Hello! I have the rest of this story that has been sitting in drafts for a year and a half. Figured I would post and finish this and one other story I have open since its already written.
Finn and Rachel had managed to drive down to Lima with very little drama for once. They timed their departure with Ella's nap, which actually worked out for once. She slept the entire time, the kids watched a movie, and Rachel snuck in a short nap as well.
"Of course the kids behave well on this trip and its going to be one of the last long drives before we move down here." Finn smiled at Rachel who was feeling a little bit anxious about it all.
"It's funny because when we bought our house in Cincinnati, we planned to fill it with kids. Now its finally full and we are moving out of it. Ironic huh?"
Finn smiled as he remembered when they first got the keys to the house, planning which room would be the nursery within the next year. Then his mind drifted to the heartbreak that followed.
"Things happen for a reason. Our parents are thrilled that we are moving back, and we can look for a house that fits our needs a little more. We don't really have enough room anymore, especially with two infants in the house in just a few months."
Rachel rubbed her swollen stomach. She still had trouble believing it was all real sometimes. How did she get so lucky?
That evening at Burt and Carole's it was hectic. Kurt and Blaine came over and Warner and Lainey were super loud running around the house. Zack was mad because Burt closed the shop early to come home and didn't want to take him back tonight. Willow and Ella were cranky, and Rachel was hitting her breaking point. She was over tired and wasn't giving herself enough rest. Often times she was so busy that she would forget she was even pregnant.
Once Kurt and Blaine left the older two kids settled down. Ella was snuggled in Rachel's arms on the couch, her tiny hand rubbing Rachel's neck as she started to drift off. Usually they had a pretty rigid bed time routine for her, but being out of town would throw that off anyways. Finn offered to put Zack and Lainey to bed. He always knew when Rachel needed some down time, and seeing her on the couch with Ella he knew that's where she needed to be.
"So Rachel, how many houses are you going to look at this weekend?" Carole asked as she sipped some hot tea. Finn and Burt had retreated to the den to watch some pre-season baseball.
"We are looking at 4. We really need at least five bedrooms so there wasn't a lot to choose from. We plan on this being our forever home, so I want it to fit our needs perfectly." She glanced down at Ella in her arms who was now fast asleep. "We really don't want the babies sharing a room right now since little miss here is not the best sleeper. Hopefully we will find something we like."
"I agree you need a lot of rooms. Will you have any more kids after this one?" Carole asked.
Rachel's eyes grew wide. That thought hadn't even crossed her mind. "I think we are lucky enough for this to happen once, I don't think it will happen again. Four kids under eight will surely send me to an early grave." Rachel laughed.
"I always wanted a big family. Lots of kids running around. I didn't have it as a mom, but as a grandma there is nothing greater. I love that this house will be filled with so many extensions of our family." Carole couldn't help herself. She is so happy that both of her sons have found such happiness.
Rachel stood up and rocked Ella to settle her back down before bringing her upstairs. "You know, I always pictured Finn and I with two kids. A boy and a girl 2 years apart. A mini him and a mini me. At one point I just prayed for twins in case we only had one shot at this. Isn't that crazy? How what we want doesn't come true, but in the end you get something even better?"
"I've found that we have to accept the heartache and embrace what the future will hold for us. For so many years, it was just Finn and I in our small little house. It was hard and lonely, but we made the best of it. I wish I had known then what was ahead for us both. I know you and Finn had such a hard time having a family, but look at you now." Carole rubbed Rachel's arm as she continued. "I think this is turning out better than you imagined it ever would be."
The kids were having trouble sleeping. They could not settle down in their room and the noise level kept increasing by the minute. Finn stayed downstairs to chat with his parents, so Rachel headed up to put Ella to bed and check on them. She could hear their chatter before she even opened the door.
"What's going on you two? Can't settle down?"
"We miss our beds." Zack said as he and Lainey sat up.
"Why are you in the same bed? There are two beds, one for each of you, so maybe that's why you can't get to sleep." Rachel sat on the end of the bed and waited for an answer.
"We used to sleep in the same bed all of the time," Lainey said as she let out a huge yawn. "I miss it sometimes."
Zack just glanced at Rachel, worried they would get in trouble.
"Okay, just maybe tonight isn't the best night to do so. We have a big day tomorrow for daddy's birthday at the zoo and you need to go to sleep. Next weekend at home you can have a slumber party ok?"
"Can you tell us a story? Like a made up one?" Lainey asked.
"I can do that. Why don't you go get in your bed and I'll get started."
Lainey walked slowly back to her bed while Rachel tucked Zack back in. She then went to Lainey's bed and tucked her in as well. Rachel then settled in and sat next to Lainey, leaning back on the headboard. They'd always requested books at night time, so making a story up on the fly might be a little difficult. Zack was too old for fairytale types and Lainey would get bored if it was too serious. She had to think fast.
She took a deep breathe and began. "Well I'm going to tell you the story of a boy and a girl. The boy was seven and the girl was four." Through the dim light in the room, she could see Lainey's eyes grow wide. Zack laid on his side so he could see Rachel's face.
"This boy and girl had to be very brave every day. Braver than the other kids their age. Sometimes they were happy, but sometimes they were very worried and sad. The boy was older than the girl, so he made sure she was always safe. He took care of them and made sure they had food and were always clean."
Lainey still hadn't caught on, but Zack was definitely onto Rachel.
"One day, the boy and the girl were so so brave and they had to go live with a new family. This was very, very scary. The new family didn't have any kids at all, and they were strangers."
"Were the strangers bad people?" Lainey asked.
"No," Rachel continued, "They were good people, but the kids were scared. They hadn't lived in another house with a new family in while and they weren't sure what to do. They wanted to go back to the old place they lived in. The boy kept trying to take care of the sister, but the new mom and dad wanted him to be a kid. He was angry about that."
Zack listened intently, waiting to see what Rachel said next.
"When they first went to live with their new mom and dad, they were very mad. They screamed a lot and cried and tried to run away, but their new mom and dad didn't give up. They loved them so much. The boy and the girl had to learn how to be kids. Kids that have fun, make friends, and are safe. "
Rachel paused to see both kids relaxed but still listening. "It wasn't easy at first. They missed their mom a lot. They felt confused. They wanted to like their new mom and dad but were afraid of making their mom sad." Both kids were now listening in complete silence, not moving a muscle.
"Slowly, they began to trust their new mom and dad. They even got a new baby sister that came to live with them too!" Rachel could feel Lainey's body relaxing next to her. "Now they have a great big family and get to have parties and sleep in a safe house every night. Their mom and dad are so happy they have this little boy and girl to love forever."
Lainey had drifted off by the last word. She pulled her blanket over her shoulders and slowly walked over to Zack. "You settled down now?"
Zack yawned in response. "I really liked that story."
The next morning the house rumbled with commotion as they prepared to go to the zoo. Of course Finn hadn't chosen the zoo, the kids had, but these days nothing was about he or Rachel. It was all about the kids and providing them all of the opportunities they could now that they were being adopted. Once they returned in the afternoon, Rachel's dads were coming over to spend time with the kids and help Carole and Burt out. She loved that their parents got along and it really was nice to have so much help with the kids.
It was chillier when they arrived at the zoo than they had planned for. Ella had to be bundled up in her stroller, but didn't seem to mind. She hadn't been out of the house much so all of the new scenery to look at kept her quiet. Zack and Lainey were totally fine and were in awe of the things they saw. They had never been to the zoo before. If Rachel had the choice, they would have done a lot of this when they first arrived in June, but they were too unpredictable at that point. She remembers their first outing to the Fourth of July celebration that ended in disaster. Taking them to public places was not the top activity on their list for quite some time.
The kids and Finn took off, leaving Rachel to feed Ella and make some phone calls for their appointments later. Her back was killing her. She was doing too much and she knew it. There just wasn't much time for herself anymore. She settled in at a picnic table in the sun to warm up. Ella kicked her tiny feet as Rachel picked up her out of the stroller. "Oh someone is happy to see me today huh?" Ella cooed back to her mother in reply.
30 minutes later she sees Finn walking towards them with Lainey on his shoulders, Zack trailing behind holding two giant panda balloons. All three of them were wearing the biggest smiles she'd ever seen. She took a quick picture on her phone before they got closer.
"We saw a Lion eat a huge piece of meat!" Zack exclaimed as he sat next to Rachel. "It was awesome!"
Finn swung Lainey off of his shoulders and she took her own balloon out of Zack's hands. "Daddy bought us these after we saw the pandas! I've never had a balloon like this before." Lainey glanced above her head as she pulled the string to the balloon up and down.
"Well it seems like Ella and I missed a lot! Good thing she's a baby and doesn't know all of the fun she missed out on!" Rachel placed Ella back in the stroller and bundled her up. "Is everyone about ready to head home? Did you see everything?"
Both kids furrowed their brows. "Do we have to go? I wanted to see all of the animals again and the Tigers were sleeping when we went by." Zack kicked a pebbled around between his feet as he waited for an answer.
"How about we swing by the tigers one more time and then we head out? Everyone is going to be coming over while Finn and I go look for our new house ok?"
Both kids seemed satisfied with that answer and skipped off in front of them.
"This birthday hasn't been so bad" Finn exclaimed. I haven't been to the zoo since we went with Warner on his first birthday, but its totally different when its your own kids. They're so smart you know. They wanted to stop and read all of the information about every exhibit we stopped at."
Rachel's heart swelled hearing Finn talk about Zack and Lainey. Sometimes she worried if they would be able to fully bond with the kids, but so far its been quite the opposite.
She took a few more steps before she felt a sharp pain in her back. She didn't even realized she had verbalized her pain until Finn interrupted.
"Are you okay? I've never heard that sound come out of you before."
Rachel rubbed her right side with her hand. "Yeah, just some back pain. It's normal in pregnancy as your body grows. I probably should rest a bit after this though."
"Are you sure? Let me push the stroller for you ok?"
Rachel wasn't worried at all, just found the pain completely inconvenient. She needed to slow down but with three small kids she found it almost impossible.
Rachel was exhausted. Maybe they shouldn't have planned to house hunt after a day at the zoo. All she wanted to do was sleep. Her energy levels were up most days now that's she is further along in her pregnancy, but today she was wiped out. Her back had started to hurt at the zoo, and she felt like she had been hit by a truck. She can't imagine how she'll feel when she's further along.
They were working as their own realtors and this was a great way to see the properties in the area since they'd be opening up their branch here at the end of summer. Rachel knew her involvement in the beginning would be minimal, having a baby so soon after they opened this summer, but she wants to do what she can.
It was surreal driving around these neighborhoods, remember which friends lived where, etc. The first two houses were big enough, but weren't kid friendly and didn't have big back yards. They've seen enough houses throughout their careers to know what will work for them. The third house was looking promising. It was located right in between both parents houses, and about 15 minutes from Kurt. They could only hope the inside would be equally as good.
When they pulled up Rachel immediately loved it. It was a beautiful white colonial with navy shutters and a red door. It looked like it was out of a magazine. "Oh Finn, look at this house."
"Right? I'm hoping this is the one. I knew you'd love the front. It has a pool too and its already gated!" Finn hoped this would be the one.
When they walked through the front door she just knew. The dark hardwood floors had just been redone. The main floor was open and airy with access to the kitchen. She'd be able to see all of the kids from any viewpoint of the main floor. There was also a large office off of the family room that they would both be able to work out of. Down in the basement was a guest room and bath, and a large finished area that was already set up as a playroom.
"I can see the big kids spending a lot of time down here." Rachel said as she went up to the second floor. Upstairs were four bedrooms and a large master bedroom at the end of the hallway. It was perfect. Each set of bedrooms had a bathroom in between.
"It's like this house was made for us right? It's the perfect set up!" Finn said as he pulled open the bathroom cabinets. "Plenty of space for everyone and everything. I think the two rooms closest to us should be for the babies though don't you think? Easy access?" Finn hugged Rachel and rubbed her stomach as he pulled away. "Ella is going to be evicted from our room to let this little one have some space in our room for a while."
Rachel sighed . She knew the next few years were going to be very hectic around this house. "I think we should buy this. I don't want to bring the kids by just yet, we will need to prep for that, but this is OUR house."
Finn agreed. This house is perfect for a family of six. "Let's put in an offer."
Back at the Hummel's things were going well. Hiram and Leroy had come over to help and dinner was on the table by the time Rachel and Finn had returned.
"You're back!" Lainey screamed as they walked through the front door. She rushed up to Finn and jumped up into his arms. "Did you find a house?"
Everyone in the room turned to hear the answer. "We did! Hopefully we can bring you all by in a few weeks once its ours ok?"
"YAY!" Lainey shouted as she ran back to sit at her place at the table.
"You'll all be happy, the house is right in-between both of you." Rachel said to both sets of parents. " And only a short drive from your Uncle Blaine and Kurt!"
The volume in the room grew loudly as everyone asked about the house and what the plans were.
Finn and Rachel sat down to eat as they shared the details. "Well there are enough bedrooms for all of the kids, the downstairs layout is great, and there's even a basement that the kids can use as a playroom too." Zack's eyes lit up with excitement.
"I think it will be the perfect place for us to settle down for good." Rachel smiled at the kids who seemed to be taking the news well. "Being near family will be the best part of it all."
She could hear footsteps enter their room as she was just drifting off to sleep. She could tell it was Zack because Lainey was never that quiet even when she tried.
She scooted over to make room for him next to her in the bed. He crawled in slowly and laid his head on her pillow. "I don't want to leave our house. It's my first one."
Rachel's heart sank a little. Every time she thinks they've nailed handling things with the kids, they always seem to keep them on their toes. Of course he didn't want to leave his house. It's his safe space.
"You know what? I'm sad about leaving our house too. Finn and I have been there a long time. It's also where we first met you and Lainey." She could feel the tears on her hands as she rubbed his face. "But you know what? Moving doesn't change our family. We will still be the same even if we are living somewhere else."
Zack let out a sigh. "What about school? What if the kids don't like me or think I'm dumb?"
Rachel immediately regrets not talking to the kids more about this. She'd have to let their therapist know. Oh and the kids will need a new therapist once they move. Zack was right, it was overwhelming. "Zack I know you are nervous and scared, but I promise everything will be okay. Haven't I promised to keep you safe? And love you no matter what?" She felt his head nod against the pillow. "That will never change. When we move you can help me decorate your room, we can go visit your school before the year starts, and do whatever things you want to do to make you feel better about it."
She kissed Zack's forehead and continued, "Now you need to get back to bed. You promised Burt to help him at the shop in the morning and he will be up early waiting for you." Zack gave her a quick hug and hopped out of bed back to his room with Lainey. Although exhausted, Rachel vowed she would never turn her kids away when they need to talk. She knew that little bit of time was all Zack needed to be able to sleep tonight.
Ella woke up around 3 am, which she hadn't done in a few weeks. Finn offered to get up and feed her, since he knew Rachel needed the break. That and the fact that not even a second after he told her to go back to sleep she was snoring.
He quietly went downstairs to make a bottle and settled in with a fussy Ella on his parents couch in the den. He flipped the TV on to the sports highlights and muted it so the baby could eat with less of a distraction. He remembers all of the nights he stayed up in this den way too late playing video games or watching movies. He remembers Rachel sneaking in the back door when they were on breaks from college and making out on the couch in here until the sun came up. It's a full circle moment as he watches Ella drink her bottle with her eyes closed. Her tiny fingers brushing Finn's arm for comfort.
She had started doing this a lot. When she was tired or relaxed, she would rub their skin for comfort. It was a way they knew she was settled. Even though she had been a hard baby, they knew her from her first day of life. When the older kids had arrived, they didn't know a thing about them. They had to learn what comforted them by trial and error, since they didn't even know themselves.
He heard footsteps coming towards the den. He figured it was Rachel, but was surprised to see his mom instead.
"Is she giving you some trouble tonight?' Carole sat down next to Finn and brushed the soft curls on Ella's head.
"Just a little. She's way easier to calm down now that's for sure." He readjusted Ella up onto his shoulder and pulled her pink blanket covered in grey kittens over her body. It was quickly becoming her favorite. "This will be our lives for a few years with another baby on the way, so hopefully she sleeps better once the new little one arrives."
"I still can't believe Rachel is pregnant. After all of that time and money you spent to try and get pregnant. It's truly amazing."
They are so busy with the daily routine of the kids, that he forgets what it will like not even a year ago for them. Last year for his birthday they came down to Lima and stayed out way too late with Kurt and Blaine. They ended up sleeping over because they didn't get home until after 2 am. Now here he was up feeding his infant just a little later than they went to bed last year.
"It's wild isn't it? Rachel is pregnant with our fourth child, not our first. It was such a hard pill to swallow, especially for Rachel, when we decided to stop trying to have a baby. I know she poured her heart and soul into Zack and Lainey when they came, partially to distract herself, and partially to prove that she was worthy of being a mom." Finn patted Ella's back to keep her from waking back up. "She's been amazing. I need to remind her to slow down though. She complained her back was hurting most of the day so next week I think I'll look into hiring a nanny or someone to clean the house for her. She needs a break and I'm working a lot to prepare to open our new branch."
Carole was so proud of her son and how he and Rachel have embraced their new family. "I can always come up and help a few days a week until you move down too. I know this little one can be a handful during the day even with the big kids gone at school".
The drive home Sunday night was long. Ella was cranky and cried off and on most of the way. Zack and Lainey had not wanted to leave Lima, so they were fighting in the back seat over every little thing. They pulled into the driveway around 7. Rachel's back was killing her and she wondered how she would make it through tomorrow since Finn had to work.
She took a crying Ella and the kids into the house and threw a frozen pizza in the oven. Finn unpacked the car and put everyone's bags in their rooms. They had the teamwork part of parenting down, but it still didn't make it easy. He brought Ella's bottle upstairs as Rachel finished her bath. She winced in pain as she stood up.
"Hey, give her to me. Go lay down. I don't like that face you just made." Finn grabbed a towel covered Ella out of Rachel's arms and watched her walk to their bed.
"My back just hurts that's all." Rachel tried to downplay it, but her back hadn't hurt this badly since she fell down the stairs a few years ago.
"Let me feed her and get her settled. You rest. The kids are eating pizza right now. Do you want any? "
Rachel shook her head as she slowly readjusted herself. "No, but could you bring me up a glass of water in a few?"
"Sure can," he said as he laid Ella on the bed to get her dressed. "Let me put her downstairs and I'll bring it back up."
An hour later Rachel didn't feel right. She had been resting while Finn got all of the kids settled for the night, including Ella who was asleep a few feet from her. Finn was downstairs cleaning up, so she decided to shower and see if that changed anything.
She crept slowly to the bathroom, trying not to wake Ella. Once behind the closed door she turned on the water and began to get undressed. That's when something caught her eye as she took off her pants. Red blood stains in places she never wished to see them.
She frantically sat on the toilet and wiped to see that the toilet paper was covered in blood too. Her heart began to race as she panicked. This can't be happening.
She ripped off the underwear and jeans that were now stained crimson and ran into the bedroom to get some new underwear and leggings. Her hands were shaking as she rummaged through her drawers. How had she not felt this? Why didn't she pay closer attention to the back pain? What had she done wrong?
Rachel didn't realize she was crying until tears started to hit her cheeks. It was a Sunday night. Should she call her doctor? A sob escaped her mouth just as Finn walked in.
"What's wrong?" he whispered in the dim room. "Is Ella okay?"
Rachel took a deep breathe in-between her cries. "I'm bleeding. I think I'm losing the baby."
Finn felt his heart fall into his stomach. Rachel had the look of pure terror in his eyes. "I'm calling Puck to watch the kids until my mom can drive up here. We're going to the hospital." Finn disappeared out into the hallway, leaving Rachel alone.
Rachel didn't know what to do. Should she rush and hurry? Should she walk slowly? Will any of this make a difference? She finished getting dressed, trying not to wake Ella who miraculously has slept through the commotion in the room. Finn returned quickly and guided her downstairs.
"Do we need to bring anything with us? Like a bag or something?"
"Just grab my purse Finn. Anything else can wait." Rachel was thankful the kids were asleep because them leaving to go the hospital would have scared them. "Help me to the car so we can leave when Puck gets here."
Puck arrived within ten minutes, Finn giving him a brief update before he joined Rachel inside of the car.
"He said he will call Quinn if anything happens, but I told him the only one who might wake up is Ella and to give me a call if he needs help."
The drive to the hospital was quiet. Both of them lost in their own worries.
"It's too early Finn. I'm only 14 weeks. It's too early." Rachel barely opened her mouth as she spoke, afraid to say anything else.
Finn grabbed Rachel's hand tightly, unsure of how to make this situation better. He felt completely helpless.
"I knew this was too good to be true. I let myself be happy too soon. I knew I shouldn't have been so damn happy about it. How are we going to tell our parents? And the kids?" Rachel could feel herself losing control. She had tried to pretend she wasn't worried everyday. She had acted like everything was fine. It was fine, until it wasn't.
"Shhhhh. Let's just get to the hospital and see what's going on. Maybe everything is fine." Rachel let out a loud sob. Finn wished he believed his own words as well. He doesn't know much about pregnancy, but he knows what's happening now isn't normal or good. He hoped the words he spoke to his wife ended up being true.
The ER was quiet for a Sunday evening. They waited about 30 minutes until she was called back. They asked if they should go to labor and delivery, but apparently only patients beyond 20 weeks get sent there. Rachel knew why. Her baby had no chance of surviving right now if it was born. No need to waste anyone's time.
She watched as the nurse put down extra padding on the bed to absorb the blood once Rachel laid down. She took the pink gown and started to change once the nurse left and had been instructed to get directly into the bed with her feet up.
"Want me to help you?' Finn asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure what to do.
"No I got it." Rachel answered sternly.
She crawled up into the hospital bed and Finn covered her legs with the sheet and blanket. She rested her hands on her slightly swollen belly, knowing it wouldn't be there much longer. A wave of sadness hit her and the tears fell so fast down her cheeks she didn't even bother to try and catch them.
Finn moved his chair next to the bed and handed her a tissue. He rubbed her arm and stayed silent. There was nothing he could do to calm her down and he'd by lying if he was internally freaking out right now. He knows they have three kids waiting at home for them, but they'd also tried so many years for a baby and he didn't want that to be taken away.
"I'm just so sad you know? At least I know I can get pregnant, but what did I do wrong? Everything was fine at our last appointment. You were there."
"Why don't we see what the doctor says ok? Maybe its nothing." Finn still was holding onto a tiny bit of hope that things were okay.
"There's too much blood Finn. You saw. You saw how much blood there was. Text your mom to see if she can drive up and help for a few days. I'm sure I'll need to be resting."
He noticed her tone of voice change. It was almost detached, like she had already tried to mentally prepare herself for what's ahead.
Fifteen minutes later a doctor and a nurse arrived with an ultrasound machine in tow.
"Hello Mrs. Hudson, I'm Dr. Turner." the male doctor said as he opened her chart. " I see you came in for some bleeding today. According to your chart you are 14 weeks along. Is that correct?"
Rachel nodded. She rubbed her belly again, afraid she might forget what it felt like.
"Okay have you had any previous bleeding before?"
"No, just today. My back was hurting a lot as well."
The doctor wrote some things in the chart as the nurse looked at Rachel and smiled. The air in the room was tense. He continued to ask some formality questions and didn't seem rushed in the least. There wasn't much to say This was her first pregnancy, no prior complications. Her unexplained infertility didn't seem a concern to him.
"How long is it going to take me to miscarry?" Rachel blurted out.
"Did someone come in here and tell you that you were having a miscarriage? Nothing has been confirmed to my knowledge." The doctor flipped back and forth in her chart with a furrowed brow. "Why don't we do an exam and an ultrasound? I'm also going to order some bloodwork. I know blood is scary, but you're past the first trimester so maybe there's another reason for it. Let's take a deep breath so Nurse Kelly here can do a quick blood draw and take some stats."
Finn was relieved to hear the doctor explain that it could be something else. Rachel looked over at him and reached her free hand out for him to hold. "Hey baby let's just see what comes out of this okay?" He kissed her hand as her tears began to fall again. He had seen these tears so many times before, but this was breaking his heart.
The doctor first examined her bare stomach, pushing gently and asking if there was any pain. Thankfully there wasn't.
He turned the ultrasound machine on and placed the cool gel on Rachel's stomach. Both she and Finn had their eyes glued to the screen. At first they couldn't see anything, but then it appeared. Their baby and its beating heart.
"Ah there's your baby. Safe and sound. Heartbeat is 157."
Rachel felt her entire body shaking. How can this be real? "How? How is the baby still alive?"
The doctor smiled never leaving his gaze onto the screen. "Here's the issue," and he pointed to a section below the baby. "your placenta has moved and started to pull away slightly and is now down partially covering your cervix which is causing the bleeding. It's a condition known as Placenta Previa."
"Is it dangerous? Will it hurt the baby?" Finn asked without even skipping a beat. He just kept staring at their little miracle moving on the screen.
The doctor continued taking measurements on the screen. "It can be but for now I'm ordering bed rest and will be admitting you to the obstetrics floor for further monitoring. Once checked in up there they will run some more tests and tell you more about it. Your baby is doing fine but you need to take it easy. I'll put in the request for transfer and you should be moved to another floor in an hour or two."
Rachel remained quiet, feeling relieved but still worried. She knows they just showed her the baby alive and moving, but she felt strange. Almost as if she didn't want to believe it would all be fine in case it all ended abruptly. Finn told Puck he'd be home in a few hours once Rachel was checked in and his mom was going to drive up in the morning.
Two hours later, Rachel was moved to the fourth floor and was admitted. She had never stayed in a hospital overnight besides when Ella was born and that was such a blur. She sent Finn home to relieve Puck and be there for the kids in the morning. Rachel didn't want them to wake up without them there. They went to sleep with both parents at home and she didn't want them to be scared, especially Zack.
The door opened and she saw a friendly looking nurse walk in with a tray rolling in front of her. "Hello! I'm going to be your nurse for the night. My name is Amy and I'm going to get an IV started and get you settled in okay?"
Rachel adjusted herself in the bed so she was sitting up a little more. She was honestly afraid to move at this point because she didn't want anything to trigger any bleeding.
Once her IV was in they gave her some fluids and brought her some soup for dinner. She didn't feel like eating, but did so for the baby. She knew today took a lot out of the both of them. She was only allowed to get up to use the restroom, and had to call a nurse for help since she was attached to an IV.
Around 10pm her nerves had calmed. Her nurse was very calming and helped her to the restroom and talked her through what to expect over night. The bleeding was expected to slow down if she followed doctors orders. Once settled into bed, she called Finn to see how things were going. Of course all of the kids were asleep and his mom was driving up in the morning. He would come by after. She didn't want to bring the kids in just yet. No need to worry them.
She didn't sleep much. Amy kept coming in to check her vitals and her bleeding, Rachel was worried about the kids waking up to realize she wasn't there, and of course she was worried about the tiny life in her womb. How would they make it to October when this baby would be ready to be born?
Ella woke up right on time at 6 am. She kicked her feet wildly when she saw Finn appear above her bassinet.
"Did you have a good sleep princess?" Finn asked as he picked her up. "Let's get you changed and fed before the rest of these crazy kids wake up."
Finn was way more comfortable with Ella now that she was happier and more predictable. He set her down on her playmat while he made a bottle and could hear her cooing at the toys hanging above her. His mom sent him a text that she'd be arriving around 7:30, so he could at least get the kids set up for the day before he went to see Rachel.
He hadn't heard from her since last night, so he hoped that meant that things were going well. Finn had tossed and turned most of the night thinking about what had happened. The doctor hadn't seemed super concerned, but then again what was happening wasn't normal. He had never seen Rachel so terrified, even when the kids first came to live with them. Finn hoped that expression never crossed her face again.
Ella happily ate her bottle as the big kids slowly woke up for the day. They both immediately noticed Rachel was gone.
"Where is mommy? She always gets us ready for school." Lainey asked.
Shit. He had forgotten about school. "Mommy wasn't feeling well last night so she went to the hospital for a little bit."
Both kids eyes grew wide. "Is she sick? Why did she stay there? Is she coming home soon? Who will make my lunch?" Zack began to panic.
Finn wasn't thinking before he blurted that out. Lainey began to cry and Zack began to hyperventilate. He put Ella down on her playmat, which immediately set her off and she began to scream. The entire house was in chaos in under a minute.
Finn scooped up Lainey who was now hysterical. "Mommmmyyyyyyyy. I want mommmyyyyy." She cried on Finn's shoulder. He sat Zack down on the couch to try and calm him down.
"Zack I need you to take some deep breaths ok? In...and out..." Finn modeled the breathing with Zack. "Rachel is fine I promise. They wanted to make sure the baby was safe." He realized this wasn't a time to rush them, and that Rachel being gone unexpectedly probably brings up feelings from their past that aren't pleasant.
His mom came through the door to quite the scene. Seeing Finn on the couch with the two older kids, she ran over to Ella to pick her up and soothe her. She made eye contact with Finn, hoping he would tell her what to do.
"Oh look, Grandma is here! Grandma, can you take Ella into the kitchen and make Zack and Lainey some lunches for school today? We are going to have a quick talk."
Carole nodded her head and made her way to the kitchen. Ella seemed better now that she was being held, so she did her best to make lunches only using her free arm.
Finn knew he needed to get the kids off to school so he could head out to the hospital. He had a few work appointments later in the day, so he had to figure out how to handle the kids. He didn't want to call Rachel, hoping she was still asleep.
"Okay you two. How about this? After school if Rachel feels okay, we can go visit her. Does that sound good?"
Lainey shook her head as she stifled back her remaining tears. "Are you sure she's okay? She's going to come home right?" Zack asked.
"I promise. Let's eat some breakfast and head off to school. I promise we will go see her right after I pick you up this afternoon."
This seemed to appease them for now, although the two remained almost silent the rest of the morning.
The kids were late to school. Finn was blowing it this morning but wanted to get to Rachel to see how she was holding up. When he got to the room, she was sitting up in bed, a tray of food sitting in front of her.
"Hey! You're here!" she exclaimed as she took a bite of her fruit. "How did the kids do this morning? And I'm guessing your mom arrived?"
Finn walked over to Rachel, kissing her gently on the head. "The kids freaked out that you weren't there. Like majorly freaked."
"Even Zack?" Rachel asked wide eyed.
"He started to hyperventilate," Finn answered. "I told them we could stop by after school if you were feeling up to it."
Rachel teared up thinking about her kids being so upset. "Of course I want to see them. The doctor said I should be able to go home tomorrow on bedrest. If your mom can't stay for a little while maybe one of my dad's can come. I don't know how long bedrest will last."
"I'm sure we can work something out. Don't stress over it right now. I'll handle everything."
Finn was trying to save Rachel from stressing herself out over this, but he knows this is going to be difficult. Rachel handled almost all of the kids daily activities since Finn worked outside of the house. This was going to take a lot of help, and he wished they could move down to Lima sooner than later.
"I'll call Puck and have my files dropped off at the house. I can work out of the house for now, and only leave when going to showings, etc. Or I can have someone help out. I'm sure our parents will step in too. We will do what we have to for you and this little one right here." Finn rubbed his hand over Rachel's small bump, Rachel placing her hand on top of his.
"Thank you baby. I don't want to have a scare like this again. I'll call my dad's and we can coordinate something until I am cleared to at least walk around."
Finn ran home while Rachel napped to check on his mom and Ella. His mom kicked him out soon after, assuring him she had it handled. Then he went to the office, packed up what he would need and had Puck arrange everything else. The day flew by and soon he had both kids in the car and were headed to the hospital.
"Is mommy okay?" Lainey asked quietly. "I made her a card at school today!" Lainey pulled out a piece of pink construction paper, folded in half, with flowers drawn all over the front. "See daddy!" She held it up so Finn could see it in the rearview mirror.
"Wow Lainey, she will love that!" Finn saw Lainey's eyes light up. He also could hear Zack digging through his backpack, pulling out a piece of paper. "Did you make something too Zack?"
Zack nodded. "I just wrote her a note. I miss her."
The kids held Finn's hands as they rode the elevator up to Rachel's floor. They all had badges on that said "visitor" that they were handed when they check in. Zack fiddled with his as the elevator door opened.
"She's in room 504" Finn announced as he guided the kids alongside of him.
A nurse was in the room checking Rachel's vitals when they opened the door.
"Hi!" Rachel said as the kids approached the bed slowly. She realized how strange this must be for them to see her like this. "I'm okay I promise." She saw their faces relax a bit. The nurse excused herself and Rachel invited the kids up onto the bed. "Just climb up gently. You won't hurt me."
Finn helped Lainey up next to Rachel, while Zack climbed up and sat towards Rachel's feet. "I made this for you!" Lainey shouted as she shoved the card in Rachel's face.
"Wow I love it Lainey. Thank you!" Rachel studied the front of the card covered in flowers. When she opened it she saw a picture of a woman and a young girl holding hands.
"It's you and me mommy!" Lainey hugged Rachel's side gently, carefully avoiding the IV attached to her arm.
Zack reluctantly handed over his card to Rachel. "I made one too. My teacher said it would help me to stop worrying today." The outside of the card read "Get Well Soon" written in his writing in blue crayon. The inside of the card had a note from Zack. "Dear Mom, I hope you feel better. I miss you. Love, Zack."
Although it was a simple gesture, coming from Zack on his own meant so much to Rachel. She didn't want to cry in front of him, knowing he had been so upset this morning, but she was truly touched. "Zack this is really really nice. Did you write this yourself?" She knew he had been making great improvements with his reading and writing. He shook his head yes and cracked a smile.
"Can I give you a hug?" Zack asked as he moved up on the bed.
"Of course you can! I've missed you both!" Rachel accepted Zack's gentle hug, remembering all of the times Zack refused to even interact with her just months ago. "I have good news too! I can go home tomorrow!"
Finn was so relieved. He hated the thought of Rachel being here all alone. Now they had to figure out how to get through an adoption and a move with Rachel being out of commission for a while. Never a dull moment these days.
Hopefully someone is still reading but I'll finish regardless. It's bothering me that I have a few stories left open ended :)
