HOME | DD

Description

    Ozzie’s stomach lurched around as they drove in the dark of the early morning, he dropped the girls off to their grandmother’s then continued on to the hospital.

    They waited hours for the foal to be born, Lizzie finally going into dilated enough after being in the hospital for around ten hours. Ozzie held her hand as she pushed, the room full of doctors prepared for the worst case scenario with the foal being at a higher risk. tears streamed down Lizzie's face as she felt the pain rattle through her body. Ozzie held a cool washcloth to her forehead, wiping the sweat from her brow as she let out sounds of pain.
The cry of their foal finally came after Ozzie held his breath for a few moments, looking to him in the nurses hands with concern. The foal was briskly checked and given i'v's. Lizzie let Ozzie's hand go and turned her attention to the nurse offering her ice chips. Ozzie hesitantly left her to see their son as he was being cleaned and cared for. The colt was a sorrel color with light flaxen hair, a thin blaze and Lizzie's arm markings. He looked similar to his mother, if he were truly his son.

    “Spencer Atticus Burton will be his name.” he said to the group of nurses and doctors.

    Tears welled in his eyes as he gently caressed the baby boy, his face slightly deformed with the characteristics of his disability.

    “Mr. Burton, we’re going to need to keep him in NICU for a little while, to monitor him. He’s very tiny and might struggle to put some weight on for a while. We’ll take our greatest care with him. You and your wife need some rest in the mean time.” A nurse explained in a whisper.

    Ozzie gently handed his son to the nurse, then followed as they moved him into a new room.

    “I can still come and see him, right?” he asked as the nurse came back out of the room.

    “Sure.”

    “what about his sisters? They’ve been so excited.’ He said holding his hands.

    “Yes, but he needs to stay in here. You’re welcome to hold him but just make sure everyone uses hand sanitizer and nobody has a cold.”

    “Thank you.” He said shaking her hand. He sat down in the chair just outside the room, he stayed there until about noon, dozing in and out. He got back up and went to Lizzie’s room, she was sleeping still, starting to stir a bit. He scratched his head and looked at her, exhausted from her birth, he quietly left the room again and went down stairs to the cafeteria. He bought two sandwiches and two cups of soup with some drinks. He brought them back up to Lizzie’s room and sat them on the side table near her. He sat in the chair with his own and began eating quietly.

    About ten minutes later she woke up, groggy and in pain.

    “Hey.” Ozzie said getting up.

    “Hey.” She said rubbing her face. He helped her sit up as he chewed and pushed the table with food toward her.

    “It’s chicken noodle, pretty good too.” He said sitting down again.

    “Thanks.” She said taking the lid off of the cup of soup and unwrapping her sandwich.

    “They took him to NICU. He’s got to stay there until he’s fairly stable.” Ozzie said taking a drink from his coffee.

    “Oh.” She said looking sad.

    “You feeling okay? I can get the nurse in here if you’re in pain.” He said looking at her. She started crying.

    “Why are you being so nice to me?” she sobbed.

    “What do you mean?” he asked.

    “I’m a bitch. I don’t know why you stayed here to take care of me.” She said wiping her eyes.

    “Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t want to leave Spencer, and I was worried about you. Nobody should have to go through this kind of pain alone, Liz. I still care for you, keep that in mind.” He said getting up to close the door so the outside wouldn’t hear the conversation.

    She laughed through her coughs “This is bad, talking about the end of our relationship in the maternity ward.”

    “It is, but it’s better this way. We can’t keep trying to make this work.” He said throwing away his wrapper. “Eat, Liz.” He said tapping the table as he walked by.

    “I’m not very hungry.” She said shaking.

    “I don’t give a shit. You need it.” He said sitting down again.

    “What’s this?” she asked quietly rattling her drink.

    “Just water, I didn’t know what you would want.” He said stretching with a yawn.

    After Lizzie ate everything Ozzie helped her to the rest room and into a wheel chair. He took her down to NICU to see Spencer.

    “Do you want to hold him?” the nurse asked. Lizzie shook her head no.

    “I’ll take him.” Ozzie said pushing her chair into the room. He put sanitizer on and a face mask as he held his baby boy. He knelt down to Lizzie’s level and showed her the baby, she cried softly as she looked at him, seeing what she’d done.

    After about three o clock Lizze was back to bed, she should be able to go home the next morning. Ozzie called his mother on the phone, and soon she showed up with the girls. They ran into the room and hugged their mother and father tight, all excited.

“Where Is he?” Izzie asked happily.

    “He has to be in a different room for special babies. Spencer is a special baby, and he needs to be cared for in special ways. We’ll have to learn how to take care of him and wait for him to be strong before we can take him home.” Ozzie explained. His mother quietly left the room, not able to stand Lizzie any longer.

    “Come on.” He said taking his girl’s hands and leading them to their baby brother.

    Ozzie held Spencer once again and sat down with the colt to show his girls. They smiled under their masks and said hello to him.

    “Dad, he’s tired.” Izzie said as the colt yawned.

    “Baby!” Lexie said happily pointing to her brother.

    “He is tired. Let’s let him sleep. You two are going to stay with grandma one more night, your mommy can come home tomorrow.” He said hugging them. They stayed a little while longer, and left with their grandmother.

    “You told your mom.” Lizzie said sipping on some water.

    “Divorce and a disabled kid that might not be mine, sounds like something she should know about.” Ozzie said defensively. “Have you told your mom and dad?” Ozzie asked bitterly.

    “No.” Lizzie said glaring at him.

    “Well here’s your chance.” Ozzie said noticing them coming down the hall from outside of the door. Lizzie cursed and pulled herself together a bit.

    “There’s the happy couple!” her dad said coming inside with a grin. Ozzie got up and shook his hand and hugged his mother in law.

    “I’m just going to wander down to the cafeteria for a bit.’ He said excusing himself. He made a wide eyed look at Lizzie as he left the room. Lizzie sighed and looked at him sadly.

    Ozzie came back a little bit later and knocked on the door frame as he came in. Her parents looked up at him, looking grim. Ozzie gave a small smile and asked “Do you want to see him?” they both nodded and got up silently.

    “Ozzie, I’m so sorry, we didn’t know.” Her father apologized as they walked slowly down the hall.

    “It’s alright. She’s scared right now.” Ozzie said shaking his head.

    “If there’s anything we can do to help out with the girls and the baby just let us know.” His mother in law said kindly, touching his arm.

    “I’ll let you know. We’re not sure how we’re going to handle everything just yet. I’ll probably help her find an apartment and move, then from there I guess it’s every other weekend with the girls, and a few days in court to sort everything out.” He said scratching his head.

    “You’ve been good to her.” His father in law said patting him on the back. “we didn’t expect this to happen, and we’re truly sorry.” He added.

    “No reason to apologize, really.” He said as they neared Spencer’s room.

    “He’s pretty tuckered out, had a big day.” The nurse said to Ozzie as they looked at him sleeping in his little bed. His grandmother held his tiny hand and smiled at him looking peaceful.

    “He looks a lot like Elizabeth.” The father said as they left the room.

    “He does.” Ozzie said rubbing his arm.

Description

    Ozzie’s stomach lurched around as they drove in the dark of the early morning, he dropped the girls off to their grandmother’s then continued on to the hospital.

    They waited hours for the foal to be born, Lizzie finally going into dilated enough after being in the hospital for around ten hours. Ozzie held her hand as she pushed, the room full of doctors prepared for the worst case scenario with the foal being at a higher risk. tears streamed down Lizzie's face as she felt the pain rattle through her body. Ozzie held a cool washcloth to her forehead, wiping the sweat from her brow as she let out sounds of pain.
The cry of their foal finally came after Ozzie held his breath for a few moments, looking to him in the nurses hands with concern. The foal was briskly checked and given i'v's. Lizzie let Ozzie's hand go and turned her attention to the nurse offering her ice chips. Ozzie hesitantly left her to see their son as he was being cleaned and cared for. The colt was a sorrel color with light flaxen hair, a thin blaze and Lizzie's arm markings. He looked similar to his mother, if he were truly his son.

    “Spencer Atticus Burton will be his name.” he said to the group of nurses and doctors.

    Tears welled in his eyes as he gently caressed the baby boy, his face slightly deformed with the characteristics of his disability.

    “Mr. Burton, we’re going to need to keep him in NICU for a little while, to monitor him. He’s very tiny and might struggle to put some weight on for a while. We’ll take our greatest care with him. You and your wife need some rest in the mean time.” A nurse explained in a whisper.

    Ozzie gently handed his son to the nurse, then followed as they moved him into a new room.

    “I can still come and see him, right?” he asked as the nurse came back out of the room.

    “Sure.”

    “what about his sisters? They’ve been so excited.’ He said holding his hands.

    “Yes, but he needs to stay in here. You’re welcome to hold him but just make sure everyone uses hand sanitizer and nobody has a cold.”

    “Thank you.” He said shaking her hand. He sat down in the chair just outside the room, he stayed there until about noon, dozing in and out. He got back up and went to Lizzie’s room, she was sleeping still, starting to stir a bit. He scratched his head and looked at her, exhausted from her birth, he quietly left the room again and went down stairs to the cafeteria. He bought two sandwiches and two cups of soup with some drinks. He brought them back up to Lizzie’s room and sat them on the side table near her. He sat in the chair with his own and began eating quietly.

    About ten minutes later she woke up, groggy and in pain.

    “Hey.” Ozzie said getting up.

    “Hey.” She said rubbing her face. He helped her sit up as he chewed and pushed the table with food toward her.

    “It’s chicken noodle, pretty good too.” He said sitting down again.

    “Thanks.” She said taking the lid off of the cup of soup and unwrapping her sandwich.

    “They took him to NICU. He’s got to stay there until he’s fairly stable.” Ozzie said taking a drink from his coffee.

    “Oh.” She said looking sad.

    “You feeling okay? I can get the nurse in here if you’re in pain.” He said looking at her. She started crying.

    “Why are you being so nice to me?” she sobbed.

    “What do you mean?” he asked.

    “I’m a bitch. I don’t know why you stayed here to take care of me.” She said wiping her eyes.

    “Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t want to leave Spencer, and I was worried about you. Nobody should have to go through this kind of pain alone, Liz. I still care for you, keep that in mind.” He said getting up to close the door so the outside wouldn’t hear the conversation.

    She laughed through her coughs “This is bad, talking about the end of our relationship in the maternity ward.”

    “It is, but it’s better this way. We can’t keep trying to make this work.” He said throwing away his wrapper. “Eat, Liz.” He said tapping the table as he walked by.

    “I’m not very hungry.” She said shaking.

    “I don’t give a shit. You need it.” He said sitting down again.

    “What’s this?” she asked quietly rattling her drink.

    “Just water, I didn’t know what you would want.” He said stretching with a yawn.

    After Lizzie ate everything Ozzie helped her to the rest room and into a wheel chair. He took her down to NICU to see Spencer.

    “Do you want to hold him?” the nurse asked. Lizzie shook her head no.

    “I’ll take him.” Ozzie said pushing her chair into the room. He put sanitizer on and a face mask as he held his baby boy. He knelt down to Lizzie’s level and showed her the baby, she cried softly as she looked at him, seeing what she’d done.

    After about three o clock Lizze was back to bed, she should be able to go home the next morning. Ozzie called his mother on the phone, and soon she showed up with the girls. They ran into the room and hugged their mother and father tight, all excited.

“Where Is he?” Izzie asked happily.

    “He has to be in a different room for special babies. Spencer is a special baby, and he needs to be cared for in special ways. We’ll have to learn how to take care of him and wait for him to be strong before we can take him home.” Ozzie explained. His mother quietly left the room, not able to stand Lizzie any longer.

    “Come on.” He said taking his girl’s hands and leading them to their baby brother.

    Ozzie held Spencer once again and sat down with the colt to show his girls. They smiled under their masks and said hello to him.

    “Dad, he’s tired.” Izzie said as the colt yawned.

    “Baby!” Lexie said happily pointing to her brother.

    “He is tired. Let’s let him sleep. You two are going to stay with grandma one more night, your mommy can come home tomorrow.” He said hugging them. They stayed a little while longer, and left with their grandmother.

    “You told your mom.” Lizzie said sipping on some water.

    “Divorce and a disabled kid that might not be mine, sounds like something she should know about.” Ozzie said defensively. “Have you told your mom and dad?” Ozzie asked bitterly.

    “No.” Lizzie said glaring at him.

    “Well here’s your chance.” Ozzie said noticing them coming down the hall from outside of the door. Lizzie cursed and pulled herself together a bit.

    “There’s the happy couple!” her dad said coming inside with a grin. Ozzie got up and shook his hand and hugged his mother in law.

    “I’m just going to wander down to the cafeteria for a bit.’ He said excusing himself. He made a wide eyed look at Lizzie as he left the room. Lizzie sighed and looked at him sadly.

    Ozzie came back a little bit later and knocked on the door frame as he came in. Her parents looked up at him, looking grim. Ozzie gave a small smile and asked “Do you want to see him?” they both nodded and got up silently.

    “Ozzie, I’m so sorry, we didn’t know.” Her father apologized as they walked slowly down the hall.

    “It’s alright. She’s scared right now.” Ozzie said shaking his head.

    “If there’s anything we can do to help out with the girls and the baby just let us know.” His mother in law said kindly, touching his arm.

    “I’ll let you know. We’re not sure how we’re going to handle everything just yet. I’ll probably help her find an apartment and move, then from there I guess it’s every other weekend with the girls, and a few days in court to sort everything out.” He said scratching his head.

    “You’ve been good to her.” His father in law said patting him on the back. “we didn’t expect this to happen, and we’re truly sorry.” He added.

    “No reason to apologize, really.” He said as they neared Spencer’s room.

    “He’s pretty tuckered out, had a big day.” The nurse said to Ozzie as they looked at him sleeping in his little bed. His grandmother held his tiny hand and smiled at him looking peaceful.

    “He looks a lot like Elizabeth.” The father said as they left the room.

    “He does.” Ozzie said rubbing his arm.