The contractions had become a lot quicker and a lot more intense. Nick had learned what to look for on the fetal monitors to decifer if something was wrong. As promised, Dr. Robbins came to check in on Kelly periodically.
“Nick,” Kelly paused for breath. “I can’t…do…this.”
“Yes, you can,” he reassured her. “Now come on, just take slow, deep breaths.”
Kelly attempted to take slow, deep breaths, but would always end up screaming out in anguish. Nick was watching the monitors and noticed that the babies’ heartbeats had dropped considerably. He rushed to find Dr. Robbins and told her about what he had detected.
“Alright, I’m not seeing any improvement here, so I’m going to do a cesarean section and get the babies out, okay?” Dr. Robbins explained to the frantic parents. “Let’s move her into delivery!” she called to two nurses.
Nick went to take his usual place beside his wife, but was told he wasn’t allowed to go into delivery with her, since it would require surgery.
“I’ll be right here waiting for you!” Nick called to his wife as they were pushing her through the delivery room doors.
“Okay, I love you!” she called back crying, in frustration, fear, and pain, while she was being taken away from her husband.
“I love you, too!” Nick called back and in an instant she had vanished behind the doors.
Lis, AJ, Brian, and Ang all waited anxiously with Nick in the room outside of Labor & Delivery.
Nick was sitting in a chair by himself, with his head in his hands, ruffling his blonde hair.
Ang and Brian exchanged worried glances, while AJ stretched his arm around Lis’ shoulder to pull her closer.
There was an understood silence in the room…everyone was wondering if the twins would be okay and how Kelly was doing. Nick stood up abruptly, walked close to the Labor & Delivery door and listened carefully for any signs of crying. Silence. Nick let out a heavy, disappointed sigh and began to pace back and forth across the floor, running his fingers nervously through his tousled hair. Four pairs of eyes were on him, following him across the room. They all had the same thoughts running through their minds.
Ang glanced down at her watch and noted that it was 11:09. She blinked her eyes sleepily and looked up into her husband’s blue eyes. He smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
AJ pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and checked his watch. 11:10. They had been there since about 8:00. Not bad, considering some women could stay in labor for days.
Everyone looked around at each other, meeting eyes, then looking away. Nick sat down in the chair heavily and moved his eyes to meet the clock. 11:11.
At that very moment, the screaming cries of Nick and Kelly’s twins were heard through the doors of the Labor & Delivery room. All five friends jumped up and inched closer to the door.
A few moments later, Dr. Robbins came out holding the two newest additions to the Carter family. The baby boy and girl were born at 11:11 PM on October 31st, weighing in respectively at 2 pounds 18 ounces, and 2 pounds 15 ounces.
Tears immediately formed in the corner of everyone’s eyes, while they were streaming down Nick’s cheeks. Dr. Robbins gently handed Nick each of the twins. There was this inexpressible feeling in Nick…a feeling that he had never felt before. He couldn’t describe it. Just to see a part of him, and his wife, the love of his life, right in front of him….something their love had created…
Nick gently kissed the tops of his babies’ heads, then asked, “How is Kelly?”
Dr. Robbins glanced away for a moment, then returned her focus back to Nick. “Um, Kelly lost a lot of blood during delivery. Right now, we’ve stabilized her, but she’s unconscious from the sudden lack of blood. We’re hoping that she’ll come out of it soon. We’re going to move her into another room on the maternity ward, and as much as I know you don’t want me to,” the doctor halfway smiled, “I’m going to have to take the twins. Since they are premature, they need to be put in an incubator to keep warm. You can see your wife as soon as we move her to her new room.” With that, Dr. Robbins scooped the twins into her arms and disappeared through the doors.
All within a minute, Nick had felt extreme happiness and extreme pain. What would he do without Kelly? Their children needed their mommy and he needed her, too.
