Oceans Between Us (Jimmy/Jacoby)

Maybe this is the answer, if Jimmy has no voice he can't be a whiny little brat!

*laughs* That is so true! Jimmy losing his voice does create at least quiet in their house, lol! The problem, I think, is that when Jimmy sets his mind to something, nothing is going to stop him. That includes Jacoby, who is so often the voice of reason in their relationship. In some ways, I think I wrote these two like my So and me. He's often the voice of reason and logic in our relationship and I'm the one going off figuring we can do things no worries!

***

37

To prove that I’m not a jerk, and that I meant what I said, I used my day off on Monday to start the search for our daughter. I figure we’ll have a better chance there, since Jimmy's son would be 13 now. He could be in a group home for all I know. Therefore, I decided to start with our daughter, who would six right now. I started by calling the hospital, knowing that Jimmy was far too sick to get out of bed. Dr. Mathias was due in today, and I have a feeling we’re going into the hospital. Michelle was resting right now, as she’d been sick once we got home from her appointment.

I called Sean directly, simply because I didn’t know where to start. His suggestion made sense, and I was embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of it: medical records. I thanked him, as he transferred me, and I spoke to Bethany once again. She understood what I was trying to do and said that his attending from that night should be in the records I got previously. I pulled them from my locked hiding location and flipped through, finally finding the name.

“It looks like it was a Dr. Andrew Wraith,” I said, and I could hear her typing on the computer.

“Oh,” she said, sounding a little surprised. I waited to hear what she had to say, hoping it wasn’t bad. “He’s not even here anymore. He was terminated in 2004, ironically, right after the birth.”

I blinked a bit, my mind trying to come up with a reason. “Why?” I asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

She was quiet for a moment, and I dreaded the answer, but I needed to know. If it had anything to do with Jimmy and our daughter, I had to know. I realize I can’t do anything about it any longer, but I can be angry about it.

“Looks like…” she said, pausing again. I knew she could get in trouble for this, but I needed to know. “Looks like he was terminated for malpractice. A nurse turned him in about something that night, though it doesn’t say here what. Did Jimmy ever get re-examined?”

“He was supposed to see the doctor today, but he’s so sick right now we’ve had to reschedule for a couple weeks down the road. I appreciate this you know that right? If you get in trouble, I’ll defend you to the end.”

“I know,” she said, and I knew she was smiling. “Honestly, I’ve worked out a bit of a deal with my supervisor. She knows that you have access to his records with just a signature, and if you have questions, I have permission to dig about one layer deeper. I’ve gone as deep as I can legally go today, though. What’s the next step?”

“I guess I get a hold of Marissa, since she’s a lawyer, and she can do much more than I can here,” I said, and heard Bethany agree. “But thanks for your help.”

“I don’t know if I helped, but I was glad to try. Tell Jimmy to get better!” she told me and I agreed, hanging up.

I called Marissa next, listening as a door opened and closed. I looked out into the hall and waved to Jimmy, wondering if he should even be up. I darted out into the hall as he wobbled a bit and nearly fell. I hung up the phone, not caring that it was rude, and directed him back to bed. His breathing was terrible and he was clearly dizzy. I knew Dr. Mathias would be here inside of an hour, but I was considering taking him in right now.

“You need to stay in bed,” I admonished him, but he shook his head. “Why not?”

He still didn’t have a voice, but I’d gotten him a notepad and pencil and he scribbled me a note.

“I need to walk. I can’t breathe and I’m all stiff and sore. I just need to walk.”

“You need to see a doctor,” I argued but he shook his head, writing again. I almost laughed when I saw his message. “You are not getting better; you’re getting worse, Jimmy. This is not just some simple little chest cold, as you always think it is. It’s probably bronchitis or pneumonia and you need treatment for it.”

“No,” he wrote, shaking his head, as he let out one hell of a cough. He spat the resulting phlegm into a trashcan and I noticed its color right away. “I’m doing better; I’m coughing the junk up now. It’s just a damn cold.”

“Jimmy, I’m not going to argue. Dr. Mathias will be here in an hour and you’ll do as he says,” I informed him, knowing he hated me right now. “In the mean time, I’ll walk with you, but only upstairs.”

He accepted my offer and stood, holding my arm. All at once, a foul smell caught my nose and I looked over at my husband. I hadn’t realized it until now (I’ve been sleeping in my office, since he’s been sick), but he hasn’t showered since the first day he got sick. If memory serves, he’s been sick now since last Wednesday, at least. That’s five days without a shower; no wonder he smells.

“Off to the shower,” I told him, turning him for the bathroom. I know it’s the last place he wants to be right now, but that’s too bad. I could change the sheets while he’s in the shower, if he’s able to stand. “Can you stand long enough to shower?”

He shook his head, so I had him sit on the toilet while I grabbed a little white footstool we had. I planted that in the shower, up against the wall, then stripped my smelly husband down. He’s also, apparently, been in the same clothes for the last five days. Disgusted, I warmed the shower, stuck him in it and handed him the sprayer.

“Get started, and I’m going to change the bedding,” I said, wrinkling my nose and I closed the shower curtain. “You smell.”

He looked offended, but I didn’t care. It was the truth, and I shuddered at the thought of the bedding. It was going to have to go straight into the wash, and I was going to have to spray the mattress as well. Perhaps I can spray it and flip it, though the queen size mattress is too much for me alone. Jimmy will just have to sleep somewhere else for a little bit, I guess, while the mattress dries.

Once I had the bedding in the wash and had sprayed Febreeze on mattress, Jimmy was done in the shower. I helped him out and steadied him while he put on clean pajamas, brushed his teeth and combed his hair. He looked to feel a bit better, and I wondered if perhaps he ought to sit up for a bit.

“Why don’t you come downstairs?” I suggested, and he nodded, rubbing his eyes. He put his glasses back on, which I thought made him look adorable, and then followed me downstairs. “You haven’t eaten much the last five days; I’m going to make you some toast and tea, okay?”

He nodded again, placing a soft kiss on my cheek. I planted him at the kitchen table and returned the kiss, then set about my task. I glanced at the clock, realizing that Dr. Mathias would be here in another half hour or so. At least Jimmy would be out of bed when the doctor got here. I placed toast and juice in front of him, waiting on the teakettle. I saw Michelle come downstairs and grabbed three cups, figuring we might as well all have some.

“Okay, tea for the sick ones and the one who doesn’t want to get sick,” I said, placing each steaming mug on the table. Michelle looked better, but now Jimmy was concerned, looking at Michelle, then back at me, trying to speak, though he had no voice. “No, she didn’t catch what you have. She’s just having a bit of morning sickness again, that’s all.”

Jimmy nodded, as he finished his toast. It’s not that his stomach is unsettled, it’s just that he doesn’t have an appetite when he’s like this. I watched him, as he drank his juice, then blew on his tea and took a cautionary sip. If this is truly a cold, by day five, he should be showing signs of improvement, but he’s not.

“How are you feeling Jimmy?” Michelle asked, looking up from her tea.

He gave her a thumbs down, then mimed writing. I found some paper and a pencil, then watched as he started writing. He slid the note across the table and she nodded.

“Are you willing to see the doctor now?” she asked, sliding me the note as well.

I feel like shit. It’s in my chest and lungs now.

He gestured for the paper, and quickly scribbled something again, then slid it across the table to Michelle. I felt like I was back in high school again sending notes to my friends. I waited until the note was in front of me, then nodded.

No, but I should. I just need an antibiotic, though, I’m not going to be admitted. I’m a hard stick and I don’t need to go to that extreme.

I shook my head at him, as the doorbell rang. I can’t even remember the last time someone rang the bell, since everyone knows they can just walk right in and shout that they’re here. I left the table and went to the door, smiling when I saw Dr. Mathias standing there.

“Thanks for coming out,” I said, knowing how unusual it was for doctors to make house calls these days. “He’s out of bed, mostly because he smelled and needed to shower. He’s already refusing admission.”

“I figured as much. I brought what he’s likely to need and should have him in good shape in a few days,” the doctor said, as he walked into the kitchen. “How is he doing?”

“Not great. I shouldn’t have let him lie in bed for five days.”

The doctor smiled, looking at his patient. “I don’t think he’d have gotten up without some sort of heavy equipment,” he quipped and I had to laugh. He sat down next to Jimmy and took out a stethoscope. “You’re my first house call in 40 years.”

Jimmy tried to smile and laugh, though it turned into a grimace and a barking, wet cough. The doctor gave him time to calm down, then ran him through a series of breathing exercises. He nodded at each step, no doubt doing this as a mere formality. When he was done, he took Jimmy's vitals, writing them on the notepad beside my husband. Finally, he reached into a backpack he’d brought with him and placed some boxes on the table.

“Jimmy, if it was anyone else, they’d be going directly to a bed on the medical floor. I know you, however, and I know that it’s pointless to even suggest that to you. Therefore, for the next two weeks, I want you to take this antibiotic three times a day,” he said, indicating one of the boxes. “I’ve given you two weeks worth of medication. Next, I want you to use this in your nebulizer four times a day. If you feel like you need one in between, then use the Albeuterol, okay?”

Jimmy nodded, as the doctor wrote down the dosing instructions. I knew this was his compromise, and was glad for it; I did not want to deal with Jimmy if the doctor had admitted him. I knew that he wasn’t going to work tomorrow, and that wasn’t going to set well with my husband.

“I’ve also spoken to Sean already,” I watched Jimmy's face drop. “And you’re off work this week. You’ve got the PTO saved up already, and it’s not safe for you to be out driving let alone working.”

I knew Jimmy wanted to protest, but it wouldn’t do any good. He had a hand poised to write, but it never moved and he finally sighed, hanging his head. The doctor nodded, handing me the instructions for the medication, then standing.

“This is for the best, Jimmy. You’re not contagious or anything, but you’re also not strong enough to work. Look at it this way: you’ve got the week to spend with Michelle and hopefully find your children.”

The doctor said goodbye to all of us, and I saw him out, wondering if I should be glad or upset that he’d brought up the subject of the children. Once he was gone, I glanced at the clock; it was late morning, so I could give Jimmy his medication now, along with the breathing treatment. He didn’t argue, just followed me to his office and accepted the treatments.

“I hope this works,” I muttered, as Jimmy laid down on his couch to sleep. I checked on Michelle, who was feeling much better and was going for a walk outside. I made sure she had her phone (it’s easy to get lost out here on the gravel) then occupied myself with making the bed. I still needed to call Marissa and I was prepared for bad news. After all, given the circumstances, it’s likely that Jimmy was never meant to find out about his children still being alive. As much as I want a reunion, I thought perhaps this was all for the best. But, I’m a man of my word and I meant it when I said we’d try to find them. I wasn’t about to go back on that.

Nice one Coby, making the right moves. Here's to it working out.

I think there's hope for these two...and I guess that's because they've been through so much worse shit than what they're going through now, you know?

***

38

“Get the intubation kit over here!” I shouted to one of the many EMTs on scene with me right now. She ran the kit over and I carefully tilted the patients head back, placing the tongue blade in her mouth. She was lucky to be unconscious, as I carefully slid a small tube down her throat and then attached the ambu-bag, as we call it. “You get her breathing, the rest of you, let’s get her loaded!”

My team and I lifted the patient from the ground and carried her to the chopper. She was the last one we’d take with us back to Creighton, and then we’d be done with this accident for the day. I wanted to curse semis sometimes, especially when they don’t look out for the smaller vehicles around them. One semi had caused a two car wreck, all because he didn’t watch when he merged onto the interstate. Naturally, the driver of the semi wasn’t hurt, though the state patrol were talking to him. We, on the other hand, got to fly six critical patients back to Creighton.

I hopped in the back, starting my duties as flight nurse. My friend Amelia was flying today, as was a new nurse, Maria, whom I’d trained. I was getting a chance to be hands on, which of late wasn’t something I got to do very often. I cared for each patient with the help of my fellow flight nurses and in record time, we had landed back at Creighton. I directed the unloading of each patient, then hurried into the ER, shouting report on each patient as the critical care teams went to work.

In the span of an hour, I’d helped care for six critical patients, and each one had been brought back to Creighton for more extensive care. With my duties concluded for this run, I went to check on the first three. So far, despite how bad they looked, it looked like everyone was going to be okay. A couple were in surgery now, but one looked to be going home in the next few hours.

“Good job out there, Jimmy,” Amelia said, patting my back. “You do realize that was Maria’s first solo time as a flight nurse, right?”

“Yes, and she did an amazing job out there,” I said, coughing a bit. I was mostly over whatever I’d had, but, but there was always that lingering cough. “She’s going to make a great flight nurse.”

Amelia nodded, as we grabbed clean scrubs to change into. She was leaving in two weeks, and I admit, I was going to miss her. Unfortunately, there was a lot of blood at this scene and it’s impossible to keep it off our clothes. I headed into the men’s locker room, just off the ER, ready for a shower. We all kept shower stuff at work for just this reason, and this would now give me time to think. Jacoby said he’d started the search for our daughter, and a quick call to Marissa had confirmed this. However, she’d been quick to call back and let us know that her adoption was closed; we’d be unable to find her until she either turned 18 or decided to look for us. Knowing what Jacoby has told me as far as her being mentally and physically challenged, I doubt she’s going to try to find us.

Oddly, I’m okay with this. Marissa said that the records for her adoption have been sealed. I can try to search for her, and if the adoptive parents are willing, we might even make contact. But it takes a court order to unseal the records. All things considered, I decided against prolonging things. I could save up the money, and I probably will, but given the circumstances of the adoption, I doubt the parents will want to find me. My main concern was knowing if she was safe or not; I don’t have that exact information, but Marissa said it was likely she was fine. I realize that the search lasted about three days, but at least we tried. I had expected it to take months, which it would have if we’d kept going, but the cost kind of made us shy away. Marissa also made the point that the adoption was done in secret, it seemed, so the chances of finding her are even slimmer.

“Jimmy, you heading back out?” a voice called, and I peeked my head out of the shower, blinking water out of my eyes. “Sean’s looking for you.”

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute,” I said, hurriedly finishing my shower. I dried off and re-dressed, then went back out into the bay. Sean was waiting for me at the desk and I nodded at him. “Mark said you were looking for me?”

He nodded, indicating that I should follow him to his office. I had a feeling of dread come over me; this can’t be good. Sean’s a nice guy and he’s been a good friend to us for many years, but I knew I was being watched. Nervously, I sat down when he indicated I should do so and waited while he closed the door. Once he was seated, he looked at me and started laughing.


“You look scared to death, Jim. Take a deep breath; it’s nothing bad,” he said, and I tried to relax, since he seemed to be in good spirits. “I just know you and figured doing this on the floor would embarrass you.”

I was confused now, and looked at him in askance. What in the world was he talking about?

“You did good out there today, Jimmy,” he started and I nodded, though a compliment given in public never bothered me. “I know you’re my primary pilot, but I have a proposal for you.”

“I thought you were married,” I joked, and he hit my arm, as we laughed. “Because I know I’m married and about to be a father, so your wife and my husband might be awfully upset with us.”

“Whatever,” he said, shaking his head. “You’ll still be a pilot, but I wondered if you’d like to move into being head of the flight team. I need a new head flight nurse, since Amelia is leaving in two weeks for Minneapolis.”

I was shocked to say the least. All things considered, I didn’t expect him to want me on any team, let alone leading one. My mouth dropped open and my mouth widened, while I slowly nodded yes at him.

“Yeah!” I said, laughing. “Wow!”

“We’ll make the official announcement in a few days. I’ve been watching all of my flight nurses over the last few days and you’re the strongest candidate for the job.”

“Who will take over as head pilot?” I asked, still in shock. This was one hell of a promotion, since it meant going on more serious runs and fewer pick up and drop offs.

“You remember the first pilot you trained, about three years ago?” he asked, and I nodded, recalling the woman quite clearly. Jane Adams was my second in command, and she was one of the best pilots we had on staff. “I’m going to promote Jane into your position. I’ll still need you as a pilot, but think head flight nurse fits you much better. You’re one hell of a pilot and one hell of a nurse. I suspect, though, that you prefer the hands on part.”

“I do,” I admitted, nodding. “Flying is a huge release for me, but I like to be in the back helping. Wow.”

Sean stood, shaking my hand, and placed his hand on the knob to the old metal door. It was dented and scratched from the years of abuse from patients, staff, and medical equipment. He smiled at me, nodding to the floor.

“By the way, you can blab if you want,” he said, and I’m not ashamed to say I did a giddy little jump. “It’s not a big secret; I just knew you’d want some privacy for this.”

“I appreciate it,” I said, as we left his office, a grin still plastered on my face. Jacoby was coming in from an ambulance run, looked at me, and his face clearly indicated that we were going to talk. I moved to help hold up the nurse’s station, mostly waiting for another call.

Hollister gave me a glance, as she put her bottle of pop down, and nudged me. “What’s got you so happy?” she asked, as I watched the back for my husband. She laughed. “Coby better hurry his ass up so we can find out what’s going on.”

I had to laugh, giddy with the excitement of my announcement. I glanced over as Amelia came in and then I deflated a bit; what would she think? She came over to me and I pulled her aside, figuring we had a few minutes yet before Coby would return. He had to get the patient checked in, after all.

“What’s up?” she asked, looking concerned.

“Well, Sean asked me to replace you. I was going to tell everyone, but didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” I explained, and was confused when she broke into a huge smile.

“That’s great!” she said, keeping her voice down. “Jimmy, I won’t be hurt. I’m leaving in two weeks anyway, so I figured they’d be announcing my replacement soon. You need to tell everyone before you burst from happiness, okay?”

“Are you sure?” I asked, and she nodded. “All right, I’ll tell them when Coby gets up here.”

We returned to the nurse’s station and my previous mood was restored. Coby was just joining us as well, and he looked at me.

“Spill, Shaddix,” he commanded and I had to laugh, as Amelia nodded at me. I took a deep breath, then walked over to my husband.

“Well, as you all know, we’re going to lose Amelia in two weeks,” I said, and everyone groaned, causing Amelia to blush. She was well liked after all, amongst our little ER crew. “Sean pulled me into his office and said he had some good news. I’m going to be taking over as head flight nurse!”

Hollister let out a squeal as soon as the shock wore off and I was soon bombarded with congratulatory messages from my colleagues. At this moment, I was so glad I’d come back to Iowa, and I knew it was showing on my face. I never should’ve left, but I can’t take back those months in California. To my surprise, Jacoby planted a huge kiss on my face, nearly tossing me on the floor. I kissed him back, trying to control my arousal. With me being sick of late and the return of some stress, intimacy has been on the back burner.

“You’re in public!” Hollister shouted, as Jacoby and I surfaced, and we had to laugh. Our shirts were half off, and Sean was shaking his head and laughing, as we smoothed our clothing. Jacoby tucked his t-shirt back in, his EMT pants askew on his slender hips. He righted the thick cargo-pants, picking up the few things that had spilled from the many pockets. “Uhm, bathroom is that way guys.”

She pointed down the hall, and sheepishly we headed out to fix the problems we’d started in our pants. I looked at Jacoby, who looked at me, and we made a beeline for the handicapped stall. It took no time at all for our problems to be remedied. We spent a few minutes at the sink washing up and making sure we looked presentable.

“You marked me, you sneaky devil,” he said, pointing to the huge bruise my kisses had left on his neck. I laughed, as I pecked his swollen lips. “We should have sex at work more often; that was fun.”

“It was,” I agreed, as we finally left the bathroom. We hadn’t been gone long and our friends laughed as we finally reappeared. I leaned over to Jacoby and whispered in his ear. “Wait until we get home, Jack.”

***

When we got home, Michelle greeted us with a smile. She’d finally started showing and I was getting more and more excited. After the disappointing search for our daughter, we were now going to search for my son, and I wondered if Marissa had called. Michelle looked especially happy, and I doubted it was anything pregnancy related.

“Did Marissa call?” I asked, as we put our lunch bags on the counter and kicked off our boots. I wanted to tell her my good news, but we needed to change first.

“No, not yet,” she said, but I couldn’t be disappointed. “I did, however have something to share.”

“What’s that?” Jacoby asked, pulling off his socks. He was like me: after work, it’s time for socks and shoes to go! “Is it good?”

“It’s good,” she said, nodding. She beckoned us forward, and confused, we went. She placed our hands on her stomach and my eyebrows shot toward the ceiling. “Feel that? The baby started moving today.”

My jaw dropped, as I felt the slightest flutter of movement under my hand. It amazed me to think that in four months we were going to have a baby in this house. A child that we will raise together and hopefully turn into a good person. February was the magic month for us, the month our child would be born. I was a little nervous, but who wouldn’t be?

“Wow,” Jacoby said, as we stood back, beaming. “That’s amazing.”

“It’s only going to get better,” she told us, as the cats came running through the kitchen. All four of them skidded on the slippery floor, then took off running once again, a ball rolling between them. “They’ve been doing that all day. Are they anticipating something?”

“I don’t know. It might be a younger/older thing, too,” I observed, as they repeated themselves. “They can sense change in the house as well. We have a guest room that will soon be turned into a nursery, and I’m sure they’ve noticed things getting packed up in there.”

Michelle nodded, as Jacoby as I went upstairs to change. I cannot believe I felt my child move tonight. Once we were upstairs, I kissed my husband, then whispered in his ear.

“At bedtime tonight, you’ll be glad you have tomorrow off,” I informed him, grinning as I left the room, and left him standing, grinning like a fool behind me.

Woah! *checks she has the right fic*

Since when do these two make it an entire chapter without at least one of them kicking off about something?!?! Sheesh! I really hope things keep going this way for them, it's nice to see them back in love and y'know, getting along with each other!

Eventually, they manage to remember that they love each other =). Of course, it takes most of the two stories, a trip to California, and a LOT of fighting, but we are getting some better moments as we go here =).

***

39

I watched as the firefighters cut the car open, waiting to extract the people inside. The crash had been a bad one, and the victims in this case all teenagers. I hated crashes like this, but I can’t pick what runs I go on. Once the car was out of the way, I moved quickly, stabilizing the four people inside. I called for a board and one by one they were taken out. Two went to ambulances, the least injured. The two that were more critical met my husband as they were moved into a helicopter and Jimmy began his nursing duties on them.

I heard the helicopter lift off as I hopped in the back of the ambulance, starting my duties as well. The two in the helicopter would be damn lucky if they survived, though my patient looked to be in better shape. I went through the usual motions and then listened as my radio sounded.

“Report to base with victims.”

The ambulance roared into action, and we moved to a nearby bus barn, where I thanked my ‘patient’ for being such a good actor. I untapped the fake IV and took off the horribly uncomfortable neck brace he was wearing, then helped him sit up, handing him a wipe so he could rid himself of the fake injuries as well.

“You were good,” I said, handing him another wipe and discarding the used one. “You should go into acting.”

“I want to,” he admitted, as I opened the door. The chopper was just landing, probably having taken the kids on the scenic route just to make it worth their time. I watched Jimmy get out, followed by his two actors, both of whom were scrubbing fake wounds off their faces and arms. I watched, laughing, as he high-fived them for being great actors.

“Ready to walk back to your classmates?”

“Let’s go,” my victim said, as we all grouped together and made the short walk back to the school, where everyone would now be gathered in the assembly hall. I hoped the kids today took something from this drill, which showcased the dangers of distracted driving. This drill focused on texting while driving, and I hoped I wouldn’t see any of these kids any time soon.

“You ready Jack?” Jimmy asked, as we clasped hands. I nodded, though I wasn’t sure. “I’ll be there if it gets to be too much.”

“I know,” I said, giving his hand a light squeeze. I was going to talk about the accident I was in. We found out after the investigation was over that aside from speeding, the at fault driver was texting. Somehow, had she been drunk, I could’ve handled that. But she screwed herself and how many of us over for a text message? Last I heard, she was in a physical rehabilitation place and expected to recover from the brain damage, but she’d never walk again. “But I think I’ll be okay. It’s been six months now, my arm is healed, I should be good.”

He nodded, as we entered the school, sending our victims to their seats. I joined the firefighters on stage, then waited for the assembly to begin. I wasn’t nervous, since we do about five drills a year or so at local high schools, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure I was ready to talk about the accident. I took a seat on stage with the other rescue workers, waiting for my turn to speak.

Essentially, the point of what we do is an attempt to educate these kids about being safer drivers. I know that for most of them, our message is in one ear and out the other, but I figure if we reach a few kids, I’ll be happy. I watched the audience while the introductions were made, noting that most looked bored. I wondered if me talking about my accident was going to do them any good at all. The girl had not been a classmate, though two of their classmates had been involved via circumstance.

“I’m going to turn this over to Jacoby. He’s an EMT at Creighton University Medical Center here in Omaha, and he’s had firsthand experience with texting and driving accidents.”

I stood, taking crumpled notes from my pocket. I had been shown how to run the projector earlier in the day, though I didn’t want to see the pictures. With the blessing of the involved families and Creighton, the investigation photos were made available to me. I’d seen them while making this slide show and I have to say, I think I was better off not knowing. I’d seen the ambulance after the accident, when driving by the salvage yard, and that was enough for me. The roof was caved in and I wonder now how we all got out.

“Good morning,” I started, taking a drink of water. “As stated, I’m Jacoby Shaddix, a local EMT. On March 25th, I was involved in a rollover accident as the ambulance I was riding in moved onto interstate 680. A black car driving around 90 miles per hour hit us on the side and rolled the ambulance three times.”

I was clicking through photos as I went and I paused on the picture that showed the entire accident scene. I let that sink in before I started talking, noting that I had pretty much everyone’s attention. I nodded toward the picture, pulling up the next one, which was the same picture, but with captions. I had been given a laser pointer and I finally got my footing in this presentation.

“The driver of the at fault car was coming from the east,” I began, pointing out the young lady’s car. “She was going, as I stated, about 90 miles per hour. The ambulance was coming at about 55 miles per hour, because we need to be careful on the ramps, and entered the interstate from interstate 29 south, heading west on interstate 680.”

The kids jaws were safely on the floor, and I nodded; I had them paying attention, which is what I wanted.

“She hit the ambulance on the side, causing it to roll about 3-4 times. I was in the back with a patient and one of my partners. I was sitting on the side that got hit and was thrown to the other side, on top of my teammate. The driver of the ambulance broke her ankle, I broke my arm, and my other teammate broke his leg.”

I flipped to a picture of the at fault car and there were audible gasps in the audience. After all, it looked a pop can does after being stepped on.

“The at fault car required use of the Jaws of Life to extract the driver. She was, believe it or not, awake and conscious the entire time. She survived what should have been a fatal accident. There were three other cars involved, simply because they could not avoid the accident. Within those cars were two of your classmates. When I was preparing this speech, I reached out to their families and the students themselves. They agreed to allow me to talk about what happened, as did the family of the at fault driver.

“The at fault driver was extracted from the car,” I continued, flipping pictures. It was always good to show them the Jaws of Life in action. “This is what we do day in and day out. It’s strange to be the patient, but I had no choice. I had a concussion, broken arm, and my back was thrown out as well. The at fault driver was taken into trauma surgery and through some sort of miracle, she survived. She was severely brain damaged, but is expected to recover from that. She will never walk again.

“The second driver, male, was brought into the ER with a broken leg, arm, and spine. He will never walk again, either, and was only involved because he was not able to avoid the accident scene. The third driver, female, also survived. She suffered from a collapsed lung and broken leg, but made a full recover.”

The involved students were now coming down to join us on stage and I could see surprise amongst the gathered students. “The fourth driver suffered minor injuries that required only ER attention. These students, however, missed two months of school, and were each in the hospital around a week to two weeks.”

They stood next to me, and I could see the lasting scars: the wheelchair, the limping, the surgical scars. But they’d survived and I knew sitting through this wasn’t any easier for them than it was for me.

“Now, here’s why we’re telling you this. During the investigation, police found the woman’s phone. From all of the available evidence, it was clear that she was in the middle of a text message.”

I showed the picture of the phone, with the partial message displayed. I could see that, even if it was for a short time, we were actually getting through to some of the kids. A few actually looked scared.

“The message, for those of you in the back, reads ‘see you in—‘ and then it ends. She was concentrating so much on this message that she didn’t watch her speed, didn’t hear an ambulance coming, didn’t see an ambulance coming, and slammed right into us. Now, I don’t know why that message was so important, but I wonder if she still thinks it’s important? The reason we do these drills, the reason I’m telling you this is so that you understand the dangers. I know we’re preaching to the choir here, as they say, but I know that most of you text and drive. You figure you can multitask, but from the looks of this accident, that’s not possible. So, just think about that when you think something is so important that you can’t pull over and quick type something out.”

I thanked the students for joining me on stage, knowing that they would now each be given a turn to address their classmates. I sat back down, taking Jimmy's hand, swallowing a long drink of water, hoping I’d gotten through to at least one person in this auditorium this morning.

***
Jimmy and I returned home that evening around 1900. It hadn’t been as difficult as I had feared to talk about the accident and I oddly felt better for having done so. The only reminders left are the occasional ache in my arm when it’s going to rain and the on-going back problems I’ve had. I know the other, non-medical personnel in the crash have far worse scars.

“There’s a note from Chelle,” Jimmy said, as we walked into the kitchen. We kicked off our boots and placed them by the back door, then moved to the kitchen table. “Went out to supper with Hank, he needed someone to talk to. We’ll be back later. There’s a casserole from Eleanor in the fridge for your supper.”

“I’m going to miss her after the baby comes,” I said, and Jimmy laughed, knowing we were getting spoiled with Michelle around. She had started work, but her hours were pretty much Monday to Friday, 8-5, with a few Saturdays or evenings here and there. “I love coming home and either supper’s ready or it’s going to be ready in no time flat.”

Jimmy put the casserole in per instructions written on the foil, then joined me for a shower. Our love life was getting back on track recently, and we made the most of the joint shower. He had a rescheduled appointment for tomorrow to find out if he could or could not have children, so we were very careful right now during sex. We already had one child coming; if it turns out that Jimmy can indeed get pregnant, we didn’t want to risk having accidental twins.

“I love you,” Jimmy said, nipping my neck, then turning to get dressed. “I cannot wait to have our new baby in the house.”

I smiled at him, thinking about the pending birth and grinned. “Same here,” I agreed, following him out into the hallway. We stopped at the door to the soon-to-be nursery and gazed inside. It’s barely started, but we have so many ideas. “We should work on the nursery this weekend. I bought the paint on my last day off and we could get the walls painted, at least. I heard someone at work mention they were going to be hosting a surprise shower for us.”

“Not much of a surprise if we know about it,” Jimmy said, laughing, as he shut the door. We went downstairs just in time for supper to be done. “That must be her enchiladas. They smell amazing!”

I took out potholders and got the food out, while Jimmy grabbed plates and utensils. We each grabbed a beer, his only one of the night, and then sat down to eat. Michelle arrived home around eight and we immediately went to her, waiting for the baby to move.

“I’m glad you’re so tolerant of us,” I said, once we’d both felt the increasing movement of our child. Each week, it seemed, the baby moved a little more.

“It’s your baby,” she pointed out, placing a hand on her stomach. She was at the end of her fourth month, almost into her fifth, and as far as I was concerned, February couldn’t come fast enough. “You two get to feel the baby all you want; it’s the strangers that bother me. Hank had to fend off at least five rude people today who thought they could touch my stomach. He explained to them how rude they were being and one had the audacity to say that a pregnant stomach is fair game for being touched!”

Did I mention that the hormones were kicking her ass? She’s not normally a crier, but since getting pregnant, she’s done nothing but cry over the smallest things. I’m with her on this one, though, and I will kick anyone’s arse who tries to touch her. Jimmy and I comforted her the best we could, waving off her apologies at her over emotional outburst.

“I promise, it will get better once I give birth,” she said, and we laughed, hugging her tight. Brian’s ring tone sounded on her phone and we shooed her off to go talk. They were planning his visit at Christmas, and she was getting very excited. All was forgiven between Brian, Jimmy, and I as far as the cheating goes, though it was going to stay with us for a long time to come.

“We should start thinking about names,” Jimmy suggested, as we snuggled together on the couch. I grabbed the remote and turned the radio on, tuning it to the classical station. We’ve found that Jimmy stays calmer if we have a quiet evening, since some of his routines have resurfaced. We’re working through them, but it’s tough. “The book I was reading suggests starting right about now, when things are going well.”

I couldn’t argue with that, though no names had come to mind yet. I’m sort of a last minute guy, and I suppose when I see the child, I will then find a name for it. But I know Jimmy and he’ll need to be prepared in the delivery room, so I agreed to start a name list. He was giddy, to say the least, the promotion at work sitting well with him.

“Okay,” I said, smiling at him. I kissed him and he deepened it. Our tongues fought for dominance, but I finally won. As he picked me up, carrying me upstairs, I knew that naming the baby could wait.

Did you break?! Have some kind of mind slip? That's two chapters with no screaming, no fighting and quite a lot of sex... *takes a moment*

I'm really enjoying this right now, but I'm seriously worried cos these two cannot keep this up for long!

*laughs* I don't think I was sick when I wrote these, lol...*thinks back* No, but the characters might've had a mental break on me! We should enjoy this, right?

***

40


“Hey Sean,” I called, as I entered the ER. It was nearing the end of my Friday, and I was hoping the weekend would go quickly. Michelle had her five month appointment on Monday and so far, everything looked fine. The baby was moving, the morning sickness had slowed down and she was settling in just fine out here. We were into October now, and that meant just four more months until the birth.

“Yeah, Jim?” he asked, coming to stand with me near dispatch. I’d just finished checking in a couple of patients, but wasn’t needed beyond that. Being head flight nurse meant a slight increase in paperwork, as well as helping Sean with the schedule, but overall, it was business as usual for me.

“What’s the leave going to be like for Jacoby and me when Michelle has the baby?” I asked, and he smiled.

“I was just about to tell you, actually. Where’s Coby?”

“Ambulance run,” I answered, hoping he’d at least tell me.

“Well, I’ll just catch him when he gets back. Looks like the board has approved three weeks of leave for you guys from the day before the birth,” he said and I grinned, resisting the urge to jump up and down. “I tried for six weeks, but since neither of you are giving birth, the law says three weeks, no more.”

“That’s fine. Hopefully we’ll be over the sleepless nights by then. Michelle’s going to stay for about six weeks after, so she can breast feed and everything. It will be good, though, to get the three weeks with the baby. I’ll make sure she’s okay staying alone for the other three, when we have to work. I am getting so excited and I want these last four months to go faster.”

“Do you know what you’re having yet?” he asked, as I watched the night shifters start to trickle in.

I shook my head, my shaggy black hair getting in my face a little. I brushed it back, as I watched Jacoby bring a patient in. He wasn’t hurrying, so I figured it wasn’t a very critical patient. He joined us a few minutes later and Sean brought him up to date.

“We decided against finding out the sex of the baby,” I said, and Jacoby nodded, smiling. “We want to be surprised. But we have started a name list, and we’re covering both sexes. We’ve decided to take our parent’s advice and write down every name we like right now, both of us. Then, by the day of birth, we’ll have two of each ready to go.”

“That’s the way to do it,” he said, smiling, and I was confused. In all the years I’ve known Sean, he’s been single and childless. He laughed when he saw my face, and I was further confused. “I’m still single and childless. But I’ve watched my seven older siblings go through having children and that’s what they’ve all done.”

“You’re not single, Sean,” Hollister sang, coming up to join us. We’d be giving report soon, and I was eager to get home to work on the nursery. We finally got the walls painted the other day and now that it’s dry, I want to see if I can move on to the trim or if they need another coat. “I’ve seen him and he’s gorgeous!”

Sean blushed a shade of red I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen before. We all started laughing, wondering who this ‘him’ was. Considering the look on our manager’s face, he was pretty special. Sean shook his head, looking at the floor, obviously trying to hide from us.

“Spill,” Coby demanded, and Sean blushed even redder, if that was possible. “Details, man!”

Sean laughed, shaking his head. “Okay, fine,” he acquiesced. We all waited for him to continue, as he took his wallet out of his back pocket. He finally pulled a picture out and handed it to Hollister, who passed it around the group. “That’s Aaron. He’s a nurse manager at UNMC and we met when my car broke down on Douglas Street two months ago.”

Gorgeous did not begin to describe this man. I looked at the picture in my hand, my husband looking over my shoulder and both of us drooling. He had a tan complexion, dark brown hair which was cut in a standard fashion, medium length, but it was mostly the eyes. They were the most stunning blue eyes I’d ever seen, almost crystal blue.

“Wow,” I muttered, and felt my husband nod his head over my shoulder. “Good job, Sean! How did you end up getting together?”

“Well,” he said, licking his lips. “He helped me determine what was wrong with the car, then gave me the number for a tow truck. It was one of those things, I guess. We were standing there, talking to pass the time and I asked him out. We went out that Friday night and we hit it off from the start. We’ve been dating now for about a month and a half.”

“Congrats,” I told him, smiling. “I’m happy for you.”

“It’s kind of odd to be dating again, but I’m enjoying it,” he said, and I was further confused. I didn’t really know his past history, since it wasn’t necessary to know. “Well, I guess it never came up, but I was married to a woman once. We were high school sweethearts and we married right after graduation. Supported each other through college and our marriage was strong. But right before I accepted the transfer here from Sioux Falls, she came out to me. In turn, I came out to her. We stayed together for a bit longer, but she didn’t want to leave Sioux Falls. We tried to stay married long distance, but realized that both of us wanted something else, so we divorced.”

“At least it was mutual,” Coby said, and Sean nodded, smiling. I held Coby’s hand a bit tighter, thankful that we didn’t have to worry about that. We had our problems, but we were both only interested in each other.

“Well, looks like night shift is all assembled, so let’s get report done and get the day shifters out of here, just so they can turn around and come back in the morning,” he joked, and we all flipped him off, laughing.

We reported off, then Jacoby and I headed for my truck. We took turns driving on our weekends and it was my turn currently. Normally, we’d work Saturday, Sunday, Monday, but since Michelle’s appointments have been on Monday’s, we’ve taken to working Friday, Saturday, Sunday instead. We were so excited to become parents it was ridiculous.

“So, if the walls are dry and don’t need a second coat, we’re going to do the trim tonight, right?” Jacoby asked, as I started for home.

“Yes. We’re doing that in white, and once it’s all dry, we can hang the dragon fly pictures. After that, we’ll get the crib, dresser, and changing table put together and get that all set up. After that, we just wait. We can get a few supplies, like diapers and a few little outfits, I suppose. But wipes should wait, as I don’t know how well they keep.”

“I’m going to suggest we get diapers and the like at Sam’s Club. We can get an economy sized package of diapers and wipes there and it will probably be more economical for us.”

“I agree with that. I figure we’re going to go through so many diapers in the first two years that the economy packs will be the best.”

We fell into a thoughtful silence after that, heading north on the interstate. I fiddled with the radio, tuning in the local college station. I had just thought of something to ask Jacoby when he started shouting.

“Jimmy! Pull over!”

Startled, I pulled over to the side of the road, checking my mirrors for any flashing lights and emergency vehicles. My heart pounded in my chest as I saw no reason for us to be pulled over and turned to glare at my husband, who was halfway out of the truck.

“Are you sick?” I asked, hearing no sounds of retching. “What’s going on?”

“Accident,” he said, and I looked again. Then, I saw it, just a short distance behind us. I grabbed our pocket masks from the glove box, grabbed my stethoscope and then ran after my husband, shoving my keys in my pocket. It was already dark, but that didn’t stop us. People were already pulling over to help and we took charge. “Call 911!”

“I already have,” a voice shouted. “What can we do?”

“Someone shine their headlights over here. Everyone else, get back and let us work, we’re EMTs,” I shouted, as I reached the first car. “My name is Jimmy and I’m here to help. Where does it hurt?”

From there, we were all business. There were two cars involved, and it looked like one had rear-ended another. No doubt, someone wasn’t paying attention and hit the car in front of them rather than go around them. I put that out of my mind, as I stabilized patients as best I could, knowing that help was still a good 10 minutes away at best.

By the time help had arrived, Jacoby and I had assessed all four involved victims. I looked up as my relief arrived, and reported off to Abbey from night shift. She wrote down the important information on her gloves, then directed us to the ambulance to report in and clean up. This hadn’t been as bad an accident as it could have been, but there was still blood. We had gloves on us from work still (we all have a habit of stuffing our pockets with extra gloves, just in case), but it was better safe than sorry.

“I’m glad you guys were out here,” Hartford McAllister, a night shift ambulance driver, said as he met us at the back of one of the rigs. He handed us clipboards and we wrote down our information, time of the accident and what we’d done. “We got the call about 15 minutes ago, and the caller kept saying that EMTs are here.”

“Thank Coby,” I said, as I signed off on my report. “He shouted at me to pull over and I had no clue what was going on at first. He apparently saw the accident happen, so that’s how we knew about it. I’m glad we could help.”

“Have a good night guys,” Hartford said, once we’d cleaned up as best we could. “Thanks again for helping.”

We waved to our colleagues, as they got the victims into the ambulances. It looked as though the injuries were minor, despite the probable speeds of both cars, so I hoped that everyone would be okay. They were all older folks, but that didn’t mean the at fault driver couldn’t be distracted.

“Well, that was exciting,” Coby said, as we got back in my truck. Once it was safe, I merged onto the interstate and resumed our trip home. “I hope everyone is okay.”

“Same here,” I agreed, glad to see our exit come into view. I was tired and ready for a shower. “I’m glad you saw that wreck, though. I’d hate to think what would’ve happened had we not been able to help.”

Coby nodded, as I turned onto our gravel. I took it a little slow tonight, as apparently the maintainer had been out today. A fresh coating of gravel had been laid, which made the road soft, and could cause us to slide or flip the truck. It had taken me a long time to get comfortable with gravel and every new coat brought the old fears back for a few minutes.

“I can’t wait until this is packed down,” Jacoby muttered, but I didn’t take it personally. He’d never admit it, but he was just like me in this situation. “I hate the first couple of days after they lay fresh gravel.”

I smiled, taking his hand, as we finally made our driveway, safe and sound. I got the truck parked, then waited for him to join me. I could smell something cooking and it smelled amazing. My nose took me to the porch, then around to the west side of the wrap-around, red porch. Michelle was standing in front of the grill, spatula wielded, as she flipped steaks.

“Hi guys,” she said, smiling. She put down her glass of water, closing the lid on the grill. “Steaks will be done soon. I’m going to go check the potatoes.”

I glanced at my husband, confused. I’d heard that cravings were common during pregnancy, but these were serious steaks here. We’re talking T-bones, a very expensive cut of steak. Michelle returned with two beers and a bottle of pop for herself, then gestured to the lawn chairs.

“You can either relax here with me or head up to shower, then come back,” she suggested and we nodded.

“We’ll shower quick and be right out,” Jacoby promised, as we hurried inside.

I have to say I’ve never showered so fast in my life. Michelle was up to something, I’m almost sure of it. Then again, perhaps she’s just really happy. I guess Jacoby and I have always labeled steak as a treat for special occasions only. Not that having a baby wasn’t a special occasion, but I had planned to grill steaks a few days after the baby was born to celebrate.

“Let’s go eat!” I said, once Jacoby and I had hurriedly dressed into pajamas. We ran downstairs and outside, just as Michelle was taking the steaks off the grill. “Time to eat?”

She laughed, as she nodded. We followed her inside like little puppies, sitting at the table at her insistence. I had no idea what was going on, since she hadn’t had an appointment yet today that I was aware of. She set the table, putting the steaks and baked potatoes in the middle. Once we were all seated, and everyone had their beverage, she smiled.

“Well, I’m going to make an announcement. I saw a midwife today, as I’d like to attempt a water birth at the hospital, if that’s okay with you guys.”

“It’s your body, you chose how you want to give birth,” Jacoby told her and I nodded. I’m almost certain she just deflated with relief.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling. I smiled back, glad that everything was still going well. “The midwife said that so far, I’m okay to do that and everything is checking out just fine.”

“That’s great!” I exclaimed, as we started eating. I was getting so excited for February that I could barely sit still. “I don’t care about anything as long as the baby is healthy.”

Michelle smiled, as we saw something ripple across her stomach. It was too fast to determine if it was a hand or a foot, but it was still amazing. I reached over, smiling as the baby kicked; I couldn’t wait to become a daddy.

These two are actually killing me here, too much cute.

*laughs* be prepared for more! There's a baby coming in *thinks* two story months.

***

41

After such an unseasonably warm fall, I was hoping for a decent winter. We got lucky, as the first snows were delayed until well into December, which made getting to and from work much easier. Jimmy and I got our blades put on the trucks in November as usual, though we didn’t need them for several weeks after. Michelle was glad as well, considering she’s just not ready to face the snow and cold; she’s not used to it the way we are.

By Christmas, though, Iowa looked normal for the time of year. Michelle was getting used to the weather, and had found plenty of maternity clothes to keep her warm. We gave her some driving lessons and she was a little more comfortable driving by herself. Hank kept her busy when she wasn’t working, since he was feeling the effects of his first holiday without Eleanor. We’d invited him to Christmas, and he said he’d join us for Christmas Eve, and would be spending Christmas Day with Edgar and his family.

Right now, it’s a week before Christmas, and Michelle and I are standing in the Omaha airport, waiting for Brian. They’ve sent plenty of emails back and forth, spoken on the phone, and used web cams to talk over the internet. Now, for the first time since September, they’d be in each other’s arms. Brian’s flight had just landed, and I could see the excitement growing in Michelle’s eyes as she waited for him to come to baggage claim.

“I wish he’d hurry,” she muttered and I smiled, rubbing her back. In the last couple of weeks, as her seventh month had set in, she’d developed terrible backaches and spasms, so someone was always massaging her back. “He won’t recognize me.”

“You’ve been sending him pictures of each month, right?” I asked, and she nodded, her face still filled with worry. “Then don’t worry. He’ll love how you look. You’re honestly glowing.”

“But I’m as big as a freaking house!” she protested, and I smiled shaking my head. True, she looked every bit as pregnant as she was, but she was still beautiful. “Here he comes!”

The baggage carousel whirred to life and I watched as Brian’s spiked hair bobbed above the crowd. Once he was off the escalator, his eyes locked with Michelle’s and he broke into a huge smile, embracing her as soon as they were close. He kissed her passionately, and I smiled, standing back, wondering if I could pick out his suitcase as it went around. So far, all of the cases looked the same, and just as I was about to take a wild guess, Brian turned and grabbed his black case.

“Hey Coby!” he said, pulling me into a hug. “How are you doing?”

“Good! Work’s been busy, but we’re still doing fine,” I said, as we moved out of the airport. Thankfully, Brian was dressed for the weather, though he still shivered when we moved into the frigid air of December. It was 20 degrees outside right now and felt almost balmy.

“Where’s Jimmy?” he asked, tossing his suitcase in the back of the truck, then getting in the back seat.

“He’s working today. He wanted to get the day off, but no luck. We’re both off the week of Christmas, though, since we’d saved up PTO,” I said, leaving short-term parking. “But he’s excited about you being here.”

“That’s cool,” Brian said, reaching forward and putting a hand on Michelle’s shoulder. It was fun to watch them, and I hoped they’d have as good a relationship as Jimmy and I have had, but with less bumps. “I’m just glad I get to be here. I’ve never been to Iowa before.”

“It’s not very exciting, but it’s a nice place to live. I think you’ll like the farm. You should come back in the spring and see the farm, when we’ve got everything planted and it’s all blooming. You guys have always been welcome,” I pointed out, merging onto the interstate. I caught the Creighton ambulance heading back into Omaha, and waved out of habit.

I caught Brian nodding in my rearview mirror. “I know. But I think we were all a little nervous, you know? He’d been missing for 12 years and then all of a sudden, there he was. No one was sure what to do, I think. His memory isn’t very good and he didn’t remember us right away. Once he did, we had to sort of start over. I think we were all just nervous and a little unsure what he wanted. I’m excited to be the first one out here, though. I think the rest of the group is looking at coming in the summer, if they can make it work.”

I nodded, taking the exit for Mondamin. “That’s understandable. His memory is a mystery, even to me after all these years. He’ll go for months or years at a time and have no problems and then all at once, you ask him something and he can’t remember it. He’s had a good few years now, though now he’s remembering things from years ago. I’d rather he remembers, but it’s hard because I never know what he’s going to remember.”

“Has it been anything bad of late?”

“Not really. But he’s struggling a little with the closed adoptions of the two kids he thought he lost. We can’t find them until they’re 18, and then only if they initiate the search. But with Michelle’s due date so close, it’s driving it home that he’s essentially lost two kids.”

“I couldn’t imagine,” Michelle said, as I pulled off carefully onto our gravel. The snow pack was slippery, and I didn’t think Brian cared to go in the ditch tonight. Not that Tony can’t bring his tractor out and rescue us (it’s the only reason he owns the thing, a remnant of the previous owner of their farm), but I’m not in the mood for being rescued tonight. “Just out of curiosity, what happens if you go in the ditch?”

I smiled, driving carefully so she wouldn’t have to find out. She’d had a close call coming home from work the other day, and I didn’t want to make an example now. “Well, I call Tony, and if he’s not working, he brings his tractor down and gets us out. He’s got chains on the tires for traction and it wouldn’t be the first time he’s come to our rescue. Jimmy's a good one for ditching his truck, since he sometimes forgets to slow down. If Tony’s not home, I have a few other people I can call.”

“Isn’t it kind of scary living out here in the winter?” Brian asked, and I could see him gripping the door handle tightly. He’s a California boy through and through, and this weather wouldn’t settle with him too well. “I mean, you’re out here in the middle of nowhere, on the gravel.”

“You get used to it. The first couple of winters were trying on our nerves, but over all, we’re able to get through these days. Living out here for the last 12 years has toughened us up a little,” I said, with a laugh. I slowed to turn, and saw Brian jump when the back end slid a little. I brought the truck under control, and tried not to laugh at his fear. “We got four wheel drive trucks for a reason. Most trucks are what they call two wheel drive, which out here is just asking for trouble. But we still slide sometimes; four wheel drive just gives us a little extra help when we slide.”

I finally pulled into the garage, much to Brian’s obvious relief. At least the sidewalks were in better shape than the gravel, so it was much less nerve wracking for him to walk inside. I showed him to Michelle’s room, then gave him time to settle in. It was almost noon, so I pulled an Eleanor casserole out of the freezer, distressed to see we were running dangerously low on them. Hank could cook, but he wasn’t Eleanor, so once these ran out, Jimmy and I would have to actually cook again. I admit we sometimes acted like the guys we truly are: we’d rather put in frozen pizza then cook. Michelle had been cooking for us, but once she goes back home, we’re going to starve, I’m sure of it.

“This is an amazing house,” Brian exclaimed, coming down the stairs, as Michelle set the table. “You did the work yourselves?”

“Only some of the painting,” I said, as the timer sounded. I pulled the hot casserole from the oven, and placed in the middle of the table, then warmed up a can of peas. “We just saved up money from work and used some student loan money to pay people to get it livable. I should show you the pictures of what we started with. My mother was begging me to tear it down and build new, but I didn’t want that. Once Jimmy came into the picture, he didn’t want that either.”

“It still looks amazing. I can’t wait to see it this spring and summer,” he said, as I peeled back the foil on the casserole. He looked at the pale, sloppy mess inside, then back to me, as I placed a bowl of buttered peas on the table. “What’s that?”

“Scalloped potatoes and ham,” I said, smiling. “It’s Iowa food, as Eleanor once explained it to me.”

He nodded, taking a small helping once the serving spoon had come his way. He took a small serving of peas as well, and I wondered if he didn’t like peas. I decided not to ask, remembering how Jimmy had first eaten when he’d moved in, and decided these were something new for Brian. Not that they don’t eat peas in California, but he looks like he’s never seen on in his life.

“How’s the nursery coming?” he asked, as he leveled a forkful of potatoes to his mouth and blew on them. I then realized the potatoes seemed to bother him; I thought everyone ate scalloped potatoes and ham.

“It’s just about done,” I said, digging into my much larger portion of food. I loved Eleanor’s scalloped potatoes and ham, since I can’t make them to save my life. “We re-did the trim on the windows to a light green; the walls are a medium shade of purple. The furniture we bought and painted ourselves, so it’s purple and green. The carpet is white, and we’ve got pictures of dragonflies hanging up on the walls. Jimmy had a friend from work make a mobile for us, with dragonflies, butterflies and other pretty flying insects on it. It looks really amazing, and it plays three melodies that damn near put me to sleep.”

“This stuff is good!” Brian exclaimed and Michelle and I had to laugh. He eagerly scooped more food on his plate, his taste buds apparently satisfied that it was safe to do so. “Do you know the sex of the baby yet?”

“Nope, we want that to be a surprise,” I said, taking a second helping. Michelle did the same, and I hoped there would be room for cake later. I don’t know where Jimmy got his skills, but he’s taken up baking in his spare time and so far, his desserts are amazing. “Jimmy and I were split on the decision at first, but then we decided that it was best just not to know.”

Lunch was pleasantly quiet after that, and once we were done eating, Brian helped clean up. He and Michelle decided to go for a walk, since it wasn’t very cold out and I smiled. It was fun to watch the beginning of their relationship, and I hoped it would last.

***

Christmas was here before we knew it. Jimmy's parents and sisters had flown out a couple of days after Brian, as had my mother, and it was fair to say we had a full house. The weather had cooperated for a change and Hank was in Omaha for the next few days with his family. Our house looked and smelled festive. Jimmy and I had put up the six foot tree with the help of family and it truly sparkled with the many twinkle lights on it. The bulbs were in an array of gold, blue, red, and purple, and reflected the lights of the tree perfectly.

There were many wrapped gifts under the tree, some in Christmas paper and sporting Santa or his reindeer, others simply brightly colored. Everyone, it seemed, had gone all out this year, considering the pile was spilling into the outer rim of the tree. We’d moved the couch from under the window, so the tree could be framed by the curtains. No one would see it, since it sat on the south side of the house, but it looked amazing in the photo Christmas card we’d made.

“Are we ready to eat?” Brian asked, as Jimmy brought the turkey to the table. His dad had carved it and it looked amazing. Everyone had helped prepare the meal, and we finally got to sit down and enjoy it. “It looks amazing. I think we all did a great job.”

Mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, stuffing, corn, peas, green beans, everything made the rounds. There was fresh baked bread (Jimmy's latest triumph), and plenty of butter. For dessert, there would be apple, pumpkin, and coconut cream pie. Jimmy had also made an array of bars, fudge, and cookies for the holiday, and I was starting to wonder if Eleanor had found a way to possess my husband. Not that I’m complaining, mind, but he went from the proverbial zero to sixty in a matter of months here! He used to burn water.

You think I’m kidding, don’t you?

Needless to say, the meal was a big hit. Once we were all stuffed, we loaded the dishwasher, put the leftovers away, then moved into the living room. We’d be having pie later, because no one was able to eat another bite. Everyone took a seat around the room, and Jimmy handed out gifts.

“Who are those for?” I asked, pointing to a somewhat large pile of gifts that hadn’t been handed out yet.

“Those are for the baby,” Barb explained, and I grinned, looking over at Michelle. She was very much pregnant now, with two months to go. “We won’t be able to be here when you have a shower, so we brought the baby Christmas gifts instead. Everything is gender neutral, and is from the families out in California.”

“Thank you,” I said, as Jimmy divided the pile between the two of us. “Go ahead, everyone.”

The next half hour was filled with thank yous and excited exclamations. Jimmy loved the new books I got him, as well as the pin I had custom made. It said “flight nurse manager”, and he pinned it to his t-shirt right away. He still says he’s the ‘head flight nurse’ but he’s really the flight nurse manager. It’s about the only nurse manager position that doesn’t require a bachelor or masters in nursing. He said he feels like he’s bragging, though, if he says flight nurse manager.

Jimmy and I opened the baby’s gifts together. Squirt (our nickname for the baby) had received an array of onesies, blankets, bottles, diapers, and outfits. There were a couple of bigger presents, such as a car seat and a highchair (I don’t know how much extra that cost to fly out and I don’t want to know!), but over all, it was all small stuff. Hollister had been asking me what we’d gotten so far for the baby, and I’d been keeping a list for her. A couple of neighbors and out of state friends had sent clothes and gift cards recently. I’d add the Christmas gifts as well and then turn in the list to her.

“Thanks for everything,” I said, and the others followed suit. “Well, why don’t we collect the wrapping and we can take things upstairs.”

Once everything was taken care of, Jimmy and I had a surprise. We’d finally finished the nursery and were ready to show it off.

“All right, everyone,” Jimmy said, standing outside the nursery door. He grinned, as he looked over the small crowd of family. “Behind this light green door is the finished nursery.”

He opened the door and we all stepped in, his mother’s camera already going. It was perfect, with the purple and green theme. We had matching furniture, and all it was missing was the baby. As far as I’m concerned, these next two months can’t go fast enough.

Two months?!? But sooo much can happen in two months! God I hope it goes fast!

So do I! And the new daddies Got time for another one?

***

42

I’m feeling a little nervous right now. It’s Saturday January 8th, 2011, and everything is fine with the baby. Our families have returned home from an uneventful Christmas holiday, and Michelle is doing fine. In about another five months, we will be parents. That makes me excited. But tonight has me nervous.

“Jimmy, just calm down,” Michelle advised, as I moved around our bedroom, getting dressed. “You’ll do fine.”

I shook my head, as she grasped my trembling hands. She placed them on her stomach, where I received a swift kick from the baby. I could feel the baby moving around in the womb and I knew that was supposed to calm me down, but it wasn’t working.

“Now, go have fun,” she instructed, straightening my tie. “You look smashing. Get out of here, Mr. Shaddix. I don’t want to see either of you until tonight after supper.”

I nodded, still unsure about things as I left the bedroom, and ran down the stairs. Jacoby was waiting for me, my winter coat in hand. This winter had been mild thus far, and I was glad. Once I had the leather bomber jacket on, I joined him outside, wearing my mask today. The temperatures were still quite cold, since it was January, and my lungs would be unhappy if I breathed the cold air in.

“I checked the roads and we’re all clear,” Jacoby announced, as we got into his truck. He had a nervous smile on his face and I knew his nerves were as jumpy as mine were. “We’re going to have a great day. Let’s put our nerves to rest.”

“I agree,” I said, and with a kiss, we were off. It was our 11th anniversary, and both of us were afraid of a repeat of last year. The weather was with us, though, as were our moods, and I hoped we’d be able to be successful this year.

***

We got home still smiling. Okay, I was grimacing a little; I didn’t see a crack in the sidewalk, tripped, and skinned my knee when I fell. Jacoby took me upstairs to the bathroom, where he cleaned the scrape, then put a band-aid over it.

“Ow,” I hissed, when the alcohol hit it. He shook his head and laughed, continuing to clean the scrape. “You’re mean.”

“You’re the dumb ass who tripped and fell,” he reminded me, laughing again when I flipped him off. He grinned once the purple bandage was over it. “There. All better.”

“It’s not all better yet,” I said, with a sly grin. I stood from the lid of the toilet and kissed him, my tongue begging for entrance to his mouth. “It’s tradition, you know.”

He grinned, returning the kiss, and brought me into the bedroom. He hurriedly removed my shirt and boxers, since he’d taken my pants off to fix my knee. I undressed him as quickly, and we were on the bed in no time. This was our tradition: spend the day going down memory lane, eating at restaurants we wouldn’t otherwise, catch a show or movie that night, then come home and make mad love to each other. There’s a reason we have tomorrow off…

By the time the fourth round of mind-blowing sex ended, we were exhausted. We headed for the shower, hoping we hadn’t kept poor Michelle awake, and used what little energy we had left in the shower. Finally, we collapsed in bed, no alarms set, and no plans to get out of bed until we were darned good and ready.

“Do I smell bacon?” Jacoby murmured as he rolled over in bed. He draped an arm over my midsection, sniffing the air. “That’s bacon.”

“Bacon?” I asked groggily, as I looked at the clock. It was eight in the morning, and we’d had barely five hours of sleep. “Who’s making bacon at this hour of the morning?”

We looked at each other, our eyebrows raised. Then, our stomachs growled, and we got out of bed and headed downstairs. Sure enough, Michelle was standing at the stove, manning pancakes, bacon, and eggs. I looked at Jacoby, who was grinning, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then we sat down.

“I thought this might get you out of bed,” she said, with a light laugh. She brought over a stack of hot, fresh pancakes, and told us to get started. “I’m almost done here. Hank should be here any time now.”

As if on cue, the back door opened, and Hank walked in, shedding his coat and boats at the door. He smiled to us as Michelle waved him to a seat, accepting a cup of coffee. Michelle told him to start eating, as she brought the last platters of food to the table.

“So, Jimmy, why were you limping?” Michelle asked, as she poured herself a glass of juice. I think she’s looking forward to the birth, just so she can start drinking coffee again. She misses her caffeine.

“Uhm,” I started, my face flaring bright red. Jacoby laughed, as I tried to come up with some lame excuse. I stuttered out the best excuse I could come up with on short notice: “No reason.”

“Yeah, right,” Jacoby snorted, taking a sip of black go juice. Coffee is truly an amazing invention. “We were walking last night and he tripped and fell. Ripped a hole in the knee of his pants and skinned his knee. He was a complete baby about it, too. I cleaned it up when we got home, and he kept saying ‘ow’.”

“It hurts worse at the age of 29 for some reason,” I argued, pretending to pout. Everyone at the table broke into laughter, startling Ma, who had come into the kitchen for some food. “And I ruined my pants.”

Jacoby shook his head at me. It had been a spectacular fall, as falls go. We were walking along, my dress shoes clicking the pavement, and then splat. It wasn’t even icy, as the sidewalks were clear as a bell, thanks to the winter we’ve had. No, I was just being my usual clumsy self.

“We still love you,” Hank said, and I stood and hugged him. “And my sister can have those pants fixed in no time. Send them with me, and I’ll see to it that Jeanette gets them done.”

“Thanks,” I said, tossing a smirk Jacoby’s way. He laughed at me, taking more food. Four hours of sex and about as many hours of sleep make a man hungry. “I’ll grab them after breakfast.”

“Actually, I saw them on the stairs,” Michelle said, and we both blushed. “I placed them in a grocery sack and they’re hanging on the door knob over there.”

I looked over to the door leading to the basement, and sure enough, the black slacks were safely tucked inside a brown grocery bag from Baker’s. Michelle started laughing and I finally asked her what was so funny.

“Oh you two!” she exclaimed, taking a drink of juice. “I do appreciate the efforts made last night to keep quiet, but it didn’t quite work. Jimmy, you are loud and a screamer. Holy hell. I feel sorry for your child!”

I covered my face, laughing until tears ran out of my eyes. Jacoby joined me, knowing that we were both thoroughly embarrassed now. Poor Hank was laughing right along with us, no doubt wishing he didn’t know that about his neighbors now. It took at least 10 minutes for everyone to calm down, and finish breakfast. Jacoby and I helped clean up, then got shooed away by Michelle to finish our celebration.

“What should we do today?” I asked, as we settled into my office. Jacoby opened his mouth to answer, but his phone interrupted us.

“Hello?”

I waited while he finished talking, checking some email. There was an email from my mother asking how things were going with the baby and did we want her to fly out for a couple of weeks to help out. I turned to Jacoby, as he put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.

“Mom wants to come out for a couple of weeks after the baby is born and help,” we said at the same time, then dissolved into more laughter. This is what happens when we’re short on sleep: we get punchy.

“Sorry,” he said, still laughing. “Mom wants to come out for a couple of weeks to help out once the baby is born. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. My mom wants to do the same,” I said, and Jacoby gave it a thumbs up. I hit reply and told mom that we’d figure out a good schedule for everyone to come help. We didn’t want a houseful while we had a newborn and a mother recovering from giving birth. Jacoby finished on the phone and I leaned back in my chair, propping my feet up on my desk. “We should finalize our names list.”

“I agree,” he said, leaving the room for a moment. I called up my list and printed it out, grabbing a pen. I had five girl names and five boy names. We had made several lists, and were hoping to get two of each tonight. Michelle wasn’t due until June, but we wanted to be prepared. “Okay. Here are my five girl names: Anna, Marissa, Maribel, Rhyan, Bethany.”

“Okay. I’ve got Issabella, Alexandria, Karen, Bethany, and Mikayla.”

“Oy. We agree on Bethany. What sounds good with Bethany? Bethany Lynn Shaddix. Bethany Marie Shaddix. Bethany Noel Shaddix. Bethany Mable Shaddix.”

“Mable?” Jacoby snorted. “Please, let’s not curse the child to a life of playground taunts. Let’s try shouting them, as though we’re really mad at the baby.”

“Bethany Lynn Shaddix!” I shouted, and nodded, as did Jacoby. We each wrote that one down, then tried another one.

“Bethany Marie Shaddix!” Jacoby shouted, and I shrugged. It sounded okay, but I was still going for Lynn. “Eh.”

“Bethany Noel Shaddix!” I shouted and we both shook our heads. Too clunky. “Okay, Bethany Lynn for a girl?”

“Yep,” he said, and we wrote that one down. There was a pause, and he listed his boy names. “Jackson, Scott, Sean, Jonathan, Maddox.”

“Okay. I have Aniston, Charles, Alastair, Manson, Aiden.”

“I’m going to veto Aiden right away. That’s so overdone, it’s not even funny. Just this week I had two girls and one boy named Aiden in my ambulance,” Jacoby objected, and I agreed, crossing it off. “Crap. Our boy names don’t match. Did you like any of mine?”

I sighed. I could live with Jackson or Maddox, I guess, but I didn’t really like them. “Not really. How about you?”

“If I’m honest? No.”

I sighed. This had happened every time with the boy’s names. Bethany had stayed through each round of naming, and I was sincerely hoping we’d have a girl. If we have a boy, he’s doomed to be “Baby Boy Shaddix” for his entire life. I can just see the playground taunting he’ll have to endure. We’ve got to come up with a boy’s name we can agree upon.

“So far we’ve ditched a total of 20 boy names,” I pointed out and Jacoby nodded, obviously as frustrated as I am. “If we have a girl, we’re covered. But about that time, we’ll have a damn boy.”

Jacoby ran his fingers through his hair and puffed air between his lips. “Okay, let’s hit the internet. Between us, we can’t agree on a single boy name we come up with, so let’s check the lists. At least we’ll know what to avoid.”

I typed into a search engine and clicked on the first link I came to. I was starting to wonder if we were just doomed when it came to boy names, when I saw a possible candidate. I looked over at Jacoby and pointed to the name on the screen.

“What about Mikail?” I asked, clicking on the name. It was the Russian form of Micheal. “We could name him Mikail Adam or something.”

“I don’t want to get too weird, though,” Jacoby protested, and I resisted the urge to slap him. “But I do like the name Adam.”

Were we finally going to agree on something? “Okay. What about…Adam…Charles?”

“Adam Charles Shaddix!” Jacoby shouted and I grinned. “That’s it! We have a boy name!”

I quickly wrote that down, glad that we’d finally agreed. Now, all that was left was for Michelle to go into labor in June. I don’t know if I can wait that long.

See, I said back at the start of this page things go smoother when Jimmy has no voice! Poor 'Chelle!

I wonder if I could get away with making him mute for the remainder of the series *ponders*

I do have Lyra today, but not for another hour, so I'm here to post now and then during nap time (unless it rains and then we'll do stuff at the table). Nap time is around 1400 my time which is *calculates* 20000 your time, I think.

***

43

I grinned as the ER staff gathered in the break room at the end of our shift. It was Jimmy's 30th birthday today and we were going to celebrate. The night shift from the 8th had decorated the ER and the day shift from the 9th had gone together on a cake and a few small gifts. Jimmy had no idea what we were doing, of course, and had been very surprised to see all the decorations when he walked in this morning. Now, Sean was bringing him back, blindfolded, and we all grinned.

“Surprise!” we shouted, as Sean took the blindfold off. Jimmy laughed, as he looked around at all of us.

“Wow!” he exclaimed, seeing the helicopter shaped cake, and the small pile of gifts. “Thank you!”

Did I mention it’s also a potluck? I’d made taverns, since I could make them in bulk and everyone likes them. Others had brought salads and breads, and of course the cake. Hollister’s sister-in-law had made it and apparently, helicopter cakes are hard to make.

“Birthday boy gets to eat first,” I said, handing Jimmy a red plastic plate.

“Where to start?” he asked, as he grabbed a bun. He spread mayonnaise on it, then put the tavern meat on that. Some ketchup and cheese, and he had his sandwich. “The food all looks great, guys!”

He finally managed to take a little of everything, including Hollister’s famous hot potato salad. We all got in line after him, as he accepted a can of pop from Sean, who was near the cooler. The party would be a short one, since a few had to work the next day, but we wanted to dos something for Jimmy. Our family celebration would be this coming Saturday.

“Happy birthday, old man,” I said, sitting next to him, as he finished eating. “How does 30 feel?”

“Not bad at all,” he said, kissing my cheek. We must’ve been seen, since everyone ‘awwed’ at us. “Just think, I turn 30 today and in a few more months, we’ll have a baby.”

“It’s a great thing to have a child around,” Sean said, and I glanced at him, confused. I thought he didn’t have kids. He smiled at me, once again taking a picture from his wallet. “I still don’t have kids. I do have a niece, though. She’s six, and her name is Alicia Jane.”

I looked at the picture, praying right then and there that Jimmy wouldn’t see it. But just my luck, he looked over at me, and his jaw hit the floor. He looked at the picture, back at Sean, then back at the picture, his lower lip trembling.

“When was she born?” he whispered, looking into those unmistakable blue eyes.

“April 3rd, 2004, why?” he asked, putting the picture back in his wallet. We were trying to keep quiet, but I knew Jimmy would start crying any second now.

“What do you know about her parents?”

Sean was obviously confused now, and I could tell he was re-thinking his revelation. “Well, my sister and her husband were told that the adoption was done privately and that she was born two weeks prematurely. They weren’t told anything about her parents, just that the mother was a teenager. Uhm, that’s about it. Jimmy, you okay?”

“That’s her,” Jimmy whispered to me, but I shook my head. It couldn’t be that easy. Plus, some details are off. “Jacoby, trust me.”

Sean was watching us, and I knew we had to tread carefully here. “Uhm, well, this isn’t the place to talk about this,” I decided, and Sean slowly nodded. “Is there a more private place to talk?”

“Well, there’s the office, though the night manager will be in there,” he said, as Jimmy and I stood to clear our plates. “Why don’t we head there after presents?”

Jimmy agreed, and once everyone was done eating, we ate cake and he opened his cards. He loved the gift cards he got, and thanked everyone for a great birthday. We went into Sean’s office, and waited while he explained to the night manager that we needed the room. The manager nodded, closing the door on her way out. Sean turned to us, confusion and concern wafting equally across his face.

“What’s up?” he asked, and I watched Jimmy take a deep breath.

“Do you remember my last overdose?” he asked, and Sean nodded. It was kind of hard to forget since he nearly lost all of his licenses and his job for that stunt. Sean went to bat for him, and by a miracle, he wasn’t canned on the spot. “Well, I guess I was pregnant. I’m able to have children, and apparently had a little boy after leaving California. Naturally, I was addicted to drugs, so I don’t remember either of them. Jacoby has done some digging, and we’ve discovered some lies. I recently remembered waking up in the hospital after the last overdose and being told that I’d had a stillborn little girl. Thanks, as I said, to Jacoby, we’ve learned that both children survived and were adopted. The adoptions were secret, and I can’t find either of them until the age of 18, and then only if they initiate the search. Records indicate that both were severely mentally and physically disabled, so that’s not going to happen. It’s also been recorded that my daughter’s name was Alicia Jane and she was born on April 3rd, 2004.”

Sean was quiet for a moment, as if doing the math in his head. Then, he pulled out her picture again and I think Jimmy's heart broke right there. We looked again and realized that Sean’s Alicia was not at all disabled; she looked like a normal, healthy, happy, six year old girl. She had a beautiful smile, but looking closer, she didn’t resemble either of us in the slightest. Jimmy sighed, as he handed the picture back; it was clear he was disappointed.

“I’m sorry,” he said, quietly. “I guess the description fit. Same birthday, same name, but I wasn’t a teen when she was born.”

Sean patted Jimmy's shoulder, putting the picture away. “It’s not your fault. Though I do have to ask: why do you keep thinking I have a daughter?”

“Remember the day you were out sick?” I asked, and Sean nodded. “Alicia filled in and said your daughter was out sick.”

“I told her it was my niece!” he groaned, and we laughed. He shook his head, looking over at Jimmy. “Oh well. Now, go enjoy your birthday!”

Jimmy saluted, and his smile returned, as we walked out the door. I was relieved that, so far, he seemed to be taking this disappointment with his head held high.

***

“Happy Birthday!”

Jimmy jumped as we walked in the house on Saturday, greeted by our neighbors, his parents, and Michelle. There was a cake with candles on the table, and another potluck. Jimmy grinned, looking over the spread on the table and the gifts stacked on the counters.

“Wow. This is why you had me out of the house last night and all of today?” he asked, and I nodded, kissing his cheek. “You kept this secret very well!”

I laughed, as Jimmy was directed to a chair at the head of the table.

“Do you ever expand this table?” Joe asked, as everyone grabbed plates. Jimmy was asked what he wanted and his mother filled his plate for him.

“Not often,” I admitted, making sure to take plenty of Annie’s Swedish meatballs. “Why?”

“It took all morning to find the leaves!” he complained and Jimmy and I laughed. “And they were horribly dusty.”

Jimmy damn near choked on the bite of food he’d taken, and I laughed as I watched Anthony whack him on the back until he managed a swallow of water. It’s not our fault we don’t need the table at full size. We all sat down, and then Jimmy and I looked at each other, confused. Jimmy pointed a fork at his parents.

“When did you get here?” he asked and they started laughing.

“We got here last night, while you were in Omaha,” Barb explained, smiling. “Hank picked us up, so we could surprise you.”

“Consider me surprised,” he said, as we resumed eating. I hadn’t planned on having his family here as well, but it was nice of them to come. In the three years they’ve been reunited, this is the second birthday they’ve celebrated with him. We found them after his 27th birthday and the weather had been foul for his 28th, and his 29th birthday was just unpleasant, to put it mildly. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s a much better winter than last February.”

“I agree all around,” his dad said, but the mood stayed up. We all knew that it wasn’t just the weather that made this a better winter.

“Who wants cake?” Michelle asked, and we all raised our hands, even though we were stuffed to the brim. She brought out a cake with happy birthday written on it, and an apparently edible picture of the day he was reunited with his parents and sister. “I hope the picture is okay. I had to have that made so it was edible.”

“It’s perfect,” he said, smiling. He watched as Michelle cut the cake, then looked over at her. “Can I have the most frosting?”

Everyone laughed, as Michelle gave him as much frosting as possible. His mom dished up ice cream, and by the time we were all done eating, most of us couldn’t move. Jimmy thanked everyone for a great meal, then grinned as he was handed his gifts. I had gotten him a gift certificate to his favorite bakery, which had re-opened last fall, and I knew it was going to please him greatly.

“Thank you guys,” he said, once he’d opened everything. He was surrounded by gift cards, books, and some clothing. “This has been a great birthday week.”

We all made our way into the living room from there, and Jimmy put on a movie. His mother made her famous cheesy stovetop popcorn, once everyone had recovered from supper, and we all settled in for a movie night. Jimmy and I had the weekend off, so we had plenty of time to spend with our family. The weekend was uneventful, minus the hormones getting to Michelle during a somewhat sad movie we watched. Jimmy's mom could sympathize and we all agreed to watch only comedies the rest of the night.

“I love you,” Jimmy said, as we collapsed into bed around two that morning. He kissed my cheek and I smiled, kissing him back. “This has been a great birthday week.”

“I know how to make it better,” I whispered, as I straddled him. “Think you can handle the heat?”

“Bring it on, Mr. Shaddix,” he challenged me, as I leaned down to kiss him.

Wow, how far things have come in a year. From utter meltdowns and threats of divorce, to a marriage more solid seeming than ever and a baby on the way. *sighs happily*

I'm not much for the fairytale, happily ever after bs, but these guys deserve some happiness =). Miss Lyra is now down for her nap so I am yours for the next about two hours!

***

“FUCK!” I screamed, snatching my hand from the mower blade. I smashed it against my shirt, which hurt even worse and I pulled the shaking appendage away to look at it. Oh hell. “Shit.”

Naturally, Jacoby and Michelle were at work, which left me alone. I wobbled my way out of the garage and grabbed my phone with my left hand. I dialed Hank, sitting down on the grass before I passed out from loss of blood. I haven’t pulled this stunt in a while and I didn’t need a reminder of how much it hurt. I frowned when Hank didn’t answer, but reminded myself that he had a life. I called Anthony next, hoping either he or Annie was home.

“Hey Jim,” Tony said and I sighed in relief. I hissed when my hand moved and resisted the urge to whimper. “What’s up?”

“I need to ask a favor,” I said, taking a deep breath. I’m not squeamish, but for some reason, this cut is really getting to me. “I’m a bone head. Can you haul my ass to the MV ER?”

“What’d you do this time?” he asked, as I heard the jingle of his keys. I heard the door shut and closed my eyes for a second.

“I might’ve been sharpening mower blades,” I said, lying down on the grass. I’d gotten my shirt off and had wrapped it tightly around my hand. Pressure was essential to keep me from bleeding out.

“You haven’t done this in a few years,” he said, and I finally heard tires on the gravel. “I’m here. Where are you?”

“Grass in front of the shed,” I said, knowing better than to stand up. “I’m awfully lightheaded, fair warning.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I carried your ass into the ER,” he said, laughing. He helped me stand and supported me as we walked. “You keeping pressure on that damn hand?”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. I got into his truck, and he buckled me in, considering my dominate hand was out of commission. “At least I did this at the end of March and not closer to the baby’s birth.”

Anthony shook his head. “He’s still going to kill you.”

I just nodded, as I started to feel a little better. This cut was deep; deeper than the last time I did this, at least. Although this time I was sober; last time I did this, I’d taken a few hits of coke and had a few drinks. I’m not talking beer, I’m talking, oh say, a bottle of whiskey. Or two. So yeah, last time I was just being stupid. This time, I’m completely sober, but my hand slipped as I was moving the sharpener over the grinder and I sliced the palm right open.

“How deep is it?” Tony asked, as we approached Missouri Valley from the interstate.

“It’s deep,” I responded, not daring to unwrap it and look. I was finally feeling less lightheaded, which means holding pressure was working. “I don’t know how deep, but it’s deep. I’m sure I saw muscles in the brief look I got.”

“Well, just keep pressure on it,” he advised, heading for the hospital. Once he’d found a parking spot, he walked me in, planting me in a chair as soon as we got to the front desk.

Paperwork sucks when you can’t use your dominate hand, but Tony was kind enough to fill it out for me. I was taken back right away, given that it’s a small ER and usually not very busy. Tony helped me keep pressure over my hand, until a nurse came in and got a good look at it.

“That will certainly need stitches,” she announced, taking my vitals. My blood pressure was a little low, but come on, my hand was bleeding profusely! “B/P is a little low, but that’s to be expected. The doctor will be in shortly.”

“You know, I work in an ER and I don’t think Creighton’s is this dull,” I remarked and laughed when Tony punched me.

“Might be that whole ‘huge ER, level one trauma center’ thing,” he said, shaking his head. The doctor came in and I smiled at him. “Do you have common sense pills available?”

“I wish,” Dr. Smithland said, laughing. He pulled the t-shirt off my hand and grimaced. “Good grief, Jimmy. What were you doing?”

Dr. Smithland is their primary ER doc here and he knows me well. This is a change over the usual, of course, because I’m not gasping for air right now. “Sharpening mower blades.”

“Again? At least you’re sober this time, and I won’t have to ship you off to Omaha for the night to detox before we can deal with your hand,” he said, with a smile on his face. “I’m going to get this cleaned up and then we’ll see how deep it is.”

I hissed as the doctor worked with my hand, pouring saline over it and gently scrubbing it. I know it has to be done, but does it have to hurt so bad? I watched as my hand at least started to look less like a horror movie prop, and then, finally, the doctor numbed it up for me.

“Thanks,” I said, with relief. I can handle a lot of pain, but it doesn’t mean I want to. “How many stitches am I looking at?”

The doctor was probing the cut now, and I took a glance at it with him. Once I got a look at it, my eyes widened, and Tony looked as well. I’d done a number on it this time, that was for sure. I wasn’t sure I was seeing it correctly, but apparently, when the doctor looked at me, I was. I could definitely see muscle down there.

“Jimmy, what were you doing with those mower blades? Juggling them?” he asked, and I shook my head, laughing a bit.

“No. I have a sharpening grinder at home and I was using that,” I explained, feeling concerned.

“How do you sharpen them?”

I hadn’t planned to give a tutorial, but what the hell? “Well, I take my mower deck off, since we have a rider. I loosen the blades, mark the top, then stick the beveled edge, which cutes, on a little grinder I have. I run the blades back and forth until it’s shiny and then I carefully check to make sure it’s all even.”

“What were you doing when the blade slipped?”

“I was moving it to the right,” I answered, worried now. “Is it as deep as it looks?”

“Yeah. This is really deep, Jimmy. Try and move your fingers.”

I managed to make a fist and the doctor nodded, looking relived. I was, too, honestly; as deep as this cut it, I’m at huge risk for nerve damage and I need my hands to do my job.

“Well, I can stitch it up, but it’s going to take a while. I’m also going to get you a tetanus shot.”

“I should be up on that, shouldn’t I?”

“Probably, but this is a dangerous situation, Jimmy, and I’d rather be safe than sorry,” he explained, and I nodded. “No sense you getting an infection, agreed?”

I couldn’t argue with that. I knew this thing was going to be a bitch to heal, though, as I watched the doctor work. He used a bit more numbing medication and then placed my hand on a sterile drape. A bright light shined over my hand and finally, he started stitching. While he worked, I looked around the small ER. I’d been here before of course, with my asthma, but in that situation, I’m not looking at anything.

Now, I was able to look around a little, since I didn’t need to watch my hand being stitched up. I took in the small ER I was in, thinking how much bigger the one at Creighton is. We have twice as many bays, and most of ours are private rooms. This ER is all curtained off cubicles and that’s it. There are a few shelves with bandages on them, and they could cast a broken bone if they had to. But that’s about it. They do basic stuff here, and everything else goes to Omaha. It was cold in here unlike Creighton, too, which always seems temperate to me. That might be blood loss, but I didn’t lose that much blood. I looked back at my hand and saw that so far, two layers had been stitched up, with at least two more to go.

“Jacoby’s going to kill you,” Tony pointed out and I nodded, as the doctor continued to work on me.

“When’s the baby due?”

“June 5th,” I answered, with a smile. “We’re getting so excited, even though poor Michelle is miserable. She’s really getting big, but so far, there’s just one baby visible on the ultrasounds.”

“I hope there isn’t one hiding,” the doctor said, as he started another layer of stitches. “I’ve heard of that happening before. It’s uncommon, but not rare.”

“How many stitches am I getting?” I asked, not wanting to think about having more than one baby. I need to be prepared if I’m going to be the father of twins or something.

“So far, I’m up to 20, at 10 per layer so far, and I’ve got two layers to go yet. I’m using dissolvable stitches for everything, too, except the very top layer. That will have regular stitches, and I want you to follow up with Dr. Mathias in two weeks to see about getting those out.”

I nodded, looking over at Anthony, feeling bored. He looked as bored as I felt and we both started laughing, causing Dr. Smithland to pause until we’d calmed down a bit.

“Sorry,” I said, as he smiled and laughed. “We just see this all the time at work, I’ve done stitches before and this isn’t very exciting.”

“Of course, at Creighton there’s more to keep your attention, too,” he remarked, as he started what looked to be the last layer of stitches. I was glad he was getting done, finally, so I go home and face Jacoby tonight. “Here, we get about 10 patients a week. You probably get 10 patients an hour down there.”

“It depends,” Tony said, shrugging. “We’ve had days where we barely see 10 patients all day, and then we have days where we can’t keep beds empty for more than five minutes. Creighton is busy, yes, but not always as busy as people might think.”

“There. 50 stitches, five layers of skin. Congratulations, Jimmy, you get the worst cut in Missouri Valley ER history award.”

I laughed, as the doctor finished the final stitch in my hand and sat back, rolling his shoulders a bit. I looked at my hand, frowning at the stitches laced over the top, knowing how many were beneath that. Dr. Smithland washed it again with some saline and then wrapped some gauze around my hand, securing it with tape.

“Leave the wrap on tonight and keep it dry. You can shower, but make sure you dry your hand well any time it gets wet, okay?” I nodded. “If you have any signs of infection, get right back here so we can take care of it. I’ll have one of the nurses get your tetanus shot and then you can go.”

I placed my hand back in my lap, carefully flexing the fingers. I have no idea how I’m supposed to do anything with that hand while it heals, which shouldn’t take long. I’m right handed and this is really going to cramp me at work. Tony looked over at me flexing my hand and smirked.

“Can’t wait to see you try to work with that hand, genius,” he said, I punched him with my good hand. “Ow. You’re abusive!”

“Well, quit picking on me. You know you and I are teamed up this week, right?” I asked, and he groaned, making me laugh. “When I’m on ground duty this week, it’s you and me. But that’s not as bad as me being paired with Bubbles for flight duty.”

“You have my deepest sympathies,” Tony intoned, just as the doctor returned with papers for me to sign. He put them on the table beside the bed, and a few minutes later, a nurse came in with my shot.

“Sympathies?” the nurse asked, and I started to laugh.

“We have this new flight nurse,” I explained, trying to ignore her prepping my arm. I hate getting shots, especially tetanus shots. “She is just so perky it’s sickening. I mean, it’s six in the morning and we’re all trudging in, coffee in hand, and she bounces in, literally, coffee in hand. It’s disgusting. I work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week and I’m paired with her on all my flights.”

I flinched as the needle poked me and then withdrew. Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m a paramedic and nurse, but shots still hurt. The tetanus one tends to make my arm horribly sore for a full day after, too, which means tomorrow is really going to suck.

“You’re good to go,” she said, as she went over the papers with me. It wasn’t that I didn’t know this stuff, but it’s standard procedure. I signed as best I could with my wounded hand and then followed Tony out to his truck.

“Well, that was fun,” he said, looking at his watch. “How did it take two hours when you were the only patient?”

“That’s the joy of a small town ER,” I reminded him, as we started from the parking lot. Green was starting to come back to the trees and lawns and I was so happy. “Want a bite to eat? My treat.”

He nodded, turning onto Main Street once we had reached Mondamin. He parked in front of the small brick building that held Molly’s Bar. It was nice to come here when I wasn’t upset for a change, and I knew Molly would be glad to see me. Anthony led the way inside and we sat the bar. The varnish was chipped and peeling and the stools sported worn leather tops, but it was comfortable.

“Good afternoon gentlemen,” Molly said, coming over to us. She looked at my gauze-wrapped hand and frowned. “What’d you do to your hand?”

“I was sharpening mower blades and the damn thing slipped,” I explained, slowly flexing my fingers. The numbing medication was starting to wear off and this was looking to be one painful cut. “50 stitches all said and done. I cut five layers deep.”

“Well, if Jacoby’s in here tonight, drowning his murderous tendencies in a bottle of Jack, I’ll know why,” she joked, as Tony and I laughed. “So, I imagine then, you boys are hungry. Our ER is slower than molasses in January, and I have a feeling you were there for a while.”

“Two hours,” I complained and she patted my shoulder in mock sympathy. “And it hurt like hell.”

She shook her head, handing us the small, hand written menu she made out daily. She didn’t serve a lot of food, but what she did serve was very tasty. She served a couple of other patrons before returning with Pepsi’s for us. She didn’t serve alcohol until seven at night, and no one ever argued with her about that.

“I’ll have the bacon double cheese burger, with home fries, two sides of mayo, and a small salad with buttermilk ranch,” I said, as she wrote everything down.

“I’ll have the same, but with a small Cesar salad,” Tony said, handing the menu back.

“Be right up boys,” she said, heading into the back. She has a cook on during the day, and he makes some amazing burgers.

I relaxed as Tony and I made small talk with Molly and other patrons sitting at the bar. My hand was starting to hurt, but it’s going to hurt for a while. I was far more concerned with Jacoby’s reaction later tonight. I don’t think he’ll be pissed, but he won’t be happy, either, considering that baby preparation is in full swing right now. There’s not much I can do about it now, is there?

Oh Jim you doofus! You got a baby coming, behave yourself!

I thought we needed a bit of "real life" in these chapters. It's something I could see him doing...and something I know I'd do, so I'm never going to try sharpening mower blades!

***

45

“Why didn’t you call me?” I asked Jimmy as soon as I saw his hand and heard the story. I wasn’t angry, just worried.

“You were at work and I didn’t think it warranted calling you. I called Tony and he took care of everything. He drove me to the ER and kept me company while they stitched me up and got me a tetanus shot. We even went out for dinner afterward at Molly’s. I endured much teasing from her and a couple other regulars. Michelle even wants to photograph it once the wrap comes off.”

I just shook my head as I sat down to eat. Jimmy had gotten one of the last casseroles out of the freezer, since he understandably wasn’t up for cooking tonight. Honestly, his cooking still sucks; it’s just his baking that’s good. I peeled back the foil, and smiled when I saw taco casserole. Have I mentioned that pretty much anything makes a good casserole? Yeah. I’ve gotten a cookbook from Hank that has all of Eleanor’s handwritten recipes in it for casseroles, and I can’t wait to start cooking. Michelle has been amazing with her cooking, but it’s not fair to make her do it all.

“Have you guys eaten already?” I asked, and Michelle shook her head. “Why not?”

“I was late at work. I had senior pictures, and that lasted until six,” she explained, and I nodded, looking at Jimmy. “Just not hungry?”

“Not really. I’ll try to eat, though. My hand is throbbing and for some reason, my body isn’t tolerating this pain like it usually does,” he said, frowning. “I took some Aleve, but it’s not kicking in yet.”

I thought for a moment, knowing that he couldn’t take anything narcotic in nature. Finally, I came up with the next best thing: an ice pack. I grabbed one from the freezer and wrapped it in a dishtowel, then applied to it his hand.

“That should help for a bit, at least,” I said, as he smiled. “Want to try eating?”

“Might as well,” he said, as his stomach growled. He grimaced a bit, but sat down and took a small helping of food. Normally, he can eat me under the table so he’s definitely not feeling well.

“Do you want any peas or bread?” I asked, but he shook his head, as he poked at the miniscule helping of taco casserole on his plate. I know this is his favorite, so I hope he feels better in the morning. He’s normally not affected by pain much, at least not the kind of pain a cut to his hand would bring. “How many stitches did you end up with?”

“50 spread out over five layers. I go in two weeks to have the top layer removed,” he answered, as he took a small bite of food. I blinked at him, and he nodded. “I know. That’s what I thought, too. But I cut it deep this time, Cobs. I was sober, too, in case you were wondering.”

“I never said you weren’t,” I said, getting a bit defensive. I saw Michelle frown out of the corner of my eye and took a deep breath.

Jimmy said, nothing, just excused himself from the table. I put my napkin down, ready to follow, but Michelle told me to give him some space. I had no idea what was upsetting him, and was willing to chalk it up to his hand. That had to be the problem, though he’s never been this bitter about something like this.

“Mind if I finish his plate?” Michelle asked, and I had to laugh.

“Go for it.”

***

I checked on Jimmy a couple of hours later, and found him sound asleep on his couch. The ice pack, now warm, was still on his hand and I gently removed it, then replaced it with a fresh one. I have no idea what’s up with him, but I hope it’s just that he’s in pain. He’s been doing so much better up until today, and I don’t want all that progress to disappear.

I kissed his forehead, feeling like my mother, and then turned the light out and left the room. Michelle was up in her room, probably talking to Brian and I was bored. The days were getting longer, but it still got dark early. I finally decided to see how the temperatures were outside, then decided to go for a walk. I texted Michelle and Jimmy both, and then set off up the gravel. I need time to think, and time to myself. We have a full house right now, and while I realize it’s only going to get fuller when the baby comes, I needed some time to think.

The main thing I needed to think about was what I discovered hidden quite well under the bathroom sink today. I was reaching in for a new tube of toothpaste and a paper bag fell down, scattering its contents all over the bathroom floor. Normally, this wouldn’t have worried me; we’ve placed stuff at the back and forgotten about it plenty of times before. But we don’t tend to stash pregnancy tests; especially male pregnancy tests. This leads me to wonder about Jimmy: he did finally have his rescheduled gynecologist appointment, and we found out that yes, he could bear children.

I hope he’s not hiding something from me, especially this close to Michelle giving birth. I really don’t want two infants in the house at the same time. If we were having twins or something, that would be different, but so far, it appears that we are not having twins, so I don’t want to end up with twins. I’m nervous enough about being a father.

I am proud of Jimmy, though. He’s doing so well since he got back from California. I can see it in his eyes how much he misses that place, though. This winter was milder than past ones, but every time he looked out at the falling snow or had to drive on our slippery gravel, I could see that longing in his eyes for the beach. Hollister said Jimmy talks a lot about his time at UC Irvine, however short lived it might have been. She’s always been good at reading people, and she’s read him like an open book. I think he’s homesick, and I don’t know if having his parents here for his birthday was wise. I know it was their idea, but still.

I also wonder what being a dad will be like. I’m very excited as the time draws near. Everything is going beyond well and we couldn’t be happier, honestly. We’ve wanted children for some time, but with Jimmy's unstable mental illness, we never tried. Now that he’s getting treatment and seems more stable, I’m excited to enter a new phase of our marriage. I don’t have any delusions that it’s going to be easy, of course. Tempers will flare from the lack of sleep, I’m sure, and there will always be the accusation that ‘I got up more last night than you did’, but we’ll work through them.

I worry about Jimmy, probably more than I should. It’s just that right now he’s on his meds, he’s on the *right* meds, and everything is fine. But I see those little changes and ticks in him every day, you know? Today, I watched him taking his asthma meds. He had everything lined up from biggest to smallest and took each one accordingly. Last night, he got upstairs, changed, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, used the bathroom, then went to bed. Little routines are starting to surface again, and I want to step in, but I’m afraid he’ll run away again.

I sighed, pausing to turn around and rest for a moment. I just don’t want this baby to come and have Jimmy freak out, you know? That’s my nightmare right there: to end up a single dad because Jimmy had a breakdown and ran away. He’s doing well, excited about the preparations we’re making, excited about the surprise baby shower that’s coming up at work in another week or so (Hollister has a big mouth). But I still worry. He’s wanted to be a dad, but what if the past breaks him with our child? This time it’s ours, we know about it, and the baby is going to be healthy.

Shivering, I started for home, hands shoved in my coat pockets. I have no idea how far I walked, but it felt good to get out here. I’ve got tomorrow off, as does Jimmy, since he worked the first three days of the week. We’ve got a weekend off together as well. But there’s something in the back of my mind and I can’t shake it, for some reason.

***

Jimmy seemed to be in better spirits the next day. He slept late and took his time getting around. I got my first good look at the wound on his hand and frowned; it looked bad to me. He assured me everything was fine and outside of some understandable pain, there were no signs of infection. Anthony was coming down later to finish sharpening the blades for us, since I don’t know how to do it. I told my husband, though, that he was going to rest today, so his hand didn’t end up infected. He protested, but I refused to give in.

I will mow today, since it’s mostly getting rid of the leaves that didn’t get raked. The grass isn’t in grave need right now, though once the spring rains start, that will change. Jimmy is also going into Omaha with me; I know of a restaurant supply store and I think I can get him something to make blade sharpening safer. I did my time in fast food in my youth and we had these chain gloves that were required wearing when washing knives. I want Jimmy to have a pair for sharpening blades so we can avoid any more deep cuts on his hands.

“Jimmy, want to come into town with me?” I asked, once we’d had dinner. He was dealing with the pain better today, and I was glad for that. “I need to get a few things before the shower.”

“Sure,” he responded, though he sounded confused. He was lying on the couch, reading, and looked at me. “But I thought you wanted me to rest today.”

“I do. But I got to thinking that it’s good for you to do something,” I covered. I hate going back on my word, but I do realize the importance of fresh air and movement. It’s a cut on his hand, not soething much worse. “Besides, the fresh air will do you good. When do you go back to work?”

“Thursday,” he answered, marking his page and sitting up. The ER doctor had called Sean and faxed in a work excuse, which he’d forgotten to do when Jimmy was in the bay. “But it would be nice to get out of the house, I guess.”

With a shrug, he accepted his sweatshirt from me and we headed out. I watched him, seeing how he took the short path to the garage, which he hadn’t done for a while. I didn’t want to think the old habits were coming back, but we were coming up on a huge stress in our lives. Stress can trigger him, and I know he’s trying not to let anything happen, but he doesn’t have control sometimes.

“So, where are we going?” he asked, as he buckled in. He’s getting better at doing things one handed already, though I want him to start using that hand eventually.

“Just getting a few things at the store,” I said, shrugging. I started down the gravel and glanced over at Jimmy. He was giving me his famous ‘I don’t believe you’ look. “What?”

He chuckled at me, an indication that he was feeling better. “You’re up to something. You hardly ever change your mind about me resting when I’m not feeling well or am down with an injury,” he pointed out. He nudged me and gave me a pointed look. “So, what’s up? It’s no good trying to hide it from me, you know.”

I laughed a bit. “Okay, you caught me. But it’s for a good cause. I’m going to get you some special gloves to wear while you’re sharpening mower blades. I want to save those hands of yours for more important things.”

“Like work?” he teased and I groaned, as I stopped at the junction of the highway. He laughed, his good hand reaching for my crotch. I shooed him away, never mind the fact that I now had a problem to deal with. “You know, we used to pull off the highway about two miles south and take care of problems.”

I have never driven two miles south so fast in my life. This would be rather one sided, of course, but Jimmy is a master no matter what. Even through my jeans the feelings were amplified, and I wished I’d brought along a change of clothing. At this rate, we could’ve gone back to the house and had more than this. Lucky for me, I remembered the duffel bag at the last minute, still in the truck in case of inclement spring weather. I darted from the truck and quickly changed, thankful that we were on a quiet stretch of county road rather than the interstate.

“All better?” Jimmy laughed as I got back into the truck. I nodded, a broad smile on my face. He handed me some antibacterial hand wipes and I cleaned my hands a bit. “Now, let’s get into Omaha. I feel better and want to enjoy myself.”

I had already enjoyed myself immensely, but decided to head into town anyway. After all, saving his hands from future abuse is important. But when we get home, he’s going to be in for the afternoon of his life. Well, one of many.

Hehe, bad boys!

You can get similar gloves they use for shucking oysters, basically chain mail, very cool things *is a total kitchen equipment nerd*, very smart thinking Coby!

I'm off to bed now, looking forward to another chapter before work tomorrow!

I think Coby was very smart!!

Sleep well and I'll make sure to have one up when you wake up =).

If everything works in our favor during nap time tomorrow, we could finish this. You only have three chapters left!

***

46

I grinned as I lied beside Jacoby, trying to catch my breath. I don’t know about you, but an afternoon of love making makes me hungry and tired. And since the only thing I can cook currently without it being a huge flop is dessert, I was getting ready to go downstairs and make cookies. Or a cake. Or something sweet. I sat up, but Jacoby wrapped his arms around me and got me to lay back down.

“Baking can wait,” he said, his teeth gently tugging on my bottom lip. “I want more.”

I honestly don’t know how much more energy I have. But Jacoby seems to think I’m a marathoner, considering he’s looming over me right now. Perhaps I do have some more energy, in fact, I’m certain I do. I know that I have the energy to scream right now, as my thoughts are solely on the pleasure I feel right now. We’ve got the house to ourselves right now anyway.

I wonder how many times a person can orgasm in one day. I’ve honestly lost count of what this one will be, and my mind is completely at ease with everything. When Jacoby collapsed beside me, panting, I knew we were both spent. It’s amazing, also, what I can do with nothing more than one functioning hand. That trip to Omaha was the quickest I think I’ve ever made. Lucky, or unlucky for Michelle, we happen to have tomorrow off together, too. We both work Thursday and then we’re off for the weekend. The shower (which was supposed to be a surprise, but Hollister can’t keep her mouth shut for a moment) is on Friday, so Michelle will go to that with us. That will be fun.

“Okay, lover boy, let’s go bake cookies now,” I said, kissing him. I got up out of bed, then headed in to shower. My hand was feeling somewhat better, though that could just be a distraction thing. You know what? My mind is officially mush. Jacoby fried my brain. The man is worse than a…oh, hello, Jacoby’s erection.

***

I promise we did finally get around to making cookies. In fact, we’re just frosting the last of them as I speak. I got out my cookie cutters and we have quite the menagerie here: Santa, reindeer, hearts, stars, angels, bears, bats, pumpkins, you name it. Jacoby even had fun baking with me, as he’s never really done that before. We can’t explain my ability to bake when I can still burn water with style.

I’m not kidding, either.

But that’s not a concern right now, since I have successfully made Eleanor’s famous sugar cookies. It was now nearing suppertime and we heard the backdoor open, and the cats came running. Michelle greeted each cat verbally, since she was unable to bend over right now. Instead, all four cats, as clever as they are, hopping up on the counter so she could pet them. Now, you have to picture this: The cats are lined up youngest to oldest, so Jacoby’s kittens, now close to a year old are first. Then, my cats, close to four years old, are next. They are in a perfectly straight line, and each one spends about two or three minutes being petted, then jumps down.

“Hey guys,” Michelle said, once Pa had been petted and moved down. “How’s the hand?”

“Not bad,” I said, grinning. She must have a sex radar because she started laughing as she grabbed three frosted cookies and sat down with us. Jacoby grabbed three glasses of milk and then sat down once again. “Did you still want to photograph it?”

“Yes, I was going to see if we could do that tonight. Brian couldn’t believe it when I told him about it. He wondered how you hadn’t severed it and I told him you were just plain talented.”

I had to laugh, since she was right, after all. We settled down with our cookies and milk and I watched her face contort for a moment. I kept calm, but I was worried; the baby wasn’t due for another three months, so now would not be a good time for her to go into labor.

“Just practice contractions. They happen when I rest for the day. The doctor thinks it’s because the baby has gotten used to me being active at work. Nothing to worry about,” she explained, and she pointed a look right at me. I blushed, but she patted my hand and told me not to worry. “What time is the shower on Friday?”

“We’re supposed to act surprised,” Jacoby told her. “But it’s at 1400. Just meet us at the ER and we’ll head to the conference room together.”

“I will try to act surprised,” she promised and I smiled. “I’m getting excited, really. I can’t to see what they give you guys, considering you’ve only bought the crib and dresser and such. You can honestly never have too many diapers and if you have the wrong size, you can always donate them to the hospital. Which reminds me, I’ve been working on my birth plan. Do you guys want to add anything?”

She pulled a piece of paper from her purse and we passed it around. For the most part, it’s up to her what she wants, since she’s giving birth. But she was letting us decide who to have in the room. So far, it was my mom and Jacoby’s mom, though we could have one more person. I had wanted Eleanor, of course, but since she’d passed on, we were still debating on that third person. Finally, I whispered something to Jacoby and he agreed.

“We can’t decide on the third person, so that’s up to you,” I said, and she smiled, asking if we were sure. “We’re sure. The person we were going to have will be there in spirit, so you chose whom you want. The only other thing we want to add is going to seem a little silly. But we don’t want the baby wearing a gender specific hat or blanket. So no pink for a girl or blue for a boy.”

“I can do that,” she agreed, and wrote that down. She looked thoughtful and I thought she was looking over the list of people allowed in the room. “Would any of you object to Val being in the room?”

“Of course not,” I said and Jacoby also shook his head. “It’s whomever you want, Chelle.”

“All right, I’ll call Val, then, and see if she can come out for it. I just don’t want you guys to get a houseful with a newborn. I know that your moms are going to be out here for the first eight weeks, so it’s up to you.”

“I hope she can make it,” I said, and Michelle smiled wide. I loved her sister, as she’d been one of the first I remembered and had been the gentlest when my memory went haywire during visits.

“I just can’t wait to have the baby,” she said, and placed a hand on her bulging stomach. I watched a foot skitter across the surface of it and smile. That was a big foot! “I’m glad I’ve been able to help you guys with your family.”

I nodded, happy as well. Of course, I wanted to be able to carry the next baby, as I found out something kind of interesting at my appointment. I really need to sit down and talk to Jacoby about it, too, because it’s kind of important. I can bear children, yes, but unlike other males who can bear children these days my situation is a little bit different.

“Earth to Jimmy!”

I started a bit as Jacoby punched my arm, and then gave him a glare as I rubbed the spot. He laughed, then pointed to Michelle.

“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” she asked, and I shook my head, apologizing. “It’s okay, you were in deep thought. I asked you how your appointment went; you and I never did get a chance to talk about it.”

Well, shit. I don’t know if I should tell them both or if this is something better told to my husband first. I’d actually already talked to my parents about it and they were surprised, but not upset. Mom said she’d kind of wondered over the years, but considering I’d gone missing for 10 years, she didn’t have a lot to go on. I have no idea what to do and Michelle is looking at me expectantly.

“Was it bad news?” she asked, but I shook my head, looking over at Jacoby. I wish he were a mind reader. “Are you sure?”

“Well, it’s just that I got some kind of interesting news,” I said, figuring I might as well take the plunge. Jacoby gave me a curious look, and Michelle gestured for me to continue. “Well, of course, in this day and age some men can have children. Those men tend to be a bit of a mystery, since no one is sure what’s going on in their bodies. I’ve read all the research, considering I’m one of those men. However, my case is not the mysterious type. Unlike other men who can bear children, I was born a little differently. Now, most men who can bear children seem to be normal males on the inside: no uterus, etc. But at some point, they develop baby making facilities, if you will. Uhm, well, I seem to have been born female inside and male outside.”

“You’re intersex?” Jacoby asked, surprised, and I nodded. He didn’t seem upset, which is good. “But usually intersex males are infertile.”

“Right,” I said, nodding. Here comes the hard part, I guess. “Well, after extensive testing that day, the doctor discovered that I’m not. He’s not sure why, of course, so I suppose I am a bit of a mystery. But I’ve got photographic proof that I’m female on the inside. I’m also as fertile as any woman of my age.”

The kitchen was deathly quiet for a moment. I could hear the jingle of a cat toy in the living room. I could hear the wind howling outside the house. The late afternoon sun was streaming in from the living room, since there’s no divider between the rooms. The smell of cookies hung in the air, but there was nothing said by my husband or friend. What did I do or say wrong, exactly?

“Guys?” I asked, trying to break the silence that had descended upon us. “What’s wrong?”

They blinked and I started to get worried. Was Michelle in labor and I hadn’t noticed or something? Finally, Jacoby spoke.

“Isn’t this usually diagnosed at birth?” he asked, and I heard the suspicion in his tone. Please don’t ruin our good day, was all I could think.

“Not always,” I countered, standing. I went to my office, then returned with the literature the doctor had given me. “I was honestly just waiting for a good time to bring this up. But here’s the literature on it.”

I watched Jacoby skim it over, then hand it to Michelle. I hoped this wasn’t going to go down as the worst day of my life, because it’d been so pleasant so far. I wanted to have more sex tonight with my husband, but that won’t happen if he’s mad at me. Finally, Michelle put the papers aside and smiled at me.

“Well, that answered my questions. It’s not your fault no one found this until now,” she said and I watched Jacoby, who finally smiled as well.

“True. I guess it just seems like a rare condition to me, that’s all. Especially in a day and age where some men can just naturally bear children, I find it odd that there are still diagnoses of intersex. But I don’t care, because it doesn’t change anything. We’re still going to be careful.”

“Thank you,” I told him, almost deflating with relief. I was so afraid he was going to hate me, and now I don’t have to worry. “Well, do we want cookies and milk for supper or do we want something more substantial?”

Michelle practically sprang to her feet, causing us to laugh. She’s found herself dealing with an increased appetite of late, and it’s been very interesting to watch. She went to the freezer and pulled out three pounds of ground beef, then grabbed seasonings and started defrosting the meat. I knew what she was making, because she’d fallen in love with Eleanor’s taco casserole. Sure enough, once the meat was thawed, she started cooking.

“Can one of you grab me a casserole dish?” she asked, and I got up, grabbing one of the many 9x13 pans we own. “I’ve got a craving, so you’ll have to forgive me.”

“I’m not complaining,” I said, as she pounded the meat into submission. She seasoned it as she went, and I wondered how hot she was going to make it. Eleanor had written out ‘to taste’ on the spices, but sometimes Michelle craved fiery, seven alarm tacos and sometimes she wanted very mild tacos. “I love this casserole.”

In what I think might be record time Michelle had the beef ready. She started layering the casserole and then she popped it into the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. I knew she was eager for it to finish cooking, because she had the table set before the timer hit five minutes. I started laughing, as did Jacoby and she looked at us, her own laughter echoing with ours.

“What? Squirt and I are very, very hungry,” she argued, as she grabbed another cookie. Our glasses of milk were long gone, but she filled hers again. “I can’t wait 30 minutes for that to get done. I had no idea that the eating for two thing was legit. Honestly.”

I just continued to laugh, as she finished the cookie and most of the milk, then decided to leave the kitchen to avoid temptation. I looked over at Jacoby, who was just shaking his head. He drew me into a hug and whispered in my ear.

“We need to talk.”

I nodded, leading him to my office. He started our talk once we were seated and my heart leapt into my throat.

“I found something under the sink the other day, by accident. Why are there several male pregnancy tests stashed under our bathroom sink?”

Oh shit.

Hmm, what is Jimmy up to? Surely he is just being careful isn't he? *worries*

Despite Jimmy's reaction, I think he was just being careful. After finding out that he's intersex (and in the rare category of people who didn't get diagnosed at birth) and fertile (which is rare), he's got a lot of reasons to be careful! =)

***

47

Well, I have to say, I ask my husband a simple question and I get the deer-in-headlights look. I’m just curious and I want to make sure he’s not pregnant. I want him to be pregnant, just not right now. I know what he’s thinking and I have no idea why he keeps doing that; it’s becoming aggravating.

“Dude, calm down. It’s just a question.”

He closed his mouth, which had started hanging open, and shook himself a little. “Well, I was afraid you’d be mad or something.”

I shook my head, wondering why he assumes everything these days is going to make me mad. Honestly, I know we’ve had problems before, but everything is good right now. I looked at him and sighed.

“You know that attitude is getting aggravating. Why would I be mad?” I snapped, and he shrugged, looking embarrassed and guilty. I took a deep breath, since this wasn’t worth fighting over. “Look, I just want to make sure that you’re not pregnant, that’s all. I want our child to be a little older before we have a second one, okay?”

“I’m not pregnant and I agree,” he said and I leaned over to kiss him. I hope that proves that I’m not mad and I just wanted to clear this matter up. No fighting, no big talks, just a simple couple questions. His eyes came up from the laminate floor and smiled. “Now, I’m hungry and I hear Michelle calling us to the table.”

I had to laugh, hearing her hollering up the stairs. I knew she was starving and when I heard the timer go off, I knew it was every man for themselves. Jimmy and I hurried downstairs, as Michelle finished setting the table and bringing the food over. The kitchen smelled amazing, and once again, I was stuck by her ability to cook, and my ability to make edible food.

“Let’s eat,” she declared and we all nodded, as our stomachs rumbled.

We all sat down, Jimmy taking a turn to scoop food from the casserole dish. Once our plate were filled, the kitchen fell silent. I looked outside, glad to see the sun still up, at least a little. It was still early spring, and I wished it was summer. True, we’d had a mild winter, but it had drug on, and now we were literally weeks away from the birth of the baby. I was getting more and more excited as the time went on, and once the shower was over, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to wait. Michelle keeps reminding me that the baby needs to grow a bit more before making an appearance into this world and I understand that. I just want to hold my baby, that’s all.

***

We moved into April with plenty of warm weather. Michelle was looking bigger as the weeks went by, though the baby had now dropped into the birth canal and she was even starting to dilate. Preparations were moving at lightning speed at our house; the nursery was done and just needed its most important occupant. The shower at work had netted us two car seats, which were installed in the trucks. They fit just right, so that was one worry off our minds. We didn’t want to get new vehicles and now we won’t have to. We also got a stroller and plenty of clothes and diapers of all sizes. We also got several gift baskets full of bath supplies. Michelle got a pampering kit and a certificate to a spa that caters to new moms. She was planning to use that before she returned to California in August. We still don’t know what we’re going to do about getting breast milk from her when she goes back, but I guess we’ll just have to switch the baby to formula then.

We were also getting ready for our mothers to arrive. They would be here in two weeks, and the only available spare room was now taken by Michelle. That meant we were getting mattresses ready to go for our (recently, thanks to a surprise from our families) finished basement. Friends were planning trips out to see us at the end of summer, giving us plenty of time to adjust to having a baby in the house. Work was also prepared and as soon as Michelle went into labor, we were getting three weeks of FMLA leave.

“Ouch.”

I looked over at the ER door and my heart dropped into my boots. Michelle was waddling in, supported by two co-workers. Her jeans were wet and I knew what had happened. Just my luck, Jimmy was on a transfer run with the chopper, too. I yelled for a wheelchair, as Michelle worked on her breathing.

“You’re going to be okay,” I assured her, as she squeezed my hand. “Get Dr. Michealson!”

Thankfully, her OB was on call, as we moved toward the elevator. I paused to holler at Racheal, working switchboard, to radio Jimmy and tell him to head up to OB when he returned. This wasn’t supposed to happen now! She’s not due for another three weeks!

“Good luck!” Sean called, as we disappeared into the staff elevator. I hit the button for sixth floor and wished the lift would go faster.

“Jacoby.”

I jumped, looking down at Michelle, who smiled a gentle smile.

“Calm down.”

“I’m trying,” I squeaked out, as the doors finally opened. We emerged onto the brightly lit OB ward, the sun streaming through the windows. It illuminated the white walls and the cheerful pictures placed around the lobby. I hurried to the speaker on the wall and pressed the white button.

“Can I help you?”

“Michelle Dibenedetto to have a baby,” I announced, my voice strained with stress and worry.

“Come on in,” the voice replied, sounding far calmer than I cared for.

We hurried onto the unit, the cheerful yellow walls a blur as we moved toward the nurse’s station. Once there, a woman in purple scrubs took us into a room, helping Michelle into bed. I stayed with her, as her friends fretted near the door. She was helped to change, got an IV and then she was checked, which caused her immense pain and discomfort. I opened my mouth to snap at the nurse, but Michelle shook her head, squeezing my hand tight.

“Let them work.”

I nodded, jumping when I saw Jimmy's chopper landing outside Michelle’s room. I hope he got the message, because I do not want him to miss this.

“Everything is doing fine. You’re at three centimeters and there is no stress on the baby. We’ll get the room prepped, get the monitors on you and then we wait,” the nurse said with a kind smile. “My name is Jeylynda if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” Michelle said, as she tried to get comfortable. I was worried to death, considering I’d missed the last appointment and she patted my hand. “It’s okay, Jacoby. The baby can come any time between now and my due date and it will be fine. Squirt is just very impatient.”

“Did I miss it?” a frantic lisp came from the doorway 10 minutes later and Michelle laughed. “Oh hell.”

I grabbed Jimmy and hugged him, assuring him he hadn’t missed anything. Michelle called us both over to her bed and took our hands.

“I’m only at three. I’ve been sitting at three for the last two weeks. I know my water broke and all, but it sounds like this is going to take a while. I want you two to return to work and when it’s time I’ll have you paged, okay?”

“No way,” Jimmy protested but Michelle wouldn’t hear of it. “I don’t want to miss anything.”

“It’s going to be a lot of waiting,” Jeylynda said, as she returned and got Michelle hooked up to monitors. “I’ll page you when it’s time to return and I’ll call down and tell Sean to keep you in the building. But honestly, she’s going to be laboring for now and if she wants you to go back to work, I suggest you go.”

I clapped a hand over Jimmy's mouth before he got us kicked out by running his mouth off. I told Michelle that we’d be back the second anything happened and she shooed us off.

“What happened?” Jimmy demanded, as we headed for the elevator. I was feeling slightly calmer but not much. “Coby?”

I shrugged, as I hit the button to call the elevator. “I don’t know, actually. She just came into the ER and it was clear to me that her water had broken but she’s more calm then we are. I mean, she’s sending us back to work!”

Jimmy nodded, as the elevator made its slow way back downstairs. Sean met us and assured us we’d be staying in the ER just in case. Because Michelle’s water had broken, she could dilate faster or slower, there was no way of knowing. Just to be safe, we were going to stay inside.

“Since I also know you guys won’t be able to concentrate that well, I’m going to give you easy tasks. Right now, Dr. Edmundson needs assistance in bay four. He’s getting ready to cast a broken arm on a six year old. Jimmy you go there. Jacoby, I need you to assist with the entertainment of a psych patient. They’re going upstairs shortly, but in the mean time, I need you to relieve Hollister of sitting duty.”

I didn’t grumble, because if I’m just babysitting a patient until they head upstairs, I can leave anytime I need to in order to get back to Michelle. I don’t want to miss the birth of my baby, even if it is three weeks early.

“Don’t worry, Coby. Three weeks is perfectly acceptable, okay?” Hollister said, patting my shoulder. I nodded, but I was still concerned. “I have a niece that was born three weeks early and she was close to seven pounds and she was perfectly healthy.”

“I’m just nervous, that’s all, you know? First baby and now it’s coming early. I just want him or her to be healthy. I don’t care if it has problems; I just want a healthy baby.”

She patted my shoulder again and smiled at me. Her blue eyes were bright with happiness and I tried to recapture my happiness; after all, this was supposed to be a happy occasion. Jimmy and I weren’t the first parents in the ER, but we were the newest. There hadn’t been a new parent on our crew in at least three or four years, so this was very exciting.

“The baby will be fine.”

I nodded as I took a seat near the bed. The patient was quiet, apparently asleep, though I knew to be on guard. After a quick flip through the chart, I knew I had a combative one on my hands. Even if they’re sedated, some patients can overcome the effects. Jimmy, when he was at the height of his drug use, would need four times the normal dose of sedative for it take effect. I shuddered as I thought of the times I’d be called on an ambulance run only to find my husband layed out on a sidewalk, half dead.

“We’re going to take her upstairs now,” Anthony said, smiling at me. I moved out of his way and he shook my hand. “Congratulations, soon to be dad.”

“Thanks,” I said, smiling as I moved out of the room. I watched the patient leave and then headed for the nurse’s station, looking for Jimmy. “Is Jimmy still with Edmundson?”

“Yeah, he’s trying to distract the child from the cast,” Sean explained, coming up to the desk. He smiled when my eyes went to his pager and shook his head. “No pages yet. I even called up and she’s still at three. So you’ve got a wait on your hands. My sister did this and was in labor for two days. She could stay at three for quite a while.”

“I wish she’d hurry up and dilate,” I complained and Racheal smiled, shaking her head. “What?”

She held up a plain gold photo frame. Inside were identical girls who looked about five. I recalled that she had twins in school this year and realized that she was probably going to explain how this birth process works. I know what happens; I just wish it would hurry up so I can hold my baby.

“I was stuck at five centimeters dilation with the twins for three days. I didn’t come into the hospital until my water broke and we thought labor was going to go fast. After all, I went from two centimeters, where I'd been suck for about three weeks, to five centimeters in about an hour. But I stalled out at five and right before we went in for a c-section, because one heart beat wasn’t doing so well, I got to 10 centimeters. Inside of an hour, the twins were born, a week early and healthy as ever. The trick is to be patient. I know that’s hard, but it helps if you can keep your mind off things.”

I nodded, knowing, of course, that she was right. But it’s hard to take my mind off it when I’m standing here at the station. Sean turned me toward a bay, as a patient was brought in and told me to do the assessment. I knew what he was doing and I was grateful. It was promising to be a long day, considering it’s only 1400 and my shift doesn’t end for another four hours. At that point, it will be right back upstairs to see Michelle. I hope she doesn’t try to send us home. I won’t go.

Oh my goodness, it's baby time!!! I'm glad Jacoby called Jimmy on his attitude at the start, cos he got me worried too! They're gonna be daddys!!! *is excited*

It's getting closer and closer to time!! Lyra should go down here in the next half hour or so, so we can probably finish this at that time .

***

48

“Are you a daddy?” the little girl, whose name I had learned was Ceclia, asked me. Her eyes were full of worry and terror, and I knew the pain medication was the only thing keeping her from hurting.

“Not yet, but I will be soon,” I answered her, smiling. She was being very brave for a six year old. She’d fallen off her bike and broken her arm. It was a typical injury for someone her age and a very typical way to get it. “A friend is having a baby for my husband and me very soon.”

“So the baby will have two daddies?” she asked, as more bright green wrap went around her arm. The cast went to her shoulder, which is a precaution with these small kids.

“Yep.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment and I gave her time. Children always had questions about why I had a husband when I was obviously a man.

“Well, that’s good then,” she said, and I smiled, as the doctor started to shape the cast. “Two daddies is a good thing.”

“Why’s that?” I asked, smiling. She was still calm, which was refreshing. The last time I helped distract a kid, it was 10 minutes of screaming and crying.

“Well, because if the baby has two daddies, that’s two strong people that can carry her when she falls down or teach him how to ride a bike. My mommy is good at those things, but my daddy is very strong. He gives me piggy back rides.”

I laughed, wishing everyone had the ability to see things like a child. “You’re right. Mommies and daddies all have their strong points, don’t they?”

She nodded, as the doctor regained her attention. He explained that he was going to get her mommy, who’d been removed in order to calm her down. She’d been in hysterics over the injury, no matter how many times she was assured that kids will be kids. I watched as she entered the room, obviously calmer. I helped Cecelia sit up and helped get her arm into a small sling. The doctor went over cast care and things to look out for and I prepared to leave.

“Jimmy?” she called, and I was surprised she’d remembered my name. “You’re a very nice man. You’re going to make a good daddy.”

I gave her a high five and told her to be careful with her other arm. She promised to be careful and I headed for the nurse’s station. After all, someone has to help hold it up, right?

“Jimmy, I need your help in bay four. Another child, this one getting ready for surgery.”

I knew what Sean was doing and I appreciated it. He was keeping us inside so we could go upstairs at a moment’s notice, but he was going to keep us good and distracted until it was time to go upstairs. I glanced at his pager, but he shook his head, making a shooing motion with his hands, causing me to laugh.

“Ah, Jimmy, just in time,” Megan, one of our nurses said. “This is Jefferson; he’s going to have his appendix out.”

“I’m scared,” he said, sniffling. I took his hand, seeing Megan prep the IV. “I don’t wanna have an operation.”

“How old are you, Jefferson?” I asked, trying to get him to keep his gaze on me.

“Eight,” he answered, and I nodded. “But I’m still scared.”

“It’s okay to be scared. I get scared, too, before surgery. But you’ll feel a lot better when it’s over.”

“Have you ever had surgery?”

I nodded, as he gripped my hand. His head started turning toward the nurse, but I told him to look at me. Once he did so, Megan continued to prep him for the IV.

“I have. I’ve had my appendix out, a long time ago.”

“Did it hurt?”

This is always tricky. I want to be honest with the kids, but in my case, it hurt worse than usual. Mine was infected and then it burst and I got very, very sick. I was in the hospital, if memory serves, for three weeks. So, I always tell them the story that would’ve occurred if I’d had it out like normal people.

“A little. But that’s normal. It’s supposed to hurt a little. But you know what? I spent one night in the hospital and then I got to go home. In a couple of days, it didn’t hurt anymore. Because you’re younger than me, I bet you won’t hurt for as long as I did.”

By now, the IV was in place and he had a cap over his hair. An OR tech entered the bay and smiled at Jefferson, who swallowed hard.

“Now, you be brave, okay? They’re going to take extra good care of you. Do you like teddy bears?”

He nodded, as his bed started to move. I asked the OR tech to wait and I hurried to a cabinet behind the nurse’s station. I knew they had to get going, so I pulled a bear out of the cabinet and gave it to Jefferson.

“He will keep you safe, okay? Good luck!”

They disappeared down the hall, and I waited for my next distraction.

***

By six, there was no word from OB. I knew this probably meant that things were going well, but that didn’t stop Jacoby and me. As soon as we’d clocked out, we were on our way upstairs, worried fathers the both of us. The lift seemed to take forever, but finally, we were back on the cheerful maternity unit. I paid no attention to the décor as I went for the buzzer. We were inside in no time and we practically ran to Michelle’s room.

“Hey guys,” she said, greeting us with a smile. I was confused; shouldn’t she be in pain or something? “You look worried. Be calm.”

“But—“ I started and she *laughed*.

“I’m fine. I’m up to five centimeters now, so things are going a little faster. You’ll want to stick around, now that you’re off. Do you work tomorrow?”

“Only if there’s no baby,” I answered and she smiled. “But I suspect there will be a baby.”

“Maybe. Things are going faster, but it’s still early.”

She sat up on the edge of the bed and gestured for my hand. I moved toward her and she stood up, moving for the bathroom. I knew she was working on a water birth and wanted as few interventions as possible. She did have an IV in, I noticed, and the monitors were in place as well. Jacoby went for the nurse and I removed the monitors. I helped her into the tub, turning on the water, and making sure it was to her liking. I trust that her body knows what it’s doing, and we stepped out while the nurse checked her. A few minutes later, the doctor came in, and then we were allowed in. I’m surprised I didn’t get a lecture about removing the monitors.

“Was there anyone else you wanted in the room?” the nurse asked, and Michelle nodded. She looked upset and I felt bad; Val was going to miss this. “Who was that?”

“My sister, but she’s in California. I called her on the way here, but it’s a seven hour flight.”

The nurse nodded, and I hoped that things would be okay. The room door opened again and a breathless Annie entered the room, causing Michelle’s face to brighten a little. I realized that Annie was likely taking Val’s place, considering all of our careful planning went out the window. I also realized that we hadn’t called our parents yet.

“Well, things are going much faster than they were before,” the doctor said, smiling. “You’re now at eight centimeters, so I suspect we’ll have a baby by midnight.”

It was almost seven now, and I was getting excited, but still nervous. The doctor put us all in position, so that we’d be out of the way but still able to provide support. It wasn’t time to push yet, but I could tell the contractions were getting stronger. Her previous calm demeanor was gone and she now concentrated on breathing, squirming a bit.

“There’s still time for IV pain medication,” the nurse told her gently. In her birth plan, she had allowed for pain medication in the IV if things got too uncomfortable. Because she was a first time mom, it was advised to have something to at least take the edge off.

“I’ll take it,” she said, as she breathed carefully. We’d been going to evening Lamaze classes with her and it appeared to be helping. I took her right hand and let her squeeze as hard as she could. Her face contorted with another internal check and the doctor nodded. “It’s time?”

“That was fast, but yes it’s time. Just follow my instructions and everything will be okay.”

Michelle nodded, and I watched as the nurse gave her some pain medication. By now, we were fully into the birth and I was getting excited. I wished my mother could be here, but she’d understand. I was startled, then when I’d swear I heard her voice.

“Just in time!” she squealed, and I looked over to see a TV screen. Apparently, we could Skype the birth and Michelle took a moment to smile.

“I called her.”

“Jacoby’s mom is here, too, and so is Val. We’ll just be your cheering squad,” she said, and I had to smile, focusing back on Michelle.

The water was clear and warm and the nurse turned the taps off. The room itself was dimly lit and plain, to allow the mother to focus. I just held her hand, coaching her to breath and counting quietly with the doctor. I had no idea how long this was going to take, considering how long it had taken her to get to this point. I just did was I was told, trying to make Michelle more comfortable. She had to do all the work here, and I took a moment to smile at my mother. Dad was in the background and waved, as did my sisters.

“You’re doing fine,” I whispered, as Jacoby wiped her forehead. She really was doing a great job, and I can only hope that I do this well when it’s my turn, because it will be my turn one of these days. I looked up at the doctor, who had his hands in the water, and I realized that something was happening. “Is that…”

“The head? Yes. The baby is crowning now,” the doctor explained, nodding. “Another couple of pushes and we’ll have a baby.”

I focused back on Michelle, who was doing just as the doctor said. She pushed for all she was worth and then the doctor told her to stop for a second. I watched as the baby came halfway out and then she pushed again. Finally, our baby was on her stomach and I looked over at Jacoby and then the TV screen.

I wasn’t the only one crying, as I reached a shaking hand to touch the baby’s head. “Wow. Welcome to the world, little one.”

The baby cried, then, no doubt from the sudden change in air temperature. The doctor gave us both a chance to cut the cord and we managed to make it work. Then, the doctor smiled at everyone, including our families.

“It’s a girl.”