She was dozing after what had been a rather sad reality of her current abilities. Lisa was so glad to be back in bed in her own pajamas. Showering had made her feel like a new person, and now, she just felt like a clean person who'd been hit by a truck. She really wanted the headache to go away; it was hard to focus on things feeling this way. Even leaning her head toward the window was annoying her, just that angle on her head. The nurse had been an angel, and Lisa knew it was a job she could never do but what a blessing some of those nurses were. Her arms and legs still felt like Jello, but she hadn't fallen or anything. It had taken over an hour to complete something that used to be so simple, a good shower, and after it, she was so glad when the nurse helped her back into bed where she could rest. Walking had been wobbly, but she'd done it. Now, she was just resting in this very comfortable set of pajamas. She was just incredibly worn out and very much looking forward to starting to feel better.
Lisa heard the door open and opened her eyes, hopeful her now forever favorite little person was being returned. It was Jack, another face she was very glad to see.
"Oh good," he said with a small smile, his voice low and soft. "You're looking better."
She let out a single low chuckle, "Well, thank you, I suppose. I don't feel much better, but the shower was absolutely amazing. Washing my hair, brushing my teeth-all the things that make you feel human."
He was still leaning on the door, and she gestured to him, "You can obviously come in."
He hooked his hand behind him, "The girls and Tim are here. I told them you are really not feeling well, so they won't stay long. Sorry I was gone so long. They insisted we go across the street and get a bite to eat."
"Good," she said with a firm nod and a hint of relief in her voice. "You needed a good meal."
"Suppose I did," he nodded back. "Ahh?"
"Oh, right," she shook her head, really still in a daze too. She smiled warmly at them, "Of course, they can all come in."
Jack looked back into the hall, and it sounded like he was almost giving them instructions. She had to smile; they weren't children, but she appreciated he was concerned about visitors. The door swung open, and Amy was the first she saw.
"Hey, Lisa," Amy said with a sympathetic smile. She walked right over and threw her arms around Lisa in a warm hug. "Congratulations, and I really am glad to see you."
"Oh, thank you, Honey," she said, giving her a warm hug in return. Amy pulled back, and she frowned at Lisa, "Grandpa says you feel like a truck hit you."
She pursed her lips, nodded, and as she did she heard Tim and Lou laughing at the description, "That is exactly how I feel."
"Hi, Lisa," Lou stepped toward her, and Amy backed off. Lou gave her a gentle hug and whispered, "I promise you will one day feel yourself. It's horrible. I know it is."
Lisa smiled at her when she pulled back, and she squeezed Lou's shoulders, laughing slightly. She nodded, "Yes, you can't describe this at all."
Lou grinned at her, and she didn't have time to step out of the way before Tim pushed around her, smiling brightly at Lisa. He had a large bouquet of flowers in his hand, all colors, a beautiful mixed bouquet.
"Lisa," he said, still smiling widely. "Congratulations. This is just so wonderful."
"Thank you, Tim," she said, returning his smile. She nodded to the flowers, "Those flowers are beautiful. Thank you."
"Of course," he grinned. "Where do you want them?"
"Dad why don't you put them over there next to the other ones?" Lou gestured toward the window, where Lisa hadn't even noticed another beautiful bouquet. She looked at those, and then while Tim was taking them around, she met Jack's gaze, giving him a look with the tilt of her head. He gave her a small smile and a nod, the silent exchange between them all she needed.
"Ahh, those are some nice flowers," Amy said as she stepped over by the flowers. She grinned and looked at Jack, deciding to ask him herself. "Grandpa I thought you hadn't left the hospital?"
"I didn't," he shook his head. He winked, when he caught Lisa looking at him again, "Hospitals always have gift shops."
"So, where is he?" Lou said, antsy and almost jumping as she gestured wildly with her hands. "I can't wait to see my uncle," she said bursting into laughter. As she did, they all did, and she shook her head. "This is all so crazy."
"It is crazy," Lisa said nodding and smiling. "He's not back yet from his checkup."
"Nothing wrong, I hope?" Tim asked, looking between Jack and Lisa.
Jack shook his head, "He's perfect. He should be on the way. The nurse saw me coming down the hall and said he was all set, but when they'd finished with him, Lisa was still getting showered and changed. She said they'd bring him down."
"Bet that shower felt good," Amy grinned at her.
Lisa sighed loudly, "You have no idea just how much I needed that, but" she rolled her eyes, "it was also very humbling that I needed so much help to just do normal things. I am very much ready to start feeling better."
"What's his name?" Lou asked giddily, looking between the new parents. "We're dying to know."
Lisa pursed her lips and looked to Jack, tilting her head at him again. He put his hands up, "Girls, how about you just give us a minute."
"Grandpa," Amy rolled her eyes. She looked at him and looked at Lisa, "Wait, you didn't talk about a name, did you? That is so you, Grandpa, to just avoid it. You've had months to come up with a name."
"No, no," Lisa interjected and shook her head as all eyes turned toward her. "He has a name," she smiled brightly. "Blame me because I've just struggled so much thinking the worst, and," she paused and held back her tears, taking a deep breath, "just didn't want to get ahead of things." I told Jack that referring to him by his name before he was born would just make it that much harder if something had happened to him. It's been me, and I'm sorry about that. I know it sounds silly-"
"No," Lou interrupted, "not silly at all, Lisa, and the last few months have been really hard for you. We know."
"People in town seem to think you guys have some weird French name," Amy pointed between them. Jack and Lisa locked eyes, and they both burst out laughing. The three looked to them as they laughed, not understanding the joke.
Lisa shrugged, "We may have led a couple of people who annoy each of us to no end in that direction."
Jack was blunt about it, "Dan and Val think that and have been telling the entire town."
"Ahh," Amy smiled. "That makes sense. Leave it to Val."
"And Dan," Jack threw that name in quickly.
The nurse knocked and opened the door, and as she pushed the baby bassinet into the room, the girls started the "ooohhhing and ahhhing. Lisa just wanted to put eyes on him, and Tim, a huge grin on his face, walked over to Jack and threw his arm around him.
"He's real," Tim said, grinning like a fool at Jack. "That's my brother-in-law." Jack groaned loudly, with what sounded like a mutter of "ex," and they all laughed at that.
"Oh, he's here," Amy was heard saying in a rather high-pitched voice.
"Oh my goodness," Lou said, clutching her hands to her chest as the nurse put him over near Lisa's bedside. The nurse turned to Lisa.
"He's doing very well. We fed him for now. You can decide what you want to do."
"Formula is fine," she said with a gentle nod. "I'm more than okay with that."
"We will be back to check on him in a couple of hours," she told Lisa and looked to the group. "Enjoy your visit." She stepped around everyone to leave, and as soon as she stepped away from the bassinet, Amy stepped toward it, bending down slightly to get a better look at him.
"Oh, he's gorgeous!" Amy exclaimed, grinning at Lisa. "Can I hold him?"
"Ahh, Amy," Jack said moving slowly but toward Lisa, nodded to the chair, "of course you can hold him. Why don't you take the chair."
"Oh, wash your hands, Amy," Lou interjected. "We all should," Lou said pointing to Amy and Tim. Amy walked over to the sink, giving Jack a moment to step in and scoop up the sleeping blue bundle. He turned him around to Lisa again, and she ran her hand along the blanket, trying to ever so slightly touch him without waking him. She patted at his chest and smiled up at Jack. Amy moved back to the chair quickly, ready to receive the baby.
"Girls and Tim," Jack said, now with the baby to hand to Amy, "this is John Thomas Bartlett. John, this is your family and well," he smirked, looking to the group, "Tim."
"Ahh, I love it," Amy said.
"Jack and John," Tim grinned. "Perfect. John Thomas, JT," Tim said pointing to Jack. "I'm calling him JT. JT, my brother-in-law. See Jack," as he patted him on the back and flashed a huge grin, "I'm family too."
Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head at Tim, "He's name is John."
"Every kid needs the one family member who has a special nickname. He's JT," Tim grinned.
"Lisa," Lou asked, "who picked the name, not that Grandpa is objecting to John going right along with Jack." She looked at Jack, "He's like your little sidekick."
"Lisa picked the name," Jack said, and Lisa nodded.
"I did," she smiled. "I thought John was just right, and Thomas was my dad's name. Jack thought it was very fitting."
Jack, looking like a proud papa, tried not to blush and dropped his head, "I would have been okay with whatever Lisa liked, really."
"Well, hello, John," Amy said, grinning at him now balanced in her arms. "I guess you're my Uncle John." The group all chuckled at that, and Lou pulled out her phone to start taking pictures. "Lisa, he's so adorable," Amy said, smiling up at her. She pulled back his little hat and let out a small squeal, "Oh, guys, he has such soft blonde hair. Oh, he's so cute."
"Oh, Lisa," Lou remembered, "we brought you some food. I'm sorry we didn't mention it sooner. You must be starving."
Lisa thought about it and made a face, "I am, but I'm not. I guess I last ate-" she had to think.
"A little bit of chicken noodle soup yesterday morning," Jack said, gesturing to the food cooler bag Lou had brought with her. "Here, let's get you some nourishment. Here's some coffee," he told her, pulling out a to-go cup that was still hot, the group having gotten it across the street.
"Oh bless you all," Lisa sighed loudly. "I haven't had coffee in a very long time."
"Well, enjoy it," Lou smiled as she pulled out the food she'd brought. "We brought you some baked apples, a plain chicken breast, and some fruit salad. Does anything sound good?"
"Ahh," Lisa looked around surprised in a way to have people doting on her, "I'll try the apples. If that goes okay, I can move on from there."
"Great," Lou said and dug out everything needed for that. She brought it over and pulled the tray on wheels with it for Lisa.
"Thank you, Lou," Lisa told her. "I'll eat it soon."
"Okay, well, my turn, Amy," she looked to her sister and gestured for the baby. She looked back at Lisa, "Oh, Peter sends his love. He just got in this morning from his latest business trip and is home with Georgie and Katie. Georgie is dying to meet John. She'll be so happy to learn his name."
"I'll send her some pictures, Lou," Amy said as she handed John back to Jack and stood so that Lou could take the same spot. Lou got situated and gestured to Jack to hand her the baby. He did, and she just started grinning at him.
As soon as she had him in her arms, though, John started to wake up and fuss a little. He wasn't outright crying and seemed to want to go back to sleep, but right away, Lou laughed.
"Oh, Grandpa," he's making the same face you do when you get irritated. She started to snicker, and Amy who was standing right there, looked down at his face.
"Oh, he really is," Amy pointed and laughed, gesturing for Jack to look. "Grandpa you have to see this."
"I don't make a face when I'm agitated," Jack grumbled, rolling his eyes at the group.
"Lisa, what do you think?" As Lou asked that, she gingerly stood and turned so Lisa could see John's face. He was started to get more worked up with the movement, and Lisa covered her mouth and started to laugh. She smile as she looked over at Jack, "That is exactly the face you make. I can't believe something like that is something I see in both of you."
"What are you talking about?" Jack started to scowl as he walked over to the other side of Lisa's bed to look over her shoulder at Lou there with John. Even as he said that, he made the same face, and the ladies all started to laugh.
"Grandpa, that's the face," Amy laughed and covered her mouth. "I can't wait to tell Ty. He knows the face. Oh, he's in class," she told Lisa and shrugged. "He wants to stop by soon."
"I don't see anything," Jack gestured. "He's thinking about crying."
Lisa looked up at him and pursed her lips, "It's the same face. It's like looking at a mirror."
"I gotta see this," Tim finally chimed in and walked toward Lou. He pointed at John and laughed. "That's Jack right there. That face is definitely Jack."
Once the laughing quieted, Lou sat down with John again and looked to Lisa, "So, Lisa, how was it? I mean, we know it was pretty rough."
Lisa made a face and nodded, "It was. What was it, Jack, 10 hours or so without an epidural?"
"Yeah," he said, there still at the other side of the bed. He yawned and shook his head, "Sorry, didn't mean to yawn."
"Jack, sit down," Lisa gestured to the end of her bed where there was room by her feet. "You've been up for hours." He started to protest, but he was apparently tired enough and nodded as he sat and turned sideways to the group. Lisa looked back to Lou.
"The epidural was really great, but it definitely didn't take away all of the pain, and it's left me with a rash from the tape." She gestured to her her back and sighed. "I'd do it again even with the rash."
"Did your nurse get you something for that?" Jack asked, and she nodded that she had. Lisa looked back to the group.
"They had me pushing for almost two hours which was just exhausting. He just wasn't moving the way they wanted, but when he did, he came quickly," she told them.
"Grandpa, did you do okay with all that women stuff?" Amy asked and grinned. She looked to Lisa, "He complains about that at home if he hears Lou and I talking about anything."
"I did just fine, thank you very much," Jack nodded to his granddaughters. "I didn't pass out."
"No," Lisa looked up at him, but-"
"I didn't pass out!" Jack said a little too loudly, but quickly closed his mouth and eyes widened, realizing it could startle John. He looked to the group and gestured, "I got a little light-headed when they pulled out the needle for the epidural. It was longer than a pencil, and the idea of that in her back," he shuddered. "What was worse, though, was the amount of blood she lost, so there," he looked to the girls-"your woman stuff."
He squeezed Lisa's shoulder, and she reached to pat his hand, looking to the girls and Tim, "I'll spare you all of the specifics, but I started bleeding A LOT after when I shouldn't have been, and it was an emergency situation the doctor had to handle. So, there's that and a lot of stitches."
"Ouch," Lou said with a sympathetic smile. "Well, Lisa and Grandpa," Lou looked down at him, sleeping again, "he's really amazing."
"Lou, Dad, we should go and let Lisa rest," Amy nodded to them and gestured to Lisa.
"Oh, let me give him back to Lisa," Tim almost rushed to Lou sitting in the chair to do the handoff. Amy rolled her eyes at Jack. Lisa smiled, and Tim was grinning ear to ear as he picked him up. "Amy," he nodded to her, "make sure you get a picture." Tim just grinned as he looked at John. He turned and placed him gently in Lisa's arms, smiling at her, "He's amazing. Congratulations again."
"Thank you, Tim," Lisa said with a smile. She looked down at John and then to the group, "This is the first I've held him on my own."
"What?" Lou asked, horrified, looking to Jack. "Grandpa?"
Jack gestured with his hands, "I've helped her, but as she's been telling you, it's been a rough road, and she's already looking so much better."
Lisa looked up from just studying John's face, "Thank you for the food. Thank you for coming by, and thank you for insisting Jack eat."
"You need to eat now, too, Lisa," Amy said, giving Jack a hug and wrapping one arm around Lisa, "You feel better, and we will see you and John soon."
Lou and Tim said their goodbyes, and finally, the room was quiet again.
Jack, still sitting down by her feet, turned to now face her. He smiled watching her looking at John and cleared his voice, "Pretty great feeling holding him."
She looked up at him, misty-eyed and smiled, "Pretty great feeling."