Giving Thanks, Part 3

  Sully returned downstairs to find Brian busily finishing putting the last of
the supper items on the table.  Katie was still sound asleep, and Sully decided
just to let her sleep through the night.  Deep in thought and very pensive,
Sully sat down to eat with Brian.  He hoped the babies wouldn't decide that now
was the time to enter the world.  It was still three weeks before Michaela was
due, and he knew how vital those few weeks were.  But more and more the signs
were telling him that the babies were planning on making a sooner than scheduled
appearance, and that scared him.  Sully was so deep in thought, it took Brian
several attempts to get his attention.
 "Pa?....Pa?.....Pa?!!" Brian was almost getting frustrated.
 "Hmmm..oh, sorry Brian!  What did you want?"Sully asked sheepishly.
 "Is Ma ok?  She seemed awful tired...." Brian queried.
 "Yeah, she's alright.  She's just real tired is all, it's natural  for that to
happen when a woman nears her time."  Sully tired to reassure his son, though he
wasn't entirely convinced, himself.
 The two finished supper in silence, then made short work of cleaning up.  Sully
went to check on Katie while Brian went to wash and change for bed.
 "Goodnight, Pa", Brian said, coming up to stand next to Sully at the side of
Katie's bed.
 "'Night, Brian",Sully said, slinging an arm around Brian's shoulders and
ruffling his hair with the other hand.
 Brian laughed as he extricated himself from Sully's hold and headed to his own
room for bed.  Sully tucked the covers more securely around his sleeping
daughter, gently kissed her forehead, then headed for his and Michaela's room.
 Sully noted as soon as he entered the room that Michaela's sleep was very
restless.  Her brow was creased, she was tossing nearly as much as her condition
would allow, and occasionally a small moan escaped her lips.  Making his was
quickly to the side of the bed, he gently brushed her hair back from her sweat
dampened brow.
 "Michaela?" he questioned in what he knew was a futile attempt to get her
attention.  He slipped his hand beneath the covers and placed it gently over her
rounded belly.  What he felt made his heart jump into his throat.  The muscles
of her abdomen were contracting with rhythmic but still gentle insistence, yet
she was too exhausted to acknowledge this phenomenon with wakefulness.
 Knowing the inevitable was going to take place tonight, and knowing from
previous experience with Katie just how long that inevitable took, Sully opted
to join his wife in bed and hold her for the few hours he would still be able to
before the labor pains came on too strong.
 Slipping his hand from beneath the covers, Sully quickly shed his clothes and
went around to the other side of the bed to carefully slide in next to Michaela. 
Her body was damp with sweat and she was still tossing.  Carefully sliding up
next to her, he wrapped a gentle arm around her, his hand going automatically to
caress her now cramping abdomen.
 As if sensing her husband's presence, and the comfort and shelter he was
giving, Michaela attempted to roll over into his embrace, but just didn't quite
have the energy to complete the task.  Sully, sensing what she was wanting,
immediately wrapped his arms gently but securely around her and rolled her with
him.  Now on his back, he carefully cushioned her swollen belly against his side
and stomach, then positioned her as comfortably as he could against his side,
her head resting on his shoulder.  With one arm still around her back, he placed
his other hand on her belly and prepared to wait out the night.....he didn't
think he would sleep at all tonight.
 Sully must have dozed, because he was awakened a few hours later by a
tremendous gush of wetness against his leg.  He nearly jumped out of his skin in
surprise, and if it weren't for his enormous control, he would have jumped right
out of the bed altogether, upsetting Michaela in the process.  Giving his heart
a minute to slow, he gently ran his hand from her face, as far down her body as
he could reach....assessing.  He felt quite clearly that the contractions had
increased in intensity as well as frequency, and noting that Michaela has still
not awoken, his concern grew.
 "How can women sleep through this??!!!!", he thought in abstract panic.  Gently
setting Michaela away from him, and onto her back, he slipped quickly and
quietly out of the bed and dressed hastily.  He was torn between staying here
with Michaela awhile longer, or heading out right away to get Dr. Cook.  The
decision was quickly taken from his hands.
 "Sully!!!!!", Michaela screamed as a strong contraction gripped her body,
bringing her nearly upright in bed, and into a state of wakefulness.
 The scream sent Sully's heart into his throat, and sent him flying over to his
wife's side.
 "I'm here", he comforted gently, slipping supportive arms around her as her
hands gripped his arms and dug in.
 The contraction eased, and Michaela sank back into Sully's supportive arms, but
there were now tears mingled with the sweat on Michaela's face as Sully quickly
propped the pillows up against the headboard and rested Michaela back against
them.  The knock on the bedroom door nearly scared Sully out of his skin.
 "Pa???!  What's wrong?? I heard Ma scream...is everything ok?", Brian's
questions were coming fast and furious, his voice breaking on adolescent
maturity.  In spite of himself, Sully grinned in sympathy, he remembered those
days well.
 "Your Ma is havin' the babies. Wrap Katie up warmly then you and Katie go on
over to Grace and Robert E's.  Send Robert E after Dr. Cook, ok?" Sully ordered,
all the while his hands caressing Michaela in a vain attempt to ease her sobbing
discomfort.
 "Ok", Brian said, dashing off quickly to do his father's bidding.
 Another contraction gripped Michaela and again she nearly sat straight up
sobbing, as Sully once again wrapped his arms around her in support, whispering
softly to her until the contraction eased, then laying her back against the
pillows.
 "Brian? Katie?  My lands!!  Is everything alright?", Grace questioned as she
and Robert E opened the door with worry.
 "Ma's having the baby, Sully told us to come here and for Robert E to go for
Dr. Cook", Brian told the pair, yawning and shifting uncomfortably as Katie
began to fuss.
 "I'll go right away", Robert E said, already donning his coat and hat.
 "Brian, you go ahead and settle into the spare room, and I'll tuck Katie in
with me", Grace said as she took Katie from Brian's arms and gently soothed her
back to sleep.
 "Thanks, Grace", Brian said, going sleepily into what was once his best friend
Anthony's room to fall instantly asleep.
 Grace gently unwrapped Katie from her coat and blanket, then padded quietly
into her room and settled into bed.  Tucking Katie against her side, Grace
pensively and absent-mindedly ran her fingers through the little girl's hair. 
She knew that her friend was unusually exhausted, and that it was still a bit
early for the baby.....she prayed that her friend was ok.  Grace decided that as
soon as Robert E returned, she would pay a visit to Dorothy.  It didn't matter
that it was the middle of the night, friends stuck together and friends always
kept friends informed.y
 "Robert E?  Is something wrong?", Andrew Cook greeted the man on his doorstep
with concern.
 "Michaela's havin' the baby, needs you to come right away", Robert E told the
doctor.
 "Let me dress and I'll be on my way", Andrew stated, now wide awake and all
business.
 "Thanks", Robert E said simply and turned to head for home.
 "Grace?!  Why, it's the middle of the night...is something wrong?", Dorothy
greeted her friend with bewilderment.
 "Dr. Mike's havin' the baby, and it's early....I thought you might....I thought
maybe...", Grace trailed off not knowing what exactly to say.
 "Thank you, Grace.  I'll ride out there in a bit and see if I can be of some
help", Dorothy said kindly, placing and understanding hand on her friend's arm. 
Grace just nodded and turned back towards home and the two children that were
now in here care.
 The pounding at the door was welcome relief for Sully, and he hurried to answer
it.  His worry had grown into sheer panic over the last hour as Michaela's
contractions had increased but her strength seemed to wane more and more with
each one.  She now didn't even have the energy to fight them, she just sat there
in his arms sobbing and shaking, her eyes closed as each contraction claimed her
body with further intensity.
 "Andrew!  Thank God you're here!  Michaela's not well.....", he stammered,
hurrying up to the bedroom on Andrew's heals.
 Andrew entered the room, took one look at Michaela, and knew that all was not
well.  Pulling his stethoscope out of his bag and drawing the covers back off of
Michaela, he placed it on her swollen abdomen and listened, his eyebrows nearly
hitting the ceiling with surprise.
 "There's two small heartbeats", he stated to Sully as he moved his stethoscope
up to Michaela's heaving chest to listen there as well.  At that moment, a
contraction gripped Michaela and Andrew watched in grave concern as Michaela's
eyes remained shut and she did very little except sob and shake in response to
the pain.  His eyes met Sully's and conveyed the message of concern.
 "Michaela?  Michaela?  It's Andrew.  I'm going to have to examine you to see
how far you've dilated", Andrew told her, yet received no response.
 Sully helped Andrew slide Michaela's gown up over her legs and belly.  Andrew
noted that, mercifully, she was nearly completely dilated.  The faster they
could get the babies out of Michaela's womb, the less danger her life would be
in.  Andrew stated his observations to Sully, just as another contraction
claimed Michaela.  Sully held her and waited until it had passed to speak.
 "So soon?  It seemed like it took forever for Katie to be born", he questioned
Andrew.
 "Second births often go much faster than the first", Andrew answered.
 "I'll be honest with you, Sully.  Michaela's life is in grave danger.  Her
exhaustion and inability to respond normally to the contractions is of great
concern to me.  However, the first baby's head is already leaving the womb,
she's going to have to push these babies out.  I'll need you to try to wake her
more fully and to encourage her to push with the contractions." Andrew stated.
 "Will she be ok,"Sully questioned the doctor.
 "That all depends on how quickly we're able to get the babies out of
her,"Andrew returned.
 Sully's heart seemed to permanently lodge itself in his throat as another
contraction gripped Michaela and she sobbed and shook in response.
 "Michaela?  Michaela?!", Sully gently shook his wife in an attempt to bring her
into a state of further wakefulness.
 Somehow her husband's voice penetrated the fog of exhaustion and pain in
Michaela's brain.  She was so tired......  Michaela concentrated all her
energies on that voice and opened her eyes slightly.
 "Wake up, Michaela.  You have to push." Sully earnestly told her, seeing that
he had gained at least some of her attention.
 "I can't....so tired....", Michaela told him weakly, laying her head against
his shoulder for the duration of another contraction.
 "You have to, Michaela!  Come on....",Sully told her intensely.
 "Push!",Sully nearly hollered in her ear as another contraction gripped her.
 "I can't",Michaela screamed and sobbed as she tried with what little energy she
had to bear down on the contraction and push.
 "Yes, you can..."Sully told her.
 "Yes, you can", Andrew told her authoritatively.
 "Push!",both told her as another contraction hit.
 A sobbing scream tore from Michaela's throat as she pushed with all she had in
her.
 "I can see the baby's head,"Andrew stated excitedly.  "One more push, Michaela
and this one will be here."
 Michaela screamed again as another long contraction hit, forcing her to push
until the baby exited her body with Andrew's help.  Michaela relaxed back into
Sully's arms, shaking heavily, as a squalling cry echoed in the room.
 "You have a son!" Andrew said as he busily wiped the crying infant.  He had
just settled the newborn on the bed next to him when another contraction gripped
Michaela.
 "Push!" both men encouraged her, but Michaela responded with little more than
quiet sobs.  The concern of both men grew immensely.
 "Michaela?  Come on, wake up Michaela!" Sully gently shook her again.
 The next contraction hit, and Michaela made a valiant effort to push, but her
strength was sapped and little progress was made.
 "Sully, I can't take this anymore", she sobbed against her husband's shoulder.
 "Yes, you can!" he said emphatically.
 Michaela screamed again as another contraction hit and she attempted to push
the baby out of her body.
 "The baby is only halfway down the birth canal and it is starting to show signs
of stress.  If Michaela isn't able to push it out, I'll have to go in with
forceps.",Andrew told Sully, over the squalling of the newborn baby.
 "Push!", both men commanded an exhausted Michaela as another contraction
gripped her.
 Michaela's scream reverberated off the walls of the room as the biting
contraction forced her to push.
 "I see the head!",Andrew nearly hollered.  "Come on, Michaela, one more push!"
 Michaela's next scream was nearly silent as the long hard contraction hit and
she pushed the baby out of her body.
 "Another son!" Andrew stated proudly as a second outraged cry joined that of
the first.  Andrew quickly wiped the second infant and turned his attention back
to Michaela, noting with alarm that her heartbeat was dangerously weak.
 Michaela slumped back into Sully's embrace.  She was so tired, the peaceful
blackness of unconsciousness nipping at the edges of her consciousness.  To
tired to fight anymore, she surrendered to the oblivion as she felt herself
being gently placed back against the pillows.
 With the danger seemingly past, Sully's curiosity got the better of him and he
went to place Michaela back against the pillows so he could have a closer look
at his sons.  All thoughts of his children flew from his mind as his wife
slumped over, unconscious.
 "Michaela?!  Michaela!!!!" Sully screamed as both men lunged for the
unconscious woman.


Part 4