A/N: Big thanks to itsnotrightbutitsokay for reviewing!
A/N #2: Like I mentioned before, I am not a medical doctor. So the medical stuff in this chapter I either made up or learned from TV or reading.
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Twenty-Five
New Life
During the last two weeks of August, Karen became more and more worried about the upcoming delivery.
Jack noticed her fear, as she would walk around the penthouse for a long time at night, her hands over her very much swollen stomach.
One night, Jack woke up in the middle of the night and turned over to get closer to Karen. He wasn't surprised when his hand came down on the mattress. "She's walking again," he mumbled sleepily, getting out of bed.
Karen walked into the living room, one hand rubbing her stomach slowly. She went over to a window and looked out on the park that was across the street. She was so preoccupied, that she nearly screamed when a hand came down on her shoulder.
"It's just me Kare," Jack said quickly.
Putting her free hand over his, she asked, "Why aren't you asleep?"
"I was going to ask you that," Jack said. He moved his hand from her shoulder and put it around her waist. "Come on, we'll talk in bed."
When they were settled in their bed, Karen spoke first. "It takes me a longer time to fall asleep now poodle," she said. "Just so you know."
"That doesn't explain why you're walking all over the house," Jack said, kissing her forehead softly.
"Oh.that," Karen said, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, that," Jack said. "What's wrong?"
Sighing, Karen answered, "I'm getting more worried about what's going to happen during the delivery."
"Kare, the doctor and your sister told you that you'll probably have a perfect delivery," Jack said comfortingly.
"But what if I don't?" Karen asked worriedly.
"Well.you know I was thinking of asking Kat to stay with us here until the baby's born," Jack said. "I know how much she means to you and she'll be able to comfort you better than I can."
"Oh poodle, you're a great comforter," Karen said to him. "Kath doesn't have to come here; we'll be fine until the baby comes."
"I want her here so that you have someone to talk with besides me," Jack said. "And besides, she doesn't sleep too much, so she could keep you company at night."
"Alright," Karen said softly. "If you want to ask her, go ahead."
Smiling, Jack kissed her softly and they went to sleep.
~~~
"Thanks again for doing this Kat," Jack said as he led his sister in law and niece to their temporary rooms.
"Well anything to help ease Kare's mind until the baby's here," Katherine said, setting a suitcase on the bed of her daughter's room. "Where is she by the way?"
"She went to her doctor, she had questions to ask him," Jack said.
"Why didn't you go with her?" Katherine asked as they went to the next room.
"She told me to help you two," Jack answered.
"Oh, a lot of help the two of us needed," Katherine said, snorting.
"I thought you guys would have a few minutes to talk about me before I came back," a voice said from the doorway.
Jack and Katherine turned to face Karen standing there, holding Amber's hand.
"Hey Kare," Katherine said, hurrying over to her sister and hugging her tightly. "What'd you ask the doctor?"
"I was looking into having a C-section instead of a regular birth," Karen answered. She stepped back from Katherine's hug and then took her arm. "Come and talk with me Kath."
"Come on Amb," Jack said as the two walked out of the room. "Let's go play some video games."
Once inside her and Jack's bedroom, Karen sat down on the bed and motioned for her sister to sit next to her. "What do you think?"
"Well, it's really none of my business as to how the baby's delivered," Katherine said. "But in my own opinion, I think that you should go with a natural birth."
"That's what my doctor said," Karen said quietly, resting a hand on her stomach. She sighed and said, "He did tell me that if the baby's not born by the fifth, then I'll have to get a C-section. I'm so worried about having a natural delivery though."
Katherine nodded. "Let me tell you what my adoptive mother told me about Robert's birth," she said a few minutes later. "My mum was a petite woman, like Rosalyn, but she was stronger physically. Anyway, she and my father were worried terribly about whether the baby would be delivered with any difficulties. Finally, the day came and Mum delivered Robert." Here she paused for a moment.
"What happened?" Karen asked impatiently.
"My mother told me that the delivery was very difficult at first," Katherine said, continuing. "Mum was so worried about the baby, that she wasn't able to concentrate on the doctor's instructions. Eventually, the doctor had to give her an epidural so she would calm down enough. A few minutes after that, Robert was born and nothing else went wrong."
Karen lay back against the pillows and said, "She really worried so much that she couldn't deliver the baby?"
"Yeah, I hope you'll take something away from what I've just told you," Katherine said, taking her sister's hand.
"I won't be able to stop worrying a little though," Karen said.
"No one's expecting you not to," Katherine said. "But just take it easy and take things as they come Kare."
Karen sat up suddenly and hugged her sister tightly, a small sob escaping her lips.
"What's wrong?" Katherine asked, rubbing her sister's back.
"You haven't noticed my mood swings?" Karen asked incredulously.
"Oh, I thought something was wrong," Katherine said, letting go of her sister. "Of course I noticed the sudden crying and giggling for no reason Kare, hard not to."
"Thanks so much for helping me Kath," Karen said, smiling.
"Anything for my big sister," Katherine said, kissing her cheek.
"You know I could give Eddie a call and invite him over for dinner," Karen said slyly, wiping tears off her cheeks.
Laughing, Katherine said, "You're absolutely hopeless Kare."
~~~
That night, Katherine, Karen and Amber were all on Karen and Jack's bed. Katherine was braiding Amber's hair while Karen watched.
"I keep forgetting to ask how you and Eddie are doing," Karen said.
"We're okay," Katherine said. "We haven't gone out that much; his work has him very busy lately."
"I'm just happy that you have a boyfriend," Karen said.
"Hey, where am I supposed to sleep?" Jack asked, coming out of the bathroom.
"Come on Uncle Jack," Amber said, getting off the bed. "There's enough room."
Karen and Katherine moved so Jack could lie on the side of the bed. "You know, a straight man would kill to be where I am right now," he said.
Karen laughed and lifted Jack's hand, kissing his palm. "Unfortunately it's just you poodle," she said.
"Even so, it's only half wasted," Katherine pointed out. "He is in love with you Kare." Smiling, she got off the bed and said to her daughter, "Come along love, you've school tomorrow."
"Good night Uncle Jack," Amber said, kissing his cheek. She then went over to Karen and kissed her cheek, saying good night.
When the two had left the room, Jack said, "I knew it was a good idea to ask her here. You look calmer already."
"You were right Jackie," Karen said. "I'm so glad you asked her to come. But don't forget I'm happy you've been with me every step during this pregnancy."
"You're welcome Kare," Jack said. He turned over and kissed her deeply, putting his hands up her pajama shirt.
Katherine walked into the room, looking at a book in her hands, when she glanced up; she stopped and turned to leave. In her haste, she dropped her book on the floor.
"Hey Kath," Karen said. "Come and sleep in our bed tonight."
"No, that's okay," Katherine said her cheeks red. "You two probably want to be alone."
"Don't worry Kat," Jack said, taking his hands out of Karen's shirt. "We haven't had sex for at least five weeks now."
"Well, that's nice to know," Katherine said, her cheeks growing even redder. She walked over to the bed and got under the covers to her sister's right.
Jack turned off the lamp on the bed side table and said, "Good night Kare, Kat."
"G'night Brother Jack," Katherine said, closing her eyes.
"Good night poodle," Karen said, kissing his cheek softly.
~~~
The morning of September second, Karen got out of bed before Jack woke up. For some reason, she had a lot more energy than she'd had for weeks. She walked to her closet and pulled on a skirt and blouse when a sharp pain in her abdomen made her scream in pain. She knelt on the floor, one hand on the chez lounge, the other on her stomach.
"Kare, are you okay?" Jack asked, coming into the closet. When he saw that Karen was on the ground, he hurried over to her.
"What's going on, I thought I heard a scream," Katherine said, coming to the closet. She saw her sister and gasped, "Is the baby coming Kare?"
"I think so," Karen managed to gasp out as another shooting pain ripped through her stomach.
Katherine immediately left and went over to the phone; she called down the Rosario and told her to get Driver to get the limo ready. When she hung up, she went back to the closet and said, "Jack, go get dressed and I'll get Karen down to the limo." When he was gone, she walked to her sister and helped her up. "I think you can mange the stairs Kare," she said quietly.
"Yeah, I can do that," Karen said as they walked out of the room.
It took them a while to get down the stairs, and as they walked to the front door, Jack rushed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. When he reached Karen and Katherine, he took Karen's hand and helped her walk out of the penthouse.
When they got in the limo, Katherine told Driver to go to the St. Francis hospital.
Jack was holding Karen's hand, and she squeezed it tightly as another contraction came.
"Try the breathing exercises Jack," Katherine said as she pulled out her cell phone.
"Breathing exercises?" Karen asked through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, it'll help you with the pain," Jack answered.
For the rest of the drive to the hospital, Katherine and Jack helped Karen breathe in deeply in an attempt to help divert her from the pain of the contractions.
When they got to the ER, Karen was immediately put in a wheelchair and led to a private room. Once there, Karen was put into a hospital gown and put in the bed.
As the nurse hooked up a few machines to Karen, Katherine said, "I called Will and Grace, they're going to pick up Amber at school and then come here."
"That's good," Karen said, relaxing in between contractions. "Kath, you are going to stay and help me and Jackie with the delivery?"
Katherine was surprised to hear the fear in her sister's voice and got up from the chair that was at the far side of the room. She walked over to the side of the bed and took Karen's hand. "If you guys want me to, then I will," she said.
"Yeah, you should stay," Jack said quickly.
"Thank you Ka-" Karen started to say, when another contraction came. She yelled in pain and gripped her sister's hand that was in her left hand, and then Jack's hand that was in her right.
"Kare, I think you should get an epidural," Katherine said once her sister had loosened her grip.
"Can you get the nurse for me Kath?" Karen asked weakly.
"I'll be right back," Katherine said. She let go of Karen's hand and left the room quickly.
"God Kare, if I had known that you were going to be in this much pain, I would have used protection or something so you wouldn't have gotten pregnant," Jack said, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at his wife worriedly.
"Oh Jackie, I don't really care about the pain," Karen said, squeezing his hand softly.
Jack leaned over and rested his head against hers and whispered, "I love you Kare."
"I love you too Jack," Karen said softly.
~~~
After two hours of contractions that came in closer and closer together, the doctor attending Karen said she was ready to start delivering.
When the doctor left the room to get ready, Karen looked up at her husband, her heart beating wildly.
Jack kissed her deeply for a few moments before pulling back and taking Karen's wedding ring and engagement ring off her finger. As he took off his own wedding ring, he said, "Just in case you squeeze a little too hard."
Nodding, Karen looked towards the door and said, "Where's Kath? She said she would be back in a second."
"I don't know," Jack said.
"Go and find her Jackie," Karen said, her voice edged with hysteria. "I want my sister here with me now."
"I'm right here Kare," Katherine said, walking into the room. She went to the bed and took her sister's hand. "I was just checking on Amber."
The doctor came into the room with a nurse then and he said, "Alright Mrs. McFarland, in a couple of seconds I'm going to have you push as hard as you can."
Holding on tightly to Katherine and Jack, Karen waited nervously for the doctor's instruction. Suddenly, the man said push, and she started push as hard as possible. After a few minutes, Karen was told to stop pushing and she laid back a little, getting her breath back.
~~~
An hour and a half later, in between pushing, Katherine wiped her sister's sweating face off with a towel and said, "You're doing terrific Kare."
Jack kissed Karen's lips softly when the doctor said, "Not too much longer."
For Karen, that news was very uplifting; she was getting tired from pushing for so long.
"All right, once again Mrs. McFarland," the doctor said. "Now push."
Karen pushed again and a scream burst from her mouth as she felt the worse contraction yet.
"Keep pushing Kare, you're doing great," Jack said as she squeezed his hand tightly.
Crying softly, Karen stopped pushing and said, "I have to stop... I have to stop."
"You've only got to give me one more push, I can see the head," the doctor said. "Just one more time."
Bracing herself, Karen gathered all the strength she had left and pushed with all her might.
"It's a girl," the doctor said a second later. "A healthy baby girl."
Karen lay back against the pillow, weeping as she heard the first cries of her daughter permeate the room.
"Mr. McFarland, can I get you to cut the umbilical cord?" the doctor said.
Jack kissed Karen's forehead, crying himself, and then went to where the doctor was.
"You did great Kare," Katherine said, wiping her sister's tears and sweat off her face.
~~~
Five minutes later, Karen was handed her daughter by the nurse. The nurse then left the room, as did Katherine and the doctor, leaving Jack and Karen alone.
Cradling the baby in her left arm, Karen studied her child. The baby had a thatch of thick dark brown hair the same color as Karen's. She also had the same facial features as her mother, along with the nose and chin that Karen and Katherine both had.
"She's so beautiful," Karen whispered, running her finger down the baby's cheek.
"Just like her mother," Jack said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
The baby opened its eyes slightly for the first time just then.
"Oh Jackie, she's got your eyes!" Karen exclaimed happily seeing the baby's blue eyes.
Reaching out and touching his daughter's hand, Jack smiled and said in an awed tone of voice, "She does."
"Here poodle, why don't you hold her," Karen said.
Looking a little anxious, Jack took the baby from his wife and then held her in his arms. "Hi there little one," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek with his.
As she leaned her head on Jack's arm, Karen suddenly thought of a name for her daughter. "Jackie," she said quietly. "What do you think of calling her Elizabeth?"
"That's perfect," Jack said, smiling. He leaned over slightly and kissed Karen softly. "What about Marie for the middle name?"
"Elizabeth Marie McFarland," Karen said slowly, stroking the baby's cheek. "It's wonderful."
There was a knock on the door then, and Jack gave Elizabeth back to Karen so he could open the door.
"Hey, is it alright if we visit now?" Will said once Jack had opened the door.
"Let them in poodle," Karen said from the bed.
"We brought come flowers for you guys," Grace said as she, Will, Katherine and Amber walked to the bed. "Congratulations you two," she said as she and Will put two vases with roses in hem on the nightstand next to the bed. "Oh, she's so cute!"
"Hey, she's got your eyes Jack," Will said, looking down at the baby.
"Can I hold her?" Grace said eagerly.
"Alright, but you better be careful with her," Karen said as she handed the baby to her.
"She's so pretty," Grace gushed. "Did you guys name her yet?"
"Elizabeth Marie," Jack said.
Grace handed Elizabeth over to Will and he held her for a few minutes before giving the baby back to Karen. "I'm really happy for you guys, she's beautiful," he said, smiling broadly and putting an arm around Jack's shoulders.
~~~
Later that night, Will and Grace left the hospital, promising to return to visit the next afternoon.
When they were gone, Karen said, "Amber, come here for a minute."
Amber walked over to the bed and climbed on top of it, sitting next to her aunt.
"Do you want to hold your cousin?" Karen said.
"Please Auntie Karen, may I?" Amber asked excitedly.
Jack walked over to the bed and handed the baby to Amber. "Make sure you hold her head up," he said.
"I'm going to call her Ebie," Amber said after looking down at her cousin for a long time.
"How sweet, I like that nickname," Karen said, putting an arm around her niece. "What do you think poodle?"
"Sounds great to me," Jack said grinning.
A nurse came to the room and told Katherine and Amber that they would have to leave in a few minutes as visiting hours were almost over.
"Alright Amber love," Katherine said. "Let's get going so your aunt and uncle can get some rest."
Amber gave Elizabeth to Karen and said goodnight to her and Jack before getting off the bed.
"Thank you so much for helping us out today Kat," Jack said, hugging her tightly. "I probably would have panicked if you hadn't been here."
Smiling, Katherine kissed Jack's cheek and said, "I'm glad I was such a help." She let go of Jack and then walked over to Karen. "So sister dear, tell me the truth, was it worth it?" she asked, smiling.
"Oh honey, of course it was," Karen said, reaching out and taking Katherine's hand. "Like Jackie said, thanks for being there for us."
"You're welcome Kare," Katherine said, kissing Karen's cheek. She kissed Elizabeth's cheek and said, "I'll be back tomorrow after lunch okay?"
"We'll see you then," Jack said as Katherine walked out of the room.
"Bye Kath," Karen called out. When she was gone, Karen motioned for Jack to come over to her. "Are you happy poodle?" she asked as he sat down on the bed.
"Extremely happy," Jack said, putting his arm around Karen and pulling her tightly to him. He reached out to his daughter, and took her little hand in his own.
Elizabeth gurgled and cooed and waved her other hand in the air.
Jack and Karen smiled at each other before they kissed each other deeply.
And until a nurse came in and took Elizabeth to the nursery for the night, Jack and Karen sat in complete silence, marveling over the baby that was their daughter. Awing over this perfect little child that was a result of their deep, undying love for each other.
A/N #2: Like I mentioned before, I am not a medical doctor. So the medical stuff in this chapter I either made up or learned from TV or reading.
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Twenty-Five
New Life
During the last two weeks of August, Karen became more and more worried about the upcoming delivery.
Jack noticed her fear, as she would walk around the penthouse for a long time at night, her hands over her very much swollen stomach.
One night, Jack woke up in the middle of the night and turned over to get closer to Karen. He wasn't surprised when his hand came down on the mattress. "She's walking again," he mumbled sleepily, getting out of bed.
Karen walked into the living room, one hand rubbing her stomach slowly. She went over to a window and looked out on the park that was across the street. She was so preoccupied, that she nearly screamed when a hand came down on her shoulder.
"It's just me Kare," Jack said quickly.
Putting her free hand over his, she asked, "Why aren't you asleep?"
"I was going to ask you that," Jack said. He moved his hand from her shoulder and put it around her waist. "Come on, we'll talk in bed."
When they were settled in their bed, Karen spoke first. "It takes me a longer time to fall asleep now poodle," she said. "Just so you know."
"That doesn't explain why you're walking all over the house," Jack said, kissing her forehead softly.
"Oh.that," Karen said, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, that," Jack said. "What's wrong?"
Sighing, Karen answered, "I'm getting more worried about what's going to happen during the delivery."
"Kare, the doctor and your sister told you that you'll probably have a perfect delivery," Jack said comfortingly.
"But what if I don't?" Karen asked worriedly.
"Well.you know I was thinking of asking Kat to stay with us here until the baby's born," Jack said. "I know how much she means to you and she'll be able to comfort you better than I can."
"Oh poodle, you're a great comforter," Karen said to him. "Kath doesn't have to come here; we'll be fine until the baby comes."
"I want her here so that you have someone to talk with besides me," Jack said. "And besides, she doesn't sleep too much, so she could keep you company at night."
"Alright," Karen said softly. "If you want to ask her, go ahead."
Smiling, Jack kissed her softly and they went to sleep.
~~~
"Thanks again for doing this Kat," Jack said as he led his sister in law and niece to their temporary rooms.
"Well anything to help ease Kare's mind until the baby's here," Katherine said, setting a suitcase on the bed of her daughter's room. "Where is she by the way?"
"She went to her doctor, she had questions to ask him," Jack said.
"Why didn't you go with her?" Katherine asked as they went to the next room.
"She told me to help you two," Jack answered.
"Oh, a lot of help the two of us needed," Katherine said, snorting.
"I thought you guys would have a few minutes to talk about me before I came back," a voice said from the doorway.
Jack and Katherine turned to face Karen standing there, holding Amber's hand.
"Hey Kare," Katherine said, hurrying over to her sister and hugging her tightly. "What'd you ask the doctor?"
"I was looking into having a C-section instead of a regular birth," Karen answered. She stepped back from Katherine's hug and then took her arm. "Come and talk with me Kath."
"Come on Amb," Jack said as the two walked out of the room. "Let's go play some video games."
Once inside her and Jack's bedroom, Karen sat down on the bed and motioned for her sister to sit next to her. "What do you think?"
"Well, it's really none of my business as to how the baby's delivered," Katherine said. "But in my own opinion, I think that you should go with a natural birth."
"That's what my doctor said," Karen said quietly, resting a hand on her stomach. She sighed and said, "He did tell me that if the baby's not born by the fifth, then I'll have to get a C-section. I'm so worried about having a natural delivery though."
Katherine nodded. "Let me tell you what my adoptive mother told me about Robert's birth," she said a few minutes later. "My mum was a petite woman, like Rosalyn, but she was stronger physically. Anyway, she and my father were worried terribly about whether the baby would be delivered with any difficulties. Finally, the day came and Mum delivered Robert." Here she paused for a moment.
"What happened?" Karen asked impatiently.
"My mother told me that the delivery was very difficult at first," Katherine said, continuing. "Mum was so worried about the baby, that she wasn't able to concentrate on the doctor's instructions. Eventually, the doctor had to give her an epidural so she would calm down enough. A few minutes after that, Robert was born and nothing else went wrong."
Karen lay back against the pillows and said, "She really worried so much that she couldn't deliver the baby?"
"Yeah, I hope you'll take something away from what I've just told you," Katherine said, taking her sister's hand.
"I won't be able to stop worrying a little though," Karen said.
"No one's expecting you not to," Katherine said. "But just take it easy and take things as they come Kare."
Karen sat up suddenly and hugged her sister tightly, a small sob escaping her lips.
"What's wrong?" Katherine asked, rubbing her sister's back.
"You haven't noticed my mood swings?" Karen asked incredulously.
"Oh, I thought something was wrong," Katherine said, letting go of her sister. "Of course I noticed the sudden crying and giggling for no reason Kare, hard not to."
"Thanks so much for helping me Kath," Karen said, smiling.
"Anything for my big sister," Katherine said, kissing her cheek.
"You know I could give Eddie a call and invite him over for dinner," Karen said slyly, wiping tears off her cheeks.
Laughing, Katherine said, "You're absolutely hopeless Kare."
~~~
That night, Katherine, Karen and Amber were all on Karen and Jack's bed. Katherine was braiding Amber's hair while Karen watched.
"I keep forgetting to ask how you and Eddie are doing," Karen said.
"We're okay," Katherine said. "We haven't gone out that much; his work has him very busy lately."
"I'm just happy that you have a boyfriend," Karen said.
"Hey, where am I supposed to sleep?" Jack asked, coming out of the bathroom.
"Come on Uncle Jack," Amber said, getting off the bed. "There's enough room."
Karen and Katherine moved so Jack could lie on the side of the bed. "You know, a straight man would kill to be where I am right now," he said.
Karen laughed and lifted Jack's hand, kissing his palm. "Unfortunately it's just you poodle," she said.
"Even so, it's only half wasted," Katherine pointed out. "He is in love with you Kare." Smiling, she got off the bed and said to her daughter, "Come along love, you've school tomorrow."
"Good night Uncle Jack," Amber said, kissing his cheek. She then went over to Karen and kissed her cheek, saying good night.
When the two had left the room, Jack said, "I knew it was a good idea to ask her here. You look calmer already."
"You were right Jackie," Karen said. "I'm so glad you asked her to come. But don't forget I'm happy you've been with me every step during this pregnancy."
"You're welcome Kare," Jack said. He turned over and kissed her deeply, putting his hands up her pajama shirt.
Katherine walked into the room, looking at a book in her hands, when she glanced up; she stopped and turned to leave. In her haste, she dropped her book on the floor.
"Hey Kath," Karen said. "Come and sleep in our bed tonight."
"No, that's okay," Katherine said her cheeks red. "You two probably want to be alone."
"Don't worry Kat," Jack said, taking his hands out of Karen's shirt. "We haven't had sex for at least five weeks now."
"Well, that's nice to know," Katherine said, her cheeks growing even redder. She walked over to the bed and got under the covers to her sister's right.
Jack turned off the lamp on the bed side table and said, "Good night Kare, Kat."
"G'night Brother Jack," Katherine said, closing her eyes.
"Good night poodle," Karen said, kissing his cheek softly.
~~~
The morning of September second, Karen got out of bed before Jack woke up. For some reason, she had a lot more energy than she'd had for weeks. She walked to her closet and pulled on a skirt and blouse when a sharp pain in her abdomen made her scream in pain. She knelt on the floor, one hand on the chez lounge, the other on her stomach.
"Kare, are you okay?" Jack asked, coming into the closet. When he saw that Karen was on the ground, he hurried over to her.
"What's going on, I thought I heard a scream," Katherine said, coming to the closet. She saw her sister and gasped, "Is the baby coming Kare?"
"I think so," Karen managed to gasp out as another shooting pain ripped through her stomach.
Katherine immediately left and went over to the phone; she called down the Rosario and told her to get Driver to get the limo ready. When she hung up, she went back to the closet and said, "Jack, go get dressed and I'll get Karen down to the limo." When he was gone, she walked to her sister and helped her up. "I think you can mange the stairs Kare," she said quietly.
"Yeah, I can do that," Karen said as they walked out of the room.
It took them a while to get down the stairs, and as they walked to the front door, Jack rushed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. When he reached Karen and Katherine, he took Karen's hand and helped her walk out of the penthouse.
When they got in the limo, Katherine told Driver to go to the St. Francis hospital.
Jack was holding Karen's hand, and she squeezed it tightly as another contraction came.
"Try the breathing exercises Jack," Katherine said as she pulled out her cell phone.
"Breathing exercises?" Karen asked through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, it'll help you with the pain," Jack answered.
For the rest of the drive to the hospital, Katherine and Jack helped Karen breathe in deeply in an attempt to help divert her from the pain of the contractions.
When they got to the ER, Karen was immediately put in a wheelchair and led to a private room. Once there, Karen was put into a hospital gown and put in the bed.
As the nurse hooked up a few machines to Karen, Katherine said, "I called Will and Grace, they're going to pick up Amber at school and then come here."
"That's good," Karen said, relaxing in between contractions. "Kath, you are going to stay and help me and Jackie with the delivery?"
Katherine was surprised to hear the fear in her sister's voice and got up from the chair that was at the far side of the room. She walked over to the side of the bed and took Karen's hand. "If you guys want me to, then I will," she said.
"Yeah, you should stay," Jack said quickly.
"Thank you Ka-" Karen started to say, when another contraction came. She yelled in pain and gripped her sister's hand that was in her left hand, and then Jack's hand that was in her right.
"Kare, I think you should get an epidural," Katherine said once her sister had loosened her grip.
"Can you get the nurse for me Kath?" Karen asked weakly.
"I'll be right back," Katherine said. She let go of Karen's hand and left the room quickly.
"God Kare, if I had known that you were going to be in this much pain, I would have used protection or something so you wouldn't have gotten pregnant," Jack said, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at his wife worriedly.
"Oh Jackie, I don't really care about the pain," Karen said, squeezing his hand softly.
Jack leaned over and rested his head against hers and whispered, "I love you Kare."
"I love you too Jack," Karen said softly.
~~~
After two hours of contractions that came in closer and closer together, the doctor attending Karen said she was ready to start delivering.
When the doctor left the room to get ready, Karen looked up at her husband, her heart beating wildly.
Jack kissed her deeply for a few moments before pulling back and taking Karen's wedding ring and engagement ring off her finger. As he took off his own wedding ring, he said, "Just in case you squeeze a little too hard."
Nodding, Karen looked towards the door and said, "Where's Kath? She said she would be back in a second."
"I don't know," Jack said.
"Go and find her Jackie," Karen said, her voice edged with hysteria. "I want my sister here with me now."
"I'm right here Kare," Katherine said, walking into the room. She went to the bed and took her sister's hand. "I was just checking on Amber."
The doctor came into the room with a nurse then and he said, "Alright Mrs. McFarland, in a couple of seconds I'm going to have you push as hard as you can."
Holding on tightly to Katherine and Jack, Karen waited nervously for the doctor's instruction. Suddenly, the man said push, and she started push as hard as possible. After a few minutes, Karen was told to stop pushing and she laid back a little, getting her breath back.
~~~
An hour and a half later, in between pushing, Katherine wiped her sister's sweating face off with a towel and said, "You're doing terrific Kare."
Jack kissed Karen's lips softly when the doctor said, "Not too much longer."
For Karen, that news was very uplifting; she was getting tired from pushing for so long.
"All right, once again Mrs. McFarland," the doctor said. "Now push."
Karen pushed again and a scream burst from her mouth as she felt the worse contraction yet.
"Keep pushing Kare, you're doing great," Jack said as she squeezed his hand tightly.
Crying softly, Karen stopped pushing and said, "I have to stop... I have to stop."
"You've only got to give me one more push, I can see the head," the doctor said. "Just one more time."
Bracing herself, Karen gathered all the strength she had left and pushed with all her might.
"It's a girl," the doctor said a second later. "A healthy baby girl."
Karen lay back against the pillow, weeping as she heard the first cries of her daughter permeate the room.
"Mr. McFarland, can I get you to cut the umbilical cord?" the doctor said.
Jack kissed Karen's forehead, crying himself, and then went to where the doctor was.
"You did great Kare," Katherine said, wiping her sister's tears and sweat off her face.
~~~
Five minutes later, Karen was handed her daughter by the nurse. The nurse then left the room, as did Katherine and the doctor, leaving Jack and Karen alone.
Cradling the baby in her left arm, Karen studied her child. The baby had a thatch of thick dark brown hair the same color as Karen's. She also had the same facial features as her mother, along with the nose and chin that Karen and Katherine both had.
"She's so beautiful," Karen whispered, running her finger down the baby's cheek.
"Just like her mother," Jack said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
The baby opened its eyes slightly for the first time just then.
"Oh Jackie, she's got your eyes!" Karen exclaimed happily seeing the baby's blue eyes.
Reaching out and touching his daughter's hand, Jack smiled and said in an awed tone of voice, "She does."
"Here poodle, why don't you hold her," Karen said.
Looking a little anxious, Jack took the baby from his wife and then held her in his arms. "Hi there little one," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek with his.
As she leaned her head on Jack's arm, Karen suddenly thought of a name for her daughter. "Jackie," she said quietly. "What do you think of calling her Elizabeth?"
"That's perfect," Jack said, smiling. He leaned over slightly and kissed Karen softly. "What about Marie for the middle name?"
"Elizabeth Marie McFarland," Karen said slowly, stroking the baby's cheek. "It's wonderful."
There was a knock on the door then, and Jack gave Elizabeth back to Karen so he could open the door.
"Hey, is it alright if we visit now?" Will said once Jack had opened the door.
"Let them in poodle," Karen said from the bed.
"We brought come flowers for you guys," Grace said as she, Will, Katherine and Amber walked to the bed. "Congratulations you two," she said as she and Will put two vases with roses in hem on the nightstand next to the bed. "Oh, she's so cute!"
"Hey, she's got your eyes Jack," Will said, looking down at the baby.
"Can I hold her?" Grace said eagerly.
"Alright, but you better be careful with her," Karen said as she handed the baby to her.
"She's so pretty," Grace gushed. "Did you guys name her yet?"
"Elizabeth Marie," Jack said.
Grace handed Elizabeth over to Will and he held her for a few minutes before giving the baby back to Karen. "I'm really happy for you guys, she's beautiful," he said, smiling broadly and putting an arm around Jack's shoulders.
~~~
Later that night, Will and Grace left the hospital, promising to return to visit the next afternoon.
When they were gone, Karen said, "Amber, come here for a minute."
Amber walked over to the bed and climbed on top of it, sitting next to her aunt.
"Do you want to hold your cousin?" Karen said.
"Please Auntie Karen, may I?" Amber asked excitedly.
Jack walked over to the bed and handed the baby to Amber. "Make sure you hold her head up," he said.
"I'm going to call her Ebie," Amber said after looking down at her cousin for a long time.
"How sweet, I like that nickname," Karen said, putting an arm around her niece. "What do you think poodle?"
"Sounds great to me," Jack said grinning.
A nurse came to the room and told Katherine and Amber that they would have to leave in a few minutes as visiting hours were almost over.
"Alright Amber love," Katherine said. "Let's get going so your aunt and uncle can get some rest."
Amber gave Elizabeth to Karen and said goodnight to her and Jack before getting off the bed.
"Thank you so much for helping us out today Kat," Jack said, hugging her tightly. "I probably would have panicked if you hadn't been here."
Smiling, Katherine kissed Jack's cheek and said, "I'm glad I was such a help." She let go of Jack and then walked over to Karen. "So sister dear, tell me the truth, was it worth it?" she asked, smiling.
"Oh honey, of course it was," Karen said, reaching out and taking Katherine's hand. "Like Jackie said, thanks for being there for us."
"You're welcome Kare," Katherine said, kissing Karen's cheek. She kissed Elizabeth's cheek and said, "I'll be back tomorrow after lunch okay?"
"We'll see you then," Jack said as Katherine walked out of the room.
"Bye Kath," Karen called out. When she was gone, Karen motioned for Jack to come over to her. "Are you happy poodle?" she asked as he sat down on the bed.
"Extremely happy," Jack said, putting his arm around Karen and pulling her tightly to him. He reached out to his daughter, and took her little hand in his own.
Elizabeth gurgled and cooed and waved her other hand in the air.
Jack and Karen smiled at each other before they kissed each other deeply.
And until a nurse came in and took Elizabeth to the nursery for the night, Jack and Karen sat in complete silence, marveling over the baby that was their daughter. Awing over this perfect little child that was a result of their deep, undying love for each other.