Chapter 4 - Birth
1029 Words
Alice was lying on the bed, feeling all sorts of messed up after the cesarean section. Her baby wasn't around, and she had no clue what went down since she passed out and hadn't laid eyes on her son yet.
"It's a boy," her older sister Sofia dropped the news, chilling beside her. "You just popped out a little boy," she added with a smile.
"I wanna see him, gotta see him," Alice motioned for her sister to get closer.
Sofia pulled up a chair and clutched her hand before breaking the news.
"Alice, the baby's not doing great. For now, he can't be with you. He's premature and comes with some issues. Be prepared, he's got a slim chance of pulling through. He's frail and..." she began crying, aware of the baby's condition, not letting her sister spill all the deets about the little one.
Alice felt a deep sorrow, knowing her baby wasn't well, born sick, and possibly suffering.
"I gotta see him. I need to see him! Take me to him, Sofi, please!" She tried to sit up, realizing everything hurt—everything. She couldn't even move a bit. She rested her hands on her belly, where the cesarean section left its mark. The anaesthesia was wearing off, and the pain hit her like a freight train. It was strong, crazy intense. "Ouch," she complained, shedding some tears. "It hurts so damn much."
"I'll buzz the doc, Alice. Hang tight; I'll be back," Sofia exited the room, leaving Alice to cry for both her baby and the pain.
When her sister returned, she had a doc in tow.
"How you feeling, Mrs. Graham?" he asked, eyeballing her, checking the cesarean section, and giving her ankles a gentle press.
"It's... right here," she pointed to the incision. "Hurts like hell," she groaned, letting out a moan.
"I'll be back with something for the pain. Just give me a sec; the nurse will be here soon."
"Hold on... please," she stopped him before he left. "I gotta see my baby. What's happening with him? You haven't said squat."
"I'm sorry, but right now, your baby is getting some TLC in another room," that's all he spilled, and she was still in the dark about what was going on.
"But I haven't laid eyes on him!" she yelled, frustrated, demanding to see her child. "I haven't seen my son! I insist on seeing him! They can't keep me in the dark about my own kid!"
"Calm down, Alice. They're doing what's best for him. Don't lose it."
Alice was terrified she wouldn't get to see her baby. She needed to catch a glimpse of his face, ensure he was okay, have him in her arms, on her chest.
"You gotta stay put, and he's gotta stay put after the cesarean section. It's 'cause of the baby's condition. Maybe in a few hours, you can lay eyes on him. They might bring him over later," the doc tried to ease her a bit.
"Our folks are on their way. Mary, Loren, and Sami swung by, but they had to bail before you woke up. They might swing by later in the day, maybe tonight. By the way, Robert's parents are MIA, and so is he," Sofia found it seriously odd. It was their grandkid's birth, where were they? Where was Robert Graham, not by his wife's side at a time like this? Why wasn't he there? Sofia couldn't wrap her head around anything more important than this. "How come your hubby ain't here when you're popping out a baby? When did you last see him?" she asked, her face twisting with disgust.
"Last night, but don't sweat it. He probably knows I'm here, but he couldn't care less about what goes down. He's a total jerk, and I'm relieved he's not here. I'm glad he's not here, Sofi."
"You guys not getting along?" It was clear as day from Alice's words about him.
"Girl, how do you expect two complete strangers, forced into marriage, to hit it off? It's like we're from different planets or something," she grumbled. "We can't click, no common ground at all. The dude acts like he's the boss, and I'm just supposed to shut up and do whatever he says. Can't voice my thoughts, can't complain – it's like I married a dictator. He's got this crazy superiority complex, thinks I'm out here trying to snatch his power or something. It's ridiculous, really. Anything I say, he's offended, scared that I'm plotting to take over. This marriage, Sofia, it shouldn't have happened. And it's not like he's head over heels for me either. This is just as tough for him, apparently."
"But wait, how have you survived almost a year of this craziness? What's been going on since the wedding?" Sofia was baffled by her revelation. She had no idea their marriage was such a disaster.
"We haven't shared squat, besides the wedding day and the honeymoon. Once he bagged a Taylor, I became invisible. He tossed me into a house and basically ordered me not to leave. Last night was the first time I saw him in months. I don't know jack about him, Sofia. But honestly, I'm kinda glad. The guy's a pompous i***t. I used to think I just disliked him, but now I know I straight-up hate the dude," she blurted out.
"You can't diss your husband like that, Alice. Eventually, you gotta live together, especially now with a kid on the way. Got a name for the little one yet?" Sofia tried to shift the conversation, not wanting to overwhelm her newly delivered sister.
"Yeah, I've got a name – Ethan. Love that name," she said with a smile. The meds were kicking in, and she felt better, though she still needed her baby close.
"Solid choice, Alice. I really like it," Sofia reassured her.
After some more sisterly chit-chat, Alice dozed off, sedative doing its thing. Sofia couldn't help but look at her younger sister's face with pity, realizing just how miserable she was in that messed-up marriage, with a husband even absent during the birth of their child.
- Writer
