Waxing or Waning

Cameron could not be restrained. He began to pummel James while Tiffany took a video. It did not show the mooning. It just showed that James did not throw the first punch, nor did he resist Cameron's attack. The ambulance and the police came. Leslie and Cameron's honeymoon was forced to be postponed as James pressed charges against Cameron for aggravated assault. The police told him that he was not allowed to leave the country before the trial. Most of the deposits for the room and the plane tickets were non-refundable. The hospital staff came close to putting James in the psych ward. They thought he might be crazy as he could not keep from laughing despite it hurting whenever he laughed.

His daughters visited James in the hospital. They tried to be mad at him but couldn't keep from laughing too. "So, this is what you planned for the three of us to do together while we were here?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay, but please promise us you won't moon us when we get married."

"Sorry, I'm not making any promises."

* * * * *

THE BIRTH

Leslie was 41 years old when she got pregnant. She had problems with the twins' birth besides the usual early delivery and relatively low birth weight typical of having twins. Her delivery difficulties were part of the reason she had asked James to get a vasectomy. With this birth, she had even more trouble despite being in good shape physically for her age. She was put on extreme bed rest for the last couple of months of her pregnancy. But it was not just physical matters where there was trouble.

Leslie found out soon after she and Cameron were married that she was carrying a Down Syndrome baby. Cameron was furious and seemed to want to find someone to blame to prevent others from blaming him. He couldn't just accept that Leslie's age and the genetic wheel of fortune had decreed it. He and Leslie argued over her getting an abortion. She refused. Cameron filed for divorce and left soon after for a job in another city. The ink was barely dry on her divorce from James and here she was starting another one.

Although Leslie spent most of the last few months by herself, the twins and Leslie's mother were at the hospital for the delivery. That night, James got an urgent phone call from Holly.

"Dad, come to the hospital, quick!"

"Calm down, Holly. Why do I need to come to the hospital?"

"It's Mom. She had an allergic reaction to her saddle block injection, which caused her to have a stroke. They have taken the baby by C Section and some other doctors are trying to save Mom. We're going crazy and don't know what to do. Please come. Grandma Sarah and Barbara and I need you."

A few minutes ago, you couldn't have paid James to go. Now you couldn't stop him from going.

* * * * *

SIX MONTHS LATER

LESLIE

"Doctor, I think she's coming out of the coma." The female doctor come in.

"Leslie, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can. . . Good. Can you blink your eyes? . . . Good. Don't try to talk right now. Your throat will be too dry. Let's get you some ice chips."

It took me a few minutes to get oriented. When I did, I reached down to my stomach. It was no longer large. I screeched out "My baby. Where is my baby?"

The nurse said, "Your baby is fine. A lot has happened while you've been in a coma. We've called your mother and she is on her way. She can explain more that we can. Please don't try to talk. You might hurt yourself."

I was not about to be stopped. In a gravelly voice I demanded, "I want to see my baby!"

"He's not here right now. You'll have to wait until your mother gets here. She'll explain."

"I don't understand. Why isn't my baby with me?"

"You rest your voice and I'll describe what happened to you medically. When the saddle block anesthetic was injected into you, you had a severe allergic reaction. Evidently, you didn't have one with your first pregnancy. That reaction caused you to have a stroke. The stroke in turn caused you to go into a coma. You've been in a coma almost six months."

"SIX MONTHS?"

"Yes. Frankly, we were afraid you might not ever awake. Anyway, your son was taken by C Section and was a little jaundiced but otherwise healthy. Your mother, daughter and husband took him home as soon as he was cleared to leave the NICU."

"My husband came? You mean Cameron?"

"No. I think they called him James."

"My ex-husband came?"

"Leslie, you're getting too agitated. Rest up until your mother gets here. Try and relax."

* * * * *

It was quite a while before anyone actually came. When they did, it was the twins and not Sarah, my mother. "Where's your grandmother? Is she alright?"

"She called us. She thought you would take the news about Evan better hearing from us."

"Take what news better? What the Hell has happened to my son? Is he sick?"

"Evan is fine Mom. Don't worry about him."

"Tell me what happened before I have another stroke."

"After you had your stroke and went into a coma, the doctor's delivered Evan and then another doctor started treating you. After several weeks, you were still in a coma and the care issues for Evan had to be decided. None of us wanted to see Evan go into foster care. Grandma went to court and got Guardianship of you. On your behalf, she had Dad listed as Evan's father on the birth certificate and you as the mother."

"James? Why in the world would he want to be listed as the father of Cameron's son?"

"First and foremost, he wanted to make sure Evan was cared for by people who loved him. He had the financial means to do so. By being listed as his father, he could be covered on Dad's health insurance. But that wasn't the only reason. You wouldn't believe it Mom, but there was an instant bonding between Evan and Dad. From almost the beginning, Evan would cry if anyone else but Dad held him. Dad took over his care as if he was his mother and the father. We're surprised Dad didn't try to breast feed him." The twins chuckled.

"Damnit, girls. This is no laughing matter. Are you saying that James has my son?"

"Yes. But that's not all. We have something else to tell you." The twins looked like they were scared to say more.

"What is it?"

"Evan has a new mother, too."

"WHAT?" Leslie's monitors went off. Nurses rushed in and tranquilizers were injected. She calmed down.

"Now tell me how the Hell my son could have a mother other than me."

"Well, a month or so ago, Grandma allowed Dad's new wife, Jill, to adopt Evan. Dad had already gotten Cameron to give up his rights and agree for Dad to adopt Evan. Cameron was happy to get out of 18 years of child support. He didn't like it when Dad broke his nose though."

"James re-married? He and his new wife have adopted my son? This can't be happening. This just can't be." I started crying.

"Mom, the important thing is that you are awake and are going to be okay. Our little brother is doing just fine."

"No, the most important thing is that my son doesn't have his mother. How could you let them do that to me?"

"Mom, you were in a coma. No one knew if you were going to come out of it or not. We made the best decision for Evan at the time. Don't you see that?"

"All I see are some back-stabbing bitches that have helped my ex-husband steal my baby from me. Get out of my room!"

* * * * *

JAMES

"That's great news, girls. Your Mom is out of her coma. How is she doing?"

"Mostly she's PISSED at all of us. She accused us of helping you steal her baby. She won't speak to us now. Grandma Sarah told us Mom refused to let her see her too. We're all traitors in her mind. We don't know what to do to get her to understand we did the best we could."

"She's probably still reacting to her being in a coma. Let's give her time to calm down. I'll call Sarah now to see how's she's doing."

"Hello."

"Sarah, it's Jim. The twins just called me about Leslie."

"Oh, Jim. She's breaking my heart with all those accusations about stealing her child. I was trying to do the best thing for Evan and now . . . " Sarah broke down crying.

"Sarah, don't blame yourself. You did do the right thing for Evan given the circumstances. We all did."

"But now that Leslie is awake, she's mad at us. I guess she can she undo all that we did, but I wonder if she's ready to care for Evan? How quickly can she get Evan back?"

"It will take her some time and a couple of legal actions. You still have Guardianship over her. The first thing she will have to do is go to court to get her rights back. In the meantime, she probably needs extensive physical therapy to get her strength back. What I worry about most is her mental state. I can tell you that I won't willingly let her have access to Evan unless it looks like she can behave in a way that won't accidently harm him. Jill and I need to talk about how this could affect Evan. I guess we need to contact a family law lawyer also about what we legally can and cannot do."

* * * * *

LESLIE

Well, at least I am smart enough to have married someone with plenty of money the second time. I have an apartment, a car and a lawyer waiting for me once I get my control of my atrophied muscles back. I was ready to go to court immediately to get my son back, but it seems I have to jump through some stupid legal hoops first. My attorney says I have to be examined by a doctor, a psychologist and a social worker. Then I go in front of a six-person jury to prove I am capable of managing my own affairs now. Until then, my mother can make decisions for me like I was still a young child. She can prevent me from seeing my child. My lawyer says I might need to establish a home and provide proof to the social worker that I can take care of a child by myself before I tackle the legality of his adoption in case James sues to keep custody. The health insurance I had was through my work. Now, I need to get health insurance on my own for me and Evan. I was surprised how expensive the options are.

Taking a step back, I can't believe the irony of my situation. Any teenage mother on drugs with no job, no husband and no means of support can have a baby and walk out of the hospital with the baby. No one makes her prove she can take care of the baby. I wake up from a temporary coma and I'm treated like an alien from another planet.

Evan. I can't stop thinking about my poor baby. Evan is growing up believing another woman is his mother. I have missed several of his developmental milestones already. I can't stand the thought of not being with him. It is breaking my heart. I am his mother, damnit! No one else. Every day that goes by without me will make it harder on him to believe I am his mother once I do get him back.

James. I don't guess that I should be too mad that James was willing to be his temporary father. He did a good job with the girls. He always had common sense. I bet he will be reasonable about this. He better be reasonable with me or I'll . . . Maybe I've been too angry at his participation in this travesty. I need to call him. I bet we can work this all out.

"Hello."

"Is James there?"

"Yes, who may I say is calling?"

"This is Leslie. Who are you?"

"I'm Jill, Jim's wife."

That statement caught me off guard. I was not prepared that James had moved on to another woman so quickly.

Jill continued, "Leslie, We're so glad to hear that you've recovered from your coma. How are you feeling?"

"How am I? You're asking how am I? How do you think I am you . . . you baby stealing, husband stealing bitch?"

"Leslie, I know you're upset, but I will not let you talk to me that way. Either calm down or I will hang up."

"You get Jim on the phone now, slut or . . . Hello?" Damnit. Hung up on me.

Shit! What is wrong with me? I nearly bit that woman's head off. I'm making things harder than they need to be. I need to apologize.

The phone rang numerous times at James and Jill's house with no answer. The answering machine took over. Leslie stammered a message, "Jill, this is Leslie again. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm really struggling right now. Please forgive me. It's just that you have . . . my son . . . and I . . . " the message ended with Leslie sobbing in the background.

JAMES

A teary-eyed Jill met James at the door. "James, Leslie called. She was very belligerent at first. I'm afraid I hung up on her. Now, she's left an apology on the answering machine. I think she's emotionally disturbed. I'm sure from her perspective that she firmly believes has good reason to be upset. But when I think what all we've sacrificed for Evan, I just . . . " Jill started crying with her head on James' shoulder.

"James, I know we hoped that Leslie would recover and be able to have her son back, but I have gotten used to being his mother. We have treated him like he was going to be ours. But we had to do that in order not to shortchange his development by hesitating doing something because we were worried he might leave soon. Now that she may be in a position to take him, I'm going to have trouble letting go."

"Jill, this is going to be traumatic for all of us. It certainly for Leslie. We have to absorb the blows from her frustration in order for Evan not to suffer too much in the transition. I'm going to call her back and see if I can talk some sense into her."

"Leslie?"

"James. Oh James, I'm so sorry I cursed at your wife. It's just that my emotions are so raw and exposed I just can't seem to control my words. Can we, just you and me, sit down and work this out? The girls have told me good things about how you've taken care of Evan for me."

"Jill and I would love to talk to you -- calmly. Leslie, I've read up on people coming out of comas. Your behavior with our daughters, your mother and now Jill is not uncommon in the months after coming out of a coma like you did. We all have Evan's best interest in mind. We're sure you've been challenged both physically and emotionally. In order for you to be better prepared to handle taking care of Evan by yourself, we suggest you go see a competent therapist and get yourself in a good state of mind before we talk about him staying with you. How does that sound?"

"It sounds like you are trying everything you can to keep me away from my baby, you son-of-a-bitch. Is that you and your whore's game? Keep my baby away so long that it will be too late for him to bond with his REAL mother? You can stick your therapist suggestion up . . . Hello?" Damnit. Hung up on again.

* * * * *

FAMILY COURT

After having her rights restored in Guardianship Court, Leslie sued to overturn the adoption actions her mother agreed to while acting as Leslie's guardian and have Evan returned to her.

James counter-sued to force Leslie to have a psychiatric evaluation and home assessment to prove she could take care of a child as a single mother before cancelling the actions taken while Leslie was in a coma. In any case, they wanted to require a mutually agreed upon transition plan to assure the least amount of trauma for Evan.

Leslie and her attorney arrived first. Her mother and Holly, one of her twin daughters came in and sat behind where James and Jill would be sitting. Leslie was fuming at what she perceived as traitorous behavior on their part.

Leslie watched as James and Jill came in. She had never seen Jill before and was surprised that Jill seemed a lot older than James. She was attractive for her age. They also had a Down Syndrome young man with them. He looked like he was about 25 years old. Why was he there? Why wasn't Evan there? She suspected foul play. Leslie became highly agitated. Once everyone was seated and the judge gaveled court to order, she screamed, "Where's my son?" She was sure that Evan would be in the court room for her to take home once the judge decided to restore custody to her.

The judge yelled, "Counselor, restrain your client."

James' attorney, Ms. Wimsett, spoke up. "Your honor, my clients are afraid that Evan might be emotionally harmed if he were to witness the intense, personal drama that might come up today. He is nearby should his honor want him to be present."

"At his age, I see no reason for him to be present during these proceedings. Let's get started."

Leslie's lawyer gave his opening remarks. "Your honor, this case is odd but simple. Ms. Crandall, she prefers to use her maiden name now, was having a child by her second husband when she had an allergic reaction to her anesthetic which triggered a stroke and then went into a coma. While helpless in a coma, her mother became her legal guardian but, in my client's opinion, illegally gave Leslie's child, her grandson up for adoption to Ms. Crandall's ex-husband and his new wife. When Ms. Crandall regained consciousness, she found out that her ex-husband and his new wife did not intend to give her son back immediately as requested. We expect the court to correct that today."

Ms. Wimsett had her turn at an opening. "Your honor, the position of my clients is based on solely on what's in the best interest of the child, Evan. In the ideal world, a child would be together in a safe, caring home with a mother and a father. My clients have no problem with returning Evan to his mother, but because of what she had suffered physically and emotionally, the needs to be one reasonable condition: the mother be able to show that the physical and psychological side effects of the coma have been overcome and that she is able to provide a safe and loving home that he has become accustomed to with my clients. The court should order that and require a smooth transition."

Leslie was called to testify. She had been briefed to keep her temper under control. Her earlier outburst had worried her attorney. She was asked to tell her story.

"I had what I considered a successful, but not great, marriage to my first husband for 20 years. I figured I had to stay in the house with him until my daughters went to college for their sake. It was after they left that I found out that I needed more from a husband than James was willing or able to provide. I found what I thought I needed in another man. We got married after James and I divorced. Soon we were having a child.

"When my second husband was told that his son was going to be a Down Syndrome child, he deserted me and my son. Although I have no functional husband at home, I was and am perfectly capable of providing a good home for myself and my child in every way: financially and mothering.

"Things were fine during my pregnancy with adequate bed rest. As far as I knew there was not a problem I started in labor. As you heard, I suffered in succession an allergic reaction, a stroke and, finally, a coma. I lay unconscious, unable to defend my rights or communicate my desires for six months while my traitorous family decided to use the opportunity to take my baby away from me."

Leslie's voice got louder, and her words came out faster.

"Instead of waiting for me to recover and resume my life with my child, they planned for me to die. They WANTED me to die! To add insult to injury they used my helplessness to conspire with my jealous ex-husband to take MY son away. Do you hear me, James? HE IS MY SON."

"The witness will refrain from talking to the opposing party."

"I'm sorry, your honor. I'll try to keep calm. As I was saying, to keep my son from me, James and his suddenly acquired new 'wife' have tried to make out like I'm crazy just because I'm upset that they are keeping my son from me. I have every right to be upset. Each and every day my son is being brain-washed by my revenge-seeking ex and his accomplice. Why shouldn't I be upset? It's not like I'm some whore from the street with no means of supporting myself and my child. I have a nice apartment, a vehicle with car seat, and enough money from my divorce from my second husband to stay home with my son for several years without having to go to work. There is NO -- G00D -- REASON for not giving me my child today! Where is he? Why isn't he in the court? They say It's because of what he might hear some harsh words. I say it's because they would do anything to delay my reunion with my child if they can't stop it altogether." Leslie started crying. She was given some time to recover before James' lawyer could question her.