Baumgartner generations: Janie

“Take Beth inside!” he snapped at Gretchen, covering the mouthpiece of the phone with his hand. “And shut the door! Do it! Now!” She blinked at him, but turned and ushered Beth into the house, shutting the door behind them.

“Ronnie, are you okay?” I reached my hand across TJ’s lap to grasp hers. It felt cold and small in mine. Her head was resting against TJ’s chest and she opened her eyes, looking at me.

“It hurts,” she whispered, wincing and closing her eyes again.

And we sat there, Josh holding me, TJ holding Ronnie, waiting for the ambulance, or the end of the world, whichever came first.

Chapter Nine

“Absolutely not.” TJ stood over Ronnie’s hospital bed, obdurate. “You are not still going.”

“Yes I am,” she replied calmly, peeling off another layer of orange Jell-O with her spoon. “The doctor says I can fly during the second trimester.” TJ swore, turning and yanking the curtain out of the way, storming out the door.

“He’ll be back,” Ronnie said, glancing over to where I sat, Josh beside me, holding tight to my hand.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea?” I asked. “I mean, Ronnie, you practically bled to death!”

“Oh don’t exaggerate. You sound like TJ.” She rolled her eyes, putting the Jell-O

on her tray. “I lost a few cups of blood. Having placenta previa isn’t the end of the world-it just means I’ll have to have another c-section. It’s not that big of a deal.” I blinked at her and then looked at Josh. He shrugged.

“So this placenta premium thing…what is it again?” I asked with a sigh.

“It just means the placenta implanted over my cervix,” she replied.

The doctor had explained, after they’d done all their tests-what an amazing relief it had been to see the baby, tiny but moving, a little heartbeat flickering on the ultrasound machine-but I didn’t understand how someone could lose that much blood and still be fine.

“It happens sometimes,” she went on, eating Jell-O. “And it’s early yet-the placenta can move.”

“It can…move?” I looked at her, doubtful.

“Think of the uterus like a balloon,” she explained. “The placenta-that’s the part that feeds the baby, where the umbilical cord is connected, you know that, right?” I nodded.

“If the placenta is here, at the bottom of the balloon, it covers the opening, and there’s no way for the baby to get out.”

Josh interjected, “Without massive blood loss and fetal and maternal death, anyway.”

“Right.” Ronnie made a face at him and he smiled. “But, if a balloon is blown-up only part way, and there’s something here at the bottom of it, and then you blow it up as big as it can go.” She used her hands to demonstrate, making her ‘air balloon’ bigger.

“Whatever was down here may have moved up out of the way of the opening.” I was still doubtful, and like TJ, would have rather erred on the side of caution. “I still don’t know if flying to Georgia next month is a good idea.”

“I don’t see why not. I’ll still be in my second trimester. Honestly, aside from this bleeding thing, I’ve been feeling great.” She gave me a big, bright fake smile to prove it and I couldn’t help laughing.

“Well, the doctor did give you some restrictions,” Josh reminded her.

“I can be on partial bed rest here or there.” She waved that one away, using her spoon to get the last bit of orange stuff out of the container. “And the sex thing…well, that sucks… but it’s only for a few more months…”

She frowned, looking at the door, as if she expected TJ to walk back through it.

She was confident he was coming back, but I wasn’t so sure. I’d seen his face in the shower when he talked about her pregnancy with Beth, how frightened he’d been.

Josh stood and walked over to her bed side. “I think your husband is just really scared. He’s afraid of losing you.”

“I am, too.” I came to stand next to Josh, taking his hand.

“I’m not dying-I’m just pregnant!” she exclaimed, exasperated.

“But can you see it from his perspective?” Josh cocked his head at her, raising an eyebrow. “Imagine for a minute that you’d come in to find him on the kitchen floor covered in blood.”

She was quiet, looking at the door where TJ had disappeared. “I guess, when you put it that way…”

And just like that, TJ appeared in the doorway, still frowning. He grumbled, “The nurse is coming in with your discharge papers,” not moving from where he leaned against the door frame.

“TJ, come here.” Ronnie held her hand out to him. He scowled at her, grudgingly moving toward the bed. “Come here,” she insisted, grabbing his hand as he came closer, so he was right next to her.

She put her arms around his neck, making him bend down to hear her, but she said it loud enough for me to hear, too. “Baby, I’m so sorry you were scared.” TJ wrapped his arms around her, and as I watched, he sank down, putting his head in her lap, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

Josh’s eyes met mine and we slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind us. He held my hand as we walked a little ways down the hallway and then he stopped, pulling me into his arms, and just like TJ, I burst into tears.