Chapter 4
“Hi,
Jackie. How are you doing?”
Jackie
looked up into the familiar face of her obstetrician, Dr. Ellen Franks. “I’m okay,” she replied. “But I’m worried I might be having
contractions.”
“That’s
what your husband told me,” Dr. Franks replied.
“You’re very close to your due date, so it is very likely that you’re in
labor.” Jackie nodded. “Okay, just lie back for me, and I’m going
to do a sonogram.”
Jackie
obeyed, lying back on the table in the examining room she had been placed
in. Dr. Franks rubbed a cold
lubricating substance over her round stomach and started to run the sonogram.
The
doctor’s forehead creased as she studied the monitor on which the sonogram
showed. Suddenly, she smiled. “Yes, you’re in labor, Jackie,” she
announced.
Jackie
nodded, a smile crossing her face. “How
long do you think it will be?” she asked.
“Oh,
it’ll definitely be a few more hours,” Dr. Franks replied. “You’re not that far dilated yet.”
Jackie
nodded again.
“Would
you like me to go get your husband?” Dr. Franks asked. “He’s in your son’s room right now, I think.”
“Sure,
that would be great,” Jackie replied gratefully. “Thank you.”
“No
problem,” Dr. Franks replied kindly, and headed out of the room to find Harold.
***
“Oh,
honey, this is great news,” Harold cried a few minutes later, bending over to
hug Jackie.
“I
know,” Jackie replied, smiling proudly.
She could hardly believe that in just a few hours, she would give birth
to their third child.
She
and Harold weren’t sure what gender the baby would be yet. They had wanted to wait until it was born to
find out. Jackie knew she would love
the baby no matter what sex it was, but she was secretly hoping for a
girl. She loved both of her sons, but
she had always wanted a daughter as well.
“Brian,
sweetheart, come here,” Jackie said, beckoning to her youngest son, who stood
hidden behind his father.
Brian
hesitantly came forward and stood beside his mother. “Is the baby coming now?” he asked.
“Not
right now. But very soon,” Jackie
replied. “In just a few hours, you’re
going to have a little brother or sister.
You’ll be a big brother.”
Brian
smiled proudly. Throughout her
pregnancy, Jackie had spend much time with her youngest son, trying to get him
prepared for the new baby to come. At
first, he hadn’t seemed to like the idea of sharing his mother with yet another
sibling, but by now, she knew that he was liking the idea of being a big
brother and not the “baby” of the family anymore.
Just
then, a nurse came into the room. “Mrs.
Littrell?” she asked.
“Yes?”
Jackie asked.
“My
name is Jillian, and I’m going to take you up to the Maternity Floor now,” the
nurse replied.
“Okay,”
Jackie said.
The
nurse helped her off of the examining room and into a wheelchair. Harold took Brian’s hand, and the two of them
followed along as the nurse wheeled Jackie to her new room three floors above
in the Maternity Ward.
“Why
don’t you go back and check on Harry while I get settled in?” Jackie suggested
to her husband, after she was brought to the room.
“Well,
okay,” Harold said. “I’ll be back to see
you later, honey.”
“All
right,” Jackie said. “Tell Harry I love
him.”
“I
will,” Harold replied, kissing his wife on the cheek. “Come on, Bri.”
He
grabbed a hold of Brian’s hand and led him out of the room, pausing in the
doorway so Brian could call goodbye to his mother. Then they headed back down to Harry’s room.
***
As
Harold led Brian towards Harry’s room, he saw a white-coated female doctor
coming out of the room.
“Excuse
me, doctor?” Harold asked. “I’m Harold
Littrell, Harry’s father. Did you
examine him yet?”
“Yes,
I just did. Sorry it took so long, but
it’s been a busy day. Oh, by the way,
I’m Dr. Phillips,” the red-haired doctor replied hurriedly.
Harold
nodded in greeting. “So, how is he
doing?” he asked.
“Pretty
well,” Dr. Phillips replied. “He’ll
probably need to stay in the hospital a couple more days so we can administer
medications and observe him, but he’s going to be fine.”
“Oh,
that’s great,” Harold said in relief.
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re
welcome,” Dr. Phillips replied. “Now, if
you’ll excuse me-“
“Oh
sure. Thanks again,” Harold said,
nodding at her and leading Brian into Harry’s room. Harry was propped up in bed.
“Hi,
Dad,” he said, smiling weakly. “Hey,
Bri.”
“Hey. How ya doing, kiddo?” Harold asked, perching
on the side of his son’s bed.
Harry
shrugged. “I dunno. Where’s Mom at?”
“Well,
that’s what I came to talk to you about.
Guess what?” Harold asked.
“What?”
Harry asked.
“Mom’s
going to have the baby soon,” Harold announced.
“You’re gonna have another little brother or sister in a few hours.”
Harry
smiled.
“Me
too,” Brian declared proudly. “I get to
be a big brother too.’
“Yup,
you too,” Harold replied, ruffling his younger son’s blonde hair. “You’re going to make a great big brother.”
Brian
smiled, pleased. Harold returned his
smile and turned his attention back to his oldest son.
***
