Crank Chapters 291-295 Summary

Chapter 291: Highs

The highlights of her pregnancy involve many details about the baby's development, including feeling him move, seeing his heartbeat, and being told she's going to have a son. She chooses to name him Hunter Seth.
She also makes things right with family members. She calls her dad to tell him he's going to be a grandfather, and Scott even softens up enough to teach her how to drive.
Her grandmother is overjoyed at the news of the baby, telling her that every child is a gift regardless of the circumstances.
Oh yeah—Kristina's also thankful for epidurals.

It's not exactly a shocker, but holding Hunter Seth at last after his birth tops off the list of Kristina's memorable pregnancy moments. For the first time in a long time, something about her life feels right.

The lows of Kristina's pregnancy are pretty predictable—morning sickness, her parents' arguments about whether or not the baby will be healthy due to her drug use, hearing about Chase's adventures in college—but there are other notable mentions.
Kristina quits smoking after she finds out her baby's heart stops every time she inhales. Her father chooses not to accept her overture to rebuild a relationship, and her grandmother passes away.
And then, to top all of it off, Kristina's water breaks. At Walmart. And so begins eighteen hours of labor.

The worst part about the ordeal is that even in the midst of the process of giving life, Kristina's still hooked on the monster. She recognizes that quitting for good is a long battle, but she learns to silence Bree and listen to the voice inside her that tells her not to give up.

Kristina would like to tell us that her story has a "happily ever after" tagged on somewhere at the end, but it's more complicated than that.
For one thing, being a mom is difficult, and it's even more difficult because Hunter cries a lot and sleeps irregularly. Kristina knows this is due to her drug use and accepts her share of the blame.
She loves watching her mother with her son and how patient she is with him. Kristina wishes that she could be as nurturing and persevering, but she cuts herself some slack knowing that she's still just seventeen.
Kristina stands on the front porch, thinking about how on the days when she just wants to die or escape, she feels the urge to shake hands with the monster again. She knows the urge will never completely go away, and on this particular day, it's stronger than normal.