Chapter 149: Early Morning
*Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
- Dylan Thomas*
Reese was sitting in the uncomfortable chair that the hospital assured him was a recliner. After the night he had spent in it, he thought that medieval torture device was a better description. He stood and stretched his back, feeling it pop and crack as he moved.
Looking down at his wife, he smiled. She looked so peaceful, even with the wires connected to her and the IV running to her arm. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. When she kissed him back, he nearly screamed with excitement.
“Good morning, Kitten.” He smiled and he could hear the others in the room stirring.
“Mom?” JD asked as he sat up on the couch. Dean also sat on the couch and looked over at the hospital bed.
“I’ll go let Jaxon know.” Neo said as he moved off the other hospital bed that he had shared with Jolene overnight. He brushed a kiss on her head as he slipped his shoes on.
“Mom?” Jolene whispered as a tear slipped out of her eye.
“What happened?” Helen asked hoarsely. “I’m thirsty.”
“I’m sure you are, Kitten.” Reese grabbed the large, insulated water cup and offered her the straw. “Little sips.” He encouraged as the door opened and Jaxon rushed inside.
“Oh, mom.” Her oldest son sighed as all three of her grown children surrounded her bed.
“Where’s Bunny and Ty?” she asked with concern in her eyes and voice.
“They’re still in our room. Bunny’s not ready to be moving around much and Ty wanted to give us some time alone with you.”
“He’s mine just as much as he’s yours.” Helen argued as she tried to sit up. Reese adjusted the bed, and she sighed as she smiled at him. Out of habit, she rested her hands on her belly. Fear and panic hit her in quick succession.
Reese grabbed her hand closest to her. “You had the babies yesterday.”
She looked around, searching for the bassinets.
“They’re in the NICU.” Jolene answered the unasked questions.
“We can go see them once the doctor clears you to move around.” Reese assured her.
“I can go get your granddaughter.” Jaxon offered with a smile. “Her and the triplets share a birthday.”
“Angela?” Helen asked with happy tears.
“We changed it to Ariel.” Her oldest son grinned as he pulled out his phone and opened the gallery app. Handing over the phone, he slid up on the bed with his mom.
“From what the doctor was telling us, oh, it’s called a mermaid birth.” He blushed a little as she scrolled through the pictures and then watched the video. “It only happens once in about eighty-thousand births or so. It’s really freaking rare.”
“You didn’t get a faery; you got a mermaid.” Helen leaned into her son.
“We did.” He agreed as she moved on to the pictures that they had taken yesterday afternoon in the hospital.
“She’s so pretty, mom.” Jolene smiled as she also sat on the edge of the bed.
JD and Dean sat down on the other side of the bed. Reese sat back in his torture device recliner, never letting go of her hand.
“She’s Ty’s?” Helen asked softly, not hearing the door open.
“She’s ours.” Ty corrected as he pushed the basinet into the room with Neo pushing Bunny’s wheelchair behind him. Carefully, he picked up his daughter and then nestled the sleeping baby in her grandmother’s arms.
Helen fell in love instantly. She fell in love again when her eyes fluttered open and honey-colored eyes focused on Helen.
“Hello, little princess.” Helen murmured.
There was a knock on the door and then Dr. Aberton entered the room, looking as if he had just been woken up. “I heard that you decided to wake up.” He moved around the bed, pulling on gloves as he went, being careful not to disturb any of her kids sitting close to her. “You’re all fine, don’t get up on my account.” Jaxon took his daughter back from his mom as the doctor moved to exam her.
Dr. Aberton was gentle as he lowered the blanket and then lifted her hospital gown. His gloved fingers gently moved over the large scar on her abdomen.
“I don’t know if anyone told you what happened.” Dr. Aberton said gently as he continued his examination. “Number three was going into respiratory distress because of a placental abruption. There was no way to stop it without delivering all three. You look good, mom.”
He covered her back up and then stepped back to remove his gloves and toss them into the trash.
“There was some damage done to your uterus and you were bleeding heavily. We had to remove your uterus to stop the bleeding. You still have your ovaries, so there’s no early menopause for you.”
“I think I have plenty of kids.” She smiled at all her kids around the bed. “Where’s Cheryl?”
“Her brother is picking her up at the airport.” Reese gave a small chuckle. “She had just landed in Denver and went to the ticket booth and told them she needed to go back where she came from.”
Helen gave a little laugh and then groaned in pain.
“No stand up for you for a few weeks.” Dr. Aberton warned. “Or you, young lady.” He smiled over at Bunny. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Like I had a ten-pound beach ball shoved out of my who-ha.” She admitted.
The doctor considered this for a moment and then nodded. “More like eight and a half, but a good description.”
“Let me go get the nurse and we’ll get you down to meet your babies.”
“No need.” A nurse said from the doorway. “I’ve been eavesdropping and waiting for my cue. And standing guard against the large number of women in the waiting room.”
“Sorry.” Reese grinned showing he was not at all sorry.
“Sweetie, if all the babies born had as much love as these little miracles, this world would be so much better.” She grinned at him as she shooed the extra bodies off the bed, removing the wires from the sensors. “Do you think you can stand?”
“I’ll get her.” Reese said as he moved the blankets and scooped Helen up in his arms.
Shaking her head, the nurse followed with the IV pole.
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