A few weeks passed.
I was 26 weeks pregnant. I was working like a dog and tired as hell.
The hospital never scheduled me on night shift, so I'd go home every evening and have a nice hot shower. I would fall asleep pretty quickly up until that 26th week. I would toss and turn like crazy. I just couldn't get comfortable.
Towards the end of the week, Jake noticed.
"Bridget? Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine."
"Can't sleep?"
"No. You try sleeping with a bouncing beach ball attached to your body."
He got out of bed.
"Jake-"
He lifted me up and carried me to a chair by our bed. He sat, holding my to his chest. He took a blanket from the arm of the chair and covered us up. He rubbed my back and kissed my head.
"Curl up. Relax. Close your eyes."
I did as he said, curling into him. I drifted almost immediately.
***
The next couple of days were rough. I was tired and aching. I just didn't feel well at all.
On the first day of the 27th week, I was at work. I was charting, writing about a patient I'd just helped Dr. Thomas with not an hour beforehand.
"Bridget, hey," Kelly smiled, coming up to me.
"Hi," I smiled.
"How are you?"
"I'm okay. Just got out of surgery and recovery, so I'm working on my patient's chart. You?"
"I've been working on our stomach cancer trial all morning. Our old Chief says hi, by the way."
"How is he doing?" I sighed, looking up at her.
"Okay. I mean, he doesn't look like it, but his levels are a little better." She handed me his chart.
I looked at it and nodded.
"He's optimistic, which is good."
I nodded.
The baby kicked. Hard.
I bit my lip.
"I think he's going to be okay."
Another hard kick.
I nodded and went around the nurses' station. I sat down and gripped my stomach.
"You okay?"
"Kicking."
"When did that start?"
"Maybe a couple weeks ago? It was just flutters, so I didn't think anything of it, really, and I didn't want anyone feeling it. I didn't want to jinx it."
"Did James freak?"
"He doesn't know. I haven't told him."
"He doesn't feel your stomach?"
"Not much. It freaks me out. I just-I want to be prepared for the worst."
She nodded.
A nurse came up to me. "Your patient is awake. I'm getting Dr. Thomas, too."
I nodded.
She walked off.
I stood.
A few minutes later, Dr. Thomas came up. He smiled, "Hey. Ready to check our patient?"
I nodded.
We went to the room.
Our patient was laying back. He looked tired and pale, but he wasn't dead and that was a miracle.
"Hello, Mr. Evans. Remember me? I'm Dr. Thomas."
He swallowed and hoarsely spoke, "Yeah, hey, Doc."
I got him a glass of water.
He slowly sat up and took a drink. He looked at me. "Thanks."
I nodded and put it on his little table. "How are you feeling, Mr. Evans?"
"Sore and tired."
"You probably will for a while. Your body has been through quite a bit today," Dr. Thomas spoke.
I felt another hard kick.
I flinched.
Dr. Thomas looked at me. "Dr. Hamilton, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I breathed. "Sorry. I-"
I felt another intense kick.
I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I need to sit down."
He nodded.
I left the room and sat at the nurses' station. I took a breath. I rubbed my stomach, trying to calm the baby down a bit. "Stop kicking me while I'm at work," I whispered.
It kicked again.
I groaned and put my head back.
"Bridget, are you okay?" Dr. Thomas asked.
"Kid thinks he's a soccer player," I groaned.
"It's a boy?"
I looked up, freezing. "Crap. I hadn't told anyone that."
"Really? Not even your husband?"
"He had to miss the last appointment for work and Dr. Hamilton was administering trial drugs, so I went alone. It slipped my mind, actually."
"What about the nursery? Don't you need a color?"
"Nope. We did it in neutral tones."
He nodded. "You should go home."
I nodded. I wasn't even going to fight him on it. I stood and sighed. "This is going to get worse, right?"
He nodded.
"Damn it."
He chuckled and rubbed my back. "I'll tell the Chief."
"Tell me what?" the Chief asked, coming over to us.
"Baby is being a soccer player and knocking Dr. Hamilton off her feet, nearly literally," Dr. Thomas explained.
The Chief looked at me. "You should go home. Dr. Thomas and Dr. Hamilton have your patients handled."
I nodded.
Diane met me at the front of the hospital.
We got in the car and left.
The drive home was short, which I was grateful for. I just wanted to put my feet up and lay down.
When we got to the house, we went in.
"Jake?" I called.
"Downstairs!" he shouted back.
I made my way downstairs.
He was at his desk, sitting with Hawk. They were doing something.
"Oh, I should leave you alone," I spoke. I went to turn around.
"Hey, wait. Why are you home?"
"The baby was bothering me and I couldn't work."
His eyes widened. "Did you go to Dr. Willis? Is everything okay? Why didn't you call me?"
"Jake, breathe. Everything is fine. He's just kicking up a storm today."
"Kicking? That's good," Hawk smiled.
"Not when he thinks he's a soccer player in the Fifa World Cup."
She smiled.
Jake looked at me with wider eyes. He smiled, "It's a boy?"
"Oh, yeah. It's a boy," I smiled.
He stood and came to me. He kissed me and lifted me into his arms. "We're having a boy."
"Yeah, I meant to tell you, but it slipped my mind."
"I can't blame you for forgetting. You haven't been sleeping. I don't know how you're working at all."
I shrugged. "I couldn't today. I was with a patient and had to leave the room. Dr. Thomas and the Chief were very understanding."
He nodded.
"Anyway, they sent me home, so I'm here. I figured I'd lay down for a bit."
"Think you can?"
I shrugged. "Extra pillows might do the trick."
He smiled and shook his head, "I can't believe we're having a boy."
"Hey, would you have any less reaction with a girl?"
He shook his head. "Nope."
I laughed and gave him a kiss. "Get back to work."
He reluctantly released me.
I went upstairs.
Diane met me on the main floor with a cup of tea.
I took it, thanked her, and went upstairs. I went to my room and undressed. I quickly showered and dried off. Then, I threw on a sweatpants and a shirt.
I went to the nursery and sat in the rocking chair. I covered with a blanket and sighed. I drifted.
***
I woke in bed. I turned over and noticed Jake was beside me, looking at his phone.
"How long have I been here?" I asked.
He looked up and looked at me. "Maybe an hour."
I nodded.
He put his phone down and turned to me.
"Were you working on something important when I came in?"
He shook his head. "Not really, just talking. How was your day?"
"Tiring."
His hand went to my hip. "Turn over and I'll rub your back."
I rose a brow.
"It has to be killing you."
I nodded and turned.
His hands rubbed and his thumbs dug.
I moaned.
"Haven't heard that for a while."
"Jake!" I laughed.
He kissed my neck.
The baby kicked me again and again.
I reached back and took one of his hands.
"What are you-"
I put it to my stomach where the baby was kicking.
"Whoa," Jake gasped. He tugged me closer into his embrace. He rubbed my stomach.
The baby kicked where his hand touched.
"Ouch. Jake, quit," I smiled, holding his hand still. "I think he likes you."
He chuckled and whispered, "Of course he does. I'm his daddy." I could tell he was smiling.
I smiled and turned to him.
He looked a little caught off guard. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
I shook my head.
He pulled his hand back. "I know you don't like me touching your stomach, so I'll stop. Thank you for letting me feel."
The baby stopped moving.
I touched it, but nothing changed. I began to freak out. I took Jake's hand and put it back on my stomach.
The baby kicked again.
I sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"He stopped and it scared me."
"Why? He must've stopped before."
"Not so abruptly. Tyler did that too."
Jake rubbed my stomach, receiving kick after kick. "Hey, he's okay."
I nodded.
He cupped my chin with his freehand and gave me a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you," I sighed.
He smiled against my lips. "Thank you."
"For what?"
He rubbed my stomach. "You're carrying our son and you're doing an amazing job. And you're working. You're doing so much."
"I don't really get a choice."
"Honey, you own a company. We have money. You don't have to be a surgeon. You don't have to cure cancer. But you want to. You do it despite our son kicking you like he's running the marathon of his life."
I smiled.
He gave me a kiss. "God, we're having a boy."
I shook my head and pulled him in a hug.
He chuckled and kissed my cheek. He wrapped his arms around me.
The baby kicked. Hard.
"Ouch. I felt that one," Jake laughed, pulling back and putting a hand to his stomach. He moved down the bed, so he was face to face with my stomach. He put a hand to it and whispered, "Quit kicking your mommy so hard. We need her in one piece, okay, little man?"
The kicking lightened up.
"Talking to him is good," I breathed.
"Have you talked to him?"
"Yeah, but he doesn't listen to me."
"Oh, now, that's not cool. Mommy has a nice voice. Was she talking science? Because then it's okay not to listen."
I tugged on his hair. "Hey! Don't tell him that. We want him to be smart and love all school subjects."
"Okay. Well, according to mommy, she wants you to get beat up in middle and high school, but I'll teach you how to kick some bully ass, okay?"
"Language!"
"He can't repeat what I say, yet," Jake chuckled.
I laughed.
The baby lightly kicked.
I thought a moment. "Jake?"
He looked up. "I was only kidding. I-"
"No, it's not that. Could we name him after our dads?"
"I never knew your dad's name."
"Jackson, after my grandfather."
He nodded.
"I was thinking Jackson Peter."
"Jackson Peter Hamilton," Jake spoke.
The baby kicked again.
Jake kissed my stomach and whispered, "Jack it is."
"Jack?"
He looked at me. "He needs a nickname."
I nodded.
"Let's keep the name a secret until after the birth," he spoke.
"You want to?" I asked, a little surprised.
He nodded. "I want Mom to be surprised."
I smiled, "Okay."
There was a knock on our door.
Jake moved up in the bed.
"Yeah?" I spoke.
Diane looked in. "Dr. Hamilton is here."
Jake went to get out of bed.
"She wants Dr. Hamilton."
I nodded. I looked at Jake. "Help?"
He lifted me out of bed.
I thanked him and followed Diane downstairs.
Kelly was in the living room. She jumped up when she saw me. "Hey, I was pulled into a surgery. Dr. Thomas said you went home. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, the baby was just kicking up a storm. I couldn't work."
She nodded. "Someone was excited today."
I put a hand to my stomach. "Yep and it drives me crazy."
He kicked again.
"Are you excited?"
I nodded.
"How's the nursery coming along?"
"Nearly finished," Jake smiled, walking in. He came to me. "Come, sit."
We sat on the couch by Kelly's chair. I sat closer to her.
"What's left to do?"
"Stocking it with diapers, wipes--that kind of thing. I also have a few nails to put in the wall, so we can hang a couple pictures," Jake smiled. He looked at me. "But things are nearly finished."
I nodded. "And I already got a doctor at the hospital to be a pediatrician, which puts my mind at ease."
She nodded. "Okay. I really want to start buying toys and clothes and everything. You have to tell me the gender. I'm dying."
I looked at Jake.
He looked at me. "Do you want people knowing? I mean, I just found out today."
"How long have you known, Britt?" Kelly asked.
"Maybe a week or so? Not long. I just kept forgetting to tell him, which is another reason he shouldn't miss an appointment."
"I'm sorry," Jake sighed. He smiled, "But I won't miss another. Promise."
Diane came in. "Do you need anything?"
I nodded. "My purse."
She nodded and walked off. She returned with it.
I thanked her and looked through it. I found the ultrasound and handed it to Jake.
He looked at it. He looked at me. "I can't call it an 'it.'"
"Fine. Tell her."
"He's so perfect. Look at him. He doesn't have a big head, though. Does that mean he's going to be dumb?"
"No, it means he's going to be normal."
He nodded.
"It's a boy?" Kelly smiled.
We nodded.
"Oh! How exciting! And I'm sure Mel still has some of Charlie's things."
"Mom, no. He's getting all new stuff."
"James, that's ridiculous. Mel has perfectly good clothes."
"Mom, I want to spoil him while he's little and doesn't know."
I smiled at Jake. "Really?"
He nodded. "I mean, we don't want a spoiled kid later on, but we can spoil him at first, right?"
I shrugged. "Spoil isn't a very good word."
"Whatever. I want him to have new things. That's all."
I nodded.
Kelly sighed and nodded.
Diane came in. "Bridget?"
I looked up.
"Dr. Thomas is on the phone."
I nodded.
She handed the phone to me.
I answered, "Hello?"
"Hey. How're you feeling?"
"Like I'm a punching bag. How's our patient?"
"He's doing well, stable. The nurses are watching him closely tonight."
"He should have a doctor watching him. I can come in. It's really not a problem."
"Bridget, you need to rest."
"I took a nap."
"Daddy!" his little girl screamed.
"How's your little one doing?"
"She's good. Wild."
I laughed, "I bet. I don't know what I would do if I had a girl."
"You never wanted a girl?"
"I've only ever been pregnant with boys, so I never really imagined it. Nick always called our baby a boy and Jake and I called this little one an 'it' ever since we knew I was pregnant, so it's not really come up."
"Girls are fun, aren't they, missy?"
"Yeah, we have tea parties," his little girl spoke.
"Sounds lovely," I smirked.
He spoke, "Hey, in a couple years, when your son has you rolling in mud trenches, I'm going to be laughing my butt off."
I laughed, "Mud trenches, huh?"
"His dad is a marine."
"I'm not a big fan of mud. Oh, which reminds me, what antibiotics do we have our patient on?"
We got talking about our patient.
When we were finished talking, I hung up and sighed.
Jake looked tired. "So much medical jargon."
"Sorry," I smiled.
Kelly smiled and shook her head.
Rosa came in. "La comida esta lista."
I looked at Jake.
"Dinner is ready."
I nodded.
We all stood and went to the dining room. We sat at the place settings. Kelly sat across from Jake and me. We ate quietly for a few minutes.
"So do you have any names picked out?" Kelly asked.
"We've not really talked about it yet," Jake spoke.
She nodded. "Have you gotten your hospital bag ready? You know, for after the birth?"
"It's a bit early," Jake spoke.
"It's really not though. Britt is almost 30 weeks pregnant. What? You're 27 weeks, right?"
I nodded.
"She could go into labor at any time within the next 13 weeks or so. It doesn't just happen on the 40th week."
"Mom, we know."
"Then, what are you waiting for?"
"I lost Tyler pretty late in the pregnancy. I took a plunge by letting Jake get the nursery ready. I just don't want to get all ready, then lose him," I softly spoke.
That ended the conversation.
That night when I was getting ready for bed, Jake came in. He crawled into bed beside me. He kissed my cheek.
He took a breath. "You okay?"
I nodded. "Just worried, you know."
He nodded.
"We're going to be okay. He's going to be okay. He's going to be healthy. He's got to be healthy, Jake. He-"
"Hey, he'll be perfect," he whispered, wrapping his arms around me. "I already love him so much."
"Me too."
"And I love you."
"I love you," I smiled.
"And that's all that matters."
I nodded.
"Now, close your eyes and try to get some rest," he whispered.
I closed my eyes and curled into his embrace. I took a couple deep breaths. I was out like a light.
***
That's how the next few months went. It was an insane time, but I tried to do everything by the book. I needed to make sure our baby didn't have four heads.
One day, a huge trauma came in as the night shift was ending.
My body was tired, but I was needed. I got right to work.
Dr. Hamilton and I were working on a man with a stomach and intestines that were badly torn up.
Towards the end of the surgery, I was feeling some fairly odd pains. I pushed through them.
When we were beginning to close, I looked at an intern. "Can you page Dr. Willis?"
"Yes. What should I tell her?" she asked.
A gush of water ran down my legs. I looked down, then back at the intern.
"Tell her my water broke."
"Oh, my God," Kelly spoke.
"I'm fine. It's probably false labor."
"You should go."
"We're closing now. I'm fine."
She nodded.
The intern left the room.
Kelly and I sutured and closed. Then, she came around to me.
I felt a sharp pain. "Ouch."
"Someone get her a chair," Kelly spoke.
Someone came in with a wheelchair.
I sat on it and moaned. "I think I need to call Jake."
"Okay. While you do that, I'll call Diane and have her get your bag from the car."
"It might be false labor."
"Then, we'll wait to hear what Dr. Willis says, but whether you're in actual labor or not, you're done with work for the day."
I nodded.
Kelly took me to scrub out.
Then, we went to labor and delivery, where Dr. Willis was waiting. She smiled at me. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay."
"Let's get you changed and checked out, okay?"
I nodded.
She took me to an empty room helped me change out of scrubs and into a hospital gown. Then, she helped me on a bed. She checked me. She nodded. "Yeah, you're definitely in labor. I'd say around a centimeter or two."
I nodded.
She put an IV in me and started administering fluids.
When she left the room, Diane came in with my bag. "Someone downstairs was talking about you going into labor. I got the bag."
I nodded. "I need my phone."
Kelly handed it to me.
I rang Jake. No answer. I rang Hawk. No answer. Finally, I rang the base.
When the person got done with their intro, they spoke, "What can I do for you today?"
"Where is Sgt. Major Hamilton?"
"He's in a meeting with a few commanders."
"I really need to speak with him."
"I can take a message."
"Oh, no. I don't have time for that. Get him on the phone."
A few minutes later, I heard Jake speak, "Bridget, I'm in a meeting. This needs to wait."
"It can't wait."
"Bridget, it has to. The commanders and I are working on very important missions and we can't do that while you're on conference call."
I took Kelly's hand as a huge contraction hit. I bit my lip.
Tired, I finally sighed, "Jake, if you want to miss the birth of your son, that's on you, but I need someone stronger than your mom here or I'll break her hand."
Kelly ran a hand over my hair.
"You're in labor?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, my water broke when we were in surgery."
Another pain hit.
"Ouch," I moaned, squeezing Kelly's hand.
"Breathe through it," Kelly spoke.
I nodded and did what she said.
"Jake, are you coming or not?" I sighed.
"I'm on my way."
When we got off the phone, I sat up a bit and took a breath. I knew birth was painful, but damn. It really took the wind out of me, coming at the most random times.
The Chief came in and smiled, "How are you feeling?"
"Okay, sir."
"Good. I updated your patient and his family. He's doing well."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I-"
"Dr. Hamilton, you went into labor. It's fine."
Dr. Willis came in. "Is your husband on his way?"
"He was in an important meeting, but I hope so."
She nodded.
"Dr. Willis, how's she looking?"
"She's about two centimeters right now with contractions growing gradually closer apart. I'd say she's right on schedule. We should have a baby by this evening."
"Wonderful."
She nodded.
He looked at me. "You will take the necessary time off, okay?"
I nodded. At that point, I didn't care. I just wanted my baby to be healthy and Jake to be there.
An hour and a half passed. I was four centimeters dilated.
He still hadn't showed.
Dr. Thomas came in. He gave me a soft smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired already."
He nodded.
I sighed. I looked at Kelly. "Where's Jake?"
"Try calling again."
I rang him. No answer. I rang the base again.
"Ma'am, he's still in his meeting."
"I need to speak with him again."
"Ma'am-"
"Put him on the phone now or I swear I'll-"
"Hang on."
A moment later, the voice spoke, "You're connected to the meeting, ma'am."
"Bridget?" Jake spoke.
"Oh, good. You're alive. Great. Listen, I'm having your baby in a very short time. I'm in pain and you're not here. I would like you to be here and in a few years when our son asks about this, I would like to not have to tell him that you put work ahead of him."
"Bridget-"
I felt a pain and gripped Dr. Thomas's hand. "Those get stronger, don't they?"
He nodded.
"Oh, damn." I cleared my throat. "Fine, Jake. I have your mom, the Chief, and Dr. Thomas to get me through this, but for a guy who wanted this kid so bad, you're really acting like you couldn't give a damn."
"Bridget-"
"Just be here to sign his birth certificate. That's all I ask."
Before he could answer, I hung up.
"You okay?" Dr. Thomas asked.
I nodded. "I can't believe he's going to miss this."
Kelly sighed.
I shook my head. "No, it's his choice. I just-Last time I did this, everything was so predictable. Nick-Nick was there and he never left my side, even after Tyler was born. He was there. I-I wasn't alone."
"You're not alone," Dr. Thomas spoke.
I looked at him.
"Dr. Hamilton and I are here for you, okay?"
"Don't you have surgery? Don't you have to go?"
He squeezed my hand. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? At least until the Sgt. Major comes."
I nodded.
Half an hour passed.
Dr. Willis came in and checked me. "Six centimeters. More than halfway there."
"Good," I sighed.
She left and returned with a cup of water. She handed it to me.
I took a sip.
Diane looked up. "Dr. Hamilton, your grandparents are en route."
I nodded.
There was a knock on the door.
When I saw it wasn't Jake, my heart sunk, but I was happy with who it was. My former chief.
He came over and smiled, "So we're going to have a baby?"
I nodded.
"Where's Sgt. Major?"
"Meeting. He's been there for over two hours."
He shook his head. "He's a fool for missing this." He looked at Dr. Thomas. "Chief Paul of Virginia East Medical Center."
"Dr. Thomas, trauma attending here at NIH. I'm her best friend."
They shook hands.
"She might as well be my daughter."
Dr. Thomas nodded.
The Chief looked at Kelly. "How are you, grandma?"
"Excited. I just wish my son would get here," she spoke.
He nodded.
"Has the treatment been going okay?" I asked.
He nodded. "Kelly here is good company."
I nodded.
Unbearable pain.
I rested back and put a hand to my forehead. I squeezed Dr. Thomas's hand.
A nurse came in. She took my vitals. "Are you the daddy?" she asked.
"No, just a friend," Dr. Thomas smiled.
She nodded and looked at me. "Can I get you anything?"
I shook my head.
She left the room.
"He's gonna be here, right?" I asked Kelly.
She nodded, but she looked worried.
"I appreciate the lie, but your face says otherwise."
"You know him.."
"If it has to do with the country's armed forces, it comes first. I get that. I respect that. This situation is different. It's his baby."
She nodded.
I sighed. "Kelly, maybe go round on our patients one more time."
"Bridget-"
"I'm fine. I have a while to wait."
She nodded and left the room, taking the Chief with her.
I sighed and looked at the ceiling. "If he misses this, I swear I'm gonna kill him."
Dr. Thomas ran a hand over my hair. "Hey, you're a strong, independent woman. If need be, you can do this without him."
"Were you at your daughter's birth?"
He nodded and smiled, "This is not my first rodeo."
"Mine neither, but the last one was induced and my baby was much tinier."
He nodded.
Every half an hour for the next two hours, Dr. Willis came in and checked me.
When I was fully dilated, she began getting her staff and the room ready.
"Is your husband coming?" she asked.
I looked at Kelly. "Any word?"
She shook her head.
I looked at Dr. Thomas.
"I'm pretty good with strength and pain, so don't hold back."
I nodded.
Dr. Willis got in position. "Okay. You know the drill."
I nodded.
Right as a contraction hit and we were about to begin, Jake came in. He was in full uniform.
"What?" I gasped. "Are you serious?"
"What?"
"James, why are you in uniform?" Kelly asked.
"Commanders came in."
"We know," I groaned as another contraction hit. I tried to breathe through it.
Dr. Thomas ran a hand over my head.
"James, come over here and take my place," Kelly spoke.
"Shouldn't I take his? He's not family."
"He's not leaving. He's been here all day," I hoarsely spoke.
Dr. Thomas gave me some water.
"Bridget, are you ready?" Dr. Willis asked as Jake got in position and Kelly took a step back.
He took my hand.
"I've been ready."
So the long, painful process began. A 6lb. baby weighed much more than a 2lb. baby.
When he was finally born and screaming, Jake was called over. Then, the baby was taken to get weighed, measured, and cleaned off.
I sighed.
Dr. Willis cleaned up and helped me put my legs down, which I greatly appreciated. "Congratulations, Dr. Hamilton."
"Thank you."
She left the room.
"How does he look?" I asked Dr. Thomas.
He looked over. "He looks good, strong and healthy."
"Oh, good," I sighed.
Jake looked at me. "You okay?"
I nodded and tried to sit up a bit, but my body was so sore.
Jake lifted me up a bit.
"Thanks."
He nodded.
A nurse handed our little boy over to me. He immediately snuggled up to me.
I rubbed his back. "Hey, little guy."
His eyes were open, staring up at me. He looked so cute, much bigger than Tyler. He looked healthy.
I looked up at Jake.
He was watching the baby.
I looked at Dr. Thomas. "Thank you."
"No problem. Congrats."
"Thanks."
He nodded and left the room.
Kelly came over. "Isn't he the cutest? He's so little."
"And he doesn't have three heads from radiation," I spoke.
She laughed.
I looked at Jake. "Say something."
He took his jacket off and put it on a chair, then he rolled his sleeves up. He ran a hand over the baby's head.
"Do you have a name, yet?" Kelly asked.
I looked at Jake and sighed.
"Jackson Peter," Jake spoke.
"Do you want to hold him?" I asked Jake.
He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.
I handed the baby to him.
He held him like he had Charlie, being even more careful.
"Jake, are you okay?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just taking it all in."
I nodded.
He gave our son his finger, who gripped it with his tiny hand. "He's really strong."
"Definitely your son," Kelly smiled.
"Hey, Jack," Jake whispered.
I looked at Kelly.
She smiled, "I should go call the family."
"Maybe wait. I-I think we can wait a bit. I'd really like to be home when they all come into town," I spoke.
"Okay. Then, we'll wait to tell them."
There was a knock on the door.
I looked up.
My grandparents stood there with flowers, balloons, and a bag. They came in and gently hugged me.
"How's the baby?" Nan asked.
"Strong and healthy."
"Where is he?" Granddad asked.
"Jake's got him." I looked at Jake.
"Give me a minute," he spoke, looking at Jack.
"What name did you decide?" Nan asked.
"Jackson Peter after his grandfathers. I think Dad and Peter would've really liked to see this."
"He would've been touched," Granddad spoke.
"He's kind of your namesake, too. I mean, you were the first Jackson."
He nodded.
"And in his last days, Peter told me he wished he could've seen our kids, so I think he would've appreciated this," I spoke, looking at Kelly.
She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, he would've been ecstatic."
"A great grand baby. I never thought I'd live to see the day," Nan told Granddad.
"That's thanks to Britt," he spoke.
She smiled at me. "Oh! We brought some things. Balloons, obviously. Flowers for you." She handed them to me. "And we brought a couple other gifts."
"Oh, thank you. You didn't have to do anything."
"It's not every day our granddaughter has a baby," Granddad spoke.
I smiled.
Kelly stepped over. "Okay. I have to get to our trial."
"Oh, Jake, let your mom hold him."
"Oh, not now. I won't be able to put him down," she smiled. "I'll send Chief Paul in after his treatment. He'll be excited to hear the news."
"Sounds like fun. You'll keep me updated on all of our patients?"
"Of course, but you won't be working."
"Melanie went back to work."
"Melanie wasn't a surgeon curing cancer," Jake spoke, not looking away from Jack.
"He speaks!" Kelly smiled. She looked at me. "He's right though."
I sighed, "I know. Maybe I'll do more book and Internet research."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll be back in a bit."
I nodded.
She left the room.
"Jake, share the baby," I smiled.
He sighed and kissed his head. He passed him back to me.
I looked at Nan. "Want to hold him?"
She took him from me.
Granddad looked over her shoulder. "He's precious."
I smiled.
Jake took my hand.
I looked at him.
His phone rang.
I released his hand and sighed.
He looked at his phone and answered, "Hey. I barely made it. Yeah. He's 6lbs. 2oz. He's a good mix between us, I think."
I shifted my weight. I was incredibly sore.
Jake noticed. "Hawk, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."
"Jake, you're not going into work tomorrow. We'll be discharged in the morning and-"
"Hawk just wants to come by and see him."
I nodded.
"I should see about getting you some pain medicine."
"I'm fine."
"You know, your mother wanted to have you at home. Your dad went crazy, wouldn't let her do it," Granddad spoke.
"Sounds like my crazy mother."
"She didn't use drugs either."
"I didn't."
"That doesn't surprise me, but you're tough. She was just a hippie," Granddad spoke.
I nodded.
Jake slipped out of the room.
I sighed.
Granddad took Jack.
"Jackson squared," I smirked.
He chuckled. Nan didn't get the joke.
Jake came in.
"Jake-"
His phone rang again.
I sighed.
He answered, "Hello? I'm not at base. No, I don't have anything in front of me. Lt, this is going to have to wait. Because I'm not working the rest of the day. Goodbye, Lt."
He hung up.
"He'll call again," I spoke, sighing.
Granddad passed Jack to me. "He'll calm you down."
I rubbed his back. I looked at him. "Hi, baby."
He curled into my chest and closed his eyes. He drifted.
A nurse came in. "I brought some pain medicine. It'll help with the pain you're feeling."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Lortab."
I shook my head. "I'd rather have Naprosyn. My pain isn't that bad and the less opioids I expose him to the better."
She looked a little surprised. "I can't authorize that."
"You can't even order it in. Tell Dr. Willis that I don't want to take that one and why. She'll understand."
She looked at me like I was crazy. "Oh, I see. Someone's been spending a bit too much time on the Internet."
The Chief came in.
"Ah! Someone that will listen to me! Chief, tell her I'm a surgeon and I don't need Google to know that Lortab is a higher class opioid than Naprosyn."
He looked at her. "She's curing cancer. She knows what she's talking about."
Her eyes widened.
"Tell you what, I'll take care of it. Just go do some charts," he told her.
She scampered out of the room.
He looked at me. "Worried about opioid exposure?"
"Someone that gets it."
He chuckled and shook his head. "I'll be right back."
A few minutes later, he came back with the right drug. He scanned my wristband.
"You take the baby and I'll take the pill."
"That's a good deal," he smiled.
We switched.
Jake got me my water.
I took the pill and looked at the Chief. "So what's going on in the hospital? Anything exciting?"
"Your former Chief's treatment is going well. He and Dr. Hamilton are chatting about you and the baby, which is what brought me up here."
Jake looked at me.
"No traumas?"
"Not today. And it's a good thing. Dr. Hamilton is doing trial drug administration and you're out having a baby. We can't really afford a big trauma."
"Well, knock on wood. Your day is almost over, but it isn't yet."
He nodded and looked at me. "You look good for someone who just had a baby."
"Thanks. I feel exhausted, so it's good I don't look like it."
He smiled and looked at Jack. "He's going to be one smart kid."
"I hope so."
There was a knock on the door.
I looked up.
Diane was there. She smiled, "I heard we have a bouncing baby boy."
Jake took my hand and smiled, "We do."
She smiled, "Oh, that's wonderful! I'll let Adam and Rosa know. Is there anyone you'd like me to call?"
"I don't think so. I can call Louis in a bit and we're waiting to tell the family."
"What about the hospital family down in Virginia?" she asked.
"Oh. Yeah, call them. They'll be ecstatic."
"Okay."
She stepped out of the room.
The Chief left a while later.
I sighed, "I should call Louis."
Jake nodded.
I got my phone and dialed his number.
Jake was holding Jack, rubbing his back and rocking him from side to side.
"Hello?" Louis answered.
"Hey, Louis. It's me."
I heard a shriek.
"Sorry. The baby's been a pain. She never sleeps. Oh, George got her. Thank you, honey."
"Tell Bridget hi for me. How's she doing? How's the baby?"
"I'm good and the baby just made his little entrance into the world and he's doing well."
"You had your baby?!" Lou gasped.
"I did."
"Oh, we need pictures! Is James good with him?"
"Appears to be. Jake doesn't seem to want to let him go."
Jake looked at me. "He's adorable."
"Stop saying cute words. It's weird," I smirked. "Big tough guy talking baby is weird."
He chuckled.
"We're so happy for you, doll. Are you going to come down here anytime soon?" Louis asked.
"Probably. I mean, I have a few weeks of maternity leave, so we'll probably be down to see Jake's family."
"Okay. Well, call me. We'll be here."
"Okay."
"Talk to you soon, dear."
"Bye, Lou."
I hung up and looked at Jake. "This warm fuzzy feeling you have right now? Keep it and hold on to it for the next few months, okay?"
He smirked and nodded.
"Are you worried about the baby causing PTSD?" Granddad asked.
I hadn't thought about it. I put a hand to my mouth. "Oh, God."
"No, I'll be fine," Jake spoke.
"You've hurt Bridget before," Nan spoke.
There was a knock on the door.
I looked up.
Drew and Aunt Becky stood at the door.
I looked at Jake.
"Guys, what are you doing here?" Jake asked.
"We came to see you guys. The whole family is here," Drew smiled. "Is that my nephew?"
"Yeah, guys, we appreciate you coming in, but Britt and the baby need their rest. It's been a long day."
"We just want to see him," Aunt Becky spoke.
Jack started whimpering.
I looked at Jake.
He looked down at Jack and tapped his back. He rubbed his back. "It's okay, buddy."
Jack continued to whimper.
Jake passed him to me and kissed my head. "I'll go talk to the family. You okay here?"
I nodded.
Jake escorted them out.
Nan and Granddad looked at me.
Granddad spoke, "We're going to go. We'll be in town for a few days, so don't hesitate to call, okay?"
I nodded. "Thanks for coming."
"Sure thing, sweetie," Nan smiled.
They carefully hugged me and left.
Jack and I were left alone.
After a couple minutes, he calmed down. He opened his eyes and looked at me. He blinked.
A nurse came in. "Hi, dear. How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. Thanks."
She nodded. "Is he hungry yet?"
I shrugged. "He's been whimpering, but he seems okay."
She came over. "You can try and feed him, if you like."
Boy, was that a weird experience. When neither of us appeared to like the situation, we stopped.
"Want to try formula? We have some at the nurses' station."
I nodded.
"I'll be right back." She left.
"Well, buddy, failed effort. I could've had the good drugs."
He looked at me.
I rubbed his back.
The nurse came back and handed me a tiny bottle.
I offered it to him, which he gladly accepted. I sighed. "Good."
She smiled, "Can I get you anything?"
I shook my head. "No, thank you."
She nodded and stepped out.
I looked at him. "I wonder how long your daddy is going to take."
Jake came in right on cue. He smiled, "Oh, good. He's eating. I thought you wanted to breastfeed."
"He wasn't having it and oddly enough, neither was my body. Anyway, this works too."
He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at me.
"What did the family say?"
"They're waiting until we take him to the nursery. Then, they'll see him through the glass and go to their hotel. They'll come over to the house tomorrow."
I nodded.
Jack whimpered.
I took the bottle away and gently burped him.
"When do you think you'll be discharged?"
"Hopefully tonight. I don't know. I'm waiting on Dr. Willis or the Chief to come by."
He nodded.
"Are you happy?" I asked.
"Over the moon," he smiled. He reached over and adjusted Jack's blanket around him. He looked at me. "I love you."
"I love you," I smiled.
He gave me a kiss and sighed, pulling back. He kissed Jack's head and put a hand on my knee. "Are you happy?"
I nodded. "He's healthy."
"Yeah, he is. He's got a momma who's been taking great care of him these past few months."
I smiled.
A nurse came in with an incubator. "Okay, baby and mommy need time to rest."
I sighed and looked at Jack. "Okay." I kissed his head and passed him to Jake.
He kissed his head and took him to incubator.
The nurse wheeled him out of the room.
Jake looked at me. He pulled a chair up to the side of my bed and sat, taking my hand. "You should sleep. This'll probably be the only night of sleep you'll be getting in months."
I nodded.
He kissed my hand and rested his head on my thighs.
I sighed and closed my eyes, resting back in my pillows. I drifted.
***
The next morning, I woke early and fed Jack.
As I was feeding him, Dr. Willis came in. "Hey, Dr. Hamilton. Mind if I check you?"
I handed Jack and the bottle to Jake, who began feeding him.
Dr. Willis did a quick exam. Then, she took my vitals. "Feeling okay?"
"Feeling great."
She smiled, "Okay, then I need Sgt. Major to sign a couple discharge papers and we can get you out of here."
"Great," I smiled.
She took my IV out.
I took Jack and burped him while Jake signed papers.
When she left, Jake put Jack in his incubator and got my bag. He helped me change into a a bra, fresh panties, and a white dress. He gave me a kiss and helped me put on my flats.
The pediatrician, Dr. Lewis, came in. "Jack looks good. Dad needs to sign discharge papers and he's good to go."
He signed the papers.
Dr. Lewis gave us a crap ton of papers. "These are his documents, including his birth certificate."
"Great. Thank you so much."
He nodded and stepped out.
A nurse came in and helped me into a wheelchair.
Jake put Jack into his carrier and buckled him up. He covered him in a blanket and lifted his carrier off the bed. He smiled, "Ready?"
I nodded.
The nurse wheeled me outside.
Adam was parked out front. He got out and helped Jake with the carrier.
Diane hopped out of the car and helped me into the car.
They got in too, then we went home.
Jack was between me and Jake, looking between us. His eyes rested on me.
I rubbed his tummy and put a pacifier in his mouth.
Jake ran a hand over his head.
Jack looked at Jake, who made a face at him.
Jack dropped his pacifier, looking at Jake in wonder.
Jake laughed and looked at me. "He's so curious."
I nodded. "It's a good thing. Don't worry, he won't remember your silly faces."
He chuckled and took my hand.
Jack kicked his legs and let out a shriek.
Jake looked down at him. "Easy, buddy." He put the pacifier back in his mouth.
I smiled.
When we got home, we went inside.
"Welcome home, buddy," Jake smiled.
Jack's eyes wandered around the room. His pacifier fell from his mouth.
"¡Adios mio!" Ross smiled, running over to us.
I got Jack from the carrier.
He gripped my shirt.
"Jack, this is Rosa. Rosa, this is our Jack," I smiled, handing her over to him.
She rocked him. She looked at me, then at Jake. "Niño precioso."
"Gracias," Jake smiled. He looked extremely proud.
"¿Quieres desayuno?" she asked.
Jake looked at me. "You hungry?"
I shrugged. "I haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday, so I'm game. Will you eat with me?"
He nodded. He responded to Rosa.
She handed Jack to me and went to the kitchen.
Jake looked at me. "Do you want to go take a shower? I'll watch Jack."
"You sure?"
He nodded and took Jack. "C'mon, Jack. I'll give you a tour of the house while mommy showers."
Jack looked at me.
I gave him a kiss. I tapped his nose, earning a huge grin. I smiled at him, then at Jake.
He gave me a kiss. "Go shower."
I ran upstairs and quickly stripped. I jumped in the shower and cleaned off. I shampooed and rinsed my hair. I was conditioning my hair when I heard a loud cry. I immediately sped up even more. Then, I got out of the shower.
Jake was coming in, holding a hysterical Jack. "Britt, he's not happy."
"He probably needs his diaper changed."
"I checked. He's clean."
I reached for him.
"Honey, you're soaked."
I quickly wrapped in a towel and took Jack from Jake. After a couple minutes, he calmed down. He drifted to sleep.
I looked at Jake.
He sighed. "Momma's boy."
I shrugged. "He's been close to me for months. Just give him time."
He nodded.
"I'll hold him for a bit. Maybe that'll keep him relaxed."
"You need to get dressed."
I sighed and left the restroom.
He followed me. "Let me help."
"Jake-"
He got in my dresser and turned to me. He knelt down.
Leg by leg, I stepped into a pair of panties.
He lifted them on me. Then, he went to our closet and got me a short sleeve button down dress. He got me a strapless bra. "Baby out."
I held the baby out.
Jake strapped my bra on me and helped me into it. Then, he slipped the dress on me and buttoned it up.
I smiled. "Nice."
He stepped behind me.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
A comb went through my hair. He did it a few times, then he tied my hair in a bun. He kissed my cheek. "All set."
"How did you-"
"You learn a lot overseas."
I turned to him. "What does that mean?"
"It's conversation for another day, my love."
I nodded.
"Let's go downstairs."
I nodded.
We went downstairs.
I put Jack in his swing and turned it on low level. I covered him up and put his pacifier in his mouth. Then, I went to the kitchen.
Jake was sitting at the bar. He smiled at me.
I sat beside him.
He passed me a cup of coffee.
I took a drink and sighed, "So good."
He smiled.
Rosa served us Spanish omelette. It looked amazing and it smelled fantastic.
Right as I was a was about to take a bite, Jack started crying.
I sighed, "So it begins."
"I can get him," Jake spoke.
"It's fine. I've got him." I jumped up and went to the living room. I picked Jack up and rocked him until he stopped crying. Then, I took him into the kitchen.
Jake looked at me. He looked at Jack. "Baby, you couldn't have given your mommy five minutes?"
Jack blinked and looked at me.
"Do you want me to eat your nose? I could."
He scrunched his nose up.
Jake cut my omelette and picked up a piece. He put it out to me.
I ate it and smiled, "Thank you."
He nodded and continued to feed me until there was nothing left on the plate.
I sighed and sat back. "I need a nap."
He smiled.
Rosa smiled and took our plates. She began washing them.
I thanked her and took Jack upstairs. I went to our room and laid down. I held Jack to my chest and sighed.
He sighed, too, and curled into my chest, gripping my shirt.
"Oh, baby. You tired? Momma's tired too."
Jake came in. He looked at me. "Hey. Got room for one more?"
I nodded.
He laid beside me and put a hand to Jack's back. He kissed my cheek.
I looked at him.
He sighed, "It's been a wonderful couple days."
I nodded. I rubbed Jack's back and looked to the ceiling.
"Hey, Britt?"
"Yeah?"
"You know, I work a lot. I've always worked. While I've worked, I've seen terrible things. I've seen the worst the world has to offer."
"Jake..."
"Let me finish. Bridget, I have seen scary things, awful things. Those things will haunt me forever--so much so that it killed me a bit. The war has taken my life from me without taking my physical life, if that makes sense. . . but the moment I met you, my life changed forever. I found a reason to love my life again. I've been able to rediscover love and that's been the most bittersweet experience."
I looked at him.
"I had a lot of time to think these past few weeks. I've thought a lot about us. I love you, Bridget. So much. Meeting you, marrying you, having this baby with you, sharing my life with you--it's truly like winning the lottery. Once you said that I gamble all the time, because being a soldier was like playing the lottery, taking risks."
I nodded.
"Well, I took a risk with you. It's like winning the lottery. It's everything I could have ever dreamt of and more and I can't thank you enough for giving me my life back."
I could feel tears sting my eyes. I wiped them away.
Jack had drifted.
I carefully moved closer to Jake, in his embrace. I gave him a kiss and pulled back.
As we laid there, I thought about what Jake had said. He was right about everything. Our life was everything and it was the biggest risk we ever had to take. We had no idea what the future held and maybe our luck would run out, but we won the lottery once and we were going to cherish it. After all, winning the lottery is a once in a lifetime experience; who were we to waste it?