JACK AND ROSE: TOGETHER FOREVER
Chapter Fifty-Nine

May 10, 1916

Jack picked one-year-old Michael up off the kitchen floor, and set him in a chair at the table. Rose was upstairs, in bed. She had been in bed for the past few days, not feeling well enough to do much, coming down only for meals or to get something. She had just come upon the ninth month of her pregnancy and they expected the baby anytime now. Jack had taken time off work to stay home and watch Michael, something he enjoyed. Michael was getting so big, and really growing up. It was interesting to be around him all day. Jack walked into the kitchen and opened some cupboards.

"Well, Mike, what do you want for breakfast?" he asked, turning toward his son.

"Cele," Michael responded.

Jack knew, that translated, that meant cereal. "Mmm...we have hot cereal, Michael. How does that sound?"

"Goo." Michael’s little voice came from the table. Jack got the oatmeal down, and started to boil some water. "Addy!" Michael suddenly shouted, seeing the dog come into the room, and started to climb down from the chair.

Jack ran over and helped him down. He watched as Michael walked over the dog and started petting it on the head. Jack smiled when he saw Michael put his arms around the dog and hug it. He was such a cute kid. Michael had just started walking about three months ago, but had already seemed to pretty much be able to stay on his feet. And, he had said his first word at eleven months, which had been "Addy." Michael was now talking, or what he thought was talking, every chance he could get. He could say things like "Dada" "Mama" and "Addy," but some words like "cereal" and "down" were hard for him to pronounce, and he would end up saying something else. Jack went back to the water, and after it boiled, finished making the oatmeal. After he was done, he sat it on the table with a spoon, which he knew Michael wouldn't bother to use, but, hey, he could try, right? And then he called his son over. Michael came running from the living room and tripped while doing so. Jack caught him before hit the floor, and with a big hug, scooped him up, and spun him around.

"Whoa, there, Mike, slow down." Michael giggled and squirmed, trying to get out of Jack's arms. Jack put him down in the chair and put a napkin in his shirt. Michael looked at the spoon and then at Jack before digging into the food with his hands. Jack shook his head and went to go get his own cereal. He sat eating with Michael, thinking about Rose. She hadn’t slept well last night and Jack wondered if maybe that meant something. All night she had been tossing and turning and moaning to herself. 'Poor thing,' Jack though. It was bad enough that she didn't feel good, but the May weather was unusually hot and making the whole house stuffy. Jack didn't even want to think about what this summer weather was going to be like.

"Mama?" Michael's voice suddenly came from the chair in a questioning voice. Jack looked at his son.

"Mommy is upstairs, sweetie," he said. Michael looked confused. "She doesn’t feel well, Mike," Jack explained.

Michael still didn't look totally convinced, and just started eating again. Jack chuckled and finished eating his breakfast. After taking over his bowl, he went back over to Michael.

"All done?" he asked. Michael nodded and pushed the bowl away.

"See Mama?" he asked. Jack put Michael’s bowl in the sink and brought a towel over. He took off Michael's napkin, and started wiping his hands and face off.

"Yes, we can go see Mama. Hold on a minute though, Mike." Jack quickly made some toast and buttered it lightly. He put that on a plate and then poured a glass of milk for Rose. "Come on," he said to Michael. Michael started to follow him over to the stairs and then crawled up them.

"Mama, Mama, Mama," he yelled as soon as he got to the top, and started running for Rose and Jack's room.

"Slow down, Mike!" Jack warned, as he watched his son try to run. Rose heard her son call for her, and that woke her up out of a light sleep. Quickly as she could, she sat up, and then watched as Michael burst in the room through the open door. His little feet carried him to the side of the bed and he threw his arms around Rose.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she said, picking him up and setting him in bed next to her. Michael giggled and buried his head under a pillow. Jack came in a moment later, carrying some toast and milk.

"Good morning," he said brightly, coming over to her bedside and setting the plate and glass down.

Rose smiled. "Morning, darling."

Jack leaned down and kissed her gently. "Feeling better?" he asked.

Rose shook her head. "No, not really."

"Hmm, well, I brought you up some food if you want it. Are you hungry?"

Rose shrugged. "I don't know."

Jack smiled gently. "In a few weeks, you'll feel good as new."

Rose smiled at him again. "Thanks," she whispered. Suddenly, her face changed.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, immediately worried.

Rose nodded and bit her lip. "Yeah," she said shakily. "Have you talked to Jennifer? Or Scott?" she asked, trying to sound normal.

"No," Jack said, watching her closely. Jennifer had had her baby, a boy, on the eighth. Rose hadn't talked to her yet, but Jack did yesterday. He said that mother and baby were doing great. They had named the new baby Matthew Robert Langston, Matthew being Jennifer's Dad's name and Robert being Scott's middle name.

"Oh," Rose mumbled. Jack reached over and picked Michael up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again. Rose nodded again. "Okay," Jack said, kissing her on the cheek. "I am going to go clean up the breakfast dishes."

"Okay," Rose mumbled again. Jack started to leave, taking Michael with him.

"Jack," Rose said, just before he got to the door.

Jack turned. "Yes?"

"Will you leave the door open?" Rose asked. Jack nodded, and then smiled at her.

"Yes, I will. Call me if you need anything."

"I will," Rose promised as he started to leave again.

Just as Jack left down the hall, another funny feeling hit Rose. It had been the feeling she had felt the few hours before she had gone into labor with Michael. She bit her lip and looked at the clock. It was only eight in the morning. Somehow she knew that this was going to be a very long day.

Later that Afternoon

Brittany Wakefield hummed herself as she pulled on her shoes and tied them up. She had just gotten a call from Jack saying that Rose had gone into labor. Brittany was the designated 'doctors helper' for Dianna, Rose, and the other day, Jennifer. Dianna was too far along pregnant to come and help Rose, or to help Jennifer the other day, and Jennifer was too weak from the birth to be up and about. Brittany hurriedly scribbled out a note to Cameron, who was at work still, about where she was and then started out the door. As she walked the few blocks to Jack and Rose's house, she wondered what they were going to do with Michael while Rose was having the baby. He still needed to be watched most of the time and everyone else would be busy. Maybe she could get Cameron to come over later and watch him. But what until then? Brittany sighed as she walked faster toward the Dawson's house. When she got there, she pushed open the door and walked upstairs. She found Rose in bed with Jack sitting next to her in a chair, Michael in his lap. Poor Michael looked scared at what his mother was going through. Rose was breathing heavily and just as Brittany walked in, she squeezed Jack's hand and groaned.

"Hi, Brittany," Jack said, not very calmly.

Brittany smiled. "Hello. Would you like to me take Mike for a while? You look like you need a break, Jack."

Jack nodded, and Brittany walked over and took Michael from his arms. "Mary Butler from down the street is coming over in a few minutes to watch him," Jack explained.

Brittany nodded. "All right. I'll talk him downstairs till then." She left, carrying Michael, who started crying for Rose. Brittany shushed him, and pretty soon, Jack heard them walking down the stairs. He turned to Rose.

"How you doing?" he asked gently.

Rose closed her eyes. "All right, considering," she mumbled. Jack took a washcloth from a bowl on the nightstand and gently wiped her forehead with some cold water. Rose opened her eyes and looked at Jack. "Thank you," she whispered. "I couldn't do this again, without you here, Jack."

Jack picked up her hand and kissed it. "You know I wouldn’t miss it." Rose smiled weakly before another contraction hit her. "Those were only about eight minutes apart," she whispered, when it was over.

Jack nodded. "Don't worry. Dr. Lennox will be here soon." Rose nodded and closed her eyes again, trying to think of something other then the pain that was going through her body.

That Night--About 9:44 PM

Brittany ran into the new baby's room and grabbed a blanket off the top of the dresser. A minute ago, Jack had just remembered that they had forgotten to get a blanket when Rose went into labor. Brittany had offered to get that, and was now heading back into their room. Jack and Rose's second child was almost here. Just a few more minutes, Dr. Lennox had warned. Poor Rose had been in labor for about seven hours and was starting to tire. Brittany was getting tired just watching her. The whole process was taking longer than Michael's birth had taken. Just as Brittany was about to re-enter the room, she heard Rose cry out loudly. She hurried in, and took her place by Dr. Lennox, setting the blanket close by. Jack was coaching Rose on her breathing and Rose was trying to stay calm.

"Okay, Rose, just a little more," Dr. Lennox said gently.

Rose started to push again with one of Jack's arms around her shoulders and his other hand squeezing hers. She moaned, then whimpered, "I can't do this. Jack, help me." Jack whispered something to his wife, and she seemed to calm down a little.

"All right, Rose, one more big push and it will be over," Dr. Lennox said.

Brittany watched as Rose took a deep breath, and then pushed harder than she had all night.

May 11th, 8:00 AM

Rose was sitting up in bed, and held a tiny daughter in her arms. Jillian Margaret Dawson had been born at 9:49 last night, weighed eight pounds and six ounces, and had only cried a little since then. Jack had been so excited and happy when she had been born that Rose thought he was going to burst. Michael, though, had yet to see his new sister, as he had been asleep last night when she was born. But, that’s where Jack was now, getting Michael dressed and then he was going to bring him in. Jillian began to squirm, and Rose gently comforted her by rocking her back and forth and then started talking softly to her. Suddenly, Jillian opened her tiny eyes for a moment before closing them quickly again. In that moment, Rose saw that they were a sapphire blue, just like hers. She hadn't gotten a good look at them last night, as it had been late and dark and she had been very tired. Rose smiled; it looked like this new little Dawson was going to look like her mother. Already, there was some fuzzy dark red hair on top of her head, and her mouth was shaped like Rose's.

"Okay, Mike, you can go in. Just be quiet," she heard Jack caution, and then she saw Michael enter the room. He timidly walked into the room, followed by Jack, who was smiling brightly. Rose smiled back at Jack and the turned her attention to Michael.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she said, drawing Michael toward her with her arm. Michael climbed into bed, with Jack's help, and snuggled next to his mother. "Here Mike, this is your new little sister, Jillian," Rose whispered, pulling back Jillian's blanket a little more so that Michael could see. Michael looked intently at his sister, then looked from Rose to Jack, and then down at Jillian again.

"Illan," he whispered. Rose gasped and looked at Jack.

"That’s right Michael, Jilll-ii-ann," she told her son, drawing out Jillian's name so that he could pronounce it better.

"Jilly?" Michael asked, looking at his mother. Rose nodded excitedly; Jilly was close to Jillian. In fact, that’s what she and Jack had talked about calling Jillian for short.

"Good job!" Rose exclaimed, kissing Michael on the cheek. Michael laughed and smiled at Rose before looking down at Jillian again. Jack climbed in on the other side of his wife and put his arm around her shoulders. Michael climbed over Rose's legs and sat in his Dad's lap. Jack smiled at Rose and she smiled back, tears in her eyes. He wiped them away with his free hand and then looked at the three people next to him. His beautiful wife Rose, his one-year-old son Michael, and new daughter Jillian. Things were more wonderful then they had ever been.

Suddenly, Rose handed Jillian to Jack and then snuggled up next to her husband, Michael quickly jumping into her lap. Rose pulled Michael closer to herself and then rested her head on Jack's shoulder. Jack gently kissed the top of her head. She smiled at him and then closed her eyes. Jack smiled at Michael, who was looking at his sister again, and then caught his eye. Michael looked at Jack and then smiled a big smile before looking down at little Jillian again.

Chapter Sixty
Stories