3

*About 10PM*

Hawkeye was walking from the Movie with the beautiful Margie at his side. They got to the Supply Room Door and started to open it. When they looked they saw Dr. Dan and Lilith huddled in the corner.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Hawk said as he shut the door. Once it was closed, Margie and Hawkeye started laughing.

Lilith didn't care. She just kept on doing what she had started.

"Well that was a bomb." Margie said. They Went into Post-Op where Hawk was about to go on duty.

"I guess this is goodnight." He said.

"Yeah. Well, See ya."

"See ya." Hawkeye gave Margie the longest kiss anyone had ever seen.

With that, Margie stumbled out of post-op and to bed. Alone, darn it.

"Well, looks like it worked, folks." Lilith grinned triumphantly, even as she stood, gloved, waiting for the baby's head to emerge. "35 and 6, and if this baby can hold off for another 8 minutes, she'll be 36 weeks even."

Dan smiled as he settled onto a stool at the end of the bed. He had to admit; holding somebody off for 2 weeks and 3 days was pretty impressive, especially for a field hospital in Korea. That day they had stopped the Albuterol, knowing that they were close enough. Three hours after that, Anni started contracting, and here they were, 11 hours after the first contraction, almost done.

Anni was ready to be done. As the next contraction took hold, Sidney stroked her hand, murmuring comforting nothings.

"Damn it, Sidney, you are never touching me again! Never!! I ought to name this baby Chastity, because that's what we're gonna be!" Anni gripped his hand tightly.

"Okay, now Anni, deep breaths." Lilith smiled. She was used to these rantings. Anni complied, sagging when the contraction ended.

"All right, I want you to push with the next one, okay?" Lilith stood at her side as she coached her along.

Anni nodded, breathing deeply to gather strength for the next onslaught.

Lilith saw the knotting of the uterus through the skin, and squeezed Anni's fingers. "Okay, Anni, beep breathe and push. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Breathe, and again. 1, 2..." Lilith counted to ten again, and instructed Anni to breathe again. One final ten-count, and the contraction were over.

The head was visible. "Anni, this next should be the last, okay? Come on, you can do it."

Anni shook her head. "No! I'm done, this baby is staying put! I'm tired."

She flopped her head back onto the pillow.

"Your uterus disagrees, Anni. Come on, here we go. 1, 2..." Lilith repeated the process until the last part of the contraction. "Come on, Anni, we just need the shoulders out!"

One final push, and a slippery baby flew into Dan's waiting hands. He grinned exuberantly. "It's a girl!" He clamped the cord off and offered scissors to Sidney, lying the screaming baby on her mother's chest. "Want to cut the cord?"

Sidney nodded, accepting the scissors. With one snip, the umbilical cord was cut.

Lilith reached over and took the baby. She laid her on the table and checked her reflexes, color, weight, and lungs, findings that went into the score called an Apgar. The one-minute score was 9. She would do it again at 5 minutes.

She grinned. "One minute Apgar is 9. Highest is ten, but we only give those to babies who come out playing the violin."

Anni looked through her tears at her fiance. Lilith laid the baby in her waiting arms.

"Okay, Anni, she is only 5.5 pounds, so she may have trouble staying warm. You and Sidney can take turns holding her against your skin. She can wear a diaper and hat. You just hold her against your chest, to keep her warm. Okay?" They both nodded with smiles. "You got a name picked out?"

Anni nodded. "Katherine Maureen."

*1 week later*

Anni turned around and looked into the full-length mirror in Margaret's tent.

"Hold still!" Margaret Barked "Don't you want to look pretty?"

"Personally I think she looks beautiful." Anni's head snapped up. She knew that voice.

"Daddy?" She pulled away from Margaret and turned around She saw Dan Lute standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"Anne Kathleen, of course I'm here to walk you down the aisle."

"Thank you." She whispered hugging him.

"But first I want to meet my grandbaby."

"Come with me." She took his hand and lead him to post-op where baby Kate was getting full attention from the nursing staff. When she walked in there were catcalls from the wounded.

"Sorry boys, she's spoken for." Lilith Said walking up to here with the baby. Anni took the tiny baby and held her close.

"Daddy, meet Katherine Maureen Freedman."

"Oh Anni, she has your hair." Dan said looking at the curly red hair springing out of the hat.

"And her daddy's eyes." Anni replied looking at the big brown ones.

At that moment Sara walked out of the back room.

"Sara, this is my dad Dan. Dad, the is my best friend, and Kate's god mom."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Lute."

"Likewise Sara." He bent down and kissed her hand.

"Dad knock it off." Hawkeye stuck his Head in.

"Anni, it's time."

"OK." She said handing Kate to Lilith.

"Ready Dad?"

"Always Sweetie." With that, arm and arm they walked out of post-op.

Anni stood at the end of the aisle with her dad. After he had responded to Mulcahy's question as to who gave the woman in marriage, he sat in the front row, next to Colonel Potter. Everybody had turned out. Even patients were present. Ken, a wounded Corporal who had become rather attached to Lt. Dish. She seemed to feel the same way, and had her arm tucked through his. Megan, a WAC who was injured in a jeep accident was next to them, whispering back and forth with Radar. Next to Radar was Sarah, another WAC who had also been in the jeep accident. She had befriended Father Mulcahy. Being Jewish, the nurses had tried in vain to find a rabbi when Sarah had needed to talk about the accident, but none had been available. Father Mulcahy and she had hit it off.


Back | Forward