Chapter Summary: Tensions run high between Lea's family and Debbie and Dr. Glassman in the hospital waiting room. Meanwhile, Shaun and Lea are nervous about bringing their baby into the world.
AN: So, here is the second part of the Dilallo Family Feud plot. Yes, I know, part of this chapter is basically a rip-off of that This Is Us episode (which actually inspired me to write this chapter because I wanted some interaction between Lea's parents and Dr. Glassman), but just enjoy anyway, please.
Dr. Glassman, Debbie, Pam, Mike, and Donnie all sat uncomfortably and impatiently in the cramped waiting room chairs of St. Bonaventure's maternity ward, anticipating the birth of Shaun and Lea's baby.
It had been 35 hours since Lea went into labor and 19 hours and 14 minutes since they all arrived at the hospital and also how long she has been in the painful, agonizing phase of active labor. It was now 4:35 in the morning; the second 4:35 am since Lea went into labor.
For the past 19 hours and 14 minutes, they were all experiencing emotions of apprehension, nervousness, excitement, exhaustion, boredom, frustration, and impatience. They would go to the hospital cafeteria to grab breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, take naps while sitting up in the chairs, use the restroom, or look at their devices or read whatever magazines and books the hospital provided in the waiting room. Sometimes, they would congratulate proud new parents who were being discharged with their babies or other people who were announcing the birth of a new relative to their families in the waiting room over the phone.
In fact, nine boring hours ago, a proud new grandmother was on the phone gushing to someone about how super fast and rapid her first grandson was born.
"Oh, that little boy was so ready to come out!" She bubbled with excitement. "Kelsey went into labor and that baby was coming so fast that she was already fully dilated when she was admitted! I can't believe that I'm finally a grandmama!"
However, they received no information regarding Lea; only receiving information about her labor via texts from Shaun. So far, all they knew was that Lea's water had to be broken for her, she was currently dilated to six centimeters, had a failed epidural that was finally working perfectly, and that there were no complications so far.
They all really hoped that serious complications wouldn't happen during the birth, as Shaun and Lea already had been through too much when it came to trying to have a baby - losing their first, a threatened miscarriage, hyperemesis gravidarum, gestational diabetes, and even mental health issues for both of them. Further complications or not, they at least hoped that Lea and the baby would be okay...and that Lea and Shaun would happily leave the hospital with their baby this time around.
Besides the anticipation and excitement of Shaun and Lea's baby, Aaron and Debbie felt like they were inconveniently caught in the middle of the irritating, ongoing family quarrel between Pam, Mike, and Donnie.
In Aaron's opinion, listening to Lea's family argue made chemo and radiation or even getting a colonoscopy without general anesthesia sound much more soothing and comforting. Even being in the delivery room with Lea and Shaun sounded more fun than being forced to listen to the Dilallo family drama.
This almost reminded him of being stuck in the waiting room with Lea while Shaun was stuck in a quarantined ER over the holidays. Just like at that moment, Shaun was going to be there for the delivery of a baby while Aaron was stuck in the waiting room with a Dilallo while softly at each other's throats. Except that this time, Shaun was the dad and not the doctor delivering the baby, Lea was the mom giving birth, he was with three Dilallos instead of one (and obviously one of them wasn't Lea), he wasn't waiting for any imaging results, and this obviously wasn't during a quarantine.
There would be periods of uncomfortable arguments and awkward silences for the past 19 hours. Right now, there was an awkward silence between all five of them.
Mike was taking a short catnap in the chair with his feet propped up on the seat towards the other side of him, Pam was sitting there doing nothing but yawning and staring off into space, Donnie was scrolling through social media on his phone, Debbie was skimming through the tabloids out of pure boredom, and Aaron just had his eyes glued to a boring Highlights magazine.
I really should get the hospital to update their magazines because this Highlights magazine is from June of 2012. 2012? Shaun was 20-years-old, he thought as he tried to solve the hidden image puzzle in the magazine that was even difficult for him to solve. And why am I reading this anyway? I'm not in pre-school! Well, Debbie doesn't even read tabloids and she's reading them right now.
The uneasy silence was then interrupted by the noticeable sound of Donnie's phone chiming.
"Who's calling you at 4:00 in the morning?" Aaron questioned groggily as he rubbed his eyes, the sudden blaring noise making him a bit irritable, which definitely matched Lea's "grouchy Glassy" nickname she granted him a few years ago. "Also, you should probably put your phone on vibrate."
"My boyfriend, Raul. He's asking me how I'm doing since my parents dragged me over here and wouldn't let him chaperone," answered Donnie sluggishly and cholerically, which earned him eye rolls from both of his parents. "I told him that my sister has gone into labor and he is wondering if my niece or nephew has been born yet. Also, it's 7:35 in the morning in Pennsylvania. It's a completely different time zone. Also, my phone is at 7%. Can I borrow someone's charger?"
"Why do you need your phone so bad right now, Donnie? Doesn't Raul have a job to worry about?" Mike groaned as he yawned, waking up from his nap. "Also, didn't you bring your own charger!"
"Yes, but he doesn't have to clock in until 9:00 am," huffed Donnie. "By the way, I left my charger at the hotel and I'm not in the mood for going back to grab it."
"Have you even thought about the consequences of dating someone from rehab?" Mike griped, his voice raising a bit. "Do you even know if he has been sober long enough? Honestly, I'm concerned that he might be one of the reasons you went into a relapse! Also, I'm not bailing you out of jail again next time if you get arrested for drinking and driving!"
"Because I thought he would eventually dump me and I had also run into Eric and the guy he dumped me for!" Donnie defended, trying not to burst into tears. "Raul had nothing to do with my relapse! He's been sober for so much longer than I have and he doesn't force me to drink! He only drinks water now! Also, part of my relapse had to do with my regret over what caused me and Lea to stop speaking to each other! There! Is that enough to convince you to trust Raul!"
"Then maybe you should have stayed with him in Hershey instead of came to San Jose with me and your mother to see the baby!"
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Maybe you should have used better words and made it not sound like I had to come to California when Lea gives birth! You should have made it sound like I actually had a choice!"
"Well, your mother and I wanted you to come with us because I'm concerned about you going through another relapse! I also think you and Lea should talk because your estrangement is breaking me and your mother's hearts!"
"Oh, please! When Lea lost the first baby, you were begging her to come back to Hershey and she didn't go because you said that she said that talking to other people who went through similar experiences helped her heal from her grief, so it means that you suck! I'm going to be blunt! You both suck!" Donnie yelled like a teenager yelling at his parents, springing from his chair and causing a scene…Nurse Shapiro and Vanessa the medical receptionist staring at all of them from the front desk.
Aaron and Debbie looked at each other and then back at Vanessa and Nurse Shapiro, pretending they weren't with these people and trying not to laugh or smile, although this wasn't really a laughing or smiling matter.
In Aaron's opinion, Donnie definitely looked like a male Lea with brown hair, hazel eyes, his jeans, and a t-shirt with a band name. He almost looked like Nick from New Girl. Although, he couldn't remember the actor's name.
"Excuse me! Michael Donald Dilallo Jr, don't you dare…" Mike stood from his chair and planted his hands onto his hips, clenching his fists.
"Stop it!" Pam snapped at the top of her lungs, loudly clapping her hands together to gain her husband and son's attention. "Both of you, knock it off! Look, we're all tired and cranky right now! Now look, you just caused a scene! Can we talk about this later!"
Donnie rolled his eyes and slumped back down in his chair, muttering under his breath. Mike did the same thing.
"Donnie, you can use my charger," sighed Debbie, unplugging the cord and then handing it over to Donnie. "My phone is already at 100%."
At 6:00 am, Donnie pulled himself out of his chair and then walked up to the front desk to ask the medical receptionist a question. His parents as well as Debbie and Dr. Glassman all seemed to be taking a nap in their chairs at the same time, so he thought he could sneak off for a bit. "Lea Dilallo or is it Lea Murphy? Or Lea Dilallo-Murphy? Shit! I don't know if she changed her last name, kept it, or combined it! What room is she in? Just look for a patient in the maternity ward named Lea...without the H."
Vanessa (that was the name on her Starbucks cup), the medical receptionist, took a glance at her computer for a minute and then answered Donnie's questions.
"She's still Lea Dilallo. She kept her last name. Anyway, are you family?" Vanessa asked suspiciously as she typed on the computer. "I know you're definitely not her husband because I already know who her husband is."
"Of course, she's my sister! She's the hospital's IT director for christ's sake!" Donnie snapped, immediately regretting his tone of voice. "Sorry, I'm just a little cranky and frustrated right now. You don't have to be mean."
"Room 314," Vanessa yawned as she took a sip of her Starbucks latte, obviously not pleased with Donnie's attitude. "Also, I'm sorry for sounding like a bitch. And now I know you are family because now I recognize you from the scene you caused earlier. Also most of us at the hospital already know her."
After hearing the room number and then rolling his eyes, Donnie pushed himself away from the desk and then made his way towards his sister's room, knocking on her door.
"Who is it?" He heard Shaun ask.
"It's Donnie, can I come in?" The man asked nervously. "I want to talk to Lea. You are decent enough, right?"
On the other side of the door, Lea was listening to her music, peacefully enjoying the effects of the epidural while Naomi massaged her back and Shaun watched the Weather Channel.
"Well, I am half-naked," jested Lea. "But I'm pretty much modest enough."
Shaun, Lea, and Naomi looked at each other and debated whether or not to let Donnie in, as Lea had no underwear on (she was covered with a blanket, though) and her waters had already broken twice.
"Why do you want to come in?" Shaun inquired, not wanting to leave his wife's side.
"I need to talk to her alone, it will only take a while," explained Donnie before Shaun and Naomi officially let him in to join them.
Once Donnie walked into the room, he observed that Lea was in a hospital gown and a hospital bracelet (and her surgeon husband was also wearing a hospital wristband). Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she was wearing a black elastic headband to keep her hair out of her face.
"I don't want to leave your side, Lea," protested Shaun, begging to stay with her. "I promised to never leave your side during the birth of our child unless I needed to take care of my basic human needs or get you some ice chips."
"Shaun, it's fine," heartened Lea, offering him a soft pat on his bicep as she removed her earbuds. "I would also love some ice chips anyway, so maybe you could go get me some, please."
"Okay," defeated Shaun, giving Lea a kiss on the lips before he and Naomi left the room to leave Lea and Donnie alone to have a chat with each other.
Once they were finally alone, Donnie decided to start up the conversation.
"You don't have to be embarrassed about being naked in front of me, because I have already seen you naked before," teased Donnie, a soft smirk forming on his face. "I've watched you get your diaper changed. Remember, we used to take baths together."
"Yeah, when I was two. You stopped taking baths with me when you were six and I haven't bathed with you since I was four," contradicted Lea, giggling a little bit. "That was totally different context."
"Look, I'm sorry about our fight in Hershey," apologized Donnie, taking his little sister's hand and cutting to the chase. "I'm also sorry about your previous loss before this baby. Also, tell Shaun that I'm sorry about what happened to his brother 16 years ago."
"You, jackass!" Lea griped, only half-joking as she lightly punched his shoulder. "I've been trying to reach out to you since my wedding. Each time I wanted to talk to you, you keep ignoring me! I've been wanting to make amends! All this time, I was assuming that you didn't want to be a part of your niece's life! All this time, I thought you hated me!"
"Hey, we're both kind of at fault for our long estrangement. I think we both should have talked it out afterwards. Lea, I'm sorry," sighed Donnie, staring downward. "I was trying to focus on myself and Raul, and he has been a big help with helping me get better…almost. I'm also really helping him. Also, I thought you and Shaun didn't know the sex of the baby?"
"I'm sorry, too," murmured Lea. "And sorry that I just made it about me…and I'm also sorry about everything that happened in Hershey and everything that has happened to you since Eric dumped you. It's just that I was so worried about you that I thought it was all my fault that you had a drinking problem and then relapsed. I thought it was my fault because I was dealing with my own personal shit. And yes, it's a girl. Shaun and I wanted to be surprised, but then the ultrasound tech accidentally revealed it to us, and we told everyone but Mom, Dad, and the rest of the family because we didn't want any pink stuff or giant baby bows."
"Okay, that makes so much sense," giggled Donnie. "I mean, seriously! Gender roles are stupid! Also, what is it with straight people and explosive gender reveal parties?"
Lea laughed in agreement with her brother, almost getting teary-eyed. "Shaun says the same thing, except he replaces 'straight people' with 'neurotypicals'!"
The siblings had a good laugh before Donnie decided to ask more questions, taking a seat on the hospital bed.
"So, how did Shaun win Mom and Dad over?" He asked, wanting to know how Shaun succeeded with that and hoping he could get Raul to do the same.
"He told me he stood up to them at their hotel and gave them a big lecture on how much we have both matured since we met, and that's pretty much it," replied Lea, shrugging her shoulders as she rested her hands on her belly and stared at the fetal monitor, grateful that her baby girl was still alive and could not see any flatlining.
"She's still alive," she sighed nervously, letting a tear fall and then wiping it away. "Shaun also says that her heart rate is normal right now. Nothing to be concerned about."
"Hey, she'll be okay," Donnie reached out and patted Lea's shoulder. "You're in good hands; you both are. Maybe you should continue listening to your music as a distraction. Also, I'm sorry that I called you a failure back in Hershey."
"Hey, I'm sorry I told you to go fuck yourself," snickered Lea.
"Also, how does it feel to become a mom soon?" Donnie asked out of curiosity.
"Honestly, now that she is about to come out of me, I'm scared…because no matter how much pregnancy sucks and no matter how much I know pushing her out is going to hurt, Mom said this is actually the easy part," breathed Lea, looking up at the ceiling. "And I know she is right. My belly is pretty much the safest place she will ever be. When she comes out, she'll have to face all the horrors of the world…and that scares me."
"I know I'm not a parent, but I'm sure it's worth it," reassured Donnie. "And you and Shaun have been dying to meet her and hold her…and she'll have a cool uncle."
"I guess that is the best you can do for me with reassuring me," exhaled Lea, looking like she was in slight pain.
"Are you okay?" Donnie queried nervously, which was followed by a wince from Lea as she breathed through the pain, not answering her brother at all.
"That was a contraction!" She yelped as soon as it subsided.
"What? But you got an epidural!" Donnie exclaimed with confusion.
"I think the epidural is wearing off!" Lea guessed, breathing heavily.
Right on cue, Shaun returned to the room with a cup of ice chips. "Sorry, it took so long," he apologized. "I accidentally dropped the first cup on the way back and had to get another one."
"That's okay, Shaunie," reassured Lea. "It gave me some time to fully make amends with my brother."
"Well, this was nice," chirped Donnie. "I'll leave you two alone. Also, Shaun, Lea says she thinks her epidural is wearing off."
"Thanks for letting me know," thanked Shaun nervously.
"And tell Naomi that she can come back in," requested Lea once Donnie took a step out of the room.
It was now 8:00 in the morning and there was still no baby yet. So far, the Glassmans and Dilallos did anything they could to pass the time for the past two hours. They bickered, played I Spy and Never Have I Ever, got snacks from the vending machines, and told stories. Part of it also involved the Dilallos annoying the Glassmans.
Donnie apprehensively sat in his chair in the waiting room, frantically and loudly tapping his fingers against the arm as he munched on the potato chips he purchased from the nearby vending machine while everyone else kept getting coffee from the nearby coffeemaker. They wanted to be awake enough to be able to meet the baby.
"So, what names have they picked out yet?" Donnie asked curiously, trying to strike up a polite conversation between the two families.
"Well, they were going to name him Steven Aaron if it's a boy," replied Aaron, although he knew that Shaun and Lea were going to have a girl, he still didn't blurt it out to the Dilallos as they were going to be the last ones to know.
"Let me guess," pondered Donnie out loud. "Aaron is after you, but I'm wondering why they want to pick Steven. I'm guessing they either just like the name or it's after Shaun's brother, because I heard his brother died young at the age of 12, or was he 11?"
"It's after Shaun's brother," clarified Dr. Glassman. "He had only been 12 for like a month when he died. They're still deciding on a name for a girl."
The truth was that Shaun and Lea already had a girl name picked out, except that it was going to be a surprise for everyone else…yet only Aaron, Debbie, and people outside of the Dilallos knew that.
"Well, since we're going to be here for a while," sighed Donnie as he reached into his pocket and grabbed something, which looked like a flask of whiskey.
"Son, where did you get that?" Mike asked, shocked to the bone.
"From the liquor cabinet at the hotel," answered Donnie as he chugged the flask down.
"God, damn it! Donnie," sobbed Pam, face-palming. "This is when you decide to have a drink?"
"My sister is in labor, and I'm pretty fucking nervous right now," sighed Donnie as he closed the flask and put it away. "Don't worry, it's just a one-time thing and I'm bored. I promise, I'll go to therapy. This is actually my first drink since my relapse. It's also celebratory because I'm about to be an uncle."
Pam and Mike rolled their eyes as they sulked in their seats, giving up on their argument with their older child.
It was now 8:35 am and everyone in the waiting room caught a glimpse of Shaun walking out (wearing a white t-shirt and pajama bottoms, which wasn't something he usually wore out in public) from the halls, excited to hear what had happened as they all expressed their smiles of anticipation.
"Lea didn't have the baby yet, she's still at six centimeters," Shaun uttered, which lead to everyone's facial expressions fading to disappointment.
"Then what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in there with her and supporting her?" Pam questioned, raising her eyebrow towards her son-in-law suspiciously. "She didn't kick you out of the delivery room, did she?"
"No, she didn't," Shaun answered, nervously stimming his hands together, his toy scalpel between them. "I mean, she did, but not because I did something stupid, which I didn't. The epidural wore off and Dr. Singh tried to give her something stronger, but she only got pain relief for 20 minutes. After that, she just gave up on trying to get pain relief. The doula is still with her, and Claire offered to sit with Lea for a while and take over and give me a break because she thinks I need it. Claire said she'll text me when Lea wants me back or when I really need to come back. Lea told me to take a break because she said I was looking overwhelmed and burned out."
"Well, to be fair, you do look very tired and overwhelmed," sighed Aaron, walking over to Shaun to give him a pat on the shoulder. "Do you want to talk to me? Alone?"
"Yes," replied Shaun, and then he and Dr. Glassman were headed off to the cafeteria for a while.
Once Shaun and Dr. Glassman got to the cafeteria while Debbie, Pam, Mike, and Donnie still sat in the waiting room, the younger doctor grabbed two Granny Smith apples to munch on as he hadn't had anything to eat for hours. He couldn't eat in front of Lea and he needed more energy to power through the rest of her labor.
"So, you're almost a dad," Dr. Glassman chuckled excitedly, clapping his hands in one beat. "This is a gigantic moment for anyone! Are you excited?"
"Yes, I am," conceded Shaun monotonously and unenthusiastically. "But, right now, I'm more terrified than excited. What if I'm not a good enough father? What if my daughter sees me as an uncaring father? Lea told me that those people from that Heartless Aspergers website are either just bitter women who were either trying to look for a scapegoat for their asshole husbands or failed relationships or either they just needed to work on proper communication and chose to play the victim in the whole thing, but I still can't get what I read on that website out of my head!"
"Shaun, my best advice is to just ignore those websites because they're toxic and biased. Also, Cassandra Deprivation Syndrome? That's one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard," Dr. Glassman rolled his eyes.
"And even if my daughter is autistic like me, I still have concerns because what if she has no friends or is picked on? What if a teacher refuses to accommodate her needs? What if someone tries to exploit her? The world is harder for women and also autistic people, which means that it is much harder for autistic women because they don't have neurotypical or male privilege. And if she is transgender or non-binary, that's also going to make life difficult. And it's not just autism, it's also difficult for women with all other disabilities," rambled Shaun, ruffling his hair in distress as he squeezed his toy scalpel. "I want to change that, but I can't!"
"Well, I was nervous about becoming a father the day Maddie was born. It's pretty normal to feel that way," sighed Dr. Glassman. "The best advice I can give you is that the best you can do is just be there for her. Also, there is one thing that will make your daughter's life easier that you didn't have, which was growing up with parents who love and understand. If she does have a bad day at school, she'll always have you and Lea to turn to. If your daughter inherits your ASD, she'll have a father who sort of understands what she is going through."
"That is one thing," exhaled Shaun, still expressing his apprehensiveness.
"Shaun, it's going to be okay," comforted Dr. Glassman.
The two were silent for a while before Shaun decided to change the subject. "It's Steve's birthday today. He would have turned 28."
"Yeah," lamented Dr. Glassman, a bit saddened that the younger Murphy boy would never know his niece. "And I think your daughter is going to share a birthday with her uncle."
"Yes, she will. Also, I think I'm ready to go back to Lea now," muttered Shaun, getting up from his chair and then pushing it in.
"Okay," said Dr. Glassman, following his surrogate son's lead and ready to go back to the waiting room with Lea's family and Debbie.
Right on cue, Shaun checked his phone once he heard it ding, noticing that Claire had sent him a text about Lea.
CLAIRE: Dr. Vargas just examined Lea and she is at 7 cm. I suggest you return.
"Lea is at seven centimeters," Shaun shared the text with his mentor. "She's entering transition, which means she is getting close to the pushing stage."
"Well, I guess that means you should definitely head back," smiled Dr. Glassman. "And good luck! I hope everything goes well!"
And then, Shaun headed back to Lea's room.
Shaun held Lea's hand as everyone in the room - Naomi, Claire (Lea had asked her to stay), Dr. Vargas, and Nurse Ella - prepared for the birth of their baby.
This may have been Lea's third pregnancy, but this was her very first labor.
After the painful period of the transition phase (which involved the most intense contractions, hot flashes, Lea vomiting twice from the pain, a lot of crying and pain-expressing noises, and everyone giving her reassurance that she's got this), it was now 7:59 pm and Dr. Vargas had just announced that Lea was ready to start pushing.
The couple smiled at each other, but then expressed their anxiety through their facial expressions.
"It's going to be okay," reassured Lea, looking at Shaun with love in her eyes. "We can do this!"
"Yes, we can do this," repeated Shaun.
"Alright, Lea, on your next contraction, I need you to push," urged Dr. Vargas.
Lea nodded in an understanding manner and then the most crucial moment began.
AN: Don't worry, Donnie will get better and I will cover it in later chapters. I hope you are all excited about finally getting to meet Baby Shea in the next chapter. Also, let me know what you think and please review :)