Good Girls do Bad Things Sometimes
Chapter Nine – Future's open wide, and the past is all behind us.
Author's Note : Hello. I know I said I didn't feel the want to write anymore, but doesn't it seem that the second you say you don't want to do something you immediately want to do the thing. This chapter was mostly written ages ago, with help as other chapters have been, so if there are any mistakes please forgive me. If you kindly point any of them out to me, I'll do my best to fix them. On a further note, I had originally planned for there to only be one more chapter to this story. We'll see about that.
Living with Michelangelo proves to be a picture from a dream for Miss Mona Vanderwaal. Ella has been increasingly helpful in helping her to overcome her fears of her impending future and the motherhood it includes. Aria has taken her shopping, now a suitable substitute for emergency cases, and together they have made a fashionable yet comfortable wardrobe for the first month or two after the birth of the newest Montgomery. Mike has doted over her every want and need, of course she has made an effort to not push the boundaries and overuse this privilege, and has even made a man of himself in the sense of finding himself a job. He's only working as a sales clerk at a local sports equipment store but it is something and he gets a paycheck every two weeks so she's beyond proud of him.
Last week she had a baby shower thrown for her, Hanna and Aria teamed up and the party cabin in Rosewood park became a baby pink and yellow themed heaven. The nonalcoholic punch flowed, the sherbet was served, tears were shed, and now Mona's baby girl has a plethora of onesies and dresses waiting to be worn. It seems all that is left is for the baby to arrive and finally Mona is completely okay with that thought.
Today the ever happy Mona wakes up without a single worry, she doesn't even mind that Mike is already gone for work when she wakes up, or that she's missed a call from Hanna already. It seems as if nothing is able to sour her mood. She rolls over in bed and slowly makes her way to the bathroom to begin a warm bath then tugs off Mike's lacrosse shirt in one liquid motion as she stretches, smiling at the sight she sees in the mirror.
"Good morning little one." She coos as her hands land on her bump and she rubs lovingly. "I thank you very very much for that wonderful sleep, yes I do. I needed that badly." She giggles. "Now we'll have a nice relaxing bath before we go down for some brunch. Okay? How's that sound?" She coos as she steps into the bathtub then slowly sinks to sit, the warm water soothing her always slightly aching back. The brunette sighs softly and smiles widely as she leans her head back and closes her eyes, allowing the extreme comfort to envelope her entire being until her bladder reminds her that her time is limited. She washes quickly, goes about her daily morning routine, and makes her way downstairs once she's dressed in a simple yellow babydoll dress with daisies at the hem that may or may not have been hand sewn by Aria, the raven haired girl simply denies her talent with a sewing machine, and her natural toned makeup to be done.
"Good morning Mona." Ella smiles at her as she enters the kitchen, already washing her own bowl. "Can I make you anything?"
"No, but thank you. I think I'll make myself something. If I can think of one thing that sounds good." She giggles. "What did you have?" She asks as she begins searching the cabinets and refrigerator for ideas.
"Just some oatmeal with a bit of banana today. I have a bowl of berries set on the table if you're interested." At the mention of the sweet treat Mona's shoulders perk up and she immediately makes her way to the table then sits down and takes the bowl to munch on the snack.
"Thanks. You know my sweet tooth well." She smiles widely.
"At least you want healthy sweets, I'll always promote that." Ella replies then pauses before continuing. "Mike works into the afternoon today doesn't he?"
"Yeah." The younger brunette sighs. "I guess it's a double shift or something." She mumbles as she continues to snack but much less enthusiastically whatsoever.
"I could turn those berries into a waffle batter you know. I'm sure you'd like blueberry waffles." The older offers a way to hopefully cheer her up as much as she can, she hates to see the normally bubbly girl's disposition falter.
"One of my favorite things." Mona smiles a little. "And I haven't managed to make any myself that turned out decent. Somehow the batter is weird and then I under cook them at first, like the middle never gets finished, so I put them back on the pan and then it ends up getting burnt and becomes a disaster."
"Well then, I know what we're doing." Ella smiles widely. "Consider this morning your lesson in berry waffle making."
"Oooh, wonderful. I'm excited already." Mona beams as she sets the bowl back on the table.
I do apologize in advance for when I ruin the first one that I touch. I don't know how I'll ever manage, to be honest I've grown fond of the taste of burnt." She giggles, her eyes following Ella as she steps around in the kitchen and gathers the needed ingredients to make a successful pancake batter.
It doesn't take long for the two women to busy themselves with cooking, simple waffles becoming works of art as berries are cooked down into a sauce and whipped cream is taken from the freezer to be thawed. A simple dish becomes a whole meal as potatoes are sliced and placed in the oven to make some French fries, and Ella begins to mix together a simple pie crust to use as small, edible bowls for the rest of their fruit concoction.
"Do you mind me asking about why I never see Byron around?" Mona asks curiously as she sits at the table and finishes her waffle, taking care to clean the plate well. "Mike doesn't talk about him and I just wondered how their relationship is." She says softly, genuinely caring about the status of her boyfriend's feelings.
"Oh. Well, with the divorce he kind of closed himself off. I suppose he chose me back then, as if sides were needed. Aria is nearly the same, but she's a little simpler." Ella sighs, turning around from her place at the oven to face the younger brunette. "He used to somewhat look up to Byron, when they were growing up at least. But then when he found out what his father had done, he lost respect for him and there went his right to have a loving son. I'm actually grateful that that's the worst of what happened, I was worried he would lash out worse than that."
Mona nods slowly as she listens, still holding her fork and using it to point around aimlessly as she replies. "He's a pretty easy going guy, that son of yours. And he hides his feelings really well, at school no one would have known any different if it had all depended on him."
"He's always been that way, I suppose he gets that from Byron." Ella notes as a timer dings for her to take the fries from the oven, change the temperature, and put the pie crust in to bake.
"I'm thankful for that quality, it's helpful that he's so accepting." The younger says even softer as she stands to carry her plate to the dishwasher, her free hand immediately going to her lower back as a small, annoying twinge pinches her nerve endings. Ella raises an eyebrow as she watches the slow movements until she reaches the dishwasher to take the plate from her before the younger bends over to lean down and place the plate on one of the dish racks.
"I'll tell you a secret." She begins.
"I'm not so sure I should be told secrets." Mona says quickly as she leans against the counter, glancing down at the floor and rolling her eyes at herself – of course she can't see her own feet.
"I want to tell you a secret, and therefore I will." The older smiles and raises her eyebrow pointedly. "Mike has had his eye on you for a while now. I think it began because Aria didn't like you much." She shakes her head jokingly and giggles as she shrugs. "You are a pretty girl, beautiful if I may, and it isn't hard to believe that you were noticed by a few boys in school. Especially before, when you and Hanna walked those halls as royalty." She grins knowingly, proud that she knows the ins and outs of Rosewood Day.
"Oh… well…" Mona blushes lightly, now looking at the floor for a different reason. "That's really… I never would have guessed." She bites her lip a little then tugs her hair behind her ear. "And I never really noticed either." She tilts her head as she looks back towards Ella then narrows her eyes a little. "He must have been really sneaky at school. Sneakier than me even." She rolls her eyes as her hand absentmindedly moves to pat and rub her bump, an uncommon sight even now that she's at peace with the tiny human inside.
"He truly cares for you, you know." Ella glance longingly at the younger's hand, her own palm twitching slightly as she longs to offer the shortest of fond pats to her granddaughter.
"Yeaaah." Mona giggles a little again, biting her lip this time because of the returning twinge in her back. It had begun to bother her as she helped prepare the pie dough, and slowly but surely it's beginning to really bother her. "I've finally learned that. I think."
"Are you alright there, sweetie?" Ella finally asks, concerned more and more each time Mona's expression winces. Her own expression is nothing but caring, helpful even as she places her hand on her shoulder.
"I think I better have a lie down." Mona smiles back as she looks to Ella's hand then places her own on top for a moment before she moves both of their hands to gently allow the older brunette's hand to brush against her middle. "I know you've been dying to. So… but thank you for not touching until now." She says as she looks down to their hands and giggles as she feels the familiar soft fluttering of her daughter's kicks.
"Thank you. Really." Ella says softly, smiling widely as well until she moves her hand away again. "I'll make you some tea, go ahead and lie down in the living room. Or wherever you'd like." She adds quickly, not wanting to make Mona feel as if she needs to supply her with company.
"The living room sounds nice. Maybe I'll see what's on TV right now and end up watching some random mindless reality show." She laughs then shakes her head a little. "No tea though. Unless it's iced. I'm far too hot for any warm drinks. But thank you." She smiles then quickly kisses Ella's cheek. "If my mother were more like you then maybe I'd have turned out better." She mumbles quietly before walking from the kitchen through the front door's walkway and into the living room.
"Your mother simply didn't know what to do with a strong spirited girl such as yourself." Ella calls to her as she walks away. "Ice tea it will be then." She chirps as she moves to the refrigerator and taking out an already prepared pitcher of homemade tea. "Even more easy to offer, really."
"Ella…" Mona gasps, midway sat down on the couch. "Something's wrong." She says breathlessly, one hand behind her and on the couch, the other on her bump as she finally sits, her expression completely pinched. All it takes is for the older woman to come into the room and look at how the younger sits, nearly doubled over and whispering softly to her unborn to settle down, to know exactly what needs to be done.
"Come on, back up." She reaches out and offers her both hands. "To the hospital we go."
Ella drives calmly, almost too calmly for Mona's liking, and their entrance into the hospital happens in a blur. She's sat down in a wheelchair and quickly moved into a room where she's asked to change into a gown – she does with help from Ella – then try to relax on the bed in wait for an on call doctor to come and have a look at her. She, of course, doesn't have a doctor of her own here in Rosewood thanks to the advice of Wren Kingston, and will have to take whatever the hospital can offer her until the arrival of her own. The longer she lays in wait on the bed, the worse the pain gets, until it feels as if her entire body is being ripped apart from deep in her belly. Her hips ache, her lower back stings, and all she wants to do is be comfortable again as she was only a short time ago. The red button offered to her at the side of her bed is pressed relentlessly, the brunette's pain tolerance surprisingly low. It takes far too long for someone to finally notice, however, and throughout her entire examination Mona makes sure that they know she isn't pleased at all with their service.
As Mona tries to keep her breathing steady through yet another contraction that rips through her body, Ella gently pats her forehead with a cool cloth, trying to help in any way that she can. Dr. Brad Williams, her attending physician for the time being, gently lays her legs back against the bed and fixes her gown's skirt to end at her knees.
"Your contractions are particularly painful for how slowly you're progressing. It's common for first time mothers to have a slower labor, but until you are at least four centimeters dilated, we cannot give you an epidural. So please stop asking us to, Miss Vanderwaal." He tosses his glove into the bin for medical waste and jots a quick note onto her chart before leaving the brunette to her misery. Michelangelo still has not shown his face, curse that boy for finally deciding to get a job, and her main source of comfort is still driving her way here. Ella continues to offer as much help as she can, but Mona has really only let her be here until the others arrive. The woman has been extremely sweet to her, more of a mother than her own has been, but she is still not who Mona really wants nor needs.
It takes another long half an hour, another look from Dr. Williams to learn that she is barely two centimeters, and the arrival of Aria and Ezra, as well as the placement of two transducers to monitor the baby's heartbeat as well as the intensity of her contractions around her belly before an out of breath Miss Hanna Marin bursts into the room.
"Hanna." Mona half cries, half sighs to her best friend. Ella immediately steps to the side to allow Hanna to take the closest place to stand.
"Mon. Hi." Hanna breathes, holding her stomach before she continues. "I'm sorry, we came here as fast as we could. I made them drop me off at the entrance already and ran all the way up here." She explains as well as her heavy breathing lets her and holds her hand out for her friend.
"I'm just glad you're here." Mona quickly takes the blonde's hand, her eyes shining. "Catch your breath for a – OoOohh." Mona groans and tries not to hold Hanna's hand too tightly as her other hand slides to rest on her bare stomach above where the transducer disks are placed. Her deep chocolate eyes squint as the muscles in her lower back cause pain to ripple through her nervous system. One of the monitors in the room blips as the contraction reaches its height then lowers again. Breath puffs from Mona's lips as her eyes fully open and her grip loosens. "Catch your breath for a minute." She smiles a little as she chuckles.
"As you wish, ma'am." Hanna tries to giggle and takes a few deep breaths. Once her breathing is fairly steady again, she turns back to Mona, glancing at the monitors. "So how's your doctor been so far?"
"He's okay. Doesn't do much. They won't give me anything yet." Mona pouts. "They told me that my contractions are particularly painful and then didn't give me any pain meds yet. That makes a whole ton of sense, right?"
"Absolutely." Hanna rolls her eyes. "They're probably only letting you suffer because doctors are total sadists." As soon as she stops talking, the door opens again and Wren comes in, accompanied by Dr. Brewer. Ella smiles at the group as they enter, and chooses to take the moment to join her daughter and Ezra in the hallway so that she's close enough to be updated but giving the group their space.
"Hello Mona." Wren greets her before Dr. Brewer can take the stage, like he does. "You're doing alright so far, right? Looks like you won't even need medication."
"Who's responsible for all of... that?" Dr. Brewer spits out in disgust, pointing at the monitors.
"I guess they're keeping watch because I had trouble with my blood pressure before?" Mona shrugs as she tries to sit up more in the bed. She fluffs the two pillows that are behind her then smiles at Wren, holding her other hand out for him. Brad Williams chooses this moment to come back in the room with the goal of checking that the transducers are monitoring correctly, but he stops as soon as he steps into the room.
"Kingston! Long time no see, man." He laughs. "You know this chick? Don't tell me the kid is yours." It's obvious that he can't see Dr. Brewer or Hanna until he walks farther into the room. His eyes widen when he recognizes the blonde. "Dude, the chick from the coffee place all that time ago?" He laughs again. "Nice one, man."
Wren's expression freezes when he realizes who has been Mona's doctor all this time. "Oh wow, Williams. What a pleasant surprise." He clears his throat, looking apologetically first at Mona, then at Hanna. "Yeah yeah, thanks. And I see you're still pursuing your dream job. But I'm afraid I have to let you know that you're done here for now."
"She came here without a local doctor, so she got put into the rotation. I'm on call for the day." Brad takes Mona's chart from where it rests in a folder on the wall. "Her doctor is all the way in New York." He chuckles. "Odd choice, if I ever saw one. She doesn't even live there." Brad puts the papers back then looks at Wren again. "And last I remember you changed to cardio work, so you'd better not be telling me you're taking over."
"Oh, don't worry, I'm not stealing your patient myself. But I was the one who recommend her doctor and we all came all the way from New York, so I hope you don't mind?" Wren says sweetly, looking over to Dr. Brewer who is too busy studying the monitors to join the discussion until now.
"What? Oh yeah." He quickly makes his way over and stands next to Wren. "Hi. I'm Dr. Brewer. You're done here. Would you kindly get going now? Thanks." Having that said, he turns around to face Mona again. Brad can only manage to stutter at the man, he's a well known face throughout his profession, before he leaves the room like a puppy with his tail between his legs. Wren can't help the accomplished grin that covers his features.
"Thank you, I didn't like him much. Too touchy." Mona giggles. "And he wouldn't let me have any water, weird man." Her expression twists to one of confusion. "Something about not wanting me to feel like I need to go pee. I don't even want to try and understand it."
"Well, the touching is the main reason why he chose this profession." Wren rolls his eyes. "Frankly, he's kind of a twat. I would know, I used to hang out with him." He steps closer to Mona's bed and wraps an arm around Hanna who watched the whole scene unfold in silence and is still holding Mona's hand. Meanwhile, Dr. Brewer is busy reading Mona's chart, still looking disgusted. It is obvious that he doesn't appreciate any work other than his.
"I hope they didn't mess anything up. I wouldn't let him do much." The brunette watches Dr. Brewer as he studies all of her information. "He insisted that I let him put these disc things on me though, when I complained that it hurt so much." She hisses the end of her sentence as the same monitor from before blips again.
Dr. Brewer puts the chart away and shrugs. "I guess he hasn't done you too much harm. So, let's get started then." He rubs his hands and fixes his eyes on the monitor again. "So. Mona. How are you doing? Do you feel ready?" Mona's eyes widen at the insinuation that things have progressed dramatically in the past few moments.
"What?" She squeaks. "Mike's not even here. Ready for what?" Her heart's beats per minute picks up as her nerves get the best of her, and of course her body decides to throw a contraction into the mix that makes her eyes tear up. "That guy said I would be in this for a while, like... that this is just the beginning though." The brunette squeezes both Wren's and Hanna's hands as she hisses. "He said I wouldn't be in the actual part where I have to do actual work for a good long time." She starts panicking, taking Dr. Brewer's words to mean was she ready to actually perform the act of giving birth and not questioning her mental state.
"Oh no. Don't worry. It's not time for that yet. We'll still have to stretch out and wait for a while." He shrugs lazily, his voice still as calm as it was before. "Let me rephrase that question. Are you mentally prepared to give birth sometime today?"
As Mona thinks it over, this question is not much better than the previous. Her answer is the same. "Mike isn't here yet." She manages as her breathing evens back out and her grip slackens.
"Do you want me to call him?" Hanna offers quickly, looking for something to distract her from her friend's pain. "I'd love to tell him that he better gets his lousy ass here sooner than later."
"He's at work." The brunette sighs. "They won't let him off his shift."
"Shall I make them let him off his shift?" Hanna flashes her best evil grin.
"Don't make him get in trouble. He just got hired." Mona giggles a little at her friend's antics then swallows. "Can I seriously not have a drink? My throat is killing me, among other body parts too but we'll focus on the throat right now." She turns to Wren and then Dr. Brewer, hoping for a positive answer.
For a second, Wren gives her a reassuring smile before he glances over at his colleague. "How about a tiny one at least, Joseph?" Dr. Brewer looks at him with his usual unreadable expression which apparently indicates that he's thinking about something important. Well, he's always thinking about something important, he doesn't mess around. He turns back to Mona a moment later. "When did you last empty your bladder and how much have you had to drink since then?"
"Uhm," Mona bites her lip, her already flushed face blushing just a tad bit more. "Before I came in here. When I was done pouring flour but before I started rolling out dough." She thinks back to what she'd been doing at home with Ella. "So, like, maybe three hours ago? They haven't let me have even the smallest sip of anything since I got here though. And that wasn't long before I got here."
"Ah, I see..." Dr. Brewer mumbles, giving Wren a disappointed look for encouraging his patient.
"Not more than what would fit in a shot glass perhaps?" Wren carries on undeterred.
"Well... fine. But you're taking full responsibility for this, Mr. Cardio." Dr. Brewer gives in, making his little nickname sound like an insult.
"Of course." Wren hurries to agree.
"I can go get it." Hanna throws in, still looking for something to keep her busy.
"No, it's fine, love. I'll get it. I know my way around here after all." He smiles at Mona once more before he rushes out of the room.
Mona can't help but giggle at the exchange between the three of them before she squeaks then groans, squinting and squeezing the sheets in her now unoccupied hand. "Damn it." She hisses. "I could swear these things are getting closer together already." The brunette groans again, pressing her head back against the pillows. "Why in God's name does this have to hurt so much?" Her voice rises to a near shout.
"If you believe in a Christian God, there's really simple explanation for it." Dr. Brewer replies nonchalantly, his eyes on the monitor again. Hanna squeezes Mona's hand, unsure what to say to make her friend feel any better.
"Oh, really? Well how about you go tell him to fucking take it back and make it all rainbows and marshmallows." Mona seethes. She squeezes Hanna's hand in return, as she is thankful for the small relief it offers. Dr. Brewer raises an eyebrow at her remark but doesn't respond. Hanna decides to simply smile at her friend until the door opens and Wren returns with a cup that seems to contain barely anything at all. He resumes his old spot and holds it out for Mona who quickly takes what is offered to her as her current contraction fades. She sighs as she looks into the cup but sips at it nonetheless, thankful for the small amount of wetness it brings back to her parched throat.
"Thanks, Birdy." Mona smiles at Wren, using her rarely mentioned pet name for the man. She gently lays her head back against the pillow, and in this moment she looks extremely worn out. She has only been in this bed for around two and a half hours, but it seems much longer than that with the little amount of excitement that has happened as of yet. She knows she'll be thankful for this time that seems to be a grace period when all of the action really starts, but she's getting tired of the pain that seems to bring no reward for the time being.
"How much longer do you think?" She asks, not particularly directed at anyone, as her eyes are now closed for whatever moments of rest she can gather.
"Not as long as this other... doctor might have made you believe." Dr. Brewer states dryly, sounding as if having to call Brad a doctor makes him want to vomit. "It looks like things are starting to speed up a tiny bit."
"Thank fucking finally." Mona says softly, she sighs and opens one eye briefly to glance at the clock and hope that Mike will get here soon.
Hanna sucks in a breath, still trying to think of something to say to Mona. "So, Mon... Is there anything I can do for you?"
"You're here." Mona smiles slightly. "That's a good start." After a few seconds of silence, she opens her eyes to look at her best friend and continues. "You can watch TV if you want." She motions to the remote and then to an empty chair in the corner of the room. "Make yourself comfy cos you're not moving anytime soon."
"I wouldn't dare to." Hanna giggles and makes Wren understand that she'd like him to carry the chair over for her solely through eye contact. A moment later, she takes a seat and zaps mindlessly through the channels. "Tell me if there's something you like." She says to the brunette.
"I probably won't watch much, so whatever you'd like." Mona grits her teeth to try and hide the latest contraction from her friend. However, the telling blip from her monitor doesn't hide anything. Mona groans as the sound rings through her ears. "Shut that god damned thing off. Please. I don't need a reminder every damn time that I get one of these fucking things." She glares at Dr. Brewer.
"You're right. We don't need that." Dr. Brewer agrees and quickly shuts the monitor he had been eyeing suspiciously all this time off. "How long is it still going to take for the father to come? Because I'm afraid we might get started without him if he doesn't join us any time soon." He shrugs one of his signature shrugs and motions a nurse to bring the monitor out of the room. Hanna looks up from the trashy reality TV show she has decided to watch, looking like a scared little bunny. The nurse takes one of the discs from Mona's belly then leaves the room with the monitor and its transducer.
"Aria." Mona's skin tone pales to a ghostly white, letting go of Hanna's hand to point to the door in asking her friend to play go fetch.
"Oh! Yeah, sure, just a second." Hanna jumps up just like the scared little bunny she still resembles would and basically sprints to the door, quickly pulling it shut behind her. "Aria?" She calls before she even bothers to look around. The dark haired girl looks over from where she leans on the wall between her mother and Ezra.
"Yeah? Is everything okay in there? I heard her yelling a minute ago." She takes one step closer towards the blonde, sensing that she's needed for something that more than likely pertains to her still absent brother.
"Yeah yeah, she's fine. But would you come inside with me for a moment?" Hanna asks, fumbling with the doorknob so that the door is ajar already. Aria nods and joins Hanna in going into the room. Mona smiles over at her two friends before she fades back into a pinched look of discomfort.
"Call your brother. He needs to get his ass here. Now." She says as sweetly as she can as another contraction rolls through her body, this time hitting her particularly hard. Her face slowly turns a shade of red and she grips at the sheets until her knuckles turn white. "Good fucking Lord, somebody go get that prick and ask him if I can fucking have the damned drugs yet." She yells at whoever hears. Aria looks at Hanna then back at Mona and simply gets her phone out, calls her brother, and puts the phone on speaker.
"Get your loving ass here now, you dick." Mona glares at the phone as if it is Michelangelo. "The next time I see you I am ripping off your balls and you aren't stopping me." She threatens. "And that's only for leaving me here without you for so damn long. We haven't even breached your treatment for impregnating me."
"I'm getting there as quick as I can. Give me another half hour. I'm already in trouble for being on the phone. I love you, and I'm sure you're doing great." Mike hangs up and this act angers his love even further until she groans in frustration.
"I am going to kill your brother, Aria. I hope you don't mind." She hisses through clenched teeth as her head falls back against her pillow once again, completely exasperated that the single most important person that she wishes to have here with her doesn't seem to understand the intensity of what she is experiencing.
"Oh, well, I've wanted to before." Aria holds back a giggle. "Have fun." She shrugs. Dr. Brewer decides it's time to contribute something again and ends the girls' conversation by switching the topic. Being the high class sir that he is, Brewer silently and without asking permission guides Mona's legs up to bend so that he can quickly check to make sure that his suspicions as to how far his patient has dilated are true.
"Mona, the time has come to decide whether you want meds or not." Dr. Brewer guides Mona's legs back to their former rest on the bed. Wren, from where he has stood silently, seems to come back to life upon hearing this.
"I'd highly recommend you not to take any medication, Mona. It really doesn't look like you need it." Hanna gasps when she hears her boyfriend speak, putting her hands on her hips.
"Oh, so, being a sadist doctor, you want to see my friend suffer?" She raises an eyebrow pointedly.
"Love, she won't suffer just because she doesn't get all drugged up. That's better for the baby." Wren turns from Mona to the blonde, looking perplexed.
"I don't give a fuck, I'm not letting her endure this pain when she clearly doesn't need to." Hanna hisses, stepping closer to him.
"Hanna, you don't even have a clue about the medical-" He tries to defend himself, his voice rising slightly.
"I still don't give a fuck," Hanna yells, "I'm not letting this happen to her, got it?" She takes a deep breath and studies her boyfriend's face while she addresses Mona, now sounding completely calm. "I'm sorry Mon, we'll be back in five."
"Five?" Wren asks, surprised.
"Yeah, five. You'll manage." Hanna hisses. "Aria, you look after her for me, okay? We'll be right back." The couple quickly exits the room and Dr. Brewer shakes his head.
"I'm guessing you agree with Hanna?" Tears had sprung in Mona's eyes through the entire exchange, her latest contraction taking her on an emotional roller coaster as she tries to ride through the pain. Aria offers her a hand and Mona accepts, instantly holding it tightly. She only nods at Dr. Brewer's question as she squeezes her eyes shut and her legs shake slightly.
"I'll go find whatever sort of lackluster anesthesiologist this establishment has." Dr. Brewer nods back in understanding then leaves Aria and Mona alone in the room until he brings back a redheaded woman in a white coat, as well as a rolling tray of needles and tubes. If Mona's eyes weren't still squeezed shut she would probably faint at the sight.
"You'll need to lie on your side, Mona." Dr. Brewer instructs her. "We'll wait for this one to leave." Mona nods as a few tears roll down her cheeks and sweat beads on her hairline. After a few more antagonizing seconds Mona slowly rolls onto her back, her gown's top falling so there's a gap and part of her back is left bare. She shivers as the two practitioners silently get to work and a cold wipe cleans an area along her spine.
"We're going to numb this area now, Mona. Try not to move." The woman speaks up as she readies needle number one to do its job. Mona whimpers when she feels the needle press to her skin but she never feels it leave, she doesn't feel as another needle is slowly inserted into her lower back either. Dr. Brewer, having decided to keep the rest of the process from his patient, whispers to the woman that she best keep quiet and simply do her job as she passes a catheter inside of needle number two then slowly retracts the needle, leaving the catheter in its place. As she tapes the catheter in place, Hanna and Wren rejoin the room.
"You can lie down again, if you wish." Dr. Brewer mumbles, watching the anesthesiologist closely as she administers a small amount of relief through the catheter to assure that her job has been done correctly. Hanna gives a Wren a victorious glare and hurries back to Mona's side, only now realizing that the brunette might be more than just a little upset about her leaving her like this. She bites her lip and looks at her apologetically as she sinks back into her chair and offers her hand to her again. Mona quickly takes Hanna's hand in place of Aria's and bites her lip as she stays on her side, deciding she's been laying her back enough.
"Have a good time?" Mona grins weakly at her friend.
"Not as good as you might think." Hanna mumbles, looking down at their hands. "Even nothing more but a quick make out feels wrong when you're in this state."
"I get it, though. And I'm glad he wasn't here to yell at me while there were needles next to my spine." Mona giggles, feeling much better now that she's been medicated. After a minute, Aria receives a phone call and leaves as all three doctors glare at her. The anesthesiologist leaves shortly after, and Mona turns to Dr. Brewer as she slowly moves to rest on her back again. "Would it be bad if I told you I kind of need to pee?"
"You can't stand up now, not since you've gotten your meds." Wren sighs as Dr. Brewer shakes his head.
"You can go, have Hanna help you. Just be careful not to tug on your catheter." He motions to a small plastic pump-like machine that the woman left in the room. "Take that with you, it's what is providing you with the local anesthetic and narcotic. Hanna nods obediently and instantly stands back up, holding her free hand for Mona out which the brunette gladly takes and carefully stands up.
"Would you get that thing? I can't be bothered." She steadies herself on her feet and stands still while Hanna switches one hand to carry the small device. The two slowly move to the bathroom and Mona pushes the door closed. "Don't tell your lover boy, but I'm just a tiny bit nauseous so we might be in here a while."
"Of course not." Hanna murmurs, leaning against the sink of the small bathroom once Mona has safely reached the toilet. "He isn't bothering you too much, is he?"
"No, not at all. I'd rather it be another guy here to defend me than just myself, though." The brunette squirms on the cold seat. She sighs softly, "I hope he gets here soon." Mona quietly cleans herself then stands and moves to the sink to wash her hands. "Can we stay here for a minute? It feels good to stand up."
"Sure, as long as you're comfortable." Hanna smiles. "I'm sure he'll be here on time. Don't worry about it." Mona nods.
"They should have given me this stuff faster, this is much better." She giggles. "I might have to apologize for threatening Mike's balls."
"You have plenty of time for that later." Hanna giggles. "And who knows, maybe you're not going to want to take it back after all. Do you want to go back now?" She adds, a little concerned about keeping Mona away from medical supervision for so long. Mona, on the other hand, has other ideas. She leans against the wall and shakes her head slowly.
"Is it getting hot in here?" Her skin flushes slightly as she slowly closes her eyes to relax.
"Not really..." Hanna raises an eyebrow, unsure about what's happening to her friend and therefore getting mildly uncomfortable. "I think we should really get back now, Mon..." The brunette nods dejectedly, she was enjoying her quiet moment, and allows her best friend to guide her back to lie down on the bed. As she lies down Dr. Brewer hovers over her, Wren seemingly has stepped out for a second.
"Are you feeling alright?" Mona nods as she shifts on the bed. As soon as she's settled Brewer quickly checks her dilation again, nodding in approval. "You're getting close now." He tosses his glove away then gently feels her forehead. "You might have a slight fever, but that's fine." He states as if he is talking to himself. Wren re-enters the room, and a few moments later a wild Michelangelo still in his work jeans and tee-shirt appears at Mona's bedside.
"What took you so long?" Mona looks at him lightheartedly and tugs his shirt so he comes down to kiss her lightly. "I missed you."
"I know, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Mike rushes and is quieted by another soft kiss, Mona becoming quite affectionate since her pain has lessened.
"It's fine. You were at work." Mona mumbles against his lips.
"Careful there, kids." Dr. Brewer speaks up. "Don't want to get too excited." He chuckles and Mike steps back quickly.
"How has it really been?" He looks at Hanna.
"Not so fine until she got high on these meds." Hanna tries to hold in a giggle. "But it seems to be all alright now, so don't worry about it. We managed I guess."
"Thank you." He nods at her then takes Mona's other hand, lightly running his finger over her palm in a relaxing gesture. Mona smiles freely, now completely at ease as Dr. Brewer glances over from examining the two monitors left in the room.
"You'd best rest up. I'm going to say that you'll be very busy in the next hour." Mona snaps her gaze to him as they widen, then Wren, then Mike, and then Hanna.
"It's too late to ask them for a c-section now.. isn't it?" She stutters slightly.
"I'm afraid it is, Mona." Wren says softly, stepping next to Hanna who has taken back her former seat.
"But if she wants one, can't they just..." The blonde asks, looking up at her boyfriend.
"No love, a c-section isn't going to happen now unless there are complications and at this point, complications we didn't know about before are highly unlikely to occur." Dr. Brewer nods.
"You'll have to get through this now, Mona. But we all know you can do it." Wren adds.
Mona wishes she was as confident in herself as everyone else in the room seems to be. They're all smiling at her and it comes to Mona as a surprise as her eyes water and a few tears fall down her cheek. She grips Mike's hand tightly as Wren leans down and does a few things to the small machine.
"I'm just slowing the drip, you'll need to be able to feel a little bit." The brunette bites her lip and sighs at the statement. No going back now.
"You'll both stay, right?" She looks from Wren to Hanna.
"Of course we'll stay." Hanna beams and stands up, motioning Wren to sit down so that she can sit on his lap. "We're not going anywhere until I've seen my goddaughter and you're perfectly alright again. Actually, we'll stay as long as you want us to, right?" She looks at Wren, biting her lip. "Right." He nods in agreement and they both smile at Mona again.
As Hanna speaks, an urge grows within Mona. She glances at Dr. Brewer who has a knowing expression as he watches her, no longer looking at monitors. The brunette holds both Hanna's and Mike's hands a little tighter as she figures what the pressure that's building within her must mean. Dr. Brewer quickly checks her one more time, leaving her legs bent this time, and nods to Mona before speaking.
"Whoever is holding your legs needs to stand next to you." He states simply and she tugs on the hands that she is holding. Mike moves to where Dr. Brewer puts him and Hanna mirrors his place, carefully positioned to not see anything she would rather not see. Wren stands and pushes the chair to where he and it will both be out of the way.
Within moments Dr. Brewer coaches Mona through bringing her daughter to the world. As the previous medication that had been numbing her wears off, the screaming and tears begin again. Mona once again threatens Mike's balls, forgetting her previous want to apologize for that. And of course, through her slight fever, Mona doesn't notice as her best friend's grip slackens on her leg and her tanned skin fades to an even lighter than normal shade as she watches the miracle of child birth.
It only takes a few pushes, delivery quick as her labor progressed so quickly near the end. Crying freely, Mona looks around the room as all are focused on the small mess that Dr. Brewer is handling. Wren looks at the thing with awe, but for a moment all Mona sees is pink skin covered in guck. It takes Dr. Brewer wiping her daughter off with a towel and removing all of the nasty for her to see how truly beautiful her creation is, her daughter is her first true piece of art.
To Mona, it took much more than half an hour to actually bring her into the world. It took the whole of nine months to fall in love, go through labor, and finally see her daughter. As Dr. Brewer gently sets a small person wrapped in a fleece pink blanket on Mona's chest, tears flow down her cheeks but she smiles widely at the warm bundle. Mike leans down and kisses her cheek softly then helps her to sit up as her arms move to cradle her daughter.
"Elena." She whispers. "Hey there." The baby opens her eyes, a piercing blue, and looks at her mother. Her small head is covered with soft, dark chestnut hair, and her skin is a light pink which will more than likely fade to her father's rosy skin tone. Her large eyes move from mother to father and then wander around the room. As she looks at the three other people in the room she doesn't recognize their voices too well yet but she will soon.
"She's adorable. Absolutely adorable." Hanna gushes.
"A true beauty, really." Wren adds.
"A healthy girl, you're fortunate after all I'm sure you put her through." Dr. Brewer teases in his own way, his ever present scholarly tone making him hard to decipher as always.
"She's ours." Mike whispers to Mona then pecks her cheek. "And I love her almost as much as I love you."
"Stop it all of you." Mona giggles through her quiet tears. "I really don't know what all of this crying is about, I'm incredibly happy that all of that is over with." She rolls her eyes playfully before she turns her attention to her daughter, her eyes are closed once again as her curiosity has been halted. Apparently being born is just as hard of a job as giving birth. "You're absolutely adorable though, yes you are my little rose petal." Mona coos.
"Is that her middle name then? You took my suggestion?" Mike asks excitedly, glad that he got to help name his own daughter.
"Mhm, Elena Rose…" Mona raises a tired yet playful eyebrow, teasing until the last moment. "Montgomery."
"Thank you." Mike says softly then kisses her just as gently. "Thank you so much, you have no idea what that means to me."
"Yes I do. A name is very important. Often it's the first thing anyone learns about you. I want people to know who she is, and that includes that she is your daughter." She replies then kisses him back, lingering a little longer.
"Well, thanks anyway." He chuckles then looks up at Wren, Dr. Brewer, and Hanna. "Should we let Mom and Aria in to see her for just a moment?" He looks back to Mona as he slowly, cautiously lifts his hand to stroke the soft hair on his daughter's head.
"Sure, right now I think I'm still able to stay awake. So bring the whole crowd in before all of this adrenaline wears off, please." She nods a little, smiling softly as she watches Mike interact with the product of their love. Because that is what Elena Rose Montgomery is, she is the product of their love even though they had not known at the time that they would ever fall in love. As Mike leans down to kiss first their daughter's brow and then Mona's cheek Hanna and Wren share a glance before Wren decides to fetch the other Montgomery's himself so that Mike needs not leave the room for even a moment. When he motions for first Ella, then Aria and Ezra to enter the room, a hush falls over the area around the bed as the two new parents quieten enough to listen to their daughter's soft breathing, sure that she is now fast asleep and not wanting to chance waking her.
"She's absolutely precious." Ella whispers as quietly as humanly possible as she stands near the bed and leans down ever so slightly. "A good mix between the both of you as far as we can see." Mona nods silently in agreement as does Aria. "She's so tiny." The raven haired girl states, her voice as quiet as her mother's.
"Thank goodness for that." Mona jokes softly, her voice not only so low because of the sleeping baby in her arms but also because she's slowly becoming more and more sleepy. "I really hate to invite you into the room then push you back out again but..." She fails to finish her sentence before she yawns.
"We understand." Ella says quickly then shares a look with everyone else in the room.
"We'll stay close, and be back later." Wren adds.
"If you wake up and decide you need absolutely anything you call me." Hanna somewhat demands then steps closer and carefully half hugs her best friend. "Sleep well." She smiles kindly.
"Same goes for me." Aria smiles. "And that means for more than just today, I'll help whenever I can."
"Thank you." Mona says even quieter then looks up to her boyfriend.
"Yeah, we really appreciate it." Mike smiles at everyone then offers each a quick hug before sitting back down, clearly not willing to leave Mona's side again any time soon.
"Alright.." Mona yawns again. "Mike… take your daughter." She smiles sleepily as he shifts to take the baby into his arms. "Good. Well then. See you all soon." She giggles and rolls her eyes a little before offering a weak hug to Ella, Wren, and finally Aria.
Once they've all left and the room's door is closed, the lights now slighlty dimmed thanks to Wren as he left, Mike seems to sigh a breath of relief. "Finally." He leans his head back a little and closes his eyes.
"Exactly." Mona whispers, closing her eyes as well. "Don't leave. Be here when I wake up." She asks shyly.
"Always from now on." Mike states simply, obviously completely serious. "Sleep baby, I'll be here."
"Okay." The brunette smiles softly then shifts to kiss his arm and somewhat cuddle against his side. "Love you."
"Love you too, Mon." The young man smiles proudly at her as he non-creepily watches her fall asleep.
~Worth more than any diamond, worth more than any gold, is the feeling deep inside us, the feeling that is love.~