May 18, 01
o---------o
"George?" George heard Julianna yelling at him from upstairs. He glanced towards the steps.
"Jules?" He called in reply.
"Can you come here a minute?" She asked. He put the newspaper down onto the table beside him and stood out of his recliner. He made his way up the stairs, turning the corner and heading into their bedroom.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"I think it's time." She said. She watched as his eyes widened slowly.
"Right now?" He asked. She nodded.
"My water broke." She said.
"Already?" He asked, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. She nodded, a smile spreading across her face.
"Uh huh."
"Oh..Wow." He muttered. She laughed.
"Are you just going to stand there?"
"Right!" He jumped into action. "Sit down here on the bed and let me take care of everything. Sit." He ordered. She sat on the bed, one hand on her large stomach. He grabbed her bag, the one they had prepared to take to the hospital. "Be right back." He said and flew out of the room. She grinned and patted her stomach gently as she waited for him to return.
He came back, his shoes and coat on and her shoes and coat in his hand.
"Put this on." He said, handing her the coat. She shrugged into it as he put her shoes on for her. She hadn't been able to put her own shoes on for months due to her enlarged stomach. He bent up, kissing her belly gently. "Wait a little bit, guys." He murmured. She grinned as he helped her stand up.
o---------o
"Ahhhh.." Julianna cried out, holding tightly to George's hand. He was coaching her as she lay on the gurney, the doctor between her legs.
"Do you know what you're having?" Dr. Morgan asked, although she already knew considering she was Julianna's OB doctor. George smiled and shook his head.
"Nope, we wanted to be surprised." He answered happily, despite the death grip Julianna had on his hand. The two of them had decided since the first time she had known she was having a boy and the second time they had found out she was having a boy after it was gone, they wanted to be surprised with both the babies this time.
"Well you're about to find out. She's crowning." The doctor announced as Julianna let out another wail.
"Shh, it's okay baby. It's almost here." George bent over her, murmuring soothingly into her ear and brushing his hand over her sweaty face. "We're almost parents." He murmured. She hadn't yelled at him the whole delivery. She was just so happy that she was finally having her babies. It had taken her a long time to get here and no matter how much it hurt, she was going to get through this with two beautiful children.
"Alright, Julianna. I need you to push now. We'll get the head out this time." Dr. Morgan announced. Julianna struggled up on the bed. George wrapped his arms under her and supported her as best he could as he watched the veins in her forehead pop out as she pushed.
"Breath..Good." Dr. Morgan said. "One more big push and we'll have the head." Julianna took a deep breath and glanced back at George. He smiled.
"You're doing beautifully." He said and she began pushing.
"Aww.." She let out a strangled groan.
"Okay, relax. Relax. We've got the head. Suction." Julianna fell back into George's arms. He supported her, murmuring into her ear as the two of them watched the doctor suction the babies mouth.
"Oh God." Julianna groaned as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Alright, we've got the shoulders." George watched nervously and in awe as the baby slid right from Julianna and into the doctor's arms. "It's a girl!" Dr. Morgan announced.
"A girl!" George exclaimed and kissed the top of her head.
"Oh.." Julianna whimpered as her daughter began to squall.
"She's beautiful." George announced proudly as the doctor set the baby on Julianna's stomach. "Who's this?" George asked.
"Madison Eve." Julianna said, touching the baby as happy tears trickled down her cheeks. "Oh George.."
"Do you want to cut the cord?" Dr. Morgan asked. He nodded and she handed him the tool. He sniped the cord and smiled down at his daughter. When he met Julianna's gaze, he had tears in his eyes.
"She's amazing." George said. Julianna nodded, entranced by her bloody, shriveled, beautiful daughter.
"I need to take her now." A nurse murmured. She held an open blanket in her arms. George smiled and touched the baby's cheek briefly as the nurse gathered the baby into the blanket and took her away. George bent down and pressed his lips to Julianna's sweetly.
"She's finally here. We finally have our baby." George said. Julianna grinned and relaxed into the bed as the doctors messed around with her.
"Our parents and my sisters need to know." Julianna said. He smiled.
"Want me to go tell them?" He asked. She nodded.
"Go. I'll still be here." She said. He laughed slightly and brushed his lips to her forehead.
"I love you." He said and she smiled.
"I love you too." She replied as he sauntered out of the room, as happy as a new father could be. He put on his best acting face and walked stiffly into the waiting area. Julianna's family and George's parents jumped up and the women all gasped at the look on his face.
"Oh God. What's wrong?" Francesca asked, staring at George.
"We've got a beautiful baby daughter." He said and a grin bloomed across his face.
"Jesus Christ, George! You scared the hell out of me!" Rachel scolded.
"She's so beautiful. Everybody did great. Julianna's amazing and thrilled. Little Madison Eve did beautifully." He said. Rachel, Alexandra, Francesca, and his own mother hugged him. Julianna's father, Paul shook his hand, as did Julianna's stepfather, Daniel.
George's father hugged him tightly and smiled, slapping his back.
"Good job, son." He said. He had thought this day would never come. His son finally had a family.
"Congratulations, Daddy." Alexandra murmured. His face lit up.
"I'm a Daddy!" He said happily. They all laughed. "Well, I'm going to get back to her, in case she decides to go into labor again. I'll see if I can get more information about Madison so you can maybe go see her up in the nursery. They'll probably put her there since we still have another one to go." George said.
"Go." Francesca pushed him along. He smiled.
"I'll be back." He grinned and rushed off down the hall towards Julianna's room. He walked into the room, all smiles but stopped dead when he saw all the staff from the first delivery gathered around Julianna.
"Where's George?" He heard Julianna's panicked voice on top of all the others.
"Jules?" He asked and pushed his way through the crowd.
"What is it? What's going on?" He asked, gripping her hand into his own.
"Something's wrong. They won't tell me." She said as she watched the hospital personnel rush around her.
"What's going on?" George asked. Nobody answered him. "Dammit, what's happening?" Dr. Morgan finally turned to them.
"The baby's in a breech position. You're water broke again and we don't have time to turn the baby. It'll be a difficult and painful delivery." Dr. Morgan said.
"Oh God." Julianna moaned and lowered her head to the pillow. Dr. Morgan bent her head for a moment, wishing all of this didn't have to happen to one woman. One couple.
"Sweet Jesus." George muttered in distress.
"We'll try the best we can to get through this. We'll need both of your cooperation." Dr. Morgan said. Julianna nodded as warm tears slid down her cheeks. George kissed her hand gently.
"We can do it." He said. "I'll be right here." He said and bent over Julianna, kissing her tears away. "We're going to have another healthy baby, Jules." He said. She nodded and raised on hand to his cheek, touching him gently. He forced a smile and brushed his lips against hers.
"Okay." She said and nodded at Dr. Morgan. "I'm ready." She said.
o---------o
Tears rolled down Julianna's cheeks. George gripped her hand, watching Dr. Morgan carefully.
"Oh God." Julianna whimpered out in pain. George winced. He wished he could do something to help.
"Shit." Dr. Morgan muttered, at this point not caring if she cursed.
"What?" George asked, immediately on guard.
"It's hurting so badly because the baby is stuck."
"Stuck?" George said, his voice raising.
"On her pelvic bone." Dr. Morgan said as Julianna let out a low, animal-like groan.
"George." She whimpered.
"Oh baby, oh sweetheart. I am so sorry." He said and let her squeeze his hands. He wished he could take some of the pain away from her.
"Dammit! I can't get the baby in reverse." Dr. Morgan shouted out orders, worrying George to death.
"George, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Dr. Morgan said.
"What?" George asked.
"No." Julianna moaned, to weak to argue, but wishing for him to stay.
"We're going to have to perform an emergency c-section. You cannot be in here." Dr. Morgan said.
"I can't leave her, dammit!" He yelled.
"George, don't go." Julianna said as a nurse placed a mask over her mouth.
"Mr. Clooney." The nurse murmured, gently tugging on his arm. He pulled away from her and bent over Julianna.
"I love you. Don't forget that. I love you." George said and kissed her cheek as the drugs forced her into a different world. A tear rolled down his cheek. "Oh God." He said. The nurse took his by the arm again and dragged him towards the door. He went willingly, knowing now he would only be a distraction. He stood outside the window as the nurse went back into the room. He tried to see something, but the nurse pulled a drape over the window.
George turned, walking slowly towards the waiting room. The family watched him come and knew for certain that this time, he wasn't faking.
"Oh no." Paul muttered, springing to his feet. His little girl.
"Something's terribly wrong." George said as they all rose.
"What is it, George?" Rachel asked as she watched another tear fall from his eye.
"The baby was in a breech position. They couldn't change the baby around." Francesca gasped. "The baby got stuck on her pelvic bone and they couldn't get it unstuck. They said they had to do an emergency c-section. They drugged her, made her go unconscious and they kicked me out. I wasn't allowed to stay. I couldn't even watch." George said.
"Oh George." His mother murmured and wrapped her arms around him. He buried his face into her neck and held on tightly, as he had down when he was a child.
"Something's terribly, terribly wrong." He repeated.
o---------o
George sat in the waiting room, his head buried in his hands as he bent forward. The rest of the family was sitting, waiting as the clock ticked by slowly. It had only been about forty-five minutes since they had made him leave, but as every second passed, George's heart sank further.
He could not care for a baby alone. Without her. If she died, he wouldn't know what to do. He would be lost without her. If they lost another child and she didn't die, he knew it would kill her inside. If they both died, he knew he would die with them inside. How would he take care of a baby, a baby that would grow to look just like her?
She wasn't dead, he ordered himself to think. And she wasn't going to die. She. was. not. going. to. die. Not if he could help it.
His head flew up as Dr. Morgan slipped into the waiting room. He jumped out of his seat. The family followed him, standing behind George.
"What's happening? What's going on?" He asked.
"We got the baby out. You've another daughter." He was silent a moment as he let it sink in.
"Julianna?" He asked. She sighed.
"She's in recovery. She's going to be weak for awhile. She lost a lot of blood. Right now, it's up to her." Dr. Morgan said.
"The baby? How is the baby?" George asked.
"She's okay. She was deprived of oxygen for awhile, but not long enough to do any damage. She'll be fine." Dr. Morgan said.
"Oh God." He paused, taking a deep shuddering breath.
"When can I see Julianna?" He asked.
"I'll take you to her in a little while. Right now, it would probably be best if you went and saw your daughter first. It'll give us some time to settle Julianna in." Dr. Morgan said. He sighed and looked down.
"Okay. I'll go see Olivia." Tears filled his eyes at the thought. He was going to see his daughter before Julianna did. Listening to Dr. Morgan, made it seem like Julianna may never get to see her second daughter. Ever.
"I'll come and get you when we're ready." Dr. Morgan said and turned. George turned back to the family, all of whom were crying or about to.
"Come with me." He said. They all nodded.
o---------o
George walked into the nursery, following a nurse. She pointed out Madison and then Olivia to him. He looked down at his daughters and let the tears come. Madison was wiggling around, her pink body squirming. Olivia was still, but her little chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
"Would you like to hold them?" The nurse asked. George glanced up at her and nodded.
"Yes." He whispered, his voice hoarse. The nurse picked up Madison and handed her to George. He smiled and bent his neck, kissing his first born tenderly on the forehead. He lifted the little pink hat off her head and gazed in amazed wonder at the thick blackness of her hair. He took the hat into his other hand, supporting Madison in one arm as the nurse handed Olivia to him. "Could you take her hat off?" He asked. The nurse smiled and nodded, slipping Olivia's hat off and laying it on the baby's stomach.
"Beautiful girls." She said and smiled, walking off to give him a bit of privacy. He gazed down at his sleeping daughters in wonder for a few moments before he walked to the window in the front of the nursery. Julianna and his family was standing outside. He smiled as they studied the girls, smiles on all their faces.
"They look like her." Alexandra mouthed through the window. He nodded happily and smiled down at his beautiful, pink daughters. He looked up at his parents who were holding hands and smiling happily down at their granddaughters.
o---------o
Dr. Morgan led George to Julianna's room, but let him enter alone. He walked in and gazed at her still figure on the bed. She was beautiful, even as pale and fragile as she looked. He sat on a chair beside her bed and linked his fingers with hers.
"Hey sweetheart." He murmured and kissed her fingers. "You did great. We've got two beautiful baby girls. Madison and Olivia. Olivia is fine. She's beautiful and absolutely healthy. They both had heads full of hair. Alexandra thinks they look just like you. I agree. Dad thinks Olivia looks like me." He chuckled and ran his other hand over her cheek as he became serious.
"I need you to stay with me. I need you here, with me, to take care of our babies. I can't do it without you, Jules. You've gotta pull through." He said. "I love you more than anything." He sat forward and pressed his lips to hers gently.
o---------o
Late that night, George stood in Julianna's room, both the girls in his arms. Julianna was still not awake yet. Madison was sleeping in one arm, but Olivia had her eyes open slightly and was gazing up at him, her little arm bumping against his chest as he rocked, swaying them in his arms.
He'd requested that the girls be moved to her room so that when she woke up, they would be there. And he hadn't put either baby down since they had been brought into her room.
George had been talking to the girls, whispering promises to them as his heart thumped in his chest, a little harder each minute that Julianna didn't wake.
Suddenly he heard a soft groan from her bed and he turned. One of her hands was reaching up, touching her own cheek.
"Jules?" He asked, moving to her.
"Mm.." She muttered, her eyes fluttering open. "George?" She shook her head, as if she was trying to shake the cobwebs from her mind. Suddenly her eyes flew open as she remembered.
"Meet Olivia." He said and bent his right arm down, showing her the small baby resting on his arm.
"George? What happened?" She asked, struggling to sit up.
"Lay still, you'll rip your stitches open." He said. "Open your arms." He said. A bright smile lit over her face as she spread her arms out. He laid each girl down gently and listened to the quiet sighs of them settling back in.
"Two girls." She murmured. He smiled.
"I changed their names to Beautiful and Gorgeous." He chuckled.
"Tell me what happened." She said.
"Olivia decided to be difficult and she got stuck on your pelvic bone. You had to have a c-section and they sent me away. You worried me to death." He said.
"Everything's fine?" She asked.
"Everything is great. You've got two beautiful daughters and all you'll have to prove it is a scar on your stomach." He said. She smiled and let the tears fall as she gazed at her babies.
"Madison Eve and Olivia Jo." She murmured. He bent down and kissed her firmly on the mouth.
"Don't you ever, ever scare me like that again, do you understand?" He asked, his hand cupping her chin. She smiled.
"I don't plan to." She said. He kissed her again, light this time.
"We finally have our family." He said and she broke out into a huge grin as they both glanced down at their daughters, happy at last.
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