Chapter 9

Pete and Dia spends many happy times with one another. Living together brought them very close. Dia looks outside through the bedroom window and watches her husband work on the farm. She misses him when he has to leave the farm by himself. She then feels happy when he arrives back home. After work is over, they spend time watching TV together, they read books to one another, and talk about the farm. Soon enough, the seasons change and Fall comes around once again.

During mid-fall, Pete takes Dia to the clinic. She has been feeling slightly ill for the last couple of days. Illness is not something to take lightly, especially in Dia's case. After explaining Dia's symptoms, Doctor Alex gives her a small medical exam. He then asks them to return to the clinic the very next day.

The next day arrives, and the young married couple await for the results of the exam. Pete has no idea what's going on, but Dia has a good idea what news might be coming her way soon. Doctor Alex opens up the folder prepared by Gina, and reads it silently. Tension builds as the couple waits patiently for the results. He takes his sweet time verifying that the results are accurate before making his announcement.

“Well, it's official. Dia is pregnant.”

Dia and Pete both gasp with excitement. Pete jumps up and yells, “Yes! I'm gonna be a daddy! I'm gonna be a daddy! Wo-hoo!”

Since Dia can't stand and celebrate with her husband, she just claps happily. But as Pete dances and celebrates, Doctor Alex sighs with concern. “Umm, Pete? You think you can give me and Dia here a minute? We need to talk for a bit.”

“Sure! I'll pick her up later! I have to go and make plans already. Where are we gonna keep the nursery? I gotta get some baby furniture.”

“That's great sweetie. Just be back in an hour. Okay?” asked Dia.

“Okay!” yelled Pete full of excitement. He then rushes out the clinic, and goes on to the local shops to see what he can get in the village as far as baby supplies.

Back at the Clinic, Dia already knows why the doctor asked her to stay behind. He doesn't say anything at first, he just rubs his temple as he tries to compose himself. She is bracing herself for the lecture she will get from the doctor. Both of them knew that this day will come, but the doctor didn't expect it so soon.

“Dia, what have you done?” asked Doctor Alex.

Dia fidgets with her fingers and answers, “umm. . . I'm having a baby. Aren't you happy?”

A fist suddenly slams on the doctor's desk. His facial expression is filled with grief and fear. “Dammit Dia! This is not funny! I thought we talked about this already! We agreed that if you wanted children, you would have to go through me first!”

There is a moment of silence afterwards. The only thing anyone can hear for several minutes is the heavy breathing of the doctor. Dia has no idea what to tell him, she is not going to apologize for what she did, but she did go against doctor's orders.

“I'm going to lose my job over this!” said Doctor Alex breaking the silence. After calming down a bit, the doctor continues, “Listen to me, if you wanted to have a child, we had to run some tests to make sure if you're body could handle carrying a child. Then we would get a special doctor to come to the village to monitor and care for you until you conceive. But you have gone and got pregnant putting your life in danger.”

Dia sighs and answers, “I know, we talked about this. But I didn't want to do this like if I was some lab rat. I wanted to have a more 'natural' pregnancy. Unplanned like normal married people. I want to have a normal marriage, like any other girl would have. I know what I did was risky, but I have faith in you and Gina. I know that I can have this baby with your help, and nobody else's.”

Doctor Alex thinks for a moment. He then picks up a pen and says, “you leave me no choice. I'm transferring you to a city hospital!”

Dia stands up and yells, “What!? You can't do that!”

“Sit down!” Doctor Alex demands. Dia takes a seat angry about the doctor's decision. He continues, “I know you don't want to go back to a hospital, but this is for your own good. This is a high risk pregnancy, and I don't have the equipment to deliver this baby. You cannot push this baby out of your body naturally, so the baby must be taken out when you are ready to give birth. If you try to have the baby by yourself, you could risk both the lives of yourself and your child. Is that what you want?”

Dia remains quiet for a moment. She knows the doctor is right. When she came to Flowerbud Village, she planned to remain in the sanitarium for the rest of her life. She never planned to meet someone, fall in love, get married, and have a baby. But here she is, taking life in her own hands. She wants to do things her way, but things could get out of her hands if she doesn't start listening to her doctor.

“What about my husband?” asked Dia.

“Your husband works as a farmer. I'm sure he is allowed to visit you, but I don't think the farm will let him. Unless he can hire someone to care for the farm in his place, he will need to stay here until the baby is born.”

“But. . . I don't want to be away from him that long. I want him to be by my side during my pregnancy. I want him to take care of me, not some doctor I don't know. I want him to see the child grow inside me, he earned the right to have those memories. We cannot take that part of our family away from him.”

Doctor Alex sighs again. Having a normal life is something that Dia wants more than anything. He has a duty as a doctor, but he also has a duty as Dia's friend. He is in a tight spot. He never controlled Dia's life up to this point, he doesn't want to start doing so now.

“All right. I'll allow you to stay in the village.” Doctor Alex said in a depressed tone. Dia begins to get excited, but the doctor points at her saying, “but I have a few conditions. First, even though I am allowing you to stay here, you will go to the hospital about a week before the delivery date. This will give you plenty of time to spend with your husband. On that topic, I want you to tell your husband everything we talked about now. He has the right to know what's going on, and I need his co-operation with this. And one last thing, if you feel anything unusual, you must tell me. Am I clear? Do you promise on both of your lives?”

“I promise,” says Dia.

After the lecture. Dia waits patiently for her husband and his valiant steed to take them home. She doesn't wait long until Pete arrives to get her. During the ride home, he tells his wife that he found some good deals on children's furniture at the nearby shops. He also arranged supplies to be delivered once the baby is born; milk, diapers, and other supplies that they will need. While Pete is excited, Dia remains quiet. She should be excited with her husband, but now she is genuinely worried.

The next day, Pete runs around making preparations. He needs to have an extra room built for the nursery, make changes to his budget, and plan for how will he be a good father. It isn't until the middle of the day until he notices something odd about Dia. Since she got home, she has not said a single word. She should be excited, but Pete can see a worried look on her face.

As soon as he gets a break from planning, he walks up to his wife and holds her hand. She looks at him in his blueberry eyes, then look away. “Honey, what's wrong?” he asks.

“I'm. . . scared,” answers Dia.

“Scared? About what?”

Dia then proceeds to tell him everything. About the risks, and the fact that she will need to travel to the city far from home to deliver the baby. All of the sudden, Pete's excitement fades, and he becomes worried himself. When he asks her why didn't she say anything before, she answers, “because I want to be with you.” Those words make him smile, but it won't make the fear go away.

But what is done is done. The seed of life has been planted, and everyone must play their roles to assure that Dia and her baby are safe. Once a week, Dia is taken to the clinic to have regular health exams. Week after week, Dia and the baby are fine and healthy. Pete does his best to keep Dia away from any type of stress or strain. She is also put on a special diet, where she cannot eat any sweets but fruits and veggies instead. Dia misses her husband's blueberry pies. At least she is hand fed fresh blueberries which makes her happy.

The seasons change, and the baby begins to grow. Her inability to carry the baby makes her even more dependent on her husband. She is often rooted on a chair or bed, and she cannot stand up. Her husband must carry her everywhere, baby and all. It's a strain on himself, but he is happy to do his best for her. Since she cannot leave the farm, the doctor must come to her with Gina and any equipment they need to monitor her progress. So far, the baby and it's mother are healthy.

Spring passes, and Summer arrives. The baby's due date is close, and Dia must prepare to leave the farm. She is now sitting on her bed knitting a small shirt for the little bundle of joy. Her hair is much longer than it was when she first arrived in the village. Because of her massive hair growth, she feels that her baby might be a boy, but she is not sure.

Pete then enters the room, and sits on the bed next to Dia. He holds her hand and asks, “How are you feeling?”

Dia places her other hand on the growing baby, and answers, “Our child will be born in a week or so. I feel scared, but I just hope that he or she will be born healthy.”

A tear sheds from Pete's eyes. He then kisses his wife on the forehead, and says, “You don't have to worry about a thing. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”

She takes his hand, places it on her face. Feeling her husband's hand caressing her face brings her joy in her time of need. This may be the last time she'll feel it until she comes home with her child. So far, everything is fine. She is confident that everything will be fine at the hospital as well.

“I'm going to check if your ride is here,” said Pete.

Just before he is able to leave the room, Doctor Alex and Gina burst into the room. “We have a problem! Turn on the TV!” he yells.

Pete turns on the TV, and the doctor turns to the weather channel. They find out that a hurricane is on their way tomorrow, and the news advises everyone to stay in their homes. Pete looks at the doctor and says, “What's the problem? It's a hurricane, they happen every now and then. No big deal.”

“I got a call from Dia's family. The ride to the hospital is canceled until the hurricane passes,” said Doctor Alex.

“Is everything going to be okay? Will I make it to the hospital on time?” asked Dia.

The doctor remains quiet, but Pete reassures, “So we will get to the hospital a bit late. Dia's due date is in another week, she has plenty of time before the baby is born.”

“I know, but even so,” said the doctor.

“What is it? Tell us!” yells Dia.

“It's most likely nothing, but I can't help but to fear the worst. There are so many things that could happen during a hurricane, but it could be my imagination,” answered the Doctor.

“I'll keep that in mind,” said Pete. Even so, he feels that the doctor is hiding something, but he'll trust his judgment.

After Doctor Alex and Gina leaves the house, the doctor turns around and says, “Gina, I want you to stay here with them.”

“I understand, but is there any reason why?” asked Gina.

Doctor Alex turns around and begins to walk away, but not before saying, “I had a dream, a very scary dream.” He then returns to the Clinic alone.

Gina spent the night with Pete and Dia. Things are calm and peaceful, but the winds start to pick up at midnight. By the morning time, rain and thunder start to kick in, and the hurricane is in full force. Pete looks out and sees the trees bowing for the force of the wind, and debris rolling around the muddy roads. For a moment he worries for the welfare of the farm. On the other hand, Dia is acting incredibly strange. Since the sound of thunder started, she has been hiding herself underneath her blanket. She tries to cover her ears, but the sound of thunder is too loud to ignore.

Pete becomes worried and asks, “Dia, what's wrong?”

“It's the thunder, I'm afraid of thunder!” she answers.

“You are!? Since when!?”

“Always!”

Pete begins to panic. He never knew that Dia had any fears, and the loud thunderbolts of the hurricane is freaking her out. He tries to hold her tight to bring her some type of comfort. He tells her not to worry, and he is there for her, but the sound of thunderbolts cause her to be tense. Then, it happens.

“Oh no!” yells Dia.

“What's wrong?”

“The baby! It's coming! I feel that he wants to be born!”

Pete turns white out of fear, “what?! Not here! Not Now!”

He then cries for Gina to the room. She rushes in and checks on Dia. Her contractions are powerful, and Dia is in excruciating pain. She feels like her body is gonna tear itself apart, and she is not even pushing yet.

“What do we do?” asked Pete.

“This baby won't wait, she'll have to give birth, right now!” says Gina panicking. She then holds Dia's hand and says, “It's okay, I'll help you deliver the baby. I am a trained midwife, remember?” Dia nods, Gina then looks at Pete and yells, “Don't just stand there! Get us a towel, and some warm water!”

Pete then snaps out of his trance and runs off to get the supplies he needs. His mind is numb from the hurricane and his wife going through labor. A window shatters causing him to fall down. Even though the odds are stacked against him, he won't give up that easily He will do his best for his wife and his child.

After getting the towel and water, he tries to walk in. Strangely, he finds himself too afraid to go in. Remembering what the doctor said causes him to lose his nerve. From outside the room, he hears Gina instruct Dia to push. As hard as she tries, Dia's crying voice tells Gina that she can't. Gina will not give up on her friend, so she demands that Dia tries harder.

Dia's vision is getting blurry. The pain of bringing life to the world is too much for her to bear. Her breathing is heavy, and the baby is still in her womb. She doesn't have the strength to push any more. She turns her head to the side, and finds her stuffed bear Daachan. The bear is sitting in a corner watching her. She remembers the promise she made to her husband that she cannot give up on her family. So she summons her strength for one last forceful push.

The last push is so painful that Dia screams out loud. The sound is so terrifying that it belongs in nothing less than a horror movie. Pete panics, and drops the towel and water. He runs in to see what is going on. He runs in, fearing the worst. When he comes in, he sees Gina holding a crying baby in her arms. Dia is lying on the bed, resting from the ultimate push.

Pete's eyes glow as he sees his child healthy in Gina's arms. Gina holds the baby to him and announces, “it's a boy!”

Pete holds his baby wrapped in a blanket. He is happy to hear the baby crying out. The baby is born, and it's alive and well. The baby has jet black hair, just like his mother. His heart skips as he looks into the blue eyes of his baby boy.

“I can't believe it, our son is born. Dia, you did it! You delivered the baby all by yourself. Right in our house. I am so proud of you!”

Dia does not answer. She lays there on the bed, not moving, eyes closed, hardly breathing. Pete then rushes over to Dia and says, “Come on Dia, open your eyes! Look at our son. We're a family now! You, me, and our son. You can't fall asleep on us now. Come on! Hold our son! Please, open your eyes. . . . . . Dia?”