What The Heart Wants

Running out to Fiona, David saw the pained look on her face and the mess of fluid on the pool deck. Knowing what was happening, he yelled for the girls to get Fiona's bag and load it into his car. He helped Fiona get up and gently helped her into the back seat of his SUV, where she would have more room to lay down. Nodding to his girls, Amanda got into the front seat and Steph went back into the house. Punching several buttons on his phone, David pulled away from the house and headed to the hospital. The first number rang twice before it was answered.

"Dr. Anderson's service. How can I help you?"

"Hello. My name is David Pierce. Please call Dr. Anderson and tell her Fiona Shaw is in labor and heading to the hospital. Thanks."

"Ok. I'll get her the message right away."

David then punched another button on his phone, and the answering service for Fiona's OB doctor answered. Giving them the same information, David then sped up, driving as fast as he safely could, heading toward the hospital. Part way there he needed to pull over so Amanda could get in the back seat with Fiona to hold her hand, keep her calm, and remind her of her breathing exercises.

When they pulled up to the Emergency entrance, Amanda jumped out first, turning to the doctors.

"Her contractions are about four minutes apart, and getting faster."

Then she kissed Fiona on the forehead and whispered something in her ear, bringing a smile to her face. She was whisked away with David following behind.

Not knowing if they had time to get Fiona to the maternity floor, her doctor kept her in the ED for the birth. Dr. Anderson soon joined them, and all was progressing well... until it wasn't. For some reason, everything just slowed down - and then stopped. The doctors were perplexed, but decided to wait to see if her contractions would start again on their own. David was holding Fiona's hand, telling her how good of a job she was doing; at the same time, he kept exchanging glances with Dr. Anderson, and was beginning to worry.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose. Fiona's heart rate spiked, and then plummeted. At the same time, the baby's heart rate began to fluctuate wildly. The room was a blur of activity, and David had no idea what was happening.

"Diane, please take David out of the room for now. David, please go - no questions right now.

"And somebody get the resident surgeon down here right now."

While David waited in another room down the hall, people began to gather in the waiting room. Amanda was already there, and was joined by their next-door neighbor Jane. Sally and Steve came, and soon Steve's wife joined the crowd. After a while, Stephanie showed up with David's surprise for Fiona - her mum and granny.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Fiona's mum, Heather, and her granny, Caitlin."

Soon everybody was hugging everybody else, and the noise level rose quickly. Hearing the commotion, David came out to greet everyone.

"Heather, Caitlin, I'm so happy you could make it. Welcome to Phoenix."

"Thank you, David, for getting us here. It was a struggle to get mum to agree, but when she heard Fiona was having problems, she decided to ignore her fears about flying. So how's my baby doing?"

Everyone stopped talking to hear David's response.

"I'm not sure. She and the baby were in distress, and her doctors decided they needed to do an emergency C-section. I was ushered out of the room, and that's all I know. I'm waiting to hear just like all of you."

Just then a nurse entered the room, holding a bundle in her arms.

"Mr. Pierce, there's a young lady here that's anxious to meet her daddy."

Taking his daughter in his arms, David had tears welling in his eyes. He wasn't alone in that respect - most everyone else was openly shedding happy tears. Kissing his daughter gently, he introduced her.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Caitlin Emily Pierce. Caitlin, this is your family."

After the gathered crowd had a chance to meet the new arrival, the nurse took her back.

"We're going to keep her in the NICU for at least tonight. She had a pretty rough time of it, so we just want to keep an eye on her."

"How's Fiona doing? Can I see her?"

Hearing the question, the nurse's face dropped.

"I'm not sure what's happening with Fiona. Once we had the baby, I left the room to take care of her. I think they might be taking her to an operating room, but I'm not sure. I'll have someone come out and let you know. And once we get the little one settled in the NICU, you are welcome to visit her any time you want."

After the nurse left, the gathered crowd decided to stay for a while longer to see if there was more news of Fiona. David looked the crowd, happy to see so many close friends there for support. He looked at Heather and Granny; they were holding hands, talking softly to each other, with tears running down their faces.

"I can't believe you named your baby after me, David. I can understand the middle name, but me? Why?"

"Because you are the most important person in Fiona's life, and she thinks the world of you. She loves you as well, Heather, but you know how important Caitlin is to Fiona."

"I'm not bothered at all by your choices, David. I think it's a beautiful gesture."

Several hours later, David was in the NICU, holding his new baby. Fiona was still in recovery from her C-section, and most of the waiting crowd had left, leaving Heather, Granny, Stephanie and Amanda in the waiting room. David was rocking his baby, singing to her softly, when Dr. Anderson came in. She stood watching for several moments before making her presence known.

"You really do make a great dad."

"Thanks. Lots of practice from years ago. So how's Fiona doing? Can I see her yet?"

"She's doing better, but I have to be honest with you, David. It was touch and go for a while, and we nearly lost her several times. She is pretty heavily sedated right now, plus we had to intubate her, so she can't talk even if she was awake. Go ahead and sit with her; when you're done, have her mom and grandmother sit with her for some time as well... just in case. Ok?"

Nodding his head, David gave his baby to the duty nurse and followed Dr. Anderson to Fiona. He was shocked as he entered her room, as she was hooked up to numerous machines, all beeping their information. He sat next to her, holding her hand in his, and noticing how cold it felt. He was silent for a long time before he whispered 'I love you' in her ear, and kissed her.

After Heather and Granny had spent some time with Fiona, David had his girls take them to the cafeteria to get something to eat while he stayed by Fiona's side. The nurses kept checking on her - and him - but mostly left them alone. But the longer he sat there, the more he noticed the numbers on the machines slowly getting lower and lower. The machines weren't making as much noise either, and he began to fear the worst. After a while, Dr. Anderson came in and sat with David, confirming his greatest fears. Fiona's heart was slowly giving out, having given it's all to get her baby born.

Several hours later, Amanda came in to check on her father. Fiona was the same as before - still alive, but with her body functions slowing down. David hugged his daughter close, and then asked her to bring Heather and Granny in to sit with Fiona.

"Heather, I'm sorry, but I can't do this - not again. You and Granny sit with Fiona; I've got a newborn to take care of. You know where to find me."

David was sitting in the NICU, holding his baby, rocking and gently speaking to her. One nurse was standing in the doorway, and was joined by another coming up from Fiona's room. They stood there, silently, while tears filled their eyes as they listened to David.

"Oh, my sweet little girl. The nurses told me you are being difficult today. You need to behave yourself, young lady, as no daughter of mine will act like that. I've got you, my precious little one. You have no idea how loved you and your mother are. People all around the world are sending you their love. You've got two big sisters who love you already, and can't wait to teach you the things they know will drive me crazy. But for now, you need to drink some milk and sleep. So I'll do something I used to do for your sisters when they were little. I'll rock you to sleep while I tell you a story.

"Once upon a time, in a far-away land called Scotland, there lived a woman who was loved by most everyone who knew her. She had long red hair, and was the most beautiful woman in the land. But mostly she was smart, strong willed, and fiercely independent. She was a warrior. She was the kind of woman every girl wanted to be like, and the kind of woman every man wanted to love. And this warrior's name was Fiona..."

23 years later...

"That's it, Caitlin. You're doing great. It shouldn't be long now before you can push."

"Really? You said that 20 minutes ago."

"I know, but there's not much I can do. Right now it's you and your baby making all the decisions."

The contraction ended, and Caitlin grabbed her father's hand.

"Thanks for being here, daddy. I'm just sad Pete isn't here."

"I know, baby. I spoke with him this morning, and he said the admiral was doing everything possible to get him here. After all, he's on the other side of the world in the middle of an ocean. And you know it's killing him not to be here."

"I know. I'm glad you're here with me. I wish mom was here too."

"Yeah, I wish mom was here as well."

Just then, another doctor entered the birthing suite. Caitlin saw her first, and her eyes lit up when she saw who it was.

"Dr. Anderson! What are you doing here? This is a surprise."

"Hello, Caitlin. Every 23 years I make it a point to help out with a birth, and today's the day. Hello, David. Long time, no see."

"Hello, Jocelyn. It's good to see you too."

"And you know, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some time with my favorite family of heart patients. And now that I know what to look for, I wanted to check over my newest patient to see how they are doing. Once they're born, however."

"Yeah, like her mother, stubborn to the end."

"This is a little different than it was 23 years ago, isn't it David? A bit calmer, wouldn't you say?"

Smiling, David thought back to that day, 23 years ago to the day, when Caitlin was born. He remembered he was sitting in the NICU, rocking Caitlin, and telling her a story...

"Once upon a time, in a far-away land called Scotland, there lived a woman who was loved by most everyone who knew her. She had long red hair, and was the most beautiful woman in the land. But mostly she was smart, strong willed, and fiercely independent. She was a warrior. She was the kind of woman every girl wanted to be like, and the kind of woman every man wanted to love. And this warrior's name was Fiona..."

As he told his story, another nurse joined them, this time from Fiona's room. She said the doctors needed him right away, and to bring the baby with.

"You go - Jessica and I will bring Caitlin down."

Entering her room, David was surprised to see not only Heather and Granny, but also several doctors, including Dr. Anderson.

"David, we can't explain this, but any time someone mentions the baby's name, Fiona's vitals return to close to normal. Her breathing slows down, her blood pressure rises, and her pulse is more regular. So we want to see what happens when we lay the baby on her chest. I think she is teetering on the verge, and perhaps this will help. And at this point, it certainly can't hurt."

Then one of the nurses laid the baby on Fiona's chest and moved her arm to help hold Caitlin in place; by pure instinct, she tried to suckle at her mother's breast. Moving quickly, one of the doctors cut open Fiona's gown and pulled it aside, allowing Caitlin access. And then it happened - the baby began to suckle, and as she did, Fiona's vital signs all returned to normal. She didn't wake, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. After a while the nurse moved the baby to her other breast, with just as much success. No one cheered, but there were happy and relieved faces filling the room.

Later that night, David was sitting in Fiona's room as she rested. Amanda had taken Heather and Granny home for the night, and Caitlin was asleep in the NICU. He was reading when he suddenly heard his name being quietly called.

"David. What happened? Why am I in the hospital like this? Is the baby alright?"

"Hey, sweetie. You gave all of us quite the fright. We almost lost you several times, but Dr. Anderson was able to revive you. The baby's fine - they're keeping her in the NICU overnight, but just for observation."

"I don't understand. What happened? The last thing I remember is getting rushed here and all hell breaking loose in the ED."

David then spent the next hour explaining what had happened - the emergency C-section, her heart failing, getting revived, only to have it happen twice more. Dr. Anderson operating on her again. Her being unconscious until just now. Fiona took all this in without a sound, trying to grasp the enormity of the situation.

"But the baby's fine, right?"

"Yes, she's fine."

"She? It's a girl?"

"Yep, and she has a shock of red hair just like her momma. When we told people her name, I thought Granny was going to faint. She's touched we thought of her like that.

"So, can you remember anything else yet?"

"I remember hearing voices, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. I remember hearing people talk about the baby, and I felt so relaxed when they did. I just wanted to hold her. And then I was. And did I breastfeed her? I remember feeling a tugging on my nipples, and it felt so good I tried to wake myself up to see if it was real or not. But it was real, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was real. The doctors hoped something like that might bring you back, and it did. Now I have to talk to the nurses because they need to know you're awake. I'll be right back - don't run away."

"No worries about that. I'm staying right here until I can see my baby again."

Several days later, everyone was home. Heather and Granny stayed for several weeks, helping out. Amanda and Stephanie were over as much as their schedules would allow. Dee Face Timed Fiona several times, and others from the company dropped in just to say hello.

As time went on, Caitlin grew into a smart, athletic, beautiful woman. But in her early teens she began to have the same problems Fiona had growing up, so David contacted Dr. Anderson to see if she could help. After several examinations and numerous tests, it was determined that Caitlin had a small congenital defect in her heart -the same type of defect her mother had, but one that could be easily fixed. Dr. Anderson did the operation, and from that point on became a close friend of the family, visiting them whenever she was in the area.

"Just protecting my patients the best I can."

In high school Caitlin started dating Pete, someone she grew up with and finally realized she was in love with. He was two years older than her, so they had to continue their relationship long distance. He was awarded a placement to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and after his graduation, they got married. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor, but was currently aboard ship serving as a top aide to an admiral who was directing joint exercises in the South Pacific. They moved to Hawaii, where Caitlin finished her own college degree, and she stayed there until she was about 5 months along with her pregnancy. They both decided it would be best if she moved back to live with her parents until she gave birth, and that is where she is today.

Another squeeze of his hand brought David back to the present. Another contraction, the strongest one yet, almost brought Caitlin to tears.

"Can I push yet? I need to get this thing out of me!"

Smiling through her mask, her doctor said "yes, on the next contraction - push."

Just then the door opened and they were joined by one more person. Caitlin looked up and smiled.

"You made it - and just in time."

"Of course I made it. I was there for your sisters, so there was no way I was going to miss this with you."

Leaning over, she gave Caitlin a kiss, and then noticed who was in the room with them.

"Jocelyn, how are you? When did you get in? And what are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too, Fiona. I just got here, and I'm here to make sure the newest member of your clan is ok. Plus, I figured I was there in the beginning for you, and again for you 23 years ago today, and again fixing Caitlin's heart, so being here seems like normal."

"Just making it the full circle, Jocelyn?"

"Yeah, something like that. Just like The Lion King - the circle of life."

Their conversation was interrupted by the doctor exclaiming 'here we go'.

There was one final push and the baby was born.

"It's a girl, with a head full of red hair just like her mom. Congratulations!"

Fiona leaned over and gave her daughter a hug and kiss.

"Nice work, mom. Another girl in the family for dad to deal with."

"That's fine with me. All the girls in our family have turned out just fine. So what's the little one's name?"

The doctor laid the baby on Caitlin's chest and she gave her a kiss.

"Pete and I thought a lot about this, and we came up with a longer name, but one we think is appropriate. So everyone, meet Jocelyn Emily Fiona Pierce. I hope you don't mind, Dr. Anderson, but without you and what you've done for us over the years, none of us would be here."

Looking at her parents, Jocelyn smiled and said 'I'm honored.'

+++++++++

David was relaxing in a recliner, and as he did, he began to see flashes of his life. Emily, and the wonderful, but short, life they had together. The accident. Him raising two teen girls into womanhood. Falling in love with Fiona and their life together. Amanda and Stephanie falling in love, marrying, and having their own children. His grandchildren. A pool party where the pool and pool deck were filled with family, all laughing and splashing each other. Grandchildren ranging in age from high school ages down to elementary ages. Caitlin laying on a lounge chair, too pregnant to join in the fun. Caitlin giving birth while her husband served overseas in the navy. And it all made him smile.

"Dad. Dad! Wake up. It's almost time."

Opening his eyes, David saw his two oldest daughters staring at him.

"You were dreaming of mom again, weren't you? You had that look on your face from years ago when you did it before."

"Not just you mom, but all of you, and all our lives. It all flashed past me in an instant, but I saw everything."

"I'm glad it was a nice dream. But it's time to get up. You have a job to do."

With each daughter grabbing an arm, David slowly got up from the chair.

"Thanks, girls. Now you better find your seats. I'll be fine from here out."

Just then the door to the room they were in opened, and in walked David's youngest grandchild, Jocelyn.

"Oh baby, you look beautiful. Just like a bride should. But what's with the sad face?"

"Oh, grandpa, I just wish dad could be here."

"I know, baby, but you know he's watching you from above. I'm sure he and Grandma Emily are enjoying all this. Now dry those tears before Jeff thinks you want to back out."

"Don't worry. That's something that'll never happen. I love Jeff so much. And like mom and grandma told me, I'll make sure he never forgets his wedding night."

Laughing, David took his granddaughter's hand.

"Ok, that's far too much information for me. Ready?"