"Stupid Elvis sandwich," Haley stated with disdain as soon as Chris Keller appeared out of the tour bus.
"Come on Hales," Nathan replied, "Beggars can't be choosers. He's the first one to come along on this road since we stopped. He's our only choice right now."
Once they were on the bus, the girls were feeling awkward and uncomfortable and had banded together on the bench seat across from Chris Keller as the guys checked out the bus.
"Let's see here. Slept with you, kissed you, got slapped by you, just like any other night on Chris Keller's tour bus," Chris smugly told the girls with an arrogant smile.
Lucas, just getting off his cell phone, informed the group that they could tow the car to honey grove, but after that they were on their own.
Chris, so graciously being his annoying self announced that he was rolling right through there and the gang could join him. Haley could sleep in his bed. "Though, you're looking a little plump Hales. What the heck I've had bigger junk in my trunk."
Haley tearfully told him, "I'm pregnant you idiot."
Chris on the defensive looked to Nathan and replied, "Dude totally not mine."
Later, while Nathan was talking to Chris, Haley's back started to hurt and she shifted uncomfortably on the bench. Skills noticed that she was wincing and started to ask her what was wrong, but she looked up and shook her head at him settling into a more comfortable position. Soon after, however, she started to feel sick and rushed to the little bathroom. Everyone could tell what was wrong as it was a tour bus after all and sounds travel quickly in small spaces.
Nathan rushed into the bathroom and held back her hair as she emptied her dinner contents into the toilet. "Hales, are you ok?"
"I don't know," Haley told him shakily after she finished. "I've been feeling twinges of pain off and on but I didn't think it was anything serious. Ahhooowww…..," she cried latching onto his shirt.
Peyton, Brooke, Skills, Lucas and Chris glanced nervously at each other.
"Anyone know how far we are from Honey Grove?" Lucas asked the group.
"Ummm, shyeah, we're only about 10 HOURS AWAY," Chris yelled.
"Ok you guys calm down," Nathan told everyone as he escorted Haley out of the bathroom. "In our birthing classes they say it could take longer than that for first babies. Besides her contractions are still pretty irregular."
"Thanks a lot Babe, like I really want to think about this taking longer than 10 hours. What a way to keep me calm!" she tersely told her husband.
"Hales, calm down, it might not take that long, but these guys were looking pretty worried," he replied soothingly, rubbing her back.
"Ok, sorry to burst your bubbles guys," Chris said, "but we're still a long way from any hospital should this kid decide to make an early appearance."
"Owwww ohhhhhhhhh," Haley cried as another contraction hit, squeezing the blood out of Nathan's hand.
"Deep breath babe, like they taught you," Nathan coaxed, grimacing, for someone who can barely dunk a basket she sure had strength!
Lucas took hold of her other hand and between the two brothers, got her sitting down on one of the benches. Brooke and Peyton quickly abandoned their seats and grabbed a map looking for the nearest town. It might not have a hospital, but there was probably a clinic somewhere around here that could help them.
"Nathan, I am not having this baby on this bus," she firmly told him once the contraction ended and she could breathe easily again.
"I know babe, Brooke and Peyton are on it. How's it goin' guys?" he turned to ask them.
"Not so good, nearest town is still a few hours away and it doesn't look like they have a hospital," Brooke replied as Peyton started mapquesting medical facilities in nearby towns. "Closest hospital is 5 hours, closest clinic is 3," Peyton informed them as Haley started wincing again.
"Shouldn't you be timing her contractions?" Lucas asked Nathan as Haley took her best friend's and husband's hands in a vice grip.
"You're right, I totally forgot!" Nathan exclaimed as Haley breathed her way through the pain as best she could on a rocking tour bus that was making her extremely car sick.
"Oooh, Nathan I think I'm gonna be sick again," moaned Haley as the bus took some corners very sharply. He quickly helped her off the bench and they barely made it to the bathroom in time before Haley threw up again.
"I know we need to make it to a hospital, but could you please ask them to slow down a little?" Haley miserably asked him as she hung onto the sides of the sink where she was trying to rinse out her mouth.
"Sure babe." He leaned out of the bathroom door, with one hand still on Haley's back, as he wanted to keep an eye on his wife in case another contraction struck and asked Chris to tell the driver to take it easy.
Peyton and Brooke asked Chris if he had extra sheets so they could make up the bed for Haley to which he replied, "I knew I'd get her in my bed tonight." Upon hearing that, Nathan calmly told Lucas to help Haley and stalked out of the bathroom, grabbed Chris by his shirt, shoved him up against the side of the bus and spit out: "Haley is in a lot of pain, she's having a hard enough time as it is without you making sexual innuendos and smart mouth comments. Now if you don't knock it off, you're gonna find yourself thrown off your own bus!"
"Chill Nate, I was just joking man!" Chris told him as he struggled to get out of his grasp.
"I'm warning you, knock it off!" Nathan told him as he released him roughly. Chris straightened his shirt and glared at him as he went to get the sheets to help Peyton and Brooke.
"NATHAN!" Haley screamed as Nathan rushed back into the bathroom to find Haley's arms wrapped around Lucas' neck as he supported her through another contraction. Nathan looked at his watch and rubbed his wife's back to provide counter pressure as she suffered through the pain. "Ohhh I need to lie down," she moaned to the two greatest guys in her life. Skills sat down on the bench she had currently occupied not knowing what to do to help and watched as his friends worked in a flurry around him.
"Guys is the bed ready yet?" Nathan hollered out the bathroom as he and Lucas each grabbed one of Haley's arms and slowly started walking out of the bathroom.
"Yeah, we're just putting the comforter on!" Peyton hollered back.
"Ok Hales, come on, keep breathing," Nathan soothed as he led her to the curtained bedroom.
"I am breathing," she snapped, "it's not as if I can just stop," she gritted out as she felt another contraction starting. Her knees started to buckle from the strength of the contraction but they gripped her more firmly and stopped as she worked her way through the pain.
"I think we're gonna have to try for the clinic," Nathan said, "Her contractions are getting closer." He informed the gang as he and Lucas helped her onto the bed.
"Has your water broken, Haley?" Brooke questioned her friend to try to determine how much time they had exactly.
"No, not yet," Haley replied weakly trying to find a comfortable position on the bed.
Nathan lay down next to her and let her lay her head on his chest while his hand still worked circles around her lower back.
"That doesn't necessarily mean anything," Nathan told Brooke, "her water may not break until it's time to start pushing."
"Yeah, let's definitely go for the clinic," the group murmured in agreement. Chris told the driver and they were on their way to Antlers, Texas, 6 hours from Honey Grove.
"How ya doin', babe?" Nathan asked his wife whose contractions were now 3 minutes apart and getting stronger and harder to breathe through. The group had drawn the curtain to give the couple privacy and were putting the pedal to the metal trying to keep Haley from giving birth on the bus where one of them would have the "honor" of delivering the baby.
"Not so hot," she clipped, trying to conserve as much strength as she possibly could before the next pain hit.
"Just a couple more hours babe," he consoled.
"Ummm, I don't think I have a couple more hours," she shakily cried, "My water just broke!"
Nathan leaped from the bed as he felt water start to seep into his pants. Haley was crying and gasping for air as a contraction hit her full force and peaked shortly after it started. The gang, hearing the commotion rushed into the room, where Nathan was bent over trying to calm Haley down as she was moaning incessantly and turning purple from holding her breath.
Lucas immediately grabbed her hand and started issuing instructions as he noticed Nathan's pants were quite wet and had guessed what had happened to his best friend. "We need fresh sheets Chris, Brooke get online and try to find out if there's any emergency services nearby that could possibly help, Peyton can you grab some ice chips from the bar for her to suck on, and Skills will you tell the driver to go as fast as he possibly he can? If we get pulled over, the cop might be able to help us."
"I can't do this anymore," Haley mournfully whined to Nathan against his chest.
"Sure ya can Hales, pretty soon we'll be holding a beautiful baby boy in our arms and this will all be forgotten," He told her trying to get her through this difficult phase of labor, knowing that when the "I can't do this" comments come out, the baby will be born shortly after.
She looked at him incredulously, knowing there was no possible way that she was going to be able to forget this pain that was literally ripping her apart at the seams.
Nathan picked her up off the bed and held her in his arms as the rest of the gang changed the sheets so she wasn't lying in wet fluid for however many more hours she had to endure this agony.
Haley panted as yet another contraction ended; they were so close she barely had time to rest between them now.
Nathan laid her back down on the bed as soon as they had changed the sheets and lay down next to her with her head resting on his chest again. It wasn't too long before another contraction hit and the rocking of the bus was making the pain unbearable. "Make it stop, make it stop, MAKE IT STOP!" Haley yelled as the contractions were now on top of one another.
"I wish I could babe," Nathan said sympathetically, squeezing her hand and kissing her hair. "I'll be right back Hales, I just want to go see if they can pull the bus over, you're too uncomfortable and we're too far away to keep going like this."
She nodded tiredly in agreement and he stepped out of the room where the rest of the gang had been sitting quietly, each worrying about Haley and the baby and what would happen if they didn't make it to help in time.
"Ok we need to stop the bus. There's no way we're going to make it in time and we can't deliver the baby safely with the bus on the move," Nathan notified the group.
"Wait, who's gonna deliver the baby?" Brooke asked.
"Ummm well since I'm the husband, I figured I'd do it," Nathan chuckled.
Haley who had overheard this plan, yelled, "I don't think so bub, you're going to hold my hand and rub my back and endure this agony with me instead of enjoying this."
Nathan pulled back the curtains to reveal Haley writhing in pain on the bed.
"Ok, so who do you want to deliver the baby?" Nathan asked calmly figuring that once she realized someone else would be looking at her she would chicken out and want him.
"Hee Hee Hee, Lucas, Hee Hee Hee," she groaned in between breaths trying not to push.
"Ok, come on Luke, looks like you're up," Nathan told his brother.
"Haley, I don't think this is really appropriate," Lucas told her trying to worm his way out of delivering his nephew.
"Luke, you're like a brother to me and I want you to do this so Nathan can still hold my hand, ok? I've known you all my life and there isn't anyone else I want right now! Haley yelled. "I NEED TO PUSH!"
Skills, Peyton, Brooke, and Chris sat down to wait on the benches, not sure if their help was warranted or what they should do in this tense situation.
"AOOOWWWWWAHHHH," Haley vocalized, finding it next to impossible to talk during a contraction.
"Breathe Hales, in through your nose, out through your mouth, we'll do it together," he told her wrapping one arm around her rubbing her shoulder while the other was squeezed until he felt his knuckles crack.
"Ok. Luke, can you see the head?" Nathan asked as Lucas lifted up the comforter covering Haley's legs.
"No, not yet," he replied, "she is bleeding a little though."
Haley nodded, "It's fine," she rasped, "they said that would be normal as the baby moves down. Uggghhhh," she grunted as she started to push.
"No pushing, Hales, I can't see the head yet," Lucas urged.
"Blow baby, Hoo, Hoo, Hoo," Nathan demonstrated trying to help her fight that urge to push.
"AOOOOWWWWoooooooooooooo, Hoo, Hoo, OWWWWWWWWW Hooo," Haley tried to do the breathing techniques but was hit with a new pain that she hadn't felt before, bringing with it an overwhelming urge to bear down and not let up.
"Hales!" Lucas yelled excitedly, "I can see the tip of the baby's head." Nathan looked down trying to see the baby's head, but Haley had a pretty good hold of him, trying to cope with the pain and not push until she was told.
"Push Babe!" Nathan urged his wife as he noticed she was still trying to blow through the pushing contractions waiting until they told her to.
"," Haley grunted as the baby's head moved to a full crown, "OHHHH IT'S BURNING, pull it out, pull it out, if you love me please pull it out, PULL IT OUT!" Haley yelled and clutched at Nathan's shirt whimpering, breaking Nathan's heart, and knowing if he tried that he could seriously hurt Haley or the baby.
"I'm so sorry babe, I can't. You have to push. Come on one more big push and the head will be out. I can see it," he coaxed while she squeezed all feeling out of his hand.
Haley's face turned red as she grunted with the effort. It felt like she was giving birth to an elephant!
"Come on Hales, you can do it!" Lucas encouraged, with one hand supporting the baby's head, he rubbed her knee with the other.
"Mmmmnnngggggghhhh," Haley groaned, pushing with all her might, though the baby didn't move at all.
"Try again, Hales, come on PUSH," Lucas yelled trying to get her to keep going, knowing she must be tired.
"Come on baby, you're doing so good, I'm right here," Nathan encouraged her.
"Unnnnngggghhhhh," she grunted to no avail.
Nathan and Lucas' eyes met as the baby still didn't move down and was still in full crown position.
Haley threw her head back exhausted, moaning and wincing as the burning sensation had not ceased, "Nothing's happening, what's wrong?"
"The baby's not comin', man," Lucas whispered trying not to alarm Haley who was in the throes of another contraction, pushing as hard as she could.
"Nothing's happening! The head's not coming! Someone call 911!" Lucas yelled starting to panic.
Peyton and Brooke started trying to find a signal on their cell phones, wandering up and down the bus and leaning toward windows, doing anything and everything trying to gain a signal while Nathan and Lucas tried to keep Haley calm who was starting to freak out after Lucas' little announcement.
Peyton finally got a signal and got through to the dispatcher. Unfortunately, all their emergency service vehicles were at least an hour away. She went in to sit beside Lucas, turning her phone on speaker so all could hear.
"Can you tell us what to do? She's been pushing for almost an hour and a half and the baby's head isn't coming anymore. It's about halfway out." She hurriedly told the dispatcher.
"Ok tell whoever is catching the baby to stick their finger in and feel for a cord around the baby's neck. If it's loose, gently slip it over the baby's head. The cord is probably just holding it up." The dispatcher calmly told Peyton.
Lucas slowly eased his finger in to feel for a cord. Haley yelped and squeezed Nathan's hand tighter as Lucas felt to see if it was loose enough to slip it over the head.
"Breathe Babe, its ok, just breathe, everything's gonna be ok. I love you so much. I'm right here," he soothingly murmured to her as she tried to deal with the intense pain.
Lucas frowned in frustration.
"There's some slack, but it's too tight to slip it over the head!" he anxiously told the dispatcher.
"Calm down sir. OK, someone needs to push down on the mother's stomach as she bears down with each contraction. You need to pull the cord away from the neck as much as you can so she can get the head the rest of the way out. Once the head is out, you need to cut the cord so the rest of the baby can come out. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Lucas told the dispatcher.
"I need scissors or a knife!" he yelled to the rest of the gang.
"Here ya go." Chris snatched a pair of scissors that sat beside his bed.
"Peyton push down on Haley's stomach with her next push ok?" Lucas urgently asked his girlfriend.
She gave a small hesitant nod.
"Ok on the next contraction, push down on her stomach after she starts to push and pull the cord away as much as you can."
"Ok Hales," Nathan urged, "Next contraction, focus, and push as hard as you can. I know it hurts babe, but in a few minutes, we'll have our baby boy in our arms."
Haley grimaced as the next contraction struck, her moaning and grunting turning into a primal scream as Peyton pushed down on her stomach and Lucas did as instructed.
Her anguished scream rent the air as the baby's head finally emerged, she panted heavily fighting the urge to push so that Lucas could cut the cord as Nathan whispered encouragement and stroked her hair back from her face. Nathan thought his finger might be broken after that last push, but he continued to support Haley and coax her to breathe as his brother worked.
"Did she get the head out?"
"Yeah, I'm trying to cut the cord now," Lucas panted with exertion, his fingers now covered in amniotic fluid and blood, kept slipping on the scissors as he tried to cut the baby's cord.
"Ok, once the cord's cut, the baby will turn so the shoulders can come free. Once you free the arm on top, raise the baby up some, so the arm on the bottom will slip out. Have her push slowly as you do this and the baby should slip out easily now. Get a towel or a blanket to wrap the baby in and put it on the mother's stomach as soon as you can."
"Ok, Hales, you hear that? You're almost done!" Lucas encouraged, "Push! Push Hard!"
"You can do it Hales," Nathan spurred her on.
"I can't!" Haley whined. "It hurts too much! You do it please?"
"Come on Babe, a couple more pushes. Come on. For Me?" Nathan tried to persuade her not to give up.
Haley refused to push…until the next contraction hit and the urge to push overpowered her resistance as she yelled and growled getting the shoulders out in one push.
"Ok Hales make this the last one," Lucas encouraged supporting the baby who was halfway out as he waited on Haley.
"You're doing so good Baby, I love you so much, keep going," Nathan spoke softly against her hair, getting the feeling crushed out of his hand by her small one.
She let forth a blood curdling scream as she worked to get the rest of the baby's body out, throwing her head back against the pillow as the baby came into the world, crying and heaving as she gasped for breath.
A cry split the air as the baby boy took his first breath of fresh air, screaming as the cold air hit his body and he was gently put onto his mother's stomach.
"It's a boy!" Lucas shouted to everyone. "Congratulations Hales, you did it! I'm so proud of you!"
"You did so good baby, so good, just relax," Nathan told her, stroking her cheek.
"Congratulations! Ok the ambulance should be there in about 10 minutes and they will take care of the rest. Just rub the baby briskly with the towel and wrap it snugly around the baby. I'll stay on the line until the EMTs arrive."
Nathan and Lucas accomplished wrapping the baby up in the towel and Nathan set his son in Haley's arms. She wept in relief, exhaustion overcoming her. "You're a dad," she blubbered.
"Welcome to the world, James Lucas Scott," she laughed.
Lucas looked up surprised, turning teary eyes to his best friend.
"Thanks Hales, for letting me share in this experience," he choked out.
They heard sirens as the ambulance approached. Chris and Brooke met them at the door as they brought in the stretcher.
Haley felt another cramp and winced, alerting Nathan to her pain.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.
"Nothing to be alarmed about," the EMT told him as he came in, noticing the cord was still hanging out of Haley, "the placenta needs to be delivered."
Nathan felt Haley grip his hand again as she gave another push, yelping a little as she delivered the placenta.
The EMTs quickly made sure that it came out whole, clamped the baby's umbilical cord so that it was shorter and cleaned up mother and baby as the gang looked on. Haley and James were loaded onto the stretcher and into the ambulance with Nathan following quickly along.
The gang gathered around the ambulance as the EMTs settled them into the ambulance.
"Thanks guys," Haley croaked tiredly, "I couldn't have done this without you. All of you."
"No problem Hales, we'll pick you up on the way back from Honey Grove."
The doors were shut and Nathan and Haley and James were on their way to the hospital. Nathan and Haley relished in the sight of their newborn son and cradled him to her chest as he began to wail.
"I think he's hungry," The EMT told Haley matter of factly.
She blushed, but lowered her blouse so the baby could nurse. She felt Nathan's eyes on her as the baby began to suckle.
"This is why Keith saved me," he choked out, trying not to cry. Haley held out her arm and he laid his head on the opposite side of her chest as the baby nursed. She ran her fingers through his hair and felt her eyes beginning to close. No longer able to keep them open and feeling the baby drift off, she asked Nathan to hold the baby. He carefully and cautiously picked the baby up and cradled him to his chest as Haley succumbed to exhaustion and drifted into much needed sleep.
Nathan held the baby as he slept thinking that this was the best day of his life and gazed with loving eyes at the woman who had just given birth to his son and was now snoring slightly.
Haley was so exhausted she didn't even wake up until they transferred her to a hospital bed and went right back to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. The baby was whisked to the nursery and Nathan was given a recliner next to Haley's bed for the night. He felt drained but had a hard time sleeping as the shock started to seep in that he was a dad.
After a couple of hours of dozing, he was woken up to the sound of a baby's whimper as Jamie was brought in for a feeding. Haley woke up enough to nurse him but was soon falling asleep with the baby in her arms so Nathan crawled in beside her and put his arm underneath hers to support the baby.
Haley, drifting in and out of sleep, looked up and into Nathan's eyes as she felt him settle in beside her. "I love you, Always and Forever," she mumbled.
Nathan replied, "Always and Forever, I love you too." But she didn't hear him as she surrendered to sleep.
They spent the rest of the night curled up on the bed with Jamie snuggled in their arms, curled up to Haley so he could suckle when needed.
The next day as the sunlight began to enter the room, Nathan woke to the sounds of a camera shutter. He opened his eyes to reveal Brooke, Skills, Peyton, Lucas, and Mouth standing at the end of the bed. Brooke, looking guilty, lowered the camera.
"I couldn't resist," she told him sheepishly.
"It's ok," he whispered. Haley and James were still sleeping and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could. "Haley and James will be released as soon as the doctor comes in at 1, so you guys can hang til then. Actually if you wouldn't mind finding a car seat and maybe some clothes so we can get them home that would be great." Nathan tried to think of what else they'd need but came up blank.
"Don't worry, I'm on it," Brooke told him excitedly. "Who's with me?"
Peyton, Skills, and Mouth decided to go with her but Lucas chose to stay behind as he wanted some time to hold his nephew without a crowd.
"Can I hold him?" he asked Nathan quietly as soon as the crowd exited.
"Of course," Nathan told him, "You're his Uncle." He carefully eased the baby out of Haley's grasp and handed him to his uncle.
Lucas smiled at that.
"I've never been so scared in my entire life," he confided.
"You did great man; I don't even know how to thank you." Nathan whispered as Haley began to stir.
She opened her eyes to reveal Lucas holding their son.
"Hey buddy," Lucas whispered.
"Hey," she croaked back, her voice hoarse from screaming through the contractions from the previous day's experience. "Where is everybody?"
"Gone to get the essentials for the newest Scott member," Nathan told her.
"Oh no, I didn't even think about how we're going to get home!" she exclaimed roughly.
"Well you were a little busy," Nathan teased. "Don't worry, we got it covered."
She tried to sit up, but was too stiff and sore to move. Mother Nature called but she was embarrassed to say so in front of Lucas. Nathan noticed her fidgeting and wincing.
"You ok?" he asked worriedly. "Do you need the nurse?"
"No, I'm just a little…sore," she said aloud. "I also have to use the bathroom…BADLY," she whispered uncomfortably.
Lucas noticed the exchange and gave the baby back to Haley. "I'm gonna go grab some coffee guys. It's gonna be a long drive. You want anything?" he asked.
Haley, feeling very uncomfortable, shook her head no and Nathan, sensing the urgency of her situation, declined as well. He quickly took the baby and laid him down in the isolette, returning to help Haley out of bed and to the bathroom. As she turned to lower her legs over the side, her stomach muscles screamed in protest from the difficult delivery of the day before and she cried out in pain. Nathan scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bathroom. When she was finished he carried her back to bed as Jamie began to cry. Once he got his wife settled, he picked up Jamie and handed him to Haley as she lowered her shirt to give the baby his breakfast.
Lucas knocked on the door and stepped into the room. Haley quickly threw the blanket over her torso as Lucas' face turned red as he took in the scene before him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," he told Nathan and Haley embarrassedly.
"It's ok, I'm just finishing up," she replied.
Pretty soon James had his belly full, his diaper changed, and was back in his Uncle's arms.
Mouth, Skills, Brooke and Peyton soon stepped into the room, their arms loaded with a car seat, baby clothes, diapers, and an extra change of clothes for Haley since hers were spoiled from the previous day's events.
"Awww he's so cute," Brooke and Peyton exclaimed together as they surrounded Lucas.
The doctor soon stepped into the room, gave everyone a clean bill of health and pronounced them ready to go home with a few instructions for taking care of the baby's umbilical cord and bathing.
Haley was wheeled out to the Miata with baby James in her arms. Nathan and Lucas struggled to get the car seat strapped in correctly, grumbling in frustration as they tried to fit the contraption into the car. They finally got the seat strapped in securely and Nathan took Jamie from Haley to fasten him in. He then lifted Haley into his arms knowing the way she was hurting that morning and helped her in to sit beside their son.
The rest of the gang climbed in and they were off to Tree Hill with the newest Scott member and Haley sleeping soundly in the backseat.