Chapter 7
"Oh, God Liz, does it hurt?" Emily asked, frightened. Liz was red faced, in agony and eager to fight. "What do you mean, does it hurt?"
"I'm sorry, it was a stupid question…"
"You're damn right it was a stupid question. You and your stupid questions… And your stupid brother… And his stupid penis…. " She stopped ranting just long enough to scream in pain.
"Just breathe, Liz. Remember your Lamaze breathing."
"Screw the Lamaze. I want drugs. Get me the shot, the thing, the thing in the back. Come on!! Please!!"
"Liz, the doctor says you're too far along in the labor…"
"What does he know? He doesn't know shit, that's what he knows. Screw him and the stupid sh…." She stopped to yell in pain again.
A nurse entered the room.
"The doctor will be in soon to see how it's going and how far dilated you are."
"Nurse… Carolyn."
"Yes."
"Could you come here?"
Emily made a face behind Elizabeth and shook her head.
"I really have to see to all my…"
"I'm not good enough? You can't come see to me?"
"That's not it at all. If it's an emergency…"
"I'll tell you about an emergency. I'm about to push a person the size of a watermelon, out something the size of a lemon. That sound like an emergency to you?"
"Well, frankly, no. Your vitals and the baby's are very good."
"How 'bout this? You tell the doc if he comes in with out a shot for the pain, there's gonna be trouble. The bloody, terrible kind."
Emily made another face and shrugged at the nurse as if to say 'What are you going to do?'
"I'll let the doctor know, Miss Webber."
"You do that."
The nurse turned and left the room, shaking her head.
Another contraction hit and Elizabeth yelled and grabbed Emily's hand.
"Oww, good Lord , Elizabeth, when did you turn into some wrestler babe with the power to crush with your bare hand?"
"Very funny, Em, totally. You see how I'm laughing, I'm having a ball here. Keep it up and I'll laugh the baby out."
The doctor chose that moment to enter, followed by the delivery team.
"I'm going to see how far along you are and we'll get completely prepped for the delivery."
"Oh, no!! You're gonna give me those drugs, so I don't have to murder anybody. No jury would convict me. Hormones, ya know?"
"That's not my first death threat today, Miss Webber. But it is the most coherent."
"You don't get drugs in my system, it'll be the last."
"Okay, sure thing, right after I see how dilated you are."
The doctor donned a glove and proceeded to examine the young woman.
"Excellent, Miss Webber, you should start pushing with the next contraction."
"What about my drugs?"
"Let's get the baby out first."
"You… you… You suck. A lot. I bet your one of those mean dads," pauses to scream and push, "who says, 'Sure, Billy, I'll take you to Chuck E Cheese'," pauses for a breath, "after you clean your room," stops to scream incoherently and push, "and he cleans it and you say, "But you've got to do your chores," pauses for a big breath, "And then he's done and you're like, 'Sure, sport, after you finish your homework, and then…," big push, lots of screaming, "he finishes his homework and your like, 'I have to do one little thing and that takes forever," more deep breath, "And so when he asks you again you're like…" super long push, screaming like Jamie Lee Curtis in Prom Night.
"Well, look at that, a boy," the doctor says, holding Elizabeth's son up to see.
"No, I was gonna say you tell him… Wait, what? Baby?"
"Yes, Miss Webber, you have a son. Still want those drugs."
She collapses onto the bed.
"Maybe later."
After the boy is cleaned, inspected, weighed and measured, he is handed to Liz.
"My son," she says, softly to the pink, squirming bundle in her arms.
"My nephew," Emily says and snaps a picture.
"I… What are you doing?"
"Preserving this day forever. It's an eternal record of the birth of… What's his name?"
Liz looked at her son, tired and elated.
"Cameron."
Emily smiled and then looks confused.
"Isn't that the street you live on?"
Elizabeth looked up at her friend and smirked.
"And his middle name's going to be 1515 3B."
Emily got ready to fuss until she saw the evil glint in Liz's eyes.
"Alright, I'll give you this one. Fifteen hours of labor, no drugs, okay. You're very funny."
"But his first name is going to Cameron. And his middle name is Stephen, I felt like I should keep that tradition going."
Emily went teasing and playful.
"So, what are you going to name the next one?"
Elizabeth glared at the young woman. "I am never doing this again. Under any circumstances."
"Right," Emily said, smiling madly.
A week after the birth of Cameron Stephen Webber, Elizabeth was settled enough to write Jason. Granted she was tired, sore and could use a shower, but it was high time for her to tell Jason about his son. This time, when she swore Emily to silence she threatened the gag and a locked closet. She promised she would do it.
The baby settled in for nap after being fed, and Liz weighed her options. Attempt a shower, write Jason. She sat and thought a while. And fell asleep, and then woke with a start when she fell off the couch. Even with Emily, her Grams, and Mother helping out here and there, it had been a rough week. She made her way to her desk.
"Keep it short," she said to herself, pulling out pen and paper.
Jason,
Your son was born May 8th at 1:32 in the afternoon. He was 8 lbs, 2 oz and 19 ½ inches long. He's completely healthy and passed all his baby physicals. He's had his first series of shots and he tolerated them well.
I will tell you it hurt like I was about to split open. But then he was in my arms and I didn't know what to say.
His name is Cameron Stephen Webber. While the first name might seem odd to you, if you remember my address it might make some sense. It just seemed like I should name if after the place he was conceived. Stephen is a family name and I like it.
I'm sending pictures along, and Emily has marked them appropriately to help you visualize.
The baby and I are doing fine. I have lots of help and plenty of maternity leave.
I hope you're well. I hope that this letter gets to you before he's three months old, what with the postal system and all. I can't wait for you to see him, he's beautiful.
-Liz sat for quite a while contemplating how to close her letter. And then she decided.-
Thanks for the baby,
Liz
Jason sat down, overwhelmed. Two weeks after it was sent, the letter was in his hands.
Emily's marks on the pictures helped, but it will still hard to make sense of the image. But he was sure he could see his son.
His son.
Cameron Stephen Webber, his son.
He sat, shell shocked, in silence for a long while.
A coworker knocked and poked his head in, "Hey, Morgan! Gonna sit here all day or are you gonna get to work?"
Jason looked up at the man.
"I have a son," he said, and smiled. "A boy. Eight pounds, 2 ounces, nineteen and half inches long. A son!"
"Well, congrats, man. Good job! You coming to work or not?"
"Soon. I just have to wrap my head around…"
"What's his name?"
"What?"
"The boy? Does he have a name? Or were you going to call him Boy all his long and lonely life," the man ribbed good naturedly.
"Cameron," he said, feeling full to bursting, "My son's name is Cameron."
"Well, tell your girlfriend I said congrats, okay?"
Jason looked at him blankly for a minute.
"Yeah, sure."
The door closed and Jason sat.
"Elizabeth," he whispered. There was a flash of memory. A girl sitting at the kitchen table of his parent's house. He could see her face in detail. It was a beautiful sight.