"John," Layla spoke softly as she gently shook John's head, which rested, in her lap. "John wake up," John snorted and he quickly shot up, with his eyes wide and suddenly alert.
"What?" John asked as he looked from Layla to Michael who now stood before them. "What's wrong?"
"Evangeline just went into labor," Michael stated.
"What?" Layla exclaimed as she and her mother, who had been resting in a nearby chair, stood clutching each other with fright in their eyes. "But she's in a coma, how…"
"Mother nature," Michael answered. "This kid is wanting to be born even if it's not ready yet."
"You can't stop it?" A very worried Lisa asked, and Michael shook his head no.
"John, I figured you'd want to be there, so you'll need to come with me and scrub up and change so you can be with Evangeline, and be there for the birth of your son or daughter."
"Daughter," John said as he began to follow Michael out, leaving the rest in the waiting room to pray.
10 minutes later:
"What is she doing?" John asked Michael as they watched one of the nurses stand on a stool over Evangeline, and push down on her abdomen. "Is she hurting Evangeline or the baby?"
"No John, she's just doing what Evangeline can't do, she helping to push the baby out."
"I see the head, just one more push please," Dr. Brooks instructed from her position in between Evangeline's legs, and the nurse pushed down again. "I got it," Dr, Brooks announced as she cradled the tiny baby, suctioning out its nose and mouth. "And It's a girl," She said before passing the baby off to the neo-natal nurses, who quickly assessed the baby taking her weight and measurements. "What's her weight?" The doctor asked.
"1 pound, 10 ounces," One of the nurses called out, and John let out a slight gasp when he heard.
"That's …that's really tiny," John stated and Michael could only nod.
"Yeah she is only twenty-eight weeks, but remember she's a McBain, full of our tough Irish blood. Not to mention she's a Williamson. And those Williamson girls are tough too and very strong-willed. So I'd say the odds are in her favor."
"Can I…"
"Sure, you can go see her, just try to stand out of the way while they work on her," Michael said as John gently released Evangeline's hand, laying it at her side. He then moved to the other end of the room where his daughter was being worked on while she lay in an incubator.
"You can touch her, just stick your hand in the hole there," A nurse said to him and he looked at her wearily. "It's ok she won't break," She said throwing him a sweet and understanding smile. John slowly stuck his hand in as instructed and rubbed one of his fingers over his daughter's tiny fisted hand. He smiled as fresh tears slipped from his eyes.
Hours had turned into days, days into two weeks and all that time found John at Evangeline's bedside. Everyone from Michael, Nora, Layla, and even Lisa took turns talking John into going home to shower and get some sleep. They always managed to convince him but he would be gone no more than a couple of hours, long enough to shower and change and then come right back to the hospital. Every time he entered Evangeline's room and saw her hooked up to a ventilator, he cringed and suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Upon entering the hospital he made his usual rounds first going to see his daughter and then to Evangeline to relieve either Layla, Nora, or Lisa who all took turns staying with Evangeline around the clock. Tonight it was Nora who he shook to awake.
"Hey John, what time is?" Nora asked as she stood and stretched a bit.
"8:30," John answered as he handed her the coffee he had gotten for whomever he'd find in the room.
"Oh, I need to get home," Nora said as she then sipped at the coffee.
"Yeah, I'm sure Matthew is missing you."
"No actually he's spending the weekend with his father, but I have some work I need to finish. I hadn't planned on falling asleep, but I really wanted to come and spend some time with Evangeline," Nora said as she turned and looked at her best friend with a heavy heart and sad eyes.
"Well, you go on home, I'm here to relieve you, and thanks Nora," John said.
"You never have to thank me, I love her, and I consider her part of my family. There's nowhere else I'd rather be," Nora stated. "You look so tired, John," Nora said as she finally took him in. "Did you get any sleep?"
Some…" John began to lie but saw the disbelieving look Nora was giving him. "No, I usually nap here, with Evangeline. I don't know I just sleep better here with her," Nora smiled warmly at him as she reached out and rubbed his arm.
"Well I'll leave you to it, sweet dreams to you both," She said as she turned and leaned over and placed a kiss on Evangeline's forehead. "But you don't dream too long ok?" She spoke softly to Evangeline and then headed out leaving John to take her seat at Evangeline's bedside.
"You heard her baby, don't you dream too long. We need you back here with us your mom and sister…our baby…and me. So please, please wake up soon," John said as he began resting his head on his usual pillow, which was Evangeline's now flat and firm belly.
She slowly opened her eyes but it took her a moment to focus, and as her eyes came into focus they scanned the room, everything was unfamiliar until they landed on the sleeping face of the man resting upon her lap.
She opened her mouth to speak but then quickly went into a panic when she realized something was obstructing her from doing so. When she lifted her hands to reach for the obstruction her sudden movements awoke John as he bolted upright and stared directly at her. When he saw her brown eyes staring back at him he jumped to his feet.
"Hey beautiful," He greeted in an excited tone and a wide smile as he reached out and stroked her hair. "I'm so happy you're awake. You just be still I'm gonna get Mikey, just stay awake ok?" John spoke as he moved to the door. "Nurse, could you please page Dr. McBain? Tell him my wife is awake," He called out to a passing nurse and then hurried back to Evangeline's bedside. "God, you don't know how happy I am to see your beautiful brown eyes," He said as he cupped one of her hands inside his own, and then raised it to his lips. "Thank you, thank you," He mumbled the prayer of thanks with his lips still pressed to her knuckles.
