Title: The Gift
Author: lyricalpeach
Summary: Follow-up to Bless the Broken Road, future speculation. No ER action.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Without Prejudice. All the ER characters are property of NBC. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission. Please don't sue me. The other words are my own. Please don't steal.
Notation: Ray's thoughts 'Neela's thoughts' Abby's thoughts
Chapter 6
Ray stood up, hiding one brief look of fear, and then his strength emerged. Scurrying about, he managed to get Neela's suitcase and find the car keys. Thank goodness for the car! Thank goodness there's gas in the car! Neela can't walk to the L and a taxi would take forever… Ray thought as he hurried to remember what he needed… Neela's coat! It's soo cold outside, I better grab some warm things. He was out the door and about to close it when Neela called out sweetly, "Ray!" Ray came back in, looking very sorry and feeling like an idiot. "I can't get up." Neela laughed. "Stop rushing, honey. We don't want to get there as trauma!" Ray made a face, then smiled.
Down the hall they went, and all the while Ray was blessing the one working elevator. Too bad the tree was too big to fit in it without bending the top… He wrapped one arm around Neela's waist and had the other on her arm as they walked side by side. "Okay, baby, here we go, nice and slow."
Neela was so relieved that the baby was finally coming that she felt lighthearted. She lowered her voice to tease, "Ooh, that's how I like it!"
Ray blushed and said with his voice not quite normal, "Silly! I need to focus right now, babe, don't say things like that!" He hit the button for their garage level. He'd parked in a space near the stairs because of the tree; fortunately the elevator and stairs weren't far apart. Unfortunately, Neela's contractions weren't far apart, either.
000
They arrived at the hospital quickly and got settled in the delivery room. Neela had been laboring for less than an hour with tolerable pain when her water broke. She was now dilating at an amazing pace. She and Ray were surprised, they wouldn't have thought the time for delivery would arrive this quickly.
"Noooooooo! Noooooooooo!" Neela breathed out and in sharply. "I need an epidural, now!"
"You can't, baby, you're too far dilated." Ray tried to calm her down, but it wasn't working. Delivering other babies certainly hadn't trained him to be husband and coach, but they'd gone to class and he kept his head on.
Neela grabbed his T-shirt and pulled his head close to hers. "I. Want. Drugs. NOW!"
Ray squeezed her hand tight. "I'm here, baby, you can do this." He spoke in the low, calming voice that would get her attention. "Neela. I love you, and I need you to bring our baby into this world, and I'm here with you."
Ray calling her name finally calmed Neela down, and suddenly, she had the urge to push… "Okay, Neela, NOW!" Dr. Coburn's voice came through just in time.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"
Ray couldn't see the birth of his daughter as well from his vantage point and was glad it was being filmed. Even Neela wasn't sure she would want to watch the birth, but he knew he would someday. He held Neela's hand tight and rubbed her shoulder and arm. Everything became a blur.
Neela had her eyes closed and was bearing down, squeezing Ray's hand. She didn't notice that he'd checked out mentally for awhile now; she was focusing on getting the baby out of her.
Suddenly, Dr. Coburn laid their new baby on Neela's tummy. "Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?" No answer came. Ray appeared to be a bit absent. "Daddy? Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?"
Ray was jogged almost back to reality. She's here? I'm glad I was out of it. It would have been too hard to see Neela in so much more pain than I'd already seen her in.
"Hello, little Anandjot," Neela whispered. She was so tired, and relieved, and happy.
Ray eyes were a bit glazed over; he was still completely dumbstruck with amazement. How on earth did Neela DO this? Did we do this? Did she just say something?
"What?" Ray came out of his fog.
"Anandjot. It means, 'The Light of Bliss'," Neela added, "We can call her Ana." 'Quite a task, to pick a lovely Sikh name that could be shortened to an easy to pronounce American nickname… Fortunately, I love this name, and I know Ray will, too.'
Neela gazed lovingly at her new daughter in her arms while Ray solemnly cut the umbilical cord. Too soon, their new daughter was whisked away to be cleaned and weighed.
"Go follow her, I'll see you both in a bit," Neela instructed.
Ray gave her a kiss, softly saying "I'm so proud of you, baby," and left. She promptly fell asleep.
000
Ray had been following his daughter through being rubbed with soft blankets, stretched and measured, weighed, and had eye drops put in her eyes. Finally, they'd bundled her up well and sent Ray and the nurse to bring her in the hospital crib to Neela's recovery room. The nurse had shared her congratulations and a few instructions and left them alone. Now in the comfortable post-partum room, the new little family had some quiet time.
Ray stared at his tiny daughter, unable to take his eyes off her. Wavy, dark hair. So much hair! She looked so peaceful in her mother's arms, sleeping. "Ana," he breathed. "Ana, do you know you look just like your mother?"
Hearing the deep voice she vaguely recognized, Ana blinked sleepily and opened her eyes for the first time, revealing them as hazel green. Ray's mouth dropped open and quivered. Mine, mine and Neela's. He hadn't known that even their love, as deep and amazing as it was miraculous, could produce anything this beautiful… but there she was, gazing back at him with his own eyes. Neela must have a recessive gene for green eyes, not uncommon for Punjabi… his mind trailed off as he noticed Ana's eyes working to focus on his, to see the outline of his face more clearly.
Neela smiled. "Daddy's quite taken with you, isn't he?" She touched her lips to Ana's cheek and handed her to Ray, and he scooped her up gently, cradling her in his arms. He felt at a loss for words, and stretched his neck down to nuzzle Ana with the tip of his nose and kiss her forehead. Slowly and reluctantly, he handed her back to Neela, then reached behind Neela to stretch his arms around both of them. "Just wait until you see your special star!" Ray whispered to Ana, "Your first Christmas tree is waiting for you at home."
000