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Chapter 3
Tom was not happy with Christine being on board but once Dr. Scott realized that she was an registered nurse, he was convinced to let her stay with them as long as the kids stayed out of the way, Christine could help and they were civil to each other.
While Mike's quarters were much smaller than the mobile home; they would have to make due. Tom hadn't volunteered his At-Sea Cabin, so space would be on the short side. But, Christine didn't mind. They were together and Mike had settled them in his bedroom. He worked a lot while at sea and would sleep on the pull-out couch. It wasn't ideal.
Rachel was not the easiest person to get along with and Christine would have preferred to either be with her girls or in the sick bay. At present, there was not any patients other then Lieutenant Foster when she needed a pregnancy check-up, which Rachel was taking over, even though Christine was also a midwife. Christine was taking her vitals one day before Rachel came in and spoke up.
"Your blood pressure is a bit high. You feeling okay?" Christine asked the young woman.
"I suppose I am scared of the labor part of this. My mom didn't offer me much advice and things won't be normal." Lieutenant Foster said.
"Well, you may not get an epidural but there are natural ways of relieving the pain. And once you hold that baby, it'll be worth it anyways." Christine said.
"That's what Commander Garnett said too." Lieutenant Foster said.
"She's very wise. I went labor four times. Its always worth it." Christine said.
"Four?" Lieutenant Foster asked.
"We lost a baby. Stillbirth. Mike was deployed. Was kind of the beginning of our issues. A little girl. I named her Emma. It was hard. Very hard. I'm still legally a midwife, but I stopped delivering babies after that." Christine said.
"How long ago? What happened?" Lieutenant Foster asked.
"Cord wrapped around her neck. I was at my thirty-six week check up. Doctor didn't detect a heartbeat. She'd been gone three days. I didn't even notice she wasn't kicking. I was so busy with three kids and a job. It was about four years ago and I shouldn't be telling you this." Christine said.
"It must have been difficult to handle it on your own." Lieutenant Foster remarked.
"Lieutenant, it was but I shouldn't have said anything to you, in particular about my husband…or ex-husband. He is your commanding officer. And I shouldn't have said anything about what happened to the baby. With a blood pressure like yours, you don't need to be worried." Christine pointed out.
"You can call me Kara. You still care about him, don't you?" Kara asked.
"Well…divorces are funny. Sometimes, they make you realize what you actually had. But, I pressed for the divorce. Didn't want to be alone. So…your blood pressure. We need to figure out a way to bring it down naturally." Christine said.
"I do like yoga." Kara said.
"Good. That might help." Christine answered as Rachel came in and took over the visit after Christine relayed the vitals and her concerns. She was dismissed shortly after and went back to her quarters where Mike was trying to attend to the girls and sleep due to working the nightshift.
"How was work?" Mike asked.
"Good. Just had to take notes for Rachel and then do Lieutenant Foster's vitals before her check-up." Christine said.
"I'm hoping she is safely on land long before she's due." Mike remarked.
"Me too. So…have you slept?" Christine asked.
"Not a wink. I had to settle an argument about their hair brush earlier." Mike said.
"I should have packed two. How about I keep them out here and quiet and you go in and lay down? Try to get a few hours. I will take the girls down to the female officer's showers to use the bathroom so you can get some rest." Christine suggested.
"That sounds good." Mike answered. He was working about eighteen hours a day.
"Okay, we'll be quiet. What time do you need woke up?" Christine asked.
"Ten if Tom doesn't call first. There's a phone next to the bed. Thanks." Mike said. He walked into the bedroom and pretty soon, the girls came out.
"Alright; we have to stay quiet so your dad can rest. We have this puzzle and we can nap." Christine said.
"I hate this ship!" Katie said angrily.
"It is a safe place and its not permanent." Christine replied.
"I like it. I like being close to Daddy." Hannah said. She had missed Mike the most after the divorce, other then Lucas.
"He's going to leave us again. Just like he did after Emma died and he left us alone and Lucas died!" Katie said, not caring that her father was trying to sleep. Emma was a painful subject between Mike and Christine and one that rarely spoke about. Christine could talk about her to other people and even the girls, but no one brought her up in Mike's presence.
"Katie, enough. There was a lot more to it then you know but he never wanted the divorce and he missed you kids." Christine said.
"Not Emma though." Katie remarked. Christine hoped Mike was asleep already.
"He grieves for Emma in his own way." Christine answered.
"Or not at all." Katie answered, at least quietly. Christine just shook her head at her.
Mike had not had a healthy reaction to Emma's death. He had not wanted a fourth baby. He was not excited throughout the pregnancy and shipped out when Christine was six months along. She knew he would miss the birth. He got home in time to attend the funeral and complained about having to deplete their savings to pay for it. He shipped out a week later.
How detached he had been had hurt at the time, but Christine tricked herself into thinking he grieved for Emma on his own, just like he must have for Lucas. They had picked out Emma's headstone over emails, and Mike finally just told her to get the cheapest option, so she went with a gray stone with an angel statute. Mike had never even gone to the grave after the funeral, to her knowledge. Maybe, someday they could place a headstone next to Emma's for Lucas. She might bring it up sometime since they were getting along so well.