THANKFUL 5
Recap:
- Donna is resting at home, she's in her final weeks.
- Lily visits and offers to paint a portrait of a pregnant Donna as a father's day gift.
- Harvey struggles with Mother's Day and asks Samantha for help.
- Donna and Lily go to a doctor's appointment, and the doctor decides to deliver her babies that afternoon.
- Donna tries to reach Harvey but can't, so she calls Gretchen for help.
"Ma'am, I can't just let you walk in while court is in session," the security guard explains, with both palms halting.
Standing firm with hands on curvy hips, Gretchen cocks her head, "Be prepared to be sued then… because if I don't get a very important message to Mr. Specter in there…"
"Not my rule, it's the law," the stocky man interrupts, his arms protectively crossed. If he had a nickel for every person who had an important reason…
"I'm pretty sure it's also against the law to knowingly prevent a man from seeing his babies being born!" Gretchen challenges, with a burning tone and a frosty glare. "I don't care what you have to do, but Mr. Specter needs to be at the hospital right now!"
Looking her over, the guard can tell that Gretchen is not a "take-no-for-an-answer" kind of woman. So, he offers a compromise.
"Tell you what… write a note. I'll get it to the judge," he grumbles. "But this is against policy."
"If the judge in there gives you trouble… you call me," she commands. "We'll take care of it… Mr. Specter will make sure of that."
Handing Gretchen the notepaper and pencil, the guard rolls his eyes.
"You're a good man and you know it," she replies, with a sly smile, while quickly scribbling a message before he changes his mind.
Mr. Specter, check your phone. Everyone is fine, but Donna is delivering the babies this afternoon. Ray is waiting outside. Gretchen
Before folding the note in half, the security guard reads it, a slight smile forming.
"I heard Specter got married, and now he's havin' babies?" he says, amused and shaking his head. "Never thought I'd see the day…"
"And you're not gonna see another day if you don't get that note to the judge right now!" the secretary warns.
xxx
"Your Honour, that's a moot point," Harvey begins, waving the file folder in the air. "These three very important sheets of paper here, make negligence abundantly clear!"
Glancing at the note that was just handed to him, the grey-haired judge pauses, and then offers an expressionless nod.
"Mr. Specter and Ms. Reid, please approach the bench."
"Your Honour…" Harvey sighs, frustrated at the delay. As the opposing attorneys step up, the judge hands Harvey the note.
Seeing the words, his knees instantly buckle.
"How about we take a five-minute recess… does that work for the both of you?" The magistrate suggests, with an amused smile.
Speechless, Harvey simply nods. With his heart thundering against his ribs and Gretchen's voice ringing in his ears, he slowly turns and returns to the table.
Donna. Delivery. Babies.
Eyes blinking and his mouth suddenly dry, Harvey hands Louis and Samantha the note.
"I gotta go…"
"Yes you do! Go!" Louis encourages, his wide grin and bright eyes offering Harvey an extra dose of assurance.
"We got this, just go," Samantha confirms, as she confidently squeezes his arm.
To the confusion of onlookers in the courtroom gallery, Harvey rushes out the door. Bolting past Gretchen and the security guard, he quickens his pace as he approaches the stairs, ready to take them two at a time.
"C-section is at five," Gretchen yells, her voice echoing down the corridor. "You'll make it! Good Luck!"
xxx
Ray already has a soothing jazz soundtrack playing by the time Harvey jumps into the backseat. Having had two children himself, the driver knows exactly how his boss is feeling. So calming music is definitely the way to go.
"We'll make it," Ray says confidently, as he increases the volume just the tiniest bit. "Don't worry."
As the town car rolls into gear, Harvey powers up his cell. His chest rising and falling from sprinting.
Buzzes and pings and vibrations. Sweat and panic and dread.
A dozen notifications blow up his phone, but Harvey doesn't bother to check. His fingers are too busy pounding the screen, and after one ring she picks up.
"Donna!" He can barely breathe with the fear lodged in his throat.
"Everything's ok," Donna jumps in, determined to ease his worried mind. There have only been a handful of times when she's heard this kind of dread in his voice. The last time being when he accused her of losing faith in him. The timbre of his voice then, nearly broke her heart.
"They're prepping me now, but there's nothing to worry about, I promise," she encourages.
"Thank God," he exhales. Yanking out his pocket square, Harvey wipes the worry from his beaded brow. "I'll be there in a couple of minutes. I'm sorry I wasn't ... I miss one appointment…"
"The twins specialist says this is a precaution. The first baby is head down, and ready to go… but second is apparently a gymnast and they're concerned about the strain that might cause. But I'm ok, and so are the babies." Donna reassures. She makes a point of offering the details because Harvey likes details. "I was told this is not unusual for twins."
"I was afraid…" he chokes, unable to finish his sentence, his eyes blurring the streetscape outside his window.
"Lily's here with me, Harvey," Donna interrupts. "The only thing you need to worry about is getting your pretty little self down here."
With his heartbeat slowing, Harvey, once again, exhales with relief. Pretty little self tells him everything he needs to hear. Donna's in good spirits.
"So how are they prepping you?" he asks, changing gears. He's a block away now. "Hair? makeup? Fancy gown?"
"IV, epidural and not-so-fancy, but very revealing, hospital gown," she chuckles.
"I like the sound of that," he flirts. " I've always said you could wear a potato sack and look good."
"Trust me, this makes a potato sack look like a ball gown," she jokes. Their banter and her laughter setting his mind further at ease. This is what they do. And they both know it. If they can talk like this, then things are ok.
As Ray weaves his way towards the hospital entrance, Harvey opens the door before the car stops.
"Ok, I'm here…," he announces into the phone. "I'm gonna get a burger before coming up… that alright with you?"
"Harvey!" Donna playfully scolds.
"Kidding!" he chuckles. "A coffee?"
"Harvey!"
XXX
Minutes later, his necktie loosened and collar undone, Harvey steps into the hospital room, his face beaming at the sight before him.
Donna and her very round belly are propped up on the bed, and Lily is in a chair next to her. Seeing the two women chatting and giggling, his heart swells with gratitude. If it weren't for Donna, Lily wouldn't be here, and neither would he.
"You know, if you were that bored being at home, I could have just given you another movie recommendation," Harvey grins, as he leans on the doorframe.
"This is definitely all your fault," Donna teases, her face instantly brightening upon seeing him.
"Sweetheart! You made it!" Lily grins, as she jumps up. With a kiss to Donna's forehead and then a kiss to Harvey's cheek, the elderly lady eases her way out.
"I'm going to go down the hall to grab a coffee and make a few very important calls," she says. "And I'll be here waiting to meet my grandchildren! Good luck, you two!"
As Harvey approaches the bed, seeing Donna this way catches him off-guard. Despite being in good spirits, she has needles and wires and monitors attached to her chest, arms and belly. Tied to the machinery and equipment surrounding her, she appears vulnerable in a way that he's not used to seeing.
Leaning in to greet her, there's an urgency in Harvey's kiss. His hand safely pressing her cheek, his mouth unwilling to let go.
He's trying to stay calm for Donna's sake, but fear simmers just below the surface.
As natural as childbirth is, nothing feels normal about this moment. This is completely new territory. Childbirth may not be the risky business it once was, but it's still risky, especially with twins. And when it comes to Donna, risk is something he's moved heaven and earth to avoid.
In the hopes of regaining control of his fears, Harvey thinks back to Seattle, to Rachel's unexpected delivery, and how it ended well.
His arms fully embracing Donna, Harvey focuses on calming himself with deep, comforting breaths. His rational mind assures him that she's getting the best care, but his emotions keep wreaking havoc.
"You know it's kisses like this, that got us into trouble in the first place," Donna smiles, her hand affectionately smoothing his face. It's warm and flushed, and she can tell he's just as nervous as she is. In fact, she's more than a little nervous. She's downright scared.
With the surgery scheduled for minutes from now, Dr. Simpson enters the room, and she and Harvey don't have a chance to talk.
"Ok you two, we're ready to go," the specialist says, while glancing at the monitor stats. "We'll have about ten people in the OR. A team for each baby. This delivery is pretty textbook for twins. An incision in your lower abdomen, and we go from there. Harvey, your job is to support Donna, and nothing more. We're looking at about two hours. Any questions?"
"What about pain…will Donna be uncomfortable?" Harvey asks, concerned.
"Definitely not. Modern medicine is a beautiful thing, and Donna, you'll be awake the entire time," the confident, blonde-haired doctor smiles. "I've delivered two-hundred sets of twins in my career. And everything looks good here. We'll get you prepped now, Harvey."
"How risky is this for the twins?" Donna questions.
"They're healthy overall, but the heartbeat of the second one, that's what we're concerned about. At 36 weeks, they're in good shape," the doctor assures, with a confident nod. "I'd recommend enjoying these last few minutes together, because you're about to become parents."
xxx
Throughout his life, of all the crazy situations Harvey's imagined himself in, this was definitely not one of them. He's imagined being with Donna, and even having a family.
But not what's happening now.
Scanning the OR, the scene feels surreal. Doctors and nurses, scrubs and gloves. Medical jargon and pings and beeps… and a faded blue surgical screen, shielding him and Donna from the life-changing moment that's about to take place.
Harvey is used to having control of the room, of holding court so to speak, and of being able to influence the outcome of any given situation. But here, he's helpless. Forced to trust the experts and follow orders.
Turning to Donna, and determined to focus on what matters most, he places his hand on her cool forehead. "I love you, Donna. I love you so much," his jaw tensing, as his eyes pool with gratitude. "You're everything to me, you know that?"
He'd kiss her hard if it weren't for the mask on his face.
Seeing what Donna is going through, Harvey will never again look at her the same way. She's always been the mentally tougher one, but what she's experiencing now….
"To be honest, I never thought I could love you more, but I do. How is that possible?" his eyes hinting at the gentle smile she can't see. In the background, the beeping and pinging of machines keep a steady rhythm.
"It's possible… because I know the feeling," she smiles back with a lick of her dry lips. In an effort to keep them both calm, she also tries for that familiar banter. "How is it that you look so hot in this hospital gear and I look ridiculous?"
"Are you suggesting a little role play after we get through all this? 'Grey's Anatomy' maybe?" Harvey teases. "I could play the handsome, lonely doctor and you could be the hot, but mysterious patient…"
"You never miss an opportunity, do you?" she giggles, the glow of the surgical lights illuminating her sprinkle of freckles.
"Never," he replies with a mischievous raise of his eyebrow.
As Donna takes in the moment, her expression changes, her mind trying to drown out the noisy chatter surrounding her. She feels the tugging and pulling, and it's as if she's living in two different bodies. The one above the surgical screen, and the one below.
"Harvey," she swallows hard, in an effort to keep focused on anything but the surgery. "I want to talk about names…."
"Baby names? I thought we decided already…" Harvey questions, his hand continuing to soothe her forehead. With her thick red locks bundled under the surgical cap, Donna's face is in clear view. Even in this setting, she looks younger than her years. Wild lashes, freckled nose, and baby pink lips. Her perfect features never failing to draw him in.
"I know we wanted to honour our families, and we will, but…" Donna hesitates. "I want our children to have their own names. To be their own people… does that make sense?"
Nodding, Harvey understands. Neither he nor Donna were named after family members, not as first names anyway. They've been so focused on honouring their parents, that they never discussed any other possibilities.
"You've waited until now to suggest this?" Harvey chuckles, with a lighthearted shake of his head. "We haven't even come up with anything else."
"How about we wait to decide? I think once we see them, we'll know," Donna replies, intuitively.
With fingers intertwined, the couple chat about other names, when the surgeon interrupts.
"Ok, Donna and Harvey, Baby A is just about here…" he declares, the medical team busily working beside him.
Within seconds, a shrill, heart-stopping cry, and Harvey's breath stills. The doctor raises the pink newborn above the surgical screen for him and Donna to see. Mouth open, arms and legs shaking, the infant bristles at the sudden coldness of the air.
"Your baby girl!" the doctor says, before quickly handing the screaming newborn over to be cleaned and swaddled. "We'll check her, weigh her, count fingers and toes, and the nurse will bring her right over."
Donna gasps at the first sight of her child. Then, she begins to sob.
Swallowing his own tears back, Harvey's heart is ready to explode. A baby girl. All these months when he's whispered onto Donna's belly, he'd been talking to his daughter.
"We have a baby girl…" he repeats, as if to process the news. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Harvey's forehead beads with sweat.
Once again, images of baby James return, and he recalls what it felt like to hold a newborn in his arms. That new experience pried Harvey's heart open just a little more. He could actually feel it happening then, and now, he can't wait to hold his own child.
"Ok team, Baby B is almost out…" Dr. Simpson announces. Then, another loud, high-pitched cry, as the child takes a first breath. "Tiny but strong. Your second daughter."
"Two girls!" Harvey says, almost disbelieving, his heart so full, it's vibrating.
Donna squeals with joy and relief, her face stained with salty tears.
Two healthy babies. Two perfect girls. Images of princess dresses and bows and curls now swirling through her mind.
Harvey finally takes a breath. Two babies safely delivered. From here on in, he'll be living in a house full of females and he couldn't be happier.
Within minutes, two nurses deliver the swaddled infants to Donna and Harvey.
"This is Baby A, " the nurse says, pointing to the marked ankle bracelet. "Four pounds and eight ounces. And this is Baby B. Five pounds exactly. Born five minutes apart. Congratulations!"
"We did it," Donna says gleefully to Harvey, as one newborn rests across her chest.
"You did it," he replies, while holding the other.
"Another twenty minutes, and we'll have you out of here and in recovery, so you can enjoy your family," Dr. Simpson explains. "Congratulations!"
XXX
It's been two hours since the twins were born, and Harvey hasn't stopped grinning.
"They're so tiny, Donna," Harvey whispers. Each arm cradling a child. "And perfect."
Offering an exhausted smile, Donna slowly nods. The anesthetic hasn't quite worn off, and she's grateful for that. She just finished learning how to nurse, and she's tired. "Twin daughters, I can't believe it."
Handing her one of the sleeping infants, Harvey asks. "You ready to talk names, now? Have you had a good look at them?"
"I have," Donna replies. "I can already tell they're very different."
"That one you have is quite active and maybe even a little bossy," Donna giggles. "Kinda like you."
Rolling his eyes, Harvey replies, "Very funny. Well yours has your skin tone and it seems to compliment her hat. She's already fashionable."
"And she looks like an Isabelle to me," Donna says, gently kissing the baby's tiny head.
"Isabelle Lily Specter… I like it," Harvey agrees. "And our active one here… not sure why, but I keep thinking Ivy. Maybe because her arms and legs keep running like a climbing vine."
"Ivy Carol Specter… I like it!" Donna agrees
"Isabelle and Ivy Specter," Harvey announces, the names rolling off his tongue.
"Izzy and Ivy," Donna clarifies.
"It already sounds like a sit-com," Harvey chuckles. Placing Ivy in Donna's arms, Harvey pulls out his phone to take a family picture.
Isabelle is wearing a white hat while Ivy is in light pink. Donna's red hair falls soft over her shoulders, and Harvey's grin reaches all the way to his eyes.
"Definitely my new screensaver!" he nods, while pausing to examine the picture.
"This is our family, Harvey," Donna says, her voice quivering, as she reviews the image.
"Sure is," he agrees. Thumbing his phone, Harvey uploads the photo, and taps through his contact list. Then, he begins to write.
Hey everyone, meet Isabelle and Ivy Specter! Born today, May 8, at 5:55 pm and 6pm. As you can see, Mom and Dad already have their hands full. But we're doing great. More to come….