In the delivery room, everything was not going as planned. Shari was struggling to breathe and seemed to be in a lot more pain then when she had delivered Davey. It had been several hours and at first everything had gone fine, Shari was doing her breathing exercises from that Lamaze class they had taken and everything was going great when suddenly the troubles had begun. Once she was fully dilated the first baby hadn't wanted to come out into the world, but had arrived—feet first. They had had trouble delivering the rest of her because she was positioned wrong—she should have come out head first, that and she was slightly crooked. The doctor had had to use forceps to straighten her before she would come out the rest of the way.
Marcus for his part hadn't stopped praying for a second since things had began to go wrong. Shari felt her pain ease a little as Marcus continued to pray and it allowed her to give one final push with all her strength when the doctor ordered her to. Finally, Marcus heard a cry of a newborn and looked up.
"It's a girl!" the doctor announced. And at the moment Marcus and Shari's new daughter was screaming up a storm.
He was at her side in an instant wiping her brow and just letting her know he was there. Shari gripped his hand with surprising strength and pushed again when the doctor ordered. Soon a second cry split the air and Marcus looked up to see the doctors wrapping both babies in blankets one in pink the other in blue.
"It's a boy," said the doctor. The boy wasn't doing much of anything after that first cry except moving weakly and Marcus's heart gave a lurch afraid his son wasn't going to live for more than a few hours.
"Is he okay?" asked Marcus trying to sound calm, but he feared he came out sounding rather frantic instead.
"He's weak," the doctor said calmly. "He is after all a month early."
"Will he live?" Shari asked the Doctor weakly the worry in her voice obvious even as weak as she sounded.
"I can't say for certain. He'll need at least a few days in an incubator and almost constant attention over the next week, but we'll do our best." The doctor handed him to a nurse who headed out of the room and to take him to the nursery level and an incubator. "Medical technology today can do some astounding things and keeping a premature baby alive is sometimes one of them. Despite being a month early both of them are healthy and well formed. I wouldn't worry too much. The incubator is just a precaution," said the doctor trying to sound reassuring.
Just as the doctor finished speaking Shari suddenly let out a groan and started to push again. The doctor and several nurses rushed to her side. "What are you doing you could start internal bleeding like; that." The nurses had already delivered both placentas moments before. The doctor felt her stomach while Marcus gripped her hand and prayed, harder than he had ever prayed in his entire life.
"Doctor, look I see another head crowning," said one of the nurses looking at Shari's birth canal.
A few minutes later a third cry split the air as strong, if not stronger then the first. This particular baby didn't seem to appreciate the fact that it had been pushed out into the world and that it had had to leave its cozy womb behind.
"Well what do you know triplets," said one of the nurses in wonder.
"What I want to know is why this third baby didn't show up when we did that ultrasound a few months ago," one of the nurses said piqued.
"She was probably hidden behind her two siblings. Ultrasound can only tell so much after all," said the doctor, calmly glaring at the nurse whose attitude was so sour. "You did the right thing by pushing down like that," the doctor told Shari. "It was just nature's way of telling you that you had another baby in your womb."
Shari nodded weakly and Marcus wiped her brow to try to get rid of the dried sweat. He had never felt so relieved that another baby was all it was and not something more serious. If he lost Shari he didn't know what he would do. Shari as well and the other O'Malleys were his life—it was that simple and yet somehow profound. He had invested over twenty years of his life in looking after his somewhat untraditional family and he had enjoyed every moment. There had been hardships, especially in the early year's right after the orphanage, but they had succeeded in holding together and the bond between them had become so deep between the seven of them—now six he thought sadly, that almost nothing could break it. A few years ago Jennifer's death had very nearly done it, but they had managed to stay as close as a family should be with the help of God. Marcus made sure Shari was okay before he left to inform the family of what had transpired.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
More hours later than anybody liked to count, Marcus finally entered the waiting room. His whole family was there. Including Tom Peterson, Adam and Sara.
"Well?" asked Quinn spotting him first. Lisa was half asleep leaning against his shoulder and looked about as contented as anyone could get. Marcus was glad to see her happy it made his heart warm.
"Shari's fine, although weak and extremely tired," said Marcus.
Beth and Josh seemed relieved at that and Beth asked, "And my grandbabies?"
"It turned out to be triplets," Marcus finally said, "Two girls and a boy."
While everyone else was exclaiming in wonder Marcus paused and Kate who knew him better than almost anyone felt herself stiffen. "There's something you're not saying," Kate said her eyes narrowing as she tried to figure out what her brother wasn't saying.
Everybody stopped talking at that and looked at him expectantly. "Thanks a lot Kate," Marcus said without heat behind his words. "You couldn't have given me time to check into a few things first?"
"Quit stalling Marcus," Jack ordered for once all joking aside. "And out with it."
Finally, Marcus nodded, sighed and, gave in. He ran a hand through his already messed up hair and said, "The boy is weak, barely crying at all and is going to be spending the next few days in an incubator being fed nutrients. They were a month early after all. The doctor had assured me that he should be okay, that he has more than an even chance of survival."
"Would you like me to check with the doctor and see if I can get him to let me take a look at the medical charts?" asked Tom, speaking for the first time.
Marcus was worried, Tom thought. He loved his family and it had nearly killed him when his wife Jennifer had passed away and the rest of the family as well. They might not be related by blood but that made no difference. They were as close as most families with the same blood—closer even. They felt free to meddle in each other's lives and to be there if they were needed. To laugh and care and in Jack's case make jokes and still be loved. Part of it was they had a shared history together starting at Trevor House in Chicago and the other part probably was the fact they had had no one else and the only way to stave off the loneliness was with each other. Now the bond was so deep that very few things could break it.
"It would be appreciated if you would Tom," Marcus said, interrupting his thoughts. "The doctor's name is Connor O'Leary. Not that I don't trust the doctor, but I would like a second opinion from someone in the family. "
Tom knew he was being paid a high compliment indeed for Marcus to trust him enough to give him an honest and straight answer. After all, he didn't have over twenty years of shared history with the O'Malleys. The only link he had to the family was that he had been married to Jennifer the youngest of the O'Malleys. It was a high compliment to be trusted like that for none of the O'Malleys trusted easily. Them being orphans almost guaranteed that.
Tom got up and headed to the door. "I'll be back," he promised then was gone.
"Can we go up to the nursery to see them?" asked Mikkel quietly, having woken up as soon as he heard Marcus's voice. Davey had been transferred a few hours ago to Beth's lap and finally to Josh's. He was glad his legs needed a break and Davey was no lightweight.
"I don't see why not," said Marcus.
"We'll go with him," Beth offered. "I want to see my new grandbabies. Come along Mikkel."
As soon as they were gone all the O'Malleys pounded him with questions, "Is he going to be okay? How Shari really doing?" and on it went
"Hold it," said Marcus, "One question at a time please. To answer the first question, I don't know except what the doctor told me about my son. We'll have to wait for Tom to get back. And as to Shari she's fine and was sleeping when I left. It was a hard delivery, but she came through it like a trooper."
All the O'Malleys relaxed as soon as Marcus finished speaking, but the tension about the boy O'Malley was still there and would be until they knew for certain whether he was going to be okay or not. If he died it would tear all the O'Malley's to pieces, but especially Marcus and Shari for he was their son.
"Why don't you come sit down?" suggested Sara gently coming to his side. "You're tired." It was a statement of fact not a question.
"I am tired," said Marcus, letting himself be led to a seat beside her and Adam.
"And no wonder," said Adam, speaking for the first time. "You've had a rough night."
"No rougher than most," Marcus said with a sigh.
"You need to relax and sit back, for a few minutes," Dave told him.
Marcus started to protest, but Quinn interrupted, "At least until Tom gets back with some news."
"You've been taking care of us for more than twenty years it's time we returned the favor," Rachel added, and her tone brooked no argument.
"We don't need you to collapse on us from sheer exhaustion," Lisa added with laughter in her voice.
Marcus saw the others nodding in agreement and he sighed and made a face that was half a grimace, half a smile. "All right, all right I give in. I know better than to argue when all of you are behind it." There was laughter in his voice as he spoke.
"Hey, we're just trying to take care of you the way you've taken care of us over the years," said Stephen chuckling. "So you'll just have to stand a little smothering."
Kate grinned at Marcus's expression, but didn't say anything. It was unusual to see her brother so flustered.
Asher watched all this byplay with amusement but didn't say anything. They were close, he noticed. They joked and teased and didn't get offended when one of them said something that other people would have considered rude or at least impolite. That they had managed to remain this close, even after the orphanage and for more than two decades was amazing enough—but for them to remain close even through tragedy—the death of Jennifer could have torn them apart, but they had rallied and remained close as a family, even though her death had left a deep scar within the family. You could see it every time her name was mentioned how sad they were that she was no longer among them. But they were still a family that was there for each other and that was all that mattered—at least to them
Before anything else could be said Tom returned, "Well?" asked Marcus raising an eyebrow in a question.
"The doctor was more than willing to show me the charts once I told him I was a doctor and that I was also part of the O'Malley family. I think he kind of suspected that you had sent me," said Tom with a chuckle trying to lighten the mood a little. "The charts tell me that Doctor O'Leary thinks the baby is going to be just fine."
"You checked him out yourself?" asked Marcus.
"Of course," said Tom calmly. "I did my own examination of him and it is exactly as the doctor described. A little weak, but they were a month early, but a week or two in an incubator being force fed through tubes and he should be healthy enough to come home."
Marcus relaxed and the tension seemed to drain out of him, "Thanks Tom, that's exactly what I wanted to hear."
"You're welcome," Tom offered. "Besides, Jen left me a letter asking me to look after all of you—medically that is. She knew that it was going to be hard on all of you to lose her. I could never deny Jen anything and she knew it, so I'm happy to do my part."
"On you to Tom," Kate pointed out. "At least we had twenty years to know her—for her to be a part of our family, but you...you had what a couple of year's tops? Only six months of that married."
Tom nodded feeling somewhat sad. "Yeah, well, I'll see her again someday and that's all that matters. You all want to go up to the nursery and see the O'Malley triplets?" he asked changing the subject.
"Yes," came in a chorus and Tom chuckled. You had to love this family. They were so enthusiastic and as a group could be a bit overwhelming to people who had never met them.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
A few minutes later, all of them were standing outside the nursery window looking around for the O'Malley triplets. Mikkel, Beth and Josh were not there. They had probably just gone for some coffee and a snack.
"There on the back row," said Cole finally pointing to two adorable little girls. The boy wasn't with them because the incubator was probably in another room. A nurse came out and pushed the two cribs they were looking out forward. "So what are you going to name them?" asked Lisa, looking over at her brother
"Well Shari and I discussed it and of course, there were suggestions from all of you." Marcus looked over at over at Jack and continued, "Despite what you think Jack, joker is not a name. I'm not Batman nor is there any villains waiting for me to defeat them."
"Jack you didn't actually make such a suggestion did you?" Cassie reprimanded him slapping his arm playfully.
"I was joking," Jack protested. "And it got a laugh out of you didn't it?" Jack looked at his brother and Marcus just smiled, but didn't respond.
"Anyway, we discussed it and it was decided that if it was two girls they would be Rashel Alicia and Elisa Gwynna."
"And the boy?" asked Meghan.
"Ryan Sean," Marcus responded.
"I, for one, like the names," said Cole, his arm around Rachel's shoulders. "Rae didn't mention did she, that we're expecting our first child sometime in the fall."
All the O'Malleys looked at her with hurt expressions and Rachel blushed with embarrassment. "Cole!" said Rachel, swatting his arm.
"All right Rae—give," Lisa demanded.
"I haven't had a chance to tell you. I just found out a few days ago."
"I've talked to you at least once in the last couple of days and you didn't mention it?" Marcus questioned. "Keeping secrets, especially from the family, isn't good for you Rachel—especially secrets that are practically dying to be told."
"I was going to tell you," Rachel protested.
"When?" asked Kate. "When you had gained so much weight we couldn't help but notice?" Kate sounded hurt and that hurt Rachel as well.
"No, I was planning on telling you once things quieted down. I needed a few days to absorb the news—to get used to the idea that life for me was changing."
"I'm happy for you Rae," Marcus said finally, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "But next time don't hold it inside for so long."
"I won't," Rachel's promised. "The first ones are always the toughest, basically, because it takes awhile to get used to the idea that you're going to be a parent."
"You've been a parent to a lot of kids," Lisa pointed out.
"It's different when it's your own," said Rachel. "Kids I work with I can send home again. I can be a friend, a confidante, but I don't have charge of them for more than a few hours or a few days at most. Don't get me wrong I love "my kids" their my friends and they call me when they have a problem, but they aren't 'mine.'" The way she emphasized my kids and mine; it was obvious what she meant.
The others nodded in understanding and benched the discussion for awhile.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
It was June several months after the birth of the triplets and Marcus and Shari both doted on them. The boy Ryan had to be fed every few hours in order for him to gain some strength, but it was amazing how much strength he had already gained to where he was a lot stronger then when he'd been born.
Mikkel to doted on them and could often be found rocking them back to sleep, when Shari or Marcus were busy. Marcus and Shari both observed this with quiet pleasure for it showed that Mikkel loved kids and was willing to take care of them. It also showed that he thought of all four of the younger children as brothers and sisters, because he was always feeding them and playing with them.
They both decided then and there that it was time to propose adoption and both hoped Mikkel would want to be adopted. They had already done most of the paperwork, but they still had to tell Mikkel. They couldn't do it without his consent it wouldn't be right without asking him first. The word had already gone down the O'Malley grapevine and the rest had agreed not to let word get back to Mikkel, but to plan for a big Fourth of July picnic to welcome him to the family. They celebrated Fourth of July every year, but this year was going to be special—they hoped.
"You wanted to see me?" asked Mikkel, quietly coming into the den. He had wondered on his way down here what he had done wrong for Marcus had refused to tell him what he and Shari wanted to see him about.
"Come sit down," Shari suggested gently. "And quit looking as if you're going to your own execution."
Mikkel looked up then sat down without a word or even a smile and waited for the hammer to fall. He was sure they were going to tell him that he was going to an orphanage and that they didn't want him after all.
"Mikkel," said Shari gently. "Look at us."
Great now they want me to look in their eyes when they tell me the bad news, Mikkel thought. Mikkel looked up and waited for one or the other to continue.
"Mikkel, you do realize that you've become like a son to us over the last nine months," Marcus began. "And we would like to make you a permanent part of our family."
"Why?" asked Mikkel sounding astonished. He had expected to be given the door. He had convinced himself that they considered his brother to dangerous and that they would boot him out in order to protect their family. Instead, they were offering to adopt him and make him a permanent part of their family. Mikkel wasn't only stunned he was flabbergasted.
"We've already put it in motion, but you have to agree before we take the final steps," said Shari.
"I would like that a lot," Mikkel admitted, "But my brother—he will want revenge."
"He's in prison," Shari pointed out.
"But not for life. Once he gets out I have no doubt that he will track me down and try to kill me. I wouldn't want him to come after you or your family."
"You let us worry about that," said Marcus gently. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Mikkel finally gave in, because despite the danger he knew might be coming his way—and thus their way he couldn't force himself to say no. He liked the O'Malley family a lot and it felt nice to be needed and wanted to have a place that wasn't in some alley or in a building that was abandoned and should have been torn down years ago. It felt great to have a family.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
