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.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1969
Alexandria found out that the doctors had given her pain medicine not because she had been told, but instead, she found out because, after a while, they wore off. Now, she was back to feeling everything, and it made her life hell. Now that she was awake, doctors were in her room at the top of every hour, checking for her baby's heartbeat, a heartbeat that was still in fact beating, but each doctor noticed that the rate of that beating seemed to slip every hour. They did whatever they could to help, but by eleven the next night, they knew that something bad was happening.
The doctors didn't say anything at first, most definitely hoping that something would change and their hope would be restored, but every time they listened to the beating of Alexandria's unborn child, she could see a little more of that hope trickle from their eyes. She knew what was happening without them even saying anything.
But she tried to remain optimistic, even if it would land her in more heartbreak than she felt was bearable.
George had been adamant about staying awake. Thrice, Alexandria had caught his eyes slipping closed, but each time, he had woken himself back up, insisting that he would not fall asleep. Secretly, Alexandria hoped that he would. He had bags forming under his eyes. They looked like bruises at this point, and she could see the debilitating exhaustion in his eyes. Not to mention, he had already been the best support partner she could have asked for, so he definitely deserved a break.
And at about the same time that the doctors began discussing what to tell the Harrisons about their baby's slowly-failing heart, he finally did fall asleep. He still sat at Alexandria's bedside. His head lay just below her hips, his closed eyes facing away from her. Alexandria looked down at him, running her hands through his shaggy hair. He was more than she had ever wished for. He was perfect in her eyes, and she loved that more than anything in the world.
Today had been long, it had been hard. Today was supposed to have been the day that they'd be traveling to visit George's parents' house. Instead, they were here, in a dreary hospital room. Instead of chatting nervously with one another about how they would surprise George's family tomorrow, Alexandria was nothing short of terrified. The hand that wasn't stroking George's hair remained on her belly. It had been lying here, inert, for quite some time. Every fifteen minutes or so, an awful pain would shoot from her head down to her nether regions, and it took everything in her not to shift in discomfort and tousle George around.
At about half-past midnight, George woke up again. He felt Alexandria's fingers combing through his hair, and laid there for a moment, enjoying the feeling before he decided to get up. Alexandria, pleased that he was finally awake again, smiled as he turned, but his eyes met hers with a frown dangling beneath them.
"I told ye to wake me if I fell asleep," he mumbled, stretching his arms to loosen his muscles.
"George, you have been a tremendous help," Alexandria said, "And I do love you very dearly—."
