Chapter 55 - Continuation

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From then on, everything was a blur. For everyone, but especially for Adena. Everyone wanted to see her. Get a word in. She only had the energy for small talk. She was in and out with all the medications she was on. She felt overloaded from one conversation. She needed her strength back. Donatella came by every day, which surprised Taye but not so much Craig. He read Donatella well early on. She wasn't so bad. Lloyd was a complete mess, but that's just who he was. Kehinde even came by. Every time she woke, there was a new card and new flowers. Gladys was by her side 24/7, speaking for her at times when she couldn't.

Gladys was more prepared at the moment than Adena. It was her time to step up. She also felt guilty. Maybe she should have coddled her more instead of letting her be independent.

There were so many maybe's, what ifs, should've, could've, would've. It took Adena a few days to come back to life. She couldn't remember a thing. However, there was one thing that refused to disappear...

On August 29th at 1:16 am, Adena's bundle of joy was delivered. They had to cut her open to save the baby. It was a hard thing to witness. Taye couldn't take it and couldn't stop throwing up. Rich and Gladys were trying to hold back their tears and fears. They looked in shock as the baby was lifted out. The baby was so tiny.

Too tiny.

However, the baby wasn't moving and wasn't crying. Rich helped cut the umbilical cord because Taye practically fainted. Gladys braced herself for the horrible news. The horrible news that she went through twice. Thankfully, Adena wasn't able to witness it.

"Oh God, please," Gladys said as she held on to Rich. She turned away. She's been through this before and never wanted to look. The baby was too tiny and blue.

It seemed like an eternity to her. Her mind was all over the place, and when the doctor spoke, she couldn't hear them. This had to be a dream. She was dreaming. "Gladys," Rich said to her, squeezing her arm. "Gladys."

That brought her back to earth, and she started to cry once she turned around and saw the baby struggling to breathe.

But they were breathing.

A doctor specializing in premature babies had taken over and performed CPR on the baby, and they succeeded. However, they had to inject the poor little thing to keep it breathing. Thankfully the baby will rarely leave Adena's room. A unique bed was brought in, and the baby was placed inside. The baby was so tiny that it fits in the palms of the doctor's hand. "That looks like an incubator. What the hell is that?" Rich asked as more equipment was brought in. A nurse explained everything as a breathing tube was applied. It was bigger than the baby.

"The bed keeps the baby warm, and the tube is to keep the baby breathing. Right now, the baby doesn't know how to yet," the doctor who resuscitated the baby said as they walked over. "I know this is all very overwhelming, but the fact that the baby is breathing and has the strength to try is an excellent sign. Once the baby is more stable, we'll have to take mommy and baby to the SCN. Before you ask, that's the special care nursery. Trained staff will know what to do and walk you all through everything. That's also a good sign. Some babies born prematurely aren't as strong and need to go to another unit, but this little one is strong enough not to require too much intensive care. Also a good sign. Once they're both ready, we will take them to the 7th floor. Only two people at a time can be in the room. I suggest that the young man continuously vomiting over there go home. We need the room as sanitized as possible. No illness shall ever enter the room." They were pleased to hear this because what was Taye doing here anyway, all of a sudden?

"Oh, Doctor, thank you so much for everything you've done, but just one more question, can you tell the sex of the baby yet?" Gladys asked, still shocked and still not believing what was going on.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry. Congratulations. It's a girl."

*

Capricorn Pig signs want to both succeed materially AND impress their contemporaries.

*

"Time to go," Rich said as he approached Taye sitting in the hallway. Nurses attended to him and gave him anti-nausea medication. Taye looked up at him as the baby, and Adena was wheeled out of the room, Gladys behind them.

"Wait, where are they taking her?" Taye asked.

"A special nursery since the baby is premature, and no, you can't come."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so," he said. "And all that vomiting can't be around the baby, ever. The baby is fragile right now."

"The baby is here?" Taye asked in shock. How did they get it past him? He did nod off a little. "The baby made it?" Rich nodded, crossing his arms. "Well, where are they taking her?" he asked again. He couldn't quite grasp what he was hearing.

"To another floor, go home. They told me Kim came here looking for you. You may want to take care of that."

"Shit. Ok, but I'll be back tomorrow," Taye said uncomfortably as he looked for his phone.

"Don't bother," Rich said.

"Why not?" Taye asked, and Rich gave him a look that said, 'Get out, or I'll throw you out.' Taye sighed. He thought they would be more grateful. He was the one who got her to the hospital and saved her life. According to them, He was also the child's father, so why can't he act like it? "Oh hey, nurse?" Taye asked one walking by. Rich turned around and headed toward the elevator. "How old must a baby be for a DNA test?"

Rich stopped and turned around slowly. "You got 5 seconds to get out of my sight, or I swear to God."

"But-"

"5...3..." Rich counted down. Taye jogged toward the exit. "Oh, it's a girl, by the way. Thanks for asking." Taye paused at the door and then rushed out.

He then rushed to the elevator. "There you are," someone said, and he turned around. What now? It was Missy, and she was with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. "First of all, fuck you. Second, how is she? Is she still awake? What happened?"

Taye almost opened his mouth to answer her but saw the anxious and yearning look on the psychopath's face. Nah, they can wait all night for all he cared. He had shit to take care of. The elevator opened, and Taye got in. He flicked them off and repeatedly pressed the close door button. Missy was over there in a flash, and Ron didn't bother to stop her. It would be entertaining to watch. However, she just missed him. She punched the elevator door in frustration. "Ow!" Missy growled, "And he made me break a nail. Fucking asshole."

"He was running from somebody. Pretty sure Rich kicked him out," Craig said with a shake of his head. "He said he would text us once he knew something."

Bzz. Bzz. Craig looked down at his phone and gasped.

Mr. Capricorn
We're on the 7th floor
It's a girl. 👼🏽

"Holy shit, come on, they're on the 7th floor," Craig said as he rushed to the elevator, and luckily the door opened right up.

"What's on the 7th floor?" Missy asked as they squeezed in.

"I don't know, but he said it's a girl. The baby is finally here. Hurry."

Missy squealed and then nudged Ron, "Ha! Told you, you owe me $100 playboy!"

*

Despite their materialistic tendencies, they are loyal and protective and a little overpowering when it comes to their loved ones. 

*

Adena turned her head and saw her mother holding her hand with an anxious look on her face. "Mom?"

"Yes, I'm right here."

"You're here! Oh my god, Mom, it hurt. It hurt so much," Adena cried as she hugged her. She's never been this grateful to have her mom around. As her mother held her, she slowly looked around the room, which looked different from a typical hospital room. She saw something glowing before her bed but couldn't determine what it was. She felt groggy, and her vision was blurry and sensitive to light. Gladys saw this but didn't say anything. Adena needed all of this to sink in to save her baby.

"What's the last thing you can remember?" Gladys asked her as she smoothed her hair down.

Adena paused and thought for a second. "I was being rushed into a different room than this one: so many doctors and bright lights and noises. Taye was even there. Craig too," she said as she looked around the room, "But no, he was at the apartment...?" Everything else was a blur. She felt like Dorothy when she woke up from that crazy dream of Oz. "I feel so...tired. I feel..."

"Don't try to sit up, honey. You've been through a lot. Your body's got to heal."

Then Adena started looking around the room more frantically. "The baby? The baby. Where..?" she asked as she looked down at herself and didn't like what she saw. She looked like What's her name from Nightmare Before Christmas. "What happened?" Oddly enough, once she saw all the bandages and stitches, then the pain came back.

"Don't move too much. Relax. Sweetheart, I need you to listen. Hear me. Ok?" Gladys said to her. She didn't want to tell her more than once. She held both of her hands in hers. "What did I just say?"

"You want me to listen? I'm listening! Where-"

"Your baby had to be delivered early. You two were in distress."

That took a moment for that to sink in for her. Then all the anxiety from the last seven months came to the surface.

Gladys went ahead and ripped off the band-aid. "Your baby is here, but there are some complications, and they must stay here for a while. You as well. It's a girl, baby."

"You mean..? A girl? Is she ok?"

"For the time being. You have great doctors and nurses who specialize in caring for premature babies. Your baby was delivered five weeks early. So she could survive. An emergency C-section."

"5 weeks early?" She did the math in her head. "Where is she? If she's here, I want her."

"Alright, but Adena, the baby is tiny because they delivered her early. But she's breathing, and that's all that matters," Gladys said as she walked toward the glowing light in front of her bed. When Gladys wheeled it over, Adena realized it was a small bed, and there she was.

"That's...her?" Gladys nodded. The baby was so small, too small, like a doll, and quite a few tubes were attached to her. She looked closer and saw the baby inhale and then exhale slowly.

"The tubes are helping her breathe, and this bed is to keep her warm. Once she's regular and stable, you'll be able to hold her, but right now, she's only a few hours old and has to get acclimated-"

Adena burst into tears. She didn't know whether to be overjoyed or completely break down. She was trying to process it all. The mixture of emotions made her angry. Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't she have a normal pregnancy? Normal circumstances?? All of this was alien to her. "I can't hold my baby? I'm afraid to because she's too small anyway. She looks so fragile. She doesn't even look real. This can't be real! I can't hold my baby, and she can't see me. I can't hold my baby!" she sobbed as two doctors entered. Gladys sat on the bed, and Adena cried into her lap.

Glady's consoled her, "It's going to be ok. We have to wait a little longer. She's strong; she's fighting and doing all she can to be here-"

"Hi, Ms. Capricorn. I know this is overwhelming, but the baby is doing fine and safe inside her special crib. Her vitals are where they need to be. Now we need yours. The baby needs her mommy to be ok too. While we do that, we need to take care of Babygirl for now." Adena wasn't paying attention until the other doctor attempted to wheel the baby out of the room.

Adena sat up quickly, "DON'T TOUCH HER! DON'T!!"

"Ms. Capricorn, we can't scream or talk too loudly. The baby isn't developed enough to handle loud noises," the other doctor said softly and calmly.

"I promise you I'll bring her right back. We have to run a few tests. It'll only take 5 minutes," the doctor moving the baby, tried to assure her.

"But...Mom, they're going to hurt her! I can't even hold her. I haven't held her yet!!" Adena sobbed. Gladys held her close and repeated everything was going to be ok. Adena then started repeating, "I can't hold her."

"Don't worry. This is a normal reaction. We can give her something to sedate her if you'd like."

Gladys shook her head, "No,  more medications unless necessary." The doctor nodded and attempted to get Adena's blood pressure and temperature, which would be problematic if Adena couldn't be still.

Craig sighed shakily as they stood outside the room. He couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. He wished that she didn't have to go through this. Why her? His heart broke for her.

"Why don't you three get home, I'm sorry, but Adena will need more time. I'll let you all know when she can have visitors. You've done good today. Get some rest. We really appreciate it," Rich said to him, Missy, and Ron.

Missy nodded as she wiped her tears. She got a glance at the baby and felt the same as Adena. The baby wasn't fully developed and couldn't respond or breathe independently. The baby looked like they didn't make it. She quickly hugged Mr. Capricorn, "Tell her I love her," she sniffled and walked with Ron to the elevator.

"Tell her I do, too," Craig said softly, and Rich nodded. He sighed as he watched Craig saunter off like a lost puppy.

*

Famous Capricorn Pig: Humphrey Bogart (Actor); b. December 25th, 1899

*

Once it all set in, all Adena wanted to do was sleep or spend time with the baby privately. She turned away visitors or had them wait outside. She was paranoid about germs affecting the baby. She was paranoid about everything. Even holding her. Eventually, she finally could. The first time she held the baby in her hands was a surreal experience. She couldn't exactly describe it. She felt the baby was as fragile as an egg on a spoon.

"There you go, perfect, Adena," her pediatrician said as she carefully placed the baby back in the "humidicrib." Adena sighed with relief, she was so on edge that she had tremors, and you can't hold a baby with tremoring hands. During the baby's "quiet time," she would sit with therapists and a psychiatrist to cry her eyes out. Though she didn't want to, she needed anxiety medication to stabilize her. She was a nervous wreck. "You're doing great, like with everything else. The more you do it, the better you'll get," they said as they rubbed her back. Adena nodded gratefully. She was grateful that the staff was so friendly and had answers to her thousands of questions. Donatella bought her a journal as a gift, and her therapist encouraged her to write out her feelings, but she mainly used it for every instruction and word they said. They looked at their watch and said, "How about you two rest for an hour or so, and then I'll come back, and we'll practice breastfeeding. How does that sound?"

"Perfect, thank you."

They walked out but stood in the doorway and paused. "You have two visitors out here waiting."

"My parents?" she asked, reaching her arm inside the crib. She rarely touched her, but sometimes she would give the baby a gentle stroke or two on her miniature arm.

"No. A Taye and a Craig? Let's have one at a time for visitors, ok? Who do you want first?"

"That would be best anyway," Adena said and sighed shakily. "I want Craig, please."

Goddamnit, how much she wanted him.

And then there he was, wearing a mask and holding a vase full of yellow roses. Why was she so nervous? It was like when she first met him all over again. He closed the door slowly, making sure to flick Traitor off before he shut it. Adena chuckled—those two. "Hi," she said to him.

"Hi," he said. He wanted to run over to her, hold her as close as he could, and whisk her away from here. But we all know the answer to that. "Um, where do I-"

"Can you come on this side, please?" she asked, and he didn't hesitate as he walked over to the other side of the bed.

He set the flowers on the counter accompanying the sink. "I got these for you," he said. Glad he was able to this time. Remember what happened the last time he bought her flowers?

"They're beautiful, thank you," she said gratefully. "Um, can you wash your hands? For 30 seconds?"

"Sure," Craig said, turning the sink on as softly as he could.

"Can you count it out?" she asked him.

"Seriously?" he chuckled.

"No," she said and chuckled. He did as well and shook his head. In the most stressful situation, he brought out the playful girl who liked to joke around.

He dried his hands. At least she had a sense of humor. That was very good, actually. He didn't know that that was her first joke and chuckle since she got here. Just forced smiles, crying, or her classic RBF. "So there she is, huh?" he asked as he looked at the smallest baby he's ever seen in awe.

"There she is," Adena nodded as she reached back into the crib and softly stroked her. She was still afraid to touch her, but the doctors encouraged more body contact.

"You have a name yet?" he asked her, trying to make conversation. He had so much to say but now forgot all of it.

"The doctors and everyone are calling her 'Miracle Baby,' which she is," Adena said. "Remember that 4-page list of names I made?"

"How could I forget" Craig chuckled.

"I've narrowed a page or two down."

"Progress. But nothing yet?"

"I don't want to name her yet, just in case..." She didn't have to say anything else.

"I understand."

"I just call her Babygirl, for now."

"Babygirl, it is," Craig said softly, "I'm so sorry for all you're going through."

"Me too," Adena said. "Now that I can reflect, I was pretty reckless. This is all my fault."

"Don't. Don't blame yourself."

"If I didn't ignore the signs, she would still be in the womb, safe and sound."

"Hey, you've never done this before. You know your body. Understandably, you thought it was just what comes with being pregnant," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed. She let him. "I'm not surprised. You push through everything, no matter how hard."

Adena sighed, but this time it wasn't so heavy. "I thought it would go away, and I thought it did, and then..." she sighed. They both sat there, and then, he slowly reached over, held her hand in his, and squeezed it.

"Well, it's all worked out. It's better than what you've feared this whole time, right? Your mom's in shock."

"We all are. It seems too good to be true. I want her to be ok."

"It may be, but Adena, you deserve every too-good-to-be-true moment, and what better one than this?"

Adena sighed. "Stop, you're getting my hopes up."

"That's what I do, Adena. Keep you up. I never wanna see you down. You know that. You'll get through this. Both of you. I'm sure of it."

Adena nodded, but she had no faith. At least he had more faith than all 3 of them. That's what caused her anxiety attacks. The baby pulling through one moment and then gone the next. She was waiting for that bomb to drop, preparing herself. She didn't know if it was a cruel joke to have her for a few days and then have her taken from her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I've lost faith, I truly don't know what will happen next, and you know how I am with surprises."

Craig chuckled, "You don't have to tell me. Tell me what you do know."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, is she able to go home soon? What have they taught you so far?"

"She can't go home until her original due date. They want to monitor every step of the way—October 4th. I'm stuck here til then. We're stuck here til then."

"I think that's best. 24-hour care so you can rest. She is so tiny. I wouldn't know what to do with little Thumbelina here."

Adena gasped and turned to him, "That's all I've been thinking about. That story. I may call her that for now," she said with a small smile.

"How much does little Thumbelina weigh?"

"Only 2 1/2 pounds. Light as air. She can fit in the palms of my hands. I would let you hold her, but-"

"I'm afraid to, to be honest."

"Me too-"

Then they both watched in shock as the baby moved its head to the side facing them. The baby was lying on her back, sleeping. They both gasped. "She's never done that! Moved. Ever!"

"Really? See? Thumbelina is getting stronger by the second," he said, holding her hand tighter. She squeezed it back. He witnessed her smile, maybe for the first time since she's been here. "You think she's eavesdropping?"

Adena chuckled, her eyes welling up with tears. "Maybe. Maybe she recognizes your voice. Dr. Lopez said they could. You were always around before..." She paused. "You used to rap to her, read her memes and tweets, blow raspberries. You wouldn't shut up, you know."

Craig chuckled again. "I mean, Thumbelina has to know who LL is. I won't let her be ignorant about that. Like the ABCs." Adena shook her head but was still smiling. "I did have that, what you call it, separation anxiety after everything happened. I thought that only happened to the mothers once the baby was here." He didn't realize how much of an impact these two had on him until they were gone. He wanted them back if that's the last thing he did, but he had to wait in the wings again for the right time.

"Really? We missed you too. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but she became active after you left. Kicking, rolling, practically stomping on my bladder."

"She was protesting. Putting her fists up."

"That would be a sight to see," Adena said, turning to him. "I missed you most of all, you know. Even though I was mad. I went through all the stages of grief. Missing you."

"I bet you weren't as stupid as I was. I lost my mind without you," he said honestly. "I'm really sorry. If I could turn back time and if I knew-"

"I should've fought harder for you. I extended a few olive branches, but they didn't take. I gave up."

"I did too. You know how many bouquets I bought besides these here, hoping to patch things up?"

"You did??"

"You don't know the half. I thought love was stronger than pride. But that pride had me..."

"Me too," Adena said. She started to feel like herself again. She remembered everything she wanted to tell him. Remembering all of the imaginary conversations they would have if they crossed paths. He was mulling over what type of olive branches she used to get his attention. He was about to ask her but then... "Thank you for being there. That night. That was a miracle too. I didn't expect it." She could feel that pull again, her body magnetizing to his.

"There were some things I didn't expect, too," Craig said, moving a strand of hair out of her face. He knew she would disagree, but she looked so beautiful. She always outdid herself without even trying. Looking like a supermodel. He cupped her chin in his hand and-

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!" Taye's voice loudly came through the door. "Adena, we really need to talk. It's urgent."

*

As Western astrology has evolved, there's a sign for every planet, not just the Sun. They answer that 'not all' signs act and react similarly. Where EACH planet is, the exact time you were born, and your location also impacts you. Knowing them gives you a more detailed understanding of yourself...

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https://youtu.be/OSMY8A9gdoA