Turns out Beth severely overestimated what kind of property she could afford without printing money. She still had a little left over from from the sale of the lot but not enough to last her if she was gonna take sometime of from work after the baby was born. So her and her girls turned back on the printing press.
They all agreed one more big run and that was them out of business.
She'd managed to find an apartment within her current wasn't in the best part of town but had enough space for her and the kids. It was definitely a downgrade from their previous home but Beth loved it anyway. It was hers. She had gone from living at home with her mother and Annie to living with Dean. She'd never had anywhere that was just hers before. It was nice.
The apartment building was rundown on the outside but the apartments themselves were surprisingly well kept, it was small, considering there was going to be six people sharing the space but not enough so to make her feel claustrophobic.
With only 3 bedrooms the kids had to share, she groaned thinking of the arguments that caused. Kenny, threw a fit when he found out he had to share a room with Danny.
The kitchen/living room was an open plan space right as you opened the apartment door, with the bedrooms in back.
The real draw for Beth was the fact the kids could still go to their old schools. It would add an extra 20 minutes to the commute in the morning but it was more than worth it for the kids to keep some normality.
Her belly had finally seemed to 'pop', at 29 weeks, there was no mistaking the fact Beth was having a baby.
"Anne."
"Nope.
"Allie, works for a girl or boy."
"I'm not naming the baby after you." Beth said, this had been an ongoing argument with Annie. Every pregnancy she'd petitioned for the baby to be named after her.
"I named Ben after you, Sadie Elizabeth, you could let me name one kid, you've got enough of them." Annie sulked.
"He changed it." Beth shrugged.
"That's not my fault!" Annie protested.
"Girl stop." Ruby sighed. They had been having the same conversation when she left on a wine run 15 minutes before. "We both know she's not naming that baby after you."
Annie grumbled under her breath.
"Isn't that right little Ruby." Ruby cooed in the direction of Beth's stomach causing Beth to laugh.
"I swear to god Beth-"
Beth cut of whatever dramatics Annie was gonna start. "I'm not naming the baby after any of you, it's its own person, it gets its own name."
"Stop calling it, it." Annie protested. "Baby B can hear you."
Beth shot her a dark look.
"Don't look at me like that, this is your fault, if you'd found out what you were having like a normal person we wouldn't be in this position."
"I have not had enough alcohol for your sister to be making sense." Ruby sassed taking a seat next to Annie handing her a wine glass.
"Surprises are nice." Beth protested rubbing her baby bump where the baby was kicking away.
"Weren't you surprised enough you got knocked up by gang friend or when he came back from the dead." Annie snorted into her glass.
"We gotta get you a filter." Ruby shook her head.
"Pfft, overrated."
Beth had the gender written down in an envelope stored in her bedroom drawers but there was no way she was telling Annie that, it would turn into a whole thing and Beth didn't want that.
Beth didn't even know why she'd accepted the idea by the ultrasound technician. The women had said it was a good idea for gender reveal parties and she was so enthusiastic Beth hadn't had the heart to say no.
She liked the idea of a good surprise for once.
"This is going to be a good surprise." She stated.
"Unless it's a boy."
"Annie! I'll buy you a muzzle, I swear to god."
Beth just laughed not taking Annie seriously. She knew she didn't mean it. "Well, I already have two of each so it makes no difference either way."
Jane really wanted a girl, Emma and Danny were on team boy and Kenny barely spoke to Beth right now, still angry with her for the divorce.
"Boys are easier." Ruby stated. "Girls..." Ruby trailed of taking a large drink from her glass.
"Kenny's freezing me out right now." Beth said raising her apple juice in toast with Ruby. "Boy's are just as hard."
"Ben's amazing. Your kids just suck."
Ruby and Beth sent a glare Annie's way.
Annie rolled her eyes drinking deep. "Okay, he's going through this thing right now where he questions absolutely everything I do and it's driving me crazy."
"Always knew that boy was smart." Ruby said.
"Yeah, yeah, how's Sara's life of crime progressing, she shivved anyone in the school yard yet?"
"You guys think your kids are bad? I've got four," Beth stressed. "And another on the way. Oh, and I'm a single mother."
"I'm a single mother." Annie protested.
"Yeah, to one kid."
"Should have kept them legs closed." Annie fired back.
"Pretty sure we told you that at 15." Ruby muttered.
All three women laughed.
"I needed this." Beth admitted.
"Me too." Ruby said.
"And me."
"What am I going to do with another kid, you guys."
It had been weighting on Beth's mind the last few days since the kids left to stay with Dean for the weekend. She was in her 40's, in the middle of a divorce, and completely on her own in this.
"Feed it, change it, let it sleep. Done." Annie assured her.
"I've never done this on my own before."
"Please," Ruby rolled her eyes. "Dean took like two weeks when Kenny was born and I think he popped into the hospital with the rest."
"Plus, you've got us." Annie chipped in.
"Oh that's a given." Ruby assured. "I've already told Stan I'm moving in for the first few days after the baby comes."
"You can't," Annie whined. "I was planning on moving in, I'm going to tell work I've got mono so we'll have a week at the least, I could probably stretch it out for two."
Yeah. She'd be okay, Beth smiled watching her sisters arguing.
Being a hundred weeks pregnant it was decided Beth wouldn't be washing the cash, she'd be too conspicuous. Annie and Ruby took over that role, but with both having full time jobs as well as families they weren't able to wash as quick as Beth could make.
They needed to enlist more people. Rio was no longer a factor since he had been paid off. They would move small amounts, not enough to be on his radar. Seemed fool proof.
Except they didn't exactly know where to find criminals without robbing a store.
This wasn't something she could post on one of her many parenting forums.
That is until they were thrown a life line in the form of a disgruntled removals agent.
Her divorce was the gift that kept on giving.
Dean agreed that while he kept the house, she should get the furniture, well what would fit in the new apartment anyway. Beth had chosen to take most of the kids bedroom furniture, living room furniture and all her kitchen utensils. Wasn't like Dean was going to need cake tins.
All she had to do was find the moving company.
Six phone calls and the cheapest quote later and she had movers.
One week later she had a furnished apartment and a new employee.
Funny how life works.
"But I like this team." Jane whined, Beth knew she was on the verge of crying and after an already stressful day and had needed to pee for the last ten minutes, that was dangerous territory for a pregnant women. She had no time for the dramatics.
"This one is too far out of the way." Beth snapped, Jane had been having the same argument with her for the last week. "We'll find a team closer to home."
If she was honest, yeah it was further out of the way than Beth would have like but she would have make the journey to every practice and every game, put up with the whispers behind her back and the fake sincerity to her face if it wasn't for one factor.
Marcus.
She had thought Rio would have pulled him from the team as soon as he'd realised it had ultimately been her doing that Rhea had signed him up.
She was wrong.
Beth had completely forgot about the little boy joining the team with everything else that was going on in her life, until a few weeks ago she had spotted Rhea picking up Marcus as she pulled out of the parking lot with Jane.
It was like a bucket of ice being poured down her spine.
She'd nearly given her secret away with one stupid mistake. If she'd been a couple of minutes later all hell would have broke loose.
She decided then that Jane had to quit the team. Her and Dean had spoken about it and it had been decided that Jane could play until the end of the season and Dean would do drop offs and pick ups.
Beth had reluctantly agreed.
It had worked out well for the first few weeks, till Dean was... Well Dean,and bailed out at the last minute leaving Beth to collect Jane from practice.
She'd been paranoid ever since she set foot out of the car, she had even arrived early to pick Jane up so there was no chance of a run in but of course that just made Jane irate.
"We're just getting good."
They were terrible but Beth would never tell her daughter that.
"And any team would love to have such an amazing addition to their roster." Beth assured.
"It's too late to join another team. I don't want to join another team. "
"You'll be fine," Beth dismissed. "You've still got till the end of the season."
"No!" Jane protested letting go of Beth's hand and steeling herself.
Beth could see her car parked just ahead of them. "We'll talk about this when we get home, I still, need to pick up your brothers and sister."
Jane shook her head. "That means no."
"Jane." Beth warned.
"No mommy, I like my team, I like all of my friends, I don't want another team."
"Baby, you'll, make new friends."
"I don't want new friends!" Jane screeched.
Beth could feel the judgemental stares of the other parents like knives in the back.
"Get in the car."
"No!"
"Get. In. The. Car."
"No."
"You have till I count to 3." Beth warned trailing off.
"Or what?" Jane sassed throwing her hands up in the air. "You'll keep me home from soccer practice?"
Beth had enough grabbing Jane's arm she started dragging her towards the car.
"Just because you're getting a stupid divorce." Jane screeched scratching at Beth's hands trying to free herself. "I hate you!"
Beth dropped her hand in shock. Jane began to back away rubbing at her wrist. Beth felt like she had been punched in the gut when she noticed the action, she hadn't grabbed her too hard... Had she?
"Baby..."
"I hate you." Jane sobbed.
Beth felt her own tears gather in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.
"I know." Beth whispered taking slow steps towards Jane, finally reached her, she reached up and began wiping the tears that were falling down Janes cheeks away.
Her daughter crumpled even more, reaching for Beth as she sobbed in earnest. "It's not fair."
"I know."
"I want to stay with daddy," Jane sobbed breaking Beth's heart. "I want to stay on my team."
Standing in the middle of the slowly filling parking lot, holding her heartbroken daughter, Beth was at her lowest. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry baby."
Beth held her a moment longer. "Why don't we see if auntie Annie can pick everyone else up and you and I can go get some ice cream?"
Jane squeezed Beth tightly before letting go. "Two scoops?"
"Two scoops." Beth confirmed, coaxing a smile from the young girl.
"Deal." Jane agreed wiping at her tear stained face smiling up at her mother.
Beth wished she had even an ounce of Janes resilience.
"Okay, go wait by the car why I call Auntie Annie." Beth shooed a smiling Jane.
The phone rang a couple times before an out of breath Annie picked up "Yeah."
"I need you to pick the kids up." Beth said skipping niceties.
"Why?"
Beth sighed. "Jane had a meltdown after practice, I'm gonna take her for ice cream."
"Damn, that's out of my parenting book." Annie sniggered.
"Ha," Beth rolled her eyes. "I want to talk to her and I can't with the rest of the kids there."
"Mommy look at me." Jane shouted doing some elaborate twirl in the slowly filling up parking lot, that just looking at her made Beth feel sick.
"Well done baby." Beth cooed absentmindedly but it seemed to be enough to appease Jane that went straight back to her impromptu ballet lesson.
"Why doesn't deansy pick them up." Annie grumbled but Beth knew she'd still drop whatever she was doing to go pick up the kids.
"He's working."
"Banging his secretary again more like." Annie muttered.
"Nothing to do with me anymore." Beth shrugged not really caring. "Can you do it or not?"
"Yeah, yeah, send me the details."
"Already did."
Beth clicked end call before Annie could squawk indignantly at her for presuming Annie would do it. Looking up from her phone she couldn't see Jane, shaking her head she made her way to the car. Jane was her... Free spirit, less reserved than the rest of her siblings it wouldn't surprise Beth to find her chatting away to someone.
"Jane." Beth called looking around halfheartedly knowing she couldn't have gotten far.
Well...
It was Jane. Anything was possible.
As a toddler she'd somehow gotten out the house and gone to the house two doors down to play with their dog when Beth had taken her eyes off her for a second.
"Ja-" Beth went to call out before she stopped seeing her daughter in the opposite direction of their car practising her cartwheels. Beth didn't know how she had the energy after football practice but smiled at the sight.
She slowly started in her direction, giving Jane some more time, to just be care free, be a kid.
As she got closer Beth could see Karen Richards car make its way into the parking lot, the gossip around the park was Karen's husband had finally had enough of her drinking and had kicked her out. Beth couldn't find it in her heart to feel sorry for Karen, her mother was a Karen, constantly drunk and forgetting the fact she had kids. Beth watched on wearily, picking up her speed in order to get to Jane quicker, if she got caught by Karen there was no way she'd make it out of the parking lot before everyone else. Jane looked up at that moment and smiled at her mother as she made her way to meet her.
Beths heart stopped as Karen veered in Janes direction. Beth dropped her bags and ran as fast as her pregnant body would allow.
"Jane no!" Beth screamed stopping Janes smile, Beth could see the confusion on the girls face but she still continued towards her mother as Karen continued on her patch towards Jane.
It happened so fast that Beth didn't have time to think just react. She reached Jane seconds before the car, quickly throwing her out of the way before she was thrown over the car.
Beth woke to a horrible ringing in her ears, her head felt like she'd been 10 rounds with Tyson Fury, worse than the time her and Ruby got wine drunk and she had thee hangover from hell the next day.
The buzzing in the background suddenly seemed to get louder as the world started to come back into focus.
Right.
She'd been hit by a car.
Someone had hit her with a car.
Beth could hear someone calling for her but she couldn't pin point who. She wanted to tell them she was fine, to reassure this unknown person that she'd be fine.
Beth tried to sit up but quickly realised that wasn't a good idea as her ribs protested. Loudly. It was probably best anyway, the adrenaline was leaving her system and Beth could feel herself starting to slip as darkness crept in. The pain seemed to be intensifying as it spread from her ribs now down to her abdomen where her baby was nestled away.
Oh baby. That was her last thought as the darkness engulfed her.
The lights were so bright Beth thought becoming aware of her consciousness, why where the lights so bright.
"Beth, Beth, can you hear me." Someone was calling for her.
Beth wanted to tell them yeah she could hear them but as her conscious returned so did the a shock of pain.
"Beth you've been hit by a car, can you tell us what hurts?"
Everywhere she tried to say but the pain was too intense. Looking for the voice Beth quickly realised she was moving down a hallway on a gurney.
"Beth I need you to tell me what hurts."
Beth found the source was a young doctor who was moving along with her. The agony-filled wave passed, leaving a low, aching throb.
"My baby," She managed to rasp struggling to stay awake. "Save my baby."
"How far along are you?"
Beth was so tired, she didn't think she had ever been this tired before.
"Beth I need you to tell me how far along you are."
She couldn't think all she wanted to do was sleep. Fighting through the fog Beth muttered "30 weeks."
Beth stopped fighting and let the blackness overtake her. They'd save her baby, they had to.
"Prep the OR and get me someone from obs and gyne up here now, call NICU and put them on stand by."
Someone's talking, she cant make out who or what is being said the words are hard to make out; the sounds shift and syllables change. Slowly the sounds begin to shape words but Beth cannot understand them her heads too clouded, she's trying to fight her way through but she can't be sure why.
"-,ns got the kids I told him I'd call him with any updates."
Kids.
Her kids.
Jane.
The name hits her like a lightening bolt. Jane. Her daughter, her baby girl. There was an accident, Beth remembers, was Jane hurt!?
Beth can feel some of the fog clearing. A car hit her. She was in hospital. But where was Jane.
"When I came in he was in the waiting room again."
She tried to ask but her throat couldn't chew out the syllables.
"Beth? Beth! She's awake! Someone help me, she's awake!" The voice, Annie her brain supplied called out frantically as she pushed hair out of Beth's face. "Ruby she's awake! I'll call back."
"M'fine." Her voice is a harsh rasp, unfamiliar to her ears. The words slur and blend together as she speaks them. "Jane."
"Jane's fine." Annie assures. "She has a couple scratches from when she landed but other than that she's perfect."
Landed, Beth racked her brains trying to work it out. Right, Beth had pushed her out of the way of the car.
"Mkay." Beth slurred willing her eyelids to open but she was just so tired.
"You really scared me you know." Annie whispered as she continued to play with Beth's hair like she'd done to Annie as a small child when she had been sick.
Beth tried to assure her she was fine but all she really wanted to do was go back to sleep. "Mm"
"Ah Mrs Boland your awake!" A jovial voice called getting closer to her. "How are we feeling?"
Like I got hit by a car, Beth thought but couldn't voice.
"She asked about Jane, so she remembers, no amnesia here, but she's not really making sense when she speaks, more like slurring her words." Beth could hear the worry in Annie's voice.
"That's perfectly normal," The doctor assured. "Her body's been through a traumatic few days, it needs rest."
Days?
She's been asleep for days?
"She's the mother of 4," Annie snorted. "This is the most rest she's had in years."
"She's right." Beth croaked sounding more like her. "Still tired."
Beth forced her heavy eyes open, wincing at the unusually bright light. The lights began to dim and Beth threw a tiny smile at Annie who dimmed the lights when she noticed her sisters discomfort.
The doctor chuckled. "That's to be expected Mrs Boland, you underwent a major trauma, we've got you on morphine to combat the pain."
"No pain." Beth sighed happily taking in the room. It was pretty standard for a hospital room, there was a punch of flowers next to her bed that had seen better days but Beth felt touched at the sentiment. Looking out the window Beth could see the moonlight filter through the window.
"It's working well then." The doctor laughed reaching for the chart at the bottom of the bed. As he read he made little tutting sounds in his throat that set Beth on edge.
"How long was I out." Beth asked somewhat reluctantly.
"It's Monday." Annie replied looking at her watch. "We'll Tuesday."
The soccer practice was Saturday.
Well that wasn't as bad as she was expecting.
Beth tried to push herself up into a more comfortable position, pain shot across her stomach at the motion. Beth's hand instinctively went to her baby but her stomach was flat.
Beth's heart began to race.
No.
No.
This wasn't happening.
"Beth?" She heard being called out over sound of the now frantic sounding machines.
Running her hand along her now flat stomach Beth felt her heart break in two. Her baby, her poor innocent baby was no longer nessled there.
She'd killed her baby.
In saving one child, she'd lost another.
"Mrs Boland, your having a panic attack, I need you to calm down or we'll have to sedate you."
The words went on one ear and out the other as Beth began to sob.
"Beth!? Beth it's OK." Annie shouted sounding frantic.
"Administer 50mg." The doctor said but Beth was past caring.
This was her fault. She had caused this, all the lying and scheming had come back to get her. How could she think there would be no repercussion for her killing a man.
"My baby." Beth let the word tear from her throat as she sobbed feeling the effects of the drugs almost immediately.
She welcomed the darkness as it called to her.
"She's alive Beth. She's OK." was the last thing she heard as she succumbed to the darkness.
He was a father again.
He didn't know the kids name, what sex it was, what it weighed, what it looked like, hell, even if it was still alive but somewhere in the hospital just a few corridors away was his baby.
God dammit Elizabeth! He thought darkly. Always so goddamned stupid.
Elizabeth had needed an emergency cesarean, the placenta had ruptured putting both lives in jeopardy. The baby was alive at birth and whisked away to the NICU, while Elizabeth was still unconscious.
He'd managed to get that much out of a nurse but no matter how much he threatened or tried to bribe his way in, no one was letting him past reception. Unless he was family. Didn't matter that it was his kid fighting for their life, legally his baby was Dean fucking Bolands and as long as Dean didn't want him near. There was nothing he could do.
It made him want to go and smash car mans face into the pavement until he reconsidered but that would mean leaving the hospital and there was no way in hell he was leaving till he found out what was going on with his kid.
That nearly 24 hours ago and he still didn't have more information.
Mick was meeting with potential clients for him and running the day to day but there was only so long that could go on for. His associates were still on edge from his supposed death, another sudden absence wasn't going to do anything to quell that.
Rio stands from the seat he'd parked himself in hours before, trying to ignore the way his knees crack as he stands when he sees Annie coming down the corner looking like she's got the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"She awake." He asks when she gets closer making her jump. Normally he would revel in scaring her, not today.
"Why are you here?" Annie questions running her hands across her face wearily.
He'd been the one to call her, Rio had arrived at the hospital just after the ambulance, all but abandoned the g wagon and raced down the halls after the paramedics but he'd still been too late. They'd already wheeled her down corridors he couldn't go, shouting medical shit he couldn't follow.
"Not leaving till I see my kid." Rio stated.
"Dean's kid."
It took everything Rio had not to cause a scene. Last thing he needed was to be kicked out. "Nice try, but wasn't too long ago she was pregnant with my kid. Even if her and car man did get pregnant straight after the 'miscarriage' she wouldn't be far enough along for the kid to survive."
"Beth got her dates wrong," Annie desperately grasped at straws trying to keep her sisters secret. Rio kind of admired that. Kind of. "She was further along than she thought. We came up with the miscarriage so you wouldn't put a bullet in her for making a mistake."
"Hmm." Rio nodded. "Is that right."
"Yeah, so just leave, when Beth wakes up she's not going to want you here."
Rio was good at picking people apart, he knew there next move before they did, he didn't get this far by being unobservant, that's how he knew Annie was overwhelmed. She was trying to hide it he knew but she didn't know what to do. He'd bet his bank account that this is when she'd be calling big sis to come bail her out.
"Think I want to hear that from her."
"Get a fucking clue!" Annie screamed. There it was. "She doesn't want you in her life anymore! I think she made that clear enough when she fucking shot you!"
They were drawing attention to themselves. Rio nodded to the passing security guard who looked like he was getting ready to intervene.
"Lower your tone." Rio warned.
"Or what?" Annie laughed hysterically. "You'll shoot me?"
Jesus fucking Christ, why do these three always think he's gonna shoot them over the slightest thing. Especially in public. Rio rolled his eyes wishing he didn't have to be going through this right now. Why couldn't it have been Ruby he called.
"Nah, or that security guard is gonna make us leave."
At his words Annie's eyes swivelled to said security guard. She visibly tried to calm herself, shooting the guard a brittle smile.
"You need to leave."
"You need to stop lying to me." Rio countered.
"This is between you and Beth."
"Oh I'd love to keep this between me and your sister, maybe 5 months ago when she faked a miscarriage would have been a good place to start!"
"You gave her no choice." Annie hissed.
There was his confirmation. It was his baby.
"Yeah? And how'd I do that." Rio laughed bitterly. "By letting her live after she tried to kill me?"
"You killed Lucy!"
Shit this was all about the mousy co-worker?
He couldn't kill Elizabeth because of the pregnancy, he'd briefly toyed with killing one of her ladies before dismissing the idea but he still needed to send a message.
Actions have consequences.
He'd only chose the girl at random, he'd seen them laughing together at that store she worked, she seemed sweet. He felt a twinge of regret that she got caught up in their shit storm but Elizabeth had to learn.
"Could have been you." Rio shrugged unrepentant. "Had to send a message."
"Consider the message well and truly received. Congratulations, now there's no way she's gonna let you near that kid."
Rio stepped closer to Annie, he could see her visibly fighting not to take a step back. Maybe she was like her sister after all. "Make no mistake about it, I'll be in my kids life."
Annie visibly recoiled. Good.
"My sisters just came out of major surgery, my niece is fighting for her life, and you want to throw around threats?"
Niece.
He had a daughter.
"It's a girl?" he said absentmindedly, trying to envision what she would look like. Would she have the same big brown eyes as Marcus? Would she inherit his mother's smile? His sisters laugh?
Annie nodded her head in conformation.
"She got a name?"
"I don't know, Beth didn't want to find out the sex. I think she's got names chosen for each just encase but she wouldn't tell me."
"She gonna live?"
"Beth or the baby?
"Both."
Annie hesitated and that was all the answer he needed. "They're keeping Beth sedated for now, they, uh, they don't know about the baby yet. It's too early, they said the first 24 hours are critical."
Rio didn't know what to do, what to say. This wasn't something he could solve with cash or his gun. His daughter might die and he'd never even get to meet her.
"I want to see her."
"She's asleep."
Rio shook his head knowing Annie knew what he meant. "I want to see my daughter."
"That's not my decision to make." Annie stuttered.
"Then you better find a way to make it your decision because if I don't see my kid, you don't see yours."
Annie paled at his threat.
Good.
Sometimes having people think the worst of you was a blessing.
The first time Beth met her daughter she was three days old.
Lying in the incubator, the little red human that she had helped create had a respiratory tube plugged into her mouth while I.V. lines and monitor patches on her chest made her look like she was on the brink of death.
There was so many tubs and wires she wasn't sure what was connected to which.
Beth sucked in a hard breath at the sight. "She's so small."
"She weighs just under 3 pounds." The nurse who wheeled Beth along said as she read the chart attached to the incubator.
"Oh god." Beth choked out. "That's so, small, how can she be that small."
"Hey now," The nurse soothed bending down to Beth's level. "For being born so early she's actually a very good weight."
"Really?" Beth was sceptical
"Really, really." The nurse said. "Now the doctor is coming to speak to you about this gorgeous girl if you feel up to it."
Beth looked up to see a very serious looking man in scrubs walking towards them. "Yeah."
The kind nurse squeezed her hands and Beth momentarily felt bad that she couldn't remember her name.
"Mrs Boland, I'm Dr Patel, I was the one who delivered your daughter."
This was not the same guy Beth vaguely remembered from before.
"There was significant trauma to the uterus that caused a placental abruption, We had to do an emergency cesarean section to get the baby out, it was a risk to baby but if we hadn't performed surgery both lives would have been lost."
"And my baby?" Beth asked looking at the tiny girl.
"At 30 weeks gestation the fetus is fully formed, our main concern now is brain function."
The doctor delivered the news with the same tone as you'd order a drink in a bar. Matter of fact.
"But you said she was fully formed?" Beth grasped at his words desperately.
"Fully formed is not the same as fully developed. Her lungs are also under developed, she took a breath after delivery which is a good sign but right now a ventilator is doing her breathing for her and she's on steroids to help develop her lungs but the ventilator will be doing the work for her for a while."
"And her brain?"
The doctor sighed. "We won't know the full extent of the damage for some time but your baby was deprived of oxygen for sometime, how long we're not sure."
"But she's going to live."
"Mrs Boland, she's very small,-"
"But you said it yourself, she took a breath on her own, she's strong."
Her father had come back from the dead for godsakes. This was nothing, stubbornness was in her DNA, she was going to be fine.
The doctor sighed. "The next 48 hours are critical. We'll reassess her after that."
Beth nodded along looking down a her tiny little miracle. She'd be fine. She had to be.
"Does she have a name?" The nurse asked.
"Pearl." Beth smiled never taking her eyes of her daughter.
It all started with Pearls, it was only right that's how it ended.
