This is part three of a fiction story about a young wife of a soldier fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Jamie finds herself alone and in the hospital, recovering from the birth of their first baby. For the first two parts of the story, see previous hereand here
As Jamie began her daily shuffle through the halls of the maternity ward, her thoughts ran ahead of her to the NICU, where her little newborn baby lay among tubes, wires, and sensors. I hope the baby’s doing better today. I can hardly bear to see her in that condition, She thought.
It had been four days since her emergency cesarean, and she still had not been able to hold her own baby. Yes, she could see her through the glass. She could see the monitors blinking their undecipherable numbers and know that she was making progress. And, yes, once they allowed her to reach into the incubator and stroke her little bald head, but that was it. The only thing she could do was come down as often could to visit her own baby, which was not very often for the young mother who had just gone through surgery. To Jamie, it seemed like her firstborn daughter was hardly even hers.
Uneasily she thought of her latest conversation with the doctor. He informed her that, though the baby was making good progress, it was still slow going, and she would need to stay in the NICU for a few more days yet. The thought of having to wait even just a few more days to hold her little girl seemed staggering to the young mother, and the days and nights simply dragged on, one after another.
As she slowly passed the nurses’ station, one of the nurses looked up and gave her a cheery smile. Jamie tried bravely to return the smile, but it turned out crooked. The darkness in her heart seemed to settle like a cloud over her, and not even a smile seemed to come out right.
On top of everything else, Jamie knew that her own doctor was not going to release her until she could find someone to help her when she got home, and she didn’t know anyone else. It seemed like one big storm that had no end.
Nearing the NICU, she prayed as she had done many times before. Oh, Lord, I need You. You know that I’m going to need help at home. I wish Eric could be with me right now, but I know that can’t be. Please send just the right person to be with me so they will release the baby and me from the hospital.
She could not have known that at that very moment, a C-17 was flying west over the Atlantic Ocean. A young soldier grinned to himself as he shifted his weight into a more comfortable position for the long flight.
**************
One morning not long after, a nurse bustled into Jamie’s room. “Good morning, Mrs. Martin,” she said cheerily as she opened the curtains, revealing a thinly bright sky. “Did you know that you’ve been here for six days already?” she asked as she checked Jamie’s temperature.
Jamie’s eyebrows shot up, and when the thermometer was removed, she replied, “Really?? Wow! Well, you know what they say, ‘time flies when you’re having fun,’” she quipped.
“Well, I’ll leave you now to pretty yourself up for the day,” the nurse called over her shoulder as she sailed out the door.
Whatever do I want to pretty myself up for? wondered Jamie. Not like I’m going anywhere. She sighed and carefully turned over to go back to sleep.
As she tried to rest, she again heard the nurse coming into the room. Opening one eye, she looked up at her quizzically. The nurse bent over her and whispered, “There’s a visitor out in the hall to see you. Let me help you sit up.”
“Someone to see me?” Jamie inquired. “Whoever could it be?” she wondered.
“Oh, you’ll see,” the nurse smiled. Going to the door, she told the visitor, “You can go in now.”
Jamie watched in curiosity as a large figure came through the doorway. Instantly it seemed that her heart stopped. Within seconds, she ran the gamut from disbelief to shock to joy. “Eric!” she screamed. “It’s YOU! What are you doing here?”
Eric’s lopsided grin widened. “It’s simple, honey. I brought you something!” And with that, he turned to show her what was in his arms.
Jamie’s hand flew to her mouth as she looked in wonder. Eric stepped forward and placed the sweet little baby in her open arms. Her eyes spilled over with tears. For some time they huddled together talking, laughing, crying, and taking turns admiring little Jessica, whose bright blue eyes mirrored her father’s.
*************
The sun echoed the brightness of Jamie’s heart as the nurse wheeled her out the large glass double doors. Sensing her joy, Eric smiled down at her. Jamie glanced from his smiling face to a nearly identical sleeping face peeping out from the blankets in the car seat. She was amazed at the way the Lord had answered her prayer.
“You ready to go home?” Eric asked.
“You’d better believe it!” Jamie responded happily.
THE END
Lord willing, next week I will introduce you to the “real” Jamie Martin, the dear lady who really had to go through something very similar to this and whose consistent testimony for the Lord while her husband is home or abroad is always an inspiration to me.
