Chapter Six

"AAAHHH" Naomi screamed, her throat raw as another powerful contraction hit her. Drenched in sweat, her long dark hair had become plastered to her face. Somewhere through her clouded vision, faraway she heard the doctor encouraging her to keep pushing.

"Come on Naomi, you can do it. Push" a nurse concurred, holding her hand.

The woman was so nice, doing everything she could to help her through this process; but Naomi couldn't help but wish her mother and daughter were there with her. The blizzard that was wreaking havoc outside had left Maya stranded on the other side of town and her mom's flight delayed until the next day. "This isn't happening. My family is supposed to be here. I'm supposed to have three more days" she moaned, closing her eyes in anguish.

"You're a doctor; you know better than anyone how unpredictable babies are; they do things on their own schedule. I'm sorry your family isn't here; I'm sure they will be as soon as they can. Just be thankful you were at the hospital when your water broke. Come on, the sooner you push, the sooner all of this will be over and you'll have a beautiful baby in your arms. You can do it Naomi, push".

Naomi nodded, knowing the nurse was telling the truth. Taking a deep shaky breath, she gritted her teeth and bared down as hard as she could. The pain was so intense, tears began to fall, mixing in with the sweat that covered her face. She squeezed the nurse's hand as hard as she could and kept pushing until she found herself getting dizzy. Lightheaded, she collapsed back into the bed. "I can't do this" she whimpered. "I can't do this".

"Yes you can Naomi. You're so close, the head is almost out. Keep pushing" the nurse encouraged, wiping Naomi's forehead with a cool damp cloth, pushing her hair out of her face.

But Naomi didn't hear her; she was drifting. She hurt so bad, she was becoming delirious. Her tears were turning into mournful sobs. "I can't do this, I can't do this without him. I need him" she cried, not aware of what she was saying.

"Naomi" the nurse said loudly, trying to get her attention.

"Sam? Sam, where are you? I need you, I love you" Naomi rambled, the emotional and physical pain completely crippling her.

"Naomi, snap out of it. Sam isn't here. You have to push. If you don't push, you could endanger the baby".

"He's supposed to be here. I need him here. Sam"? Naomi could barely keep her eyes open; she was on the brink of losing consciousness.

"Where's the oxygen mask? We're losing her, she needs to get her some air" the nurse said urgently, placing the mask over Naomi's nose and mouth. "Stay with me".

She couldn't remember where she was. Why did her body hurt so much. What was happening?

"Naomi, stay with me. You're in the hospital; you're in labor. The baby can't remain under duress much longer. I need you to push or we're going to have to perform an emergency C-section".

Blinking rapidly, Naomi finally started to come back to her senses. Another contraction hit her, jolting her back into the present. "Ouch" Naomi winced, her body so tired, she couldn't even manage a scream.

"There you are. I need you to push Naomi. Can you do that for me" the nurse asked softly.

"I don't know" Naomi moaned.

"Have you named your baby yet"?

"Yes".

"What is it"?

"Isaiah. His name is Isaiah".

"That's a beautiful name. Aren't you ready to meet him? Don't you want to hold your son? I'm sure Isaiah wants to meet you"

"Yes".

"Then I need you to push. On the count of three, we're going to push okay"?

Naomi slowly nodded.

"Great. One… two… three".

Naomi pushed with all her might; pushed through the excruciating pain, pushed through the tears, pushed no matter how badly she wanted to stop.

"Stop" the doctor instructed. "The head is out, you can take a break for a minute".

Naomi fell back into the bed. "God, this hurts so much. I'm never having sex again; I'm never even opening my legs again".

The nurse laughed. "Everyone says that".

"I'm serious. I'm already too old to be having this baby. I don't want to take any more chances of being put in this position again".

"You look young to me. Come on, it's time to push again. Just one more push and this will be over".

Taking the hand the nurse offered, Naomi gripped it and pushed one last time. She screamed in agony, giving every ounce of energy she had left. She felt the doctor twisting the baby, manipulating his shoulders past her pelvis until her son finally slid out of her. In a matter of seconds, the room was filled with the sound of a wailing infant as the doctor placed her son on her chest. He was so beautiful; even with his face red from all the screaming he was doing, Naomi had never seen a more beautiful baby. Tears streamed down Naomi's face; this time out of happiness instead of pain. "Hi Isaiah, hi"! She held him and lightly touched his face as she smiled at him. Isaiah immediately calmed down. Looking at his tiny fingers and toes, she counted to make sure there was ten of each, five on each little hand and foot. "Perfect" she whispered.

"Congratulations" the nurse exclaimed. As soon as the doctor cut the umbilical cord, she carried Isaiah, from his reluctant mother, off to the side to take his vitals, clean him up and take his measurements. Naomi kept her eye on him the whole time, while the doctor continued to work on her, not concerned for her own wellbeing. "Seven pounds, six ounces and twenty-one inches long. Nice clear lungs, he's the picture of health" the nurse said. Swaddling him in a receiving blanket, she brought Isaiah back over to Naomi and placed him in her arms.

"Thank you". Naomi picked up one of his tiny hands and smiled when he automatically wrapped it around her finger. "So you're the one who's been kicking me for the last nine months" she teased, kissing him on the forehead. She couldn't believe how much she already loved him.

"Where is his father? Sam, right? Did the blizzard leave him stranded too" the nurse asked. "I hate that he missed this".

"Sam, where did you get Sam from" Naomi asked , looking up surprised.

"You called out his name" the nurse said hesitantly, suddenly feeling like she had put her foot in her mouth.

"I did" Naomi asked, not wanting to believe it was true. She was over Sam; why would she call out for him? "Ummm….no…there is no father. He was more of just a sperm donor. It's just me and Isaiah, isn't that right" she said, glancing back down at her son. "It's just you and me kiddo".

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep. Maybe you can take this as an apology and a gift from me to you and your son". Reaching into a cabinet, the nurse pulled out a blue teddy bear. She had a whole stash of pink and blue bears but only gave them to patients she felt a connection with. Gently, she placed the teddy bear in the crook of Naomi's free arm.

"It's fine, you didn't know. Thank you for the bear; I'm sure he'll love it. And thank you for all your support and encouraging words. I don't think I could have done it without you".

"It was my pleasure. I'll give you and Isaiah a few minutes alone together before I take him to the nursery. Once again, congratulations".

"Thank you" Naomi smiled, as the nurse left the room, following behind the doctor who had finished as well. Looking back at her son, she said softly "I promise, I'll never let anything bad ever happen to you. It might just be you and me, but we're going to be just fine. I love you". Kissing him again, she rocked him and got lost in staring at his tiny beautiful face.

…

Danielle was waiting for her at the entrance to the emergency room. "Where is he? How is he doing" Naomi spit out as she ran inside the hospital.

"I don't know. They wouldn't let me back there" Danielle cried, panicking. "Naomi, I'm so sorry. I promise he was fine. His symptoms came out of nowhere. I thought he was still just teething".

Naomi didn't have time to console her; she had to find her son. "I know it's not your fault but I don't have time for this right now. Go home Danielle, I promise I'll call you tomorrow and update you".

"I'm so sorry".

"I know, just go" Naomi demanded, leaving Danielle behind as she used her hospital ID to open the double doors that led to the restricted area of the emergency room. Looking around the busy area frantically, her eyes roamed until she saw a little baby being worked on across the room. Running through the chaos, she shouted, "Isaiah! Mommy's here, mommy's right here". Dropping her purse on the floor, she bombarded her way past nurses and interns until she was standing by his side. Her heart nearly stopped. They had stripped Isaiah down to only his diaper; he looked weak and so uncomfortable. His breathing was shallow and ragged. Picking up his hand, Naomi could feel the heat from his high fever radiating of his skin. "What the hell happened" she asked, more to herself than anyone else.

"Naomi"? The attending doctor had momentarily stopped working on him to look at her; his eyes were startled and bewildered.

Naomi looked up and stared right into Pete's face. A small ounce of relief flowed through her. He was one of the best emergency care doctors in the city, possibly the country. She was so worried about her son, she'd forgotten that no one at the practice knew about him. She just wanted Isaiah to get better as quick as possible. "What's wrong with him? Is he going to be okay"?

"This…is your son? You're his…his mother" Pete stuttered, almost too stunned to ask the questions.

"Yes, please tell me he's going to be alright". Naomi looked back down at her son, heartbroken at how miserable he looked. She craved to see his smile, to see the deep dimples that appeared when he giggled.

Pete shook his head, went back to concentrating on his little patient. There were so many questions buzzing through his head, but now was not the time to ask them. Right now he had to reassure a mother about her son. "He has a bad case of bacterial pneumonia. His lungs are really congested which is why he stopped breathing for a few seconds. But we've suctioned out his nose and put an oxygen tube on him to help him breath better. And right when you walked up, I was getting ready to set up his IV. We're going to put him on a course of clear fluids to keep him hydrated and antibiotics to destroy the bacteria. It will take a few days to fight the infection but barring any complications, he'll be fine Naomi".

"Oh thank goodness" Naomi sighed, tears flowing down her face. She didn't know what she would have done if it had been bad news. "Mommy loves you so much". She kissed him on the cheek and lightly rubbed his belly, kept soothing him as Pete stuck him and inserted the IV needle into the crook of his arm.

"There we go. He should be feeling better in a few hours. I'm going to go make a few phone calls and see how fast we can get him moved to a private room. He'll get better rest if he isn't surrounded by all the madness down here".

"Thank you Pete".

"You're welcome Naomi" He said, touching her shoulder. "He's fine, I promise. In a couple of weeks, you won't even remember being this worried about him".

"I doubt that, but thanks for saying it" Naomi smiled weakly.

"No problem, I'll be back in a few minutes". Pete briefly glanced back at Isaiah before he walked away; his face looked extremely familiar. Intuition told Pete things were about to get really complicated at the practice.

Naomi collapsed into a chair next to the bed where Isaiah lay; now that the adrenaline pumping through her system had ebbed, she was shaking all over. Her legs felt like noodles. Isaiah was going to be okay, but just the chance that it could have been worse unnerved her. Reaching for her purse and picking it up off the floor, she dug inside for her cellphone and called the one person she knew she could count on. "Mom"?

"Oh, so you're talking to me now" Ruth said mockingly.

Naomi looked at her son, so small and innocent lying in that huge hospital bed. Her ego, nor her hurt feelings didn't matter right now; she'd put up with her mother's mouth for his sake. "Mom, it's Isaiah; he's in the hospital".

Ruth immediately dropped her attitude. "What happened? Is he okay".

"He will be. He has a bad case of pneumonia; Pete…the doctor said he'll be fine in a few days but…." Naomi choked up; she felt so alone and afraid. "I need you mommy".

"I'll be on the first available plane" Ruth said without any hesitation. "Hang on baby, I'm on my way".

…

Naomi watched Isaiah sleep; the hospital staff had moved him to a private room on a quiet floor. He was breathing in deeper now, a clear indication that his lungs were becoming decongested. But she still couldn't help but worry about him. The tubes and wires attached to his body made him look so vulnerable. She didn't want to disturb him, but part of Naomi wished he would wake up just so she could be sure he was truly alright. She desperately wanted to hold him in her arms but resisted the urge. He needed rest. She needed rest too but refused to close her eyes; after tonight, Naomi didn't know if she would ever be able to let Isaiah out her sight again. She felt she had let her son down in the worst possible way. She was a doctor; how could she get teething and pneumonia confused? The logical side of her brain told her that both illnesses showcased similar symptoms and that the type of pneumonia Isaiah had could present itself quickly and without warning. However, the emotional side of her said she should have known better. Not only was she a doctor but her maternal instincts should have picked up on his serious condition. Leaning over the bed, she picked up his hand for the thousandth time and kissed it. In the end, all that mattered was that her little boy got better soon. Naomi couldn't wait until her mother arrived the next day; she needed her reassurance.

There was a light knock on the door as someone twisted the door handle and entered the room. Tearing her eyes away from Isaiah, Naomi looked up and expected to see a nurse. Instead, she saw the last person she expected or wanted to see. "Sam"?! He was dressed in hospital scrubs looking as off kilter as she felt.

"Naomi" Sam said quietly, his attention focusing on the baby lying in the bed; the baby who looked just like him. He'd just spent the last sixteen hours straight in surgery. He'd been ready to go home and relax with Addison when he'd run into Pete who had told him what had happened in the emergency room. Not believing it, he'd come up to see for himself. "Pete told me you were here" he said gravely, not quite able to digest what he was seeing.

Her throat became dry and her palms were becoming sweaty. This was a situation Naomi hoped to never find herself in. "I see".

"Good, because I don't see. We need to talk Naomi" Sam said, not beating around the bush.

"Now is really not a good time. Maybe you could come back tomorrow…" Naomi hedged.

"No, we're going to talk now. Something tells me we've already waited way too long to have this conversation".

"Isaiah's sleeping. I don't want to disturb him".

"Isaiah" Sam whispered, storing the name in his brain. His heart began to beat faster. He needed answers and refused to let Naomi deter him. "We can step outside".

"I can't leave him alone" Naomi exclaimed. "He needs me. What if he wakes up"?

"Look Naomi, I'm not asking you to go down the hall. All I'm asking is for you to step outside. You can keep an eye on him through the window, leave the door cracked for any noises. But we need to talk. You know we do; that's why you're throwing everything but the kitchen sink at me to avoid it".

Sam was right; she didn't want to talk to him. She knew where the conversation would lead; it was something she'd never prepared to deal with; but now she had no choice. Looking down at Isaiah, she kissed him on his warm cheek. "Mommy will be right back" she promised, before she followed Sam out into the corridor. Leaning against the glass window, she stared at her son as she waited for Sam to say something.

"So, you had a baby" Sam began.

"Yeah, I did" Naomi said, not elaborating like she knew Sam wanted her to.

"And you didn't feel the need to tell anyone"?

"No, I didn't".

"Naomi".

"Yes"?

"Naomi" Sam said more sternly.

Slowly bringing her face around to return his stare, she repeated, "Yes, Sam".

"Are you going to just tell me or do I really have to ask you"?

"Ask me what" Naomi said, playing dumb.

Sam sighed in frustration. She was the one keeping secrets and yet she was also the one making the situation as difficult as possible. "How old is he"?

"He'll be six months on the eighteenth".

He didn't have to do the math to know that the dates lined up. Unless Naomi had had another lover around the same time…Sam took a deep breath and asked, "Is he mine? Is Isaiah my son"?

"That's a very good question" Addison said, standing a few feet away, looking like someone had just ripped her heart out. Not only was she standing there, but everyone else from the practice was there with varying degrees of shock on their faces. News certainly traveled fast. "No one could believe what Pete told Violet over the phone; no one could fathom that you had a baby that no one knew about. We had to come down here and see for ourselves, check on you, see if you were okay, see why you felt the need to keep something so monumental to yourself. Now I understand. I never imagined I would walk into the middle of a conversation like this".

They both turned in her direction. "Addison…" Sam started, immediately panicking. "I can explain".

Naomi didn't react at all. She just leaned against the window in stoic silence. What could she do or say at this point? The answer was absolutely nothing.

"I don't want to hear from you right now; I've heard enough. I want to hear from Naomi. So answer the question Nae. Is Sam the father of your child"?

This night could not get any worse. Having to tell Sam was bad enough; now she was being confronted by the whole practice. She felt so overwhelmed. All she wanted to do was go back in the hospital room and be with her son. It was supposed to be them against the world. She touched the glass, looked at him as he continued to sleep.

"Naomi" Sam whispered, pleading in his voice. He needed an answer, more than Addison did.

Breathing deeply, Naomi turned around and faced them. She looked at each individual doctor, each person she considered a friend and colleague. Some faces were curious, others confused and surprised, and still others were accusatory. Naomi's eyes lingered on Addison's face the longest; she looked like she was afraid her world was about to crumble. It was. Naomi found no joy or satisfaction in Addison's misery. However, while she wasn't necessarily proud of her actions, she couldn't find it in her to feel sorry or regret what had happened. Nothing that involved Isaiah could ever make her feel sorry when she was so grateful to have him. Finally, she turned to Sam and looked deep into his eyes. Another flashback of soft kisses and intense lovemaking coursed through her mind. The night Isaiah had been created was still so vivid in her memory; if she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the sensations, relive the whole night down to the last detail. She had been so out of her mind in love with him; more in love with him than on their wedding day. But not anymore; those feelings were long gone. Naomi was interested in focusing on the future, and continuing to move on with her life. Naomi was even more determined to keep moving forward now, despite this setback. But right now, she had to deal with the present. Taking another deep breath, she opened her mouth and said "Yes, Sam. Isaiah is your son".