Chantelle wheeled Jac into the Maternity waiting room, straight over to the desk. To Jac's dismay, the last person she wanted to see was manning the desk - Jean Rimini, Head of Maternity. "Oh my god, is this a joke?!" Jac exclaimed, much to Jean's amusement.
"Well, good to see you're your usual self then," Jean said, "Now what can I do for you?"
"Well, Ms Rimini, Miss Naylor's gone into labour prematurely, how many weeks did you say, Jac?" Chantelle said, looking over to Jac who was battling with another contraction.
"Six weeks now if you don't mind, I need to... need to get a bed." Jac said. She looked around and suddenly looked very scared. "Where's Jonny?"
"Mo went to get him, I'm sure he won't be long," Chantelle said.
"No I need him now I am not having this baby without him!" Jac cried, becoming increasingly distressed.
"Okay, okay, I'm sure he'll be here soon." Chantelle said, as Jean showed them into a room.
"I'll be back soon, make yourself comfortable," Jean smiled sweetly and left.
Jac looked at the woman, exasperated. "Are you mad?" She cried, "It might have slipped your...ARGH... Your notice, that I'm giving birth to this baby NOW, and this baby is PREMATURE,"
"I'm getting a team of midwifes together if you must know," Jean replied, leaving swiftly.
Jac hadn't realised how scared she was until now. Chantelle sat beside her.
"Don't leave me Chantelle" Jac cried. Chantelle didn't know how to take this, as she wasn't used to Jac Naylor being... well, vulnerable? nice?
"I'm staying here Miss Naylor, at least until Nurse Maconie comes," Chantelle said.
Jonny ran down the maternity ward as fast as he could. He got to the desk, but ran straight through, where Jean was standing with a group of midwifes.
"Where is she?" Jonny asked. Jean nodded to a room, and Jonny ran straight in.
"Jac?" He said, running into the room.
"Jonny!" Jac said, bursting into tears. Jonny knelt down next to her and put his arms round her, where she buried her head in his chest.
"It's okay, I'm here," Jonny said, stroking her hair. He looked over to Chantelle and nodded - she was free to go. "Thank you," He mouthed at her, as Chantelle got up to leave.
"Good luck, Miss Naylor," Chantelle said, leaving the room. As she left, another contraction hit Jac, and she screamed in pain.
"Gas and air, Jac, gas and air," Jonny said, handing the gas and air over to her. Jac was taking gas and air when Jean and her team came in. The contractions were very strong now, Jac knew any minute now she was going to have to push.
"Miss Naylor, I'll have to examine you," Jean said. Jac reluctantly let her do so, dreading the response.
"Ah, it seems you're 10 centimetres. Are you ready to push?" Jean asked.
Jonny sat where Chantelle was sitting, and held Jac's hand. He felt like his hand was going to be broken, as Jac clutched it as hard as it seemed possible to.
"And 3,2,1, Push!" Jean said. Jac pushed as hard as she could. She pushed a fair few times, but she started to get tired.
"Jonny I can't do this!" Jac cried, as Jean asked for one last push.
"Yes you can," Jonny said, "You are the strongest woman I know, you can do this,"
"But I'm scared Jonny, why can't our baby just stay in here, where they're safe?" Jac sobbed, the pain becoming excruciating.
With the help and encouragement from Jonny, Jac gave it one last push, and their baby entered the world. There was a small cry that the infant let out, but it became clear it wasn't well.
"You have a little girl, congratulations!" Jean said, trying to keep the couple positive while the team crowded round the newborn, putting her into an incubator. Although she was breathing, she was struggling to breathe and was quite weak and poorly. They wheeled the baby out, over to the intensive care unit.
"No, wait, please! Let me see her, please, please just let me see her!" Jac sobbed as they took her baby away. She felt an arm around her, Jonny.
"You did it Jac, it's okay, you did it," Jonny said, tears forming in his eyes, "I am so, so proud of you."
"But she's not well Jonny. We've got a little daughter but we can't see her, she's not well!" Jac sobbed. She blamed herself for the baby being premature, even though she had no sign that her baby was going to be born so early.
"She's in the best place, Jac, they'll look after her. They'll do everything they can to make her better." Jonny said."Now come on, you need to rest."
Jonny climbed next to her on the bed, and wrapped his arms around her. A devastated Jac buried her head in his chest. She was scared - She was a mum, but she felt powerless. She just wanted to help her baby, but she hadn't even met her yet.
