Raising Grace

Chapter 3

"Babe c'mon. If you don't get up and ready now we'll miss the starting ceremony." I whined to Scott. He got up, giving me a kiss on the forehead and went to go get ready. Our moms left towards the beginning of this month. Scott and I are attending a remembrance thingy on the naval base not far from here. Grace is expected to come any week now and I'm slowly getting nervous for her arrival.
"The base is providing lunch, so I don't have to worry about that, but we'll get hungry on the way there, so we'll need snack foods." I thought to myself.
"Scott? What type of sandwich do you want? And if you say peanut butter jelly you're making it yourself!" I asked him.
"I'll make it myself. It's gonna be peanut butter, Nutella, and banana!" Scott replied from our room. I got what he needed for his sandwich, then got out my ingredients. I'm going to make myself a spicy Italian sub with greek yoghurt, bacon, and chipotle sauce. Once I was done with my sandwich, I packed the cooler with fruit and water. You always have to have like at least three packs worth of water on or around you when pregnant. You get dehydrated fast.
"Hey Lia. Can you start the car? I just need to make my sandwich." Scott asked.
"Yeah. I'll just wait for you in there. Can you bring the cooler with you?" I told him grabbing the keys, my bag, and sunnies, then started the car. I looked in the back of the car to see Grace's carseat waiting for her to occupy it and my hospital bag ready to go for when I go into labour.
"Ready?" Scott asked placing the cooler in the back behind his seat for me to reach.
"Yup. Let's get this show on the road." I replied smiling. The main reason we're going to this because they're giving medals to the family members of those who were in service when 9/11 happened and lost their lives because of it. My great grandpapa was coming home from a visit in L.A. when his plane was hijacked and crashed by terrorists. My great grandmama, who sadly can't attend the memorial ceremony, told the captain of the squadron grandpapa was working for that I will receive the medal for them.
"What's going on in that pretty head of your's?" Scott asked taking his eyes off the road.
"Grandpapa. I'm just upset that I know nothing about him except this and the stories grandmama told me." I said with a sad smile. Scott sighed and quickly glanced at me.
"It'll be ok. We're going to take this medal of honour and hang it up next to all our photos, so we can always remember him." he answered sounding like a therapist.
~1 hour later~
"Finally. I can stretch my legs again!" I exclaimed when we got to the base. Scott laughed at me and started walking towards the building holding the ceremony. I followed closely behind not wanting to get lost.
"Name of the service member receiving the medal?" asked a Staff sergeant Mead.
"Rowan Gilbert." I replied showing her his info. Once she signed us in, she handed us badges to wear showing that we're guest here.
"Where do you want to sit?" I questioned Scott looking up at him.
"Somewhere preferably near the front if that's all right with you." he said.
"Yeah. That's fine."
We made our way towards the front of the room and sat in the third row closest to the aisle. Once everyone was seated, the Captain came up on stage.
"Excuse me. Hello. Today we are here to gift those who lost their lives while in service on 9/11. Some,, getting ready for their first deployment, others, settling down, starting a family, or getting ready for retirement. They will be receiving a medal of honour for their time in service. So if you'll please save the applause for after they've all been passed out. Thank you." When he was finished, an audio-mated voice started saying the names of those receiving the medal.
"Rowan Gilbert." the voice said. Scott and I went on stage to receive his medal then sat back down. The voice started to say another name when it was interrupted.
"Code Blue. I repeat Code Blue. Armed unauthorised personal is on the premises. Lock all doors and stay where you are until further notice."
"Ok. Everyone stay calm. I'm sure this is just some drill." the Captain said. I looked at Scott with a worried expression.
"What's wrong babe?" he asked giving me a freaked out expression.
"My water broke." I told him looking down at my feet to see a puddle of water.
"Is anyone a nurse or a doctor?" Scott asked slightly stressed.
"I am. I'm a doctor. What's wrong?" a nice lady replied walking up to us.
"She's gone into labour." Scott told her as I was doing the breathing exercises I learned in a birthing class.
"Hi honey. I'm Doctor Blake. We're going to move you over towards the stairs, so you're slightly elevated ok. It'll help you push." she informed me. I nodded and her and Scott led me to the stage. Most of the people here gave their jackets for me to use as a cushion of sorts.
"What's your name sweetie?" she asked me.
"Mylia." I breathed out to her in pain.
"Ok. London. I need you to help me." she called out to who I'm assuming is her daughter. She came over to us and started doing breathing techniques with me.
16 hours. We've been trapped inside these rooms for 16 hours. I didn't actually start pushing until four hours ago.
"I need you to give me one more big push Mylia. I promise you, your baby is just one push away." Doctor Blake coaxed to try to soothe me.
"I can't........I can't.........I can't do it. It hurts." I shook my head crying tears of pain. I was sweating more than a person should and was in extreme pain in my lower region.
"I know it hurts, but we need you to push so we can get you baby out. The air way is being blocked by the umbilical cord. If you don't push you may lose her." she told me. I cried a bit more, but went ahead and started pushing despite the pain.
"C'mon baby. You can do this. It'll all be worth it in the end. I promise." Scott soothed kissing my sweaty forehead. I pushed harder and heard a strangled cry. I watched as Doctor Blake unwrapped the umbilical cord from Grace's neck and started cleaning her airways. She laid her down on my chest and that's when the paramedics came in.
"Thank you." I mouthed to Doctor Blake smiling at her as they wheeled me and Grace away.
"You're welcome." she mouthed back smiling at the two of us and Scott. They rushed Grace and me to the nearest hospital while Scott and another paramedic took our car to meet us there. I was rushed into a room where a doctor cut the cord and took Grace away to check on her.
"You are very lucky there was a doctor there. If not, both you and your daughter probably wouldn't have made it." said a doctor that was assigned to me.
"Is she ok?" I asked with tears in my eyes. They drugged me up as soon as they could making it impossible to feel my lower region.
"She's fine. Her breathing is back under control, she's a healthy nine pounds 11 ounces and was born at 9:11 on September 11th." he informed me smiling. I smiled leaning back against the bed.
"I'll go get her." the doctor said walking out of the room.
"How is it, that we go to a memorial ceremony for soldiers who passed on 9/11 on the 10th of September, I go into labour, and have Grace on 9/11, at 9:11, and she weighs nine pounds 11 ounces?" I asked Scott looking at him.
"I don't know. She just does." Scott replied kissing me. A nurse brought her in and placed her on my chest.
"What's her name?" the nurse asked handing Scott the clipboard, so he can write it down. We both looked at each other and knew that we have a new set of plans for her.
"Rowan-Emilia Grace Mellyssah Blake McCall." we said at the same time looking at the nurse.
"She's gonna be a special one. I can tell." she gushed beaming at us and Grace.