"Come on babe...another big push!" Henry coached.
She had been in labor for what felt like hours. She was hoping that this delivery was going to be as easy as two of her previous ones. She knew that her age didn't help much. She was just ready to have this beautiful baby in her arms. The contractions felt like they were on top of each other and there was no break in sight. The doctor, nurses and Henry were encouraging her to keep going. She was just tired now.
With a deep breath, she let out another hard push. She wondered how much more strength she had left in her.
"Elizabeth! Hold on. Don't push anymore."
"What? Why!" She screamed. She tried desperately to stop pushing but the urge was so strong. The monitors overhead started alarming and the fear in her eyes turned into streams of tears falling down her cheeks. Was there something wrong with the baby? Did she wait too long to come into the hospital?
"Your little one's shoulder seems to be stuck on your pelvic bone." The doctor stated calmly. "Let me see if I can turn them."
Henry could see the fear in Elizabeth eyes. He gave her hand a squeeze and kissed her on the forehead. "Babe it's okay. You can do this."
She vigorously shock her head. She was now scared. Her heart rate was getting excited as the alarms kept blaring. They noise sounded like…
("Abdul stay down!" She yelled as the heavy body of her bodyguard seemed to increase in weight. Booming sounds of gun fire echoing all around. It was war. It was the coup.
Elizabeth Laid there as still as possible. She didn't feel anything broken or even any wounds. But every second there, there was nonstop gun fire.
Maybe her conversation with Henry was actually going to take place. Her beautiful children were going to be left motherless. Her children would inherit the same faith that she was dealt so many years ago.
She heard a loud bang from the front of the house. The blood in her veins started to boil with fear.
"Abdul stay…" She tried to yell as she was falling into a state of unconsciousness.
Two males were pulling her out from under Fred Cole as she was slowly coming to. She tried to scream and squirm as she started regaining her sense of surrounding.)
Henry quickly tried to gain her attention as he watched his beautiful wife's panic attack take over.
"Sweetheart…" He whispered in her ear. "Elizabeth your safe. Your back in the US."
"We need to get her into the OR and sedated otherwise we will lose both." The doctor commanded to the nurse. The nurse drew up a siring of Ativan.
Henry pulled himself together and looked up at the doctor. "Can I go with her?" Henry kept placing kisses on her forehead as the doctor put relaxing meds through her IV.
"Yes Dr. McCord." The doctor responded. "One of the nurses will go get you prepped as I take your wife into the operating room."
Henry placed one last kiss on Elizabeth's lips and then followed the nurse out.
"Henry…?" Elizabeth whispered as she slowly come to. The dryness in her throat was apparent. She opened her eyes to the most beautiful sight possible. Her husband was holding their new baby. Her eyes lit up watching Henry rock their beautiful new daughter in his arms.
Henry walked over to Elizabeth and gentle placed their daughter on her chest. Small tears trickled down her cheeks as the pink bundle curled up against her mother.
"She is perfect! And you did wonderful babe." Henry whispered between kisses on her forehead.
Elizabeth flinched as she raised a hand to hold Henry's. With the jolt of pain from her lower abdomen, the memories of labor come flooding back.
"Did I have a C-section?" Elizabeth asked brushing her fingers over her little girls face.
Both Elizabeth and Henry looked over towards the door as the doctor walked in. Elizabeth was wonded why she felly didn't remember giving birth to their daughter.
"How are you feeling?" Dr. Benson asked as she walked in.
"I'm okay. My throat is a little sore. What happened?"
Dr. Benson looked to Henry and then back at Elizabeth. "Well, your daughter's shoulders were stuck on your pelvic bone. All the alarms that were going off must have sent you into a panic attack. We ended up performing a C-section. It was just safe for you and the baby." She pulled up a stool and sat next to the bed.
"Is there anything wrong with her?" Elizabeth asked looking down at her baby.
"Nothing at all wrong. She is a beautiful 8Ibs, 7oz and 21 inches long. Only thing wrong is that we don't have a name for this bundle." She responded looking from Elizabeth to Henry and then to the baby.
Elizabeth and Henry locked eyes and without saying a word they knew what the other was thinking.
"Briana Emerson Francie McCord." Henry said with a smile as he placed a hand on his daughter.
"That's a beautiful name. Let me check your stitches and then I will let you three bond."
Henry gently picked up his daughter to allow the doctor room. Briana squealed in protest. A few minutes later she was back on her mother's chest. She slowly started making sucking noices and Elizabeth knew it was time for a feeding. Just as she was done feeding the McCord kids entered their mother's hospital room.
Everyone took turns holding their new sibling. As the two eldest interacted with their parents, Jason took Briana over to the window sill. "Welcome to the world Bri." Jason said to his baby sister. "I'm your big brother Jason. I am here to protect you. I want to tell you a little secret. When Mom and Dad first told me you were coming, I was very disappointed. I like being the baby. But now that you're here just know that I love you and will protect you. Even when you hate me and I hate you." Jason kissed his baby sister.
