by Sarah Markel
Chapter 16
“Alex!” Andrea and Angie hurried across the surgical waiting room and embraced Alex. “I don’t know anything yet. No one has told me anything.” Alex sobbed against her mother’s shoulder. “I’ll go find Tim.” Angie said, turning on her heel and exiting quickly. “Alex, honey calm down. I know it’s hard, but you need to calm down some. The doctors are going to do everything they can.” Andrea soothed, running her fingers through her daughter’s hair. “Mama, she was unconscious. Her blood pressure bottomed out right before they took her up. The O.B. doctor said that she and the baby were in trouble.” Alex cried harder as she replayed the scene in her mind. Andrea said nothing, continuing to caress her child’s hair while she waited for Angie to return.
“Alex, Angie just told me what’s going on.” Tim, Steve’s father, said as he took the seat next her. “Tim,” Alex began, meeting her former father-in-law’s kind eyes. Shaking his head, Tim put his hand on Alex’s shoulder and pulled her into his chest. “Alex, you can’t let yourself go to that dark place. Kelly is a strong woman, and she will pull through. You need to have some faith in the people who are helping her.” he said softly, allowing the distraught woman to cry on his chest. After a short while, Alex righted herself and offered a watery smile to Tim. “I’m sorry, Tim. I’m just so scared.” She said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Alex, don’t apologize. I understand completely. After Callie died, I was so terrified that something would happen to Steve that I made him call me several times a day, just so I would know he was alright. This situation isn’t much different. You lost one wife, and now another one is being operated on and you have no idea what’s going on. Having no control over the situation is hard, but you need to stay optimistic. If you let yourself think the worst, you are just going to stress out even more.” Alex nodded and hugged the older man, thanking him again.
Before leaving the room, Tim promised to update her if he could. Alex smiled and leaned against her mother’s side, just as Zane and Dej arrived with Steve. Alex’s heart broke into pieces at the devastated look on the face of her children. Steeling herself against her own emotions, she opened her arms and enveloped them both. No one said anything as the two teens cried in their mother’s arm. “Is she…” Zane asked, unable to finish his question. Offering what she hoped was a reassuring smile, Alex guided both kids to a chair and knelt in front of them. “I don’t think so, son.” She began, resting one hand on each child’s knee, “They would have come in, and said something. Mom is up in surgery right now, and the doctors are doing everything they can. I don’t know what happened, but as soon as Grandpa Tim knows something, he is going to let me know.” Alex stood and gathered her kids into her arms again, unable to look into their eyes any longer. “I’m sorry you guys. I wish I could calm your fears, but I’m just as scared as you are.” Alex held the kids a moment longer before allowing them to reclaim their seats.
As the time passed at a snail’s pace, the small waiting room filled with their family and friends. Andrea had called Hank, Karen, and Kevin, giving them all the information they had, and offered Kelly’s parents a place to stay when both had insisted on catching the next flight out. Judy and Lauren had arrived, quickly followed by Jack and Kyle, Tina and Carl, and Chelsea and Billy. When the young doctor who had taken Kelly up to surgery entered the room, Alex bolted out of her chair as the room fell silent. Meeting the doctor across the room, Alex glanced around at her support system, who were all collectively holding their breath. “Mrs. Walker, I’m Dr. Flynn. I’m an obstetrical surgeon. I’ve spoken to Dr. Baxter and he asked me to come speak to you directly.” The woman said, shaking Alex’s hand and guiding her back to her seat. Taking the seat that Andrea had vacated, Dr. Flynn took a moment before she spoke.
“Mrs. Walker, your wife has suffered a placental abruption.” She began, waiting to see if she would need to explain further. When she didn’t see any sign of understanding, she continued, “That means that one of the placentas has slipped away from the uterine wall and is blocking the birth canal. Because of your wife’s compact size and the absence of space in her womb, it’s causing a lot of strain on the babies. I know thirty-two weeks seems early, but with triplets it’s actually not too bad.” Dr. Flynn paused, taking a deep breath before delivering what could be some potentially heartbreaking news. Alex searched the woman’s face and nodded. “What do you need from me?” she asked, her voice weak with emotion. Blowing out the breath she had just taken, Dr. Flynn met Alex’s eyes. “We are going to have to do a cesarean and deliver the babies now. They are going to be small, and we are going to do everything in our power to ensure their survival, but you need to understand that there are no guarantees. Without the cesarean, we can’t stop the bleeding. I will do what I can to preserve Dr. Taylor’s womb, but if I can’t stop the bleeding, I am going to have to do a hysterectomy.”
Alex stared at the woman wordlessly. She looked to her family and friends, noting the shocked look on their faces, before turning back to the doctor. “I want to be with her.” she stated firmly. Dr. Flynn nodded and stood before replying. “Tim said you would. I can scrub you into the room, but you will have to stay by your wife’s head. We have a mirror positioned above the table so you will be able to see each baby as it’s delivered.” Alex took a deep breath before turning to her children. “I will be back as soon as I can. You two need to stay with Nana and Pawpaw until I come back.” When the kids nodded quickly, she kissed each one on the forehead before turning to follow the doctor.
Trailing the young woman silently, Alex stepped up to a scrub sink and followed the instructions of the nurse who was waiting to help her into a sterile cap and gown. Once she was properly suited, Alex was led into the operating room and directed to a rolling stool beside Kelly’s head. Her heart flew into her throat when she caught sight of the bloody towels and drapes that littered the floor, and she quickly turned her attention to her wife’s ashen face. “I’m here, baby.” She whispered in the woman’s ear, hoping the words would break through the anesthesia and comfort her. Alex watched wordlessly in the mirror as the doctor drew the blade of a scalpel over Kelly’s lower abdomen. She let the tears flow freely down her cheeks as she saw the first of her babies emerge into the world. Joy joined the emotional maelstrom in her chest when she heard the small boy take a tiny breath and let out a weak cry. Alex placed her hand on Kelly’s cheek and couldn’t help but smile through her tears when the next two boys were delivered in quick succession, both uttering soft cries when their lungs were cleared. “Baby, they are beautiful!” Alex exclaimed softly, looking back to her wife’s slack face.
“Electrocauter.” Alex heard Dr. Flynn’s firm request, and her eyes immediately went back to the mirror above the operating table. She watched nervously as the doctor’s steady hands drew the thin device slowly over the gaping blood vessel inside Kelly’s uterus that was leaking blood like a broken dam. When the electrocautery device was handed back to the waiting nurse, Alex held her breath, along with the rest of the room’s occupants, while Dr. Flynn waited to see if the procedure would work. After two minutes of heavy silence, Dr. Flynn let out a sigh of relief. “Bleeder’s closed, let’s close her up.” Alex felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest when she realized that Kelly’s uterus would remain in place. Looking back to her wife, Alex placed a gentle kiss on the woman’s forehead. “We did it, love.”
*****
“Do you think everything’s alright?” Dej asked her grandmother. Andrea offered her granddaughter a weak smile. “I’m sure if something was not right, Grandpa or your mom would have come out and told us.” Dej squeezed Carrie’s hand a little tighter and rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. The last two hours had been hard on everyone, and Dej and Zane had both sought comfort in their girlfriends’ arms. Dej looked over to where her brother was sitting, with Willow on his lap, next to the waiting room door. When the door opened and Alex walked through, everyone quieted down and got to their feet. W
hen everyone’s eyes were on her, Alex pulled off the sterile mask and offered a brilliant smile. “Three boys.” She announced, meeting her children’s worried eyes. Gathering the pair into her arms, she finished delivering her news. “Kelly is in recovery, and Dr. Flynn says that she will be fine.” The room erupted with relieved cheers, and Alex was grateful for every person there. After a few moments of congratulations, she cleared her throat and asked for everyone’s attention.
“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone. Having you all here means the world to me, and when Kelly hears about what went on, I know she will feel the same way. As soon as she wakes up, and the doctors say she can have visitors, I think she would appreciate it if you all came in to see her. One or two at a time, of course.” She added with a chuckle. “Alex, what about the babies? Are they healthy? Are they alright?” Andrea asked as she hugged her daughter. “They’re perfect, Mama. They’re actually a little bigger than everyone expected. They will be in the NICU for a while, and until they are out of there, only Kelly and I can be in with them. As soon as we are allowed, we will bring everyone in to see them.” Alex assured her mother. “Hey, Nana,” Zane said loudly, grabbing the older woman’s attention, “You said the baby was a girl. Holy crap everyone, Nana finally got one wrong!” Andrea glared at her grandson for a moment before joining the rest of the room in laughter. “So what are their names?” Billy asked, draping his arm over Alex’s shoulders. Shaking her head, she poked the large man in the ribs. “I’m not announcing their names until Kelly is awake and we can decide together which baby will which.”
*****
“Alex?” Alex looked up to the door and smiled as Kevin, Karen, and Kendall eased into the room. “Hey guys, come on in.” she said, standing to hug each of them. She had sent everyone home to get some rest as soon as Kelly had been transferred into a private room. It had been a small battle to get them all to leave, but after putting her foot down and reminding them all that it was nearly one in the morning, her friends and family had finally cleared out. Now, at nearly noon, Alex was grateful for the distraction. Kelly had woken up a few times over the last hours, but her consciousness had only lasted a few moments before she was asleep again. Dr. Flynn had explained to Alex that Kelly would be in and out for a while because of the amount of blood she had lost. Alex explained to the trio what the doctors had told her, and sat back in her chair while Kelly’s parents crowded around the woman.
A few moments later, a soft knock on the door drew Alex from her chair. “Mrs. Walker, Dr. Gilbert asked me to bring you down to the nursery.” Alex nodded at the petite brunette and turned to her in-laws. “I’ll be right back.” She said, leaving them to their daughter. “Is everything alright?” she asked the nurse, curious as to why she was being summoned by the doctor. “I can’t say to be honest. I was just asked to come fetch you.” Alex nodded and continued to follow the woman. When they arrived at the large, glass-walled room, Alex waited while the nurse went to find Dr. Gilbert. She looked through the windows to the small incubators and cribs, and wondered which of the many babies inside were hers.
“Alex, congratulations!” Dr. Gilbert said enthusiastically, pumping the woman’s hand with a smile. “Thanks, Doc. The nurse said you needed me?” Alex replied a bit hesitantly. Dr. Gilbert chuckled and waved off the woman’s unease. “Don’t look so scared, the babies are fine. We were just about to give them their first baths, and I thought you might want to hold them.” Alex’s heartbeat quickened and she let out a squeal of excitement. “Of course!” Dr. Gilbert grinned again and guided Alex to a scrubbing station. After instructing the woman on how far to scrub, Dr. Gilbert helped Alex into a sterile gown before scrubbing herself. Together, the women entered the glass room and walked toward a small bathing area near the back. “Ladies, this is Alex Walker. She’s going to hold each baby for a few minutes after his bath.” Alex greeted the two young women who were busily prepping the bathing area, receiving warm smiles and congratulations from both women.
“Have you settled on names for these little guys yet?” Dr. Gilbert asked as she set one of the babies into the shallow water and began wiping him gently with a cloth. “Yes, we have names picked out, but I’m going to wait until Kelly wakes up before I assign them.” Dr. Gilbert smiled knowingly and lifted the wailing boy from the water and into the towel one of the nurses held. After drying and diapering the baby, the nurse handed him to Alex. Looking into the tiny sleeping face, Alex felt a lump form in her throat. The baby was tiny, only weighing four pounds, and had a full head of jet-black hair. “Can I kiss him?” she asked, her eyes never leaving the boy’s face. Dr. Gilbert nodded and handed the second baby to the nurse. Pressing a feather soft kiss on her son’s head, Alex handed him over to the waiting nurse and turned to take the second baby. This second boy was the biggest of the three, weighing four and a half pounds, and Alex was surprised to see that his hair was a deep red color. Chuckling to herself, she kissed the boy on the forehead and handed him off so she could receive the third. Baby number three had been the last to be delivered, and he was by far the smallest. At three pounds, nine ounces, this tiny, ebony haired little boy had given Alex the biggest scare. It had taken longer for the nurses to get him to fuss, and his small squeak had sounded very weak. “Not nice scaring your mama.” She whispered as she pressed her lips to his little head.
*****
Three days later, Alex lay next to Kelly in her hospital bed and watched contentedly as Kelly nursed one of the babies. “You’re doing great, sweetheart.” She said, pressing a kiss to Kelly’s forehead while she rubbed the baby’s dark curls. Kelly beamed at her and rested her forehead against her wife’s. “They’re all so tiny, I’m afraid my breasts are going to smother them.” Alex laughed and took the baby when Kelly shifted him away from her nipple. Placing the boy in the bedside bassinette, Alex scooped up his red-headed brother and handed him over for his feeding. “I wish we could have all three of them in here with us.” Kelly said, looking longingly at the door. With a sigh, Alex reclaimed her spot on the bed. “Me too, but he was so much smaller than the others, Dr. Gilbert wants him to have another couple of days before he leaves the nursery.” Kelly looked down at their son and smiled when the boy greedily latched on. She had been taken to the nursery every few hours to nurse the baby, but when she was away from him, Kelly felt incomplete. She couldn’t wait until she could have all three of the boys together.
Once the two babies were tucked into the bassinette, Alex and Kelly lay cuddled together. Just as Alex was about to doze off, an excited knock on the door announced the arrival of Zane and Dej. After calling for them to enter, Alex climbed off the bed and went to the bassinette. “Come in and sit down, guys. We’ve got some little men who would like to meet their big brother and sister.” Dej gave a little shriek of excitement and hurriedly sat in the chair next to the bed. “Gimmie” she said, holding her arms out to her mother. Kelly laughed at her daughter’s excitement and accepted the kiss that Zane offered. “How are you feeling, mom?” Kelly patted her son on the arm and nodded. “I’m feeling good. It’s nice to not have your brothers kicking me in the lungs.” Zane looked over at his mother as she laid his baby brother into Dej’s arms and helped her hold him properly. “I don’t think I want to hold them.” He said, more to himself than anyone else. Alex raised her eyebrow in question, causing the boy to blush. “I’m afraid I might hurt them.” He explained with an embarrassed shrug.
“Son, you won’t hurt them. Trust me, holding a newborn baby is the greatest feeling in the world. When Dej was born, you were all over my lap demanding to hold her. I think you held her more in the first two days than Callie or I did.” Alex smiled at the memory and watched as Zane smiled too. “I think I remember that a little.” He said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “Honey, hand him the baby.” Kelly said, resting her hand on her son’s knee. Alex picked up the second baby and walked him over to his big brother. Zane hesitated, still uneasy about the baby’s size, before accepting the
tiny bundle. “See, it’s easy. Just support his back and head, and you will be golden.” She explained, stepping back to look between her children and her wife. “You know, guys,” Alex said around the lump that had formed in her throat when Zane and Dej had each placed a kiss on their baby’s head, “I don’t think my life has ever felt so complete. Seeing you two with your brothers makes me so happy I think I might cry.” Kelly reached out to her wife and pulled her down for a soft kiss. “Wait until we have all five kids here before you start crying. I’d hate for you to have to repeat the performance.” Kelly said teasingly. Alex snorted and helped Zane move to a chair when a nurse came in to take Kelly to the nursery.
*****
“They’re here!” Carrie yelled when she saw Alex’s car pull into the driveway. Excited murmurs traveled through Serenity Manor as Alex and Kelly’s friends and family flooded into the foyer. Everyone shifted around to allow Zane, Dej, Andrea, Hank, Kevin, Kendall, and Karen through to the front of the crowd. When Alex stepped up to the open door with a carseat in each hand, the room clapped and cheered. Waiting until Kelly caught up with the third carseat, Alex stepped into the house, set down the babies, and took the carseat from her wife. “Before we reveal the rookies, let’s all go into the den so Kelly can sit down.” Everyone turned and headed toward the den at Alex’s request. Jon lingered behind and picked up one of the carseats. Thanking the man, Kelly moved carefully into the den and took a seat in Hank’s overstuffed leather recliner.