Segment Two of A Christmas Story

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Christmas fun! I kept your comments in my mind while I wrote today's second segment. Keep reading to continue on with Jasper's journey and post your responses the question at the end. Then, check out my blog tomorrow for the next instalment.

My Christmas Baby Girl

Jasper peered down at his beautiful baby girl. A Christmas miracle who survived an emergency caesarean birth after they crashed on the icy road coming home from his parent’s home where they had spent Christmas morning. His wife Julie was sleeping soundly in the hospital bed. White bandages wrapped her head where she had to have her skull drilled into so that pressure could be released. Bruises and swelling made her eyes and nose blur into one black and blue mass. Doctors said they would not know the extent of her brain damage until she woke up. Jasper silently berated himself for not getting the passenger airbag fixed when the alert light came on two weeks ago. He had let excuse after excuse get in his way, and now his wife and baby girl where in the hospital. When the car skidded off the road and crashed into the tree, Julie’s body lurched forward hard. She had loosened her seatbelt because it was cutting into her swollen belly, so when the accident happened, the seatbelt offered little protection. Her head slammed into the dashboard causing a massive haemorrhage and breaking her nose. When the ambulance arrived, Julie was unconscious, and the baby was in distress. Jasper somehow came out unscathed with only minor scrapes and bruising from his seatbelt and airbag. Once they arrived at the hospital, the medical staff immediately took Julie back for the c-section and brain haemorrhage. Now here we are five hours later spending the last few hours of Christmas in this sterile hospital room.

Destiny    

I named her Destiny. Jules would approve, I think. The hospital is discharging Destiny five days after her dynamic entry into the world. I’m not ready! How am I supposed to care for this tiny, beautiful angel by myself? Every time I touch her, I think I will break those tiny little bones. What do I even know about babies and little girls? Jules is the one who knows what to do! This just feels wrong…

Jasper holds Destiny close as he leans over the hospital bed to kiss Jules’s cheek. Don’t worry about us, Jules. You rest and get better. I’ll take care of our Christmas miracle until you can be at home with us. Destiny begins to squirm in his arms, and Jasper knows he can’t procrastinate any longer. Placing Destiny in her carrier, Jasper gazes upon his wife dreading leaving her behind but knowing he had no choice.

Over the next six weeks, Jasper juggled caring for their newborn, sorting through the growing stack of medical bills, and visiting his wife daily with Destiny in tow. All on about 4 hours of sleep each night. His parents helped when they could, but with his dad’s own health issues, they were not able to offer much help. Jules’s parents had died in a tragic accident three years earlier, and with no siblings for either Jasper or Jules, it all fell on Jasper’s shoulders. However, Jasper never complained because God had blessed him with Destiny and because Jules was staying in stable condition. She had not woken from the accident, but doctors were optimistic. She was breathing on her own, and her vital signs were good. It was a waiting game now.

Jasper had finally found a nanny he trusted with Destiny allowing him to return to work. After a few weeks of working, unfortunately, Jasper’s visits to see Jules had dwindled to twice a week. Between work and caring for Destiny, there just wasn’t enough hours in the day to keep seeing Jules every day. And, if he was being honest with himself, Jasper had begun to dread the visits. Jules was not improving. She wasn’t getting worse, but she still had not opened her eyes. Sitting in the silent hospital room watching his wife lay there not responding to him or Destiny was breaking Jasper’s heart more and more with every visit.

While in a meeting, the hospital had called, and Jasper sent them to voicemail. He wasn’t in the mood to talk about the increasing bill he owed or about how Jules was not showing signs of waking. He would listen to the message later. Around 6pm, Jasper walked through his front door to be greeted with Destiny making bubbling noises while sitting in her swing. Instantly, the stress rolled off Jasper’s shoulders. Destiny always had that effect on him. Brenda, the nanny, left around 6:30, and Jasper spent the next two hours feeding, bathing, playing, and putting Destiny to bed. It wasn’t until he settled in on the coach to watch the ten o’clock news that Jasper remembered the call from the hospital.

What was the hospital calling to talk about with Jasper?