Subj: A New Arrival, ch 2
Date: 7/31/01 12:48:07 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Karen

Barnabas,

Come to the hospital right away. The baby is coming. I took Kate's bag with me. Hurry up, Dad!

Willie

"Dad". Barnabas' heart pounded as he read Willie's note. The moment had finally arrived. He could hardly believe it. He wondered if his father had felt the same way he did. Nervous and excited at the same time. Barnabas had a difficult time imaging his stern father being nervous. Perhaps he had been; pacing the floor while Naomi gave birth to his only son. Praying their child would be healthy and happy. In this very house, those many years ago.

Barnabas remembered his father pacing when his little sister Sarah was born. Barnabas had been right beside him, pacing, too. He was worried about his mother. He could hear her screams as her labor grew stronger. His father had seemed so calm about the whole thing. When Barnabas started to go up the stairs after a terrifying scream ripped through his mother, Joshua had stopped him.

"Son, you need to stay down here with me. Your mother doesn't need you." Joshua had said.

Barnabas had looked at him with fear in his eyes. "What if something is wrong, Father? Shouldn't we be doing something?" he cried.

Just as Joshua opened his mouth in reply, a different cry was heard. A newborn baby crying lustily. Joshua smiled and put his hand on Barnabas's young shoulder.

"See, son, everything is all right. You have a new brother or sister. With the pain, comes gladness." Joshua turned and ran up the stairs, leaving Barnabas to ponder his words.

Brrrrng! The telephone's insistent ringing interrupted his thoughts. Picking it up, he put the earpiece to his ear, where he heard an excited Willie say, "Get your butt to the hospital, Barnabas! Kate won't have the baby without you. I called the family and they are already here. Where are YOU?"

Barnabas mumbled something incoherent and hung up the phone. Where was he indeed? Standing here going down memory lane while his wife was giving birth to their first child. He grabbed the car keys he had laid down on the table in the foyer and ran out the door. Jumping in his car, Barnabas raced to Collinsport and the hospital.

***************************

Kate lay on a hospital bed, wondering where her errant husband was. He was supposed to be here, helping with the birth. Willie was standing next to her, coaching her on her breathing, but she wanted Barnabas. And she wanted him now.

Suddenly, Kate grabbed Willie by the collar and pulled him towards her.

"Where the hell is he, Willie? I am not, repeat not, having this baby without him. Find him, NOW!" she shouted.

Willie pulled back, saying, "Sure, Kate, sure. Whatever you want. I'll be right back with Barnabas, okay? I'll be right back." He walked away from her room, muttering to himself, "Where the hell are you, Barnabas? I thought you were tough, but your wife has you beat by a long shot!"

Elizabeth, Carolyn and Eliot saw Willie coming towards them and they got up from where they were sitting in the waiting room.

"Any news, Willie?" Elizabeth asked.

"Nothing yet, Mrs. Stoddard. Kate wants Barnabas. You haven't seen him, have you?" Willie said nervously.

Carolyn patted his arm. "It's all right, Willie. I am sure Barnabas will be here any moment. You talked to him on the phone, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't get any sense out of him. I hope he will be okay driving. Kate almost took my head off just now. He had better get here fast!"

Eliot laughed. "I am sure he is on his way, Willie. Barnabas was speaking to me about the birth last week. He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice. He will be here, rest assured."

"Well, I'm waitin' outside for him. I'm not goin' back in there with Kate. No way!" Willie exclaimed as he walked away from the group.

Willie stood outside the Collinsport Hospital and guiltily smoked a cigarette. The only way he was ever going to have another cigarette was outside from now on. Kate had made it very clear to him that smoking was not allowed in the house anymore. Not even his own room. That had really cheesed him off. When he asked Barnabas to intervene for him, Barnabas had shaken his head.

"Kate does not anyone smoking in the house, Willie. I cannot change her mind about this issue. I am sorry." he had said.

Willie would have complained longer, but the look in Barnabas' face told him no dice. Smoking was out; at least in the house. He guessed he would have to become a non-smoker. Winters at Collinwood could be bitterly cold. The idea of standing outside in the cold wind and snow didn't not appeal to him whatsoever. It was probably better for him not to smoke, but he enjoyed a cigarette with his first cup of coffee in the morning.

Willie took a last drag of his cigarette as Barnabas pulled into the parking lot. Willie waited until he had parked the car and then ran over to the car. Barnabas hurriedly got out of his car and met Willie half way across the parking lot.

"Where have you been, Barnabas?" Willie shouted. "Kate is going crazy with worry about you. Come on; when I left her a few minutes ago, the doctor was thinkin' 'bout putting her in the delivery room."

Barnabas ran to the front door of the hospital without a word. He accosted a nurse with a terse, "Mrs. Collins. Where is she?"

The nurse nodded towards the obstetrics ward. Barnabas hurried through the door, just in time to see Kate being wheeled into a nearby delivery room.

Kate saw him and screamed, "I could kill you for this, Barnabas Collins! This baby thing hurts!"

The doctor looked at Barnabas sympathetically and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Collins. All first time mothers say the same thing to their husbands. They don't really mean it."

Kate looked at the doctor and scornfully said, "That's what you think! I mean it, buddy." Turning to Barnabas, who stood beside Kate's bed, she said, "You better keep that thing in your pants from now on. I am not doing this again, ever!"

Barnabas just nodded and held Kate's hand as a contraction hit her. "Breathe, Kate, breathe. Remember, ha ha he he." he said gently. "And remember, I love you. We are going to do this together."

Kate looked at her husband. "You better believe we are doing this together. You got me into this mess, you are going to hang out until the bitter end. Arrrrrrgh!" she screamed as another contraction came.

The doctor sat at her feet, while the nurse mopped her forehead. "Okay, Kate, now one more big push and we'll see the head." As Kate pushed, she could hear Barnabas speaking to her softly and soothingly.

She heard the doctor exclaim, "Okay, the head is crowning, one more push, and......."

Kate could feel the pressure of the baby spilling out of her and then a cry. The nurse cleaned the baby and placed it on her stomach.

"Congratulations, Mom and Dad, it's a girl!"

Kate cried at she stared at the squalling baby on her chest. This was her child; hers and Barnabas'. She looked at Barnabas as he counted toes and fingers on his little daughter. Tears were streaming down his face as he kissed Kate gently.

"We did it, Kate. We did it! Thank you for such a beautiful little girl." he said softly.

Kate held their daughter and whispered, "I'm sorry I was so nasty with you earlier, Barnabas. Please forgive me."

Barnabas smiled, stroking his daughter's arm. "Nothing to forgive, my love. Nothing to forgive."

"Okay, baby, time for your first diaper!" the nurse said as she gently lifted the newborn from her parents.

Kate and Barnabas watched as the nurse diapered their first born and brought her back to them.

"She is beautiful, isn't she, Barnabas?" Kate asked, cradling her daughter in her arms.

"Yes, Kate, she is beautiful. Do you still want to use the name we chose?"

"Sarah Elizabeth Collins is a lovely name for a lovely little girl, don't you think?" Kate asked.

Barnabas smiled and nodded his agreement. "Yes, Sarah is a lovely name. Just right for our little girl." He picked up Sarah and held her close. "Yes, little Sarah, your name is perfect for you." he whispered in her ear. "Just perfect."

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.