Shooting Stars

Present Day

“Hello, Miss Sophie,” Doctor Phelps says as she enters my exam room on the mark of my six month checkup. I was nervous, I mean how can a kid like me be having a kid? I have had to grow up quite a bit these last few months, along with the the help of the guys but especially Corey.
“Hi, Doctor Phelps.” I try not to let my anxiety seep through my facade. I have always tried to remain as calm as possible in her presence because when I first started seeing her, I would break down and have some minor tremors of flashbacks. Now, I am more afraid she's going to refer me to another psychologist and I didn't enjoy that experience and do not wish to continue down that path.
“Are you ready to know the sex of your baby?” I look to Corey who had demanded I let him come with me and I nod. He made me move in with him just last week because he wanted to make sure that Abby and Patrick had enough time to get their nursery ready and that I could have one too.
“Yes,” I say quietly. The baby bump had made the situation more real in the last four months. I have gotten huge and I can’t do anything to change that, which drives me crazy.
She turns on the ultrasound machine and I roll my shirt up. She places the gel on my belly and than took the machine and rolled it around until the picture pops up.
“There’s a head, and an arm. And it looks like you are having a baby girl.”
“A girl?” was my response. I was happy. I really was hoping for a girl first because my mom always said that if my brother had been first there would’ve been no more and I knew that I wanted more than one baby, just in a few years. Tears started to come into my eyes and I look to Corey and he only squeezes my hand with a smile.
“Yes, a baby girl. You better start looking into names because before you know it, she’ll be here, in your arms waiting to be named.” She prints out the ultrasound and writes on it that it is a girl before sending Corey and I on our way.
“Congratulations,” Corey said as he opens my car door for me. Abby is in the doctor’s office too finding out what she is having and Patrick is with her of course, but we decided we wouldn’t tell each other until tonight’s dinner.
“Thanks, Corey. I just hope I can give this little girl everything she needs and be the best mom that a young girl like me can.” I reply as I slide into his car as gracefully as I can with my six month belly in the last pair of jeans that fit me.
"You are going to be one of the best mothers around, Soph. Don't you worry your pretty little head."
I stare out the window of his car as he goes around getting in on his side. I have my hands on top of my belly and am busy rubbing it and silently communicating with my baby girl as Corey backs out of the parking spot. Everything else after that happened so fast I had no idea what was going on and than it went black.

“Soph,” I hear my name being cried. I than black out again.
The next time I awake, I am in a plain white room with giraffe wall paper. Corey was sitting in the chair next to me sleeping with bandages all over his arms and one near his neck, peeking out from under his t-shirt. I than look down at myself and I don’t feel my baby inside of me. That causes me to freak out and a nurse comes running in as some of my monitors begin to freak out.
“Miss Mosier, you need to calm down.” I don't even register that she says my name and knows who I am, but I am more worried about what could happen to my baby. I may not have enjoyed how she came to be, but I wouldn't want to give her up for anything. I have matured just for her and to be a good mother, but that can't happen if something happened.
“What happened to my baby?” I snap at her without any remorse for my harshness.
“We had to do a premature delivery. She’s in the intensive care unit.” This is not enough for me, I need to know the details.
“Can I see her? How is she? Is she going to be okay? Oh my god, I can't believe this happened, I just want to see her please.” I am almost hyperventalting at this point and so the nurse goes over to the oxygen that is next to my bed and gives me the mask to put over my mouth and nose. I feel a little better almost instantly, but my chest hurts from the not knowing how my brand-new baby girl is doing and with her being premature is not helping my stress levels.
“You need to be approved by your doctor first. I’ll go page her. How do you feel?” the nurse is trying to remain calm with me, knowing I have been through a lot today if she doesn't know my entire story. But my patience is very thin.
“I’m in a lot of pain.”
“Where?” she asks.
“My head and my stomach,” I reply to her. It was only then that I noticed I was in pain anywhere besides my chest. And it hurt like a bitch, trying to sit up and get out of bed wasn't really helping.
“I’m going to give you some pain medication. And you have some visitors out in the hall. Would you like me to send them in?” I have to think for a second who would already be here but then I realize I have no idea how long I was out for.
“Yes please,” I say looking to Corey who is still fast asleep. He had repositioned though when I freaked out so that his head was resting on the bed next to me. I can't believe I didn't wake him completely. I usually can wake him from down the hall in the kitchen at the house and no I haven't? That's different. The nurse nods and leaves after pushing a syringe into my IV.
“Sophie!” Abby squeals as she comes in as quickly as she can around her own belly, while not as big as mine, it is big for her frame. “How are you, how do you feel? What’s going on?” she starts throttling the questions off and I of course have very few answers.
“They didn’t tell me what I did other than that they had to do a premature delivery. I have a daughter, Abby.”
“I’m going to have a boy,” Abby says as she sits on the other side of my bed that Corey isn’t using and gives me a big hug. It hurts a lot, but I wasn’t going to tell my best friend to let go just yet.
“Corey refused to leave your side except in the delivery room,” Jon tells me. I hadn’t even realized he and Jackie were in the room until he spoke up.
“I bet he did. He’s always worrying about me,” I say as I play with Corey’s hair. That causes him to stir and just get his head closer to my body. Everyone laughs and Corey wakes up in that moment.
“What’s going on?” he asks groggily.
“We are just laughing at the big and tough Corey Crawford,” Sharpie replies sarcastically. Corey gives him the finger before turning to look at me.
“How are you?” I can tell how much he cares by how much he is genuinely asking. He doesn't look me over, just into my eyes to tell if I'm lying.
“I’ve been better. I just wish I could see her.” This is my most honest answer I could ever give in this moment. He must know it to be true and lets my eyes go from his own. I find myself looking away awkwardly too. He and I have a weird relationship, it is like we are a couple with how much time we spend together and what we do when we're together, but we aren't. It's definitely weird.
“She’s tiny, cute, but tiny.”
“You saw her?”
“Only as they passed me in the hallway and they had her hooked up to a couple of machines. So you really couldn’t see her that much because she’s so tiny and there are so many machines.”
“Corey,” I start to cry and he stands to wrap his arms around me. I hear everyone else shuffle out of the room to give me some time. I must have cried a good five minutes before I finally get my self-control together to stop crying. I am wiping my tears away as Doctor Phelps enters my hospital room which does not remind me of this morning because my mind is already on the future and what it is going to take to get my little girl home.
“Sophie, I’m so sorry that we had to do a premature delivery, but we couldn’t risk your condition from the accident to hurt your baby.”
“I understand that much, but how is she?”
“She’s alright. She’s much better than any other child I’ve delivered this early. Your daughter is already a fighter like you,” she smiles at me. I laugh and Corey does too. How can my child not be a fighter? I've had such a harsh life already and so has she.
“When can I see her?”
“Doctor Jones needs to release you first.”
“So, what did I injure?” I have to let my disappointment fall and allow for me to think about myself, even if just for a couple of minutes.
“You have a minor concussion, three broken ribs that your daughter kicked trying to be able to move, and your arm.”
“It’s not wrapped?”
“Hello, Sophie. I’m Doctor Jones; I was actually coming to give you a cast right now.” This doctor is a man, probably in his mid-50s and has graying blond hair. He is pretty tall and on the stocky side, but seems pretty nice from what I can tell.
“Oh,” I reply. It makes sense, but my arm doesn't really hurt. However, some of my chest pain I now realize is coming more from the rib area. Hopefully the pain killer from the nurse will help quickly.
“So I know you didn't have much time to think about it yet, but did you have a name for your daughter?” Doc Phelps asks me. I shake my head. I need more time. It was only this morning that she told me to start thinking and now I'm on the spot.
"That was only this morning. And I've been conscious not even a half hour of time since then. How could I ever be ready, Doctor Phelps?" She nods and lets it go.
"Sophie, why don't you think about it while Doctor Jones gets the cast on. It should help with some of your pain, but unfortunately you are going to have some for quite a while. The ribs especially. I'll check in with you a little later." She heads out and leaves Corey and I with the new Doctor.
"How is your pain, Miss Mosier?" he totally mispronounces my last name but I don't even bother to clarify it.
"It's a seven in my torso, but I don't feel any pain in my arm." I tell him honestly. He reaches out cautiously to pick up my hand that is lying across the bed side.
"Does this hurt?" he squeezes my fingers lightly and I nod. It isn't like he was grasping at the fingers harshly, but apparently I was in more pain than I realized.
"That's good. You just are blocking out the pain, I'm sure you'll feel it later. But for now, let's get it casted. The x-ray told us that you broke the wrist and one finger joint. So unfortunately, the cast will go from your elbow down over your fingers, the index finger will be the one enclosed and the rest will be open, hopefully depending on how your hand lies without too much pain while we cast it."
"Okay, let's get it over with."

Later on in the day, Doctor Phelps comes back to my room and asks for a name for my daughter.
“Ava Marie, that’s a good and strong name.”
“I like it. I’ll get a birth certificate made up for you to sign. Get some rest so you can be released and meet baby Ava.”
“Thanks, Doctor Phelps.”
“You are very welcome, Soph,” she waves goodbye and leaves me in my new red cast, to support the Blackhawks like always, with Corey. Doctor Jones came back too.
“Alright, Sophie. You can get your cast off in about three weeks. No heavy lifting and be careful using it. I’m waiting for some test results that won’t be in until morning to release you, alright?”
“Okay.”
“Good, I’ll be back in the morning with your results.”
“Thank you,” I reply to him as he leaves. I look at Corey.
“Don’t worry about Ava. I’ll go up and check on her. If I can, would you like a picture?”
“Of course I would. Thank you, Corey. It means so much to me for you being here for everything.”
“Well, it is my fault you are here.”
“I’m sure that you are giving yourself too much guilt.”
“No, I was just so excited for you and the baby that I didn’t check both ways before backing out at full speed. It’s my entire fault.”
“No matter the reason, it’s not your fault. Things happen and as long as Ava and I are okay, nothing’s wrong. Now, get me those photos, please.” He leaves and I attempt to fall back asleep now that the pain meds are kicking in and I'm finally alone.