The third level of hell was pitch black. It was also very loud. It felt to Chris like his ears were ringing. Suddenly the light brightened. The ringing stopped. A new picture started playing.
Marie had just turned five. Annie and Chris were laying in bed talking.
"It's amazing how well Marie is doing," Chris said, "Her tests all came back normal."
"That's great. Maybe she'll be healthy enough one day to be able to stop her medications."
Chris shook his head.
"It's the medications that are keeping her body from rejecting the lung," he told her gently.
Suddenly Annie felt a sharp pain in her back. It went through her back all the way around to her stomach.
"Annie? What's wrong," Chris asked gently.
"I don't know," Annie said, "I'm fine one minute and the next I feel a sharp pain in my back and stomach.."
Chris felt her stomach. It was rock-hard. He felt panicked. This could mean a whole bunch of things.
"Oh GOD," Annie said, "I just peed myself."
Chris looked and saw a gush of water come out of Annie. It was mixed with blood.
"That's not pee," Chris said, "It's amniotic fluid."
"English please," Annie said.
"It means that you're about 38 weeks pregnant and in labor," Chris said calmly.
"3- how did you come up with 38 weeks?" Annie asked.
"The last time we… made love was 38 weeks ago," Chris explained.
Annie was terrified. She knew that she was much further along this time, but she had no prenatal care. This baby may have serious problems. Could they handle another baby? They had agreed not to have any more.
There wasn't much time to panic though. The baby started to make his way down through the birth canal. Annie began to push.
"The head is out," Chris announced.
"Is it a boy or a girl," Annie asked.
"Right now it's just a head," Chris remarked.
The shoulders came out next. At the next push, the baby slid out. Chris rubbed his back and cut the cord.
"It's a boy," he said, "It's a beautiful boy."
He handed the baby to Annie. She cried from happiness and exhaustion as she held him.
"What should we call him," Annie asked.
Chris smiled.
"How about Ian James," he suggested, "When you were pregnant with Marie you wanted to name her Ian James if she were a boy."
"I love it," Annie said kissing the baby's forehead, "Welcome to the world Ian James."
Ian cried. Annie was able to breastfeed him. He soon calmed down. She burped him.
"He's a big boy," Annie said.
Chris took the baby and weighed him.
"6'11," he said.
Marie was getting ready for bed when her dad knocked on her door.
"Honey," Chris said, "Come into the bedroom. Mom and I have a surprise for you."
Marie hurried into the bedroom. In her mother's arms was a beautiful little boy.
"Honey," Annie said, "This is your little brother. His name is Ian."
"I love him," Marie said kissing the baby's forehead, "Could I hold him?"
"Of course," Chris said.
Annie handed the baby to his older sister.
"While you're holding him," Chris said, "I think I'll give you some ice cream."
"REALLY!"
Marie's eyes widened with excitement. Chris nodded.
"You gave her ice cream a lot," the tracker pointed out.
"Yes," Chris said, "It came to me that evening. I would put her medicine in the ice cream. She never tasted it."
"Didn't Ian get jealous that his sister got ice cream every day?"
"No," Chris replied, "I gave him his own special treat."
After getting the ice cream for Marie, Chris gently took the baby out of her arms.
"HEY," Marie objected, "I was holding him."
"You'll have plenty of chances to hold him," Chris promised, "Now I need you to eat all of your ice cream."
You didn't have to tell Marie twice. She gobbled her ice cream down in about 3 seconds.
"Where's the baby going to sleep?" Marie asked.
"He'll sleep with us for the first while and then we'll make the guest bedroom and nursery for him."
"When our friends found out we had a baby we were overwhelmed by gifts. Cribs, bassinets, diapers, bottles, toys, books, baby thermometer, clothes… everything a baby needs"
"You had wonderful friends," the tracker said.
They were transported to level 4 of hell.