I own none of the characters of October Road
"My wife was brought here." Eddie said breathlessly to the clerk at the information desk. "She's six months pregnant and she went into labor." The clerk could see the nervous anxiety on Eddie's handsome face.
"Her name sir."
Who's name?" Eddie was not thinking straight.
"Your wife."
"Janet."
"Janet what?" The clerk asked patiently and Eddie gave her a confused look. After a few seconds, his brain registered what she was asking.
"Latekka. Janet Latekka. L-A-T-E-K-K-A." The clerk began typing.
"She is on the maternity floor, room 4312."
"Thank you." Eddie rushed towards the elevators. Seeing that both elevators were close to the top floor Eddie couldn't wait. He had to be with Janet so he found the stairs and took them two at a time until he reached the fourth floor. He followed the signs and quickly found room 4312, Janet's room. The door was shut and he was tempted to just walk in but he didn't want to walk in because she may be in the middle of an exam or changing so he knocked.
"Just a minute." A voice he didn't recognize called out to him. Eddie couldn't stand still. He began pacing in front of the room, trying to calm himself down so he could support Janet. A few agonizingly long minutes the door opened and a nurse stepped out. "Mr. Latekka?"
"Yeah. Is she okay?"
"She's been asking for you." Eddie brushed passed the nurse and entered Janet's room.
"Eddie."
"Hey honey. Sorry I'm late." Janet was in a hospital gown, had an IV in her arm, a blood pressure cuff on her opposite arm and he belly had monitors on it. "How are you?"
"I'm still having contractions but I'm still only three centimeters dilated."
"Why the hell haven't they started the medicine to stop the contractions?"
"They just got the IV in. The doctor hasn't even been in." Janet grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. "It's so hard. It's never been this hard."
"Where in the hell is the damn doctor?"
"Did you call my mom and your mom?"
"I did. Your mom was ready to jump on the next flight out here but I held her off. I told her that there is no reason to come yet. If the contractions don't stop then I will call her and I held mom off from coming over until there was some kind of news, hopefully good news." Janet nodded and then she suddenly gripped his hand as another contraction ripped through her body. "You need to breathe sweetheart." Her face was bright red and she was holding her breath through the pain.
"I can't have these babies. Not yet Eddie." Janet said once the contraction passed.
"I'm going to find out what in the hell is going on."
"NO." Janet practically shouted. "Don't leave me."
"Okay. I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm so scared. I don't want to be alone."
"You're not alone Janet. I'm here." Eddie pried her fingers away from his so he could grab the chair and pull it next to Janet's bed. Just as Eddie placed his butt in the chair the doctor followed by a nurse walked in. "Finally." Eddie muttered.
"I'm Dr. McCall, Dr. Hatley's partner."
"I think that we would rather have Dr. Hatley. He knows Janet's history. He has been with us since the beginning." Eddie informed the doctor.
"I am Dr. Hatley's partner. We cover each other's patients at the hospital and today is my hospital day." She explained. "I spoke with Dr. Hatley and I am familiar with Janet's case so if it's all right with you I would like to get started on stopping Janet's labor."
"I'm sorry." Eddie said.
"There is no reason to apologize. I can understand your concern for your wife and children."
"Eddie." Janet suddenly gasped. He grabbed her hand and she squeezed it until it was numb as she experienced another contraction.
"Breathe baby." Eddie encouraged but Janet didn't listen. Her only concern was making it through the pain no matter what. As soon as the contraction was over Eddie left her side to go in the bathroom and get a cold rag to mop up the sweat that had formed.
"Thank you." Janet whispered weakly.
"Janet I would like to exam you." Dr. McCall told her. Janet nodded and Eddie and the nurse helped Janet into position. Eddie watched as Janet grimaced in pain as the doctor did her exam. He felt bad for her. She was trying to be so brave but Eddie knew she was scared to death, as was he. "Okay Janet." Dr. McCall began after she finished Janet's exam. "You are about three and a quarter centimeters dilated. You are twenty four weeks along. Now obviously I don't want you to deliver right now. In single pregnancy a child delivered at twenty four weeks can survive. The likelihood of children of multiple births surviving at twenty four weeks is small because they are too small. At this point your children are barely two pounds." A strangled sob escaped from Janet.
"I know how badly you want this children to live so I'm going to do whatever I need to do to make sure you stay pregnant as long as possible or until your due date. Now I'm going to start you on a medication to stop your labor."
"And if the medicine doesn't work will our boys die?" Eddie asked her.
"I can't answer that question. If this first medication doesn't work there are other medications that we can try." Eddie nodded. "I'm also going to give steroids to help speed up their lung development so if they are born they chances of survival increase." Eddie heard Janet groan beside him. She was having another contraction. When it was over tears were falling from her eyes.
"Can she have something for the pain?" Eddie couldn't handle seeing the woman he loved in so much pain.
"Janet I know that you are miserable but I can't give you anything for the pain."
"Why the hell not?" Eddie snapped.
"Eddie don't be rude." Janet chastised.
"I can't give you pain because I need you to be able to tell me if the pain is lessening, increasing or staying the same once we start the medication." Janet just nodded.
Dr. McCall proceeded to list the side effects and possible risks of the medication that she would going to be getting. The risks were minimal, Janet signed the consent form and the nurse hung the IV bag full of medicine. "If you need anything let me know and I'll be back to check on you shortly." Janet nodded, Dr. McCall gave Janet a smile and she and the nurse left the room.
"Eddie." Janet said softly once they were alone. Eddie looked into her blue eyes and saw that they were full of fear.
"Yeah?"
"I'm so scared."
"I am too." He didn't know what else to say to her. He wanted to tell her everything is going to be fine but he didn't know that everything would be fine and he refused to lie to her.
Six hours later Janet's labor had finally stopped and she was sleeping. The past six hours were hell for both of them. With every contraction Janet thought that she was going to lose her boys and it was unbearable. She fought so hard to get pregnant and once she got pregnant she had done everything right, followed all the rules from the book and to lose these babies that was more then she could bear.
With every contraction that Janet experienced Eddie also terrified that they would lose their babies but right now, the worse thing for him was watching Janet in so much pain. He had seen movies where women in labor scream during their contractions but not his Janet. She suffered silently through each painful contraction only allowing a few tears to fall. He was grateful when she finally broke down and cried. She was on her side and he was rubbing her back when her body began to shake. He didn't try to soothe her. She was both mentally and physically exhausted and he knew that she just needed to cry. He just continued to rub her back until she cried herself to sleep.
"How is she?" Dr. McCall asked walking back in the room to check on her patient.
"She's been sleeping for the past two hours."
"I'm awake." Janet mumbled as she attempted to roll over. Eddie was immediately on his feet helping her. "Where is my bed control?" She asked sleepily.
"Right here honey. Do you want to sit up?" She nodded and Eddie raised the bed. "Is that okay?" Another nod.
"How are you feeling Janet?" Dr. McCall asked.
"Tired and sore."
"Normal after going through labor. Are you feeling any twinges or tightening in your stomach or lower back?"
"No nothing. Does that mean that I am out of labor?"
"You are no longer in labor."
"Thank God. When can I go home?"
"Not until after the babies are born."
"Excuse me?" Janet could not have heard the doctor correctly.
"Your pregnancy is considered high risk. You are carrying triplets, you went into pre-mature labor at twenty four weeks and your blood pressure is high. There is a very real possibility that if you return to the life you were living yesterday that you will go back into labor so you need to remain on bed rest until you deliver."
"That could be months." Eddie gasped.
"I hope that is the case. The longer the triplets stay inside the better their chances are."
"How restricted is my bed rest?" Janet asked. She was taking the news better then Eddie was.
"For the next few weeks I don't want you out of bed at all so that means bedpans and sponge baths."
"And after those few weeks, what happens?"
"If there are no contractions during that time then I'll let you up to go to the bathroom, shower and walk up and down the halls under the supervision of as nurse of course." Dr. McCall explained. "I know that bed rest doesn't sound like much fun…"
"I'll do whatever I have to do to keep my babies safe and healthy. My boys are all that matters right now."
"If you need anything, let the nurse know and I will be paged."
"Thank you Dr. McCall, for everything you did for my family today." Janet told her.
"It's my job."
"It's much more to Eddie and me."
Dr. Hatley shared a few more parting words and then Eddie and Janet were alone and Eddie did what he had wanted to do for hours. He leaned forward and kissed her softly. When they broke apart Eddie moved to Janet's belly. "Where are they?"
"One is here." Janet laid a hand on her belly and Eddie kissed right next to it. "Right here." Again Eddie kissed her belly. "And one is hanging out up here." Eddie kissed his third child.
"You guys really scared us today but you did really good by staying were you need to be. Mommy and I can't wait to meet you but you're not ready. You need to grow bigger so please guys please stay where you belong so you can grow big and strong like your daddy."
"Oh." Janet gasped and Eddie looked at her with panic in his brown eyes.
"What? What's wrong? Are you having another contraction?"
"No. All three of them are kicking me." Janet said with a giggle. She grabbed Eddie's hands and placed it on her belly.
"Wow. This is amazing." Eddie was in awe every time he felt one of his boys move inside of Janet.
"You should feel it from my end." Suddenly Janet's stomach growled.
"Hungry?"
"Starving." She batted her eyes at him.
"You want me to go to Sully's don't you?"
"Would you mind?"
"Of course not. I can stop at home and grab whatever you need."
"I don't need anything tonight. You can bring me my stuff when you come back tomorrow after work."
"No way in hell am I going to work while you are in the hospital."
"Why in the hell would you stay here all day when I'm fine."
"If something happens to you I need to be here."
"Eddie if I go into labor again during the day when you are at work you could be here before anything happens." He shook his head. "Eddie we need the money. We are now going to have my hospital bills on top of everything else. We can't afford you not working."
"Dammit Janet, I can provide for my family." He snapped and tears filled Janet's eyes. "Awe hell Janet. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."
"I know that you will provide for us. I know that you will do whatever it takes to make sure that the boys and I have whatever we need, even if it means that you work two or three jobs."
"Damn right I will."
"Baby, I don't want you to have to work two or three jobs. We have gone through so much to have these boys so we can be parents. I want you to come home in the evenings after work and I want you home during the weekends with us so we can reap the benefits of parenthood together. We want these boys so much, we went through so much to have them and all I want is for you to experience parenthood with me. I don't want you to miss anything because you are working all of the time. I'm going to spend the next few months lying in this hospital bed so the least that you can do is go to work."
"All right. You win." Janet smiled triumphantly. "As long as I'm the one giving you your sponge bath when I get home from work."
"Eddie there is no one else I want to give me my sponge bath." Eddie grinned. "One more thing I need you to do for me."
"Anything."
"I want you to go home and sleep in our bed at night."
"No."
"You just said that you would do anything for me."
"Not that."
"Eddie you can't sleep in that chair cot thing for months. It's not comfortable, you won't get a good night sleep, you'll be tired at work and more likely to hurt yourself and besides it won't be good for your back." Janet brought up some valid points.
"I will sleep at home during the week but on Friday's and Saturday's I will be sleeping here next to you."
"That is an acceptable compromise."
"I hate the thought of not sleeping in the same bed as you for the next few months." He said miserably.
"Of come on. These past few weeks I haven't been the easiest person to sleep next to, me and my giant belly."
"I love waking up, spooning you with my hand on your giant belly feeling our boys moving around. It's the best way to wake up."
"I love you Eddie."
"I love you too sweetheart."
"Good. Now go get me some food."
"Yes ma'am." Eddie said with a laugh. He knew better then to keep his hungry, pregnant wife waiting.
"Merry Christmas sleepyhead." Eddie greeted Janet with a grin on Christmas morning. She had been in the hospital on bed rest for two and a half weeks but her contractions had not resurfaced. She was bored and missed Eddie during the day which made her treasure the evenings and weekends when he was at the hospital with her.
Eddie had been great, which was no surprise to Janet. He brought her small things from home to make her room feel somewhat homey. He stopped at the library everyday and picked up books for her because she spent her days passing the long hours reading. Even though Janet never came out and said it, Eddie knew that Janet was devastated that she had to spend Christmas in the hospital so one night, on his allotted nights that he was staying the night, when Janet was sleeping Eddie decorated Janet's room with a small tree and lights he stored at the nurse's station so he could surprise her. When she woke up in the middle of the night to pee and she saw the tree and lights she burst into tears, happy tears. She knew she shouldn't be surprised that Eddie decorated her room because he is the most thoughtful man that she had ever known but she was. She was surprised, touched and had never felt more loved.
"Merry Christmas." Janet answered with a yawn.
"Sleep well?"
"Sure I did."
"Were they kicking?"
"All night but it's just preparing me for when they are born. Maybe I should start waking you up when they wake me up so that way you can be used to being awake during the night too."
"Nah. I'm good."
"Good morning. Merry Christmas." Janet's day nurse Laura greeted.
"Merry Christmas to you too."
"So you drew the short straw to work on Christmas huh?" Eddie quipped and Laura just laughed and placed a cup of orange juice next to Janet.
"How are you feeling this morning?"
"I feel kinda blah."
"What? Why in the hell didn't you tell me?" Eddie asked Janet.
"Because I just woke up."
"Can you give me a little more detail besides blah?" Laura inquired.
"Not really. Something just doesn't feel right."
"Okay. Well let's check your vital signs and we'll go from there." Janet nodded and Laura proceeded to check Janet's temperature, blood pressure and all of the fetal monitors. "Everything looks good. Have you been to the bathroom yet?"
"No. Not yet."
"Can you go?"
"Can I go? Of course I can go. I always have one of my children pressing against my bladder."
"I want a urine sample from you." Janet nodded. "You know the drill and everything you need is already in the bathroom."
"Come on sweetheart. Let me help you." Eddie assisted his very pregnant wife out of bed and into her bathroom. "Do you need anything?"
"No. I think I can manage." Eddie quickly kissed her and left her to do her thing.
"What's wrong with Janet?" He asked as soon as he shut the door.
"I honestly have no idea. It may be nothing, just normal pregnancy blah. If she is feeling the way that she does when Dr. Hatley comes in, I'm sure he will order more tests."
Five minutes later Janet came out of the bathroom and handed Laura the cup of urine. "God, everything takes so much longer anymore." Everyone laughed as Eddie helped Janet back into bed.
"If you need anything or if you get worse let me know."
"Thanks but I'm sure that I will be fine."
"Merry Christmas and drink your orange juice." Laura said as she left the room.
"Speaking of Christmas, I haven't gotten my Christmas kiss yet." Janet told Eddie with a grin.
"No I guess you haven't." With a tender smile he set down on the bed next to Janet, facing her. "Merry Christmas Janet." Eddie reached out cupped Janet's face in both of his hands, leaned forward and they shared a slow, tender kiss until Laura knocked on the room, causing the couple to pull apart.
"Sorry to interrupt your Christmas celebration." She apologized.
"It wasn't our Christmas celebration. It was our good morning." Eddie explained.
"Now that's a reason to wake up in the morning. Maybe I should suggest that to my husband."
"I recommend it. It really is a great way to start your day." Janet said.
"Janet, I spoke with Dr. Hatley and he wants me to draw some blood."
"Why? What's wrong?" Eddie immediately asked.
"The urine sample turned up some abnormalities."
"What kind of abnormalities?"
"Eddie, please relax." Janet asked her husband.
"We can't make a conclusive diagnosis until we have the blood tests and when we get those results back Dr. Hatley will be in to go over them with you." That was Laura's way of telling Eddie not to ask any more questions that she couldn't answer and he got the hint and let Laura draw Janet's blood in peace.
"Great. Now what's going on?" Eddie mumbled
"I'm sure it's no big deal."
"It's more than a big deal. It must…"
"Eddie baby, it's Christmas. Our boys are healthy and until we hear differently, I am fine as well. Can we just concentrate on those facts and enjoy our Christmas together?"
"I'm sorry Janet. I am just so worried about you and the boys and when there is something wrong with you I can't think of anything else."
"I love you too." Eddie grinned and kissed her.
"So it looks like Santa left you a present under the tree." He told her when they broke apart.
"I'm surprised I didn't hear him come in."
"He's slick like that." When Eddie went to go get Janet's gift that was under the tree, Janet adjusted herself on the bed so she could get into the drawer where she had Eddie's gift. As she leaned over she suddenly felt very clammy and shaking. She could hear Eddie talking to her but he sounded so far away.
"Janet what's wrong?" He saw that she was pale. Dropping her gift on the bed next to her, he put his arm around her, to get her attention but she brushed him off. In a nervous panic he hit the call button.
"Can I help you?" Laura's voice came over the intercom.
"Something is wrong with Janet."
"I'll be right in."
"Janet, talk to me." Janet had no control over her actions as she pushed Eddie away. "Dammit, you're scaring me."
"What's going on Eddie?" Laura asked.
"I don't know. Look at her." Laura walked over and pulled Janet's hand out as Janet fought her.
"Eddie hold her harm still please." Eddie did as Laura asked and she quickly poked Janet's finger and then she grabbed the orange juice that was left untouched. "Drink the orange juice Janet." Laura placed the cup up to Janet's lips but Janet just spit it out. "Drink the juice." After a little more struggle Janet finally drank the orange juice and after a few minutes Janet seemed to return to normal except that she was now crying softly.
"Shhh. It's okay sweetheart." Eddie crooned as he held Janet tightly.
"What happened?" She asked.
"You're blood sugar dropped too low. It was 40 when I checked which is why you should have drunk the juice when I told you too."
"The blood sugar. That's what's wrong with Janet isn't it?" Eddie asked.
"I believe that the slight problem with your blood sugar that we have been watching has turned into a major problem." Over the past week Janet's blood sugar levels began to jump around and she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes so Dr. Hatley and Dr. McCall began to keep an eye on it by adjusting her diet and until now, it seemed to be working. "This morning you had an excess of blood glucose in your urine sample so Dr. Hatley ordered a blood glucose test. Once those results come back we'll know what's going on." At that moment Janet's breakfast was brought in. "Now to help things along you need to eat every bit of this tasty breakfast."
"Yes ma'am." Janet sniffed.
Once Laura left Janet began to pick at her breakfast. "Will you quit staring at me?" Janet snapped.
"Sorry." He mumbled.
"Why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat?"
"I'm not really hungry."
"Bullshit. You just want to hover."
"I'm not hovering."
"Look. I want to eat my breakfast in peace without you watching my every freaking move. Is that too damn much to ask?"
"Fine. Bon appetite." He stormed out of the room.
"Everything all right?" Laura asked as he strode past the nurses station.
"Yes. Everything is peachy. I'm going to get something to eat."
Two hours later Dr. Hatley was walking into Janet's room. Since Eddie returned from the cafeteria Janet had been sleeping and Eddie had been staring at the tiny Christmas tree. So far, this was turning out to be one crappy Christmas. "Janet, honey, Dr. Hatley is here." Eddie said, shaking her softly.
"Ummph." She groaned. Eddie helped her sit up. "I gotta pee. Robe please." Eddie helped Janet with her robe and then out of bed. He started to help her to the bathroom but she stopped him. "I'm not a cripple. I've got it." Eddie quickly backed off and returned to his chair.
"It's not you Eddie. She's been cooped up in this room for weeks. She very pregnant and miserable and taking it out on you." Eddie just nodded.
Ten minutes later Janet came out of the bathroom and struggled to get back into bed and Eddie made to move to help her. He wasn't in the mood to get his head bitten off, again. "So I heard that you have had a rough morning Janet." Dr. Hatley said.
"I've had better days."
"I have your blood work results back. Your gestational diabetes has worsened. We've tried to control it with diet but it's not working anymore. The normal second step would be to treat it with medication but Janet, you are far from normal. If you go without eating, your sugar drops extremely low and after you eat it gets very high. After your breakfast your sugar was over two hundred so I need to start giving you insulin."
"Last week you said that this only occurs during pregnancy. Will it go away after the boys are born?"
"It should but there is a small chance that it will remain after the birth. Now the insulin injections won't hurt, it's a very tiny needle and you're probably going to be getting three to four injections a day along with finger sticks to check your sugar. Do you have any questions?"
"No."
"Janet I know things are rough right now but it's not going to be forever." Janet nodded. "Okay, I'm going to check on the babies and then I'll get out of your hair so you can enjoy your Christmas."
Twenty minutes later, Dr. Hatley had confirmed that the triplets were okay, Janet had her first insulin shot and she and Eddie were alone, not speaking. Janet was trying to sleep but she couldn't. "I'm sorry Eddie. I'm sorry for the way that I have treated you today. It's Christmas, it's supposed to be a wonderful day and I've ruined it." Eddie went and sat on the bed and turned her head to face him.
"You're right. I have been hovering." Eddie watched as tears filled her eyes.
"I'm so tired of being in this damn hospital, in this damn bed. I hate that we have to spend Christmas in this damn room." She burst into tears and Eddie took her in his arms. He knew she would break eventually. Her spirits had been too good. "I just want to be able to walk around my own house again. I want to sleep in my bed next to my husband. I just want to go home." She sobbed in her husband's arms. "What kind of mother am I? To keep our boys healthy I need to stay here in the hospital and right now, they are healthy and instead of being grateful I am being selfish, thinking of only myself and what I want."
"It's okay Janet. Everything you are feeling is normal."
"I don't deserve to be a mother."
"Don't be ridiculous. Of course you deserve to me a mother. This pregnancy has not been easy for you. It's a miracle of modern science that you got pregnant and once that happened you puked for months and then you got huge because you are carrying three babies instead of one and everything became harder for you and the most amazing thing is you haven't complained once until today and only after you endured six hours of labor and been in the hospital on bed rest for two weeks. Most women would have complained as soon as they started puking but not you sweetheart. You have had the best attitude, the attitude of a mother. You have suffered and sacrificed so much for our boys so you deserve to be their mother. Hell, Jacob, Joshua and Jackson couldn't possibly have a better mother."
"How could I be such a bitch on Christmas? I'm so sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. It's all good sweetheart. It's all good. Now do you want the present that Santa left for you since you have been such a good girl?"
"Yes I would as long as you open your gift. It's in the drawer next to my bed." Eddie moved away from his wife and got their gifts. "You go first." Janet requested.
"Okay." Eddie has collected Hot Wheels cars since he was a child so Janet painstakingly searched the internet and bought him two old cars that he didn't have that were still in their original package.
"Janet these are awesome. I don't have these cars. How the hell did you know?"
"I have a great memory. You sat me down one night about a month after we stared dating and you pulled out everyone of your cars and then you told me about every car that you wanted."
"I can't believe that you remembered that. You are amazing. How did you fine these?"
"The internet. It's kind of cheesy to give a grown man toy cars for Christmas so I hope you like it." Eddie put down his precious cars and took Janet's hands in his own.
"It's not cheesy Janet. It's a wonderful gift. You remembered something I told you years ago and you got me something that is very important to me. I love it. Thank you baby." Eddie actually had tears in his eyes. It may have just been toy cars but it meant more to him then he could have expressed. "Now open your present." Eddie handed Janet a long, rectangular box, a box that Janet knew contained jewelry. She slowly unwrapped and opened the box and found a mother and child necklace.
"Eddie, it's beautiful," She had seen those necklaces in magazines and longed for one but she never told Eddie. "How did you know?"
"Know what?"
"How did you know that I was wishing for this?"
"Santa told me." Janet raised her eyebrows at her husband. "I saw you looking at them in the magazine. May I put it on?" She nodded and Eddie latched her necklace on and grabbed her mirror.
"I love it and I love you. Thank you. Merry Christmas Eddie."
"Merry Christmas Janet. I love you too."