Author's Note: Suzanne and Jethro Gibbs prepare for the arrival of their children, but the surprise was on them! Suzanne was close to her eighth month and at home. The following explains how serious Suzanne's pregnancy becomes in the final weeks. Please leave comments and suggestions! Thanks for supporting and reading!
Donald Mallard savored later arrivals on a slower day. No new cases and all previous paperwork and analysis up-to-date. He stopped by the pastry shop, treated himself and faithful aide Jimmy Palmer to a tin of homemade, freshly baked shortbread biscuits or cookies. He walked inside the lab, with his newspaper in hand. With his back turned, Ducky prepared to switch from his stylish trench coat, pressed trousers into medical examiner garb. He remembered to at least brew the water as he began toward the intimate corner.
"Your water's brewing, Duck."
He noticed Senior Supervisory Agent Jethro Gibbs on the autopsy table, staring into the ceiling. The man appeared tired, sounded exhausted and more distraught than his usual chaotic life of a dedicated Federal Agent. He also added the role of husband to an active career-minded wife a year prior.
"Suzanne…" Jethro yawned then slowly stretched upward from the cold steel. "Suzanne has to see the doctor Monday morning for lab work."
Married life to a career-oriented woman had its challenges, especially when her work load involved media exposure. Suzanne Gibbs, nee McNamara, was affectionately nicknamed 'Google' or 'Q' for query: she'll have a solution for every question! It was a well-deserved moniker, too. Jethro loved Susie for everything-her brilliant mind, beautiful smile and deeply-rooted principles about life's purpose-good, bad or indifferent. Recommended highly by the Secretary of the Navy, she was appointed the Executive Assistant and Aide to the President. When and Where ever the President traveled, she was the sidecar with transitional frames, a backpack, and dressed for the occasion. Suzanne's body was sturdy, demonstrating physical fitness. Her curves were also distracting, intoxicating. Nevertheless, she presented herself as a scholar first and a woman second. At the beginning, Suzanne just nodded, smiled, and waved at the public. The traveling was harder on Jethro; he disliked long-distance marriage and feared the worst. Through patience, prayer and love, the Gibbs' made it work.
Suzanne laughed, then panicked at the possibility during a State funeral in Australia. Once she returned stateside, a doctor's appointment confirmed it: she was pregnant and almost into her second trimester-10 weeks. Jethro was thrilled to learn of a second chance at fatherhood. The fainting spell, nausea, headaches and light sensitivity was not all due to migraines. Gibbs attended doctor's visits with Suzanne since entering the final trimester, in attempts of being a supportive husband. Instead, the checkups created a nervous wreck!
'Dr. Mallard: he's driving me crazy!' Suzanne confided in Dr. Mallard and asked the sage to ease Jethro's excessive worrying! Every symptom she experienced throughout the process was correlated to the pregnancy, especially the high blood pressure. She worked at NCIS for five years, talked with Ducky more than anyone at NCIS, including Jethro.
"The blood work is to determine if there are further complications in the pregnancy. So far, she's 29 weeks..." Ducky reassured his friend. "Suzanne just needs to make it through the pregnancy at least another four, five weeks…Dr. Pauley did the right thing by saying limited activity." He referenced a book on human anatomy; then, he happened to print a copy of an article relating to multiple births. He mentioned aloud his reading a lot more about obstetrics since Mr. Palmer and Breena, now Jethro and Suzanne. He perused the bookshelf to consult a book and an old binder of notes. He emitted a sigh of relief once he found the highlighted references and passages.
"Preeclampsia is typical for first-time mothers." Ducky continued naming the symptoms associated with the condition and the justification as to why Monday's blood test was routine.
"But she's gained only 25 lbs."
Ducky reminded his friend about Suzanne's habits, particularly her fitness regime. Until her fourth month, she jogged three, four times a week. Suzanne ate very light-lean, small portions of protein along with fruits and vegetables. She had a sweet tooth, but the exercise balanced the want for dessert. With each positive trait, Jethro nodded and it eventually explained why she gained only that small amount of weight. For Suzanne, that was a significant amount of weight.
"Duck, I overheard the doctor..." Jethro's voice trembled. The conversation replayed in his mind over again.
'Mrs. Gibbs?'
'Mrs. Gibbs' blood pressure is 145/94. Her breathing is slow and heavy, meaning possible fluid in the lungs.' The medical student reviewed the chart. 'Definite signs of preeclampsia; possibility of full blown eclampsia at delivery.'
'Prognosis at delivery?' The doctor asked.
'Seizures, numbness...loss of life for mother, child or both...'
"My wife could die at childbirth?!"
"Suzanne could die, during labor..." He cried, collapsed into Ducky's arms,
"She's at the best teaching hospitals in the United States."
"I don't want to lose Suzanne too."
"If you're that worried, my dear boy…" He consoled Jethro, sitting down the tin of cookies and his newspaper. "I'll stay with you two until she goes into labor."
Dr. Mallard arrived the following week to spend an undetermined, welcomed stay with Suzanne and Jethro. He insisted to sleep in the downstairs guestroom, citing that his knees "had some days better than others."
"Besides, I could be more of assistance downstairs than upstairs." Ducky commented. He had the opportunity to hear the interaction between husband and wife, often mediating.
"Stop watching the news." Jethro chided Suzanne, who was sitting inside her office watching the political network. He clicked off her office television.
"You're on maternity leave."
"Oh, come on, Jethro!" She responded. "You expect me to watch 'Barney, perhaps Ni Hao, Kai-lan?'"
Ducky chuckled, shook his head. Their whispers were hard to decipher. Their conversation level increased in volume.
"No! I can walk down the stairs by myself…"
Jethro walked downstairs with laundry basket in hand.
"Duck, please make sure Suzanne doesn't…"
"I can't watch ZNN, carry anything heavy, do housework, run errands…" Suzanne groaned as she climbed down the steps. Her steps were slower, breathing pattern heavier than normal.
"Dr. Mallard, Jethro has done everything the past three weeks, and I'm a prisoner in the house. Basically, I'm supposed to sit here, do absolutely nothing, except answer the telephone."
"You can finish your afghan…" Jethro suggested. "You can watch television, work on your canvas…"
"Honey, this is ridiculous…" She held to the banister, standing on the last step. "I'm not due until the 30th. That's 4 weeks away."
"You're on bed rest. The doctor said last week any time." He gave Suzanne a peck on her lips. "Why take chances?"
"Jethro…"
"Take it easy. Eat, drink water, and absolutely nothing stressful." Jethro reminded, resting his head against hers, kissing her softly on the mouth.
"How about stop calling me every hour!" Suzanne responded, smiled.
"It's out of love, Susie." He touched her cheek.
"I know."
"I'll call twice today." Jethro opened, closed the front door. He used the key to dead-bolt the front door. "You four stay out of trouble…"
"Arr…" she groaned, walked into the kitchen. Ducky followed.
"I swear he's driving me crazy!" She reached for the decaffeinated tea in the cabinet, prepared her cup while talking to her surrogate father. Suzanne sat down at the table. Ducky joined her with his cup of regular tea.
"His intentions are well-meaning." Ducky said. "He missed Kelly's birth; he was in Panama." He sipped on the coffee, continued.
"Shannon stayed with her folks in Stillwater. According to his father, they all waited with anticipation." Suzanne continued to listen, sipping her tea.
"Jackson Gibbs gave it to me; Jethro has the same copy."
Ducky reached into his wallet, showed Suzanne the faded, well-worn picture of a newborn baby, the first granddaughter. He reminded Suzanne that Jackson was there, taking pictures with an old Polaroid. The envelope was addressed to Jethro, ready to go.
"Jethro wanted to be there…when she was born, when she was killed."
Suzanne understood. With eyes closed, she began to understand why Jethro was so protective.
"All of this, my dear, is from your own playbook—adjust to changing times but hold onto unchanging principles? Sounds familiar?"
Suzanne nodded. "Parenting is a crash course; no book can prepare you for it. It changes with each child." Ducky kissed her forehead tenderly.
"You think about that whenever you get upset with Jethro."
The doctor informed the couple a week before she was 'lightening,' meaning the babies were making their way to the birth canal. For the second time in a week, the kicks—more like stomps, Suzanne thought—were felt by Jethro.
"Suz?" Gibbs whispered.
The remaining week had been restless ones for the Gibbs'. Suzanne struggled to find a comfortable position for sleep. She couldn't sleep on either her stomach or side during the third trimester. To independently get out of bed alarmed and awakened Jethro from a sound sleep.
"That's it. I'm sleeping in the recliner…" Suzanne sighed, sleepily groaned. "They've been stomping almost all night." She grabbed a quilt and a pillow, falling fast asleep in the worn chair. The elevation worked, making it easier for her to both stand and sit. For three nights, she peacefully slept on the recliner. Ducky was on the couch. Fred followed Suzanne, stayed by her side.
It was a Thursday night, raining and raining heavily. It was after midnight when Suzanne continually waddled to the restroom.
"I swear! I've been going, and going, and going…" She whispered to herself. Fred sat beside the door, waiting for her to emerge out. A week beforehand, her pelvis felt heavier, the left side of her body felt unusually tingly. Suzanne chalked it to sleeping on that side because of the pregnancy. Usually, she stopped but the stream continued unusually longer.
'Oh…'
Fred consistently barked. Instinctively, he ran upstairs and pawed Jethro from a deep sleep, barking and barking. He rushed out of bed, wearing sweat clothes. Ducky was awakened by Fred's barks, noticed the downstairs light on. He too stayed dressed, ready at any time to accompany the couple.
"I think…my water broke." Suzanne panted softly.
He looked into Suzanne's eyes, held her hand as the two waited on Jethro. She followed the breathing pattern learned in parenting class but yelped in pain. Her contractions by his watch were far apart. Suzanne's pulse, however, was severely elevated.
You'll be okay, Sweetheart." Her eyelids were closed, but the doctor noticed the rapid movement and rolling. Quickly, he rinsed a washcloth and placed it across her forehead.
"Just stay calm, Susie…" He whispered.
"I can't...feel your hand."
"I'm going to call Dr. Pauley, okay?" Ducky whispered positive thoughts in Suzanne's ear while gently stroking her forehead. "Just need you to stay calm..."
"This is it?" Jethro asked.
"It's show time." Ducky answered. The two helped Suzanne from the bathroom, out of the house and into the car. She selected a brown Jeep Cherokee. It was plain—no personalized license plates, no decals. The intent was for a vehicle to blend into the Metro DC traffic, a safe mode of transportation for mother and children. They packed the bag weeks before, which sat in the backseat. Before he entered the driver's seat, Ducky ordered Jethro to go, now, in a soft whisper.
"Keep Suzanne calm as you can, okay?"
"Jethro, I want Dr. Mallard."
In the passenger window, he said to Suzanne. "I promise, I'll be right there."
Ducky reached and pecked one button on his cellphone, a colleague at University Hospital and explained the situation. In a hurried pace, Jethro pulled out the jeep and headed for the hospital.
"Brown Jeep Cherokee—Virginia tags…" Ducky said. "Suzanne Gibbs; Preeclampsia; 31 weeks and multiple birth..." He grabbed additional items, began to lock the home. "Semi-alert right now but signs of eclampsia…She's going to ask for me…I am on my way."
Immediately, he dialed a second number—Leon Vance.
"Director, Jethro is on-route to the hospital." Ducky informed. "I need a ride from their house, if you don't mind." He chuckled.
Jethro was about to receive a gift from God, to witness the birth of his children.