Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in issuing this chapter but due to my own family emergency, I was unable to write for several days. Thankfully, things are improving and I'm now able to provide you with this next chapter. Please let me know what you think and buckle up because this chapter may be very intense.
Adrian knelt in the atrium of Hospital's entranceway holding Natalie in his arms and calling for help. He was dismayed when the few who looked their way simply turned away. Frantic, he took off his jacket and put it under her head and laid her down.
"I'm going to go get help. Just stay right here. Don't move." He instructed. In normal times, Natalie would have quipped where am I supposed to go? But the pain literally took her breath away. It was all she could focus on.
Rushing out the doors, he stopped to touch a lamp post then called for help when he spotted Randy getting into Leland's front seat. Randy turned around and asked what was wrong and all Adrian replied was something about Natalie and that he should call Sharona. Something had happened.
In less than thirty seconds, the Monks' friends were rushing toward the hospital. Randy called his wife on the way and when they entered the building, the first thing they saw was Natalie on the floor, curled up in her husband's arms, breathing heavily and holding her stomach. Monk stroked her hair and trembled, holding her closely and trying desperately to keep his own emotions at bay.
"Sharona's on her way." Randy said as he and Leland knelt beside the couple to see if they could help.
"Just keep an eye out for Sharona." Adrian said. "She was okay one minute and in pain the next. It all happened so fast."
Leland reached his hand out and touched Monk's shoulder while Adrian whispered soft encouragement in his wife's ear, and peppered her cheek with kisses.
Meanwhile, Randy watched for Sharona.
Within minutes, she arrived with a gurney and a couple of strong men to assist. Sharona bent down and got a quick read on Natalie's vitals. Her blood pressure and pulse were very high.
"It's going to be okay, Natalie. Just try to calm down." She said reassuringly. She turned to Monk. "When did this start?" Given what they had all been through together, his response didn't even phase her.
"J-just a few minutes ago." he replied. "Dr. Neal tried to kidnap her and she pulled away from him. She seemed fine, but shaken up."
"I rammed…my body… against him." Natalie added. "I felt a burning sensation." Another contraction hit her. "Ohhhhh…gosh….it hurts. Something's wrong. This doesn't feel right. Something's wrong!"
Sharona's expression was serious but calm as she leaned heavily on her training to get through the moment. "Get her on the gurney. But be gentle."
The two burley men immediately stepped forward and tenderly moved her. As they did, Monk looked behind her, out of force of habit, to make sure they hadn't dropped anything. His stomach tightened when he saw a small trail of blood on the floor. He touched Sharona's arm and swallowed. Through frightened eyes, he directed her toward what he had seen.
Sharona nodded, torn between Natalie's needs and what she knew from experience must be going through Monk's mind. "Listen, we're going to take care of her, Adrian."
"She's right." Leland said, stepping in. "If something like this was going to happen, it's happened in the right place. Come on, buddy. Let them do their job."
An unsteady Adrian stood and watched while Sharona directed their efforts. "Get her to the E.R. right away and tell them that she needs to be evaluated for abdominal pain and bleeding. Tell them we need an ultrasound. Her BP is 160 over 88."
Natalie felt another contraction as they began to roll her down the hall and moaned loudly. Sharona motioned for Monk to come beside her to help keep her calm. I "She's twenty-seven weeks?"
Monk looked dazed, taking his place, but managed to answer. "Twenty-eight. Just turned twenty-eight weeks today."
Sharona turned to her workers. "Tell them to get NICU on call. We may have to deliver tonight."
Monk stopped walking. "Deliver! No!"
"Adrian." Sharona said, stopping, herself.
"No, It's too soon. He's he too early."
Sharona instructed the men to keep rolling.
"Listen, I know he's early and I know you're scared. Natalie being in pain and seeing blood is scary. But, twenty-eight weeks is viable. Over 90% of our preemies born at that age survive…"
"But, his heart condition. His Down Syndrome…"
"Are complications – but our medical staff is well equipped. I'm not saying this is going to happen, but if coming early is the best thing for him and Natalie, it's what we'll have to do. You have to be strong. Don't think about all that could go wrong. Just concentrate on getting through this. We need you to be strong. Be strong, for Natalie and Asher."
Monk was trembling but her words helped him to focus. "Natalie and Asher. Be strong for Natalie and Asher." He repeated to himself as they again began to walk toward the E.R. By the time they reached their destination, he was right beside her, holding her hand as they passed through the doors.
Sharona was right on his heels but stopped when she reached the entrance and turned to Randy and Leland.
"I need one of you guys to call Julie and the other, I guess, call her parents. I didn't want to say this in front of Adrian but this could be very serious for both the baby and for Natalie. Life threateningly serious. But, they are not going to let Julie inside."
"But she's her daughter." Leland said.
"COVID restrictions. Natalie is allowed only one person with her and that's usually the spouse. But Julie needs to know. Tell her I'll call her as soon as I know anything."
"What about him?" Leland said. "If things are as bad as you say, he's going to need someone with him. You can't be everywhere."
Sharona nodded. "You're right. I'll see what I can do. Just stay put."
Randy called Julie who wanted to drop everything and come to the hospital, but when he explained that her mother would be better served by her watching her younger siblings, she relented. Meanwhile, Leland called the Davenports but nobody was home. He didn't leave a message. After that, the two men took a seat in a largely empty waiting room. After just a few minutes, they were approached by a hospital assistant.
"Excuse me. What is your condition?" the man said.
Disher and Stottlemeyer looked at one another and Randy answered. "We're, um, not patients. We're waiting on a patient."
"Sorry. Only patients allowed. You'll have to go home." He said.
Leland reached for his badge, but suddenly realized he was no longer law enforcement and couldn't just push his weight around and go where he wanted to go. "Um, we're close friends of the young lady that just came in here, the one having a baby – her husband is like a brother to me."
"I don't care if you're the Pope. You can't stay." He said.
"But, what if they need our help? It's very serious." Randy replied.
"Listen. I understand your need to help but we are a COVID restrictive hospital and you're not allowed. Only her husband is."
"But…"
"Don't make me call the guard."
The discussion continued a few seconds more until Sharona walked to the front desk in order to pull some of Natalie's records. She overheard what was happening.
Shaking her head, she walked up to the assistant and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Byron, look, these guys are with me. They're fine to stay."
"Sharona, you know the rules."
"Yes, I do. But, I also know the situation quite well and it'll be better for everyone if they stay."
"I'm sorry. No exceptions. We are in the middle of a pandemic."
"Oh, come on now. I've seen you make other exceptions. Your mother-in-law was in here two days ago."
"She was a patient." He said.
Sharona furled her brow. "Patient? I didn't see anything wrong with her."
"She had an upset stomach." He replied.
"Abdominal distress can be a sign of COVID. Why was she here?"
"She tested negative for COVID. It was something else."
"So, your mother-in-law gets a belly ache and she gets to stay but my husband and the father's best friend can't be here?"
"No, Sharona. Only patients and birthing partners. They will have to go. Good day, gentlemen."
Sharona clinched her jaw and folded her arms as the man walked away. She pursed her lips and thought for a moment. Raising a finger, she looked to them. "Just stand right where you are and, whatever happens, don't move."
"What are you going to do?" Randy asked.
"Just wait here."
"Okay." Randy replied with a shrug. He looked at Leland who sighed but stayed in his place. Looking around, both men's attention was diverted by an instant replay playing on one of the hospital's televisions. Neither saw the medical cart as it careened toward them until Randy was struck. Disher yelped in pain and slammed into Stottlemeyer, stomping on his left foot and nearly knocking him to the ground. Leland emitted an expletive and Randy looked up at her with dismay.
"What the flip was that for?" he asked.
Sharona raised Randy's pant leg to check for injury. "You'll be okay."
"Huh?" he asked.
Sharona merely turned toward the nurse at the front desk who was smirking.
"Aurora. Looks like we have two new patients. Gentleman, you may take a seat in the waiting room. We're rather busy, but I'll come get you when I can."
Back in the E.R. things were hectic. A flurry of medical personnel rushed around the area hooking Natalie up to wires and monitors of all kinds. One machine tracked her blood pressure and would update periodically. Monk would look when he heard the update and knew that her numbers were way too high. Still, he determined to focus on helping her and continued to hold her hand, whispering words of comfort to her and telling her how much he loved her and their baby and how they were going to be okay.
A few minutes later, a doctor, who looked to Natalie like the actor Sam Elliot, walked into the area and read her chart."
"What do we have?" he asked the nurse on duty.
"Patient is a 46-year-old female, 28 weeks pregnant, experiencing abdominal cramping and bleeding."
"Any respiratory issues, fever?"
"Negative. She does have thyroid issues, however we pulled her tests from today and her levels are normal."
"Vitals?"
"Heartrate 82. BP is 175 over 94. Fetal heartrate is currently 140. Baby has been also been diagnosed with atrial septum defect and Down Syndrome."
The doctor nodded once without further comment and put Natalie's charts back in their slot at the end of her bed. He pulled up a stool and spoke as he looked in her eyes with a light.
"Hello, Mrs. Monk. My name is Charles Jackson. I understand you're experiencing some contractions and bleeding. Can you tell me when the pain started?"
Natalie was uncomfortable but able to speak. "About a half an hour ago. Dr. Neal – he was trying to kidnap me and I was trying to get away."
The doctor stopped and looked at the nurse. "You didn't say she had delirium."
"My wife isn't delirious. That's what happened." Monk spoke up. "My doctor, Sebastian Neal, was just arrested for murder. He tried to use my wife as a hostage to get away."
Jackson raised his eyebrows. "You're serious! Wow. Guess they don't call us General Hospital for nothing. And, what happened then, Mrs. Monk?" he said as he pressed gently into her upper abdomen.
Natalie winced then held her breath as she felt a wave of pain. "I felt s-something burning, like a tear."
"Just then?" he asked.
"No, when I pulled away…but yes, that hurt too." She said as a contraction hit her. "Doctor, I have three other children. These contractions don't feel right. Something is wrong."
"I'll make a note and we'll get you and the baby taken care of." He turned to the nurse. "I'd like you to ready 6 mg of Magnesium Sulfate to slow her contractions. Don't give it to her until I talk to her doctor. What is your doctor's name?" he asked.
"Sharon Green." Monk said.
"Okay, get Dr. Green on the phone so I can inform her of the situation. Her bleeding isn't severe, but given Mrs. Monk's age and the baby's preconditions, she may have special instructions or want to examine her herself."
"I'm on it."
Dr. Green left for the E.R. within minutes of receiving the call. She had been at the office finishing up with a virtual appointment and stayed on the phone with Dr. Jackson throughout much of the commute giving him instructions with each new development so that when she arrived, they could quickly swing into action.
Just before she arrived, Jackson came back to Natalie's bedside and updated her regarding Green's plans.
"Because of your age and the baby's preconditions, Dr. Green said she may want to induce tonight. So, we're getting you hydrated and ready for an epidural."
Natalie didn't argue. She knew that Asher had reached the age of viability and was more concerned by what she was feeling inside than she was about delivering early. For his part, Adrian took the news rather well and began to prepare himself to be Natalie's coach. He hadn't gotten to do much of the coaching with the twins given he had arrived just in the nick of time and on horseback. So, he prepped himself by calling back the time when he coached Julie's basketball team. He decided to give Natalie a 'pep talk.'
"Okay, sweetheart. We're getting ready for the…um…you know…the big event…the birthing…and, well, you've done this three times before so you know the drill. So, I just want you to focus on what you know to do, get out there, um…do what you did before and know that nobody does it better than you, that I can see, and well…you've got this!"
"Thank you, honey." She nodded and exercised on her breathing to ease the pain.
He continued. "Now, there may be some pain as you are waiting for the epidural. Don't worry at all about complaining during that time. I have been known to complain from time to time when the situation warranted it and you can just say whatever you want."
"Okay. Thanks, honey."
He smiled, then thought of something else. "Oh - you may also feel some pain when they jab the needle into your spine. If you want to yell or whatever…feel free. But, know that the pain will only be temporary. And…from the documentaries I listened to…I didn't actually watch them because…well, you know…but they say it should be like a little…pinch…like a pinch…"
"Okay." Natalie said, focusing on her breathing and wishing by now that he would just stop talking.
"But after the pinch, it should numb you…you know…wherever you need numbing and you shouldn't feel anything. But…if you're worried about feeling pressure or slight pain just realize that at twenty-eight weeks, you'll be squeezing out a large eggplant instead…instead of…you know, something the size of a pumpkin. So that will be much easier."
Natalie squinted. I'd like to see him squeeze out an eggplant from his lower extremities, she thought to herself. Knowing he was trying, she self-censored and simply patted his hand. "Thank you, honey. That helped a lot. I'm just going to rest here for a minute, if you don't mind."
Monk shook his head, feeling satisfied he'd done a good enough coaching job. "Of course. Do you need me to get you anything? Some ice chips?"
"No." Natalie said. "I'm fine. Just stay beside me. Your being with me is all I need right now."
Sharon Green walked into the E.R. about forty minutes after that initial phone call. Being shown where her patient was, she immediately entered Natalie's room and looked at a copy of an ultrasound they had done when Natalie arrived as well as her and the baby's latest stats, then she turned and whispered something to the nurse who nodded and left. Setting down her charts, she sat down to speak with the couple.
"Hi, Natalie. How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Still having contractions but they seem to be coming a little less frequently. They feel weird though. I can't really describe them."
Green shook her head. "Well, we're going to get you taken care of and everything should be just fine."
Monk breathed a relieved sigh.
"How much has Dr. Jackson told you about what's going on?" she asked.
"Not much." Natalie said. "He said you might induce?"
"That's what we spoke about on the phone, yes."
"But if her contractions are lessening…will that be entirely necessary?" Monk asked.
"Necessary isn't the right word. Possible is better. Natalie, I took a look at your ultrasound and there have been some complications." She held up her fist and motioned with her hands. "Pretend this is your womb and the baby is inside. The placenta is right here and attaches to the uterine wall. It provides the baby with nutrients and oxygen from your body. Most of the time, after a woman gives birth, the placenta will detach and she'll 'birth' the placenta later, as we say. In a rare number of cases, however, the placenta can begin to detach earlier in the pregnancy – which is a condition known as placental abruption. Causes are many and an abruption can be complete, in which it is a medical emergency in which both the mother and baby are in imminent risk of death. Sometimes its only partial, however, in which case we will evaluate for loss of blood and fetal distress to determine the next step. Thankfully, your abruption is only partial. It is concealed up in this area." She motioned with her hands "Where there is a pocket of blood in between the placenta and your uterus, and the detachment is presently at around 30%. This means it's still 70% attached which is good news. The baby is still getting oxygen and nutrients from your system. However, when I look at your charts and those of your son, we're starting to see a raise in the baby's heartrate which may indicate that this system is failing. If he is getting less oxygen, his body will compensate by raising his heartrate. Since his heart is already working inefficiently due to the ASD, the situation is beginning to put him under additional stress."
"Which means?" Monk asked.
"Which means, in a normal situation I might put Natalie on bedrest in the hospital for as long as I could get by with so that he can grow more and get stronger, but given his additional complications and his current stress, I think it's in his best interests and Natalie's that we take him tonight. I've asked the nurse to call the anesthesiologist to give you a spinal."
"A spinal?" Natalie asked.
"Yes. I want to get that working immediately and get you prepped to do an emergency c-section."
Natalie looked at Monk and then at Green. "I can't go natural birth?"
She shook her head. "I would advise against it. We don't' know how long the tear has been there or how quickly it has spread. If you push and it's an acute situation then it could separate completely and become quite dangerous for you and your son."
Natalie squeezed Adrian's arm. "Okay. We will do whatever's best for Asher." She said, trying to stay calm but feeling a sudden surge in emotion – whether due to the situation or an influx of hormones, she couldn't say.
Monk read her well and kissed her head. "We will do whatever is best for Asher and for you."
"Very well, then." Green said. "Anesthesiologist should be here shortly and I will see you two hopefully in about thirty minutes."
A few minutes later, the anesthesiologist arrived and asked her a few questions. Adrian was asked to wait in the hallway while they gave her the spinal and when allowed to return, he sat with her, telling her stories to try to pass the time and to calm both of their nerves. About two minutes after the anesthesiologist walked away, Natalie suddenly gasped.
He stopped. "You okay?"
She looked unsure. "I…I think my water just broke." She stated.
Rather than look, Monk raised a hand and got the nurse's attention who nonchalantly walked over to the end of the bed and looked under Natalie's covers. Her face showed immediate concern. Without explanation, she left the area and called for Dr. Green.
A couple of minutes later, Green walked into the room and raised the covers. What was a relaxed look turned serious. She stood up and walked to the monitor next to Natalie and readout her numbers. She then turned to the nurse.
"Prep the O.R. and call NICU. Tell them we're not going to wait longer. This baby needs to come out now."
Natalie's eyes grew wide and she began to tear up as she held tightly to Adrian's hand. Monk looked down at the blanket and saw not water but blood seeping through.
"Is my baby okay?" Natalie said, unaware of what had happened.
Dr. Green turned to her. "Natalie, what you felt wasn't your water. It's blood. That tells me the abruption is progressing. Asher's heartrate is up over 190 which is high. We need to get him out right away before your placenta abrupts completely." She said as some men came into the room and raised the sides of her bed to begin to roll her down the hall.
Adrian stood and got out of the way as they moved quickly, but was right next to Natalie the minute she called. They let him walk all the way down the hall with her to just outside of the O.R. but stopped him before he could go in.
"Okay, Mr. Monk. We're going to get her prepped for surgery and sterilized and we need to get you scrubbed up so you can assist. You'll see your wife in a minute. " A medical worker stated as Natalie's bed kept rolling.
Monk shook his head vigorously yes but called out to Natalie. "I'll be right there, sweetheart."
"Okay." she said, then disappeared behind the door.
"You're not going to do anything without me?" He stated.
"You should be fine. Come on in." an assistant said. "I'll show you where to find everything."
A few minutes later, Natalie's belly had been sterilized and she had been catheterized and all was in place for the doctor to begin. A nurse led Monk into the room.
"She's been asking for you." She said as she led him to the head of Natalie's bed. There were sheets erected from just below her chest so he couldn't see any of the action, a fact for which he was very thankful.
"Hey there, sweetheart. Is Asher's mommy ready to get started?"
Natalie began to cry. "You…you made it. I was afraid you wouldn't b-be h-here in time."
"It's okay. I'm here. You know I wouldn't let you down. Remember, two-way street."
She breathed out through her lips trying to calm her nerves as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. "I'm scared."
Monk touched her shoulder. "It's okay. I am too. We can be scared together." Then he added. "He's in good hands."
Natalie shook her head, and he leaned forward and kissed the side of her head. A nurse gently tapped him on the shoulder and asked that he sit back just a little while they worked but she allowed him to rest his hand on her shoulder while the medical staff all took their positions. Sitting next to her, he noticed that she was shivering.
"Are you cold?" he asked, softly.
"Y-yeah…a little. B-b-but I think that's n-normal with a spinal." She said as her teeth chattered.
He looked at the anesthesiologist who nodded agreement.
"Well, when we're done, I'll make sure you have plenty of blankets." He said, rubbing her upper arms. "I don't want my sweetheart to be cold."
Dr. Green walked up to the bed and the scrub nurse whispered something in her ear. She looked very somber. Monk looked over at the monitors and noted that Natalie's blood pressure had dropped closer to normal. He assumed that this was because of some medication that they had given her. He couldn't see Asher's because the Anesthesiologist and another nurse were blocking his view. Both looked focused but not overly concerned.
"Natalie. We're about to get started. How are you feeling?" Dr. Green asked from the foot of her bed.
Natalie continued to shiver. "Nervous. But, I don't feel any pain."
"Good. You shouldn't. As we go you may feel a little tugging and you may feel like someone is sitting on your chest. That is normal." She stated before turning to the NICU staff and giving them specific instructions for once Asher was born. Turning back around she began to reach for a scalpel.
The nurse at Asher's station, printed something off and showed it to Green. Green nodded but continued. Natalie cried just because she felt like it and focused on breathing and encouraged Adrian to talk to her to keep her nerves down while the doctor worked. The doctor made a slit across her lower abdomen but Natalie barely noticed, instead listening to her husband as he told her a story about how nervous Leland and Karen were when Jared was born.
"Don't tell him that I told you this, but he actually took off for the hospital without her."
"You're kidding!" Natalie chuckled lightly even as she cried.
A monitor began to emit a strange sound and the anesthesiologist silenced it, but not before Monk glanced to the side and saw where Natalie's BP was now at 115 over 75. His looked up at the doctor who continued to work and then at Asher's nurse who was furrowing her brow and looking back and forth between the monitor and the doctor.
Natalie must have noticed Monk's expression but didn't want to panic. "Keep talking. W-when d-did he realize h-his mistake?" she asked.
Monk swallowed and looked down at her. She looked tired.
"Um, he…was about a block away and asked her when he should call her parents."
"Suction." Green stated, interrupting his thoughts. "What's the fetal heartrate?"
"Eighty-five" the nurse responded.
"Okay, we're almost there. Hang in there, Asher. We're going to get you out of there." She said as she continued to cut. "I need the retractor."
Monk continued to try to talk but even he wasn't sure what he was saying at this point. He knew that the baby's heartrate dropping so drastically was not a good sign and his own heart began to pound. Natalie's blood pressure had gone from high to a little sub and she appeared to be weakening.
"Did they make it okay?" Natalie asked.
"Fetal heartrate is sixty-five." The monitor nurse said.
"Huh?" Monk asked, distracted.
"To the hospital? Jared was born at the hospital?"
"Oh, yeah…right." Monk said, stroking her forehead.
"That's good." She sighed, closing her eyes. "It's always good when they can be born in a hospital."
Monk himself began to tremble.
"Fifty- two." The nurse said.
"We're there." Green said as she made the final cut. Immediately some foul-smelling blood gushed forth from the incision. "Oh, geez!"
"What is that?" an assistant said.
"Not sure. Suction! Get me some suction here."
Another assistant stepped in with a suction tube and Monk kept watching Natalie as they worked at the end of the table.
"Breaking the amniotic sac." Green announced. Monk heard a slosh of water. Natalie tried to raise her head to watch but with the sheets in front of them neither could see a thing.
"Is he here?" she asked.
Green moved quietly at the end of the table. "Sponge stick. Yes. He's here." She said, as she clamped and cut the cord then handed Asher off to the NICU pediatrician. Monk watched as various personnel gathered around his son on a table to the side. He couldn't see his face but noted his feet and hands were somewhat blue. The room was very quiet. He looked down at Natalie who was looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Why isn't he crying?" she said in nearly a whisper.
Adrian took a deep breath and squeezed her hand feeling in his heart that was joined to hers the same dread she was feeling. "They are working on him." He said quietly as he stroked her arm.
Watching them work, he witnessed them rubbing him and gently jostling him to try to get him to react. It seemed like an eternity but it was only about fifteen seconds longer when a soft whimpering sound was heard. Less than five seconds later it was followed by a very loud and strong cry.
The moment that happened the room was filled with an audible sigh and Adrian and Natalie began to weep. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips and used his hand to wipe her tears away as he watched from afar the NICU workers cleaning the baby up. He was very small but his coloring was improving and even from there he could see that he had inherited his dark hair. A short time later, they brought Asher over and held him above the screen so that both could see him.
Monk cried again. "He's so beautiful. Look at him, Natalie, he's just perfect!"
Natalie smiled through tears and cried as well. She couldn't hardly speak for the love she felt.
Then they whisked him away and Natalie seemed content. She closed her eyes and Monk stroked her hair.
"You did great, sweetheart. Just great." He said, as the doctor quietly removed the placenta from Natalie's body. Another spurt of blood came forth.
"Suction!" Sharon Green said loudly which jolted Monk back to the reality that they were not out of the woods.
"Where's the active bleeding coming from?" a nurse asked.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. What's her BP?"
"105 over 70." A nurse read out.
Monk looked down at his wife with alarm. She suddenly appeared very pale. "Natalie?"
She groggily opened her eyes but said nothing.
"Is my wife okay?" he asked.
"What about there?" an assistant said, ignoring him.
"Give me a little suction please." Green stated. "Oh, yeah. That's the culprit. Good eyes. I need 20 units Oxytocin. What's the pressure?"
"90 over 60."
"I'm going to lift the uterus. Get ready." She said as she reached into Natalie's abdomen. "Natalie stay with us."
"What's happening?" Monk asked as Natalie grimaced.
"We're going to need a transfusion, and get more saline going. We don't want her going into shock."
Monk began to hyperventilate when the blood pressure monitor went off again and nobody would answer his questions. He knew she was in trouble. "Please. Save my wife. You have to save Natalie!"
"80 over 50."
"Please!"
"Mr. Monk…" a nurse stated.
"Please, I can't lose her! She's my life! Our children need her! I need her!"
"Sorry. Will you get him out of here?" Green stated. An orderly immediately stepped forward and took him by the arms.
"Come on, Mr. Monk."
"No!" he said. "I can't leave my wife."
The man pulled him along and pushed him through the door. "I'm sorry, you're not allowed in here right now. The doctor has to work."
"60 over 40, we're losing her." The anesthesiologist shouted.
"No!" Monk cried as the door was slammed shut in his face. Monk pulled at the door handle and then heard the door lock. He cried out "NO! NO!" and begged to be let in. He promised Natalie he would stay with her and that he wouldn't leave - but no one would listen. Finally, he slammed his fist against door several times before sinking to the ground in tears.
Sharona Disher checked her watch. As a nurse, she knew how long a c-section should take and knew that Natalie had been in the operating room for far too long. Setting down a patient's chart, she walked over to the computer to check her status and see if she had been moved to recovery. Seeing that she was still listed as being in the O.R. she became worried.
"Will you drop these pills off to room 7?" she asked her fellow nurse. "I need to go check on something."
Making her way to the O.R. she approached the desk nurse.
"Have you heard any more about Natalie Monk?" she asked.
The nurse looked at her screen. "She's still in surgery."
Sharona furrowed her brow. "She's been in there an awful long time."
"Heard there were complications. They called for more blood."
Sharona frowned. "Which operating room is she in?"
"She's in three." She responded. "Follow me. I was just heading that way."
They walked down the hallway just a little bit and the nurse stopped. "Like I said, they're still in surgery but if you want to peek at what's going on, there's a window in the prep room on the left."
"That room?" she asked.
"Yeah. I may need to let you in." The nurse said, walking with her to the room. As she opened the door, Sharona's eyes immediately drifted to the floor where Adrian was still sitting, knees to chest and his forearms covering his head. She immediately came running.
"Adrian! What's wrong? Oh, my gosh! What happened?"
Monk didn't respond.
Sharona bent down to his level. Taking her hand, she raised his chin up so she could see his face. His red-rimmed eyes showed a vacant stare and he was mumbling to himself in an unintelligible manner.
"Oh, no." Sharona closed her eyes and exhaled having been here before. She sat down close to him and rubbed his arms, trying gently to rouse his attention.
"Adrian, can you hear me? Adrian? What's happened? Is it the baby? Did something happen with Asher?" she asked slowly and directly.
Monk stared straight ahead through confused eyes. "Asher." He said, softly.
"Is he okay?" the nurse asked.
Sharona turned to her. "No. I need you to take him to the exam room and then go call the front desk at the E.R. and have them page Leland Stottlemeyer. Tell him where to find him. I'm afraid something terrible has happened."
"Okay. I'll do that." The nurse said. "Adrian…can you follow me?" she said as both Sharona and the nurse helped him to stand.
"Adrian. Go with the lady. She'll take care of you. I'm going to go check on Natalie."
Monk suddenly became greatly agitated and a look of fear mixed with pain registered in his eyes. "Natalie…Nat-Natalie!" he said in a desperate manner, leaning against the wall and beginning to again sink to the floor. Sharona stopped his descent.
"Natalie? Did something happen with Natalie?" Sharona said, again raising his face.
"Too happy. We were too happy. Always happens. Natalie. My, Natalie. Oh, why? Whyyyy?" He began to sob. Sharona pushed back tears and she and the other nurse both grabbed him from under his arm and together walked him down to the exam room, laying him down on the exam table.
"Get him some blankets then call Leland like I said, then call Dr. Troy Kroger. He's his therapist. I'm going to find out what's going on." Sharona said.
Sharona returned to the prep room and looked through the window, but the burly orderly was blocking her way. Furrowing her brow, she knocked on the window and noticed an eye-roll and look of displeasure as the man turned around. She vigorously motioned for him to open the door. He looked around her to see if Monk was with her and then, with a huff, unlocked and opened the door just a crack.
"Sorry, surgery is still going on. Go away."
"Like hell, I will!" Sharona said as fire coursed through her veins. She pushed her way into the room and pointed to the prep room. "Were you mean to him?"
"Was I what?" he asked defiantly.
"Natalie's husband. Were you mean to him? Because, he has a terrible anxiety disorder and I came in the room and found him on the floor thinking his wife had died – and if you exacerbated that by being mean to him, so help me, you big ox…" she said, poking into his chest and making him to back up.
"He took him out of the room at my request." Green said from her position at the foot of the table. "He was creating a commotion and she was bleeding out."
Sharona looked up and saw the sheets, the floor and the doctor and medical personnel all looked stressed and exhausted and were covered in blood. Her heart sank and for a few seconds she couldn't speak. "How…how is she?" she asked, finally.
Green reached for a clamp. "Alive, thankfully – and stable. Five minutes ago, I wasn't so sure."
"What on earth went wrong?" she asked.
"Placental Abruption accompanied by a Uterine Rupture. I had to do a partial hysterectomy."
"Oh…" Sharona said, sad for what her friend had gone through.
The head nurse assisting Green stepped forward. "Doctor, Sharona is a friend of mine. I can fill her in, if you like, while you finish up."
"Please, do." Green said, tightening a suture. She kept working but spoke before the nurse led Sharona out of the room. "For the record, Sharona. I didn't mean to scare him like that. I completely forgot about his anxiety disorder, but things got crazy in here fast. She was losing a lot of blood and we almost lost her, but we got it stopped and I think she is going to be okay. Please tell him that and send him my apologies. I will stop by when she's awake and talk to them more."
Sharona nodded and the nurse escorted her from the room.
In the examination room, Leland and Randy both sat beside Monk who was resting silently on the exam table staring into space with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Both men were anxious to hear what had set off their friend's reaction since they received no more information than the urgent instructions that the E.R. nurse carried from Sharona. They knew whatever it was, it was bad. As Leland watched the pain and confusion in his friend's eyes, he pushed away his darkest thoughts though he couldn't help but think that he was witnessing a regression of proportions he hadn't seen in twenty-three years. He said a prayer that all would be okay.
Around ten minutes after they sat down, the ward nurse handed Leland a phone. It was Troy Kroger who was in another city visiting relatives and handling many of his sessions remotely. With a little help from Randy, Leland was able to pull up the Zoom app on his own cell phone and Troy spent about five minutes talking with Adrian who didn't add much to their knowledge. Before he hung up, Troy said that he believed whatever had happened in the operating room had traumatized Monk to the point that he was in emotional shock. He called it an acute stress reaction and said it would probably be transitory; however, when he got back into town, he wanted see his patient and friend to try to help however he could. Leland thanked Monk's former therapist's son and said goodbye. He then looked to Randy and asked if there was any way they could page Sharona. He was growing impatient with no information and Monk had reverted to silence.
Randy protested that she might get angry, but Leland gave him a choice – Sharona's anger or his own. Thankfully, he didn't have to make that choice because before he could even reach for his phone the door opened. Sharona had arrived.
Both men turned toward her and watched for any sign of what was happening but her eyes were strictly on Monk. She pulled up a chair to the end of the table and took him by the hands.
"Adrian. Adrian, please look at me." She said, softly but firmly. When she was assured that he was indeed with her, she spoke slowly and deliberately. "I just spoke with Linda, the lead nurse during Natalie's surgery and I need you to know something before I tell you anything else. Are you listening to me? Please say something so I know you understand."
Monk searched her eyes, then nodded 'yes'.
A small smile came on Sharona's face. "Adrian. Natalie's alive and she's going to be okay. You get to continue to be happy because she made it through – and Asher's here, and he's in the NICU and they said he's doing well as well. Okay? Did you understand me? Natalie's alive. And she and Asher are going to be okay."
Monk's face flickered confusion as he slowly processed what she said. Then his breathing began to increase as the light clicked on. "She's…she's alive?" He stammered. " I…I didn't lose her?" Tears began to pool.
"No, Adrian. You didn't lose her. She lost a lot of blood, but they got it stopped and she's in recovery right now resting. Adrian, she's going to be fine."
Before another word could be said, Sharona's former employer did something he had never done in all of their years working with one another. He lunged at her and wrapped his arms around her so tightly that it nearly smothered her. He began to sob.
Leland put his hand over his face and bowed his head and Randy exhaled and wiped tears from his eyes as a sense of relief and happiness poured over them both.
After a few minutes, Monk had composed himself enough to where he wanted to know when he could go see her and his son. Sharona looked at her watch and told him that Natalie would probably be in recovery for about forty-five minutes, but that she would walk him to the NICU to see his son if he'd like.
"I know when she wakes up, she's going to want to know. You can be the one to tell her, he's doing fine."
Monk gratefully took her up on the offer.
Entering the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Monk was draped in protective clothing and double masks as he walked to Asher's incubator. Until they were sure he was fully stable, Monk would not be able to hold him but he could sit by him and touch him with a gloved hand through an incubator opening. Having his first good look at his son in this setting seemed to him to be surreal. There he was, this tiny little bundle weighing a little over three pounds, beginning his life in a plastic box hooked up to tubes and monitors and yet sleeping so peacefully and unaware – not knowing what a rough road he had taken just to get to that point.
The baby stirred a little and briefly opened his eyes, and Monk cried tears of joy. He had dark brown hair, which at this point was wispy and straighter than his own (though that would change) and almond shaped eyes that were, as best as he could tell, blue-green like his mother's. They seemed to study him the little that they were open. Reaching his hand out, he gently caressed Asher's back and smiled.
"Hi Asher, I'm your daddy. Adrian…Monk." He said. "I know it's not a very good name, but I hope you like yours better. I picked it out because that's what you are. You are a blessing. And we love you.
Your mommy and I have been so looking forward to meeting you. I'm sorry, you couldn't have had an easier entry. But, things are looking up. Doctor says you're going to be okay, and your mother is going to be okay – so, it's all turning out the way it should. So, I want you to just rest and relax and know that now that you're here, you're never going to be alone or feel unloved or feel unprotected again. Your daddy will protect you and we can't wait to get you home where you can meet your brother and sisters. They sure are excited to see you.
I'm not going to interrupt your sleep much tonight because I know you've had a tough journey, but I'll be back in a few hours after I see your Mommy. You're going to love her so much. God gave you the best of the best…" he began to weep. "And, I'm so thankful to Him for giving you both to me and for keeping us together."
An hour later, he was sitting at Natalie's side, holding her hand as she opened her eyes.
Drowsily, she looked at him and softly smiled. "Hey, daddy. Is the baby okay?"
Monk reached his hand out and stroked her face. "He's wonderful. I took a few hundred pictures with my cell phone while I was visiting him in the NICU."
She scrunched her nose up in amusement. "Did you really?" she asked.
Monk grinned the grin that always had a way of driving her crazy. "No. Not really. They wouldn't let me bring my phone in there. But it's okay. We've got all the time in the world to cherish our son and watch him grow up together." He kissed her hand, telling her nothing of the drama that had just transpired until she was a bit stronger. She told him she loved him and quietly went back to sleep.
Their family was complete.