Locked Away

Chapter 23

Kara

The bed was comfortable enough, but it wasn't the best thing int he world. However that didn't matter I was next to the love of my life and soon my baby would be in my hands. I weakly watched as Jessie cut the umbilical cord and then joined me back at my bed side. He was funny, I could tell he didn't realize what he had gotten himself into, however at the same time it was cute. Then when he sat down I couldn't resist the urge to tell him those three words that I said those many months ago that at the time weren't reciprocated.

However this time it was immediately said back to me, and it put a smile on my face. No matter what happened in the upcoming moments I knew I wouldn't stop smiling and that's when my happiness got even better as I watched Jesse start to cry. It meant so much to me to see those tears in his eyes, and It made me feel better knowing that he actually wanted the child. He was now my best friend and I could see the nurse approaching with the little bundle of joy wrapped in her arms. She passed the baby to me and I looked at the child causing my smile to grow wider.

Then I turned back to the nurse and I noticed the frown on her face. She was concerned about something and she wasn't sure how to say since I had seen that face one to many times from Ryan. I needed to ask though, I wasn't going to take a risk with my new child and I looked at the women and before I could even ask, she began to talk.

"Congratulations it's a boy, but there might be a slight problem." She hesitated and my heart immediately dropped.

"What do you mean? He looks fine to me." I replied almost getting a second wind and coming back to life.

"Well unfortunately we think your baby might be at risk for down syndrome." She admitted looking down at her feet.

"What why? He's just a baby how could you tell that?" Jesse's frustrated voice now entered the conversation with an aggressive tone.

"I'm sorry but see his almond shaped eyes, and the atypical ear shape. Those are normally common signs. I'm sorry. He's healthy in every other regard though." She said as if it was suppose to make me feel better.

I was at a loss for words though as the nurse left and I looked down at the peacefully sleeping child in my arms. The nurse was right though, looking at the child I could see the body parts that she was pointing out, the eyes were curved up and I already had my doubts. The love and excitement that I once shared with Jesse, was fading from the both of us. I was now genuinely worried about our child but also about what was going through Jesse's mind. What did we do wrong? I kept asking myself as I ran the nine months through my head.

There was nothing that stood out other then the first day I arrived in the apartment when Jesse hot boxed the place. Yet there was no way that was what affected it. Still this was my baby and I had no choice but to raise him. I had every opportunity to walk away and abort him but I chose not to, was it the right thing to do. I don't know. It didn't matter I was ready to be a mom and I would just mark this as another payback from my mother in heaven giving me a taste of my own medicine for all those times I snuck out. I deserved this and that's when it happened the baby started to cry.

The screams the child could make were unbelievable. It felt like an eternity since the last time I heard such a shrill tone, I tried to remember if Ryan was like this as a kid but it was impossible to remember that far back. I was almost convinced my child was possessed and my dream of having a baby was over. It came crashing down like a plane shot out of the sky. However I was surprised that Jesse stepped in and took the baby out of my hands, and held him in his. For a moment I loved the feeling of seeing the two boys that were the love of my life together, but that racket of a scream our baby had was almost...gone. I didn't realize that I had closed my eyes until they opened again and I looked at the two of them beside me. The baby was quiet, the screaming had stopped and everything was peaceful.