AU Backdarft corrie

She sighed, "I dunno, they're just flashes. The window breaking, the pain, but last night there was a new one," she turned red and felt a little dizzy thinking about it, "Last night I saw you at my funeral. You were a mess."

Opie stroked her cheek gently, "Oh love, you don't have to think that way...we are going to grow old together."

She sighed at his touch.

"You always know exactly what I need to hear," She yawned and stretched.

She stood and made her way to he bedroom, she was exhausted and felt crappy. at about 1am that morning she wok in horrible pain. She woke Opie and they headed toward the hospital. The twins were coming and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Ready or not. The doctor's prepped her and pulled the twins out pretty swiftly. The boy, Paul, was strong and big for a twin, but the girl Beatrice, was small, too small. She was blue and barely breathing. They rushed her to the nicu.

As Corrie lay there she remembered what Piney had told her about Opie's twin and she burst into tears.

Opie held her close, tears stinging his own eyes, "We have to be strong for her, Cor...she is going to pull through...I know it."

She lay in her hospital bed, unable to speak or eat.

Bea weighed only three pounds. Paul had, ironically, stolen most of the nutrients she needed to develop. Her lungs were under developed and she had the family flaw. The doctor's were telling her she should say her goodbyes. She was crushed under the weight of it.

Opie argued with the doctors everyday, demanding they do more to keep Bea alive. He was hellbent on making sure both their children lived.

As Opie clung to hope, Corrie stopped eating. the doctor's started to suggest a psych eval for her. She just couldn't cope.

Opie was out in hall with his dad, looking broken. "Pop...I don't know what to do..."

"Get your wifento hold her daughter. It was the only thing your brother responded to," he held his son like when he was a small boy, " medicine has come a long way since then, kid. Don't give up."

Opie nodded, "Okay." He went to find a doctor and discuss a visitation for his wife, convinced his father was right.

When Opie and the nurse put her in the wheel chair, Corrie didn't fight them. She was deeply depressed and didn't even notice where they were taking her. When they entered the room with her tiny daughter in the incubator a quiet sob escaped her.

"If you hold her against your bare skin she'll respond more," the nurse smiled at her.

She watched as Opie brought the tiny, perfectly formed baby towards her. Her heart thudded in her chest as he laid her against the spot where they had pulled down her hospital gown. She could feel Bea's heartbeat through her small chest. They had moved her up from a breathing tube to just oxygen, which was a good sign. As she examined her tiny fingers Bea's hand grasped around her finger.

Opie sat next to them, smiling as he caressed Bea's soft cheek with his fingertips, "She's so beautiful...like her mother."

Corrie leaned against her husband, "She's so small."

She rubbed Bea's back and watched as her wide eyes opened and looked up at her. It was a magical thing. In that moment, she knew that Bea had to be ok.

Opie smiled, "Don't let her fool ya. She is a fighter, love. She is going to be a force to be reckoned with."

For weeks, even after she was released, she spent her whole day in the NICU holding her daughter. Sometimes she was alone, sometimes Piney or Opie would be with her. Finally came the day that Bea could come home. They were monitoring her heart and her weigh was up to five pounds.

Opie asked Dita to watch the children so Piney, Corrie, and he could go pick up Bea. It was an exciting day for everyone. Opie completed release papers as they waited for Bea to be carried out.

Corrie paced beside her husband, unable to contain herself. She stood on her tiptoes trying to see inside the nursery.

The nurse on duty carried a very healthy and happy Bea out to her parents and grandfather. She gently handed the baby to Corrie, "Someone is anxious to go home today. She's been nothing but smiles all day."

Corrie smiled and took the baby. For support, she snuggled back against her husband and her father-in-law.
"Lets take her home."

Opie was nothing but grins on the way home, occasionally looking back as his Pop played with Bea, who would laugh in glee.

As Bea napped in a crib with Paul, Corrie paced the floor in front of them. She was terrified she would look away and her daughter would be gone and it would all be just a dream.

Piney popped his head in the nursery, smiling softly, "Hey kid, how about trying out my new chili recipe. Paula Dean would dump that sailor in a heartbeat if she had a taste of it. Come on."

She looked at Piney then at the sleeping baby. Taking a shakey breathe she turned on the monitor and walked over to him, putting her arm around his waist. Things had to get back to normal.
"Ok, Pop," she smiled, "But don't expect my reaction to go that way."

Piney chuckled, patting her small hand as they walked down the hall, "Feeling okay, kid?"

She sighed, "I'm just afraid that I'm going to wake up and all of this will have been a dream and she'll be dead."