DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?

December 25, 2000

Jonny and Jessie Quest have been married for a little over 5 months.
This was their first Christmas as a married couple.  The entire Quest
clan was there under the enormous 11 ½ foot tall Douglas Fir
Christmas tree, Jonny's father, Benton Quest, Hadji and his fiancé,
Meiara Meshineara, Jesse's father, Race Bannon, her mother, Estella
Vasquez (soon to be Bannon again), and of course Bandit, who was
running back and forth through the huge piles of torn up wrapping
paper.

"I think that's all the presents."  Dr. Quest says.

"Wait, Benton, there's one more clear to the back" Estella replied,
pointing at it.

"I will get it for you, father."  Hadji offered.

Dr. Quest smiled broadly.  Hadji had just started calling him that
within the last few months and he loved the way it sounded coming
from his oldest son.  "Thank you, son."

Hadji climbed under the tree and retrieved the package and brought it
out.  "It is for you, my friend."  Hadji handed the large package to
Jonny.

"Who's it from, Jonny?"  Race asked.

"It doesn't say and the label is typed so I can't tell."  Jonny
examined the beautifully wrapped package.

Jessie was loosing patience with her husband.  So, she smacked him
playfully on the back of the head.  "Open it already, Hot Shot."  The
entire family laughed at the display.  Neither one of them had
changed since they were children.

"Alright, alright, Ace.  Just quit with the domestic violence
already."  Jonny teased her.  He unwrapped the gift quickly and
opened the box and started throwing the tissue paper out all over the
floor causing Bandit to bark uncontrollably.  He finally reached the
bottom of the box and just stared at the contents in shock.

"Jonny, what's wrong?"  Dr. Quest was immediately concerned.  The
first thought that came to his mind was that it was from one of their
enemies.

Just then Jonny broke out in laughter, jumped up and picked up his
broadly smiling wife and started spinning her around.

Estella moved over to the box and looked in it to see what the hell
was going on.  She looked from the box to the newly wed couple
spinning around a few times before she was finally able to
speak.  "Oh my God!!!"  she yelled in an ecstatic tone.

"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?!?"
Race spoke sternly.

Jonny finally put Jessie down and she turned to her father.  "You're
going to be a grandfather, Daddy."

The entire Quest clan broke out in cheerful conversation and
laughter.  All of them asking at once the question of the day.  "How
far along are you?"

"Dr. Marvin says about 6 weeks and put my due date at August 2nd."

July 14, 2001

Jessie woke up suddenly with a sharp pain in her back.  She laid
still so as not to wake her husband and hoped it would go away.  They
has celebrated their 1 year anniversary last night and were up most
of the night.  All she wanted to do was go back to sleep.  The pain
subsided after about 30 seconds and she snuggled back down to go back
to sleep.  About 10 minutes later Jonny rolled over and wrapped his
arm around her swollen belly at the same time she was over come by
another pain and she gasped.  This immediately caused Jonny to wake
up.  She looked him in the eyes, "It's time."

"What?  But you're not due for another 2 weeks."

"Tell that to your son."  She teased.

The Hospital

Jessie had been in labor for 15 hours and pushing for 3 hours.  She
is exhausted.  Jonny is the only one in the room with her besides the
doctor and the nurses.  "Alright, Jessica one more push and the head
will be out."  Dr. Marvin assured her.  Jesse pushed and a second
later the head was out.  Just as she started to push again the baby's
heart rate plummeted.  "Jessica, I need you to push with everything
you have.  We have to get your baby out now!"  The doctor ordered and
as Jesse pushed with all her might the doctor gently pulled.

As soon as the baby was out the doctor took it right over to the
assessment area with two nurses following him.  He ordered one of the
nurses to go page the Pediatrician on call and have him come right
away.  "What's the matter with my baby?"  Jonny asked frantically.
He had never in his life felt so helpless.

Three minutes later Jonny still didn't have his answer as the
Pediatrician ran into the room.  "Case history?"  He asked.

"Uneventful pregnancy.  Lost fetal heart rate right before
delivery."  Dr. Marvin answered.

"Why isn't he crying?"  Jessie looked up at Jonny with pleading eyes.

Jonny was on the verge of tears himself but he fought to regain
control.  "I don't know, Jessie."

Two minute later the Pediatrician hollered, "Call a code."

One of the nurses went over to the phone and pushed a few buttons.  A
second later you could here over the intercom, "Code blue delivery
room 5!  Code blue delivery room 5!"  Another set of doctors and
nurses came running in.  The other Quest members tried to get into
the room when they heard the call, but the nurses right outside the
room stopped them.

The team of doctors and nurses worked on Baby Boy Quest for another
30 minutes when the head doctor said.  "We've done all we can.  Time
of death, 0125 hours."  And left the room.

At hearing the doctor saying that her son was dead Jessie let out a
heartbreaking scream.  "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Dr. Marvin walked over to her and placed a hand on her
shoulder.  "I'm so sorry Jessica.  We did all we could.  It just
wasn't meant to be.  I'll send in your family."

Doctor Marvin went out and gave the family the news.  Race and Dr.
Quest came running in.  "Oh Ponchita, I'm so sorry."  Tears fell from
his face as he took his only child into his arms to comfort her.
Estella came in right behind him and also embrased her.

Dr. Quest couldn't come up with any words for his son.  He just
wrapped him in a giant hug and held him as Jonny sobbed.

Two years later

Jessie was still feeling the grief of loosing her son.  Everyone was
very worried about her, especially Jonny.  Then one day as Dr. Quest,
Race, Estella, and Hadji were sitting in Dr. Quest's office Jessie
came in with a desperate look on her face.  "Mom, I need to talk to
you."

The look on her face took all the hesitation away from Estella.  She
immediately got up and walked out of the room with her
daughter.  "Let's go for a walk."  As the two women walked out of the
house and out of ear shot Estella spoke.  "Honey, what's the
matter?"  Jessie started crying almost hysterically.  "Jesse?"
Estella was very worried now.

"Mom, I'm pregnant."  Jessie blurted out before she could stop
herself.

"Jessie, that's great news.  So why are you crying?"

Jessie's sobs slowed down slightly.  "I can't go through loosing
another baby, Mom."

Unbeknownst to the two women all of the men we're within ear shot by
now, having been very concerned when they saw through the window
Jessie crying so hard.

Jonny was the first to speak.  "Jessie, honey, this is great news."
He said as he practically ran up to her.

Jessie stopped crying for a moment and looked up as her husband,
father, father-in-law, and brother-in-law came towards them.  "You
really think so?"

"Yes, I do."  Jonny pulled her into his arms.  "I know you're worried
about loosing this one.  But I don't think God would do that to us
again."

For the first time in 2 years Jessie had a genuine smile on her face.

7 ½ months later

Jessie went into labor one month early.  This didn't alarm the
doctor's because the baby was of good size and apparently in good
health.  This time her mother, father, and Dr. Quest were in the
delivery room with her and Jonny.  Hadji was back in Bangalore, he
wasn't due to arrive for two more weeks.  He was going to miss the
birth of this one too.

"Just one more push and the babies head will be out."  Dr. Marvin
replied.

Jessie pushed as hard as she could.  The head came out.  What
happened next was just like deja vu.

Jesse pushed and a second later the head was out.  Just as she
started to push again the baby's heart rate plummeted.  "Jessica, I
need you to push with everything you have.  We have to get your baby
out now!"  The doctor ordered and as Jesse pushed with all her might
the doctor gently pulled.

As soon as the baby was out the doctor took it right over to the
assessment area with two nurses following him.  He ordered one of the
nurses to go page the Pediatrician on call and have him come right
away.

Jessie felt her chest tighten.  "NOT AGAIN!!!" she yelled.

Three minutes later the Pediatrician ran into the room.  "Case
history?"  He asked.

"Uneventful pregnancy.  Lost fetal heart rate right before
delivery."  Dr. Marvin answered.

Jonny and Jessie clung to each other as the other family members
rallied around them.  Tears of mutual grief stained their faces.

Two minute later the Pediatrician hollered, "Call a code."

One of the nurses went over to the phone and pushed a few buttons.  A
second later you could here over the intercom, "Code blue delivery
room 3!  Code blue delivery room 3!"  Another set of doctors and
nurses came running in.

The team of doctors and nurses worked on Baby Girl Quest for another
30 minutes when the head doctor said.  "We've done all we can.  Time
of death, 1514 hours."  And left the room.

At hearing the doctor saying that her daughter was dead Jessie let
out a scream that was more heartbreaking then the one she let out
almost 3 years ago.  "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!  GOD, PLEASE NOT AGAIN!!!!"

Dr. Marvin walked over to her and placed a hand on her
shoulder.  "I'm so sorry Jessica.  We did all we could."

Doctor Marvin went out.  "Oh Ponchita, I'm so sorry."  Tears fell
from his face as he took his only child into his arms to comfort
her.  Estella came in right behind him and also embrased her.

Dr. Quest couldn't come up with any words for his son.  He just
wrapped him in a giant hug and held him as Jonny sobbed harder than
when his son died.

The nurse wrapped the baby girl up in a blanket and handed her to
Jessie.  Jessie sat and held her for about 15 minutes then handed her
to Jonny.  They had both agreed to an autopsy to see why this
happened.

About 45 minutes after being pronounced dead the baby's color started
to come back as Estella was holding her.  She quietly motioned for
Race to come over.  She didn't want to upset her daughter
anymore.  "Look at the baby."

Race moved the blanket slightly and looked down at her.  She looked
like a normal healthy baby.  "Her color's changed."  He whispered.

Estella took the babies feet from the blanket and tickled them and
the child moved.  Just then the nurse walked in.  "Nurse, I think you
should see this."  She again tickled the baby's foot and the baby
moved again.

The nurse was shocked.  She took her stethoscope from around her neck
and put it in her ears and listened to the baby's chest.  The nurse
looked at Estella.  "I'll be right back."  She turned and left the
room running.  She ran up to the doctor and breathlessly said, "Dr.
the baby has a heartbeat."

"What are you talking about.  That baby is dead."  The doctor was
getting angry.  "That young couple in there doesn't need this.  They
just lost their second child."

"Would you just please come and check for yourself."  The nurse
pleaded.

"Fine."  The doctor got up and followed the nurse to Delivery Room 3.

Jessie looked up as the doctor walked in.  When the doctor listened
to the baby's chest Jessie was alarmed.  "What's going on?"

The doctor looked up and Estella and Race.  "This baby's got a
heartbeat."  She took the baby from Estella and ran down to the
nursery.

15 minutes later Jessie's OB nurse came running in the room and
quickly unhooked her from all of the monitors and even her I.V. bag
and had her get in a wheelchair.  They wheeled her down to NICU with
Jonny right beside her.  The rest of the family followed quickly
behind them.  She was wheeled into the room and up to an incubator.
Jessie was stunned.  In there laid her beautiful baby girl.  She was
alive.  "How?" was all she could say.

"We can't explain it.  The only thing I can say is that it's a
miracle."  The nurse answered.

There was a knock on the window behind them.  They all turned and
moved out of the way so the rest of the family can see the miracle
that was just given them.

"Do you have a name for her so we can put it on her incubator?"  The
nurse asked quietly.

"Yes, we have a first name but not a middle name."  Jonny
answered.  "Rachel, after my mother."

"That's nice.  You still have time to think of a middle name."

"Hanna."  Jessie quietly said.  She looked up to the questioning
statement on her husbands face.  "It means hope."

They turned and left the room and when they went up to the others
Jessie said, with tears in her eyes, "That is our little miracle,
Rachel Hanna."

4 weeks later Rachel Hanna Quest went home with no problems what so
ever.

THE END