Elizabeth woke up to a distinct pain in her abdomen. She tried to sit up before letting out an involuntary groan as more pain shot through her, protesting against her movements.
"Don't sit up." Mark's voice quickly filled her ears, his hand gently taking one of her own. "You've got stitches that still need to heal."
She nodded in understanding before her eyes shot open. "The baby?" She asked, somewhat out of breath from all of the pain.
"She's right here." Mark replied, moving so she could see the bundle in his arms.
"It's a girl?" Elizabeth asked quietly.
Mark nodded with a smile. "She's beautiful."
"Is she okay?" Elizabeth asked nervously as she tried to peer through the blankets surrounding the baby that she could tell was much smaller than ideal.
"She's a little small, five pounds six ounces, but she's healthy." Mark assured her. "If you'd like to try to hold her…"
Elizabeth sighed. "I can't sit up."
"I'll help you." Mark said gently as he moved to place the baby on her chest. "I'll support her, just get to know your daughter."
Elizabeth nodded, tears forming in her eyes as she admired the infant on her chest. "She's so small Mark…"
"I know." Mark replied supportively. "She's going to be fine. You just worry about getting better so you can be her Mom."
"How long am I going to be here?" She asked, her finger running along the cheek of her daughter.
"We're going home later, but Doctor Coburn will be coming by the house to check on you for the next few days." Mark said quietly.
"Right…" She affirmed that she remembered the conversation from earlier. "Who is here?"
"A lot of the ER staff is downstairs under quarantine. Ella is with Lydia and Haleh so I'm sure she's doing fine. Robert and Janet have been working out your post-op information." Mark reported softly.
Elizabeth nodded before sitting in silence for several moments before speaking again. "What are we going to name her?"
"Wow." Mark replied softly. "We haven't discussed this at all have we?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "We really haven't." She said before looking up at him. "Do you have any ideas?"
Mark smirked shyly before looking at her. "I was thinking about Hannah."
Elizabeth smiled back. "I love it, but we have to use the name I was thinking for her middle name." She said quietly.
Mark cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. "Okay?"
Elizabeth smiled before looking down at the baby. "Hannah Ruth Greene." She said quietly before she felt Mark's eyes on her.
"You… you want to name her after my Mom?" Mark said after a few minutes.
Elizabeth nodded. "I know how much you miss your parents. I've been thinking for months that we should name the baby after either of your parents, I just didn't know how you would feel about it."
"I love it." He assured her quietly, pressing his lips against hers. "I love you, and I love our little girl."
Elizabeth nodded, tears running down her face.
"Honey what's wrong?" Mark asked, clearly concerned.
"I'm just tired. I want to go home." She said softly, before groaning in pain once again. "Can you take Hannah… I'm too sore…"
Mark nodded. "Of course." He said before gently lifting the baby from her chest. "You can sleep. We'll be right here." He promised her. "I'll wake you up when I know more about going home."
"Okay." Elizabeth said softly, reaching a hand out to hold one of his. "I love you."
"I love you too sweetheart."
"They're back!" Rachel called from her spot on the window seat as she watched the family van pull into the driveway. She had been sitting there for hours, ever since she got the phone call from Mark saying that they needed to stop by Mercy to get the baby checked but then they would be home.
Isabelle and Charles got up from their respective chairs in the living room and kitchen before quickly following Rachel outside.
"Dad!" Rachel called anxiously as she ran to greet him as he got out of the passenger seat.
"Hey bug." Mark greeted her with a hug. "Can you help get Ella inside? I need to help Elizabeth and the baby." He asked her seriously as he opened the door to the backseat.
Rachel nodded before moving to unbuckle her younger sister as Mark quickly went to the other side of the car.
"Elizabeth can't really walk yet." He told her parents quickly. "She's going to need help getting into the house." Robert got out of the driver's seat before joining Charles and Mark to help Elizabeth out of the car. "Elizabeth can you stand at all?" Mark asked her gently. She shook her head slightly before wincing again in pain.
"Okay she needs to lie down." Robert interrupted watching as Elizabeth paled.
"Charles can you help Robert?" Mark asked anxiously. "I'm still not supposed to do much because of the surgery last month."
"Of course." Charles replied. "What do I do?"
After several minutes of awkward maneuvering of all parties involved, everyone was inside, with the exception of Robert who had just caught a taxi back to the hospital.
"I'm sorry about all of this." Mark apologized awkwardly to his in-laws. "I know this isn't what you had in mind when you came for Christmas."
"It's fine Mark." Charles said quickly. "We're just happy everyone is alright."
Isabelle nodded in agreement before looking down at the car seat sitting at Mark's feet. "Speaking of everyone, I believe you have someone new to introduce us to."
Mark smiled before taking Hannah out of her car seat and going to sit on the ottoman next to Elizabeth. "Rach, come here." He urged quietly, causing his oldest daughter to step over, Ella sitting on her hip. "I'd like you all to meet Hannah Ruth Greene." He said with a smile.
"She's so cute." Rachel said excitedly.
"She's beautiful darling." Charles told Elizabeth quietly as he gently kissed her forehead.
"You did well." Isabelle affirmed.
"Would you like to hold her?" Mark offered his in-laws. "I need to get everyone settled, it's late."
"I'd love to." Isabelle responded, moving to sit in the rocking chair across from Elizabeth.
Mark carefully placed his daughter in Isabelle's arms before moving to talk to his wife. "Do you want to sleep down here or should we try to get you up to bed?" He asked her softly.
Elizabeth sighed. "I'd really like to be in my own bed, but I don't think I can move anymore today."
"Okay." Mark replied with a small reassuring smile. "How about you sleep in Rachel's room? It will be more comfortable than the couch, but then you won't have to get upstairs."
"Where will Rachel sleep?" Elizabeth asked tiredly. "My parents are already in the guest room…"
"I'll be fine in Ella's room on the floor." Rachel interrupted. "I'll go get my things and go upstairs, its fine I promise." She insisted before going into her room.
Elizabeth sighed. "How's the baby?" She asked softly.
"She's fine Elizabeth." Mark assured her. "I know you're nervous about all of this, especially since Hannah's birth was scary but she's okay. You did everything right with this pregnancy, and she's fine."
Elizabeth nodded, reaching up to wipe a few tears from her cheeks.
"Sweetheart she's fine." Mark assured her once again, looking over to see his daughter sleeping peacefully in her grandmother's arms. "Let's get you settled, and then I'll have your Dad help me bring the cradle down here."
Elizabeth nodded before working to sit up with his help.
"Elizabeth can I help?" Charles asked softly as he moved over to her.
"I need to go to the loo and then to Rachel's room." She admitted softly. "If you could help Mark…"
"Of course darling." Charles assured her. "Anything you need."
It was then when Rachel came out from her room, her pajamas, pillow, and phone piled in her arms. "I'm good to sleep in Ella's room." She said as she came into the room.
"Can you take her up to bed?" Mark asked softly. "I need to help Elizabeth."
"Sure." Rachel agreed readily before going to pick up her sister. "Come on Ella, let's go to bed." Ella began protesting before tiredly placing her head on her sister's shoulder.
It was nearing three before Mark made his way into the bedroom to go to sleep. He was surprised to see his oldest daughter sitting on his bed as he opened the door to his room. "Hey Rach." He greeted her quietly, closing the door behind him.
"Hi." She replied quietly, not moving at all.
"Are you alright?" Mark asked her curiously as he picked up a glass from his nightstand to go fill it with water from the sink.
Rachel nodded, waiting patiently as Mark filled his glass with water and downed a handful of medications.
"Rachel?" Mark finally asked as he stood next to his bed, all but ready to collapse. "Do you need something?"
Rachel looked up at him nervously. "Is Elizabeth okay?" She asked quietly.
Mark smiled sympathetically at his oldest daughter. "She's in a lot of pain right now from the surgery…"
"What surgery?" Rachel interrupted anxiously.
"There were some complications during labor." Mark tried to explain without scaring her too much. "Because the hospital was shut down we didn't have all the resources we would normally have to help Elizabeth with the baby, so things got a little difficult."
"So she had a c-section?" Rachel questioned further.
"Yes, Hannah was delivered via cesarean." Mark affirmed.
"But that's… that's normal." Rachel said, her brow furrowing. "You were telling her parents about the surgery being complicated…"
Mark sighed as he moved to sit next to Rachel on the bed. "I promise you that Elizabeth is doing very well all things considered. I can tell you about the complications if you want but I don't want you to feel like you need to be responsible for any of this."
Rachel shook her head. "I know Daddy." She assured him. "I just… I was so worried… I'm still worried…"
Mark nodded in understanding. "While Elizabeth was in labor the placenta broke into several pieces, which meant that she experienced some fairly heavy bleeding. They weren't able to stop it so they had to remove her uterus."
Rachel's eyes snapped up to her. "That's… that's major surgery." She said quietly, her voice filled with concern for her step-mother.
"Yeah." Mark affirmed quietly. "She's doing well though. I promise you I would tell you if that wasn't true."
Rachel nodded slowly before looking over to him again. "Can I stay with you tonight?" She asked quietly.
Mark smiled. "I don't know how much I'll be in here tonight between taking care of Hannah and Elizabeth, but you're welcome in here baby." He assured her before gently pulling her into his arms. "I'm sorry about all of this. I know you were looking forward to Christmas, but I'm not sure that we'll be having much of one this year."
Rachel shrugged. "I'm just happy everyone's okay." She said quietly.
"Me too." Mark replied, pressing his lips against her hair. "Me too."
"Kerry I don't know what you want me to do I'm not there." Mark said into the phone, frustration lining his tone.
Rachel smirked from her spot at the kitchen table. Her father had been on the phone with Doctor Weaver for nearly twenty minutes. From what she could hear of the situation Kerry was trying to get information about what was going on at the hospital, from Mark who was no longer there.
"Kerry I'm going to hang up the phone now to go take care of my wife and kids." Mark said tiredly before putting the phone back on the receiver. Mark sighed before turning to Rachel, "Rach is Ella in the living room?"
Rachel shrugged. "I think Isabelle may have taken her with her to the store."
Mark sighed before heading into the living room where Elizabeth was on the couch, Hannah resting comfortably in her arms.
"How are you feeling?" Mark asked softly as he moved to sit next to her.
Elizabeth smiled. "I'm exhausted, but I'm happy, very happy."
"Good." Mark replied before gently kissing her. "Is Ella with your mother?"
Elizabeth nodded. "Mum and Dad went to go pick up some things, Ella practically begged to go with them." She said with a laugh.
"She really likes your parents." Mark noted.
Elizabeth smiled slightly. "Yes… she does." She affirmed. "I think them being here has been good for her."
"I think she just likes their accents." Mark teased before kissing her forehead. "Have I mentioned how much I love you lately?"
"Only five times in the last hour." Elizabeth replied with a smile before Hannah began to fuss in her arms. "I think she needs a bottle." She said tiredly. "Could you…?"
"Of course." Mark assured her quickly as he stood up to prepare the requested bottle.
Five minutes later he was back with a warmed bottle. "Here." He said softly as he handed her the bottle.
Once Hannah was settled again Elizabeth looked up to him guiltily. "I feel terrible that I'm not breastfeeding her."
Mark shook his head gently. "Don't." He said quietly. "It's not your fault that you had to have the procedure…"
"Don't." Elizabeth cut him off harshly. "I don't want to talk about this, not now."
"Elizabeth…" Mark tried again.
"No." She said, much more quietly this time. "I need time to process this. I realize you can't understand that, but I need time."
It was several minutes before Mark spoke again. "Okay. I understand." He said softly. "I'm sorry."
Elizabeth sat in silence, the tension between them clearly rising. "Mark I can't sit here while you judge me."
"I'm not…" Mark tried to protest when the front door swung open.
"Daddy!" Ella's shrill voice came through the house, a slight hint of a British accent lining her words.
Mark sighed, torn between the tension between himself and Elizabeth and the love he felt toward his daughter. It didn't take long for Ella's little legs to get her into the living room. His heart immediately melted upon seeing his daughter coming towards him with a pink bag in her arms.
"What's that sweetheart?" He asked as he pulled her onto his lap.
Ella giggled as she pointed to the baby.
"Is this for Hannah?" Mark asked her with a smile.
"Yes." Ella affirmed with a smile.
"Can Momma open it for Hannah?" Mark asked, noting his wife's reaction to her addition to the conversation.
"Yes." Ella repeated, her small arms holding the bag out as far as they could towards her mother.
Elizabeth looked at her daughter, her stern glare quickly melting into a soft smile. "Thank you Ella." She said quietly, reaching out to gently touch her cheek before taking the gift bag from her.
She slowly reached into the bag before her hand found something soft which she then proceeded to pull from the bag. It was a pink teddy bear with Hannah embroidered across the stomach in silver cursive. "Oh." Elizabeth said softly, desperately trying to keep her emotions in check. "Did you pick this out honey?" She asked her daughter with a soft smile.
Ella nodded proudly.
"Thank you." Elizabeth said earnestly. "You are a wonderful sister." She said, smiling as Ella moved in to peer at her baby sister.
"Baby." Ella said contentedly as she rested her head on the couch next to Elizabeth.
"Ella Mom wants some alone time with the baby." Mark began softly. "Why don't we go show Grandma and Grandpa your new room?" He suggested.
Ella looked up at her parents, her eyes clearly showing the hurt she felt at the possibility of not being wanted. "Stay." She insisted firmly.
"Ella…" Mark began to admonish her before Elizabeth stopped him.
"She's fine." She assured him. "We'll all take nap together." She said, handing him the empty bottle she had been holding for several minutes. "Please just… let me rest."
Mark nodded, taking the bottle from her hand. "Let me know if you need anything." He said quietly before making his way out of the room.
It didn't seem fair. He had gained and lost so much this year that it was usually quite easy to tell if the house was having good times or bad times, but now he couldn't tell. He had no idea what Elizabeth was feeling, or what he was feeling for that matter, and it frightened him more than anything in their lives together ever had.