Originally written as a Tumblr prompt from jackson-aprilavery: April in labour and Jackson coaching her through, and having a moment with their child afterwards. Enjoy!
"Where is he?"
Meredith turns her head with a sigh, "He'll be here, just give him a minute."
April growls, closing her eyes and letting her head drop back as she squeezes her friend's hand. "He works here, he can't possibly be that far!" She screams the last word, her wide wide and her eyes tight as she feels another contraction.
Holy crap, this is painful.
Meredith silently thanks her stars for having had a caesarean, grateful that she never had to go through what April was doing right now.
"April, you can't push yet, alright? The baby's not quite ready and we don't want to risk it." Her own doctor tells her, raising her eyebrows as she examines her cervix.
She shakes her head, her breath short as she speaks, "No, you just don't wanna start without my husband here because you know that I'll kill him if he's not." She fakes a smile and clasps Meredith's hand tighter.
"He's going to be here."
April sighs, out of breath, "What if he's not? What if- What if he ran off and I'm alone? He left me, mer, he's gone!" She cries, bringing her hands up to her face as she cries with pain.
Meredith rolls her eyes, "Oh, April, calm down. He's not going to leave you, okay? He loves you, and he's going to love that little baby when it arrives, we all know that, so don't psych yourself out over nothing. It won't do you any good."
"Did you think Shepherd was gonna leave you when you were giving birth?"
She shakes her head, "I was being cut open so I wasn't so worried about him leaving me." As she finishes talking, the door to the delivery room swings open and she sighs a breath of relief. "Oh, thank God!"
Jackson smiles, "How's it going?" He fails to notice the look of anger on his wife's face.
"How's it going?! Are you freakin' kidding me?!" She screeches, her hands gripping the bed tight between her fists, "I've been going out of my mind in here while you've been on your lunch break! How do you think it's going?!"
He rushes over to her side quickly and licks his lips as he glances down at her, "I was busy, but I'm sorry. I know I promised that I'd be here, and I am now, alright?" He tries, leaning down to kiss her forehead but she brushes him off, scoffing at him. "April-"
Meredith stands up and hands him a cup full of ice chips, "So happy you're finally here." She tells him, her tone a slight warning.
He frowns as she leaves the room in a hurry, clearly eager to get away from his over-hormonal hot-mess of a wife.
"Doctor Peterson, how long do we have left?"
The woman doesn't reply for a second, until she looks up at him with a smile, "I think it's time."
"See, I got here in time."
April rolls her eyes, "Oh, congratulations. It's gotta be such a hard thing to do to hold my hand, you asshole."
He ignores her comment and grips her hand tight in his, bending down to rest his head against hers. He kisses the top of her head and smiles, "I love you, too."
A sudden push rips through her and she screams, to which he can't help but slightly jump. April cries out, one hand gripping the bed and the other murdering his.
"Breathe, breathe, breathe," He tells her quietly.
Maybe they should have practiced this a little bit more. He has no idea what he's doing.
"That's not helping!" She calls, her head bent back and she yelps when she feels another pull. "Oh my God, I can't do it..."
Jackson sighs, letting go of her hand for a second to shrug his jacket off and loosen his tie. Damn meetings. He goes back to her side and gently puts his hands on her back. She frowns with confusion when he hops onto the bed and settles himself behind her, his legs curbed on either side of her body and his hands resting on her knees.
"Stop insulting me, and push." He speaks quietly, letting her hands grip his arms tight as she wails again.
He has no idea what he's doing, but he read that getting behind her and supporting her during the birth could be helpful. So he figured he'd just go with it.
"Three, two, one-"
"Argh!" She slams her head back again his shoulder, taking a second to catch her breath, "I could kill you right now." She jokes with a soft smile as she stares into his eyes and he chuckles.
"You can kill me later." He informs her.
"Avery, would you like to see?" The other doctor asks and Jackson grimaces.
"I, uh- I think I'm good from up here."
"It's just a vagina, Jackson! That's how we got here in the first place. Gah, you're such an ass!" April taunts.
Doctor Peterson lifts her head and frowns, "Okay, April, I'm gonna need for you to push harder, alright? The baby's head is almost through but you need to push some more, okay? Are you ready?"
April nods with a gulp, her eyes closed as she cries. She pushes harder than before but there doesn't seem to be any development, "I can't do this." She shakes her head and cries tears, "I can't. He doesn't want to come out, it's not time... I can't do it!"
Jackson rubs the low of her back and kisses her shoulder sweetly, "Hey, look at me." It takes a moment before she turns to him, "We can do this."
"I don't see you pushing a watermelon out of your vagina!"
He ignores her again and continues, a slight smirk on his face, "You can do this, alright? I know you can. You're a soldier, April Kepner."
She smiles lightly, grasping a hold of his legs before she feels another push.
"Breathe. Breathe, breathe-"
"Stop telling me to breathe! Argh!"
The delivery doctor talks again, this time to Jackson, "Avery, I'm gonna need you to hold her legs back, okay?"
"No, no. You can't pull." April argues, shaking her head as she glances down at her doctor.
Placing his hands on her knees again, he rests his face against her red hair and whispers, "You're gonna be fine."
It's quiet, and almost useless, but it reassures her completely.
He pulls her legs back closer towards her body and she screams at the pulling feeling, like she's being ripped open.
"Ha-argh!" She howls again, this time final as she gets distracted by the sound of a baby's cry.
Her breathing slows and she cries, letting her head fall back against her husband's shoulder with relief.
She feels worn and empty, completely teared up.
"Where are they taking him?" She asks when the nurse lifts her son out of her sight.
Doctor Peterson smiles, "She's just getting him all cleaned up. Good job."
April nods slowly with a smile at the sound of her baby crying. She lets tears fall and feels Jackson kiss her shoulder again, a childish grin plastered on his face.
"We did it." He speaks.
She rolls her eyes and grasps the back of his neck to pull him closer to her, "You mean I did it."
"I like to think I helped." He teases and she giggles softly, her smile growing when the nurse approaches them.
"You ready to meet your son?" She asks, handing the wrapped-up little newborn over to April.
The redhead stares down at him with a smile, her face a mess of tears, "Oh my God."
Jackson sighs in a deep breath and rubs his thumb over his new son's forehead, "Hey, little guy."
The baby fidgets for a second before stopping with a content look on his face.
"He's perfect."
"He is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." April whispers, dropping her head against her husband but her eyes never leave the baby.
"That's just because he has you as his mom." Jackson tries, running his hand up and down her arm comfortably.
She blushes, "Oh, please. That's all you, he has your eyes."
He continues to stare down at the child with a grin, "That's true, actually."
She gently smacks his chest the best she can from where she's sat and laughs, "Don't be an ass."
He shakes his head and runs a hand through her hair as he kisses her forehead again, "We can do this, you know?"
April nods, "I know we can. Me and you, right?"
"Me and you."