Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry that it's been so long! Here is chapter 3 of my story!
Chapter 3
"Mmm… Uhh… Ow."
Jack opened his eyes and stared up at a tall, blank white ceiling.
Everywhere hurt.
Correction, everywhere he could feel hurt.
Jack glanced to the right.
There was a long row of beige hospital beds.
There were nurses and doctors here and there.
Why was he in the hospital?
Then Jack glanced over to his left.
"Ace."
Katherine was sitting up, leaning against a few pillows, and watching Jack. "Hey, sweetheart." she smiled.
"Ace…" Suddenly, all of the memories from last night came flooding back. "Are you okay?"
Katherine nodded. "I'm in a good amount of pain, but okay. But really, I should be asking you- are you all right?"
Jack nodded, then winced as he felt a stabbing pain in his back. "I'm only in a little pain."
Katherine tilted her head and looked at him.
He sighed. "Fine; a lot of pain."
Then he realized that his jacket and shirt had been taken off, and bandages were all over him.
He frowned. "Why do doctors and nurses always have to take off my shirt? I don't want anyone to see my scars." he said self-consciously.
Katherine gave him a gentle smile. "Jack, we've talked about this; you don't need to be self-conscious about your scars. You're unique. You're beautiful. Okay?"
Jack nodded. "O-Okay."
"Also, Dr. Peter told me he was the one who bandaged you. He's been our neighbor and doctor for a long time, Jack. He already knows about your scars. So you don't have to worry… All right?"
He breathed a bit easier. "All right." After a minute of silence, he said, "It's a miracle we both made it out alive, Kath."
She nodded. "A lot of the time, God has plans for us that we don't even know about." She rubbed her arms, then cringed as she felt them stinging with pain. She moved her hands onto her stomach instead.
Jack watched her for a moment and smiled. She was so beautiful; the fact that she had dried blood on her face didn't even matter to him.
"Katherine, can I come sit by you?"
"Of course," she smiled, tenderly scooting over to make room for Jack.
He uneasily stood up, took a deep breath as he felt a sharp pain in his back, slipped on a hospital shirt draped on the end of his bed, then moved over to sit by Katherine.
Once he had gotten situated, Jack grabbed Katherine's face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.
She was surprised, but honestly, she knew she shouldn't have been.
She let him kiss her for a minute, then she gently pulled away and smiled.
"I love you, Jack."
"I love you too, Katherine."
She leaned forward and hugged him, taking a deep breath. "I'm so glad that we're both here…. That we're okay."
He nodded, kissing the top of her head. "Me too."
After a few more quiet seconds, Jack asked, "How long do we gotta stay here, Ace?"
"Dr. Peter came by earlier to check on us, and he said three days."
"Oh. That's a long time… what 'bout work? I know that we's took off for my birthday, but is we supposed to miss more?"
"It's okay, Jack. I had the hospital call my mother, and she's telling your clients and my office about what happened. And a nurse told me that my mother is watching the kids."
"Okay." said Jack.
Katherine suddenly yawned. "Can I fall asleep, Jack?"
"Of course, Ace," he replied, lying down, letting her head lean on his chest. "Get some rest."
"Thank you," she smiled, closing her eyes. "Try to get some rest yourself."
"Okay." Jack closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, he heard Katherine gently snoring.
He opened his eyes and absentmindedly played with her hair.
Jack realized that he didn't want to fall asleep- he knew that the incidents of last night would haunt his nightmares for years to come.
"Is they asleep? Or is they…."
"No, don't be stupid, Buttons! They's asleep!"
"Just hard to tell."
"So, what happened again?"
"I's think there was a fire at the music hall."
"Poor Jackie. On his birthday."
"Poor Kath. I heard she got hurt under a beam."
"I think he came and rescued her."
"Sounds like a hero story."
Jack and Katherine mumbled sleepily and sat up. Their eyes widened to see over thirty of their Newsie pals surrounding them.
"You guys are okay!" exclaimed Crutchie.
"I'm so glad!" said a relieved Davey.
"We's heard about what happened," said Race.
Suddenly, Rae, Davey's wife, who was an ex-Newsie, rushed forward and put her hands on Jack and Katherine's faces. "You two are heroes."
Jack and Katherine smiled as Rae kissed both of their foreheads. "We're going to need to have another birthday dinner for you, Jack."
"Yeah!" everyone else agreed.
Jack liked the fact that they were all still rambunctious as ever.
He grinned. "I's guess so."
"How long will you's and Katherine be here, Jackie?" asked Romeo.
"Three days."
Elmer nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose that's enough time to plan a birthday party for you."
Jack chuckled. "Everyone knows that Newsies and planning birthday parties don't mix."
"We's all full-grown adults now. I thinks we can handle ourselves." said Albert.
"Okay. Plan away." Jack smiled.
"Well, I guess we'll leave ya alone," said Specs. "Get betta soon."
"Thank you," Jack and Katherine smiled.
As the group filed out of the hospital, Crutchie came up to Jack and Katherine and gently hugged them.
"I love you guys."
"We love you too." the couple replied.
Three days later, Dr. Peter was examining the Kelly couple, and he told Jack that he was free to go home.
"But what about Kath?" asked Jack.
"The cut on her stomach needs to have some fresh ointment applied to it and be re-bandaged- you're welcome to stay and wait, if you'd like."
Jack was about to nod, but Katherine said, "How about you fill out the papers down at the front desk, honey? I'll be right there."
"Okay." Jack kissed Katherine, then stood up.
Dr. Peter stood up, then handed Jack his shirt and jacket, which had been cleaned by now.
"Thank you, Dr. Peter," said Jack, slipping on his shirt and buttoning it up. He draped his jacket over his arm.
"You're welcome, son," Dr. Peter said as Jack left.
Dr. Peter took off Katherine's bandage that a nurse had put on a few days ago. He pulled a tube of ointment out of his coat pocket and opened it.
As he began to spread ointment across the cut, his eyes widened as he realized that her belly was just slightly curving upward in a little dome shape.
"Katherine, you're pregnant!"
She smiled. "I know."
Dr. Peter shook his head in amazement as he put a new bandage on his neighbor.
"Actually, I've known for a month- but I still haven't told Jack and the kids."
"Well, congratulations."
"Thank you," smiled Katherine. After a silent minute, she said, "Would you mind making sure that everything's okay with the baby? Especially after the fire and all of that-"
Dr. Peter nodded. "Of course." He placed the knob ends of his stethoscope into his ears, then took the metal part of it and gently pressed it to Katherine's stomach.
He murmured and mumbled under his breath for a few minutes, then hung his stethoscope back around his neck as Katherine said eagerly, "I can't wait to tell Jack about the baby."
Dr. Peter smiled. "Babies."
Ten minutes later, Katherine joined Jack at the front desk.
He raised an eyebrow but didn't question what had taken her so long.
He handed her the pencil in his hand. "You have to sign you's name."
"Okay," she replied, taking the pencil and signing her name next to Jack's in neat cursive handwriting.
Jack handed the paperwork to the person behind the front desk.
Then he took Katherine's arm, and they left.
As soon as Katherine opened the front door, she called, "We're home!"
The triplets came running down the stairs, followed closely by Kate.
"We're so glad you two are okay!" exclaimed Katherine's mother. "We were so worried about you!"
Once the triplets had reached the bottom of the stairs, they bounded over to their parents and squeezed them in a hug.
Jack involuntarily let out an "Ow," when J.J.'s hand touched one of the wounds on his back.
"Sorry, Dad," the boy apologized, letting go of Jack.
"No, no. It's okay." Jack said, pulling his son back into his arms.
"Can I make you two anything to eat?" asked Kate.
"We wouldn't want you to have to-" Jack began.
"I'll help!" declared Ethel, going over to her grandmother and linking arms with her.
"Us too!" agreed Andi and J.J.
Katherine smiled up at Jack. "I think you're outnumbered, sweetheart."
He smiled. "Well, okay then."
That day, Jack and Katherine and the kids and Kate (and Julia, who had come later on) all played and ate and laughed and talked for a long time.
Kate and Julia didn't leave until they were sure that Jack and Katherine were all right.
Eventually, though, they did leave, and everyone settled down for bedtime.
The problem was, Jack couldn't sleep.
Thoughts of the fire, hearing the triplets screaming, seeing Katherine trapped underneath that beam, feeling his lungs heaving….
He couldn't get any of it out of his mind.
"Kath? You's awake?" Jack finally whispered at two in the morning.
"Yes," she whispered back, rolling over to face him.
"I can't sleep…. I can't stop thinkin' 'bout the fire and you and the blood and the screams and-"
"Jack, shhh. Shhh." Katherine reached out a hand and gently cupped one of his cheeks. "We're okay now. That's over. It's over. Don't let your worry and fear overcome you, Jack. I'm right here. Okay?"
He nodded, a tear dripping down his cheek. "Okay."
"I'll tell you what," said Katherine, "let's go downstairs and get some of the leftover cookies you and Andi made a few days ago and bring them up here. Then we'll talk about something funny or something that you like; we should talk about something lighthearted every night, so you have something to smile about as you fall asleep."
Jack smiled right then. "I've got God and you and the kids and my family; I's got somethin' to smile about."
Katherine smiled too, getting out of bed and holding her hand out to Jack, who took it and headed downstairs with her.
Jack snagged the milk carton out of the refrigerator and two cups from the cupboard.
Katherine took four cookies from their container on the counter.
Jack raised an eyebrow as he poured the milk into the cups. "Four cookies, Ace?"
"Two for each of us," she smiled, grabbing a plate from the cupboard, then putting the cookies on the plate.
Jack closed the milk carton and stuck it back into the refrigerator. "Let's go," he said.
Soon, they were all settled again, but this time, they had milk and cookies.
"So," asked Jack, munching on one of his cookies, "what should we talk about?"
"Well, what are some things you like?"
Jack popped the rest of the cookie into his mouth and thought for a moment.
He swallowed, then said, "I like art. Painting. Stars. Sunsets. Central Park. Mr. Jacobi's deli. Drawing. Drawing you. I like- well, love- the triplets. And Julia. And Crutchie and Davey and Rae and the Newsies. And Miss Medda. And your folks. And you. I love the Bible and church and God. I love reading to you. I like to cook. I love the rooftop. I love the apple trees you planted in the backyard and the one you planted out front. I love seeing you happy. I love your beautiful face. I love lookin' at you. I love kissin' you. I just love you, Ace."
By the time Jack had finished saying all of that, Katherine had eaten both of her cookies, and she was now taking a sip of milk.
Once she had swallowed, she placed her glass on her nightstand and said, "It sounds like we'll be talking for a long time."
Jack smiled. "Well, all of it's true." he said, chewing on his second cookie.
Meanwhile, Andi was tossing and turning in her bed. She couldn't sleep. Thinking of that fire, and seeing her parents hurt- she didn't like it at all.
So, she decided to get up and go downstairs to get a late-night snack.
But as she was passing by her parents' bedroom, she heard her mother say,
"Jack. I need to tell you something. Something very important."
Andi knew she was being nosy, but she was so curious- what was the very-important thing her mother had to tell her father?
"Okay," said Jack, swallowing the last bit of his second cookie. "tell me."
Katherine looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I'm pregnant, baby."
His eyes widened. "Ace, you's pregnant?"
She nodded and smiled.
"How long have ya known?"
"A month."
"A month!" Jack thought back to last month, and to when Katherine wouldn't let him let go of her. She'd wanted eggs. His Katherine. Wanted eggs. He should've known she was pregnant!
Jack smiled, standing up on the bed, pulling Katherine up to stand beside him. Holding hands, the two of them excitedly jumped up and down on the bed.
Then Jack grabbed Katherine's waist and picked her up, twirling her around in the air.
Katherine and Jack both laughed happily.
Then Katherine said, "I'm dizzy," and giggled.
"Me too," Jack agreed, sitting down again. He pulled Katherine into his lap.
Meanwhile, Andi was shocked and thrilled about this news! She would be a big sister!
"Wow." Jack said. "I can't believe it. We'll have a baby in the house again."
Katherine smiled at him. "Not a baby."
Jack's eyes widened again. "You's havin' twins?"
Katherine shook her head.
Jack's eyes grew bigger. "Another set of triplets?"
Katherine shook her head a second time.
Jack's eyes widened further. "You's pregnant wit' four babies?"
Katherine nodded rapidly. "Four babies, Jack! I'm having quadruplets!"
Jack stared at her for a couple minutes, utterly stunned.
"Four babies," he breathed.
Then he kissed her.
"Four babies, Ace. This is- wow. Amazin'."
"I know!" Katherine squealed, kissing him again.
Andi, who was still outside her parents' door, was absolutely shocked at the latest news: four babies!
"But-but Jack…."
"Yes, Katherine?"
"What if-What if something happens, like what happened with Andi?"
Andi's brows furrowed. What was her mother talking about?
"We just have to pray that God will keep the babies safe, Ace."
"I know- but there are so many risks, especially with multiples."
"Well, like it says on my dad's gravestone, "Just have faith"."
Katherine nodded. "You're right, Jack. You're absolutely right." She kissed his forehead. "Thank you."
He smiled. "No problem, Kath."
"I'm so excited!" yelped Katherine. "Four babies!"
"I'm excited too!" he replied, kissing her once again.
A few seconds later, though, the two pulled apart as they heard a sniffling sound outside of their door.
Giving each other a confused look, they went over to investigate.
Jack opened the door. "Andi?"
She started and looked up to see her parents staring down at her.
"What's going on, Andi? What's wrong?" asked Katherine.
Andi only began to cry harder.
Katherine nodded to Jack, who scooped Andi into his arms and brought her into the room.
Katherine shut the door as Jack laid Andi down on the bed.
Andi cried for several minutes as her parents comforted her.
When her tears stopped, Jack asked, "What's wrong, baby?"
Andi took a deep breath. "I-I couldn't sleep. I kept th-thinking about the fire. It was so scary, seeing you both hurt. I can't get the images out of my head."
"I know how you feel." Jack said quietly.
"But, like I reminded your father," Katherine said, "the fire is over. All of that is over-"
"But you know you and dad made the front page of the Tribune a few days ago." Andi said.
"We did?"
"Yeah. There was a picture of the burnt music hall, then one of you guys passed out on the street."
"It's illegal to do that without somebody's permission!" exclaimed Katherine.
"The man who took the picture said he knows you guys."
"Darcy?"
"Yeah, him. Me and Ethel and J.J. wanted other people to know about your heroic deeds, so we told him to go ahead."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "And me and Ace- your mom- was passed out this whole time?"
Andi nodded. "After Darcy left, you were both taken to the hospital, and Grandma Kate brought me and J.J. and Ellie home."
"I should have a talk with Darcy," said Katherine. "But, anyway, the point is, the fire is over. Your dad and I will be okay."
Andi nodded. "Good."
"So, why were you outside our door?" Katherine asked gently.
"I was going to go downstairs and get a snack- which I can see you two have already done-" Andi glanced at the plate and glasses on her parents' nightstands.
Jack and Katherine blushed.
"Anyway, when I passed by your door, I overheard you, Mom, telling Dad that you had something super important to tell him."
Katherine looked at Jack over Andi's head. "You heard what I told him?"
Andi nodded.
"Are you excited?" asked Katherine.
"Are you kidding?" Andi gently put her hand on her mother's stomach. "I'm thrilled! I'm going to be a big sister!"
Katherine smiled, hugging her daughter.
"Then- why were you crying, honey?"
"I heard you say something about me… You said something happened to me? I didn't know what you meant."
"Oh…" Katherine said. "Um… it's…" She looked over at Jack. He nodded for his wife to tell Andi.
Katherine took a deep breath. Her eyes filled with tears. "Andi, I miscarried you when I was four months along. I-I went to my office when some of my co-workers were sick, and I came down with a fever. Then Dr. Peter was giving me a checkup a few days later, and he told me-me that he-he only felt… He only felt…. Two heartbeats…" Katherine breathed, crying.
Jack stretched a hand over Andi and rubbed Katherine's arm. "Hey, hey…" he said gently. "It's okay. She's okay."
Katherine gave him a watery smile. "Thanks, baby."
"But, Mom… How am… How am I here if… I was miscarried?" asked Andi.
"It was a miracle," Katherine smiled.
"That's amazing," Andi smiled too, closing her eyes.
"Hey, um, honey? Would you mind if we switched places? I wanna be next to your dad," Katherine said hopefully.
"Sure," Andi said, sitting up and switching places with her mom. "But that's not a free pass to ki-"
Too late- Jack was already kissing Katherine.
Andi rolled over, mumbling "Gross."
"Oh, come on," Katherine said, taking one of her hands and rolling Andi back over. "You know you think we're cute."
Andi wrinkled her nose. "When did I ever give you that impression?"
Katherine frowned. "Never, I guess. But you'll come around."
Andi shrugged, then snuggled up into her mother's side. "Night, Mom. Night, Daddy."
"Goodnight, Andi." they both replied.
In less than a minute, Andi was fast asleep.
Then Jack scooted closer to Katherine and kissed her again.
"Do you think Andi noticed my scars?" he whispered into his wife's ear.
"No, Jackie. It's too dark for her to see them. And I think she was too distracted to notice. You're good."
"Good." Jack and Katherine both knew that he would have to show the kids his scars someday; they were too young to see them for now.
"Goodnight, Mr. Kelly." Katherine said sleepily.
"'Night to you, Mrs. Kelly. I love you."
"I love you too."
A/N: Thanks for reading everyone! (Also, I realize that the doctor finding about the quadruplets isn't very accurate for this time period- after all, it's only 1911. But I wanted to write the part about Katherine telling Jack excitedly.) I hope you all enjoyed! Over and out!
