Memorial Hospital
Southland, California
October 1, 2004
"Jack, really. I’m fine," Rose told him as they walked into the admitting area of the maternity ward. "I’m just having a baby. It’s perfectly natural."
"Rose, just...humor me. It’s perfectly natural for you to have a baby, and it’s perfectly natural for me to worry about you."
Rose cast him a sideways glance, grinning. "Yes, dear." She echoed his words from earlier that evening.
Jack glared at her. Rose giggled—a sound that ended in a moan as another contraction knifed through her. For a moment, it seemed as though her body was trying to rip apart.
"Come on." Jack helped her over to the admission window, where the nurse quickly looked up Rose’s information and confirmed that she had already filled out her paperwork. Within minutes, Rose had been admitted and her obstetrician called.
Jack tried to follow as Rose was seated in a wheelchair and pushed into the elevator, but the nurse assisting her shooed him back.
"You can join her in a few minutes, Mr. Dawson, once she’s ready." She pushed the wheelchair into the elevator.
A look of panic suddenly crossed Rose’s face. "Jack..." She reached out and gripped his hand, holding on for dear life. "Come with me."
"I’ll be there in a few minutes, Rose. I promise." He bent down and whispered in her ear. "You’re going to be fine." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"Hurry, Jack. No matter what anyone says, I want you there with me the whole time. This is our first baby..."
"I’ll be there as soon as I can. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Now, go on up and let the nurse get you ready. As soon as they say it’s all right, I’ll be there with you."
"I know." Rose’s eyes softened. "I love you, Jack." She let go of his hand, turning to look at him as the elevator doors closed.
*****
In minutes, Rose was wheeled into a room in the maternity ward. She endured another contraction, then stripped off her clothes and put on the loose, encompassing hospital gown. She looked at it with distaste as she put it on, then shrugged. Childbirth wasn’t an attractive process—she had once watched an animal at the zoo give birth—and it didn’t matter what the hospital gown looked like. No one looked good giving birth.
Once Rose was lying down, a sheet over her, the nurse adjusted the bed so that she was half-sitting up, a position that made giving birth easier. As the nurse checked her over, she looked at Rose and shook her head.
"You look awfully young for this. I’ve seen far too many teenage girls have babies."
"I’m not a teenager," Rose responded, a little offended. "I’m twenty. Besides, I’m better off than most of those girls. I’ve got a good husband. We’ve been married almost a year." She closed her eyes as another pain lanced through her.
"Did you plan to have this baby?"
Rose gave her an icy look. "Nature planned it. Now, if you don’t have anything better to do than ask questions that are none of your business, why don’t you go find my husband and tell him where I am?"
The nurse sighed and nodded. "I’ll go get him." She left the room quickly, leaving Rose alone.
Rose immediately felt bad about her rudeness. True, the woman had been asking questions that were none of her business, but she hadn’t been doing it to upset her. Rose had seen the genuine concern in the nurse’s eyes, eyes that had seen far too many babies born to girls who weren’t ready for them. The difference was, she was ready for motherhood.
*****
Jack came into the room a short time later. He had washed up and dressed in scrubs as Rose’s doctor had ordered, covering himself up to avoid contamination of mother and child. Rose was clutching the sheet, panting against another contraction, when he came in, but a moment later she looked at him and smiled.
"You’re here." She reached for his hand.
"I told you I wouldn’t miss this for anything." Jack crouched down beside her, his eyes twinkling. "How are you doing?"
"I’m okay, I guess. I just hope this doesn’t take too long."
Rose’s doctor came in then, the same obstetrician that had been Helga’s doctor. "Let’s see how you’re doing," she told Rose, pulling away the sheet and examining her.
"You’ve got a ways to go yet," she said, pulling the sheet back down. "Probably another few hours."
Rose groaned in misery. "Why does it take so long?" she complained, pushing herself up on her elbows and looking at the doctor.
"This is your first baby. They tend to take a long time. Besides, it takes time for the body to be ready to give birth. It’ll happen eventually."
"Eventually." Rose lay back, sighing. "I can hardly wait. No more swollen belly, no more labor pains—just a brand new baby."
Jack looked at Rose as the doctor walked out, promising to return soon. Rose turned her head, looking him in the eye.
"This is all your fault," she told him, suddenly irate.
"All my fault? I don’t think so."
"You seduced me."
"You said yes."
"That’s not the point."
"Then what is?"
"It’s still your fault."
"How so?"
"It just is."
"As I recall, you were the one saying ‘yes, yes, yes’."
"Only because I wanted to."
"You’re not making any sense."
"Don’t argue me, Jack. You’re confusing me." She closed her eyes as another contraction began, clenching her teeth against the pain. Suddenly, she clutched his hand tighter and brought it toward her, almost sinking her teeth into it before he jerked it away.
"Rose!"
Rose relaxed at last, opening her eyes and looking at him. Her expression held a hint of humor now. "Don’t confuse me with logic, Jack. And never argue with a woman in labor."
"Whatever you say, Rose."
Rose snapped her teeth at him again.
*****
It wasn’t until 3:30 in the morning that the doctor told Rose that she was ready to push. For hours, Rose had been struggling with ever more powerful and frequent contractions, later struggling not to push before she was ready to give birth. Pushing too soon would cause swelling and prolong the birth.
The doctor had offered Rose an epidural painkiller, but she had refused it, wanting to bring her baby into the world without drugs. It was painful and she squeezed Jack’s hand until he winced, but she was determined to have a natural birth.
At last, she was ready to give birth. Jack stood beside her, brushing the hair from her face. The doctor and a nurse stood at the end of the bed, waiting for the birth.
Rose cried out, panting and clutching Jack’s hand. She bore down with all of her strength, then relaxed slightly, waiting for the next contraction.
Jack leaned down to her. "You can do it, Rose. Not much longer."
"You’re lucky you’re a man," she panted. "You’ll never have to do this."
It seemed to take an eternity. With every pain, Rose pushed as hard as she could, but the baby was slow to emerge. The doctor did not seem overly concerned, but to Rose, it was interminable.
At last, near four o’clock, the top of the baby’s head emerged. Rose squeezed her eyes shut, bearing down, knowing that the ordeal was almost over.
"Open your eyes, Rose!" she heard Jack urge her. Blearily, she opened her eyes and looked at the mirror above her—and watched the baby slide from her body.
Three voices sounded in unison.
The doctor’s. "It’s a girl!"
Jack’s. "She’s beautiful!"
And the baby’s first cry of life.
Rose pushed herself up on her elbows, looking at her newborn. The doctor was holding her carefully in two hands, clearing the baby’s mouth and nose so that she could breathe. The umbilical cord was still intact, still connecting Rose and the baby.
"Would you like to do the honors, Jack?" the doctor asked, gesturing to the umbilical cord.
Jack smiled and nodded, cutting through the cord at the point indicated, and a moment later the baby was placed in Rose’s arms. She lay back down, cradling her newborn.
Jack sat beside her, looking at their newborn daughter. "She’s beautiful, Rose," he told her, reaching out to touch a tiny hand. His smile widened when the baby clutched his finger in her tiny fist, waving her arms and legs, unaccustomed to the sudden freedom of movement. She continued to wail, but was beginning to calm down.
Rose looked at their tiny daughter. She was a mess, covered with blood and birth matter, but to Rose she was the most beautiful child ever born. The tiny mouth was open as the baby voiced her displeasure in being born, while one tiny hand clutched her father’s finger and the other found its way to one of her mother’s limp curls. The baby’s own head was lightly covered with a thin layer of blonde hair, which was slicked down from the birth mess.
At last, the baby girl stopped crying and opened her eyes, which were an indistinct shade of blue. She stared at the world around her, her eyes unfocused and wide, before closing them and dozing off, finally letting go of her parents. Being born was tiring.
Rose and Jack held their daughter for a moment longer before allowing her to be taken away to be cleaned up and examined. The doctor finished checking Rose over, then let the nurse clean her up while she went to see to the new baby.
*****
After the nurse left, Rose lay back, exhausted from the hours of laboring. Jack still sat beside her, holding both of her hands.
"Rose," he whispered, before she could fall asleep.
"Hmm?" She opened her eyes and looked at him wearily.
"I just wanted to say thank you."
She smiled. "You’re welcome. For what?"
"For the baby. I...I’ve wanted to...to be part of a family again for eight years. And now...now I am. We...the three of us...we’re a real family. I’m going to do my best to be a good father."
Rose squeezed his hand. "You will be. I can’t say that things are going to be perfect—but I think that we can do it. We can raise our daughter together. She’s lucky to have you for a father."
"And you for a mother." Jack smiled, cupping Rose’s chin in his hand. He bent forward and kissed her gently. "Thank you."
Rose put her arms around him and kissed him back. "It was hard—but it was incredible. To bring this little person into the world...I’m glad you told me to open my eyes. I wouldn’t have seen her born otherwise."
"It was almost miraculous," Jack agreed. "To see you give birth to this tiny baby..."
"She didn’t seem so tiny being born...but you’re right. I love her so much, and I just met her."
"What do you want to name her?" Jack asked, pulling her close as she sat up.
"I was thinking...would you object if we named her after your mother?"
"You want to name her after my mother?" Jack looked at her, clearly delighted at the idea. "I wouldn’t mind at all. I think it would be an honor."
"That’s her name, then. Elizabeth. Elizabeth Ruth Dawson, after both of our mothers."
"That’s a big name for such a little baby."
Rose smiled. "She’ll grow into it...and we can call her Lizzy for short."
"I like it. She looks like a Lizzy."
Rose smiled tiredly, closing her eyes. "I’m so tired..."
"Get some sleep, Rose. You’ve earned it." He paused. "I’m going to call Tommy and Helga and tell them about the baby." He gave her one last kiss. "I love you, Rose."
Rose responded sleepily. "I love you, too, Jack. Thank you—for everything."
Jack smiled, letting go of her hand as she fell asleep and quietly walking from the room, eager to spread the news.