How We Met Juliette

Infinite Season Ep. 5 How to save a life

Robin's POV...

My due date was fast approaching. I had been off from work for 2 and a half weeks. After the braxton hicks contractions, I thought we were through with the pregnancy scares, but I was wrong. It was 2AM on a Saturday and I woke up worried when I couldn't feel you moving within me. I initially assumed that perhaps you were getting tired and maybe resting, but then I thought it was a bit out of character. You were the most active in the middle of the night; especially your heart. Even though it was a pain to have to sleep on my back, it was comforting to know that you were safe within the walls of my swollen abdomen.

I woke daddy up again and told him what was going on. He answered sleepily and told me that it was probably just another braxton hicks contraction. He even offered to get out of bed and fetch me a glass of water. I told him that it was worth a try, but my doubts remained. 20 minutes later, I told daddy that it wasn't working and that I was still kind of paranoid.

"I'm serious Barney. I can't find the baby's heart beat. What if there's something seriously wrong with her? What if she doesn't make it?" I asked worried as a series of tears started to stream down my face.

"Oh, it's okay, Robin. Don't cry. We'll figure it out right away, come on" daddy responded as he caressed my chestnut brown hair, got out of bed, we put clothes from the day before and we walked out the door to the hospital.

~X~

When we arrived at the hospital, it was 3:05AM and I was almost completely passed out on daddy's shoulder. We would have been at the hospital much earlier if the traffic wasn't so bad. I guess that's what I get for deciding to move to New York, the city that never sleeps. I could only pray that you would quickly learn to sleep through the night despite all the street noise.

We checked in as soon as we arrived, but it was a bit more hectic than we expected. The brunette receptionist with a giant mole on the tip of her nose, who couldn't have been more than 42 years old was reluctant to let us in. I shouldn't have expected it to be so easy, anyway. This was New York, after all; people were not the kindest, especially at night.

"Please, you've gotta understand. Our baby's life could be in great danger and we just want to make sure that she's okay" daddy pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait a little while longer. We're pretty busy tonight" the receptionist said with her thick British accent; which made things seem a bit more life threatening.

"Listen Wicked witch of the west side, we could go all day on this. But just know that I am not giving up until I hear that my precious baby girl is safe and sound. I know this may be the karma coming upon me after years of not wanting children, but I am not giving up this easily!" I exclaimed as I looked at her with Aunt Lily's dead to me look.

Just as the receptionist was about to make what I assumed would be a clever comeback, our lives were saved as we heard my name being called by someone familiar. It was Dr. Stangel. We had been to the hospital so often when he was on duty, it was like visiting an old friend. He gladly took us in without needing an appointment.

"It's alright, Cindy. I've got this" Dr. Stangel said with a bit of a flirtatious wink; which daddy and I thought was a bit disturbing when we thought back to her atrocious and intimidating appearance.

Dr. Stangel led us into the same examination room that I had been in the last time we were here, and he asked me to change into the yellow hospital gown and get on the examination table.

~X~

He brought in a bunch of tools and examined me for approximately 30 minutes before he gave us the official announcement. Based on the sorrowful look on his face, I could already tell that it was something we didn't want to hear.

"Just lay it on us. What's wrong with her?" I asked tearfully.

"No sugar coating it. We can take it" daddy added, equally as tearful. But his voice was at a pitch high enough to shatter a window.

"Okay, if you're really sure..." Dr. Stangel responded.

"Please, if it's coming from you how much could it hurt?" I shrugged as I once again took notice of how similar daddy and Dr. Stangel looked.

Dr. Stangel proceeded to tell us that your heart rate was abnormal and that there was a chance you would be premature, stillborn or faced with a series of medical complications growing up. Daddy and I teared up as we heard this and we prayed that it was anything but a stillbirth. We had worked so hard to get you here that we were not about to give up.

"Oh my god, is there anything we can do to save her?" I asked as the tears streamed faster and faster down my face; faster than Niagara Falls.

"Medically speaking you could try staying hydrated, take long walks and eating a great deal of fruit. But the only thing you could really do is pray and talk to her.

"Are you serious? Do you think talking to her actually works?" daddy asked doubtfully.

"It's never too early for babies to recognize their parents' voices. If you tell her how much you want her to make it out to see the world, there is a chance that she'll hear you. I like to believe that all children are angels working with God before they are sent to live on Earth" Dr. Stangel answered.

"That was beautiful, man. What is up with that?" daddy responded as he continued to weep.

~X~

We went home later that night, called everyone and told them the news. As worried as they were, we told them to pray and they did. Even my family in Canada prayed. After I told your grandpa what was going on, he asked me if I had missed the Canadian health care. I told him I did, but that it wasn't the point.

"I know how much you want her, so I'll be rooting for her" grandpa said sincerely, using sports references that I had grown accustomed to hearing.

"Thanks, dad. That means the world to me and Barney" I responded.

"But hey, I want to be the first one in Canada to know her name. It better be something strong" grandpa replied.

"Yes, it is" I smiled as I looked down and rubbed my growing womb.

Daddy and I went to bed holding hands that night; which was something we hadn't done since we started dating. But before we officially fell asleep, we told you how much we wanted you to be in our lives. How long we had been waiting to hold you, see which one of us you looked like and overall get the chance to know you in person; even just for a minute. A minute of knowing you would have been better than a lifetime without you.