On the Altar

Chapter 15

POV-Crystal, age 16

"Ch-Christy, w-why aren't my babies crying yet?" Marty asks me innocently as his head lays on my lap, which is virtually nonexistent due to my huge bump. "Marty, the doctor told us that the operation will be a success, so stop worrying, okay sweetie?" I try and convince him that every thing is all right, when I don't believe it myself, all while hoping that I do not end up in a situation like this.

Oh, God, please let Jenny be okay....

It's been over an hour and still we have heard no word from the doctor. Misty will be here in a few hours, trying to do damage control, all while trying not to fall apart herself. I swear, some of the days, I think she is superhuman.

Another half-hour passes by, and finally, Dr. Green comes out. Marty immediately bounces up from his chair and asks her, worry etched on his face, "Is Jen all right?" Dr. Green smiles and says, "Jen is just fine and so are your boys. They are being cleaned up, and as they are over two months premature, we'll monitor them closely in the NICU. But, you can hold them for a few minutes before we take them there."

"I-I'm a dad?" Marty asks nervously and Dr. Green smiles. "Yes, you are. Now go in there and greet Jen. She still might be a little...high, from the anesthetics we gave her, but she is coherent enough to hold her baby." She leaves and Marty goes in to the room. A few beats later, he turns out and comes back. "You coming?" He asks me. I look at Grandma and Grandpa Watson, who have been so kind to me for the past many months so as to let me live with them. They smile and tell me to follow him.

 I place a hand on the chair and give one to Marty, because that's the only way I can stand while being nearly eight and a half months pregnant with twins. He takes me in to the room, where Jen is holding one really tiny baby, while a nurse holds another. Marty and Jen smile at me and say, "The one with Jen is Jason Alexander Callaghan-Fletcher," and then her takes the other tiny bundle from the nurse and says, "This is Jacob David Callaghan-Fletcher." He looks so proud, holding his little bundle of happiness, and I know that I will experience that in a few weeks.

"Jacob David? You went all Old Testament on him." I joke and all of us, including Miss Nurse, giggle. Miss Nurse says kindly, "Well, now we need to take them to the NICU. Say your goodbyes." "Where is she taking my babies, Marty?" Jen asks him. She's still a little high, it seems.

"Baby, they're taking them to the NICU so they can heal." He tells her as one would do to a toddler.

"Hey, that's where I work!" Jen says excitedly and then her face falls. "But I'm on leave from work. I won't get to see my babies?" She asks him sadly, but he just smiles and tells her, "Sweetheart, we can come here every day if you want." "I love ya." She says and giggles. "I love you more." He says and sounds genuine, because it is true. He loves Jen to the heavens and back.

"Goodbye, Mommy and Daddy." I tell them softly and leave them alone to have their 'moment'. I don't think they noticed me leaving, and that's good. 

Because it means their love is so strong that they don't need anyone else other than each other, and even when other people are around, they only see each other.

God, I wish I had something like that.

When the boys were being taken to the NICU, Grandma and Grandpa cooed over them. At the same time, Marty's parents arrived, closely followed by Jen's, and the six of them followed the nurse all the way to the NICU. 

As soon as Jen fell asleep, Marty realized there were other people in this world. He came out of her room, and I told him about his parents, and the both of us met them near the NICU observation window. 

Jason and Jacob, or Jase and Jake, as Marty referred to them, were placed in an incubator while all their grandparents cooed over them from afar. They were engaged in a debate on whom the boys looked like, to which Marty replied, "They are pink balls of skin. They don't look like anyone."

 And everyone laughed.

I slowly sneaked out of there and sat back in the chair I sat on earlier. Then, I caressed my huge  pregnant belly and slowly whispered, 

Mommy can't wait to meet you. Mommy loves you.

And smiled contently, for my children will always be surrounded by love.