Disclaimer: I have no medical experience unless you count countless hours of watching ER...and even then I still made this unrealistic!!! I tried!!!
Part 3/4
Karen froze as she turned to answer the door. She looked down. Her water had broken. Her hand was still on the doorknob as the was a louder knock on the door.
"Karen!!! Are you there? You okay?!" Grace was shouting from the hall.
Karen chuckled as she slowly opened the dooor. Her chuckle then turned into a slight sob.
"My water broke, Grace. The baby's coming!!!" Grace let go of her son's hand and dashed inside and got "the bag."
"ok. let's go!" Grace said as she grab hold of Eric's hand and he of Karen's.
"Karen, start your breathing." Karen began her lamaze breathing while on the ride down to the lobby. Karen felt a contraction and accidentally squeezed Eric's hand. His eyes grew wide and his mouth formed an "O" shape. "Ow, ow, ow!!!" Karen said. "Ow!! Momma!!! she's hurtin' me!!" Eric shouted as she tried to pull away from Karen's grasp. Grace turned and traded places with him as she led them both to the car. "Here," she said to Eric as she lifted him up into the car. "Dial this number and when someone says 'hello', give me the phone." Karen winced as she sat down into the car. "Yeah! Thanks a bundle Grace!!!" she shouted. Grace sat in the drivers seat and started teh car. "Sorry. OK. Here we go...Here, hold my hand."
Karen clasped her hand onto Grace's as she felt another contraction. "Oh...ow...ow...OW!"
Grace sped down the street heading towards the hospital. "Ow...ow..OW!" Grace shouted feeling the pain of karen's squeeze. Karen frowned and looked at Grace. "You're kidding me, right?" Grace shook her hand out and peered into the rearview mirror. "Eric, honey. IS the phone ready?" He nodded and handed her the phone. "Mercy Hospital, Emergency room, How may I--" "i've got Karen McFarland here and in labor. She's had..um...how many?" "3....3...ow." karen replied. "3 contractions so far in the last 15 minutes. We're almost 10 minutes from the hospital. Yeah...OK..OK great..Thanks."
Karen's eyes were shut and her breathing was short as she had yet another contraction. Grace put her hand out and reassured Karen that she would be all right. Karen nodded.
They ran into the ER and grabbed a wheelchair and headed for the Maternity Ward. "Move it! Excuse me!! Pregnant lady here!! MOVE!!!" Grace was shouting as she pushed through the crowd. When they finally arrived, the doctor, Dr. Carter (hehe...) was already waiting. "Mrs. McFarland?" Karen nodded. "Ok, we're gonna get you set up in a room now. From what I can tell you're only dilated about 6 centimeters, so we're gonna wait a little bit longer." Karen's eyes grew wide. "WHAT?! YOU'RE KIDDING!!" Dr. Carter shook his head. "Nope, im sorry. Let's get you to a room." "Oh, god!" Karen groaned.
When Karen was finally in her bed, Dr. Carter entered the room with gloves on. "Ok, I'm just gonna -- " "Epidural." Karen said weakly. "I'm sorry, what?" "Epidural. Drugs. Please." Karen said louder. "Oh, uh..Nurse!! can we get an epidural in here please." Karen's eyes grew wide as the nurse entered with a huge needle. "Ok, could you turn slighty so that I can access your lower back area?" Karen frowned and nodded as she turned slightly and winced as the needle entered her back. She laid back down and smiled as the drugs began to take effect. Just as she became somewhat relaxed, Eric ran in and to the side of the bed. "You okay, Anite Karen?" Karen nodded and set her hand on his cheek. "yes, I'm fine." Grace ran in and took him away. When she returned, Karen was gasping. "Grace, I think...It..." Grace ran out and returned with Dr. Carter. "Ok, Karen. Looks like you're ready." "NO! I cant be...Grace...it's not supposed to happen like this!!! He's supposed to be here!!! Grace..." Karen's eyes began to tear. Grace embraced her friend. "I know, i know..But you have to do this...Jack would've wanted you too." Karen nodded and sat her herself up a little.
Dr. Carter took his place and began the procedure.
"karen, Im gonna need to you to push real hard now." Karen pushed as hard as she could and screamed. "Come on, Karen. You can do this!" Grace yelled.
"Im gonna need two more real hard pushed Karen. C'mon." Karen pushed and tightly shut her eyes as sweat ran into them. She tried to catch her breath.
"One more big push, Karen. Just one more." Dr. Carter said. Karen shut her eyes tightly and pushed with all of her might (um..). In a few seconds, she felt relieved.
"It's a girl. It's a beautiful baby girl!" Dr. Carter exclaimed. karen laughed and cried in a mixture of joy and sadness. Grace wiped Karen's forehead with a towel and sighed. Karen's tears were flowing uncontrollably as she looked over at the nurses cleaning her newborn.
"are you happy?" Grace asked.
Karen nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yeah. And a little sad."
The doctor returned with a clipboard in hand. "and, do we have a name for our little one?" karen sat and thought for a second. Dr. Carter set it down and said, "I'll be back in a few. I'll just leave this here." karen picked up the clipboard and wrote down the name "Jacklyn Elizabeth McFarland." and set it down. Grace looked at it and nodded. "beautiful name, Kare. jack's gonna love it."
Karen shook her head and looked down. "I bet he would have."
Grace shook her head. "No, Karen...He will..." Grace said as she left the room. "Here she is, Mrs. McFarland." the doctor said he set the baby in Karens arms. Karen began to cry at the sight of her baby girl. The doctor picked up the clipboard and read the name aloud. "jackly elizabeth...beautiful.." Karen gently brushed the side of jacklyn's face with her finger and she felt her toss. karen gasped as Jacklyn opened her eyes and looked at her. Her eyes were the same bright blue as jack's. Karen smiled. "Oh, Jackie..."
Grace headed back home and made it a note to go back the next day and visit Karen. As she and Eric exited the elevator she froze as she spotted a man in uniform at her door....
TBC.....yeah that's right, I left a "cliffy" as Jude would call it...haha...sorry!!!!! review please!!!!!!!
