All Signs Point to You Part Two, Navaura Campbell [best novels for students .txt] 📗

went to the driver's side of the car and opened his door. Putting the key into the ignition switch, he turned over the engine. Pressing down on the gas, he waited a minute before exiting the driveway. Thankfully Denise was coming down from the last contraction. He backed out of the driveway, took a left and then continued on to the emergency room.

By the time they got there to the emergency room, Denise was panting, trying to take deep breaths, but couldn't because the pressure in her back was so severe that she couldn't even gather her thoughts. He walked up to the desk and turned to the desk clerk. "I need to check in Denise W..." He stopped himself and said, "Calloway."

The lady glanced up at him, shoving "Here's a clip board, the doctor will be right with you."

Jordan grabbed the clip board, "Ma'am my girlfriend's having a baby, and she needs a doctor really quickly."

The lady stood up and went around him. Jordan turned around and felt his brain flat line, heart beat speed up and blood rush from his head to his body in seconds. Denise lay out on the floor, not moving.

"We need a gurney a.s.a.p." The lady yelled, leaning down to check Denise's pulse.

 

 

When Denise awoke, she was startled to feel air pushing it's way into her nostrils. Startled, she gagged and pulled the mask off and exhaled deeply. She closed her eyes for a second and opened them again.

Jordan stood up and leaned into her, "Hey!" He was smiling. She narrowed her eyes, "Where's my baby?"

He sighed and grasped her hand, "He's fine, Denise. They're checking his vitals right now. The had to give you a cesarean."

"A what?" She looked about dazed and confused, not sure she'd heard correctly.

Jordan laughed softly, "Just kidding, De-De. You came to for a little while, just as the baby was crowning, so they had you push. As soon as you did that, you were out again."

"Why don't I remember any of this? What happened?"

Jordan inhaled, "Well, you collapsed because there was not enough oxygen getting to your brain."

"Oh, really?" She stated, glancing around. When was she going to get her baby?

"Yeah. Don't worry De-De, he'll be here." Jordan whispered, running his fingers over her hair. Just then, the door opened and a nurse came in wheeling an incubator with the baby in it. Attached to the incubator was a small piece of paper that listed both parents and the baby's name as well. Denise smiled as she watched the nurse lift the baby out of his incubator. Black shiny curls, a hint of tone as well as tiny toes and fingers. The nurse handed the baby to Denise, positioning him in her arms, "He's a sweet one Mrs. Williams, he's got a bit of a heart murmur, but that's normal for newborn babies." Denise stared down at baby Nicholas with a radiant smile on her face and the look of love sparkling in her eyes that bespoke of how she felt. She felt her heart swell with joy at being able to see him. Holding him to her chest, she watched as he pushed his face into her. "What's he doing?" Jordan whispered. Denise pushed open her gown just a little, to allow him to grasp a hold of a breast. She pulled him closer to her and watched as he latched on.

Jordan's eyes widened, "Oh, wow. I was told that hurt."

Denise sighed and glanced over at him, shaking her head, "So far so good, it does feel kind of odd though." Jordan watched in awe, "So, you're breast feeding?"

Denise laughed, her gaze back on the baby, "I guess so. I hadn't really thought about it."

Jordan stared at his son, a swell of pride in his chest. He was such a beautiful little boy. He stared and noticed there were streaks of red in his hair. He laughed and leaned in a little closer. Small brown freckles adorned his skin. They were so light, you could hardly tell they were there. He laughed again and sucked in a breath, "Wow." He stated, his tone light hearted.

"What?" Denise inquired, a gentle smile on her face.

Jordan glanced down at her, "He's got light brown freckles and red highlights in his hair."

Denise glanced up at him, "He's gorgeous."

 

 

Jordan lingered inside Nicholas' bedroom door and watched as he slept. Going back into his bedroom, he laid across the bed, staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts on Nicholas and all the activities they could do together when the boy got older. He couldn't believe that he, of all people was a father. A father to a two week old infant that was asleep in the next room over. He sighed, content. The idea of his mother passing away was bearable now, due to the fact that he had a son, lineage. If you could call it that. He wouldn't be so alone now. A smile crept across his face, displaying the joy that had taken place within him. He had a son. The family name would go on. Without a clear explanation of why, this thought soothed him.

 

He'd been sitting there for at-least twenty minutes, when the bathroom door opened. Pulling himself up, he observed as Denise came into the room dressed in a night gown, robe and Tasmanian slippers. A smile captured his face upon seeing her. Her hair framed her head in a halo, thick, curly and a big poof ball. She returned his smile and then went to the dresser. Opening one of the drawers, she pulled out a hair brush and a can of hair creme. He watched as she went to take a seat at his desk, in front of the mirror, setting the items next to her. He watched with curiosity as she pulled the brush through her hair, Its spikes pulling at a group of strands, detangling them. Her gaze turned to him through the mirror. He watched as ever so lightly, she pulled the brush through. After a few pulls, she set it down, opened the creme and rubbing it all over her hands, put it in her hair. She repeated this a second time and then took her fingers and massaged the creme through her hair. He steadied her, feeling a hearty warmth encompass him.

 

"Do you want to brush my hair?" She inquired, for she was still watching the expressions that came to his face. He raised a brow, not sure what his reply should be. She cleared her throat, "It doesn't hurt."

After a brief debate, he got up and went to where she was seated. He picked up the brush and pulled it through her hair. While doing this, he got an in depth look at how her hair responded. Each strand would pull out straight and then pull back together in a spiral. She watched the brush through the mirror. After several strokes, she handed him a scrunchy.

 

"Put it in a ponytail, please." Her tone was soft, emotion filled. He grabbed the scrunchy, put it on his wrist and then grabbed her hair, pulling it into his hand. Wrapping his fingers around the hair, he pulled the brush through again and then secured it tightly in a pony tail. When he did, Denise reached her hand up, adjusted the ponytail and sighed, "Thank-you."

He smiled, "You're welcome."

 

 

Mrs. Williams felt the light, before she could see it. She heard his voice telling her she was ready. It was time. She felt as if she was floating and then all of a sudden, she was sitting up. She was clothed in a white gown. He was holding her hand. He told her she didn't have to cry anymore. There was no more worries, that she would be alright. He also told her that her son would be alright, to not worry.

 

 

 

Denise pulled the covers around her. It was cold in the house. She would have to tell Jordan when he got home to go down into the basement and fix the heat. They needed to have it fixed quick. Sighing, she got up and walked into the baby's room to check on him. She had been checking in and out every hour. A smile came over her face as she thought that he probably was doing fine. He'd been doing well since they'd brought him home. There was nothing to worry about. Swallowing, she twisted the knob on the door and walked in. The carpet full and plush underneath her bare feet. Tiptoeing over to his crib, she glanced down at him with a smile on her face. "Nicky, how's it going?" Of course he wouldn't answer. He probably was asleep. Sighing, she reached down to stroke his back. His skin felt cold underneath. She picked him up, "Ahh, Nicholas, Mommy didn't know you were..." As she stared into his face, she saw blue lips, dull eyes. Panic opened up on her and she put his mouth close to her ear. There was no breath. She waited a minute to see if he would breath. There wasn't any. She picked up the phone and dialed 911.

 

Jordan ran up to the nurse's station, and was about to ask for Denise, but felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he watched in pain as tears fell down her eyelids. Pulling her into a tight embrace, he held her tight. As he was doing this, a man in a white hospital coat came up to them, his expression grim. Swallowing, he asked, "You must be the father of Nicholas Williams?"

Jordan nodded, "Yeah."

"We did all we could to resuscitate him, but we couldn't get a pulse." His tone was soft, gentle, almost comforting. It would have been if Jordan had heard him say he was sorry, but an inexplicable pain began in his chest. Numbing him. First his mother, now his child. He glanced down at Denise. Would she be next?

 

 

Denise walked into the house, her whole being numb. She hated coming home to a house full of silence. Jordan hadn't spoken one word to her on the way to the house. He'd taken the news of Nicholas' death well, if she might say so herself. He hadn't screamed, yelled, just went pale as a ghost. He said good bye to Nicholas, who had been left on a gurney, just so the parents could see him before an autopsy was performed. According to the doctor, his heart had quit beating between the last time Denise had gone to check on him that morning, and when she'd returned to find him cold. He'd suffered a massive heart attack and died. Denise wondered if babies could even do that. Could they have heart attacks at such a young age?

Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of the moments she'd never get to spend with Nicholas. He'd been a week away from his first month's birthday when passing away. Tears welled up in her eyes, why him? Why not her?

Four months later:

Jordan stumbled into the house, dropping his keys by the door. He tried to close it, but after seeing that it wouldn't budge, he left it alone. Eyes bloodshot,