And love
Chap 62 Recovery
Recovery room – Jamie's bed
A male staff member and an older nurse come trotting. The nurse speaks, "What's the problem, sir?"
The man puts a hand on Jamie's leg.
Jamie tenses but doesn't really react.
"My wife, Eddie Reagan, is probably here in Labor & Delivery. I'm sure she came by now. She is pregnant with our twin boys. Please find out what her status is. Please?"
"I will call for you." She turns and heads to the central nurse's desk.
Jamie looks to Anna, "See how easy that was? Live and learn." He smirks.
Anna frowns and turns to do some charting.
After 5 minutes the older nurse returns. "Mr. Reagan, congratulations! You and Eddie now have twin boys! She had a c-section and is recovering nicely. Patrick Henry is with her; your 2nd son is in our NICU-
Jamie tenses, "Why?"
"He had some breathing trouble at first. He is now stable, and is not expected to stay in the NICU for long. Tomorrow, if you are stable, you probably can be taken to see Eddie and Patrick. Again, congratulations!"
"Thank you so much." He sighs. Then offers a prayer of thanks. His family of 7 is complete; more than he and Eddie planned. But they will love them all.
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Surgical floor, next day
Henry Reagan has agreed to carotid artery surgery this afternoon. He has been admitted, and is comfortably ensconced in a private room on the surgical floor. Danny is sitting at his bedside.
Frank Reagan walks in. "Pops, Danny, what happened? Sorry I wasn't here last evening, I felt that I was needed by Jamie, Eddie and the twins. I was confident that Daniel had you covered, Pops"
"I understand. Well, Francis, I had a TIA. Whatever that is."
Both gents look to Danny. He tells the story: 1st, what Pops remembers; 2nd, what Paula saw and found on examination; 3rd, the recommended angiogram and results.
"You agreed to surgery, dad?" Frank wants to be sure.
"Yes, Daniel and I discussed it and asked our questions. It seems to be the right thing to do."
"Daniel?"
"Yes, dad. The neurologist and neurosurgeon explained everything, Pops and I agreed. Do you have questions, dad?"
"If the two of you are comfortable with the plan, then I'm ok with it. What time is the surgery?"
"We've been told, any time after 2PM."
"Ok, I'm going to check on Eddie and the boys, and then Jamie. I have my cell phone with me."
"Got it," Danny understands.
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SURGICAL FLOOR
Jamie has had a clear liquid breakfast; then an LPN checked his incision and changed the dressing. She helped him take a sponge bath at the bedside, then put on a fresh, clean gown.
When Frank came in, he was resting in a recliner.
"Hello, son, it's good to see you up in a chair!" Frank approaches and lightly squeezes a shoulder. "Did you sleep well?"
"Oh, off and on. I just had 2 oxy, so my pain is pretty well controlled right now. Did you see Pops?" (Jamie had heard a touch of what happened to Henry)
"Yes, Danny is with him. Pops is having carotid artery surgery this afternoon." They pause-
The two men hear a chorus of giggles, gradually getting louder. They turn and look to the door and see a wheelchair come into view. Seated in the W/C is a beaming Eddie Reagan. In her arms is a small, blue bundle.
She is pushed by Cassandra, and accompanied by Malina and Mary Rose. The giggles spiral out-of-control!
"CONGRATULATIONS DADDY. HERE IS PATRICK HENRY REAGAN," mother and daughters shout!
Eddie holds the baby out to grandpa; "Will you take him to Jamie, please?" Grandpa does, taking his time so he can get a good look at his newest grandson.
Jamie takes the bundle of joy carefully. A tear or two trickle down his cheeks. He motions for Cassie to push Eddie close to his good side. She does, Eddie and Jamie lean as close as they can get. They embrace, kiss and exchange 1-4-3!
"Have you seen our other boy?" Jamie asks his wife.
"Yes, we just stopped by the NICU. A nurse brought him to the window so we could see him. Everyone is asking for his name!"
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
"I know. Do you have one?" Jamie asks.
"I have 2 ideas," she looks around. "Grandpa, could you take the crew for a walk, please?"
Frank grins, "Of course. Kids, I saw a vending machine down the hall."
Malina plants her hands on her hips. "Don't think for a minute that we don't know what you're doing!" She marches off after grandpa Frank anyways.
After they've gone, Eddie speaks up. "We covered your family with twin #1. I have a cousin in the old country named Aleksander; I like the anglicized spelling better. What about Alexander Jonathon? He could be Alex . . . or AJ?"
"Hm . . . I like AJ, a lot." He smiles.
"Yeah?"
"Yup." They kiss again, until they are interrupted.
Frank clears his throat.
"We have a name,' Eddie announces.
"Alexander Jonathon, or AJ!" Jamie adds.
The girls look at each other – they all nod.
"They like it," Eddie whispers to her husband.
Jamie nods and smiles.
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EDDIE'S ROOM ON THE OB FLOOR
Eddie, Patrick and his sisters are back in mother's room. He is getting fussy. "Time for a fresh, new diaper. Who would like to try a diaper change?" Eddie asks with raised eyebrows. The girls look at each other; none of them have ever done this. Cassie takes the plunge, "I'll do it."
Mom places Patrick on the changing table which each post-partum room has. She walks Cassie through the process.
"That doesn't look so hard," Mary Rose whispers to Mal. Malina isn't so sure; she frowns, 'There must be a catch' she thinks.
After Pat is cleaned, dressed and settles down it is time for his next feeding. His first few feedings have been formula given in the nursery. Eddie gets comfortable in the rocking chair. She has his sisters sit and watch (might as well take the mystery out of this right up front). She positions her son, then opens her gown. As her nipple brushes his lips, he reacts instinctively. He latches on and starts to suckle. The girls are astonished!
"That is beautiful!" Cassie exclaims.
Mary Rose isn't so sure. "Have you done this before, mommy?" Mom seemed really ok with this.
"I fed you like this," she looks at her youngest daughter.
"NO WAY!"
"Way," Eddie smirks.
"I remember that," Mal nods.
"You do not!" Mary Rose shakes her head.
"Do too!"
"Girls, quiet please. Let your brother eat his lunch," Eddie cautions. They settle down and watch.
'Will I ever get to do that?' Cassie wonders. She hopes so, she sees the look of LOVE on her mother's face. She yearns to have that experience with her own child.
After Patrick is sated, having only gotten milk from the right breast he is passed to Cassie for burping. He spits up a little onto the cloth on her shoulder; then given to Mal for a while.
Eddie gets up and gathers supplies for her next task. She sits back down in the rocker, positions herself and starts to pump her left breast.
"Eww! Why are you doing that?" Mary Rose asks.
"This is mommy's milk for AJ in the nursery."
"Can't you feed him in there?"
"Not while he is in the NICU. We don't expect him to be there a long time; if he was going to be, we would arrange that. As it is, we expect to take him home in just a few days."
"How long?"
"We hope about a week, sweetie," Eddie tells the girls.
After she is done a nurse comes and takes the milk to the NICU.
In just a few minutes aunt Erin stops by. "Hi girls, you ready to go home with me?"
"No, do we have to?" The unanimous answer.
"Yes, mommy needs to rest. We will be back for supper. I'll let you decide what you bring your mother for supper.
(Erin is the only adult Reagan available to see to their care right now. Jamie, Eddie and Henry were hospitalized. Frank was providing multi-task support and keeping tabs on 1PP)
Erin and the girls said good-bye and were on their way. A nurse took Patrick back to the nursery, Eddie settled down for a nap. Sweet dreams mother.
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SURGERY WAITING ROOM
Frank and Danny were waiting while Henry undergoes carotid artery surgery.
"Can you believe all that's happened in the last few days, dad?"
"You know what they say?" Frank posits.
"Threes?" Danny muses.
"Yup. So, I hope our lives will settle down now," Frank sighs.
"Family of Henry Reagan?" A doctor in green scrubs announces.
Frank and Danny rise and approach.
"I'm doctor Cox, Henry's vascular surgeon. His surgery has gone very well. My assistant is losing up and Henry will be sent to recovery shortly. We removed some residual clot at the site of the narrowing, used a balloon catheter to open up the artery, then closed the blood vessel. He will probably be in the hospital for 2-3 days, then be discharged. Do you have any questions?"
"He doesn't need a rehab stay?" Frank wonders.
"Not unless he has some residual neurologic deficits post-op. We will know the answer to that within 24-48 hours. Anything else?"
"No, sir. Thank you."
The surgeon leaves, Frank and Danny take their seats.
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JAMIE'S ROOM
After her nap, Eddie is taken in a W/C to visit her husband.
"Hi love!" She greets him with a thrown kiss.
"Hey to you too. How are you feeling, babe?"
"Good, sore, relieved. You?" She sighs
"Pretty much the same. And the boys?"
"Patrick is great! The girls are fascinated by breast feeding. Mary Rose is a kick; she can't believe that she was fed that way! Mal remembers though. And I get the feeling that Cassie is thinking about being a mommy herself."
"Whoa, slow down, please!" He winces.
"Oh, don't you worry, daddy. She just has that wistful look in her eyes. Like she can see herself doing this when the time comes."
"Sometime after age 30!"
"Dream on, hon. We 'll talk more later. Any idea how long you will be in the hospital?"
"My surgeon passes the buck to physical therapy after 3 days. It depends on my ability to care for myself, and how much help I'll have at home."
"Any questions as to why we have those 3 daughters?" Eddie asks.
"None. I'm thanking God daily for them." Jamie asserts.
"Same here. Just imagine me post c-section; you post shoulder surgery; and newborn twin boys."
"Ugh. The family would help, though." He opines.
"And who would you want to move in with us, sport?"
"Ah . . . well . . .-
"That's what I thought. Same answer here. I love your, our entire family. But moving in? Sorry, no. Come to visit. Help when we ask. Etc." Eddie nods.
"Agree. So, when will you be discharged?"
"Casey says day after tomorrow – Patrick and me. AJ will probably be in the NICU for 7-10 days. Casey is thinking about which pediatrician to recommend for him. There are 2 she has in mind."
"Has she told you anything about either of them?"
"Not yet. What if when she sees me tomorrow, we come here to your room and talk things over?"
"Yes, I like that."
They do just that, and decide.
The next day Eddie and Patrick go home.
Three days later Jamie joins them. He has his right arm in a sling, otherwise he is unencumbered.
Henry goes home to Bay Ridge a day later. Erin has agreed to stay with Frank and Pops until GG is up to speed.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDS
TWINS TIMELINE
Due date = November 2.
October 12 = 37 weeks!
C-section scheduled October 14.
October 7 Jamie shot; Eddie premature labor emergency c-section.
Boys b-day October 7!
October was a triple header for birthdays: Cassie, Malina and Mary Rose. They had accepted their parents' suggestion of 1 large birthday party. Now there were 5! With Patrick Henry & Alexander Jonathon joining the party. What to do?
UPSTAIRS BEDROOM (GIRLS)
"We don't have a birthday party set up!" Mal states the obvious.
"Well, there was so much going on," Mary Rose shakes her head.
"Yeah. Dad got shot, mom went into labor too early and GG almost stroked out!" Cassie summed up the disaster zone. "At least we girls escaped trouble."
"Why didn't they just let mom deliver our brothers?" Mary Rose wonders.
"Something was in the way, I heard." Cassie inputs.
"Yeah, a placenta," Mal adds.
"What?" Mary Rose frowns.
"The thingy that feeds the babies while they are inside mommy," Mal announces.
"Oh, but what about our birthday party?" Mary Rose presses.
"I've got an idea." Cassie raises her hand.
"Are you in school, sis?" Mal's elbow bumps Cass.
"Shut up, what about a welcome home party for our brothers?" Cassie puts out there.
They look at each other, thinking.
"I like it," Mal agrees. Mary Rose rocks her head, thinking. Eventually she nods in assent, "Ok, I'll go with that. How do we do this?"
"Talk with mom and dad," Cassie says.
They scamper down the stairs.
THE PARTY HAPPENS.
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A/N: I have advocated on FB for more loving, supportive, harmonious family life. I think BB wasted much time and talent (Will Estes & Vanessa Ray) by slavishly pounding on the POLICE PROCEDURAL model. And little else – ok a family dinner scene, largely argumentative. I salute skyross19 for the recently concluded story "Blue Bloods Family Ties" which showed what might be; yes they are police officers.
SO, read on. Jamie & Eddie's strong limb of the family tree carries on!