*A/N: This one-shot was directly inspired by zumidotexe's wonderful pregnant-Aviva sketch on tumblr. I usually avoid shipping in Wild Kratts, but I woke up this morning with this story almost fully formed inside my head. So, because that sketch was so incredibly sweet and because I know a lot of you are huge fans of the Chris and Aviva pairing, (and because my own due-date is rapidly approaching) I couldn't help but write this down. =)
Along with zumi's sketch, I drew from some of my own experiences while giving birth to my son two years ago. I think it makes the story a little more genuine. It's probably a kind of cheesy, but I hope you enjoy it all the same ^-^
-DF
Grand Entrance
Tears mixed with the sweat streaming down Aviva's face as she grimaced with the next wave of intense pain. Strings of hair stuck to her neck and glistening forehead. In her right hand, she clutched at the raised railing of the hospital bed. In the left, she had three of Chris's fingers in a crushing death-grip.
Next to them, the screen of the monitor keeping tabs on the contractions looked like a California seismograph with its jumble of peaks and valleys. In the beginning, the waves in the red, blue, and green lines had been small and the spaces between them far. Now, nearly fourteen hours later, the waves had turned into spikes and were practically running over each other.
"Aviva," the OB at the foot of the bed addressed her firmly, "I need you to give me one more big push, ok?"
"I…I can't!" Aviva moaned through gritted teeth.
"Yes you can!" Chris encouraged. "We're on the home stretch! You've got this!"
"It's…too…hard!" Aviva yelped out between rapid, heavy breaths.
"No, no, no! Don't say that! We're so close! One more push and we're there, Aviva! Just one more!"
With every bit of strength she could find within herself, Aviva scrunched her eyes shut and leaned forward in unison with the rise of the biggest contraction yet. One last agonized scream escaped her, then…
Another cry—one from the lungs of someone much tinier than anyone in the room—greeted her. It was over.
Aviva gasped sharply and fell back against the sweat-dampened sheets. The tears of pain were beginning to be replaced with tears of sheer relief and joy.
"You did it," she heard Chris whisper in her ear a few seconds later. "We're parents!"
"Congratulations, you two!" said a beaming nurse as she approached the bed with a towel-wrapped bundle and placed it gently on Aviva's chest.
She let go of the railing and the moment she looked down, the sterile delivery room seemed to melt into a bit of paradise. All the pain was forgotten entirely. Early morning sunshine streamed in through the windows, bathing the room in a glorious light which seemed to outshine even the glare of the surgical lamp overhead. For a few precious seconds, time seemed to slow. There were no IV stands or beeping monitors, no bustling doctors or nurses. It was just the three of them and everything that really mattered was tucked inside that warm, white towel.
Two brown eyes blinked out at the world from inside it, wide and bright with wonder and just a bit of shock at this new state of existence. In truth, the rest of him was kind of purplish-red and wrinkly, his nose seemed a little squashed and his head was a weird, almost unnatural shape, but Chris and Aviva could care less. He was theirs and he was the most beautiful thing on the planet.
"He's incredible." Chris's voice was shaky. "You're incredible…"
"Thanks," Aviva looked up from their son to give a smile, but stopped at the sight of her wincing husband. "Chris? What's wrong?"
"Um…not to ruin the moment or anything, but…could you maybe let go of my fingers now?"
"Oh! Sorry!"