"A Rose By Any Other Name"
[January 2006 prompt :: rebirth, sweat]
1 October 2001, 10 am PDT
"You've got to be kidding me!" Rachel exclaimed, staring at me as if I'd grown eye stalks.
I simply shook my head and continued to dig my fingers into my lower back. "I wish I was," I replied wryly. "It's not like this is exactly comfortable here."
"Alex, this is insane. You've gone into labor on your due date? Do you know how rare that is?"
"Five percent of babies are born on their due dates." I repeated the information she'd told me countless times in the past. "I know that, Rachel. I didn't say I'm going to have the baby today, just that I'm in labor."
She stared at me for a long moment, pursed her lips in that classic resigned concentration way of hers. But I could see the sparkle of delight in her eyes at the prospect of finally being able to hold this baby we'd wanted for so long now. I couldn't help a nervous giggle at the thought myself, which quickly turned into a choked off sob. Ten long months of waiting and anticipating this day, and now I was terrified that it was actually here.
Rachel's arms were suddenly around me, pulling my head down to her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, sweetheart," she murmured soothingly. "I was only teasing. I'll rearrange my appointments for today and we'll relax here at home until your contractions get close enough to send us into the hospital. And when Kat's done with school, she'll join us."
1 October 2001, 3:45 pm PDT
"Alex?" Kat's voice woke me from the light doze I'd fallen into. "Mom? Is everything okay? Mom's car is in the driveway."
I started to get up, but Rachel pressed me lightly back into the bed. "Shh. Go back to sleep, Alex. I'll go get her and tell her what's going on." She stroked my cheek, pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, then another to my stomach before getting up.
I settled back into the pillows, turning onto my side to be more comfortable. I pulled the covers up snugly around me, oddly chilled despite the faint sheen of sweat, and sighed softly as I felt the next contraction roll across my abdomen. I murmured nonsense in Creole to the baby, something I'd begun doing more and more as my pregnancy had progressed, until the contraction passed.
1 October 2001, 7:13 pm PDT
"Kat, go get your mom, okay?"
Without another word, she simply nodded and scrambled out of the bed. She paused only briefly at the door to look back at me before heading downstairs. I shifted minutely, feeling the pressure building as my uterus rippled into yet another contraction. It wasn't going to be much… And suddenly the pressure released like a popped balloon. It was a sharp enough change that the breath was temporarily knocked out of me from the shock.
"Alex? Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
I blinked once, twice, and felt Rachel's exploring hands moving methodically from my forehead to my stomach. Kat was hovering at the doorway, curiosity and worry clouding her expression. And then the air rushed into my lungs and I started laughing.
"My water just broke," I finally gasped, bending over double as another contraction hit, harder than any before.
1 October 2001, 9:32 pm PDT
"I want the drugs, Rachel," I growled, panting in the wake of another contraction. "I swear to God if you don't give me drugs, I'm going to strangle you."
"There's no more time for the epidural, Alex," she replied, dragging that damned towel across my forehead to mop off the sweat that had my hair sticking to my face. "There was only a certain window of opportunity to do it, and that window's closed now."
"Then open another damned window!"
1 October 2001, 11:58 pm PDT
"Come on, honey, just one more good push and it'll be all over."
I shook my head, pushing weakly at her hands. "You do it, Rachel, I’m too tired." I scrubbed at my face, pushing damp, frizzy hair back.
"That's not the Alex Moreau I know," came a familiar voice I hadn't heard in nearly 2 years. Glancing up, I could see him standing there just behind Rachel, smiling that condescendingly charming smile of his. "You're stronger than that."
I stared at him, tears welling in my eyes, contractions completely forgotten in the face of seeing Derek again. "No, I’m not, Derek," I whispered. "I can't do this."
"Alex, honey, what was that?"
"Don't you see him, Rachel?" I asked, still staring at his smiling face as he shook his head. "Derek's standing right behind you."
She turned around, had to have looked right at him, but shook her head as her gaze met mine again. "I'm sorry, honey. I don't see him. But I believe that you do. You and he always did share something special."
"She's right, you know. And I know you can finish this, Alex. Your baby needs you."
I shook my head again, feeling the contraction building once more. And then he faded away, blowing a kiss my way. But I was too caught up in the urge to push again, eyes squeezed shut against the pain. I could hear Rachel encouraging me through the contraction. I felt the pressure change as the baby was born, startled by a piercingly high wail.
"Oh, Alex child, what a beautiful baby. And born so close to the witching hour on the eve of a full moon. Powerful juju at work here, child. I'm proud of you." Standing there behind my doctor was Gramma Rose, beaming just like the day I got my Masters degree.
"Congratulations, ladies. It's a girl."
"Such a lovely child. You make sure you raise this one proper. All that juju makes her very special, Alexandra. You do her right by your heritage, you hear?"
I nodded tearfully and mouthed a thank you as she faded away. I swiped at my eyes again and focused on the squirming weight on my stomach. I stretched out a finger to trace along the slick, dark hair on the delicate little head, only to have a nurse whisk her away. "Rachel? Is the baby okay?"
"The baby's fine, Alex," Dr. Boone replied. "Just give the nurse a minute to get her cleaned up."
I relaxed back against the pillow and reached for Rachel's hand, content to catch my breath for a moment. "She's here, Rachel, she's finally here. Wait! What time is it?"
Rachel glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Twelve oh two. So you're not exactly on time for everything, hunh? The baby was born the day after your due date. So I won the bet."
"Actually, Rachel," Dr. Boone cut in. "You're wrong. The baby was born at eleven fifty-eight. Alex won the bet."
I grinned broadly and chuckled. "I suppose I did, didn't I?" Before I could say anything else, I was distracted by the nurse placing my daughter in my arms. "Oh, she's so beautiful, Rachel. Just look at her."
"She's gorgeous, just like her mother." I felt the flush of heat in my cheeks at her compliment, and willingly accepted her kiss. Leaning back, she grinned mischievously at me. "You know, we never did decide on a name."
"Rose Marie," I whispered as my daughter's eyes fluttered open. "You've got quite a legacy to uphold, my sweet baby girl. Powerful juju flows in your veins, and I can't think of a better name for you."
1 October 2001, 10 am PDT
"You've got to be kidding me!" Rachel exclaimed, staring at me as if I'd grown eye stalks.
I simply shook my head and continued to dig my fingers into my lower back. "I wish I was," I replied wryly. "It's not like this is exactly comfortable here."
"Alex, this is insane. You've gone into labor on your due date? Do you know how rare that is?"
"Five percent of babies are born on their due dates." I repeated the information she'd told me countless times in the past. "I know that, Rachel. I didn't say I'm going to have the baby today, just that I'm in labor."
She stared at me for a long moment, pursed her lips in that classic resigned concentration way of hers. But I could see the sparkle of delight in her eyes at the prospect of finally being able to hold this baby we'd wanted for so long now. I couldn't help a nervous giggle at the thought myself, which quickly turned into a choked off sob. Ten long months of waiting and anticipating this day, and now I was terrified that it was actually here.
Rachel's arms were suddenly around me, pulling my head down to her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, sweetheart," she murmured soothingly. "I was only teasing. I'll rearrange my appointments for today and we'll relax here at home until your contractions get close enough to send us into the hospital. And when Kat's done with school, she'll join us."
1 October 2001, 3:45 pm PDT
"Alex?" Kat's voice woke me from the light doze I'd fallen into. "Mom? Is everything okay? Mom's car is in the driveway."
I started to get up, but Rachel pressed me lightly back into the bed. "Shh. Go back to sleep, Alex. I'll go get her and tell her what's going on." She stroked my cheek, pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, then another to my stomach before getting up.
I settled back into the pillows, turning onto my side to be more comfortable. I pulled the covers up snugly around me, oddly chilled despite the faint sheen of sweat, and sighed softly as I felt the next contraction roll across my abdomen. I murmured nonsense in Creole to the baby, something I'd begun doing more and more as my pregnancy had progressed, until the contraction passed.
1 October 2001, 7:13 pm PDT
"Kat, go get your mom, okay?"
Without another word, she simply nodded and scrambled out of the bed. She paused only briefly at the door to look back at me before heading downstairs. I shifted minutely, feeling the pressure building as my uterus rippled into yet another contraction. It wasn't going to be much… And suddenly the pressure released like a popped balloon. It was a sharp enough change that the breath was temporarily knocked out of me from the shock.
"Alex? Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
I blinked once, twice, and felt Rachel's exploring hands moving methodically from my forehead to my stomach. Kat was hovering at the doorway, curiosity and worry clouding her expression. And then the air rushed into my lungs and I started laughing.
"My water just broke," I finally gasped, bending over double as another contraction hit, harder than any before.
1 October 2001, 9:32 pm PDT
"I want the drugs, Rachel," I growled, panting in the wake of another contraction. "I swear to God if you don't give me drugs, I'm going to strangle you."
"There's no more time for the epidural, Alex," she replied, dragging that damned towel across my forehead to mop off the sweat that had my hair sticking to my face. "There was only a certain window of opportunity to do it, and that window's closed now."
"Then open another damned window!"
1 October 2001, 11:58 pm PDT
"Come on, honey, just one more good push and it'll be all over."
I shook my head, pushing weakly at her hands. "You do it, Rachel, I’m too tired." I scrubbed at my face, pushing damp, frizzy hair back.
"That's not the Alex Moreau I know," came a familiar voice I hadn't heard in nearly 2 years. Glancing up, I could see him standing there just behind Rachel, smiling that condescendingly charming smile of his. "You're stronger than that."
I stared at him, tears welling in my eyes, contractions completely forgotten in the face of seeing Derek again. "No, I’m not, Derek," I whispered. "I can't do this."
"Alex, honey, what was that?"
"Don't you see him, Rachel?" I asked, still staring at his smiling face as he shook his head. "Derek's standing right behind you."
She turned around, had to have looked right at him, but shook her head as her gaze met mine again. "I'm sorry, honey. I don't see him. But I believe that you do. You and he always did share something special."
"She's right, you know. And I know you can finish this, Alex. Your baby needs you."
I shook my head again, feeling the contraction building once more. And then he faded away, blowing a kiss my way. But I was too caught up in the urge to push again, eyes squeezed shut against the pain. I could hear Rachel encouraging me through the contraction. I felt the pressure change as the baby was born, startled by a piercingly high wail.
"Oh, Alex child, what a beautiful baby. And born so close to the witching hour on the eve of a full moon. Powerful juju at work here, child. I'm proud of you." Standing there behind my doctor was Gramma Rose, beaming just like the day I got my Masters degree.
"Congratulations, ladies. It's a girl."
"Such a lovely child. You make sure you raise this one proper. All that juju makes her very special, Alexandra. You do her right by your heritage, you hear?"
I nodded tearfully and mouthed a thank you as she faded away. I swiped at my eyes again and focused on the squirming weight on my stomach. I stretched out a finger to trace along the slick, dark hair on the delicate little head, only to have a nurse whisk her away. "Rachel? Is the baby okay?"
"The baby's fine, Alex," Dr. Boone replied. "Just give the nurse a minute to get her cleaned up."
I relaxed back against the pillow and reached for Rachel's hand, content to catch my breath for a moment. "She's here, Rachel, she's finally here. Wait! What time is it?"
Rachel glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Twelve oh two. So you're not exactly on time for everything, hunh? The baby was born the day after your due date. So I won the bet."
"Actually, Rachel," Dr. Boone cut in. "You're wrong. The baby was born at eleven fifty-eight. Alex won the bet."
I grinned broadly and chuckled. "I suppose I did, didn't I?" Before I could say anything else, I was distracted by the nurse placing my daughter in my arms. "Oh, she's so beautiful, Rachel. Just look at her."
"She's gorgeous, just like her mother." I felt the flush of heat in my cheeks at her compliment, and willingly accepted her kiss. Leaning back, she grinned mischievously at me. "You know, we never did decide on a name."
"Rose Marie," I whispered as my daughter's eyes fluttered open. "You've got quite a legacy to uphold, my sweet baby girl. Powerful juju flows in your veins, and I can't think of a better name for you."