CHAPTER TEN
In the studio John Travis and his Travelers were driving through one of their latest songs. Everyone in the studio was into the pounding music, melody and story of good love gone bad but rescued at the last instant and promises to live happily ever after for everyone involved; even the loser!
Sandra was in the sound booth with Toby. He was rocking to the music, in his own world, and working the mixing board with the precision of an orchestra conductor. He didn’t miss a beat when the phone near his left hand began to ring. Sandra picked it up and brought it to her ear. She listened, spoke, grinned, then returned the phone to the receiver. She reached forward and flipped a switch. “Break guys. Sorry to interrupt.”
John and the Travelers stumbled to an ending, each looking over at Sandra accusingly.
She smiled, fanned her face with her hand and pointed a long skinny finger at John. “John,” she said seriously, but with a smile, “you’d better get on your way. Your baby is,” she laughed. “Judy went into labor fifteen minutes ago!”
John looked confused, but stripped the Fender strap off over his head. “It’s three days early!” he argued.
“It’s not an exact science, yet,” Sandra laughed, as John headed for the door.
“It should be,” he argued. “We keep to our schedule! Least Mother Nature could do is keep to hers!”
Fifteen minutes later John was rolling into the hospital parking lot. He raced up to the entrance and inside, jerked the doors back and rushed through. He raced up to the information desk and said, “I’m having a baby! Err, my wife’s is! She’s having a baby,” he stammered.
“That would be the Maternity ward,” the young pretty pinstriper replied, laughing at John’s excitement. “Tenth floor. Elevators are just down the hall, there,” she added, pointing around the corner in the semi-direction of the elevators.
John went hurriedly down the hall to the elevators. He arrived just in time to catch one with the doors opening. He stepped in and pushed the button for the tenth floor. It seemed forever before the doors closed and he was on his way up to Judy.
Half an hour after John arrived in the maternity ward, Judy was rolled into ‘delivery’. John followed clad in a green sterile gown and mask. He was a nervous wreck. He held her hand and breathed with her as she huffed and puffed like a locomotive, her face red, swollen and sweat soaked. She moaned and groaned, then huffed some more, glaring at John accusingly.
“This is all your fault, John Travis!” she accused.
“I told you we should’na done it!” he replied seriously, his face twisted in anguish behind his mask. He was miserable and it showed!
Judy caught her breath, raised up and pushed hard, huffing and puffing harder, until she screamed, clamped down on John’s hand and glared even harder at him. He moaned in sympathetic misery for the girl he loved.
“Come on Judy,” the pediatrician coaxed, “one more push should do the trick! It’s crowning!”
“I didn’t trick’er, Doc!” John said solemnly, looking from Judy’s sweaty, red, pain filled face, to the doctor, then back to Judy. “I tried to tell’er, but she wouldn’t listen! I don’t like it here in this hospital. Momma died here! Hurry Judy!”
“John, hush!” Judy cried angrily. “I need to concentrate!”
“Okay, but we don’t do this again! It hurts you too much.”
“Liar! We need two more!” she accused. “Now let me concentrate and pppuuUSSSHHHH, AAAHHHHH!” she screamed, her voice pain filled.
“Doc, just pull it out like a calf!” John urged impatiently.
John nearly panicked, seeing the doctor didn’t respond, but instead started laughing at John’s nervousness and near blind panic. “Doc just grab its hind legs and pull as hard as you can! It’ll come out!” He started for the doctor. Judy grabbed his hand and squeezed hard, holding him in place.
“Push Judy,” the doctor coaxed again, barely controlling his laughter. “It’s coming!”
Judy pushed again for all she was worth. Then she started crying. John looked around helplessly, then began crying and comforting Judy. He was in far more pain than Judy. But his was for the one person he loved above all others. “I’m sorry Sweetie,” he cried miserably. “I won’t do it again! I don’t like this hospital! Can you please hurry a little?”
She took him into her arms and comforted him as best she could under the circumstances. “Yes you will,” she said. “But, I can’t hurry, Love. This takes time,” she consoled him.
Then the baby popped out and its crying filled the delivery room.
“A fine son, Judy, Mister Travis,” the doctor beamed, holding the slimy, bloody, wrinkled morsel that was supposed to be another human being, but looked more like a raisin.
After the delivery nurse had cleaned and bundled the infant into a swaddling blanket, she laid the bundle into Judy’s arms. Judy directed his mouth to her nipple and he began to feed as if starving to death.
John smiled down at the mother and infant and said, “Shoot, there ain’t much to this, is there?”
Judy smiled up at him, not wanting to say what a wuss he had been during the entire ordeal. She was glad none of their friends had been there to witness John’s absurd near panic. She knew she would never forget it. Nor would she allow him to, either, but she would only remind him in private.
Later, in her room, Judy was holding John when the nurse brought the baby in and laid him in her arms. She folded the corner of the blanket back and looked down at the small, wrinkled, sleeping face. “Isn’t he beautiful?” she asked softly.
“Looks kinda old, don’t he?”John observed wisely.
“Boy, you ain’t very smart,” Misty said from her chair in the corner. “He’s a newborn! They’re supposed to look old and wise. Unlike their daddy!” she added, then laughed good-naturedly. At the same time, she lunged up, grabbed John and kissed him full on the mouth, “I love you, Buster!” she declared. “You make me proud!”
“Oh,” John replied, wondering at Misty’s sudden admission.
“He’s just beautiful!” Judy said. “He has your eyes, Daddy! And your nose, too!” She finished in baby-talk. John unconsciously felt for his eyes and nose.
“Huh uh!” he said, feeling his nose. “Did he understand what you just said?” he asked wonderingly.
“Well, of course!” Judy replied with a laugh.
“He don’t take after me, then,” John replied. “I didn’t understand any of what you said. I don’t like this place,” he added looking around the room as if seeing ghosts.
“Big surprise!” Misty harrumphed, shaking her head in disbelief at John’s ignorance, or innocence, or superstitions, whatever.
“Momma, be nice!” Judy said calmingly.
Misty looked at her daughter and grandson. Her heart melted and tears formed in her eyes. She took them both gently into her arms and kissed them lovingly.
John smiled with satisfaction, then backed up and sat down in a chair. He stared at Judy, Misty and Lil’Billy, as the baby had come to be known, until he drifted into a restful sleep.