A Season in Purgatory
Chapter 69
Anna gazed lovingly down at the wiggly baby cocooned in her arms. After only six hours of labor, she and Keith were finally parents. She looked up at Keith, who was staring at both of them in awe.
He reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. "He's amazing, Anna," Keith confided, his eyes roving over his tiny, red son. He was still in shock that he was not only married, but a father.
Anna leaned back against her pillow, trying to regain a bit of her strength. The fool who had pushed natural child birth had obviously never been in labor. She'd lasted only a short time before begging god and everyone around her for drugs. She opened her eyes and took in the precious bundle in her arms. It was all worth it. She'd spent most of her life alone and now she had a wonderful family.
A sound at the door of the hospital room drew their attention away from their newborn. Karen and Dan hesitated in the door way, not wanting to interrupt the intimate moment between the new family.
Smiling, Anna motioned the couple in. "I thought the doctor told you to stay on bed rest," Anna gently admonished Karen. "After all, this little one will need a playmate soon." She was worried about Karen. Perhaps her fear about Lucas and her unborn baby could explain her control freak ways, but the woman looked pale and tired.
Karen peered into the blanket and smiled at the beautiful baby for a moment before replying. "Dan is giving me a thirty minute outing before I have to go back home," she said, smiling at the baby in Anna's arms. Her blood pressure was a serious issue but she'd promised Dan that she'd take a peek at the baby and go straight home. It was reassuring for her to see a healthy baby. Her doctors were confident that she could carry the baby long enough that it would be healthy but it was still looking like a premature delivery.
Karen moved toward Keith, giving him a hug. "He's a beautiful boy," she commented, happy that Keith finally had the family he'd always wanted. Things might be radically different than she'd expected, but they were both happy now.
Anna watched as Dan and Keith discussed the finer points of labor. She didn't want to lecture anyone but Karen looked nearly as tired as Anna, without the benefit of a baby. She was spared finding a suitable conversation when Brooke and Lucas walked in the door.
"A BABY!" Brooke squealed, moving around the men and toward the bed. Leaning over, Brooke tentatively reached out to touch the baby before guiltily pulling her hand back. "May I?" she asked Anna, after noticing the disapproving look on Karen's face. It's not like Brooke was around babies every day.
"I didn't think they were letting children under 18 in the hospital due to the swine flu," Karen said to no one in particular. Keith had called them all to the hospital shortly after Anna had gone into labor. Karen didn't expect Brooke to be interested in seeing babies enough to disrupt her active social life.
Keith ignored the underlying bitchiness in Karen's tone. "I cleared it with the shift nurse. She's very fond of Brooke from her volunteering days and felt it would be okay for a few minutes," he explained. Karen looked at the ground, remembering that Brooke's access to hospital records had started the problems with Lucas.
Dan looked out in the hall, expecting to see Nathan and Haley. "Did your brother not want to see his cousin?" Dan asked Lucas.
Lucas rolled his eyes at Dan's tone. Why was it his responsibility to keep track of Nathan? "I don't know where he's at but Haley is at the Café. She said they'd drop by later." Dan was annoyed at Luke's sharp reply but at least the boy appeared sober for once. Small steps, he reminded himself.
Anna smiled at Brooke and motioned for her move her arms. "Brooke, how would you like to be the third person to hold our son?" she asked, pleased at the surprised look on the girl's pretty face.
"Really?" she asked, motioning Lucas over from where he stood as far away from Dan as the room would allow. "Lucas, come meet your cousin," Brooke excitedly said. Making sure that Brooke was ready, Anna gently moved her son into Brooke's arms.
Karen frowned at the sight of her son's girlfriend being handed a newborn infant. "Anna, I'm not sure you should let random people hold him at this point," she reminded her sister in law, knowing that the hospital disliked babies being passed around like a football so soon after birth. Brooke was likely to see a neat pair of shoes in the hallway and drop the baby, she reasoned.
Keith and Anna shared a look of displeasure for a moment. "I don't consider Brooke to be random, Karen," she gently rebuked. "Besides, I think Brooke should get used to holding him since she's going to be his godmother."
Looking up in surprise, Brooke's face lit up. "Seriously? You want me to be his godmother?" She'd never had anyone ask her to do something so important in her life. It was as if Anna trusted her with her son's life.
Karen sighed and moved over so Lucas could look at his new cousin. Luke peered over Brooke's shoulder and stared at the tiny pink bundle that was sleeping contentedly in his girlfriend's arms. "What are you going to name him?" Lucas curiously asked.
Moving over to where the kids stood, Keith watched in admiration as Brooke gently rocked his son back and forth. "We've decided to name him Caleb Lucas Scott."
Luke's eyes widened in surprise at the news. "Wow, I'm a namesake," he joked, still uncomfortable being in such a small space with his mom and Dan. Keith draped an affectionate arm around his nephew and pulled him close, wanting to make sure that Lucas didn't feel alienated by the baby. "And we want you to be his godfather."
Karen stopped frowning at Brooke for a moment and looked at Keith and Anna in disbelief. "Are you sure it's wise to pick teenagers for this important job?" she asked. "A godparent is responsible for caring for the baby in case something happens to the parents."
Anna resisted the urge to toss her future sister in law out of her hospital room. "Actually, Keith and I feel that a godparent is a person who can be a good influence on a baby and provide guidance when needed." Not to mention that it was her baby and she could pick anyone she damn well pleased.
Dan shifted from one foot to the other, trying to find a way to get Karen out of the room. "Karen, I think it's a great choice. After all, Lucas and Brooke have a lot more time and energy than people our age and since it's the parent's decision, it's none of your business," he softly replied. Dan knew that Karen wasn't trying to be a bitch, but her exhaustion was moving rapidly toward irritation. "I think Brooke will make a splendid godmother," Dan added, giving the petite girl a smile. Dan knew that his chances to be a part of Luke's life were next to none, but he'd always had a good relationship with Brooke. Karen might not realize that the only bridge they had back to their son was through Brooke.
"I've certainly bought him enough outfits," she replied. She didn't have a godparent, so she made a mental note to Google it when she got home. Brooke wanted to make sure that she did a good job since Anna trusted her with this responsibility. For the first time in a long time, Brooke felt good about an adult in her life. Unlike Karen, Anna liked her. Maybe she wasn't such a lost cause after all, Brooke reasoned.
Smiling at the girl, Anna knew she'd made the right decision. Brooke needed to feel that someone trusted her and needed her in their lives. Anna knew all too well what it was like to go through life without self worth and she'd be damned if Karen made the girl feel like trash on a regular basis. "Of course we'll expect a lot of free babysitting," Anna joked, watching Luke frown for a moment before realizing she was joking.
"If you show us what to do we might be able to help out," he vaguely offered, aware that his pregnant mother might want the same consideration. Hell would freeze over before he willing spent a minute with the Satan spawn.
Brooke reluctantly passed the baby back to Anna. "I think little Luke is hungry," Brooke said, wrinkling her nose as the baby's small mouth started making puckering sounds. Keith laughed at Brooke's all too realistic reaction. "Little Luke. He's not even a day old and he's already got a nickname."
Sensing that Anna needed to nurse, Dan picked up his coat and began herding Karen toward the door. "I guess we need to leave you alone so you can rest, Anna." He helped Karen on with her coat before giving his brother a hug.
"He's a fine looking boy, Keith," Dan said, knowing that his brother had waited a long time for this event. "He's got hands that were meant to hold a basketball." Keith laughed at Dan. "I'm sure Dad will say the same thing when they come up next week for Thanksgiving." Dan didn't know if he should be pleased that he finally had his entire family under one roof for a holiday or scared that Roy and Lucas would ruin the day for the entire family. Even if Luke refused to see it, he was so very much a Scott.
Anna looked up at those words and motioned toward Brooke, who was standing at the door waiting for Lucas. "We'll talk about the Christening before Thanksgiving Dinner," she said, wanting to make sure that Brooke knew she had a place to spend the holidays.
Hearing Anna's comment, Karen paused by her future sister in law. "I thought we were doing a family only dinner?" she asked. She and Anna were trying to plan the dinner so that neither of them was too exhausted to eat the meal. Dan's mother would be a great help, as would Haley, but Karen was surprised that Anna was inviting Brooke.
Anna looked at Karen sharply, noting that Luke was already growing defensive. "As far as I am concerned Brooke is my family, Karen," she stated firmly. No wonder Brooke was so apprehensive around Karen. The older woman was downright mean to the girl.
Lucas put a protective arm around Brooke's shoulders. "If she's not going, then I'm not going." Lucas didn't want to spend time with Dan and his obnoxious grandfather on a good day but if Brooke wasn't there, he didn't see a reason to even attend this stupid event.
Dan moved between Karen and Lucas, as if to stop the fight he knew was coming. It was bad form to upset a woman who had just given birth. "Karen, Brooke always spends holidays with Nate and me," he explained, doing his best to diffuse the tension between mother and son. "Brooke is family just like Haley is family."
Karen started to object but Dan shook his head. "I'm putting my foot down on this Karen." Brooke looked at Mr. Scott with respect, knowing that she'd just witness someone sticking up for her. Even Lucas had a look of surprise on his face at seeing some one put a verbal smack down on his mom.
Karen looked down at the floor for a moment, knowing that she wouldn't push this issue if it meant excluding Haley. She looked over at Brooke and smiled. "I guess we'll see you on Thursday."
Sensing the lack of warmth behind the words, Brooke put on her best cheer smile. "Thanks. I'll make sure to bring something for dessert," she added, knowing that her housekeeper Grace made a torte that put Karen's to shame. Looking back at Anna, her dimples deepened in genuine affection. "I'll stop by and see you and Little Luke tomorrow," she said, giving the blonde woman a wave before grabbing Luke's hand and stalking out of the room.
Anna forced herself to smile at Karen, despite the anger she felt inside. "You should probably get home and rest, Karen. I bet your blood pressure is sky high." Of course it wouldn't be so high if she wasn't so determined to hate Brooke. Pre-eclampsia was a serious condition, given Karen's previous pregnancy problems. Anna didn't want to see her go into premature labor because Karen didn't like seeing her son in a serious relationship.
Keith ushered Karen out into the hall, intent on finding a way to gently tell Karen to back off Luke and Brooke. Dan leaned over and kissed Anna on the cheek. "Thank you for making Keith so happy," he softly replied, knowing that his brother was lucky enough to have married a smart woman. "And thanks for looking out for Brooke. She's a great girl. I just hope some day Karen can learn to appreciate her."
Okay, so long time, no post. I'd like to pull a Dr. Johnny Fever here and ask if anyone is out there? I've not spent any time writing because I'm not sure people are still reading/interested. The fandom is dropping in many ways but if you'd like for me to finish the story, now's a fine time to let me know. Now that my test/certification process is over, I'd love to write faster and finish this darn thing up.
So, let me know how much you hate Karen....lol. And how sucky the name is. I went through 20 names before picking one and moving on. You're lucky I didn't name him Dominik, after my fave goalie.
Next up: Thanksgiving Scott Style. Karen sees something that gives her nightmares. Royal and Mae get to try to get Luke to stop calling them Mr and Mrs. Scott. And Brooke gets some very upsetting news.
Thanks for reading and replying. I always love to hear what you think about the story.