Title:
Stress
Characters: Sara, Frank Tancredi
Rating: G
Summary: She caused him stress even before
she was born.
Author's Notes: Because we need some fics where
Sara's father isn't a total jerk.
'How long is this man going to talk?'
That thought kept repeating itself in Frank Tancredi's head as he sat in a big office room with all of his colleagues in a big office meeting. His strict boss of two years headed that meeting and he was in one of those modes where he just keeps going on and on about the issue at hand. Just get to the point and deal with it. Stop dancing around the subject and just take direct action.
Frank's inner rant was interrupted by a knock at the door. Everyone looked up to see the secretary step in half way through the door way with her mousy disposition.
"Excuse me..." she barely got out two words before Frank's boss exploded.
"We're in the middle of an important meeting! Do not interrupt us!"
The secretary shrunk back in meekness. "But sir, it's important." She turned to face Frank. "Mr. Tancredi, your wife is in labor."
"What?" Frank stood up abruptly from his chair. His wife was not due for another two weeks. This would be their second child.
"Tancredi, SIT DOWN!" Frank's boss yelled, slamming his hand on the table.
He turned to the angry man in disbelief, his own anger building. "Did you not hear her? My wife is having a baby!"
"The labor process takes hours. We still have time to finish this meeting."
Frank's eyes widened even more with disbelief. How cold hearted could this man be to refuse another man to be there at his child's birth?
Frank's wide eyes then narrowed into two slits of a glare. A vein began to pop on his forehead in annoyance and rage.
"No."
"No?" His boss's face showed the tiniest bit of bemusement.
"I meant 'No, I am not sitting down.' I am going to the hospital to my wife. To my child." And with that, Mr. Tancredi began walking out the door.
"Tancredi, if you walk out that door, you will never walk back through it ever again," his boss threatened.
"So be it."
He slammed the door behind him and he could hear the clapping and the applause from his co-workers at his actions. No one had ever stood up to the boss before. Frank sort of liked the feeling of being praised for his strength, for righting a wrong and standing his ground doing what was right.
-
A speeding ticket and fifteen minutes later, Frank Tancredi was at the hospital. He found his eldest daughter sitting in a chair, outside a hospital room. A nurse was silently comforting her, for she looked rather worried.
"Rose!"
Little Rose looked up to see her disheveled father jog up to her down the hall. She met him halfway and hugged his legs.
"Dad, something's wrong with Mommy!" She cried, wetting his black slacks.
"What?" Frank looked to the nurse with worried eyes.
"There were some complications. The doctors had to perform a C-section, but she's hemorrhaging." The nurse said woefully.
Frank choked on his breath and hugged his daughter tightly.
"The doctors are doing the best they can to ensure that your wife and the baby will be fine." Her voice lacked confidence and cracked.
"Nurse, we need you in here!" a doctor called from inside the room.
"Excuse me, please wait out here," the nurse said leaving Frank and Rose in the waiting area.
"Daddy, is Mommy going to be okay?" Little Rose asked. "What about my baby sister?"
Frank didn't know how to answer her. He didn't want to lie to her and tell her that everything was going to be all right, because even he wasn't sure. What he was sure was that if he lost his wife and his baby today, heads would roll.
The next few hours were the most painful and stressful for Frank, as he paced around the room waiting to hear from the doctor about the condition of his family. Rose was sent back home to stay with her aunt because it was getting very late. The extra time to his self made him think about his current situation. He was out of a job at the moment. How would he be able to provide for his family? For a new baby? Of course that wouldn't matter if the baby didn't make it...NO! He couldn't think such thoughts.
Finally the doctor came with the news.
"We managed to stop the bleeding. Your wife is fine and she's now in recovery," the doctor said.
"And the baby? Is the baby all right?" Frank asked with a giant lump in his chest
The doctor smiled. "See for yourself." He stepped aside to let the nurse from earlier walk up to Frank and hand him his newborn baby girl. Any amount of stress or worry that Frank felt disappeared the moment he laid eyes on her.
"Congratulations, she's very healthy," the nurse said with a grin.
Frank let out a huge sigh of relief as he took a hold of his child. His eyes began to water at the corners as he cradled her softly to his chest. He smiled down at the wriggling child in his arms. Her pink flesh looked so soft and she looked so fragile. He would never have imagined that such a tiny thing would cause him to worry so much.
"Hey there baby Sara," Frank cooed to his new daughter, "do you realize the amount of stress you caused me today?"
Sara turned her head slightly and she cooed back a little bit.
Frank smiled. "Don't ever make me stress out or worry like that ever again, do you hear me young lady?" He said jokingly.
In reply, Baby Sara's tiny eyes just twinkled.