Clara groaned as she woke up again for the umpteenth time this morning, glancing at
The Doctor still lied there in his deep sleep, turned away from Clara and breathing slowly.
She chuckled softly and slowly but surely got up, waddling to the kitchen to make some. He felt her leave and that was why he crawled over to lie across her warm space, face buried in her pillow.
She happily got on with breakfast, preparing a tray of food and tea for the both of them.
He reached out to hug her, which was impossible with her absence in order to make breakfast. Once she finished, she slowly made her way back to their bedroom.
He was sort of planking across the bed on her side, face straight into her pillow and his hair shooting everywhere. She smiled softly at the sight of him, and carefully set the breakfast tray down on an empty space before she almost wobbled to him, hovering her lips near to his ear. " Breakfast..."
He sat up quickly and he could talk of luck that he did not ram his cheekbone straight into her face, eyeing her, then the tray of breakfast with a sleepy smile. " Ah.. Thanks, honey."
She smiled, and slowly made her way to the other side of the bed, taking more difficulty and time to sit down than normal.
" Slept well? How are you feeling? " He dragged the tray closer and let it rest on his thighs.
" Kept waking up because backache and twinges and morning sickness...Not brilliantly...You? Ooh..."
The Doctor leant over to kiss her cheek and retreated to focus on his food. T'was alright, I think... Clara nodded and took her plate of food before she began to eat.
That's good to hear, then.. " Mh-hm.. " He hummed and took a bite, leaning back.
She ate rather quickly, her hand resting on her enlarged belly while she chewed.
He had the breakfast halfway finished, staring forward with a face paler than it was usually. She frowned as she watched him, and carefully placed her hand on his shoulder. " Are you all right...?"
He glanced at her, then back at his food, back at her. " Oh, uh.. Yup! Just.. Bit nervous, you know." She nodded " I can imagine...So am I. " She smiled to try and ensure him, before she suddenly winced and increased her grip " Okay..."
" It's important not to give up just before the finish line.. Okay..? " He rested his hand on her wrist, petting it. " Course. " She agreed and sucked air in through the spaces in her teeth" Okay, that's hurting..."
He snuck his hand onto her belly, staring at her in worry and wonder.
" I think...the baby wants out. Ah..." Her face began to contort into a frown, the depth of her breaths increasing.
" Sure? No false alarm? His ears and eyelids shot up, the Doctor putting the empty tray She shook her head " This time feels different. The little one wants out, I can tell. W-we need to get going." The Doctor jumped up and crawled to her side off the bed, rolling off and standing up, offering her his hand." Come on then, hurry! "
Clara nodded and took his hand, slowly pulling herself up. " Okay...Okay..."
The Time Lord quickly led his wife to the console room, to be more specific to the exit that would already lead to private room in the hospital. The staff was awaiting the two already in front of the police box.
Clara desperately tried to keep calm as she was led to the room and guided to lay down on the bed, keeping on clingy hold of her husband's hand.
A staff member tried to soothen the Doctor as his eyes caught something on a desk that made him turn pale.
A yet blank death certificate for his wife, the letters in a modern extraterrestrial language. He swept the documents off the desk with his foot and turned his attention back to the staff member." You will make this work. Give it 101 percent. " He demanded with a serious expression and a low, dark voice.
Not exactly understanding what had both angered and scared her husband, Clara decided to focus on the task at hand. She was going to get through this. No matter about the likelihood and the nightmares of dying. She was going to get through.
The floppy-haired Doctor tried to keep his panic and his fears under control, kneeling by Clara's birth-bed and holding her hand in both his, probably the most meaningful holding of hands they had ever shared. He took a deep breath shuffled closer.
" I promise you that things will be like paradise after this.. Just stay strong.. I'll be with you.
" The brunette nodded, her panicky breaths deepening as she tried to keep calm. She winced at the pain of the oncoming contractions, doing exactly as the staff were telling her to while she squeezed her other half's hand.
One of the nurses in the corner of the room, whilst everybody was working and crossing the room, drew a cross down her frame with her finger before returning to work, mild panic dominating the atmosphere. Staff members propped Clara's feet against the birth bed's slopes, one of the Doctor's feet tapping impatiently as he pressed his lips to her hand.
Clara whimpered and winced, the young brunette having no idea of what was going on and it was confusing her as well worrying her. She continued to take deep breaths, leaning as close to her husband as she pushed.
The Doctor loosened his bow tie and unbuttoned his shirt on top, leaning closer to her to make her feel even less alone. He did not think about whether it could be over later that day. He tried to let optimism win. Two nurses stood at the other end of the bed, one knelt down to look at what was happening.
The lead doctor, a creature with a green and four ears, gave the first command. " Push. Very lightly. Go on!" Clara nodded, ignoring the rather strange looking doctor and pushed, doing so as gently as she could, hoping for it have an effect at least.
The nurses kept her eyes on her entrance for anything suspicious or dangerous. Nothing in sight, yet. The doctor, not her Time Lord, observed the screen that displayed her heartbeat and the position of their child. " Push, again! Not too rough! It's going well! " The green skinned doctor added.
Once again, the brunette nodded and pushed, biting her lip at the pain but letting it pass, her grip on her husband's hands tightening a little, but not much.
The Doctor was not used to the rough grip and the power that she put into their holding of hands, clenching his teeth weakly.
He tried not to let the nurses' somewhat worried expressions throw his last bits of peace and patience away. Clara kept calm, her sight not focusing on anywhere but her bump. She was determined to get through this, no matter what.
The Doctor was pale and seemed weak, but on the inside, the fire of confidence was burning and making him feel bright. The medical doctor frowned at the nurses and her entrance as one of the two nurses exclaimed. " Push! Bit harder!"
Clara gave another nod and pushed again, the feeling making her bite her lip while she continued to squeeze her other half's hand.
The Doctor stood up and let the hold of her hand remain, standing in order to have a glance at the notes that the medical doctor had taken.
The Time Lord swallowed and knelt again, his eyes on his love and his hands fastened around hers. " Soon, my darling... "
Clara looked at him, not speaking to put all her energy into the job at hand and nodded at him, though she herself was uncertain about what was going to happen. She continued to take deep breaths, her eyes now fixed on their hands.
The Doctor was not sure whether to stay put and whisper her words of courage, make her feel strong, or stand up to shove a boot up the medical doctor's backside to make him put more effort, even though the green-skinned alien was already giving his best, 102% possibly. He remained next to Clara and closed his eyes at the next word that the nurse had exclaimed. " Push, Mrs. Oswald!"
Clara nodded, her body gearing to push while her grip on her husband's hand gradually increased. The natural drugs that were released to help the pain aided it, but also made the brunette feel a little light headed. She, however, insisted she was fine, even though she was telling that to herself. All she needed was the Doctor. Her Doctor. That was all she would ever need and she would stay by that no matter what.
In the meanwhile, glass could be heard shattering and hitting the floor. The system measured a force roaming the air in the room, simultaneously to reddish and blueish spots emerging on her bump. Clara was now beginning to panic. Her eyes travelled from her bump to her husband, trying to keep her breathing normal. while she wanted to scream and demand to know what the hell was going on. Her eyes were filled with fear, sorrow and confusion, only wanting to hear her other half.
" Shhh.. It's okay.. It's all right.. " He whispered and guided her hand to his lips as he glanced down at her bump that now showed wide spots, blue and red, the blue ones lighting up slightly. The medical doctor could be heard cussing and dropping his biro to the floor.
Even though tears were filling Clara's eyes for fear of what would happen, she nodded even though her eyes didn't agree at all. She had no idea of what was going on or what was going to happen to her and she was absolutely terrified.
" It is normal, Clara, please.. " The bowtie wearing madman had lost peace.
He let his eyes wander around the room and flash each of the people a serious and demanding glare. He did not want her to leave like that."It is draining her of energy, quick!" "Hurry, hurry!" Words were thrown around the room as the medical doctor said. " Push, very carefully!"
Clara dared to look at the medical doctor, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks as she heard what they were saying. She nodded and pushed, her eyes shut as she squeezed her husband's hand. After that push, the top of the baby's head could be seen reaching her entrance, but also, the degree of trouble had been increased and signalised by the displays spouting off fazing alarm-sounds, the displays' interfaces red and the medical doctor dragging the Time Lord away for a private talk outside. The Doctor only joined the green man reluctantly.
"What did you think back then? Didn't you know that the chances of death were always higher?"
" N-no..." The watery eyed brunette whispered as she noticed her husband going. She could feel herself becoming weaker and weaker. She was beginning to fade and she needed him. She needed him to give her strength.
"The woman is giving birth to a two-hearted life-form with a life-force stronger than every sun in the universe. Internal bleeding, heartbeat completely out of sync, does that look good to you? Hm?" The Time Lord was intimidated. Obviously.
He swallowed and stared at the green-skinned alien. "Just see, accept that this is fatal. It is ove-.." The medical doctor's off-putting tirades were interrupted by a slap in the face, a steamingly mad Doctor. " It is over when I say that it is over. Now go back inside, along with me, and prove that you are a doctor. " The floppy-haired Time Lord walked back inside angrily with a sigh and another deep breath, his hands returning to hold hers.
Clara tried to stop shaking with sobs. One more push and their baby would arrive, that was all that mattered to her right now. She gathered all her strength, ready to push at request, but she now knew what was to come and it both scared and upset her.
" I-I love you..." She managed to utter, merely a whisper as she readied herself, unable to suppress the fact that she was incredibly terrified and upset.
" I love you too.. And I promise, that we will get through.. " He pressed his lips to her forehead and turned to glare at the medical doctor in a
" 'Isn't that right?" way. As the nurses knelt by her entrance and smiled weakly at the possibility to get a light hold of the baby's head, the medical doctor worked at the console by his desk, in order to stabilise the situation. It seemed to be taking him a long time. The beeping that represented the heartbeat came in slow intervals.
Clara smiled weakly at his words even though every bone in her body was telling her otherwise. She would make a bargain with the universe just to make sure that her baby, their baby would be okay. That was all she wanted, even though the
likelihood of her dying was so high. She was fading already anyway. " One last push"
The push made the windows shatter and the desk nearby tremble. She truly was giving birth to something mighty and powerful. Sparks sprayed from the monitor on the desk, the rate of the heartbeat terrifyingly bad and low. It all seemed
less dark at the sound of the newborn wailing and screaming, being pulled out of where it had spent so many months.
Clara smiled hazily at the sweet sound of the newborn crying before her consciousness began to fade. Clara Oswald was dying. Her body was going limp and her heartbeat was getting closer and closer to fllatlining. She was drowning in her mind, the realm of reality moving further and further away as she fell.
" No.. Clara, please.. No.. " He shook her hand gently as his voice broke, witnessing her fading away and losing sniffled and stood up, pacing the room and attempting to use the console himself, in hope to fix anything or make her come alive again. His sight was blurry with tears." No..."
There was one last hope. As Clara's vitals continued to tumble down to zero, some of the nurses took a defibrillator from a box in one of the cupboards. It was unlikely that Clara would respond, but it was worth trying.
He covered his face in his palms and then got back to holding her hand that felt so frighteningly lifeless and light.
He gave it a kiss and held it to his cheek as he shuffled closer to whisper into her ear, a tear making its way down his cheek to drop onto her shoulder." Come back.. Please. We've done it.. Don't go.." As the nurses and doctors prepared Clara for one last try, the Doctor was moved away from her and toward the newborn baby whose cries continued to fill the room. A doctor shouted 'Clear' before shocking Clara with the defibrillator. No response. One more go.
The Doctor was shaking and his sobbing turned rather gross with the rising fear of losing her again. He did not want their newborn, a healthy little girl , to grow up without his mum. He sniffled and made his way through the crowd and to have no mother.
Clara to kneel and cuddle his head into her shoulder." Please.. I cannot w-without you.."
Once again, the Doctor was moved away from Clara's lifeless body before the medical doctor shouted " clear" again. Another try, and this time Clara responded. It was like someone had thrown her a rope and she grabbed onto it for dear life as she was pulled back into life. Her hazel eyes snapped open her vitals went up to normal straight away than ever before. She gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly like she had been drowning.
The Doctor let out a relieved and deep sigh, similar to one that was done when an inhuman amount of weight got off one's back. He draped his arm around her protectively and in a claiming manner, his head cuddled against hers. " I-I thought I'd lost y-you... " He sniffled and their little, sweet moment of reunion was interrupted by desperate and quiet wailing.
The Time Lord stood up and walked to their little girl picking her up carefully." Look at you..." Clara watched him. She had truly thought she'd lost the battle with life, but now she was fine. That seemed to be the story of her life. She sighed in relief, her body slowly returning to normal. He carried the resting newborn to his mother, the Doctor still sniffling quietly due to the crying he had gone through only minutes ago. He handed the baby to its proud mum." Look who's with us.."
Clara smiled at the sight of the newborn, carefully cradling the baby in her arms while she tenderly stroked his forehead. " Hello, there...Boy or girl...?"
" Ellie.. Rose.. Oswald. *The Doctor whispered and looked at her, stroking her arm tenderly. Clara smiled and chuckled softly before she kissed Ellie's head* Hello, Ellie."
Ellie reached out for her mum's face, flailing weakly. The Doctor sighed as the warm feeling flowed through him and glanced at the green-skinned doctor that entered the room.
" Congratulations, you two! You are allowed to stay here for the first three nights. Also, Mrs. Oswald, not too much sport in the first two months. It is better to stick to a more healthy and 'shy' nutrition. Also, you two, no intercourse for one and a half months? Hm? Congratulations, again."
With these words, he coughed once into his palm and left the room, leaving the new parents and their newborn in peace. " I don't do much sport anyway. " Clara smiled at the medical doctor before she leaned into Ellie's hand, stroking the newborn's head before she fidgeted with her top to nurse the baby girl.
"True, true.. " He teased and cuddled his head against hers, watching the two bond and spend time together, so close to each other.
She guided Ellie's head to the correct area, helping the baby girl as she waited for her to suckle. Once ellie did, she wrinkled her nose and giggled
" Blimey that's a funny feeling...He pecked her cheekbone fondly and let his eyes fall shut. He stood up to extend the birthbed, providing more space for himself. She continued stroking Ellie's little head, and chuckled softly as the baby girls eyelids opened to reveal her light bright green eyes while the newborn squirmed.
" You have your daddy's eyes..." The revelation made the Doctor smile weakly, his bottom lip tremble, the trembling interrupted by the remark.."..and your mummy's nose. " He sniffled. " No, I mean it, look.. It looks so funny.. Funny in a cute way.."
She smiled at her husband, before returning her attention to the feeding newborn whose little arms were just about flailing everywhere.
The Time Lord sighed and held his finger to the newborn who, as he had expected, reached for his finger to get a grip of it.
The brunette chuckled, and helped Ellie as she finished suckling. " Could you get me a napkin or something, love?"
" Mh-hm.. " The Doctor fished a folded napkin out of his Tweed jacket's breast pocket, handing it to Clara. " Here y'are.."
Clara took it with a smile, and cleaned up the breast milk that was dribbling down Ellie's face. " There we are."
" Our new life... " The Doctor sighed and lied down beside the short brunette and their son, arms folded.
Clara nodded and cuddled into her husband, her hazel eyes fixed on Ellie.
" It'll be brilliant..."
" Do you need a rest? " He studied her obviously exhausted and weak-looking features. She nodded, her eyes already drooping " Yeah...Definitely do..."
The Doctor shrugged off his Tweed jacket due to all the sweat and leant back, hands on his belly and the eyes on his wife and daughter.
Clara made herself comfortable, Ellie already falling asleep in her mother's arms while she quickly began to drift off.
He yawned and wound his arms around the pair, feeling far from letting go.
She snuggled into him happily as she fell asleep, enjoying his warmth and comfort. " Have a nice nap.. Tell me when you're ready to come home.. " The Doctor reminded and pressed his lips to her head.
Clara mumbled a reply before she fell into a rather deep sleep, having been completely and utterly had passed, people left, people entered the hospital as the Doctor dreamed of their oncoming life as a family.
Clara awoke once their newborn daughter began to cry, the little girl needing another feed. She glanced at her husband, smiling softly before she tended to Ellie allowing her to suckle.
" Mhhh, feelin' better..? " He yawned and stretched slightly, moving to be closer to his family and lay his arms around the two. " Naps do miracles... "
" Uh huh. They really do, don't they? " She giggled quietly as Ellie slightly pulled a face, the baby girls green eyes wandering about as she suckled.
" Hungry lil' thing. Quite needy. " He noticed and watched the newborn feed, scratching his chin. I think that's usually what newborn babies are. She pointed out, gently stroking Ellie head while she petted her shoulder and rested her head against hers exhaustedly.
She nodded with a soft sigh " Can we go? I don't like it here...It's all cold and stuff...I wanna go home..."
" Mh-hm.. Yes. " The Doctor scratched his waist and pressed his lips to her cheek before standing up. " Let me just notify the staff, hm?
Clara nodded, rubbing and patting Ellie's back as she burped the little
Girl.
The Doctor had a two-minute-long talk with the nurses and they gave the pair and their baby green light to go home.
" C'mon, dear, we can go! " He said and held his hand out to her.
Clara smiled and took his hand, getting up rather quickly with Ellie safe in her arms.
" Brilliant."
He nodded and guided the two to the police box, stepping inside.