We were all starting to feel more secure. The children were being allowed to play outside again and we could enjoy fresh air once again.
Websites were being put up about how the government would be revamped. There was an online poll about who should be the new president. Many names were entered there but mom’s name was number one on the list. She had a million votes initially.
Further down on the website the author gave this reason behind lobbying for mom:
Brooke Johnson should be president because she cares about people. She risked her life to expose the corrupt government we once lived in. If we bring her into power then we will no longer have to worry about a president that cares about his own agenda. Brooke would be perfect to lead our country in the right direction.
Neither I nor mom could believe our eyes. Americans wanted mom to be president! They wanted her to help reestablish the government. They wanted her to lead the people. They said this country still had hope with her at the head.
We were all astonished. The U.N. contacted mom to let her know that the new election would be in the next 2 weeks and they would do it online. It was a people nomination vote and asked her if she would be willing to run.
Mom said she would have to call them back and she hung up the phone. She sat there with her hands in her head and then walked up to her room. I could tell she was very torn by the proposal.
She finally joined us at dinner time. She stood up at the table and addressed us all.
I decided that I am going to do it.”
“Really mom? You are going to run for president?” Chris sat there with his mouth hanging open.
“Yes. I am.”
“You know that you are going to win right?” Brian asked with a surety in his voice.
“Yes. I know I will win. I know one thing else also, I know that America will no longer be run by wealthy politicians. America will be ran by the people. We won’t be a false republic anymore. We will actually let the people decide. The entire system needs and has needed to be revamped and I plan on doing just that.”
“Brooke, I don’t mean to be rude but do you have any knowledge of government?” Chang timidly questioned mom.
“It was my major in college.”
“That’s amazing,” he replied.
“So then do it! There is nothing stopping you! Go be the president of the United States!” Brian cheered.
Mom contacted the U.N. first thing in the morning. She was officially in the running. There were only 2 other candidates; Brian Geller and Jack Donalds.
Mom was winning by a landslide. There was no competition there. On the last day to vote Brian Geller rose up a little higher but not enough to actually win.
CNN announced that Brooke Johnson was the new President of the United States. The U.N. was constantly on the phone with mom, making plans for her to take office. She would take office in just 3 months as preparations were being made for her to have a secure home and office.
Our lives were forever being changed. I was dazed at how fast everything was happening. I sunk down on the couch and sighed. Chang joined me. We heard the familiar honking outside the manor and realized that John Ombie was outside waiting for us.
He exited his car saying, “Congratulations Brooke! Mrs. President!” He gave her a hug.
“John, looking good. What brings you here today?”
“I just met with the U.N. so I thought I would stop and see you all before I made my way back home.”
“Come in. Come in. Let’s have some tea!”
Brooke made some tea and we all gathered at the gazebo to talk with our dear friend John.
“So I met with the U.N. Can you believe they want me as the head of the department of health? They want me to train scientists on how to make the cure so they can make it in bulk.”
“Wow! Well that’s exactly what I would have you to do!”
“They are building a team of scientists for me that is going to work on a 2 week long cure. I am very excited at the prospect!”
“Oh John, I am so happy for you! Did they offer you a home too?”
“And a great salary. I am going to take the job. I start as soon as I can get there.”
We sat and discussed details until well into the day. Everyone was getting their happy ending.
The next few months were spent making plans and mom making new contacts. John had gotten settled and was working on the cure. Life was good again.
It was hard still not being able to live freely. Even though things in the world were settling, it didn’t mean that there weren’t still flesh eating monsters waiting outside of our gate for us.
CHAPTER 14
BREANNE
My abdomen felt heavy all day. I was not due for 3 weeks but I began to feel pressure low in my pelvis. It was hard to walk and I quickly realized why. My feet were swelling. I felt a little dehydrated too and super tired. I wasn’t quite sure what was wrong with me but I knew I needed at the very least, a tall glass of ice water and a nap.
I laid on the sofa with my feet propped on a pillow and took a long swig of my ice water. Brian sat next to me and began to massage my feet.
“Are you feeling ok? You look a little off.”
“Oh, thanks! Tell the pregnant woman she looks horrible just a few weeks before she is set to deliver!”
“You know I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant that you don’t look well.”
“I don’t know. I feel drained and really thirsty. I have pressure in my pelvis too. I wish I knew what that was all about.”
“I’ll go get Brooke.”
“Hey,” I said and grabbed his wrist. “I’m sure it’s nothing to bother her for.”
“Absolutely not. I’m not taking any chances. Just let her examine you. She’s been reading up on all of this stuff so she is more than capable to help. We need to know if something is wrong.”
He leaped off of the couch and disappeared into the hall. A few short minutes later he emerged with Aunt Brooke in tow.
“What’s going on sweety?”
“I’m just really tired and thirsty.”
“And she feels pressure in her pelvis,” Brian added.
“Maybe I should take a look at you. Come upstairs to my room please.”
I hobbled up the stairs. It wasn’t my favorite task since I was now as large as an elephant. Aunt Brooke beat me up the stairs by far and had out her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff.
She motioned for me to sit on her bed and took my blood pressure.
“It’s a little high.”
“How much high? Like do we need to worry about it?” Brian asked with a hint of panic on his face.
“No, we just need to keep an eye on it. Bre, lay down please so I can check the baby’s heartbeat. She stuck the Doppler to my tummy and moved it around until she caught the beat strong and loud.
“She sounds well.”
She gave me a quick examination including pressing my legs to check for swelling.
“You are swelling a bit but that is normal under these circumstances.”
She placed her hand on my belly and my uterus began to contract.
“Honey, I think you are having a contraction!” She paused and began to count the seconds. “You may be going into labor.”
I looked at her dumbfounded. “How can that be? I am only 37 weeks. I have 3 weeks left to go.”
“A normal, full term pregnancy is between 37 and 42 weeks.”
“So she could have the baby anytime now and it would be ok?”
“Yes. Bre, we need to check for dilation.”
“Does that mean pelvic exam?”
“Yes. Are you comfortable with that?”
“Well I guess it’s better to know and be uncomfortable than not to know and be surprised later.”
“Ok, we need to get an extra blanket and Brian, do you want to be here?”
“I’ll leave for this.” He walked out of the room after kissing me on the forehead.
Aunt Brooke prepared me for the pelvic exam. She placed a rubber glove on both of her hands and began to feel for my cervix.
“I’m taking an educated guess but I’m thinking you are about 3 and a half centimeters.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means another half a centimeter and you are considered in active labor.”
“Am I having the baby tonight?”
“We need to track your contractions to be sure.”
“I better get Brian and a watch.”
“Time them by distance apart in minutes and duration in seconds.”
“For how long?”
“For the next hour and then bring me the sheet that you write it on.”
Brian and I nestled into my bed and began to time the contractions. I could hardly tell I was contracting unless I was lying down. When I was standing it just felt like pressure.
I just laid there and relaxed while Brian did all the work. After about 30 minutes he got up and left the room without saying anything. He came back with Aunt Brooke.
“Sweety I’m gonna have to check you again. You are contracting every 6 minutes and I want to make sure if they are causing you to dilate or not.”
“Ok. Should I be worried?”
“No, let’s just see if you have dilated anymore and we can go from there.”
She did another exam and then called Brian into the room.
“So she is a good 4 centimeters now.”
“So she is dilating then.”
“Yes. Bre, you are in active labor. We are going to have to monitor you and the baby often tonight. Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? I can get you right in. I would feel better if you had the proper monitoring of you and the baby.”
“Is it going to be a problem getting in? I mean, are they secure? Will they make me stand there and go through all the nonsense of breathalyzing and all of that?”
“I will let them know we are coming. Everyone knows who I am now so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
She ran out of the room and began to make some calls. She came back with a duffel bag and told Brian to start filling it for me. She grabbed the diaper bag out of my closet and began to fill that as well.
Within a matter of minutes we were packed and ready to go. I hobbled back down the stairs to see Zoe standing there waiting for me. She grabbed me up into a hug and told me good luck.
Chang waited there with the kids as Zoe chauffeured Brian, Aunt Brooke and I to the back entrance to the hospital. We were met at the door by an orderly and asked to step in quickly.
I felt a heavy duty contraction at that point. The pain almost doubled me over. The orderly noticed my movement and told us to stay put while he ran to get a wheelchair.
He had me wheeled upstairs in no time. I was admitted and strapped to monitoring machines in seconds flat. The staff at the hospital was very attentive to my needs.
I felt another painful contraction and then my water broke. The nurse was surprised and called for the doctor to come in. This was all happening so fast that I didn’t know what to do with myself.
I thought to myself, This is it. There is no turning back now. The baby is coming and coming now.
Brian held my hand as the doctor examined both me and the baby. He stood up, removed his glove and went to the sink to wash his hands.
“Well your water broke for sure. You are about 6 centimeters and that could go very fast since your cervix is ready. The baby’s heartbeat is strong and she looks like she is doing well. When did you say you started contracting?”
“I noticed pressure off and on throughout the day but we didn’t pinpoint it until about an hour and a half ago.”
“She is dilating quickly, about 2 centimeters an hour,” Aunt Brooke volunteered.
The doctor gave her a strange look.
“I was a L&D nurse for a year.” He gave her an approving look and went about his business.
“Well I am usually not wrong on the timing of things. I am going to take a guess that the baby will be here within the next 2 hours. Breanne, are you comfortable?”
Just as he said that I contracted and I contracted hard. I squealed with pain.
“Would you like some pain medication?”
“No, I want to do this without.”
“Ok, I’ll have my nurse check you in about 20 minutes.” He walked out of the room in a hurry and I could see him writing in the chart from the crack in the door. Brian got up and closed the door completely while I covered myself.
“I can’t believe the baby is coming.”
“And she is coming fast. Bre you really are having a fast and easy delivery so far.”
“How often are my contractions?”
“3 minutes apart and a minute long.”
“She is coming fast. It hasn’t been that painful so far.”
“You are one of the lucky ones.”
The next hour became more and more painful. I almost opted for the drugs but I was determined to not take any. I didn’t want my baby to be born groggy.
The nurse checked me for the 3rd time. She didn’t say much when she came in but that I was almost ready for delivery. Aunt Brooke followed her out of the room. The pain was becoming unbearable.
I began to feel more pressure. Aunt Brooke returned and told me that the nurse said I was 9 centimeters. It was almost time to push. She knew me so well that she knew I would want to know in advance.
The doctor came in and began preparing for the delivery. Brian looked pale and I wondered if he was going to be one of those fainting dads. I was squeezing his hand very hard through the last contraction and didn’t realize it until he pet my head with his free hand and asked me to let up on him. I felt bad. I didn’t want him in pain.
I began to sweat profusely as the contractions were coming back to back. Aunt Brooke mopped my head with a wet rag and did her best to calm me. Brian whispered in my ear, “I love you. You can do this. You are so amazing. Get ready to meet our daughter.”
I began to cry. It wasn’t from the pain but it hit me that I would soon be giving birth to Brian’s child. The love of my life and I were about to bring the product of our love into this world. There was no turning back now. He was about to be a father and I was about to be a mother.
Aunt Brooke noticed my tears. “Are you ok honey?”
“Yeah, I am fine. I just can’t wait to hold my baby girl.”
Another wave of pain shot through my abdomen and my lower back. I had to fight the urge to scream and I felt like it would die from the pain. Suddenly I felt the urge to bear down.
“The baby is crowning. You can push anytime you would like.”
I could have kissed the doctor at that moment. He was reading my mind, or better yet, my body.
I gave a gentle push.
“You are doing great Breanne. When the next contraction hits give me another one. This time try a little harder. You are ready to deliver.”
“Please. Call. Me. Bre,” I managed through my teeth.
He chuckled. “Ok Bre, you are having another one. Go ahead.”
This time I pushed harder. I had to stop to take a breath because I was suddenly feeling light headed.
“That was great. She’s almost here. With the next contraction I want you to give me one hard push. Really put some fire in it ok?”
The next contraction came faster than I could imagine. My head was spinning with all of the excitement. Something rose up on the inside of me and I had a sudden burst of energy.
“PUSH!” Brian encouraged me.
I gave a long, hard push. I could see my daughter’s head. The do
ctor turned her around and suctioned her mouth.
“Push one more time,” the doctor commanded.
I grunted as I gave one last hard push. That was the last push because the doctor was holding my sweet baby girl. He wiped her face off and held her up to me.
“Whaaaaaah,” her tiny voice rang out.
I couldn’t stop the water works. My face was a puddle of tears. I was instantly in love. I could hear Brian and Aunt Brooke crying as well. The doctor laid her on my tummy and introduced us to our little girl.
The doctor was smooth. As we ogled at our little girl he quickly cut and clamped the umbilical cord. I looked down at her beautiful face with wonder. She was amazing. She was simply the most exquisite human being I had ever seen. I couldn’t stop staring at her.
The nurse grabbed her and took her over to the incubator. They measured her height and weight as well as checked her vitals.
“7 lbs, 9 oz’s and 20 inches long.”
My baby girl was perfect. The nurse wrapped her up in a swaddling blanket and handed her to me so that I could hold her. The pain had not completely subsided but I wasn’t completely aware of it either. The only people in the world right at that moment were me and my precious daughter Emma.
I pulled her up into my arms and kissed her little face. Her eyes lit up in recognition of my voice. “I love you Emma. Happy birthday.”
Brian stood there with tears in his eyes. “Hold your daughter,” I told him.
He reached for her and I could tell he was afraid to hold her at first but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her either. He quickly sat in the chair and cradled her in his ample arms. “Emma, you are perfect.”
He held her for quite some time. I began to want her back. After all, I had just split myself wide open to get her here. Aunt Brooke looked longingly at the baby.
“Can I?” She reached towards the baby. He began to stand and she stopped him. She grabbed her with ease. Aunt Brooke cried as she held her. “Emma, you are one amazing little girl. We have been waiting a long time to meet you.”
She didn’t stall with giving her back to me. The doctor and the nurses had the room cleaned up in no time and the nurse instructed me on breastfeeding. I decided I wanted to give it a try.
Emma latched on with no issues. She was the perfect baby.