Chapter Text
Laverne fights back
California 1967
Chapter 1 Love Finds a Way.
They moved into the house the next day. A couple of days later, Laverne got a call from the doctor who told her she was pregnant. Shirley and Carmine were in the same boat. They married, found a house nearby, and were expecting their first child. Laverne and Shirley would spend time together since they no longer were working. After that, nine months went fast.
Laverne and Lenny ate breakfast in the kitchen before Lenny went to work. He did not want to leave her alone. She could go into labor any day now; that made him a nervous wreck. Most due dates were not exact, but hers was thought to be estimated four days ago. This means Shirley’s due date could be tomorrow or any time after. He worries she’d have the baby before he could get to her. Laverne could see the panic on his face. She was beyond ready and uncomfortable. Her back was hurting more than usual today.
She just chalked it up to sleeping in the wrong or something. She felt a slight tinge of pain but shook it off. He was excited and scared to become a father. He worried he would not be good enough at it. They both were, to be honest. It had to do with their pasts.
“Len, will you stop worrying? I will be ok! It would be nice not to be so uncomfortable and have a backache. You can come out any day now, kid.” Laverne said to the baby as she gently poked at her bump, trying to get the baby’s attention.
Lenny looked at her and chuckled until she saw him, and he stopped. He knew not to make her mad. She has been very moody, on the count of being uncomfortable and overdue. He approached her and knelt before her to talk to the baby.
“Just make sure it is when I am around, ok? I love you,” Lenny said softly to the baby as he touched her belly. The baby moved in response to his voice. Which forever amazed and filled him with joy. He had a big grin on his face. He looked at his wife.
Laverne was tearing up. He was so sweet. She loved how gentle and loving he was and how she was lucky to have him. He was going to be a great father. He kissed her on the lips and saw the tears in her eyes. She was so emotional Now in days.
“Awe Vernie, it’ll be ok! The baby will probably be here before you know it!” He encouraged using a napkin to wipe her tears away. He gave her another kiss on the lips. She thought about what the doctor had said about getting her labor started.
She grabbed him as best as She could and kept her lips locked on his. He was going to get up and sit back down in his seat, but she did not want him to. She did not want to let him go. If she and Lenny were intimate, maybe her labor would start. She thought.
“You should take the day off! Then we can have some fun if you know what I mean,” Laverne flirted, trying to get him in the mood. She knew it would be challenging to work around her baby bump. The baby was lower now and in a good position, though.
Lenny grinned, thinking about it. He wishes he could, but Squiggy would kill him. Otherwise, he would love to stay home with his wife. Two minutes later, the doorbell rang. They had Important Clients coming today. It was important for both of them to be there.
“’l would love to, but I gotta help Squiggy today. We are expecting some important people!” Lenny said, turning to get the door. He could see Laverne’s frown in response to his answer. He felt terrible about it. He wondered who was at the door.
He figured it was Squiggy or maybe even Shirley. Though Shirley was due any day now, she had been busy nesting and preparing for her baby’s arrival. Laverne has been doing the same thing to ensure the house is safe for her baby.
‘Hello, are you ready to go yet? We have important clients to tend to.” He said, walking into the entryway. Lenny closed the door and grabbed his shoes. Squiggy glanced at Lenny and realized he was not ready. He frowned, not happy about him not being prepared.
“Hold your horses, Squiggy. I’ll be ready in a moment. Let me put on my shoes and say goodbye to Laverne. ” Lenny said as he sat down and put on his shoes. Laverne came to see who was at the door. She was not surprised to see it was Squiggy standing there.
“Gee, I see you’re still pregnant as ever! When are you going to have the kid already? You look like you’re ready to pop.” Squiggy remarked with a slight chuckle. That got him a mad look from Laverne. Lenny knew he better gets Squiggy out of there before it got worse.
“Yes, Squiggy, as you can see, I am still pregnant! As if it was not obvious. I am also not in the mood for you to crack jokes. So will you get out of here?” Laverne shouted at him. She looked at Lenny, who had a look of apology on his face. He felt terrible about it.
Laverne felt a slight twinge of pain in her belly suddenly. She put her hand on her stomach, took a deep breath In, and let it out slowly. Lenny noticed this and gave Laverne a look. He was not so sure that he should leave her side suddenly. Squiggy was going to say something else but decided not to. He could see Laverne was mad and not feeling well. Lenny gave him a look of warning to knock it off. Laverne was pregnant but would still take him if he kept talking. He decided to wait in the truck for Lenny.
“I am sorry about Squiggy. Don’t let him bother you, ok. I love you, Vernie, and I’ll see you later. Maybe we can get things going, if you know what I mean.” Lenny said in a sexy voice. He gave her a side hug and a gentle kiss on the lips before leaving.
He then patted her bump, gently saying goodbye to the baby. This made her smile. He turned to go to the door the doorbell rang again. Geeez, Squiggy was being Impatient, Lenny thought as he went to answer it. He was shocked at who he saw at the door.
“Hi, Lenny, how are you? Is Laverne home? I thought I would come over and see her.” Shirley said, one hand over her bump and the other holding a bag. Squiggy honked the horn making Shirley and Lenny jump. They both turned and glared at Squiggy.
“I am fine, and I’m sure Laverne will be glad to see you. Though she is in a bad mood, Squiggy says some things. Maybe you can cheer her up. I have to go before Squiggy honks the horn again. I’ll see you later.” Lenny said, letting her in the door before leaving.
Shirley closed the door after coming in and went to find Laverne. She could not find her. She sighed, rubbing her belly. And she walked back to the kitchen. Carefully she set the bag on the counter. Laverne came back from the bathroom and saw Shirley in the kitchen.
“Hi, Laverne. I Brought some things to help. I have castor oil, some hot peppers, and dates. We can also go for a walk. I heard that helps. I figured we could try all of them to see if it works.”Shirley enthusiastically said, too cheery for Laverne’s liking. She rolled her eyes.
Laverne was hesitant but was so over being pregnant at this time she was willing to give it a go. The first thing they tried was everything, and nothing worked. The castor Oil was gross, the peppers were too hot, and the dates could have been better. As for Shirley didn’t mind the dates. So they decided to do the last thing on the list: walking. Laverne was not too enthusiastic about this. Shirley kept saying how the fresh air would be suitable for her. She decided to go hoping they would not walk too far. They walked down the block.
“Can we stop now, Shirl? I can’t walk any longer! My feet And my back are achy and sore. I’m going to go back home.” Laverne panted, leaning over, trying to catch her breath. They had not gone that far, but now her pain was worse.
“ Sure, we can turn back. Are you ok, Laverne? You don’t look too good. Are you sure your pain is not contractions?” Shirley asked with concern as she looked at Laverne. Shirley gave her water in a canteen she brought and gave some to Laverne.
To be honest, Shirley was relieved. She did not want to go far and was getting tired herself. Laverne handed it back to the canteen, taking a swig of water herself, then sealed it. They got to Laverne’s driveway when she felt a slow gush of water between her legs.
“ What is that, Shirl? It is so wet. Is that supposed to happen?” Laverne said as panic came over her face. She did not know if Lenny was even home yet. If he wasn’t home, then what? Did she even pack her hospital bag? Her mind was racing with many thoughts.
“ Laverne, your water broke. When that happens, I’m pretty sure you’re in labor! We have to get you inside. We have to Call Lenny and your doctor. Did you pack a bag for the hospital yet? I’ll call you can pack! Shirley said as they went into the house.
Laverne went upstairs to make sure she had a bag for the hospital. While she was doing that, Shirley was making a call to Lenny and the doctor. She was glad when he answered the phone. She had to try to calm him down because he started to panic. She could hear it in his voice. She then called the doctor to let him know. She waited for Laverne to come downstairs, but she never did. She decided to check up on her. She found her leaning on the bed. Shirley waited a moment before going over to her to help her.
Laverne had added the last few things to her bag and zipped it up. Shirley had just come upstairs when the contraction started. Laverne let out a long and low moan as she swayed a little to try to get through the contraction as best as possible. She was trying not to yell curses instead. Once the contraction had subsided, she turned towards Shirley. She hoped that this had not traumatized her. Shirley tried not to think about it. She put on a brave face, grabbed Laverne’s bag, and helped her downstairs to wait for Lenny’s arrival.
Laverne sat on the living room sofa, trying to get comfortable. Shirley sat next to her. She put a hand on her knee as a form of comfort to show she cared. Shirley was proud of her. Soon enough, Lenny came barreling through the door in a hurried panic. Squiggy was not far behind him. Shirley called Carmine, Frank, Edna, and Rhonda to inform them that Laverne was in labor. The hospital was about ten minutes away from their house. Before Lenny arrived, she had eaten some leftover lasagna from the previous day. In case she could eat anytime soon.
“This is it. I can’t believe it! I’m just glad I made it to you in time! We have to get to the hospital quickly!” Lenny said in a worried tone. He Grabbed Laverne’s hands and helped her get up off the couch. He then helped Shirley get up also before grabbing the bag.
“Lenny, will you calm down? We Should get to the hospital In plenty of time!” Laverne reassured him to try to help calm his fears. They were going to take the station wagon that they had. Shirley Decided to go home and told Lenny to keep her posted. She would come later with Carmine to visit.
“Lenny, Did you grab the bag and the keys and lock the door? Laverne asked him as they went to the car. He forgot he put down the bag and went back to grab the keys and lock the front door to their house.
Squiggy wished Lenny the best of luck and decided to go home to wait it out. He was not big on hospitals. Shirley told Lenny to take good Care of Laverne and to try to stay calm if possible. And stay with her. She then went home a couple of houses down.
Laverne got in the passenger seat, and Lenny sat in the driver’s seat. She yelled at him a couple of times to slow down. He was going way too fast. He, of course, was trying to get there quickly but not crash simultaneously. He finally slowed down a little bit.
Another contraction hit before they got to the hospital. Laverne let out another long low moan while tightly gripping the dash of the front seat. Lenny tried rubbing her lower back to help her through it. She thought it felt good and helped her back tension when he did that; They finally pulled into the lot to the entryway to the hospital. He got out and ran to Laverne’s door. She let him help her up before handing him the hospital bag. When they got to the door, a hospital attendant brought Laverne a wheelchair for now.
“Laverne Kosnowski, yes, we have you down right here. We will have your husband complete some paperwork while we get you back to a room and check you.” Nurse Miller said She handed Lenny a clipboard with a pen with several papers to fill out.
A nurse named Ann Clark Started to take Laverne away to a room. She wanted to stay with Lenny. She was scared and unsure about what exactly was going to happen. She reached her hand out to grab Lenny’s hand. Lenny put the clipboard down.
“I don’t wanna do this without you,” Laverne confessed, her voice was shaky. Lenny kissed her hand and looked into her eyes. He was trying to assure her he would try to be there for her if he could. They both looked to Nurse Ann to get a definitive answer.
She told them that he just needed to fill out the paperwork before he could come back. He would want to be back there immediately because he would have to wait outside the room as they checked and got her ready. This made them feel better about being apart.
“See Laverne; it will be ok. I have to complete the paperwork while they put you in a room. Then I will be beside you before you know it.” Lenny said as he gently let her hand go. The nurse started to wheel her back. Lenny filled out the forms.
After he turned it in, nurse Ann came and took him back. Laverne was five centimeters dilated and fully effaced. She gave Lenny some hospital clothes to put over his so he could be in the room. She made sure he knew that these things go over his clothes too. It happened too often before when she did not specify that and it ended badly. She was glad this had not occurred to her in a long time. She tries to avoid this if possible. Nurse Ann was Trying not to let him notice her chuckling at him. She could tell who was a first-time parent and who was an experienced one.
“Is this your first Child Mr. Kosnowski? I’ve been here long enough that I can tell. Judging by the look on your face, this must be your first time. You have that deer caught-in-the-headlights look on your face. It’ll be ok, you know.” Nurse Ann assured.
“Lenny, I prefer Lenny; Mr. Kosnowski was my father.” Lenny gently corrected as he was struggling to put on the hospital clothes over his. He finally got them on. He was trying to be as brave as he could be. He was so unsure about it but happy too.
Nurse Ann took him into the room. Before she left, she gave him a cup of ice chips and said it was for Laverne. He looked over at his wife. She was in a hospital bed and had an iv in her left hand for fluids connected to saline. Lenny started to rub her lower back, but it was not helping anymore. Lenny went directly to her side to comfort her and be emotional support giving her ice chips. As soon as he did, another contraction came. The contractions were closer together than they had been. Laverne could no longer talk through them.
“Don’t touch me !” She yelled at him as she tried to focus and breathe. She let out a deep guttural moan to help her work through it while taking a deep breath in and slowly letting it out. She looked at Lenny and felt terrible about yelling but couldn’t help It. She made him her focal point.
Lenny was unsure and startled when she yelled at him. He felt terrible that he could not help out more or even take the pain away somehow. He would get more ice chips for her, but Laverne told him not to leave because he was her focal point. Whatever that meant. He would have the nurse get it the next time she entered the room. He offers her some ice chips, and she takes the cup. He was quiet and sat silently for a moment, unsure what to do. He tried not to do anything in general.
“I am sorry, Len; it just hurts so freaking much! I don’t mean to yell.” Laverne sobbed, begging him to forgive her. She grabbed his hand. Lenny looked at her with a slight smile, letting her know it would be ok. He wiped her tears away ever so gently.
“It’s ok, Vernie; I know you don’t mean it! I want to help. I wish I could take your pain away. I love you, Vernie. You are doing fantastic! “ Lenny confided, holding her hand. The nurse Ann came in to check if they needed anything. Laverne asked for Ice chips to eat.
A while later, Her doctor, Dr. Ackerman, came in again to see how she was progressing. He checked her cervix he told her she was eight cm dilated. This was very uncomfortable. Lenny held her hand while he did this to comfort her. She was grateful to have Lenny with her at this moment. What would she do without him, she thought to herself. He said he would be back later to check on her.
A moment later, Nurse Ann brought in more ice chips and gave them to Laverne. She gave Lenny a soothing cold compress for when She might need it. Before Ann left, Lenny gave her a list of numbers to call. She agreed to call them. Laverne put an ice chip in her mouth. To her, it was terrific. It slowly melted, giving her the hydration her mouth so desperately needed. Another contraction came. She took a deep breath letting out a very loud moan that turned into a screech. She had been through some painful things, but this was the worst. Lenny’s eyes got big in concern and worry. He grabbed her hand, and she squeezed it gently. The contraction finally passed.
He put the cold compress on her forehead. She sighed. The cold compress felt so good. She patted his hand in thanks. He looked at her, and she looked so tired and worn out. She had her eyes shut for a moment to rest. When she opened them again, Lenny offered her some more Ice Chips. She had a couple more contractions before the doctor Came back. He checked her, and she was 10 cm dilated and ready to push. By this time, she had been in the hospital for 8 hours. The doctor told them they would go to the delivery room now. The doctor left to get prepared. Laverne and Lenny looked at each other this was it. After this, it would no longer be just the two of them.