Here is the next update! Enjoy reading. Amber

Chapter 21

Callie didn't stay in the tub but so long. It was only for about an hour. It did help but Callie felt exposed in the room. So she and Frank went back to 401. She decided to get in the shower. The water soothed. Frank stood behind her in his swimming trunks applying counter pressure on her back. After an hour, she got out and went back to the bed. After trying several positions she was more comfortable sitting up like in a chair. Her bed accommodated her. Laura was in and out. At 5 AM she hit six centimeters and her water broke. Callie screamed. "Oh gosh! The pressure!"

Laura put on her gloves. "You're seven centimeters darling."

Callie moaned painfully. Frank watched as the contraction went off the chart. She grasped his hand and squeezed screaming in pain. Frank took a cool cloth from his mother and bathed her forehead, neck then chest. "Moan Callie, relax your body. I know it's hard baby."

Callie couldn't even respond she was in so much pain. The pain seemed to increase by the minute. But she focused on what was coming, her baby girl Brooke Ellen Hardy. She relaxed her body as much as she could. She was so exhausted.

The contractions got worse and worse over the next hour. Then she started to feel a lot more pressure. "GOD! FRANK! She's coming."

Emily came and checked her again. "I'm calling the doctor."

Frank held his wife's hand. He was so proud of her. So awed. He kissed her twice. "I love you Callie so much. Just a little while longer."

Ten minutes later, Dr. Anderson came in. "Hello Callie."

It was nearly dawn. Callie could see the sun creeping up. "Dr. Anderson! Is it time yet? I feel like I'm dying."

Dr. Anderson said. "The nurses tell me that you are ten centimeters dear."

Callie gasped. "Thank GOD!

Laura said. "Her contractions are now six minutes apart lasting ninty seconds."

Fenton, Joe, and Vanessa were both dozing off in their chairs when they were awakened by what sounded like a feral yell. Joe paled. "Is that Callie?"

Fenton wiped his face. "It sounds like she's starting to push."

Vanessa asked. "Is she the only one on the ward right now?"

Fenton nodded. "No there are three more, one came in during our nap. There were three when we got here. Those three have since delivered." The waiting room was busy. He nodded to the newest pair of couples that came in just now. He imagined just through the door to the mother/baby unit that those three babies were being viewed. It reminded him of when both his boys were born.

Joe shook him. "Dad! Yoohoo!"

Fenton sat up. "Sorry. What did you say Joe?"

Another feral cry was heard from Callie's room. Fenton thought Callie was working hard!

Joe was timing the time between cries. "Dad this is six minutes apart. I bet these contractions are longer so she can push. That makes sense."

Callie felt a huge contraction hit. She screamed and bore down with all she had. Frank was counting to ten and she released. A mirror had been placed so that they could see the 'baby's' progress. Callie could see the dark hair coming out along with a painful burning sensation.

Dr. Anderson boomed. "Stop pushing Callie, wait for the next contraction. You're doing great sweetheart."

Callie rested her head back and onto Frank's shoulder. She was soaking wet with sweat. "Frank I'm so tired."

"I know baby. Rest a bit." He gave her some ice chips.

Callie took them gratefully and chewed them as he bathed her forehead with a damp towel. Laura moistened her lips with an eos. Then she felt another contraction coming. "Oh here it comes!"

Dr. Anderson said. "Take a deep breath and push."

Frank and Laura both counted for her. Callie screamed as she looked up at the mirror. She could see her daughter's head now. "Frank!"

Frank bathed her neck, head and chest again. "Almost there Callie."

Dr. Anderson concurred. "A couple more good pushes."

Callie growled as the next contraction started. She bore down harder than she ever had before and screamed as Dr. Anderson delivered their baby. "Here she is!"

Brooke started crying at once. Laura held a bulb syringe and suctioned the baby's nose and mouth. After that was done Dr. Anderson put the baby on Callie's chest.

"Our baby Frank! She's so beautiful."

Frank kissed her and was crying tears of joy right with her. His voice was full of emotion as he replied. "My beautiful girls."

The nurse put a cap on baby Brooke's lovely brown hair. Her mouth was wide open. Callie knew instinctively. "Aww you're hungry. Umm. I watched videos and read but how do I do this?"

Laura came from the corner. She had been discreetly taking some pictures. "Let me help you dear." Laura explained how to help Brooke latch on. A couple minutes later, Brooke was eating happily. Frank was watching them awed.

Callie couldn't stop staring at her. Emily, their nurse, attached a bracelet to Frank's wrist. She then put a matching one on the baby's ankle, and one on Callie's wrist. "This is protection." They also attached a special bracelet on the other ankle that had a transponder in it. That would keep the baby from leaving the unit.

Frank approved. Brooke finished nursing. Frank noticed for the first time. How pale Callie was. She grimaced. Frank asked. "Honey?"

Laura came and took her granddaughter to the scale that was brought into the room.

Dr. Anderson said. "It's the placenta now."

Callie felt a slight burning sensation and the placenta came out. She was stunned. "Yikes that was in me too?"

Dr. Anderson was examining it. "It nourished your baby for 35 weeks."

Callie smiled. "It's neat. Really. I'm tired."

Dr. Anderson acknowledged. "As you should be. We're going to clear out and give you and Frank some time with your baby. Shannon your new nurse will be checking your vitals on monitor every fifteen minutes."

Laura said. "She's a gorgeous 6 pounds, two ounces, and twenty inches of perfection. Born at 702 AM." She handed Brooke to Frank.

Frank for the first time got to hold his daughter. Their eyes met and his heart melted. "Mom she's perfect."

Laura kissed his check her own eyes moist. Take this time with your wife. I'll bring Joe and Fenton in about forty five minutes."

Frank nodded but he was distracted by the miracle in his arms. Laura didn't blame him. She took a close up just as Frank kissed the baby's head. That was one she'd show Fenton and Joe. She went out to the waiting room where Joe, Vanessa, and Fenton were waiting. She also saw Emma Beaudry, Fenton's parents and to her shock her parents. "Oh my goodness! You're here!"

"One more is coming." Joe said.

The door banged open. "I'm here."

Fenton jumped up. "Gertrude!" He hugged his sister. Who accepted the hug then went to hug her younger nephew. She pointed at Joe and Vanessa. "Now don't be thinking about any repeats of this. Callie can afford a baby. You can't got me kids."

Joe sputtered and nodded at his Aunt blushing to the roots. Vanessa was laughing at his reaction. "You should have known that was coming babe. Don't worry Ms. Gertrude. There won't be at least until we have established careers."

Laura laughed in spite of herself. She hugged her parents. "Here I took some candid shots."

Everyone huddled in to see the picture of Frank kissing his daughters little forehead, and of Callie holding her on her chest just after the birth and kissing Frank. Callie holding the baby just before she nursed. Pictures of the baby as she was being weighed, and her being swaddled by Laura. Shannon had taken that one. Laura had taken one of Callie nursing but did not show that one without permission first.

Laura looked at the time. "I promised Frank that I'd bring Joe and Fenton back."

Frank Hardy shooed them. "Go. We got things under control here."

Laura Hardy opened the door to 401. Frank was holding the baby. He saw his father. "Dad did you want to hold your first granddaughter?"

Fenton swallowed. "Yes of course I do."

Frank transferred the baby to Fenton's arms. "She is so beautiful." He looked up at Callie, "how do you feel?"

"Tired...but happy."

Joe was checking out the placenta still in the large basin. Then he went over. He offered his finger which Brooke gripped. "Strong girl!" Joe said. After a few minutes Joe asked. "Can I hold her a minute?"

Callie smiled. "Of course you can Uncle Joe. Did you guys call Rick? I know he went camping with Michael. He might not be in cell phone range."

"He'll get the message." Fenton said.

"I'm sure they will." Callie said.

A short time later Callie was transferred to a room in the mother/baby unit. The whole family was talking when Patrick and his father came in. Rick came over with two dozen roses of various colors. A pink balloon saying baby girl was tied to the vase. Callie beamed. "You two didn't have to do that."

"Yes we did. You need a little color in this room. "Where's my niece?" Rick asked.

"Still in the nursery. She should be out soon. They had to warm her up and do stuff." Callie said. "But I gave the nurse the cute gown you gave her with a matching hat to put on her."

That is when a nurse came in. "I have a hungry baby here."

Callie smiled as Rick peered into the bassinet. "She's so pretty. Better feed her mama. Her mouth is wide open."

Callie took her from Frank. She slipped the baby under her nursing gown and helped her latch. Brooke suckled happily. Her tiny left foot moving up and down.

Fenton had an odd sense of deja vu. He was transported back in time to when Laura was in a hospital bed nursing a newborn Frank. His foot specifically, his left foot went up and down like that while he ate. He did that at every feeding. His father knew exactly what he was remembering. "You did it too."

Fenton smiled. "Did I?"