Chapter 18
The pain was beginning to mount and she wanted to push, the doctor had said not to push but she wanted to. Her whole body felt as if she were being torn apart. Then relief came, it was gradual at first then there was only numbness.
The monitor said she was having a contraction but she knew no pain from the contraction. Legs strapped against the birthing stirrups, she knew her child's arrival was immanent. Sweat had beaded on her brow and the nursed wiped her face.
Her long brown hair was matted with her sweat from her earlier laboring efforts. Barnabas had sat by her side and held her hand as she labored, his soft voice was encouraging and his anxiety evident in the way he sustained her tight grip when the pain rolled through her.
Dr. Harding spoke with authority and command, "Ok Vicki you had your saddle block the pain should be gone and from the looks of the monitor and the crown of your baby's head you should be ready to push one more time."
Vicki looked at Barnabas and saw his concern and pride in his gaze she nodded and waited for the order to push. "Now Vicki push, give me one long hard push." Vicki grunted and lifted her head, closing her eyes she pushed.
Holding her breath she bore down and then there was the sound of jubilation from the nurses and the doctors. "We have a baby girl!"
There was the immediate loud mewling cry of his daughter as she took her first breaths after coming into this world. "Mr. Collins do you wish to cut the cord?"
Barnabas looked to his wife for her approval. Smiling and looking exhausted she nodded. Barnabas dressed in a blue surgical gown wearing latex gloves moved to the doctor's side and took the scissors then leaned over and cut his daughter' cord. The doctor quickly tied the cord off to the baby and handed her over to a nurse to clean her up.
Barnabas looked upon his daughter's tiny perfectly formed body and for a brief moment thought he detected a subtle hint in her eyes they briefly glowed with a cold blue iciness. Turning away from the sight he pinched the bridge of his nose and imagined that he was tired and only thought he saw that sign that would denote his daughter had shown signs of being a supernatural being.
"Barnabas?"
The nurse had cleaned the child and wrapped her swaddling style in the soft pink blanket handing the child over to the anxious mother.
"Barnabas?" Vicki had called to him a second time.
Turning he looked with love and pride upon his wife as she held their baby. "Isn't she beautiful? Her hair was thick dark with red highlights giving it a auburn look.
Vicki took her fingertip and brushed it over her baby girl's perfect pert nose and stroked her cheek with her index finger. "Come my darling hold your daughter."
She smiled and in this moment Barnabas knew he had been born for this time, no matter the adversity he had met in his past no matter the love he had held for nearly two hundred years for a woman that would belong to another, he had been born for now to be in this room with this woman and his child.
With hands that trembled slightly he reached with a natural instinct of a father and took his daughter him his arms and his love swelled looking upon the tiny infallible features of his child. "Hello Josette, I am your father and I love you and your mother and will always be there to protect you."
He bent and kissed her tiny forehead. He knew this would be a scene to be played out over the next few years at least four more times. He did not realize that on the third time, he would be presented with twins, a boy and girl to complete his family and set in motion a new generation of Collins.
Vicki watched her husband with their child and had heard his sweet surrender and promise to his daughter that he would be her protector. This spark a bittersweet moment in her life and the smile she had held faded slowly as she thought of her mother and how she had been alone at her birth only to hold her for a bare five minutes before she was whisked away and taken to a fondling home left with a solitary note.
'Her name is Victoria, I cannot take care of her.' This brought a prick of tears to her eyes and Barnabas saw her distress, "Darling?" He moved with Josette in his arms to her side and studied her in her momentary sadness.
She knew they were doing the stitches and delivering the afterbirth and felt her legs lowered as a padded gaze was placed between her legs and she was cleaned up. She glanced at her husband and gave him a smile. "Why tears my love?"
She reached a hand to him and he took her hand in his raising it to place a tender sweet kiss on her knuckles. Looking into the soft brown eyes that held only love for her and their family she said, "I am so happy. I have you as my husband and now we have a family. Our daughter has arrived a little early but she has arrived."
That statement had provoked a darker study to what had and was pestering his thoughts at the back of his mind, he held a fully mature child in his arms and there was no doubt she was a Collins, her inherent beauty was already undeniable, but she was two months early and the doctor had felt she was term.
Could it be possible that this was Vlad's child, she did display the ice blue gaze, though she did not have the need or thrive for blood, he peered down at the child in his arms and he pushed the thought that this child was not his to the back of his mind. For no matter what this would be his and Victoria's child.
He loved his wife and she was taken against her will. If in that moment when she was under the thrall of Vlad, how could she have prevented his taking advantage of her? No, he refused to believe this child was any other's child but his and no matter what he would love this child as his own.
Vald had believed she was his wife, how could he not wish to take the privileges that a husband would not wish to exert those needs and rights. Shaking that thought out of his mind, how could he not forgive her for being human, and at the mercy of a ruthless monster that was a man at one time?
He had forgiven Josette her infidelity was he less a man and not forgive his wife? Releasing her hand he watched the medical staff brought in a gurney and transferred his wife from the birth bed.
Following them out of the room, he saw Liz, George, Quentin, Daphne, and Carolyn standing outside the baby viewing area. Handing little Josette over to the pediatric nurse he pulled off the blue surgical gown and gloves he had worn in the birthing room and moved as the proud father he was to meet the family.
The nurse placed baby Josette in a basinet and put her place card with the name Girl, Collins and pushed her forward so they could view her through the thick glass.
"Oh look George! Our Granddaughter."
George pulled Liz into his arms and kissed her forehead. "She is as beautiful as you and her mother."
Liz felt teary eyed looking on to the first grandchild for their family. Carolyn flushed with pleasure, as she looked at the baby in the pink blanket.
"A niece, I am an Aunt, I can hardly wait for her to talk and call me Aunt Carolyn!"
Julia and Elliott approached the group huddled around the window and smiled. "She is very pretty. Look Elliott she had red hair." Elliott kissed his wife's forehead.
"Do you want a girl or boy?" Julia peered at her husband as she waited for his answer.
He glanced down at his wife, "It would be nice to have a son to carry on in my footsteps, but I also think I would be just as happy having a beautiful daughter that looks like her mother."
He placed a light kiss on her lips to accent his meaning. Julia flushed "oh Elliott, you are a darling man."
Carolyn turned and peered at the loving couple that had been a part of their lives for a while and noted that glow Vicki had when she first discovered she was pregnant. "Julia? Professor Stokes?
She cocked her head and smiled "Are you pregnant Julia?"
Julia glanced up to her husband held with his one arm holding her close to his body and blushed, "Why yes Carolyn I am."
From the end of the hallway, the lights began to pulse and blink off, two lumbering figures looped down the hallway followed by one black cloaked individual. From the depths of his cowl all that could be discerned were two glowing white orbs that were his eyes.
He held a staff and appeared to be directing the behemoths of hair and long tusk like teeth. They were coming towards the group gathered around the viewing area. Liz screamed so did Carolyn and fell back hugging the wall watching in shock the two monstrous forms moving to the baby viewing area. The slender tall male figure stopped pulling his staff forward he ordered, "Bring the baby!"
One of the horrific beasts charged and shattered the glass to the viewing room, sending glass flying in and around the baby that lay in front of the partition. The glass flew over the baby's bassinette and a clearly aberrant event occurred, to keep the glass from hurting the child, the glass appeared to dance in the space over the crib, floating in a freakishly beautiful dance much as a mobile would entertain the baby the glass moved in slow motion and then held suspended in mid air.
Liz had screamed seeing the shattering glass that flew back and impaled bits of its shards into George and Barnabas then turning incredulous eyes to the baby's crib they watched in fascinated horror the first of the two monstrosities moved to baby Josette's bed and peered down at her while the glass held suspended over head.
The gruesome being looked down at the child. Barnabas saw the bluish tinge to her gaze rolling her head to look at the creature, her gaze fixed and focused to the eyes of the creature. Amazingly the stare seemed to mesmerize the being and it was frozen by the stare of the child.
The second abhorrent animalistic creature jumped through the glass and the dancing shards of glass stopped its enchanted hoover was then directed with acute accuracies to the newest beast, the huge shards sharp ends flashed forward and impaled themselves into the creatures face, the beast howled being blinded and the pain tore through it as the glass found its soft target and began to push itself into its brain killing the brutish creature where it stood. It fell and disappeared with its death.
A scream of shocked pain diverted the attention of the Collins family. Their gaze was fixed on the male figure with the glowing white orbs. They watched in horror and incredulity the male slumped and was caught by a man they all recognized as Radu.
Stepping from behind him was another figure that looked exactly like Vicki. Carolyn lifted her chin to look from Barnabas to her stepfather. She could not believe her sister had just given birth and was dressed in some sort of odd-looking form fitting gray body suit with odd greenish lights connected by what looked like spider webbing. She wore a mesh type cloth pull over hat on her head and her glorious black hair had been pulled back into a ponytail.
She stepped forward and shouted to Radu, "Bag, tag and fold Radu." She bounded past Carolyn, stopped long enough to plant a kiss on her Aunt's cheek, "Love you Aunt Carolyn," pivoted moved past her grandfather, kissed his cheek, "Hi Grandpa, gotta go."
Then dove into the room with the beast that was apparently frozen in place by the child's stare. Rolling to a standing position, she reached into her utility belt and whipped out a silver diskette, sticking it to the animals furred body.
She stepped back watching the creature shimmered from view. "Dang Jo you sure were a pretty baby." Pivoting again she looked around at the astounded looks on her family's face smiled bowed to them and then pressed a symbol on her wrist band bracer and she too disappeared, thus directing their gazes back to the hallway where they had previously seen Radu with the odd man with the glowing white eyes. That was to note that they were no longer in view.
George was the first to respond, "What the hell just happened?"
Before an answer could be conjectured hospital security bound down the hallway to stop and look around at those present. "Where are the monsters the nurses reported?"
They were looking to George for an answer and to add to the anticlimactic ending of what they witness, Elizabeth fell to the floor in a faint. "Mother!"
Carolyn rushed forward to bend down to her mother followed by Julia. Elliott looked to George's bleeding face and Barnabas with a shard stuck in his arm.
"Gentlemen I suggest we take the Sheriff and Mr. Collins to the emergency room to address their wounds."
The security guard looked at the mess of shattered glass and the pretty baby that lay unscathed in her crib. "Yeah, sure as long as we are updated with what just happened.
Elizabeth moaned and sat up screaming out, "Vicki!"
George moved to his wife's side bending down he helped her to stand with Carolyn's help. "I think my wife needs to be checked out as well. She has had a horrific shock and obviously is affected by what has occurred."
The officers looked properly chastised and went in search of a wheel chair. Julia allowed Elliott to help her to stand. "Come on I want to get Barnabas and George's wounds cleaned up and dressed, then we will address what just happened."
Barnabas frowned; he did not want to go to the emergency room. His focus was now on his wife and he wanted to go to his wife and assure her that Josette was unharmed. Julia reassured him that Vicki did not know what happened because she was back in her room, which was on another floor.
Reluctantly he allowed Julia to guide him and George down the hallway. Carolyn turned to Daphne and Quentin; she had watched Quentin cover Daphne as the glass shattered. There was such tenderness in his touch as she watched him push her hair back and fixed her with his gaze and asked, "Are you all right?"
Daphne nodded and smiled. "I am fine Quentin, are you all right?"
He kissed her lightly on the lips. "I am fine, maybe we should go on up and see Vicki to make sure she is ok."
Daphne sucked her bottom lip in let it out, licked her top lip and then smiled, "I would like to see if our arrangement made it and we do have a bag of goodies to give her."
Quentin then noticed Carolyn watching them. "You going to the emergency room or do you wish to come with us?"
Carolyn shook her head, "I need to make sure that mother's is ok, you go on up and please do not tell Vicki what happened, although this hospital's grapevine I would be surprised if she does not already know about what happened here."
Quentin thought a moment and nodded, "I know what you mean come on Daph, and let's go check on our cousin."
Daphne fell into step with Quentin as they moved in tandem down the hallway. Carolyn turned to survey the damage and watched as Maintenance began it's clean up of the area. "Aunt huh, I wonder if they are having another baby?"
She smiled, "Which makes me another Aunt." With a light skip to her step she moved towards the emergency room entrance.
Daphne and Quentin arrived just as Vicki was sliding on her shoes and preparing to head out to find her baby. "Whoa, where do you think you are going?"
Vicki paused caught in the act of trying to make her escape. "I am going to check on my baby to make sure she is unharmed."
Vicki's room had been filled with stuffed bears, lambs, soft made dolls and flowers. "She is fine Vicki, there was a minor altercation and the glass was shattered your dad and husband got the worse of the glass."
Vicki became more alarmed, "Barnabas was hurt? Dad?"
Daphne stepped forward to guide her back to her bed. "Minor cuts, Julia is with them now."
Vicki was growing distraught with each passing moment. "What happened?"
She looked from Daphne then over Daphne's shoulder to Quentin. "We are not exactly sure, we were looking at little Josette and then some creatures that looked like half apes half bears moved down the hallway accompanied by a tall odd looking man with glowing white eyes. The hairy monsters then jumped through the window intent on taking Josette."
Vicki jerked forward hearing they were trying to take her child. Daphne pushed he back, "Lie back Vicki she is fine."
Quentin had to hurry with his explanation as he watched Vicki grow more agitated and distressed, "Then a young attractive lady that looked very much like you appeared and well, she along with Radu of all people took the man with glowing eyes and dispatched the two hairy creatures."
Vicki was trying to digest the information as Quentin and Daphne continued with their description of what happened. "Vicki the baby is fine, she practically slept through the whole messy affair. The time this all elapsed was less than five minutes."
On cue to assuage her anxiety a nurse entered carrying the small baby in her arms. "Mrs. Collins?" She nodded and gave a pensive smile. "Here is baby girl Collins, do you have a name picked out for her?"
She nodded, "I want to name her Josette Elizabeth Collins." The nurse handed the baby over to Vicki and turned giving a polite nod of acknowledgement to the visitors. Leaving the room, she moved to the station to make a note writing down the baby's name for her birth certificate.
Vicki smiled down at her child sleepng in her arms. "Would you like to hold her?"
She glanced to Daphne and Quentin. Daphne's eyes lit up. "I would love to."
Vicki with a practiced calmness handed Josette to Daphne, "You know, I wanted to discuss it with Barnabas and well I was wondering if the two of you would consider being her godparents?"
Daphne's face lit up with delight and Quentin was touched by the charming proposal. "If you think we would make good god parents I would be honored."
Daphne nodded her head and looked at the child in her arms, "I would be very honored to be this little darlings' god mother."
She tucked her chin and smiled looking upon the sweet innocent face of the child she held in her arms. Vicki relaxed and sighed with a feeling of contentment. After they had accepted their duties to be a surrogate set of parents to her special baby she would decide the time to tell them of her child's special place in the world. Until then she would enjoy her time as her mother and relaxed closing her eyes.