Singing In the Rain.
Chapter One.
It seemed to take a life time before Kate arrived through the doors, both kids having been dropped off at their fathers. He could see the worry written all over her face more so after how ill her daughter was after Megan was born. But of course that was due to preeclampsia, nothing like this time. All Kate had been told, in a quick phone call from some woman named Colette, was that the baby had been born, a girl, and Duffy was in surgery. That was a quick turn of events considering she only spoke to her a few hours ago and she appeared to be perfectly fine. Taking a proper look at Charlie she'd never seen him look so, well broken seemed to be the best word she had. This wasn't reassuring her in the slightest.
"Charlie what on earth happened? Are they okay?" Directing his partners mother in the right direction he begins to explain, as best he can, his mind not really here. There was just too much to think about and get his head round.
"Kate I don't know. She had a precipitate labour. It was over faster than it started. One minute she was fine the next she'd given birth. She'd been having a lot of Braxton hicks contractions over the past week and had assumed that once more that what was going on today. The baby is tiny, a lot smaller than we'd expect at 35 weeks, she's in NICU but as far as we can tell she is doing as best we can expect. She's had problems breathing and keeping her temperature up so she's getting help. As for Duffy she's still in surgery. She retained the placenta and began to haemorrhage as we arrived. I honestly don't know more than that right now." Pulling her hand through her short hair she attempted to get her mind round the information Charlie had given her.
"Jesus!" She desperately wanted to make him promise her they'd both be okay but she could tell by his face and his words that he honestly didn't know if they were. Josh had tried to reassure him that they'd got into the hospital in time for them to help Duffy and the team in NICU were so skilled that it wouldn't be long before the baby would be home with her family. But he was too well trained himself to believe it. He knew all the risks, every little thing that could change that. Having finally arrived at the waiting room he'd considered taking Kate to see her newest Granddaughter first but having checked his watch he'd hoped Duffy should be going into recovery around now, providing everything went as smoothly as possible and a hysterectomy hadn't been needed or worse. Encouraging Kate to take a seat he offers her tea, which she refuses before another thought crossed his mind.
"What do Peter and Megan know?"
"Purely that their mum isn't well. I haven't told them she's had the baby, I didn't want to confuse them until we knew more. Of course I told Andrew the full story. I did half expect him to be difficult about taking them but he was meant to have them tonight regardless. I promised to phone once I knew more." Finally sitting himself he places his head in both hands, wishing he knew more already but at the same time wondering if ignorance was bliss.
"Yeah there is no point upsetting them until we can explain better. That's a bonus, it was never the plan for him to have the kids when the baby was born but the plan got completely flung out the window. I'm just glad they were with you, they didn't need to see that."
. "Defiantly not. How long was she in labour for?" Rubbing his aching head he thought back, through all the fog of the day.
"She'd had her within about twenty minutes from when we knew she was defiantly in labour. As I said she had a few contractions before that but not strong enough to make her think this was it." Before Kate could reply in walked a tall well built and well dressed man she took to be the surgeon. It was someone Charlie knew regardless as he rushed to his feet to greet the man.
"Right well I won't beat around the bush, she's in recovery and doing as well as can be expected. She's lost a lot of blood and we were very close to going ahead with a hystercetomy but she should make a full recovery. It will just take time. She was lucky she got here when she did or I could be telling a very different story. I'd give it a while before you go to see her, it will be some time before she wakes up."
It was some time later before she woke, the kids having been phoned and told they had a little sister after Kate explained how Duffy's surgery had gone. As for the baby she was still getting help to keep her temperature up and support breathing but no other problems had occurred as of yet which was a huge relief. Still they had a long way to go. He was sitting on the armchair at her side, his hand in hers, when she finally woke. Kate was asleep in the other chair to her left, the days events having exhausted her like the rest of them. At first all she managed was to open her eyes and squeeze his hand lightly, not fully understanding where she was or why the memory of the day having escaped her. His own eyes shot up at the soft feeling, smiling back at her.
"How are you feeling?" His question was pointless, she didn't even acknowledge she'd heard him as she glances around the room trying to make sense of it all. Her chest felt so heavy and mind so foggy, what on earth had they given her? Then one memory rushed back into her head and panic set it. Her voice was almost a whisper so much so it doesn't even stir her mum.
"The baby?! Where is she? What happened?!" Squeezing her hand he tries quickly to reassure her.
"Don't panic, she's in NICU. She's getting help to breath and keep her temperature up. How are you feeling?" The second NICU was mentioned a flood of tears began to escape as the confusion at all this got pushed out her head.
"NICU?!"
"Don't panic, it's just a precaution because she's early and so tiny. As soon as you are fit enough I'll take you to see her but you need to rest." As he attempted to comfort his partner the high emotion of the day finally cracked him as tears began to escape him at last. "What a fright you gave me. Don't ever scare me like that again." Tears still running down his face as he keeps ahold of her hand he leans in and gently kisses her, unable to even think at how he'd coped if he'd lost her.
