Chapter 3
Jackie’s
husband, Harold, arrived at the hospital a half an hour later.
“How’s
my boy?” he asked, striding into the room and giving Harry’s shoulder a light
squeeze.
Harry
just shrugged. Harold could see that his
eyelids were drooping, signaling that he was getting sleepy.
“Harry,
Daddy and I need to go talk out in the hall for a few minutes. We’ll be right back, okay?” Jackie asked.
Harry
nodded groggily.
“Stay
there, Brian,” Jackie said to her youngest son, who was curled up in the chair,
still watching TV.
“Okay,”
Brian said.
With
that, Jackie and Harold walked out into the hall.
“So,
how is he?” Harold asked once they were there.
Jackie
shrugged. “No one’s been in to see him
yet,” she said. “A nurse put in the IV
to give him antibiotics, but that’s it.”
“Oh,”
Harold said, his brow furrowing.
“Someone better get in here soon.”
“They
will. But you know how hospitals
are. Everything takes forever,” Jackie
reminded him.
Harold
nodded.
They
started to head back into the room, when Jackie stopped suddenly. A painful expression crossed her face
briefly.
“What’s
wrong?” Harold asked, concerned.
“Just
a pain in my stomach all of a sudden,” Jackie said, looking perplexed.
Harold’s
eyes widened, immediately glancing at Jackie’s swollen stomach. “Do you think-“
“No…
well, I don’t know. It’s gone now
though. Don’t worry about it,” she
said, shrugging.
Harold
didn’t look appeased. “Well, do you
think someone should check you out?
Doesn’t your OB work at this hospital?”
“Yes,
Dr. Franks works here, but I don’t know if she’s on right now. It doesn’t matter though; I’m sure it’s
nothing,” Jackie replied.
“Well…
okay. Tell me if it happens again
though,” Harold said.
“I
will, honey,” Jackie agreed, smiling at her husband. He was so protective of her. “Come on, let’s go back in with the boys.”
He
nodded, and they walked back into the room to find that Harry had drifted off
to sleep. Brian was grown bored with
the TV and was fidgeting restlessly in his seat.
He
looked up when his parents came back into the room. “I’m still hungry, Mommy,” he said, looking
at her with hopeful eyes.
She
smiled. “Okay, sweetie, let’s go get you
some dinner.” She turned to Harold. “Do you want something too, or-“
“No,
I’m fine. You guys go ahead, and I’ll
stay here in case Harry wakes up,” Harold replied.
“Okay,
honey. We’ll be back pretty soon,”
Jackie said, taking Brian’s hand. She
led him out of the room and down the hall towards the elevators.
***
An
hour later, Jackie and Brian were back in Harry’s hospital room, along with
Harold.
Jackie
winced as another pain shot through her stomach. It was similar to the one she had had
earlier, but much stronger.
“Jackie?”
Harold asked, hearing the small gasp that escaped his wife’s lips.
The
pain lasted longer than the other, and it still pulsed through her stomach like
fire. She squeezed her eyes shut and
prayed it would go away.
When
it finally did, she sunk back in her chair, heaving a sigh of relief.
“Mom?”
Harry asked weakly from his bed.
“It…
it’s okay,” Jackie said, tentatively.
“Another
stomach cramp?” Harold asked, concerned.
She nodded. His brow raised. “You’re not going into labor… are you?”
“I’m
not sure… it could be that though,” Jackie said.
“I’m
going to go find someone to check you out.
I’ll be right back, honey,” Harold said, standing up and hurrying out of
the room before Jackie had time to protest.
***
