As Serena lay on the hospital bed, waiting for her two daughters to
be born, she tried to stay calm and relaxed. Darien, her friends, and her
family were there with her. They all talked to her and tried to ease the
pain that labor was bringing her. It was nearly 8:00 pm and the babies
hadn't been born yet.
"Darien, I know you said this would take a long time, but this is ridiculous," Serena said.
"Hang on, I'll check," Darien said.
"Check what?" Serena asked.
"Check how dilated you are," Darien replied. He examined Serena and finally came up with something.
"Well?" Serena said.
"You're at about 5 cm," Darien said. "Only five more to go."
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Serena whined.
"Serena, whining isn't going to make them come faster," Amy said.
"I know, I know," Serena said. "Look, if you guys want to go home, go ahead. We'll call you when the girls are born." Serena's parents, her little brother, and his girlfriend took her offer, but Serena's friends stayed. Around midnight, the babies still weren't there yet.
"Girls, you can go home and get some sleep," Serena said. "Someone will call you when the girls arrive."
"No way," Raye said. "I'm staying."
"So am I," Mina said.
"Me, too," Amy said.
"And I'm not going anywhere," Lita said. The girls' boyfriends and fiancés were all at home.
"Thanks, guys," Serena said.
"We're here for you," Mina said. "In the meantime, try and get some sleep."
"How am I supposed to sleep when my daughters are on their way?" Serena asked.
"Just try, Serena," Darien said. "You'll need your strength."
"Oh, fine," Serena said. "Could you put the radio on to some soft music?"
"Sure," Darien said. He turned on the portable radio to an easy listening station. Almost right away, Serena fell asleep. Darien and Serena's friends took turns holding her hand whenever she moaned in her sleep. Around 6:00 am, the sun rose and Serena was still sleeping. Darien checked her out and Serena was dilated to 8 cm.
"We'd better wake her up," Amy said. "She could give birth any time." Darien then gently shook Serena until she woke up.
"Wha...What?" Serena said. "What's going on?"
"You're at 8 cm, Serena," Darien said. "We needed to wake you up."
"Well, I had the most wonderful dream," Serena said. "We were all in Crystal Tokyo. It was in the flower garden. Rini and Maggie were playing and we were all watching over them. It was the best dream of my life."
"It will happen one day, Serena," Darien said.
"I hope so," Serena said. Suddenly, a sharp pain seized Serena's body. She yelled.
"Serena, what's wrong?" Mina asked.
"I think the babies are coming," Serena said.
"Yeah, I think they are," Darien said. "I'll be right back." Darien left the room and came back a few minutes later wearing a green doctor's gown, cap, gloves, and a mask. A nurse was also with him. He positioned himself at Serena's feet.
"Okay, Serena, it's time to push," Darien said. "Be brave. You can do this." Serena yelled as another wave of pain seized her. She pushed with all her might. Serena's friends held her hands and tried to calm her down. A few minutes later, Darien could see the first baby's head.
"I can see a head, Serena," he said. "Keep it up. You're doing great."
"These girls better appreciate what I had to go through for them," Serena yelled. After another few minutes, the first baby girl came into the world. The nurse wrapped her in a towel and showed her to Serena.
"Darien, she's so beautiful," Serena said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"She looks just like you," Darien said. Indeed, the baby did look like Serena. Her head had a fuzz of pink hair and her eyes looked just like Serena's.
"Hello, Rini," Serena said as she held her baby's hand.
"Okay, Serena, you're going to have to push again. Maggie's still in there," Darien said. The nurse carried Rini out of the room to clean her up and Serena went back to pushing. Maggie took longer. It was another 20 minutes before she came.
"Why isn't she crying?" Serena asked. "I don't hear anything."
"She's having trouble breathing, Serena," Darien said. "I'm taking her to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).
"Is she going to be okay?" Serena asked.
"I don't know," Darien said. "I'll try my best." Serena cleaned herself up and a few minutes later, the nurse came back in with Rini. Rini was wearing the pink sleeper that Serena had bought for her. The other pink sleeper was still in the duffel bag, waiting for Maggie. The nurse placed Rini in Serena's arms. The baby cooed and smiled at her mother. Serena loved Rini immediately, but she was still filled with worry about her other daughter, Maggie.
"Darien, I know you said this would take a long time, but this is ridiculous," Serena said.
"Hang on, I'll check," Darien said.
"Check what?" Serena asked.
"Check how dilated you are," Darien replied. He examined Serena and finally came up with something.
"Well?" Serena said.
"You're at about 5 cm," Darien said. "Only five more to go."
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Serena whined.
"Serena, whining isn't going to make them come faster," Amy said.
"I know, I know," Serena said. "Look, if you guys want to go home, go ahead. We'll call you when the girls are born." Serena's parents, her little brother, and his girlfriend took her offer, but Serena's friends stayed. Around midnight, the babies still weren't there yet.
"Girls, you can go home and get some sleep," Serena said. "Someone will call you when the girls arrive."
"No way," Raye said. "I'm staying."
"So am I," Mina said.
"Me, too," Amy said.
"And I'm not going anywhere," Lita said. The girls' boyfriends and fiancés were all at home.
"Thanks, guys," Serena said.
"We're here for you," Mina said. "In the meantime, try and get some sleep."
"How am I supposed to sleep when my daughters are on their way?" Serena asked.
"Just try, Serena," Darien said. "You'll need your strength."
"Oh, fine," Serena said. "Could you put the radio on to some soft music?"
"Sure," Darien said. He turned on the portable radio to an easy listening station. Almost right away, Serena fell asleep. Darien and Serena's friends took turns holding her hand whenever she moaned in her sleep. Around 6:00 am, the sun rose and Serena was still sleeping. Darien checked her out and Serena was dilated to 8 cm.
"We'd better wake her up," Amy said. "She could give birth any time." Darien then gently shook Serena until she woke up.
"Wha...What?" Serena said. "What's going on?"
"You're at 8 cm, Serena," Darien said. "We needed to wake you up."
"Well, I had the most wonderful dream," Serena said. "We were all in Crystal Tokyo. It was in the flower garden. Rini and Maggie were playing and we were all watching over them. It was the best dream of my life."
"It will happen one day, Serena," Darien said.
"I hope so," Serena said. Suddenly, a sharp pain seized Serena's body. She yelled.
"Serena, what's wrong?" Mina asked.
"I think the babies are coming," Serena said.
"Yeah, I think they are," Darien said. "I'll be right back." Darien left the room and came back a few minutes later wearing a green doctor's gown, cap, gloves, and a mask. A nurse was also with him. He positioned himself at Serena's feet.
"Okay, Serena, it's time to push," Darien said. "Be brave. You can do this." Serena yelled as another wave of pain seized her. She pushed with all her might. Serena's friends held her hands and tried to calm her down. A few minutes later, Darien could see the first baby's head.
"I can see a head, Serena," he said. "Keep it up. You're doing great."
"These girls better appreciate what I had to go through for them," Serena yelled. After another few minutes, the first baby girl came into the world. The nurse wrapped her in a towel and showed her to Serena.
"Darien, she's so beautiful," Serena said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"She looks just like you," Darien said. Indeed, the baby did look like Serena. Her head had a fuzz of pink hair and her eyes looked just like Serena's.
"Hello, Rini," Serena said as she held her baby's hand.
"Okay, Serena, you're going to have to push again. Maggie's still in there," Darien said. The nurse carried Rini out of the room to clean her up and Serena went back to pushing. Maggie took longer. It was another 20 minutes before she came.
"Why isn't she crying?" Serena asked. "I don't hear anything."
"She's having trouble breathing, Serena," Darien said. "I'm taking her to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).
"Is she going to be okay?" Serena asked.
"I don't know," Darien said. "I'll try my best." Serena cleaned herself up and a few minutes later, the nurse came back in with Rini. Rini was wearing the pink sleeper that Serena had bought for her. The other pink sleeper was still in the duffel bag, waiting for Maggie. The nurse placed Rini in Serena's arms. The baby cooed and smiled at her mother. Serena loved Rini immediately, but she was still filled with worry about her other daughter, Maggie.