Chapter 68

 

“Push, Elyssa, push!” AJ yelled, repeating the instructions Dr. Hart had given moments earlier.  “You’re almost done; just push!”

 

AJ’s whole body trembled in anxiety.  He knew that in just a matter of seconds, he would have a baby son or daughter. 

 

“I can’t do this,” Elyssa wailed.  “It hurts!”

 

“I know, Elyssa, I know, but you have to keep pushing.  You’re almost done,” Dr. Hart coached in a soothing voice.  “The head is out.  Just give me one more big push, and that should do it.”

 

“Come on, Lyss, you can do it.  Take a deep breath and push,” AJ urged eagerly.  Elyssa nodded, gasping, and gripping AJ’s hand with a strength he never knew she had in her, she gave one final push.

 

As Elyssa’s hoarse screaming died down, a loud baby’s cry cut through the room, dissolving the anxiety that had been in the atmosphere. 

 

“You did it, Lyssa,” AJ cried, swelling with pride.  “You did it.”

 

“Congratulations.  You two have a healthy baby girl,” Dr. Hart announced, placing a snuggly pink bundle into Elyssa’s arms.

 

“Aw, AJ, a little girl,” Elyssa whispered tearfully, gazing down in pride at her new daughter.   She was such a tiny, pink, wrinkly little thing, and yet she was the most beautiful baby Elyssa had ever seen. 

 

“Hey, baby,” AJ cooed as his daughter.  “You see your Mommy?  Yup, that’s her right there.  That’s your Mommy.  And I’m your Daddy.”

 

Elyssa grinned as AJ rambled on to the baby.   She was unable to take her eyes off her daughter. 

 

The room soon emptied, as Dr. Hart and her assistants left the room to give AJ and Elyssa some time alone with the baby.   Once they had left, a silence descended over the room.  

 

After a few minutes, Elyssa murmured, “This is harder than I thought it would be.”

 

“What is?  Labor?” AJ asked.

 

Elyssa shook her head.  “No.  Just holding her, and looking at her, and knowing I’m not going to be around to raise her.”

 

AJ stared at Elyssa in shock.  Swallowing hard he asked, “What do you mean?  Of course you’re going to be around to raise her.”

 

Elyssa smiled tearfully and shook her head.  “I’m dying, AJ.  It’s not going to be too much longer, and-“

 

“Don’t say that!” AJ cried sharply.  The baby suddenly began to cry, but he ignored her, and went on.  “Now that the baby’s born, you’re going to get a bone marrow transplant, and you’ll be cured.”

 

“Honey, I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.  The leukemia is too far along.  I’m going to die.”

 

AJ’s eyes filled with tears, and he began to cry silently, along with his baby daughter.   He kept shaking his head, denying what she said, but he couldn’t help but wonder, what if it were true? 

 

***

 

The group in the waiting room looked up eagerly as an exhausted AJ staggered into the room.   They stared at him in shock as they saw tearstains on his face.   He had been crying.

 

The six of them exchanged worried glances, afraid to ask why he had been crying.   They prepared themselves for the worst, as AJ cleared his throat and began to speak.

 

“I have a baby daughter,” he announced, smiling.  “Alexis Marie.  Six pounds, ten ounces.”

 

The room erupted in smiles and cheers, as everyone hopped up to congratulate AJ. 

 

“How’s Elyssa doing?” Ashalyn asked suddenly, and the room silenced. 

 

“She’s doing fine,” AJ replied, nodding with false confidence.   If any of the others noticed, they did not say anything.   “She’s exhausted though, and Dr. Hart wants her to get some sleep before she can have visitors.  They took Alexis down to the nursery, but they said they’d bring her back later.”

 

“Well, maybe we should come back later and see them both then,” Ashalyn said.

 

AJ smiled in silent thanks at Ashalyn.  He loved his friends, but he wanted to be alone right then.   Ashalyn seemed to understand that. 

 

“Yeah, that would probably be best,” he said, nodding.  “It’s late.  Why don’t you all come back tomorrow, when Lyss is all rested up.”

 

They nodded and said there goodbyes to AJ.  He thanked them all for being there and watched as they herded out of the room.   Then he wandered slowly back down the hall to Elyssa’s room.

 

***

 

 

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