her husband, who gave her a reassuring smile, and finally back to Dr. Scollins.
"I guess so." And with that, Dr. Scollins and some nurses helped put Lucy on hospital bed on wheels and to another room, Kevin by her side the entire way. In the operating room, they put up a curtain across Lucy's body and numbed her lower half.
"See that curtain?" a nurse asked Kevin.
"Yes," he said.
"Don't look on the other side." Kevin nodded to show he understood and knelt down to Lucy's level.
"How're you doing?" he asked her.
"I don't know," she responded. "I feel like this is all a dream. In just a few moments we're going to be parents. We're going to have a baby. A son or daughter, to love, to raise." Kevin smiled and nodded.
"I guess we'll have to move out of the garage apartment, huh?"
"Yeah." Just then Kevin thought he heard Dr. Scollins say something like, "Oh crud," but he wasn't sure. Lucy didn't seem to have heard anything.
"Luce?" Her eyes were closed. "Lucy?"
She was unconscious.
"Lucy!" Kevin almost yelled. Fear swept over him.
"Sir, you're going to have to leave," said a nurse as she tried to push him out of the room, but Kevin pushed back.
"No! What's happening?"
"She has too much internal bleeding. With your cooperation, we can stop it and deliver your child," explained the nurse quickly. Reluctantly, Kevin let himself be pushed out of the room. He sat down on the floor beside the door, and no one in the hallway questioned him. He prayed continuously for the forty-five minutes - although it felt like an eternity - he sat there, until he saw Dr. Scollins walk out the door.
"Where would that guy be?" he muttered under his breath.
"Here," cried out Kevin hoarsely.
"Oh," said Dr. Scollins, turning around. "You have a beautiful daughter, she's in the nursery now. She's small, only five and a half pounds, but she's healthy." Kevin smiled and tears of joy came to his eyes. He had a daughter. Jessica.
"How's Lucy? Can I see her?" Dr. Scollins frowned, and Kevin thought he might faint.
"We couldn't stop the bleeding. I'm sorry. Your wife is dead."