A/N: All of you who review – THANK YOU! Twenty-three! – more then I could have asked for so far, thanks again.
Theoclovestheoc: I know Summer's not having twins…I guess I just wrote that Summer was as big as Marissa just to highlight how big they both are. Some women look like they're having twins and or look like they're further along even though they're not there yet – lol, that make sense, I hope it does. I've been emphasizing Summer's eating habits the most between the two of them so I guess it kind of makes sense that Summer's so big. I hope that clears it up, I and I also hope you're not as confused as I am by my whole explanation.
Again, thank you to all of you – I'm SO glad you're enjoying this. Recap for people who may have missed how far along they are at this point. Marissa is seven months along, and Summer is five…this is also another chapter where a lot takes place and there's also a semi- cliff hanger, I guess if you want to call it that. Enjoy!
Sandy and Kirsten were holding a dinner tonight for Seth and Summer, and with further investigation they found out that Ryan and Marissa were invited too which didn't make the night seem so bad.
It was Summer and Seth's appointment day, a quick check-up and then off to the dinner they'd go. Both girls saw the same man, someone Kirsten saw when she was pregnant and recommended Doctor James. Summer walked into the office wearing a one piece, v-neck maternity dress. It was a simple red dress that tied in the back and her hair was perfectly straightened and rested ideally on her shoulders. Seth wasn't too dressed up either; he wore a navy blue long sleeved shirt underneath a brown short-sleeved one. The shirt had three navy blue boxes with some writing in it, and some faded blue jeans. The two walked in to the doctor's office and sat down in the waiting room chair. Summer flipped through a pregnancy magazine as Seth skimmed the room seeing nothing but pregnant women who were now staring at him. He hunched over in his chair, he was very uncomfortable and that was apparent. He began fidgeting with his hands and Summer soon noticed it as she hit the side of his arm.
"Behave." She scolded him as she furrowed her eyebrow and as he reacted the Doctor came out to get them.
"Seth and Summer Cohen?" Doctor James looked directly at the two teenagers as they were directed into an exam room.
Seth held Summer's hand as he helped her up on the table. She adjusted her seating and laid back, her head elevated. Seth stood next to her holding her hand the entire time.
The doctor moved Summer's shirt to expose her stomach and began to feel the baby's. The doctor told Summer and Seth that the baby was in a breech position.
"Is this bad? The baby being breech?" Seth asked, he had never heard of this before and certainly didn't know if this complicated anything.
"No, this isn't bad it just means that if the baby doesn't turn before Summer goes into labor, a cesarean section may be needed." He finished with that, and moved onto Summer's weight and the measure of her stomach. He made her stand on a scale.
The doctor looking over her shoulder, he jotted some notes down.
"No, you're not allowed to look" She pushed Seth back and he went back to his chair where he waited for the next thing. "I feel huge, my feet hurt, my back wont stop aching and my stomach gets bigger by the hour." She stepped off the scale and scooted with difficulty back onto the exam table.
The doctor laughed and said reassuring her "you're perfect, you're right on schedule, your weight is right where you're suppose to be. Now let's have a look at that baby."
He began looking at the ultrasound of the baby, moving the probe all around her stomach checking every body part to make sure nothing was wrong and that this little one was fine. With clicking sounds, the machine began printing out pictures and with some final configurations, the doctor jotted some more things down and with the news the baby was fine, Summer and Seth exhaled. "One more thing, I forgot to ask when I was doing the ultrasound. Do you want to know the baby's sex?" He was putting everything away and with his arms crossed he turned his direction to the doctor.
"No, we're going to be surprised. Thanks though." Seth helped Summer off the table and the doctor nodded handing him a white slip to give to the receptionist at the front desk.
"See, can your worrying stop now? The baby's fine." Seth handed the receptionist a white slip of paper, a prescription for prenatal vitamins and after she called a local pharmacy Seth and Summer were free to go.
"I don't know, what if this breech thing becomes serious? I don't want a c-section." She became angry about that, the thought of her stomach being cut open and having a scar for the rest of her life.
"Don't worry, there's other things to worry about…like this dinner. You ready for it?" They reached the car and both got in.
"I'm ready, it'll probably just be a tiny little family dinner in celebration for their first two grandchildren."
Seth started the car up and drove to his parents' house and as both climbed the top of the stairs they exhaled loudly. "Here we go."
Seth opened the door and for some reason the lights were out. He noticed that Ryan and Marissa's car was parked out front so he thought it odd that it appeared like no one was home.
"Mom? Dad…. Ryan?" Seth said groping his way to the nearest wall to turn on a light switch.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled and as the light were turned on Summer noticed that there was a banner that read Baby Shower hanging on the frame of two walls. There were pink and blue balloons floating about the house and Ryan and Marissa part of the crowd.
"A baby shower? Seth did you know about this?" Summer asked him, and as he nodded she slapped his chest. "I can't believe you hid this from me."
"Believe me it was tough, Mom and Dad, Ryan and I wanted to throw you and Marissa a surprise baby shower so – surprise." He hugged her but she refused and waddled her way towards Marissa.
The girls hugged, their stomachs got in the way so it made it difficult.
"I was just as surprised, I never would have guessed they were hiding this." Marissa said laughing "but look at that." She pointed to the two large piles of presents one for each of the girls.
"Presents? As much as we need things, we haven't even gone shopping yet – I can't."
"It's a baby shower, there's always presents at baby showers. Speaking of the baby, how was your appointment?" She looked down at her friend's equally large stomach.
"Everything's fine, the baby's breech which I'm sort of worried about but other then that me and the baby are doing great." Marissa nodded. "And how's your little girl?"
"She's great. We're right on schedule and now the hardest thing we have to do is pick out some names, you should hear some of Ryan's choices." The girls laughed and while they were chatting, Kirsten and the boys were talking in the kitchen.
"How did Summer's appointment go?" Kirsten asked scooping some salad onto her plate.
"Mother and baby are doing just fine – dad on the other hand is going scared out of his mind." Seth sat down on a kitchen chair.
"Seth it's perfectly normal, it's first time nerves. I had it, your father had it when I was pregnant with you." Kirsten began eating her salad.
"It's like I want this baby to be born so I can meet it and get my life as close to normal as I can, but then I also want it to stay in there until we're older. I'm going to be a father in less then four months and I think it's really starting to kick in."
"Seth I'm nervous too…. but the baby is coming whether we want it to or not." Ryan bended over the table moving his eyes between Seth and Kirsten.
"You're nervous, any first time father would be but you have all these people who are willing to help, your father and I wouldn't mind babysitting any time. We're here to help you because we know this is hard. But let's not think about this tonight, how about present time?" Kirsten finished her salad and threw her plate in the garbage. She placed her hands on the boy's back and they walked into the living room where the rest of the family was gathered.
"Present time." Sandy announced setting up four chairs for the kids to sit in. They all took their seats and everyone began handing them presents.
"How cute is this!" Summer opened a box, since they chose not to find out people either bought one for a boy and one for a girl or neutral colors. She held up a fussy light pink onsie for a baby girl, and a navy blue one for a boy. She turned to Caleb who was standing next to Kirsten. "Thank you Caleb."
The four got a lot of stuff, more stuff then they have place to fit it all. Each got equal amounts of clothes, they received playpens, and pacifiers, baby toys, car seats and both got strollers from Kirsten and Sandy. When the party ended and the car was loaded to the brim with their gifts.
"I can't thank you enough Kirsten and Sandy for throwing us this party. It was very thoughtful of you…. and everyone's gifts – Seth and I needed things badly." Seth was in the car, he already said his goodbyes and Summer was now saying hers. "The baby says thank you too, its kicking like crazy." Kirsten held out her hand and Summer placed it on her stomach allowing her to feel her grandchild.
"What a miracle" Kirsten said, a smile arose on her face as the kicks excited her. It was the first time she ever felt the baby kick, her grandchild, the baby her baby helped make. It was amazing.
Summer waved goodbye to everyone and her and Seth drove back to their house and began unpacking the car.
Marissa and Ryan were still present and were inside talking with Julie, Jimmy, Caleb and Hailey.
"We're due in a little less than eight weeks. We're turning the spare bedroom into the nursery and we're going to be painting it this weekend. The house is baby proofed, we have everything we need and more…. this baby could come any time and we'd be set." She sat snuggled next to Ryan, her stomach acting like an armrest.
"I can't believe you're having a baby. My little girl." Jimmy looked down at Marissa shaking his head; this still wasn't real for him.
"Yeah, I can barely believe it. But I'm tired, we had a long day – we better be heading home, Ryan?" Ryan stood from the couch and grasping Marissa's hand, he helped her up. He was getting use to be her servant, anything she wanted Marissa got. Anything she wanted, Ryan was at her service.
"Right. Guys, thank you so much for everything. You don't know how much we both appreciate it and we should get together again before the baby comes." Ryan and Marissa went down the line, hugging everyone and then lazily walking out the front steps greeted by Sandy and Kirsten.
"We're going to head back home now. Thank you both so much for this baby shower, Sandy you're still coming over this weekend to help with the baby's room right?"
"Right." The guys cackled and then there was more hugging until the happy couple headed to their car and drove off to their apartment. They were both exhausted and not in the mood to carry in loads of presents so they decided to leave it for tomorrow.
"Did you have fun tonight?" They walked into the house; Ryan kicked off his shoes and fell back into the couch.
"Yes, I had a lot of fun. It was a wonderful shower and I still can't believe you hid it from me." She touched her stomach as though she was in pain.
"Marissa?" Ryan became worried and from looking at Marissa's face she looked like she was in pain.
"Ryan…. I-I think, I think the baby's coming." She held the bottom of her stomach and began screaming out in pain. She was not even seven months pregnant yet; this panicked both of them especially since the baby would be premature.
"No, she can't come now – it's too early." Ryan jumped to his feet helping Marissa up.
"Well apparently she doesn't know that!" She was screaming out in pain and Ryan came to her side as he helped her into the car. She buckled herself in; the car was running he ran up the brick path pounding on Seth and Summer's door.
"It's ten o'clock, what's wrong?" Seth asked looking as though he just woke up.
"Marissa, she's…. the baby, its…." he wasn't making sense and Seth looked at him bewildered. It was like they were trying to play a game, 'sounds like, oh – baby, Marissa's having the baby?'
"Marissa's what? Calm down, why are you so crazy right now?" Ryan pointed to the car, there Marissa sat huffing loudly, screaming every so often from pain. "Oh my god man, why didn't you just say that in the first place. We'll meet you at the hospital." Ryan ran back to the car and started it up in a hurry and speeded out of the apartment complex and to the hospital. Ryan called people from his cell phone on the way there, informing their whole family to meet them at the hospital because Marissa was having the baby.
He hung up his cell phone and turned to Marissa seeing she was in pain. "Breath honey, breath." They were at a red light and Marissa eyed it, it seemed to take forever for it to turn green.
"Why don't you just shut up! I am in a lot of pain and the last thing I need is for you to be telling me what to do, just drive!" Her voice bursting with anger, Ryan didn't say anything and just let it be. He stepped on the gas as soon as the light turned green and with in seconds they arrived at the entrance of the hospital. He parked the car in a handicap spot but he didn't care, he ran to the side of the car where Marissa sat and helped her up as they quickly walked into the hospital.
"Can I get a wheelchair here, women in labor." Two hospital personnel saw Ryan and Marissa and one ran off to grab a wheelchair and soon returned helping Marissa sit and then wheeled her up to a room.
Ryan wanted to follow but he was told he couldn't, he needed to fill out paperwork before he was permitted to see Marissa. Luckily Sandy and Kirsten arrived just as Seth and Summer did, Kirsten took the paperwork over so that Ryan could go be with his girlfriend and he sprinted up to her room after he was told where it was.
"Marissa, it's okay…. I'm here." Ryan stood by her side as doctors came in and out of the room.
Marissa was examined and told she was in the beginning stages of labor. They were going to give her some medicine that would hopefully stop the contractions and that she'd have to stay over night. Marissa of course was scared, it was too soon for the baby to be born and thoughts ran through her head of something awful happening to her little girl. A nurse came in, injecting her with a shot that held medicine to impede her contractions and that the next few hours, they had to sit and wait.
"I'm really scared, what is she comes early? What if something goes wrong, we don't even have a name –" Marissa babbled on, she was crying and clutching to Ryan for dear life.
"I know Marissa, but you worrying is not going to help anything. We're in one of the top hospitals in California with one of the best doctors trying to stop these contractions. You heard what the doctor said, try to stay calm and breath. I'm scared too but whatever happens I'll be here, I'm not leaving your side."
With more visits of doctor's rushing in and out of Marissa's room, checking on the baby's heartbeat and Marissa's blood level. Hours passed and Ryan sat at Marissa's side staring at her face, the doctor's gave her medicine's to ease the pain and to help her sleep. When he saw she was finally asleep and he decided to give everyone an update who was waiting patiently in the waiting.
"Ryan how's Marissa? How's the baby?" Kirsten said panicky as his presence made everyone nervous.
"Marissa's fine for now, the doctor's gave her some stuff that helps her sleep. She's a nervous wreck and it seems like the medicine to slow down the contractions is working." Ryan rolled up his sleeves and huffed slowly.
"Oh thank God." Jimmy said placing his hand on Ryan's shoulder.
"We're here, we're not leaving if you or Marissa need anything – we'll be happy to help out in any way." Sandy stood in the circle of family members who all were relieved to hear that Marissa and the baby were doing well.
Summer stood, her hand wrapped around Seth's arm as this whole event really scared her. Thinking that her child has just the likeliness of coming early too, and maybe Marissa was ready but she definitely wasn't. Both gasped as they heard the news and Summer seized her stomach, the baby was kicking and she thought it was because of how nervous Summer was.
"I'll just hang here for a little while, the rooms making me nutty and the doctor's said she'll be out for a little while." Ryan took a seat next to Sandy and Kirsten and they all began chatting again.
In the moments to pass, everyone turned to face the direction of Marissa's room as they heard the heart monitor falling flat and doctor's rushing into her room. Ryan knew something was wrong and immediately ran towards the door but was stopped by one of the nurses. Three or four nurses were standing on the sides of Marissa's bed pushing her out into the hallway of the hospital where they'd take her into surgery for an emergency c-section. She held out her hands, a little groggy from the medication and called out for Ryan.
"What's going on? Where are you taking her, is it the baby?" Ryan yelled getting even more frustrated that no one was telling him what was happening only leaving him to wonder.
The doctor was pulling up his facemask and tying it in the back, as Marissa was moved further and further down the hall until she was out of sight.
"We're taking her to surgery, an emergency c-section. The baby's in distress and her heart rate dropped considerably." The doctor started walking down the hall to the operating room, Ryan and the family following behind him stopping as Ryan demanded for more information.
"C-section? Oh my god, c-can I go in? I'm the father and Marissa needs me right now." Ryan was angry, confused and just needed to be by Marissa's side was even more aggravated when he was told he couldn't.
"This is a serious situation. If we don't perform the surgery in a given amount of time the baby could die. I'm sorry sir but now we just have to wait. When the surgery's over someone will be out to tell you about everyone's condition. I'm sorry, but I have to go." The doctor rushed down the hall and Ryan watched until the figure was out of sight. Ryan stood there, his mouth ajar and his face flustered, as he felt helpless. Marissa was in an operating room right now, alone and scared with no one to comfort her and he was out here, alone and worried.
Seconds turned into minutes, and Ryan sat in a waiting room chair hunched over as Kirsten rubbed his back trying to calm his nerves. Sandy and Jimmy stood and paced back in forth as Seth and Summer held each other closely. Seth looked down at Summer's stomach and placed his hand on it.
"Please baby, just promise me you'll stay in there for four more months." He looked up at Summer and kissed the side of her face and elongated his sigh.
It felt like years for the surgery to be done with and for him to be informed of Marissa's and his new daughter's condition. Sandy saw the doctor walking down the hall and tapped Ryan's arm to notify him.
"How is she? How's Marissa? How's the baby?" Ryan clustered his words together and was so nervous that he was inaudible.
"Marissa just came out of surgery and she's fine, she should be back in her room with in twenty minutes or so." The doctor rubbed his hands together, completely leaving out the baby.
"And the baby?" Sandy uttered
"Your daughter is very small and she's having some trouble breathing. She's going to be brought up to the NICU shortly and we'll be running some tests to see if there's any damage. She wasn't breathing when she was born and had to have a breathing tube inserted down her throat and so far she's responded to it. Her lungs aren't fully developed due to her being premature and will have to be on a respirator for now. You can see Marissa when she comes out of surgery and you'll be able to see the baby later on after the tests are run and everything is situated." He looked down at his beeper; it went off while talking to Ryan. "Excuse me, I have to go, I just got paged." The doctor shook Ryan's hand and Ryan thanked him for all he had done and the doctor soon sauntered down the hall to his next patient.
"The baby's born. I'm now a father. I-I wish I could see her, see Marissa. I'm tired of waiting!" Ryan grabbed the side of his head and turned around sitting down in his chair, yes he received the news of everyone's condition but not being able to see Marissa and his new daughter was killing him. When a baby is born the father and the mother cry, and fuss over the baby and then their family members come and hold the new baby and there's more crying and more fussing followed by a lot of pictures to capture this moment. Instead, the mother was being stitched up from an emergency caesarian section, scared and alone while the father sat nervously in the waiting room waiting for the doctor to tell him whether or not everyone's fine. And lastly the baby, tiny and barely breathing up in another part of the hospital surrounded by unfamiliar noises and faces, alone. Lying in a little incubator being poked and prodded at to see if there were any complications from being premature. Instead of this being a happy occasion, it was instead filled with fright, loneliness and confusion.
"I know Ryan, and when everything is done with you'll be able to see her. You're a dad, take a chance to breath since it only gets more hectic when the little one comes home." Jimmy sat across from Ryan giving him so fatherly advice that Ryan heard and nodded.
Marissa came out from surgery and was sleepy from the pain medication they gave her. Ryan followed behind the bed until she was pushed into her room and the bed was secured.
"Marissa…." Ryan said kissing the top of her head. She shifted her weight and winced from the pain.
"How's our daughter? They didn't even let me see her, they took her away so fast and I – " She began crying, this was a dramatic experience for both.
"Shh, don't worry. The doctor said we'll get to see her later on but they need to run some tests, they'll be coming back later and letting us know how she's doing."
"This wasn't how I thought the birth of my first baby would be, I'm such an awful mother. It's because of me that the baby came early and has to fight for her life " She continued to cry and Ryan nuzzled her with his nose.
Kirsten, Sandy, Seth, Summer, Jimmy, Julie, Hailey and Caleb turned the corner into Marissa's room holding gifts and balloons. They all knew that both needed some cheering up and what better way then being around family.
"This is for you." Summer walked to Marissa's side wrapping her arms around Marissa's neck and hugged her tightly. She then sat a vase on the bedside table and stepped back. Kirsten came forward setting another vase of beautifully arranged flowers next to Summer's with a pink balloon dangling around it reading 'It's A Girl' in big white letters. Each had a gift whether it was for the baby or if it was for the new parents but the room was now decorated.
"Any word on the baby yet?" Jimmy asked sitting down in a vacant chair.
"No, but I wish these damn doctors would tell us how she is. It's been over an hour and she needs her mother." Marissa said almost crying.
"Don't worry, they're probably doing some tests and they'll probably come down when they're done. But now that the baby's born, we're all dying to hear the name you picked out." Kirsten stroked Marissa's arm as she was trying to pry the baby's name out.
"We have chosen a name…but we're going to wait until she meets the family to introduce you to her. " Ryan looked out the corner of his eye seeing the doctor walk into the room, his stomach dropped as he gulped.
"Mr. and Mrs. Atwood the baby's up in the NICU and we ran some tests but we're not sure of the results yet and probably won't be for a few more hours. The good news is, she's responding to the medicines to help her lungs develop quicker and she seems to be tolerating the ventilator. You and your husband are allowed now to go up and see her whenever you're ready, call the nurses and they'll be able to take you up. I'll be back later to check on all of you." He exited the room and everyone sighed a joy of relief.
The baby was okay, the doctor said so himself and as long as she's in the hospital's care she'll only get better and better. Ryan bent down to Marissa's side and kissed her cheek and she began crying. The news she had been waiting for since the baby was born was now confirmed and everything was all right. Instead of going immediately up to see her new daughter, she became scared and apprehensive not wanting to go up and see the baby. She wasn't ready to see the baby, tiny and struggling all because of her.
"Marissa, are you ready to see the baby?" Ryan asked her seeing the fear in her eyes, he was ready to see the baby he created but didn't want to leave Marissa's side.
"No…. yes…. I-I, I don't know what I want to do." She continued crying and Summer came to her side asking everyone to give her a second. Everyone cleared out of the room and Summer and her best friend had one of their talks.
"Marissa I know you're scared and I know you're confused about what's going on but you need to see the baby. She needs her mother and father and you need to start bonding with her right away and build that mother-daughter bond that you always dreamt of. Just think, you're baby will be coming home from the hospital soon and then my baby will be born. Imagine if my baby's a little girl and how they can play together and hang out together and be best friends just like you and I are? How wonderful that'll be? Suck up whatever you're feeling and go see that baby, don't be scared because you have all these people who love you." Summer began crying too and as they hugged everyone filled the room again.
"Marissa, have you decided on what you'd like to do?" Ryan stood next to Seth looking towards Marissa.
"Yes. I want to see our daughter." She looked up to Summer and gave her a smile. "Thanks Sum – I'm so lucky to have such an awesome friend." She hugged Summer again and Marissa reached for the call button on her bed stand and pushed it in.
Within seconds a nurse came into the room seeing what Marissa wanted.
"Yes?" She asked standing to her side.
"Can you take me up to the NICU, I'd like to see our baby now."
The nurse nodded her head and left the room to get some more assistance then started to wheel Marissa's bed down the hall to the NICU.
"We're here." The nurse proclaimed as one of the assistance pressed the automatic door opener and the doors swung open revealing little babies in incubators surrounded by doctors and their family members, stroking the babies soft skin or crying.
Ryan walked behind the bed feeling more nervous then he ever had, and his stomach in knots as he eyed the incubators trying to find his daughter. The nurse stopped the bed in front of an incubator that read on a white piece of paper 'Baby Atwood'.
"Oh my god. Our daughter."