Jezebel Mallory Parker
“Hey sleepyhead”
Though it was a mere whisper, the sound of her cousin’s voice brought a small momentary smile to Jezebel’s face. Jess was actually alive. “You’re okay. Your heart stopped…” Everything before the ambulances had arrived, Jezebel could remember just fine, even if the details required a bit more focus, but from that point on, she didn’t know a thing that happened. She couldn’t recall how she got to the hospital, how long she had been there, and she had no idea what condition her daughter was in. As Jess asked how Jezebel was feeling, and mentioned that Daniel would be back soon, she looked at her stomach, lightly placing her hand on the bandage covering her stitches. She took a breath, fighting her mind going back to the last time she had woken up in the hospital like that. The worst day of her life, when a part of her broke in a way that couldn’t be fully healed. Even two years later, she could still feel the pain, and the way her appendectomy scar had always been a reminder of that day, and the moment when the nurse checking on her told her that she had lost the baby, her and Jordan’s baby. She failed trying to protect that baby, and she couldn’t bare the thought of having once again failed to protect her child. She didn’t know if her daughter had survived, or had even received the care needed to remain alive. After all, not all hospitals would even try to save a baby born before 24 weeks, and merely provide comfort in the few hours or less that the newborn would live without medical intervention. She looked back to Jess. “I’m okay…” she said, unsure of her own answer. Physically, she felt sore but otherwise fine, mentally and emotionally, she was terrified and trying to not freak out. “How are you feeling? What did Dan tell you?” Jezebel asked, wanting to know not just about how Jess was feeling, or what had gone on since getting to the hospital and anything else Dan might’ve talked to her about, but she was also curious if Dan had said anything to her about the baby.