Go Baby Grow
Chapter 21 – I Wish
Friday, May 15th
Since Amelia was working a night shift, Owen asked Ryder and Lucas to help prepare dinner. Lucas was tasked with setting the table and tearing lettuce for the salad. As items were ready to be set on the table, Lucas served as the deliveryman. Ryder and Owen, stood side by side. While Ryder chopped avocadoes and a red onion, Owen set the chicken breasts in the skillet and added seasonings.
As the rice cooked and the main dish was tended, Owen made conversation. "I stopped by the post office and mailed all the paperwork on Wednesday morning. Did I remember to tell you that?"
"No," Ryder stated. "Thanks for taking care of that, Dad."
"You bet," Owen smirked as he offered a quick glance. "Sunday… I've been meaning to ask you why you were so angry and went over to Nolan's. If you'd rather not share, I respect that."
Ryder inhaled and exhaled slowly. "The Canadian passport requirement. It caught me off-guard."
"I bet Nolan was helpful. He understands from a similar perspective," Owen affirmed.
"He knocked some sense into me, I guess," Ryder offered with a matter-of-fact tone. "Time has helped. I've had a few days to think about it."
"Julie probably helped too," Owen hunched.
"No," Ryder denied. "I haven't talked to her about it. Actually, I haven't spoken to her all week."
"Really? I'm surprised," Owen stepped back a half-step and studied Ryder's expressionless face. After half a minute of silence, Owen pushed, "What's going on between you two?"
"Nothing," Ryder shrugged without making eye contact.
"But you haven't spoken to her all week…" Owen commented with confusion.
"Dad…" Ryder huffed. He shook his head and stopped chopping. After he paused, he broke the silence. "I needed a break. People are constantly trying to push us together – to make us a couple. I care about Julie, but that doesn't mean I'm her soul mate. We're best friends. Why can't people accept that?"
"Best friends tend to speak regularly," Owen commented flatly.
Pulling his phone out of his back pocket, Ryder typed out a text. Before sending it, he showed it to Owen and growled, "Fine. Satisfied?" The text read, Been awhile. Where's the week gone?
"You don't have to text her for my benefit, Ryder," Owen stated clearly with a laugh.
"I was hoping it would shut you up," Ryder commented firmly.
"Ha," Owen chuckled. "I told you I'd respect your choice if you preferred not to share."
"Whatever," Ryder yawned. His phone pinged. Julie had written back, Yeah… He waited, assuming another text would follow immediately. When his phone remained silent, he put it back in his pocket.
"Hear me out, Ry. One more thought, then I'll shut up," Owen said. "I asked because I want to be here for you if you need to vent or talk or fall apart about Julie, about the passport, about anything. On the relationship front, I've been there – in that strange limbo of friendship and vague couplehood. I couldn't figure out what I wanted. That's all, Ryder. I'm here."
Ryder's phone sounded again as he studied his father and wondered about Owen's past. Julie had written, Really hard week. Really hard.
What was wrong?
Tough to describe.
Try
Grief. Non-stop waves pulling me under.
JJ…
Still there?
Yeah.
Can I see you tonight? Had rough week too
Misery loves company, right?
Ha
Cmon over whenever.
7:30ish. Dinner with fam first
k. See you soon.
"That went from not wanting to text her to quite the exchange," Owen observed.
"You are the Master of the Obvious, dear Father," Ryder quipped with a half smile.
Owen chuckled, "Did you want to eat this chicken or wear it?"
Reaching into the pan quickly and grabbing a piece of chicken, Ryder explained, "Lemme try it. I'll let you know." Surprised Owen hadn't playfully slapped his hand, Ryder ran.
After moving the chicken off the burner, Owen grabbed a dish towel and chased after Ryder. "You're dead meat, boy."
Ryder placed his arm on the back of the couch and jumped. He faked right and ran left, only to find Owen predicted the move. Laughing, the two attempted to shift and catch the other.
Lucas, who had been in the bathroom, ran over, "I wanna play! I wanna play! Whose team am I on?"
Simultaneously, Owen and Ryder called out, "Mine."
"Listen to your father, Lucas. We're after Ryder. I'll give you $5 if you help me catch him," Owen laughed.
"What?!" Ryder guffawed. Too busy whining to pay attention, Ryder found himself knocked onto the couch after Lucas snuck up and karate chopped the back of Ryder's knees.
"Grab him, Daddy!" Lucas called out.
Owen jumped over the couch and pondered, "I was going to snap him with the towel, but maybe we should tickle him."
"Tickle! Tickle!" Lucas called out as he jumped up and down. The girls came downstairs after hearing all the bumping and running. Running over and seeking general revenge on Ryder, they joined in the swarm of tickling hands. Owen stepped back and coached rather than tickling. Olivia leaned against the wall across the room with rolling eyes and folded arms, disgusted by the silliness. As Ryder twisted and attempted to escape, he spotted her and identified his reprieve.
"Everyone tackle Olivia!" he bellowed. Knowing they had Ryder's backing and protection, the Littles ran at full tilt toward their sister.
"Stay away from me!" Olivia called out with a crabby warning just before she found herself surrounded. Ryder ran over. With a quick but safe move, he grabbed Olivia and set her on the floor. As she laughed and giggled, Olivia begged for them to stop.
Owen, who had watched the kids laughing together, sounded firmly and calmly, "Ok… you got her, now let her go."
"Daddy! Let's get Daddy!" Ria announced as she led the ambush.
With Ryder and Olivia's rapid teamwork, Owen found himself on the floor roaring with laughter. "You're all traitors!" he yelled as he attempted to catch his breath. He was able to squirm one arm free and tried to tickle anyone within reach.
"His arm is free! His arm is free!" Olivia proclaimed. As she tried to control Owen's arm alone, she ordered, "Come sit on his arm, Anna." Ryder and Lucas were focused on Owen's legs and torso and Ria was lying on Owen's other arm. Gathering all his strength, Owen was able to twist and trap Anna in his grip.
"One by one… this hand is free and it needs to spank," he warned playfully. He kissed Anna's forehead and barely patted her rear. With a wide smile, she ran to the Dining Room to escape. With one down, Owen repeated his ploy on Lucas. Unsure what else to do, Lucas imitated Anna's reaction. Olivia and Ria were next one right after the other, each barely receiving a tap. Owen instructed with a chuckle, "Dinner."
With Ryder and Owen left one-on-one, Ryder tried to hold Owen down. Softly, Owen warned, "I'll call them all over to help me prevail."
"And they'd listen," Ryder laughed as he stood up and extended his hand to help Owen stand up. With hard whacks, Owen smacked Ryder's butt multiple times.
As he sat in his seat at the table, Owen declared, "The old man's still got it." As dishes were passed around and servings were scooped, Owen suggested a game for the night. "I have a different idea for tonight's conversation. This morning, Mom felt the baby kick. This little boy or girl is for real. Let's go around and share any thoughts or ideas we have for the baby. You can share name ideas, fun times you want to have together, whether you're wishing for a boy or girl, that sort of thing."
"Ria, who looks and acts so gentle but led the charge to attack me, how about if you start," Owen suggested with a wink.
Giggling, Ria set her forefinger on her lips and raised her eyes toward the ceiling. "Hmmm… I'm hoping for a little sister names Eef-uh and I really want her to be healthy and not cry a lot."
"What kind of name is Eef-uh?" Olivia sneered.
"A girl from Ireland started in my class this week and that's her name. I like it," Ria shared.
"I love it – that's a cool name. How do you spell it?" Ryder inquired.
"A-o-i-f-e," Ria spelled out thoughtfully.
"So it looks like oy-fee or oyf," Ryder chuckled.
"Not if you're Irish," Ria nodded with confidence.
Ryder agreed with a smile, "Correct. You, Little Sister, are brilliant."
"I want Olivia to go next," Ria chose.
"Either a boy or girl that I don't have to babysit," Olivia disclosed with a smirk. "Lucas is next."
"I really, really, really, really, really want a brother. Let's see… name… Oliver. Oliver Lucas Hunt! Or maybe Nicholas, but then Lucas sounds funny, so Nicholas Owen," Lucas detailed. "Who should I pick? Daddy, Anna or Ryder? Anna!"
After swallowing the bite in her mouth, Annabelle weighed in, "I want twins so me and Ria aren't the only twins."
"Yikes," Owen exclaimed. "We're pretty sure we only have one on the way."
"Still," Anna insisted, "that'd be the best. Mom could have a boy and a girl and we could have a contest to see who picks the names. Daddy, you go next."
"A contest? That's creative, Anna," Owen nodded. "I am really looking forward to the baby's kicks becoming stronger. Right now, only Mommy can feel them. In a few weeks, we should be able to feel them. I keep going back and forth about the gender. We've always known if the baby was a boy or girl beforehand. This time, I want to be surprised."
"What about names, Daddy?" Ria inquired.
"Mom usually has great name ideas," Owen commented. "and she usually doesn't like my ideas. Help me out, Ryder, throw out some names. You're up."
"Hmm…names… I'm coming up dry," he admitted. "I'm happy that Mom's having a baby – it'll be fun to have a tiny munchkin around. A boy would be awesome. Having Nolan and Lissa's daughters next door is cool, too. They'll get to grow up together." Ryder pursed his lips tightly and looked at the table, "My biggest wish is that I was going to be here when the baby is born."
"What?!" Ria exclaimed with shock. "You have to be here."
Softly, Ryder explained, "I'll be at the Academy, Ree."
"Just tell them. They'll let you come home, won't they?" Lucas begged. "Or have Mom write a note for the Principal."
"Nope. Doesn't work that way at the Academy, Little Man," Ryder clarified. He moved his lips toward one cheek and inhaled before sharing, "I'll be home at Christmas, buddy, but not before that. You'll have to send me pictures, ok?"
As Owen observed Ryder's mood change and interactions, he felt for him. "Now I have another wish…" Owen added. "I wish there was a way for Ryder to be here when the baby's born."
Looking up and grinning, Ryder caught Owen's eye and echoed, "Me too, Dad."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'
"Amelia?" Arizona called as she shook her friend's shoulder. Amelia was flat on the floor in the OR. She had scrubbed and walked in to begin a surgery when she stumbled and fell.
"She went right down," one of the nurses explained.
"You did the right thing. I'm glad you paged me," Arizona nodded. "Amelia? Dr. Shepherd? Amelia?" Arizona repeated as she tapped Amelia's cheek. "Get me an inhalant please," Arizona ordered. She knew that the smelling salts could exacerbate certain serious injuries, but she was confident that Amelia was not in that camp.
A nurse bent down and slid the small open packet under Amelia's nose, and she woke right up.
After blinking a few times and taking stock of her surroundings, Amelia attempted to stand up. "Crap. How embarrassing."
"Stop. Do not move, Amelia," Arizona commanded.
With a half grin, Amelia insisted, "I'm fine, Arizona. I have a patient on the table who needs a surgeon."
"And Derek is on his way in. Right now, I'm in charge, doctor, and I'm ordering you to stay put," Arizona emphasized. "You can move your legs, that's good. How's the rest of your body?"
Downplaying the fall, Amelia emphasized again, "Really, I slipped. I'm fine." Arizona helped Amelia sit up but didn't allow her to stand. A nurse brought over a wheelchair and Amelia was given no choice but to sit in it.
"Amy, what happened?" Derek asked as he entered the OR with a mask over his mouth and his hands in the air awaiting gloves.
"I slipped. Everyone's flipping out," Amelia grumbled. "Tell them I'm fine, Derek."
"Are you taking her up to OB for an eval?" Derek responded instead. Arizona nodded from behind the wheelchair and Derek added, "Good. Keep me posted. Did anyone call Owen?"
As Arizona wheeled Amelia out of the OR, Amelia argued about calling Owen. Once they were out in the hallway, Arizona stopped the chair and knelt down in front of her friend. "Here's the deal. Let's get you up to OB and hooked up to a monitor. I'll assess any injuries or concerns and then one of us will call Owen. Deal?"
"I suppose," Amelia huffed.
A swarm of nurses, residents, and doctors flew around Amelia once the pregnant Mama had been moved from the wheelchair to the bed. Orders were called out and tests were requested. Arizona waved an ultrasound transducer over Amelia's bump and sighed with relief as the baby kicked and stretched in the womb, "There's your baby." She slid the monitor so Amelia couldn't see it and asked, "Do you want to know the gender? I have a clear view."
Sticking her lips out, Amelia noted, "We haven't talked about finding out. Besides, I want Owen to be with me when we find out."
"No problem," Arizona smiled. "Everything appears to be fine. Placenta is intact, no cord damage. Are you sure your back and head are ok?"
"Yeah, I stumbled. Really, that's it," Amelia detailed.
"When did you eat last?" Arizona grilled.
Pretending not to know, Amelia shrugged, "Hard to say. I have trouble keeping track of time when I work the night shift."
"Then I'm starting an IV. And, by the way, you're not going to be working any shifts for a while," Arizona informed her patient.
"Because I slipped?" Amelia laughed with disbelief.
"Because you slipped," Arizona nodded. "Who's calling Owen?"
"I will," Amelia blew air toward her forehead.
Phone in hand, Amelia called Owen's cell guessing that he and the kids were probably cleaning up from dinner or playing a game. It was 7:30pm.
"Ree? Can you answer that?" Owen called from the kitchen sink. His phone was on the dining room table and Ria was wiping everything down.
"Dr. Hunt's phone," she answered after pushing the green button.
"Ree Ree, it's Mommy. Where's Daddy?" Amelia smiled.
"He's here. His phone was close to me. I'll get him," Ria responded happily as she ran over and handed Owen the phone. "It's Mommy."
"Hey, Beautiful," Owen answered as he balanced the phone against his shoulder and continued scrubbing the skillet. There was a pause as Amelia explained that she'd tumbled. As his jovial demeanor shifted to one of concern, Owen turned off the water and walked into the Living Room. Quietly, so the kids wouldn't hear his question, he asked, "But the baby's ok? You're ok?"
"Everyone's fussing over me. I'm fine. I wish everyone would believe me. A word of advice – if you're going to trip over your own foot, don't do it at the hospital. It sends everyone into high gear," she chuckled.
"I'll… ummm…. Let's see… yeah, I'll be right over, Mia," Owen confirmed as he thought through plans for the kids. Ryder was at Julie's. Olivia and the Littles were home, but surely she could help for a brief time.
"It's not necessary, Owen," Amelia clarified.
"Yes it is," he retorted. "15 minutes. I'll be there." He ended the call and looked across the room at the kids. Even Olivia was smiling and having fun. Rather than tell them the reason he needed to leave, he simply shared his destination. "I need to go check on a patient at the hospital. Olivia, can you handle everything for an hour or two?"
"I guess," she smirked. "How much will I get paid?"
"A heart full of satisfaction and a brain full of sibling memories," Owen chuckled as he located his keys.
"Seriously?!" Olivia spouted with a hand on her hip, but a smile on her face.
"We'll see. If they're all alive and uninjured when I get back, we'll talk. If you need anything while I'm gone, call Nolan," Owen advised.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'
When Owen entered the hospital room in a hurried pace, his lowered brow and squinting eyes surveyed the room. He approached Amelia's side, bent down, and kissed her.
With a smile, Amelia scooted over and patted the bed. Owen grinned and explained, "Let me pour over the chart first." He studied the various text results and initial chart notes, then glanced at the fetal monitor print out and the screen that displayed Amelia's heartrate, pulse ox, and BP. As his face calmed and his eyes softened, he slipped off his shoes and slid onto the bed. "Do you hurt anywhere?" he inquired as he rested his head against hers.
"I'll be sore tomorrow, I'm sure. They gave me some ice for my head and back," she explained.
"You scared me," Owen disclosed with tenderness.
"Apparently, I scared everyone but myself," Amelia chuckled.
Owen gazed at her and pointed out, "But you lost consciousness briefly." Shrugging, Amelia made light of the comment. As he wrapped an arm around his wife, Owen stated, "I want you to stay home for a few days. Are you willing to do that?"
"Considering that Arizona won't authorize me to work, I suppose I'll cooperate with you," Amelia quipped.
Owen leaned over and kissed Amelia's hospital gown as it lay atop her baby bump. "I'm so relieved you're safe, Little One." As he returned to his previous position, he spotted a tear in Amelia's eye.
Leaving his hand on her bump and snuggling into her, Owen recounted the evening with the kids. Both smiled as he described the ticklefest, cooking with Ryder, and the table discussion about the baby. He shared Ryder's sadness about not being present for the baby's birth, and Lucas' deep hope for a brother.
"We'll have to Skype Ryder in," Amelia suggested. "Maybe we could make that work, hmm?"
"We can try. I'm not sure about all the rules. We'll figure something out," Owen promised. After a brief silence, Owen stroked Amelia's cheek and ventured courageously into potentially dangerous territory. "What would you think about taking a year off to finish out the pregnancy and be home for the first six months?"
"This is going to be our last baby, and I want to savor every moment," she responded. "Actually, I'll consider that."
Owen kissed the top of her head and brushed her hair behind her ear. He was grateful that she and the baby were unharmed, and he wanted to protect them both in any way possible.
Shop and prep for Plebe summer and prom
Omelia and indifference in rel baby
Nolan/Ryder's feelings
Adam in rel Julie's first period
JULIE buys prom dress with Lissa and Amelia
AMELIA, OWEN and baby
Ryder – beats up or throws snit about JJ having a boyfriend
Owen tries to talk to Ryder again about Julie – seeing that his feelings for her are a sign of his love
What's going to happen to Rylie at the proms?
Adam and Maggie awkwardly run into one another