Every Little Thing

Seven Weeks

Hermione sat and watched her wife go in and out of sleep for the better part of the last two hours, only sneaking out once to go see their daughter and try to snap a few new pictures for Bella. She truly hoped that Bella would get to see the baby in person soon enough. Pictures would only pacify the dark witch for so long. The anesthesia on top of all of Bella's pain potions were really taking a toll on her body not to mention the grueling labor and almost dying. Everyone who was still at the hospital had come in to check on Bella at some point during that time and everyone was still around somewhere except for Harry and Draco. They left after Bella had come to a sense of normalcy and asked where Kate was. It had been hours since Draco had left her in Diagon with Kandi and he hadn't received so much as a text message from her. "The two of you must work under one shared brain cell," she yelled. Hermione tried to calm her down but Bella was on a roll. "No, Hermione. These two geniuses here had one job. Keep Kate from acting foolishly and what did they do? They left Kate alone with a prosititue and the man on a murdering streak who just so happens to be her father," she stopped when she saw everyone's eyes go wide. "Oh yes. I figured that out ages ago. I guess I forgot to tell you as I was too busy giving birth and trying not to die. Now," she turned back to her nephew and boss. "Go save Kate before she winds up dead. I don't think Mark will forgive us this time if she's here in matching hospital gowns with me. I don't want to see either of you again until the situation is fixed." She sent them away with a shoo of her hand and shrugged, immediately falling back to sleep. Bella will always be a force to be reckoned with even in an altered state.

"Minister Black," the doctor greeted her when she came by to check on Bella. "I see she is still asleep."

"Well she was in and out of consciousness for a while. She even had time to demand her employee and boss to get back to work. I think she's doing just fine," they shared a laugh. "She did ask about seeing her daughter though."

"Precisely why I'm here." She walked over and took a look at Bella's machines and looked at her charts. "I had a chance to complete a full physical on Cassiopeia. She's a very strong and determined little girl," she stopped talking when she saw her patient stirring in her sleep.

The dark witch blinked her eyes a few times, coming into focus, "doctor. You were talking about Junior?"

"Junior?" Addison asked with a smirk on her face.

"Don't ask," Hermione rolled her eyes. "So you said that you did an exam on our baby?"

"Yes," Addison took a seat. "Cassiopeia is a very strong little one. Her lungs seem to be clearing out the extra fluid she ingested during the birthing process. She has a little rattling in her lungs but it's to be expected. She may need to receive some oxygen if her levels drop but she currently seems to be doing fine. She also seems to have a touch of Jaundice."

"What's that? Does that hurt her?"

"No Madam Black," the doctor reassured her. "Jaundice doesn't hurt the babies. Cassiopeia's skin has developed a yellow tint which is caused by the buildup of bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice may occur if the liver can't efficiently process red blood cells as they break down. It doesn't cause pain and in most instances clear out on its own."

"I didn't notice any jaundicing of the skin when I was with her," Hermione looked nervous.

"That's not shocking. Jaundice usually takes a few days after birth to show up but since your daughter is only 30 weeks the onset is quicker. She'll receive some intravenous medicine to help as well as be placed under special lighting through her stay until her liver levels are elevated. This will come with age. She will also need to put on weight but as you saw," she turned and looked at Hermione. "She has a very healthy appetite. Cassiopeia will have to be in the hospital for at least 5 weeks with a 7 week max stay. If her lungs are clear and the Jaundice subsides, I see no reason she won't be cleared for discharge in 5 weeks."