Chapter 6: Babies

Jenn Whitaker stood about fifteen feet onto the patio at three o’clock one afternoon in mid-February. She looked around. It was a normal good weather day, even the temperatures were acceptable if you could stay out of the sea breeze. A hedge row of bougainvillea along one edge of the patio stopped the breezes from infiltrating part of the patio.

In one direction, a dozen women sat around reading or working on the iPads or computers. All were topless. A couple were completely naked working on that all-over tan. In the other direction, Dave sat at a table with his computer open and his headset on. He was listening to music, and trying his best to memorize a couple of new country songs.

If you were sitting close to him, you could have heard him mouthing the lyrics to the songs as they played. Dave was in shorts with no shirt on.

Jenn’s posture changed suddenly and she gasped, “Oh, fuck!” Less than thirty seconds later, she yelled, “HELP! MY WATER’S BROKEN.”

Dave glanced up as he saw five of the women leap to their feet and race towards Jenn. He jerked off his headset and followed them. Something was wrong. They all looked concerned.

Jenn looked at him as he got to her with tears in her eyes. “It’s happening. I’m in labor. I was coming to tell you that I’ve felt a couple of pangs.”

Dave pointed between his house and Ty and Dori’s home. “That way. My car is right there.”

Jenn shook her head, “It’s too soon. Now, I’m reminded what labor pains are. They’re too far apart.” She suddenly grimaced as another contraction started deep inside her. Her pelvic bones were creaking apart and her exit sign was blinking for the baby; the act was painful and unsettling.

Dave glanced at his phone’s face, noting the time.

Jenn asked someone to get her daughter. Nova was inside the core helping out with some of the younger children. The eleven-year-old was precocious and well-informed about what her mother would be going through.

The pretty young brunette bounced out of the core seconds later. She ran up to her mother where she sat. “What’s going on?”

Jenn explained as the other’s listened, “I’m going into labor. You remember what that means?”

Nova nodded, “Sure. Your uterus is contracting, your cervix is effacing or opening so the baby can get out. How far apart are your contractions?”

Jenn winced as another labor pain hit her.

Dave responded, “Five minutes, plus that one lasted about thirty seconds. I think we should call Dr. Carol.”

Jenn didn’t argue. Seconds later, Dave was explaining to their OB/GYN about Jenn’s condition. She had another strong contraction during the call. Carol was blunt, “Get her to the hospital, STAT!”

Dave turned around. Rose had brought a golf cart around the long way so Jenn could ride to Dave’s car. Jenn got into the cart and seconds later, Dave was driving her to the hospital. Her ‘Go Bag’ had been in the car for two weeks, as well as everything Dave needed.

A nurse with a wheelchair met them at the emergency room entrance. After getting her situated, the nurse told Dave, “Second floor. Obstetrics signs. Hurry.” Jenn looked pale and worried. Why had the nurse told him to hurry? He kissed her and ran the car into a parking spot and ran back through the entrance doors.

Dave reconnected with Jenn in the delivery room. She gave him a wan smile as he appeared wearing scrubs, a surgical cap, and a surgical mask. She grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed for all she was worth as another labor pain shot through her. This one lasted at least a minute. Jenn already looked exhausted. She was sweating despite the cool room.

Jenn gasped, “This is all happening so fast. With Nova, this all took hours.”

The nurse who was standing there, said, “Oh, second babies come when they want to. First ones always stall and take their time. This one wants to come out real soon.”

Dr. Carol burst into the delivery room adjusting her mask and rubber gloves. “Hi everyone. I hear we have a baby to deliver. Hi Jenn.”

Carol dove right into Jenn’s vagina, inserting a gloved hand and probing around inside. Jenn had a labor pain as she did.

Carol turned to the nurse, “She’s fully effaced. At least ten centimeters. We have a baby about to arrive any second.”

Dave was tasked with feeding ice chips to Jenn between contractions and otherwise holding her hand or rubbing her back when she could sort of roll to one side. Jenn was mostly quiet except for the groans when the pains permeated her lower region.

Carol puttered around the delivery room, helping a nurse prepare the cleanup station for the baby and getting a few surgical tools ready. She did give a shot of lanocaine so that when she did the episiotomy Jenn would be a little more comfortable.

Carol suddenly announced after checking, “The baby is crowning.” She gestured and Dave moved to see where she was pointing. Jenn’s vagina was gaping and a two-inch diameter circle of pink scalp could be seen.

Carol said to him, “Touch it softly.”

Dave lightly stroked the small diameter of skin and wet baby hair. Carol said, “You have just touched the top of your baby’s head, and it hasn’t even been officially born yet.”

Carol did a quick pelvic and abdominal exam from the outside, listening intently with her stethoscope.

“Time to push when your next contraction starts. You know the drill.”

Jenn about busted every blood vessel in her body as she pushed a minute later.

Carol announced, “Baby’s head is out. Do that again on the next one, too.” Dave peeked over Jenn’s body.

Two minutes later, Jenn repeated her colossal push. The rubbery limbs of a healthy pink baby popped into Carol’s hands. She was a flurry of activity clearing the mouth and nose, and then injecting something into the baby’s eyes. The baby was fussing and working its way up to a good cry – its first.

Carol passed the crying baby to the nurse. “Crying is good,” she commented. “Get the lungs working as they should. We like that. Strong lungs.”

“What is it?” Jenn asked. She was finally coming of the delirium of her exhaustive efforts.

“Oh, yeah,” Carol said. “I forgot you didn’t want to know until today. You just delivered a very healthy baby boy, thank you. Got a name?”

Jenn said, “Douglas Prentiss Whitaker, please.”

Dave leaned in and kissed Jenn. “That’s lovely. Thank you.”

Jenn started to cry, “I love you so much.” Dave wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

“And I love you.” Dave had tears in his eyes, too. “You just did something really great. You and I are forever linked in love.”

Carol watched and listened as she fussed with the placenta and then put pressure on Jenn’s lower abdomen to staunch the bleeding inside. After a few minutes she released the pressure and then monitored the vagina for blood flow. When none was evident, Dave could see she relaxed a little.

The nurse arrived a minute later with little Douglas cleaned up, checked out, swaddled snugly in a baby blue blanket, and wearing a little matching blue cap.

Carol announced, “All right. Jenn, you go onto our Watch List for the next twelve hours. Expect to be checked in your nether region and have your blood pressure and other vitals taken frequently. Unless there’s something else, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Dave went over to Carol and held her hands. He was still emotional after watching the birth of his son. “Carol, thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you just did for us.”

Carol gave him a hug and said, “Dad, go relax and tell everybody back home what just happened. I’m sure you have a few friends to share the news with. She can have visitors tonight, too, but only a few at a time.”

Ten days later, Dave repeated the same expression of gratitude as Ashley lay smiling on the gurney next to him holding Priscilla Winslow Hanks. This time the baby was wrapped in a pink blanket and wearing a little pink hat.

A day later, Dave was in a different delivery room at Tampa General. Cindy was beside him holding just birthed Kimball Prentiss Worthington. Dave suspected the pink blanket and matching hat were part of marketing effort by blanket and hat makers somewhere in the world,

Erin orchestrated a few interviews back at the Circle. People magazine was the first – an interview and portfolio of pictures with Jenn, little Douglas, Nova, Dave – of course, Ashley, baby Priscilla, toddler Kendall, and Kyle. Cindy and Kimball opted out of the family portrait.

Ashley was there because of her status as America’s country music sweetheart. Further, she had an unconventional open marriage with husband Kyle and Dave, the result of which was Dave’s children Kendall and Priscilla by her.

Dave was touted as the fastest rising country music star in the business. The hyperbole notwithstanding, he admitted to siring sixteen children with Circle women and Cindy. He was stepdad to a few others, and there was some suspect paternity in a few other cases. Thus, a new and famous star had lots of kids, among them Douglas with Jenn and Ashley’s brood.