Chapter 18
The scent of ammonia from the streak clean hospital filled Isabella’s lungs as she took a sharp breath in, her hand fumbling to find Gary’s. Sweat was gathering along her forehead, the beads lining up like soldier men and marching down her face. The muscles in her back ached from hours of contracting and releasing. Contractions were coming at rapid speeds like little pellet bullets. They were longer, lasting a good three minutes before starting to decline in pressure. Isabella was ready to cry by the end of the contraction, defeated and exhausted.
She didn’t have to wait that much longer for the tall chunky anesthesiologist to come in. She gritted her teeth, closing her eyes and slowly opening them again. I know this is going to hurt. I just know it. Can’t they give the shot to Gary, and the effects to me? Hopefully it won’t hurt as much as these contractions… She drew in a deep breath, and slowly let it out before allowing Gary to help her sit on the edge of the bed.
“Mr. Vernon, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the room while I administer the epidural. You can come back in when the procedure is over,” Doctor Tracey said, preparing the needle and catheter.
Isabella’s eyes grew wide, and her hand curled tighter around Gary’s.
“Honey, I’ll be right outside the door. It won’t be too long before I’m back, I promise.” He kissed her forehead and let go of her hand. I have to get out of here. Her eyes, so scared, so sad… they kill me. He left the room before she could utter a single word.
“Ms. Hill, I’m going to insert this needle into your back close to your spinal cord. Once that is done I’ll drip medicine into that spot with the catheter that is hooked into the needle to make sure that I have the correct spot. Any questions?” He cleansed her back with a disinfectant, awaiting her reply.
She silently nodded her head, and then he said, “Once we know it is the correct spot the medicine will be set for a continuous drip, and it will be taped to your back so it won’t come out while you lay down. As soon as you come out of recovery, and back into your own room the epidural will be taken out.”
Isabella gripped the wrist of the nurse aide as Doctor Tracey found the spot, and slipped the slender needle into her back. She mutter a grunt of discomfort as the test began. When she replied that she could no longer feel any pain the doctor set the medicine and tapped the catheter to her back, letting Gary back into the room.
Gary helped her lay back down. Her body relaxed, and the wrinkles on her face disappeared. Soon this will all be over. I’ll have my babies in my arms. I’ll have my babies in my arms. I’ll have my babies… in… my… arms. They’ll be safe and protec… Isabella‘s eyes grew heavy, and a yawn was forming at the base of her throat; Gary chuckled. .
“I see the epidural has started to work?” Gary was glad she held no more pain; for a while there he had felt helpless.
“Humm, yes it has.” Isabella smiled.
***
A gush of blood and the cry of a disoriented child brought tears to Isabella’s eyes. Jonathan Scott Vernon weighed in at 5 pounds and 11 ounces. His white hair covered his head, and his dark blue eyes shone like the night‘s sky. He wailed and wailed until a nurse wrapped him in a soft blanket.
With another gush of blood mixed with amniotic fluid, Jessica Faith Vernon came into the world. The doctors rushed her to her station and continuously cleaned out her mouth and nostrils, but she refused to cry. She whimpered and fussed, but nothing loud enough for her scared parents to hear.
Isabella couldn’t stop the tears if she wanted to. “Is she ok?” Isabella choked out the words, fearing the worst.
Gary wiped a tear or two away, and smiled ruthlessly, “She’s perfect.”
Isabella let out the breath she had been holding in with a quick motion and asked, “Can I hold them?”
She looked around for an answer, but the nurses were already getting them geared up and whisked away to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. Where are they taking my babies? Would Gary lie to me? Is there something wrong? Isabella shed tears of pain and frustration as the doctors finished getting the placenta out and started sewing her up.
Away in her room, Isabella fell asleep fitfully. She had wanted to see her babies first, but exhaustion won over her stubbornness. Gary gingerly pushed the hair away from her face and kissed her. I’m a dad. I have two children. They were so small. I wonder if I can sneak away to go see them before Belle wakes up? He glanced down at his sleeping wife. She had went through sixteen hours of hard labor and then a caesarean section; he was sure she would sleep for all of eternity.
His steps were slow and cautious as he crossed the room and into the hallway. His mind raced with what had just happened, the birth of his children, how amazing. It had never hit him like it did just then, when he saw those two helpless babies coming into the world. For the last eight or so months Isabella held them close, all to herself. Sure, he could feel them kick at times, but it was nothing compared to the experience Isabella had. Now, they were his to hold as well. He could kiss them and hug them, holding them tenderly, softly.
He rounded the corner, and started to have butterflies in his stomach. What if they have tubes running out of them, needles going every which way? What if they’re in an incubator sobbing, and I can’t hold them? He blinked to get the images out of his head. What if they found something wrong with Jessica? What if Jonathan can’t breath on his own? I can’t think like this. Gary think positive thoughts, think happy thoughts.
He stood at the nurse’s station cotton mouthed and wobbly. A nurse had to ask, “Um, sir, can I help you?”
“Oh, yes. Can I go see my children?”
“What are the names?”
“Jonathan and Jessica Vernon.”
“Oh… The doctors aren’t done with them, but when they are a nurse will come up to your room to accompany you with your wife down to see them.” She must of sense his disappointment, “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. Thank you.” He slumped his shoulders and slowly made his way back to Isabella’s room, where she was still sleeping like a rock. Gary smiled, and sat down next to her bed.
Pulling out his cell phone he decided he should call the people they loved to tell them that Jessica and Jonathan were here. He called his mom first, then Destiny and Joe don, and then Jay. Isabella started to stir. “Hum, Gary,” She muttered, looking over at him.
He leaned in close holding her hand, “I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“When can I see them?” She asked trying to sit up on the couple of pillows she had, but failed miserably. She felt as though she had been run over by a monster truck, and then someone had pulled her intestines out through her bellybutton, scraping against the walls of her abdomen.
“When the nurse comes in, and says you are well enough to see them. Honey, you are exhausted, and you probably feel sore. Get some rest,” Gary said as she laid her head back upon the pillows and closed her eyes.
I’m not going to argue with him. I am exhausted, but I want to see my ba…
Gary leaned down and kissed her forehead, “You’re amazing.”
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