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An hour later, Pam was still pushing, sweaty and exhausted. Jim was by her side, encouraging her, wiping her face with cool washcloths, offering sips of Gatorade between contractions. He felt absolutely helpless; he hated seeing her in so much pain.
As yet another contraction died down, Pam fell back, exhausted.
“I can’t do this anymore!” she panted. “I’m so tired…”
“Yes, you can, Pam,” Dr. McNulty said. “Just a few more pushes and you’ll be done.”
“Uh-uh. I quit.” She closed her eyes, and then her face screwed up as another contraction began to build.
“Okay, come on, Pam,” Dr. McNulty said. “I promise, you’re almost done. Come on, give me a good 10-second push”
Even as she insisted that she couldn’t do it anymore, she pushed again, squeezing Jim’s hand tightly.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven…” he counted, his arm around her shoulder, supporting her. “Six, five, four, three, two, one...” Pam let her breath out in a big sigh. Dr. McNulty looked up at her.
“Pam, she is right there. Just one more big push.”
Determined, she took a deep breath and pushed with all her might. She felt her insides shift… and then suddenly, she felt a warm, wriggling body on her stomach. Her eyes flew open as she heard her daughter wail.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” she sobbed as Carrie vigorously dried her off.
“You did it… you did it!” Jim whispered as he kissed her over and over, tears streaming down his face.
“Here you go, Mom,” Carrie said as she placed the baby on Pam’s chest and covered her with a blanket. “You did great.” She clamped off the umbilical cord and held out a pair of scissors to Jim. “Would like to do the honors, Dad?” she asked. Jim nodded silently as he took the scissors from her.
“Right there, between the clamps,” Carrie said. Jim positioned the scissors, and then paused.
“Here…” he said, picking up Pam’s hand. He placed it over his other hand, and together, they severed the last physical bond between mother and child.
“Welcome to the world, Mollie Elizabeth Halpert,” Jim whispered.
“Alright, let’s see how much this little gal weighs,” Carrie said, bringing the baby over to the scale. Jim followed her and watched as Mollie was weighed.
“Oh my God, Pam,” Jim cried. “8 pounds, 2 ounces!”
“Wow,” Dr. McNulty said, glancing up at Pam from the foot of the bed. “Big girl! You did great, Pam. You didn’t even tear.”
“Yay,” Pam said softly, lying back on the pillows, drained, but smiling contentedly.
Carrie finished measuring Mollie, and then wrapped her up and placed her in Jim’s arms. Jim stared in awe at her, tears filling his eyes. He slowly made his way over to Pam, unable to take his eyes off of his daughter. He sat down on the bed and handed her off to Pam. Mollie immediately began to root around on Pam’s chest.
“I think she’s hungry,” Pam said. Carrie came over.
“Do you need help nursing her?” she asked.
“No,” Pam replied, shaking her head. “I think I remember.” She undid the front of her gown and brought Mollie to her breast. Mollie latched on immediately and eagerly wiggled closer to Pam as she began her meal.
Pam looked up at Jim and smiled.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?”
She looked down at Mollie, and then back up to Jim.
“Everything.”
Later, after Mollie had been seen by the doctor, and Pam had gotten cleaned up, Pam and Jim sat in the bed, staring at their daughter, drinking her in. There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” they both called. Jim’s mom walked in with J.D.
“Mommy!” J.D. cried delightedly. Jim came over and picked him up, and hugged his mom.
“Congratulations, sweetheart,” she said. “Is this little Miss Mollie?” she asked, bending down to hug Pam and admire her new granddaughter. Jim raised his eyebrow.
“No, this is a loaner,” he said sarcastically. Betsey smacked him on the arm.
“Gramma, no hitting!” J.D. said sternly. “Not nice!”
“You tell her, buddy!” Jim laughed. He sat J.D. down gently next to Pam on the bed.
“Hi, my sweet boy,” she said, kissing him. J.D.’s attention immediately went to the bundle in Pam’s arms. Jim sat down next to them.
“J.D., this is Mollie,” he said quietly.
“My baby?” J.D. asked with big eyes.
“Yes, that’s your baby sister. Can you give her a kiss?” J.D. leaned over and gave her a surprisingly gentle kiss on her cheek. He looked up at Pam.
“Baby’s little,” he said. The three adults laughed quietly.
Pam watched in awe as J.D. sat and studied his sister. He suddenly seemed so big. She sniffled and a tear slipped down her cheek as she took in the enormity of the fact that her baby boy wasn’t a baby anymore. J.D. looked up at her.
“Mommy sad?” he asked, his little face pinched with concern. Pam shook her head.
“No, baby…” She leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “Mommy’s very, very happy.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: I don’t own “The Office”, but in Soviet Russia, “The Office” owns me.
Chapter End Notes:
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FlonkertonChamp is the author of 6 other stories.
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This story is part of the series, J.D. & Mollie. The previous story in the series is In His Hands. The next story in the series is The Name Game.
