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Chapter 56
Elizabeth lay still and rubbed her tummy as she tried to get the babies to calm down. If this kept up she was going to end up walking the hall. Last week during one of the twins more active periods she had been unable to stay in bed and took a walk from one end of the hall to the other. It did calm the little monsters, but woke up Jason, her mom, and her dad. The fact that both her parents were staying in the guest suite of the house was still somewhat shocking.
Jeff and Carolyn had thrown themselves into the role of grandparents with gusto. They were spending as much time with Cameron and Jake as they could. Her mom had been here for four weeks now and her dad for two. Jason was the one who suggested they move from the hotel to the house last week. That way if Elizabeth went into labor in the middle of the night there would be other adults in the house.
She was only a little bit jealous that her parents were showing her sons more attention than they did her at that age. Mostly she was thrilled that they were taking an interest in the boys. She would take this for however long it lasted, and hopefully her parents would keep in touch with their grandsons when they left. Elizabeth would do her part and explain that Africa was far away and the villages her parents served didn't have telephones.
"Want me to take a turn?" Jason was spooned up behind her with his hand on the lower part of her stomach.
"You should try to get some sleep." Elizabeth felt bad for keeping him up. "Maybe I'll take the munchkins for a walk. It worked the last time. Maybe I'll be dilated tomorrow when we go in for our visit, and Kelly will keep me." Elizabeth had been officially thirty-six weeks two days ago. With weekly visits the odds of her going in for a checkup and being kept increased.
"It worked the last time." Jason chuckled. Rolling over he got out of bed and pulled on his sweats, and a t-shirt. Walking to his wife's side of the bed he held out his hand. "Come on I'll keep you company."
"What shall we talk about on our stroll?" Elizabeth asked smiling as she pushed her feet into her slippers and stood up. Before she could take a single step moisture rolled down her legs. With wide eyes she looked down at the puddle spreading around her feet.
"Don't move." Jason said dashing from the room. He knocked on the door of his in-laws room and a very alert Jeff answered. "Water broke."
"We'll handle the boys." Jeff said going back in the room to put on some clothes. Carolyn was already dressing. Years of medical practice had them both going from sleep to ready to roll with no problem.
Jason ran back down the hall to find an empty room. "Elizabeth?!"
"In the bathroom." She called out.
He walked over and found her standing on a towel wearing just her bra. "What are you doing?"
"Getting out of my wet stuff." Elizabeth answered. "Can you please get me a dress before one of my parents comes in?"
"Yeah." Jason was shaking some, but he had to hold it together. "Contractions?" He asked as he passed over the first thing he grabbed.
"They are starting now. Call Kelly." Elizabeth instructed. So far this was just how it happened with Jake.
Jason grabbed her cell phone because it was closest and came back. It was on speaker and ringing. They got the service who promised that the doctor would call them right back.
Elizabeth took a deep breath in and let it out slow with the contraction. Jason was looking at his watch timing. Carolyn stuck her head in. "Are we needed?"
"No, we are good." Elizabeth assured her mom. "Don't wake the boys up until it is time to come to the hospital. Jake took twelve hours, which was five hours less than Cameron. A guard will be waiting when you are ready to go."
"Alright." The guards were something that Carolyn and Jeff had to get used to, but considering how much of their daughter's life they had missed they didn't get to start parenting now. "Send us some updates if you can."
The phone in Jason's hand rang and he answered it on speaker. "You have an office visit tomorrow, you couldn't wait?" Kelly joked.
"No point in being predictable." Elizabeth answered her friend.
"Give me the details." They heard a car engine roar to life which meant Kelly was heading in.
"Water broke, about five minutes ago contractions are…?" Elizabeth looked at Jason.
"Elizabeth had a contraction three minutes ago and counting." Jason responded.
"I thought Cody was bad." Kelly laughed. "Head in." The doctor instructed. If Liz's water hadn't broken they could have stayed home. "I'll call Cody and tell him to send out a text message." It was decided the enforcer would send out the initial message, if it was overnight, because Kelly leaving would mean he found out first.
"See you in about twenty minutes." Elizabeth nodded and Jason hung up. "I need some shoes."
"Okay." Jason took a few minutes to swap the sweats for jeans, grabbed his phone, and then put on his boots. While he grabbed flats for Elizabeth he sent a message to Milo. His phone buzzed with a reply that Milo was in route. "Here." Jason helped his wife into her shoes before asking. "Ready?"
"I better be, we are out of time." Elizabeth said as they got moving. Her parents were both in the bedroom.
"Do you need me to carry down the bag?" Jeff thought Jason was handling this very well. The younger man had impressed him with just how much he loved Lizzie and the boys.
"It's in the car. Has been since week thirty-two." Jason was focused on his wife. "Slow." He said when they reached the steps.
Elizabeth nodded and held tight to the railing while he guided her. When they stepped onto the main floor they both relaxed a bit. Last night they had a Grey's Anatomy marathon. She was currently a season behind, and sitting on the couch they had watched a very pregnant Meredith Grey fall down a flight of steps. That reminded Jason of Carly's fall, and he had been tense with her on the steps last night and this morning. So it was a good thing the babies were coming. He could stop worrying.
At the car they had to stop while she breathed through a contraction. "How long was that?"
"Six minutes." Jason said opening the door. That was fairly far apart, so he didn't have to worry about her delivering in the car. He helped her in and ran around the front of the car. "Ten minutes." He knew because he made three practice runs to find the fastest route.
They passed the mansion and three cars pulled on to the road behind them. "We are a caravan." Elizabeth said laughing. "Why are they coming now? Nothing will happen for hours."
"They love you." Jason told her. He was driving a bit above the speed limit and needed to focus.
"I know." Elizabeth looked at the clock.
"Another contraction?" Jason heard the slow intake of breath.
"Five minutes." Elizabeth said on an exhale. With Jake the time between contractions went fast during the first few hours, then when she hit two minutes they didn't get any closer for eight hours.
"Thank you for agreeing to the epidural." Jason said making the last turn. The family got caught at a red light, but they picked up a new tail. Milo was now behind them. He had been waiting for them to go by.
"Kelly was on your side, I couldn't fight you both. Although it was nice of her to make it seem like it was my idea." Elizabeth rubbed her belly.
"Almost there." Jason said more to himself than his wife. "Okay." He said making the turn into the driveway. Kelly was standing there waiting.
"Good timing. I just got here myself. There was a detour." The doctor said as she helped Elizabeth into a wheelchair. "Room 815. I called and told Cody which room and the guards are already upstairs." Kelly wondered if they had guys sleeping across the street at the hotel in preparation for this.
"Give me your keys." Milo would park the car and then head up.
"Thanks." Jason tossed the keys and followed his wife. It didn't surprise him that his mother was waiting in the lobby.
"They went up." Monica said calling for an elevator.
"Were you already here?" Jason asked willing the elevator to come faster.
"I was." Monica smiled at her youngest son. If he was alone he probably would have taken the stairs. "Matt and Emily are also somewhere in the hospital." Monica told him as they stepped inside the elevator.
"Three cars followed us from the mansion, so I'm guessing everyone else will be here in a matter of moments as well." Jason shared.
"Tell Liz we love her." Monica said as the elevator doors opened and Jason ran out.
"Give me the bag and follow the nurse." Kelly was in the hall. "They are hooking her up to all the monitors right now."
"Okay. Tell Elizabeth I'll be right in." Jason had to put on scrubs.
"Yup." Kelly walked back in as the nurses finished up. "Jason is getting changed." She said grabbing gloves. "Each of your labors has been quicker than the last so I'm guessing you will be under ten hours. At the last visit Baby A, whose name you can tell me now, was in the right position and Baby B was slightly turned as well so I'm not expecting any surprises there." They would peek just to be sure.
Jason walked in and took Elizabeth's hand. "What did I miss?"
"Kelly is about to do an internal." Elizabeth grimaced a bit.
"Three centimeters." Kelly announced as the ultrasound was rolled in. The probes for the monitors had to be worked around but they got a good visual. "Both sacs broke. At the same time?" Kelly asked Elizabeth.
"I think so, there was a lot more fluid than with the boys." Elizabeth breathed through another contraction.
"They look good." Kelly put the wand away. "Now all we can do is wait. I'm gonna roam the halls, maybe catch a nap. You want to walk?"
"Yeah." Elizabeth replied. "I would like the staff to note that I'm a much better patient than you." She saw a couple of the nurse's laugh.
"Funny Morgan. Don't piss off the person that calls for your epidural." Kelly said as her friend got to her feet. "Twenty minutes." She told the nurse meaning that they would check again if nothing major happened. The nurse nodded following the Morgans out into the hall.
They walked down to the visitor's lounge. "Hi." Elizabeth said to the small crowd that was there for her.
"Should you be here?" Johnny asked surprised to see her.
"Walking helps with labor." Elizabeth answered. "Didn't you learn that from your doctor girlfriend?" Maya had aced her intern exams and was now officially a resident.
"Yes smartass, she mentioned it." Johnny said grinning. Maya was also somewhere in the hospital.
"How are you holding up?" Edward came over and asked.
"Fine." Elizabeth didn't want him worrying. "Jason is taking good care of me."
"He better." Francis quipped. "He's the reason you're in this condition."
"I'll remember that when I'm pushing." Elizabeth laughed but her hand tightened on the pole holding her IV bag.
"Breathe. Slow and easy." Jason coached her through the contraction. "Three minutes." He said holding her hand.
Elizabeth nodded. "We are going to waddle some more. I'll wave as we go by." She joked as they moved off.
"I got a page that someone wanted to have a couple of babies." Kelly said walking into the room. Elizabeth had been in labor for nine hours. Kelly was so good she amazed herself.
"That would be me." Elizabeth was tired and sweaty and more than ready for this to be over with. Her epidural was working wonders, but she was anxious to meet her children.
"You ready over there dad?" Kelly grinned as she got her gown and gloves on.
"Yeah." Jason was helping Elizabeth to move down the bed. "I love you." He said before kissing her temple.
"I love you too." Elizabeth smiled up at him.
Kelly was in position. "I see hair. Blonde hair. Let's see what the rest of him looks like. Big push!" Kelly counted down from ten. "Breathe, okay push!" She counted again as she guided the head out. "Let's get those shoulders out now." Kelly encouraged. One more push did it. "Baby boy Morgan." The doctor said handing the small crying bundle off to a nurse. "Name." She said as the nurse gently massaged Liz's stomach to help their daughter move into the proper position.
"Adam Edward." Jason announced trying to see his son through the staff members.
"You can go look, we have time." Kelly told him.
"Go." Elizabeth wanted him to see their son.
"Okay." Jason went over and watched as his son was cleaned and weighed. "Five pounds 6 ounces." He smiled over at Elizabeth.
"Nineteen inches." The nurse told the room.
"Good size for a twin. Well done Liz." Kelly was happy about that. "Apgar score?"
"Nine." The nurse said swaddling the newborn. "Would you like to hold him?"
"Yes." Jason took his son and looked down into the little face. He looked a lot like Jake, but like Cameron had his mom's nose, it was amazing to see a mash up of both of them in this one tiny human being. "Can I take him to his mom?"
"Sure thing." The nurse followed with the bassinet.
"He's beautiful." Elizabeth said crying as she held her son.
"Give him to the nurse so we can get his sister out." Kelly said as the top of the next little head became visible. It was too soon to start pushing at the moment, but in about five minutes they would start again. "Adam, that's a nice name, and Edward will be thrilled. What's his sister's name?"
"We will tell you when she's here." Elizabeth said taking Jason's hand again. "What can you see?" She looked up in the mirror but couldn't see anything but Kelly.
"Brown hair." Kelly grinned up at that. "Adam is a very quiet baby. Jake was the same way. When are the boys coming?"
"When we call my parents." Elizabeth watched the monitors, their daughter's heartbeat was holding strong.
"Your mom had lunch with Monica the other day. Rumor has it Carolyn is looking to join the staff." Kelly wanted to keep her mom distracted.
"Seriously?" Elizabeth asked surprised. "She hasn't said anything. Any word on my dad?"
"Nope, not a single sighting." Kelly passed along. "I can't see one of them joining the staff and not the other. Your dad is the man in general surgery. Would it be weird to have your dad, his wife, and his ex-wife all working together?" Kelly wondered.
"Monica and dad were divorced long before he met Carolyn. That is why there is such a large gap between us kids. He married Heather, and then needed a few years to recover." Elizabeth joked.
"Okay. Let's get ready." Kelly said calling the staff to attention. "You know the drill, big push!" The doctor ordered.
Elizabeth bore down, grunting with the effort. She may have been joking with Kelly but in truth she was exhausted.
"I know you are tired, but our baby girl is almost here." Jason said in encouragement. "A few more pushes. You can do this."
Elizabeth nodded and when Kelly gave the word she pushed again. Charlotte Rose came screaming into the world a full ten minutes after her older brother. She also got all nines on her Apgars. Unlike her brother she didn't quickly settle down, nope she fussed right up until the moment she was placed in her father's arms. Then not a peep.
"Great she's already a daddy's girl." Elizabeth joked as the nurse handed her Adam.
Jason took a moment to look at his daughter, like he did with her brother. She was an exact replica of her mother. Same nose, same dent in the chin, same mouth. His heart was going to break the day he had to give her away. Looking over at his wife his eyes glistened with tears. He smiled and she smiled back. Walking over he sat at her hip. "Thank you." He said before giving her a soft kiss.
"I love you." Elizabeth said looking at their daughter while holding their son, and leaning against her husband as the rest of the staff buzzed around the room. For a moment they were forgotten and the small family was in a world all their own.
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