Note: And with this, this long project has FINALLY reached it's end! A huge thank you to everyone who stuck by despite all the long delays. :)
Lake Leanne.
'How did your doctor's visit go? Everything okay?' Granger asked.
'Unfortunately, I have been diagnosed with something serious. Serious enough that will make my stomach huge, my feet will swell up, and I'll develop strange cravings.' Hetty responded in a serious voice.
Shocked. 'Well, well how long will it last?'
'9 months'.
Granger didn't know what to think.
'How, how can this be?! 9 months? How will we get by?' Then what she said started to process. 'Wait… 9 months, are we having a baby?!'
'Yes you big baby! I'm having a baby!'
'Waaahoooo!' Then he picked her up and swung her around a few times.
9 months later.
Hetty had given birth to her baby boy, who she named Callen. But the birth itself had not been so easy, and she was having trouble processing what had happened.
Concerned, Granger had gone to see his former bodyguard Luke for advice.
'I heard you're a father now, congrats!' Luke happily said.
'Yeah. That's why I came to see you. You've seen different types of PTSD, right? Well, does it also happen after giving birth?' Granger asked.
'I don't know what you mean?'
'Well, it's been a week now. And Hetty on occasion looked, pained. She had a difficult birth. A few days before giving birth, she started having problems and at 1 point, the doctor hinted that she could die while in labor. She and our baby made it through, but it was pretty intense! She doesn't really say much about it, but I can tell something is really bothering her, and I'm not sure what to do!'
'Here's my advice: Talk to her. She trusts you to understand her, so reach out to her.' Luke said.
'I'll try.'
The baby's room.
'Ohhh. Sleep well, my precious boy!' Hetty lovingly said as she laid baby Callen in his cradle.
A week had passed since the birth, and while the staying up half the night with him was a huge pain, she loved her beautiful baby boy with all her heart.
Though, a part of her brain couldn't stop thinking about how hard the delivery was. Every time her fingers felt the scar on her stomach, her memories flashed back to that urgent request:
'Miss, if we are to cut him out…
'I DON'T CARE! DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO SAVE MY CHILD!'
Her mind flashed back to reality when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.
'Hey. Can we please talk? I know something's been bothering you since the delivery. Can you tell me what it is so I can help?' Granger kindly asked.
Taking a deep sigh, Hetty led him to the couch.
'Sigh. The delivery wasn't going well, the midwife wanted to try other ways of getting Callen out, but I demanded that she cut him out because I could feel him struggling to come out! I knew that given my condition, an operation like that could've put me at greater risk, but I just wanted my baby out!' Hetty explained.
'Then, what's really bothering you?' Granger asked.
'I keep flashing back to how I was feeling during the whole ordeal. I was drugged up as well as the nurses could, but I could still feel how intense it all was! And, I keep thinking about how everything could've gone wrong! I don't even know why I'm thinking of any of that given that our baby is just fine!'
'Well, it may had been a tough delivery, but you made it through because you're so tough!'
'I could've died. I could've died and left you and, this incredible human being without his mom!' Hetty exclaimed.
'This is a bigger issue then I thought.' Granger mumbled. This usually so strong warrior queen of a woman being so shaken? That's where a warm hug comes in handy.
Soothingly. 'There there. Shhh. (drying her tears). You're okay. You're okay.'
'My mom was so sad after my dad died. Because she knew she'd have to be both a ruler of this kingdom and my mom. If, if I did that you and this baby…' Then she buried her face in his arm and kept on crying.
Rubbing her head. 'But you didn't die. You're still here, and we have a beautiful baby boy! That's something to be proud of.' Granger said, still trying to calm her down.
'Then why do I feel so guilty?!' Hetty tearfully asked.
'Maybe, maybe because you couldn't imagine not being around to see your son grow up? I was scared for you too! Losing both of you, would've killed me! But you know what helps me? Knowing that you're both here today! Maybe that could help you not to be so sad?'
Silence.
'I'll, consider that.' Hetty softly said.
'Good. Now then, want to go for a walk?' Granger asked.
After that, Hetty started seeing a therapist in private. And gradually, her guilt started to fade away.
And her baby boy grew up to be a wonderful man.
'We did good, didn't we?' Hetty asked.
'I believe so.' Granger replied.
