A/N: I don't really know the procedure for putting the ID bands on newborns, so if I get it totally wrong, let's just chalk it up as fluffy fiction and go with it. :) Thanks to everyone who sent a review of the birth chapter - you guys are the best! It was SO hard deciding boy or girl, there were so many great directions I could have gone either way.We'll see where this all leads now... :)
On a side note, how many of you in the United States have seen the newest issue of TV Guide, the one for February 27 through March 5, 2005 with CSI on the cover? There's a one page write up about why DJE is leaving JAG. Seems he was willing to return for an eleventh season, but CBS wasn't interested in keeping him around! Read the TV Guide piece if you get a chance, it's a few pages from the front. Be warned, though, there's a picture of Mac with Lt. "Young and Handsome", AND the piece ends with a statement to the tune of "there'll be a surprise in May to tie up Harm and Mac's relationship, but don't pick out any wedding gifts just yet." I've got a baaaaad feeling about this... :(
Enough of that, now on with the way things SHOULD be...
Chapter 37:
The doctor cut the cord and placed the baby upon Mac's chest. The nurse quickly covered her with a blanket and began drying her off, and before long she let out her first cry, which made her parents cry again.
"Listen to her" said Harriet, wiping away a few tears of her own.
"Hi, baby" said Mac, "I'm your mommy, yes I am, and that's your daddy, and we love you so much…"
"Sorry to have to do this, ma'am" said the nurse, "but I need to take her from you for just a few minutes."
"No" said Mac, not at all ready to let go of her baby.
"It's OK, Mac" said Harm, "they'll bring her right back. They're just taking her across the room to clean her off and get her weight and footprints and stuff." Reluctantly, Mac let the nurse take the baby.
"You can come along if you'd like, sir" said the nurse. Harm looked down at Mac.
"Go ahead, babe" she told him.
"You sure?" he asked.
"Harm, go, it's fine" insisted Mac. She knew without a doubt that he wanted togo with the baby, and after all he'd done to help her through the delivery, she figured he'd earned a little break.
"OK, but if you need me, just speak up" said Harm. He kissed Mac once more and followed the nurse over to the other side of Mac's room. She laid the baby on a clean, dry blanket beneath the warmer and dried her off some more.
"Hey, hey" said Harm as his little girl whimpered and cried. "It's OK, daddy's here, baby."
The nurse carried the baby over to the scale. She pressed the reset button and waited a few seconds, and when the screen read "0.0", she laid the baby on the scale.
"8 pounds, 12 ounces" said the nurse. "You've got a big girl here, sir!"
"I'm sure her mother will agree with you there, lieutenant" laughed Harm. He called over to Mac, "Hey babe, guess what she weighs?"
"Oh, 50 pounds perhaps?" joked Mac as Dr. Mianni finished doing a few things to her.
"Not quite that much" laughed Harm, "but she's big! 8 pounds, 12 ounces."
"I believe it!" said Mac. "How long is she?"
"Don't know yet" said Harm, "that's next."
The nurse removed the baby from the scale and placed her back under the warmer. She placed the baby's head flat against the top end, stretched her little body out straight and looked at the measuring marks on the side of the warmer.
"22 inches, sir" said the nurse.
"Hey Mac" said Harm, "22 inches long!"
"Well, she's definitely got the Rabb height!" laughed Mac.
"OK, little girl" said the nurse, "let's get the bad part over with so we can wrap you up all nice and warm."
"Bad part?" asked Harm, a wave of fear pouring over him.
"Yes, sir" said the nurse, "I need to stick her heel and get a few drops of blood, just a routine PKU test to make sure she'll be able to digest her food properly, nothing to worry about."
"OK" said Harm. Part of him wanted to go back over to Mac so he wouldn't have to watch his sweet little girl get stuck, but the daddy in him decided to stay. He cringed as the nurse grabbed the baby's foot and stuck her heel.
"Shhhh…" he said as the baby wailed, "I know, daddy doesn't like needles, either."
"What's wrong with her, Harm?" asked a very worried Mac.
"She's OK, babe" he replied, "she just doesn't like having her foot stuck with a needle."
The nurse applied the baby's blood to the test card, then put a bandaid over the tiny needle mark.
"All done" she said.
"Good" replied Harm. "I know I need to get used to things like this, but you know…"
"I know, sir" said the nurse with a smile, "you're still kind of new at this."
"Exactly" replied Harm. "What else do you need to do to her?"
"I need to get her ID band put on" said the nurse, "and get her footprints, and then she's all yours."
"OK, great" said Harm. The nurse pulled a card out of Mac's chart and filled in the blanks. Harm watched her as she wrote: Name: Mackenzie, Baby Girl. DOB: 14 SEP 05. Time of Birth: 1244. She then took out a black ink pad, opened it, and took the baby's right foot in her hand.
"This won't be near as bad as that needle stick, sweetie" she said as she pressed the tiny foot against the ink pad and then onto the card. She repeated the same steps with the baby's left foot, and when she was done, she set the card aside, and looked up at Harm.
"Would you like me to do your shirt, sir?" she asked him.
"What's that, lieutenant?" he replied.
"Would you like me to put her footprints on your shirt, sir" said the nurse, "as a keepsake kind of thing?"
"Yeah!" said Harm, "That'd be really great."
"Alright, sir" said the nurse, "if you'll step a bit closer here, I'll take care of that for you." Harm moved nearer to the infant warmer, and watched as the nurse put his daughter's feet into the ink again, one at a time, lifted her up and placed a perfect pair of footprints on his shirt, right over his heart.
"How's that, sir?" asked the nurse as she laid the fussy baby back down.
"That's just great, lieutenant" said Harm, "thanks."
"You're quite welcome, sir" replied the nurse. She walked a few feet away to the computer, and entered in the information from the ID card. Soon thereafter, a few pages came out of the printer, and she gathered them all and returned to where Harm was standing over his little girl.
"OK baby" she said, "let's see that little ankle of yours." She popped the smallest ID band from one of the freshly printed pages, and placed it around the baby's ankle. She then looked at the two larger ones still on the page, and popped out the one she was looking for.
"May I have your right arm, sir?" she asked Harm.
"Oh, I get one too, huh?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes, sir, you sure do" she answered as she fastened the band around his wrist. "There's no such thing as too much security."
"Agreed, lieutenant." said Harm. He looked at the band to see what it had on it. The first line had a six-digit number, underneath that it said "Mackenzie, Baby Girl". The next line said "DOB: 14 SEP 05." The next, "Time: 1244." The last line had Mac's doctor's name, "Mianni."
"I'll be right back, sir" said the nurse as she popped out the last ID band from the page. "I'm gonna go put this on the Colonel."
"OK" said Harm.
The nurse returned momentarily, and got out a diaper, a cap and a few clean receiving blankets from a drawer beneath the warmer. She diapered the baby with record speed, put the tiny knit cap over her head, and swaddled her securely in the blankets.
"Here you are, sir" she said, holding the newborn out towards Harm. "You can take her back to her mother."
"Oh, OK" he replied. He carefully took the tiny bundle in his arms, and fell instantly in love. Completely, madly, deeply in love.
"Hi, beautiful" he said as he gave his little girl a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Shall we go see how mommy's doing? Yeah? OK, let's go."
Harm carried the baby back over to where Mac was. Dr. Mianni had finished up her post-delivery duties shortly before, and Mac was now in a clean gown and resting comfortably on nice, dry sheets.
"Hey" she said as Harm approached. "How is she?"
"Oh Mac" he said with a proud smile on his face, "she's just perfect. How are you?"
"For starters" she said, "tired, sore and hungry."
"I'd imagine so" said Harm, "that was one hell of a long day."
"Yeah" she said, "but totally worth it."
"I know" said Harm, "she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, aside from her mother." Mac smiled and blushed a little bit. She didn't feel very beautiful right then, but she knew in his eyes, she was and always would be.
"What are we gonna name her?" asked Mac.
"Oh boy" replied Harm, "how about we table this decision for at least a few more hours? I think we're both too tired to really get into that right now."
"Agreed" said Mac, "but we have to do it soon, I mean, she's here!"
"We'll do it soon, babe" said Harm, "don't worry, she won't go through life as 'Baby Girl Mackenzie'."
"Is that how they have her listed?" asked Mac, looking at her own ID band. "Sure enough, it is. Her last name is Rabb, though, why do they have Mackenzie on there?"
"The nurse said that they always list newborns with the mothers last name" explained Harm, "but that when we fill out the papers for her birth certificate, we can put my last name on there and it'll be official."
"Oh, OK" said Mac. "I just didn't want there to be a problem with giving her the right last name."
"There won't be" assured Harm.
"What's that on your shirt?" Mac asked.
"Oh" said Harm, moving the baby a bit so Mac could see everything, "the nurse stamped the baby's footprints on my shirt as a keepsake. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Very" replied Mac. "Right over your heart, I see."
"Yeah, well" smiled Harm.
"It looks nice" said Mac, "it's not covering any of the Navy logo, either."
"Nope, she did it just right" said Harm. "Hey, do you want me to go get you anything to eat?" he asked her. "Remember, I promised once you had the baby, anything you wanted was yours!"
"I know you did, babe" she said, "and I'm definitely hungry, but I'm thinking the little one there will probably be hungry shortly and I want you to be here for that."
"OK" said Harm, "well, whenever you're ready to eat, just tell me what you want and I'll go get it."
"Deal" said Mac, laying her head back against her pillow. "What time is it anyway? My internal clock has no idea which end is up after all that."
"It's almost 1:30" replied Harm. "My folks should be here before too much longer. Hey, where are Mattie and Harriet?"
"Harriet went home to sleep for awhile before getting up for work" said Mac, "and Mattie went down to the waiting area to sleep until your folks get here."
"Did Jen and Sturgis leave?" asked Harm. "Surely they did by now."
"I'm assuming so" said Mac, "I think Mattie would have come back and told us if they were still down there. It's fine, I know everyone will be back to see us tomorrow. Go ahead and sit down if you want to, babe."
"I'm OK right here" he said as he stood next to the bed and cradled the baby in his arms. He rubbed his finger against her cheek, then leaned down to kiss it. As he did, the baby began to fuss.
"Oh, baby, don't cry" he said in a soft, sweet tone. "Daddy's got you, you're OK…"
"I wonder if she's hungry?" asked Mac.
"Well, we haven't learned her different cries yet" said Harm, "but I'd say it's altogether possible. You wanna give it a try?"
"Yeah" said Mac as she sat up a bit more in her bed and lowered the left side of her gown. "OK, lemme have her, babe."
Harm handed Mac the baby, and she gave her a little kiss before positioning her the way she'd learned in class. It took a couple tries, but before long…
"Hey, she's doing it!" said a very excited Mac.
"She sure is" said Harm as he sat on the edge of Mac's bed.
"Wow" said Mac, "this feels so…I don't even know."
"Does it hurt?" he asked her.
"Not really right now" she replied, "but it probably will pretty soon and for a few weeks." Just then, a nurse came in to check on the new family.
"Everything going OK, ma'am?" she asked Mac.
"Going great" said Mac. "I am doing this properly, right?" The nurse stepped closer and looked to make sure the baby was positioned properly and that both mother and baby were comfortable.
"Looks like you've already got it down pat, Colonel" replied the nurse. "Keep doing it just like that and don't hesitate to call for one of us if you have any problems."
"OK, I will" said Mac, "thank you."
"I think she's got your appetite, babe" laughed Harm.
"Why do you say that?" asked Mac.
"Well, look at her!" he replied. "She's totally chowing down, and I'm betting if you moved her away from the bar there, she'd have a full-blown fit."
"I see" said Mac jokingly, "so you think I eat like that, huh?"
"Sometimes" said Harm, "yes!"
"Speaking of eating" said Mac, "when she's done, I'm ready for something."
"What kind of 'something' would you like, my love?" asked Harm.
"I'm so hungry for a burger" she answered, "a big one with everything on it."
"Are you sure you're allowed to have something that big?" asked Harm. "Maybe we should ask and see just how much they want you eating right now."
"Oh, you're probably right" agreed Mac. "Go see what they say."
"I'll be right back" said Harm. He walked down the hall and checked with Mac's nurse, and returned within a few moments.
"Good news, babe" he said, "you can have whatever you feel your stomach can tolerate, but nothing too greasy or spicy."
"Damn, no burger" said Mac as she repositioned the baby just a touch. "Umm…lemme see…"
"What about a sub sandwich?" suggested Harm.
"Yeah, that sounds as good as anything I guess" said Mac, "plus there's a Subway right around the corner that's open 24 hours."
"You want your usual?" asked Harm.
"That'll work" she replied.
"You want me to go get it now?" he asked.
"Actually" said Mac, "I think she's done eating, and I have to pee really bad, so why don't you take her and burp her while I take a bathroom break?"
"You'll have to show me how" said Harm, "but sure, I can do that."
Mac carefully moved the baby away from her breast and handed her to Harm.
"OK, go grab a burp cloth out of the suitcase, please" said Mac as she pulled the shoulder of her gown back on.
"OK, got it" said Harm. "Now what?"
"Now come sit over here in the rocking chair" said Mac, "put the cloth over whichever shoulder you want her on, then put her up on your shoulder and pat her back."
Harm put the cloth over his left shoulder, then carefully moved his daughter around and up on his shoulder.
"Like this?" he asked.
"Just like that" said Mac. "Now just pat her gently until she burps."
"How long will that take?" asked Harm as he began patting the baby's back.
"As long as it takes!" said Mac with a laugh. "Some babies are easy to burp, some take all day."
"Oh boy" said Harm. "OK, I've got it under control, go to the bathroom before you explode."
"I'm headed there now" said Mac. "You sure you're OK with her like that?"
"Yes, Mac" insisted Harm. "I'm fine, now go!"
"Yes, sir!" retorted Mac, giving Harm the same mock salute he so often gave her.
"We're fine, aren't we, baby girl?" said Harm as he slowly rocked in the chair. "Do you know how much I love you? I don't think you do, but let me tell you, it's a lot. Of course, I love your mommy an awful lot, too, that's why we worked so hard to bring you into the world. Hey, there you go, that was a good one!"
"Did she burp?" asked Mac as she returned from the bathroom.
"Just now" said Harm, "she's got the manners of a sailor for sure!"
"Goofball" laughed Mac.
"Do you wanna take her so I can go get your sandwich?" asked Harm.
"Yeah" replied Mac, "as much as I hate to take her away from you, I really do need to eat."
"OK" said Harm, "do you wanna get back in the bed or sit here?"
"I'll sit there and rock her for a little bit." said Mac. Harm stood up and let Mac get settled in the chair before handing her the baby.
"I'll be right back" he said, kissing Mac's lips before heading for the door.
Mac sat in the chair, staring down at her daughter, their daughter. "Do you know how much I love you?" she asked the tiny angel as she slept. "I love you a whole lot. I love your daddy a whole lot, too, and once you get to know him, so will you, I promise. You've already got him wrapped around that tiny little finger of yours, but he wouldn't have it any other way."
By the time Harm arrived with Mac's sandwich, both she and the baby had fallen fast asleep in the rocking chair. He grabbed the camera off the table, where Mattie had left it after the delivery.
"This is too good to pass up" he said to himself as he snapped a picture of them together before sitting down in the recliner next to Mac and falling asleep himself.
A/N: Oh, how I wish this would really happen for them!