Sorry to Interrupt
By Donna and Abby
The Edan doctors were all glad to see Ben Adams return to their midst. He was staying at Sarah Jo and Duncan's place at night and hanging around the clinic during the day. There wasn't a great deal to do, but Helm was away dealing with his domestic worries, and Doc slipped into his spot easily.
Shepherd took advantage of Doc's presence and caught up his records of the births that had recently taken place in the Scottish Village and at Camelot, as well as to find out about who was pregnant and who had fathered the baby. This led to a spirited round table discussion between all the physicians.
They were enjoying themselves immensely, laughing and arguing, and no one paid much attention to the daily running of the clinic. Sarah Jo and Ancelin would do that. And they were doing a good job. They doctored up a toddler's skinned knee, gave out some headache powder to a soldier that had *too much of the Creature taken* the night before, and were now cleaning up the toe of one of the riders who had lost a toenail despite his boot when a young horse had pole vaulted off it. But as Sarah Jo bent over to take care of the mangled digit, she suddenly gasped as she felt a rush of warm liquid run down her legs.
Ancelin nodded. "It's time," she said. "Do you want me to get the doctor, or can you make it that far, and I'll finish this?"
Sarah Jo made a face. "Ah can make it. You take care of this poor man's toe." With that, she grunted whiled struggling to stand up. The nurse stopped first in the restroom to clean up, and then headed to the doctor's lounge.
There was a knock on the door, but the doctors did not hear. There was too much noise! Laughter and good-natured arguments made that impossible. Sighing softly, Sarah Jo opened the door. "Excuse me," she announced. But when no one heard her, she said it a little louder.
Doc was the first to notice her. "Hello," he said, still smiling after just laughing. "Is there something wrong, Sarah Jo?"
She shook her head. "No. Hey, Ah'm sorry to interrupt your gab session here, but ah thought you might want to know that my water just broke!"
Doc sprang to his feet, knocking his chair back. All conversation stopped, and the room went suddenly silent. The rest of them quickly followed Ben to Sarah Jo's side, but she waved them away. "Ah'm all right. Just light contractions so far. But ah would appreciate someone going to get Katherine and then tell Duncan."
Jack Stewart raised his hand. "I'll certainly try. I just wish Katherine lived closer to town. I still can't ride."
One of the others suggested that he find Duncan first, and that he would take care of notifying the midwife.
It was Shepherd. Since Neal Kassell was the new pediatrician, he decided he should stay with Sarah Jo in case labor suddenly increased. Of course, they all could handle labor, including Doc, but he was the father this time, and a bit too close to the situation.
In the meantime, Ancelin had finished wrapping the Rider's toe, and sent him on his way. She had then dashed up the stairs and prepared the room they had set up for births.
She also sent a mental message to Katherine, not sure if she could sense it from this distance or not, but hoping. Perhaps one of her sisters was close enough to tell the midwife what was going on. It was only after she'd done this that she heard Shepherd was going to get her.
She could sense the excitement in the air. The freckled face nurse was well liked by all of them at the clinic, and since this baby was fathered by one of their own, it made the occasion even more special!
Doc and Kassell were helping her to the birthing room. Both looked excited! Doc, because this was his child, and Kassell, because he would have a new patient, one just born, not one that was dying.
After Sarah Jo was changed into a gown, they all gathered around, big smiles on their faces. Shepherd, who had gone to the stables to get a horse but had been told by Cody that he would go fetch the midwife himself, took out his notebook, and with a grin, asked her if she knew who she wanted the father of her third child to be. Sarah Jo broke out in laughter. "Can't I have this one first?" she teased. She then pointed her finger at each one of the men in turn. "Ennie meanie minie moe..."
Doc just laughed, but her finger ended on Kassell and she looked thoughtful until a contraction hit her and her mind was on something else suddenly!
Kassell was looking thoughtful too. What if she did chose him? He had never had any children of his own before. The pursuit of surgical excellence had always taken priority over any romantic relationships in his life. Still, he was "unique" DNA, so from a scientific point of view, the idea also had merit!
But as the laboring mother had said, she had to have this one first! And things were proceeding at a fairly good rate! Good enough, in fact, that when Katherine arrived, it was well progressed already. It was no real surprise that she was going fairly quickly. After all, this was her second baby, and it was quite a bit smaller than her first!
"You took your damn time," said Doc to Katherine, but he was smiling at the time.
"Watch it, Ben," Kat said with a sassy grin. "Them's fighting words!" She had had to wait until a cart had been hitched up, since she was due to have a baby in the middle of the summer herself! The petite midwife gave Sarah Jo a hug and then got briefed on her current status. "Oh, Duncan is giving Josiah piggy back rides down stairs."
"Good," Doc grinned. "It'll keep him out of the way."
"That's the general idea," Kat said with a nod of the head. "He understands what you are going through right now."
"What about what I'm going through?" gasped Sarah Jo as another contraction started.
Doc moved to her side, to help her through it. They were certainly getting stronger. Neal Kassell gave over to Kat, however, and stayed nearby to check the baby, when it came.
While the midwife did her job, he made sure the incubator/basinet they had was all set up. It could be heated by placing hot bricks placed in a warming cabinet underneath it. But since Sarah Jo was full term, they did not expect any problems. It was a smaller baby than the previous one, but Joshua had been on the large side, and that did not mean this one was overly small.
As Doc Adams pretended to be calm, cool and collected, Sarah Jo went through transition, and then was given the go ahead to push when she felt the urge.
She had been through it before, so it was no surprise to her. Doc had seen countless others, but it was different this time! He thought of Prudence's baby, and wondered if he would feel like this then, or if it would be different because he could "keep" that baby. Or at least be closer to it while it grew.
But no matter what, this was going to be his first-born child! After a few good pushes, Katherine announced that she could see the head. "Dark reddish brown hair. Lots of it!" she said.
"Combination of both of us," Doc smiled. He liked that.
One more push, the head was delivered. Sarah Jo was told to pant while the midwife eased the shoulders out. "It's a girl!" Katherine called out a moment later when the rest of the baby slid into her waiting hands.
Doc bent down and kissed the mother of his child. "Thank you," he said warmly.
Sarah Jo smiled happily. "Got a name for her?" she asked.
"What about Jannell Anne?" he asked.
"Sounds lovely," Sarah Jo said softly, glancing over to where Dr Kassell was now giving her newborn a through evaluation as he cleaned her up. Of course, she was protesting this treatment at the top of her lungs.
"She's small, but loud," said Kassell as he finally finished his exam. The baby was then placed on Sarah Jo's belly.
"Come to Mamma, little Jannell," Sarah Jo crooned, scooping her up into her arms and then placing her to her breast. The baby rooted around for a moment, but soon figured it out. "Jannell Anne Adams. I like the sound of it."
And so did little Jannell, who stopped sucking, just for a moment, to look up at her mother. The glance was unfocused, and probably an accident, but it made everyone in the room chuckle. "She knows her name already," said Kassell, and Doc strutted just a little as he told them she was obviously highly intelligent, like her father!
After the baby had settled down, she was handed to Ben to hold. His other self, Methos, had more than his fair share of children, but this one was his very own!