| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted January 17, 2021 | Chapters: |
...18 19 -20- 21... 
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Anna's condition becomes life threatening.
A chapter in the book Where Are All The Children
Unexpected Arrival
by Mistydawn
September 1994
Alejandro and I decided, hiding the pregnancy from our handler was the best way to keep the baby safe. I wore loose-fitting clothes to conceal my weight and was careful about what I ate. The workers surrounded me when I entered or left the field. If the boss approached me during the day, I'd turn away.
One late fall evening, we were snuggling in bed when the baby decided to kick.
Alejandro sits up. With a look of surprise on his face, he glances at my stomach and then at me. "Was that him?"
I smile and say, "The baby has been kicking most of the day."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I wanted Julianna to surprise you."
Alejandro chuckles. "Alexander sure did."
"Yeah, we'll see." I laugh.
He lays his hand on my stomach and says, "Hi, little fellow." The baby kicks again. "This is great." He snuggles in closer. "I'm your daddy." The baby thumps my insides harder than before. Chuckling, he asks, "How are you doing in there?" My stomach moves in response. "I think he's going to be an athlete."
"She might be a gymnast or maybe an Olympic star. Oh, darn."
He jumps back. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, it wasn't you. The baby kicked my bladder, and now I have to pee. I was just getting comfortable too." I sigh. Seeing the heartbreak on his face, I rub my belly, and I say. "Don't worry, daddy, we won't be gone long." The late evening has always been a special time for them.
"Good, I was enjoying talking to our son."
A grave thought comes to mind as I swing my legs over the bed. I turn around and solemnly say, "Alejandro?"
"Yeah."
I glance at my stomach, gulp, and hesitantly ask, "What if I'm right, and the baby is a girl?"
"I'll love her too."
"You won't be disappointed?"
"Of course not, honey." He kisses my forehead and adds, "As long as she likes fishing and other outdoorsy things." Seeing the look on my face, he chuckles and says, "I'm just teasing. I won't be disappointed either way."
"Good."
He leans over my stomach and whispers. "We both know you're a boy." The baby kicks. "See, even he's telling me I'm right."
"What if she's saying your wrong?"
Alejandro smiles, shakes his head, and says, "Not a chance."
The banter about the baby's gender continued throughout my pregnancy. Of course, the other's opinions only added fuel to the fire. Predictions formed from old wives' tales; how I'm carrying the baby, its heart rate, and which foot I start with. One held a pendant over my wrist. Another said she saw it in a dream. Before long, the menfolk were in on the debate. Bets on the gender and the date of birth followed soon after. Despite the disagreement, I knew, whatever its sex, the baby would be loved, accepted by all.
Excited about the new arrival, my support group decided to make baby clothes. Soon, the child had a wardrobe bigger than Alejandro and mine combined.
"Jenny made the cutest baby dress," I told Alejandro one night.
He laughs and says, "He won't be needing it."
I try to contain a smile when I say, "Well, I'm certainly not putting our daughter in these." I hold up an adorable pair of denim overalls. An outfit I planned on using either way.
He scoops up the outfit beside it. "I better not see my son in these." Jenny decided to make a pink pair identical to it. She then offered to add bows to Isabella's outfit to irritate.
I pat my stomach and say, "You won't have to worry about that."
Alejandro and I were cuddling in bed one cold December day when I felt a warm sticky liquid gush between my legs. I throw back the covers to find bright red blood pooling all around me. "No," I cry, glancing at the mess in disbelief.
Alejandro springs up in bed. "What's wrong?"
"Look." I point between my legs.
The color drains from his face. He glances at the saturated sheets and then at me. With fear in his eyes, he jumps to his feet. Throwing on his clothes, he runs to the door, turns, and says, "Don't move."
Heart-wrenching images come to mind as I lay motionless in the soggy bed, afraid to do anything but breathe. "It's not supposed to happen like this. It's not; it's not," I cry.
Alejandro and the doctor returned a few minutes later. I'm sobbing uncontrollably by this point.
The doctor takes a quick look at the blood and says, "I was afraid this might happen."
"What's wrong with her, doc?"
"Anna's condition has worsened."
"I'm going to lose the baby after all," I bawl. He discovered a condition known as Placenta Previa on my only ultrasound. The machine quit working soon after, and he was afraid the boss would catch on if he asked to have it repaired. Unable to monitor it, he gave us strict rules to follow, hoping the placenta would move away from the cervix as my uterus grows.
"We haven't done anything for months," Alejandro cries.
"I'm sure it delayed the inevitable." The doctor glances at the mess and adds, "At least until now."
"She'll be alright, though, right?"
"I have to deliver the baby tonight the way we discussed." He said cesarean birth was the safest route. "I'll need to get emergency equipment set up for the baby and plasma ready for Anna first."
The color drains from Alejandro's face. "You can't deliver now, not at twenty-four weeks."
"If we don't, both she and the baby will die."
Overwhelmed with emotions, I grab Alejandro's hand, hiccup, and say, "I love you, Alejandro, now and forever, you know that." I place my hand on my stomach and continue, "I love our baby too. If you have to choose, please save our son."
Gulping back the tears, he turns towards the doc and asks, "What do you want me to do?"
"Take Anna to the hospital; I'll meet you there."
Alejandro and I decided, hiding the pregnancy from our handler was the best way to keep the baby safe. I wore loose-fitting clothes to conceal my weight and was careful about what I ate. The workers surrounded me when I entered or left the field. If the boss approached me during the day, I'd turn away.
One late fall evening, we were snuggling in bed when the baby decided to kick.
Alejandro sits up. With a look of surprise on his face, he glances at my stomach and then at me. "Was that him?"
I smile and say, "The baby has been kicking most of the day."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I wanted Julianna to surprise you."
Alejandro chuckles. "Alexander sure did."
"Yeah, we'll see." I laugh.
He lays his hand on my stomach and says, "Hi, little fellow." The baby kicks again. "This is great." He snuggles in closer. "I'm your daddy." The baby thumps my insides harder than before. Chuckling, he asks, "How are you doing in there?" My stomach moves in response. "I think he's going to be an athlete."
"She might be a gymnast or maybe an Olympic star. Oh, darn."
He jumps back. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, it wasn't you. The baby kicked my bladder, and now I have to pee. I was just getting comfortable too." I sigh. Seeing the heartbreak on his face, I rub my belly, and I say. "Don't worry, daddy, we won't be gone long." The late evening has always been a special time for them.
"Good, I was enjoying talking to our son."
A grave thought comes to mind as I swing my legs over the bed. I turn around and solemnly say, "Alejandro?"
"Yeah."
I glance at my stomach, gulp, and hesitantly ask, "What if I'm right, and the baby is a girl?"
"I'll love her too."
"You won't be disappointed?"
"Of course not, honey." He kisses my forehead and adds, "As long as she likes fishing and other outdoorsy things." Seeing the look on my face, he chuckles and says, "I'm just teasing. I won't be disappointed either way."
"Good."
He leans over my stomach and whispers. "We both know you're a boy." The baby kicks. "See, even he's telling me I'm right."
"What if she's saying your wrong?"
Alejandro smiles, shakes his head, and says, "Not a chance."
The banter about the baby's gender continued throughout my pregnancy. Of course, the other's opinions only added fuel to the fire. Predictions formed from old wives' tales; how I'm carrying the baby, its heart rate, and which foot I start with. One held a pendant over my wrist. Another said she saw it in a dream. Before long, the menfolk were in on the debate. Bets on the gender and the date of birth followed soon after. Despite the disagreement, I knew, whatever its sex, the baby would be loved, accepted by all.
Excited about the new arrival, my support group decided to make baby clothes. Soon, the child had a wardrobe bigger than Alejandro and mine combined.
"Jenny made the cutest baby dress," I told Alejandro one night.
He laughs and says, "He won't be needing it."
I try to contain a smile when I say, "Well, I'm certainly not putting our daughter in these." I hold up an adorable pair of denim overalls. An outfit I planned on using either way.
He scoops up the outfit beside it. "I better not see my son in these." Jenny decided to make a pink pair identical to it. She then offered to add bows to Isabella's outfit to irritate.
I pat my stomach and say, "You won't have to worry about that."
Alejandro and I were cuddling in bed one cold December day when I felt a warm sticky liquid gush between my legs. I throw back the covers to find bright red blood pooling all around me. "No," I cry, glancing at the mess in disbelief.
Alejandro springs up in bed. "What's wrong?"
"Look." I point between my legs.
The color drains from his face. He glances at the saturated sheets and then at me. With fear in his eyes, he jumps to his feet. Throwing on his clothes, he runs to the door, turns, and says, "Don't move."
Heart-wrenching images come to mind as I lay motionless in the soggy bed, afraid to do anything but breathe. "It's not supposed to happen like this. It's not; it's not," I cry.
Alejandro and the doctor returned a few minutes later. I'm sobbing uncontrollably by this point.
The doctor takes a quick look at the blood and says, "I was afraid this might happen."
"What's wrong with her, doc?"
"Anna's condition has worsened."
"I'm going to lose the baby after all," I bawl. He discovered a condition known as Placenta Previa on my only ultrasound. The machine quit working soon after, and he was afraid the boss would catch on if he asked to have it repaired. Unable to monitor it, he gave us strict rules to follow, hoping the placenta would move away from the cervix as my uterus grows.
"We haven't done anything for months," Alejandro cries.
"I'm sure it delayed the inevitable." The doctor glances at the mess and adds, "At least until now."
"She'll be alright, though, right?"
"I have to deliver the baby tonight the way we discussed." He said cesarean birth was the safest route. "I'll need to get emergency equipment set up for the baby and plasma ready for Anna first."
The color drains from Alejandro's face. "You can't deliver now, not at twenty-four weeks."
"If we don't, both she and the baby will die."
Overwhelmed with emotions, I grab Alejandro's hand, hiccup, and say, "I love you, Alejandro, now and forever, you know that." I place my hand on my stomach and continue, "I love our baby too. If you have to choose, please save our son."
Gulping back the tears, he turns towards the doc and asks, "What do you want me to do?"
"Take Anna to the hospital; I'll meet you there."
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