iAm here for you
Chapter 8: Early Labor
(Freddie's POV)
(2 months later)
It was a freezing cold December day, Right before Christmas. It was the 22nd, the last day of homeschooling before our "winter break". Sam and I had just gotten done with our homework. We went to go chill on the couch a little bit before dinner. I sat on the couch and flipped on some TV. "Celebrities underwater" was on. This time Ryan Seacrest, Brat Pitt and Lindsey Lohan were on. I started laughing really hard when Lindsey Lohan started eating a hot dog and forgot she was under water. She started choking and only lasted 17 seconds underwater. Sam walked in with her 'pregnant lady walk'.
"Yo nub, help me sit down so I can enjoy some R&R time" I got up and supported Sam's back as she sat down. Then I sat down myself. We watched the rest of that episode of "Celebrities under water" laughing our butts off and then changed the channel to "Fairly odd ponies." This show was beyond creepy. I looked at Sam and she gave me a creeped out look as I changed the channel to the news.
"Lame! Here give me the remote Benson" I opened my mouth to rebuttle but if I'd done that I'd be pinned to the floor again. I reluctently handed Sam the remote. She switched it over to "Jackass", one of her favorite TV shows. I rolled my eyes and got up.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"To finish some last touches on the nursery." That was half true. Yes I was going to work on the nursey but truely,didn't wanna watch "Jackass".
"Dude, she's not due for 2 more months, you have plenty of time to do that." She went back to watching 2 guys shove bottle rockets up each others butts. Gross!
"You don't know that. There are some people who've had their kids at the 7 month period." I said remembering the Duggar family, they had their last kid 3 months premature.
"Fine, but hurry up. I want some dinner" I laughed and rolled my eyes.
"I'll be done in a jiffy, Miss eats-a-lot" She laughed and threw a pillow at me. She missed.
"Epic Fail!" I yelled from the nursery. I closed the door and looked inside. It use to be the spare room where my mom kept her exercising equiptment and books.. The walls were painted a light cream color. Sam hated the color pink with a passion, so we decorated the crib and bedding in yellow and the rug was light green. I looked over at the huge bookshelf that we (or should I say I, considering all Sam did was eat a sandwich and helped take the tape off the box of parts) put together 2 months ago. It now had tons and tons of books from when Sam and I were little kids. It even had Sam's favorite books of all time "The Boogey Bear collection" and one of my favorite book my mom use to read me everynight when I was little, "Oh the places you'll go" by Dr. Seuss. There were some baby books and scrap books that we'd make as she was growing up. We even had her name "Layla Rose Puckett-Benson" painted on the wall in a bold maroon color next to her crib. I picked up the power drill by the crib and started drilling in the last couple of shelves for toys. I put up 3 shelves and was done. I got the toys, which included a ring toss, a stuffed light blue pony, some ABC blocks and an elmo jack in the box from when I was a baby. I also got the other baby things out of the closet from the baby shower and neatly allined them on the shelves. I stepped back by the doorframe and admired my work.
"All done" I said to myself, smiling as I shut the door and turned off the lights. Then I went back out to where Sam was watching TV, laughing her head off.
"All done" I said to her while I went over to the sink and washed my hands.
"Good nub, now make me dinner. We're starving!" She demanded pointing to her stomach. I smiled and went over to the fridge. We were out of meat products.
"Hey I gotta make a run out to MallMart to get some meat" I jiggle my keys out of my pocket.
"Pick up some turkey bacon too!" she hollared.
"Ok" I said dialing my phone.
"Who are you calling?" I put the phone up to my ear, it started ringing.
"Carly, I need someone to stay with you just incase something would happen."
"Nothing's going to happen Benson!"
"I just want to be sure." I said
"Whatever" Sam said refocusing her attention back to the TV. I got Carly's voicemail. I growled in distress.
"Voicemail?" Sam asked still looking at the TV.
"Yeah, I'm gonna try Craig" I said dialing his number. 3 rings later and he picked up.
"Hey-o!" he answered.
"Hey Craig, it's Freddie. Would you mind coming over and keeping Sam company while I make a run to the store?"
"Sure Fredman, I'm right across the hall, I'll be there in a jiffy"
"K, thanks man! See ya" I hung up and 5 seconds later Craig was there.
"Hey! Thanks for coming over" I said opening the door and patting his back.
"Ah, no problem." he said going over by Sam.
" I gotta go now. Bye guys" I said shutting the door.
"Bye" Craig and Sam said simultaneously.
(Sam's POV)
I was still watching "Jackass" whe Craig flopped down next to me.
"So...how's Sammikins and wittle babykins doing?" I laughed. Craig always has a new nickname for me everyday.
"Good, but I'm so hungry I could eat this couch right now" My stomach growled.
"Now Sammi, you know leather's not good for your colon." he said pointing his finger in my face like a school teacher. Craig never fails to be epic. Suddenly I felt this pain in my stomach. It was probably the hunger eating me alive.
"Ow." I said gripping the couch armrest. Craig's face changed from joking to worried.
"Are you ok?" he asked leaning forward. I put my head into the hand I wasn't gripping the couch with. I kept grumbling how much it hurt. Craig lifted my head up and looked into my eyes.
"I'm fine Craig" I said as the pain went away. "I'm just really hungry is all, whenever I get hungry my stomach starts hurting...I think I need to walk around for a bit." Craig helped me up and I started walking around the kitchen holding my lower back. No pain. I walked around for 20 more minutes until another stronger pain hit me. I gripped onto the kitchen counter taking deep breaths.
"Just relax Sam...you just need food." I said to myself. Craig came over again.
"Sam, you're not ok...I think you're in-"
"No! I can't be...she's not due yet!" I yelled in distress. It's too early for me to go into labor now. I'm only 7 months along. Maybe I can stop it.
"Sam...we have to get you to the hospital...just to make sure."
"But..." I said leaning over. "They said not to come until the contractions are 5 minutes apart...plus I think I'm fine." I managed to say inbetween a mixture of grunts and groans.
"The hospital's 90 minutes away. Let's go" I groaned. Craig went into the room Freddie and I share.
"Where is your overnight bag?" Freddie and his psycho mother packed my overnight back 3 months ago 'just incase'
"Next to the bed, left side" I grunted before I screamed.
"Ohhhh...this hurtsssssss!" I moaned clutching my stomach. Craig ran out carrying my bag.
"Come on Sam, hurry!" Craig urged.
"I'm going as fast as I can Berko!" I said walking to the door. We took the elevator down to the lobby.
"You wait here! I'll get my car!" he said putting the bag down next to me. I groaned again. Stupid contractions were 10 minutes apart now. I heard the breaks squeel to a stop and Craig running back in.
"Let's go!" he said running with my bag. By the time I got out there he'd already put my bag in the trunk and was waiting by the passanger side with the door open. He held my hand, helping me in and hopped in on the other side and took off. I was freaking out in the car and was breathing really hard.
"Sam-o...just relax. Breath" I nodded and took really deep slow breaths, almost crying because it hurt so much.
"I'm gonna try to get you there don't worry." Then the car started making a funky noise.
"No!" Craig yelled pulling over, hitting the steering wheel. "Damnit! Fuckity fuck fuck!"
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Fucking battery died...Fuck!" I grabbed him by the collar.
"Craig...calm down, you NEED to fix this car NOW!" I yelled.
"I can't..I don't know how to fix cars! I'm just a guy in a band!" he pouted
"Damn!" I hit the window as hard as I could...Then I thought of something.
"We need to call Freddie and Carly!" I yelled.
"Right!" Craig said pulling out his phone. "I'll call Carly, you call Freddie" he said dialing his phone. I quickly dialed Freddie's phone. He imediately picked up.
"I'm checking out right now Puckett, I know you're hungry but I'll be-"
"No Freddie! It's an emergency, I'm in labor!"
"What! Where are you? Where is Craig?" he asked in a worried voice. I didn't need both Freddie and Craig freaking out right now.
"He's right here talking to Carly on the phone. We were on our way to the hospital but his car died. You need to come out here and get us."
"What street are you guys on?"
"Lopez parkway! Hurry"
"Ok, I'll be there in a jiffy! bye" I hung up and heard Craig talking to Carly.
"No baby I love you more...No Carlykins I love you more...I wuv you most...I"
"Hang up!" I yelled. Craig jumped.
"Ok you win...oh by the way Sam's in labor" he put it on speaker. I facepalmed myself.
"Sam! Are you ok?" Carly was freaking out too!
"I'm fine" I chuckled. "Except the fact your boyfriends car broke down now we're in the middle of nowhere!"
"Oh gosh! Spencer and I are all the way in Fresno right now. We can't come for another hour!"
"That's fine, Freddork's picking us up and taking us to the hospital" I replied
"Ok, guys call me when you get to the hospital, we're on our way now"
"Ok bye Carly" I said.
"Bye Sam! Love you! Bye Craig! I love you."
"I love you more." Craig cooed.
"No I love YOU more!"
"No I wuv YOU more!"
"No I-" I hung up Craig's phone.
"It needed to be done Berko" I said. He nodded and we just sat in the car, bored. Until I had another contraction and lurched forward, gripping my stomach. Craig was scared but tried rubbing my back for comfort.
"I-I-It's gonna b-b-b-be ok S-S-Sam" he said nervously. I felt his hand trembling as he started rubbing my back. Craig looked like he was going to pass out. It was either pretend I was fine and have him stay consious or freak out and show my real pain and have the one person that I need right now pass out on me and being alone and in labor. I got out of the car again and went over to a really tall oak tree and leaned on it.
"Just breath Puckett...breath" I took some slow breaths by the tree. I finally saw a pair of headlights speeding towards us. Those headlights belonged to a comaro, Freddie's comaro. Craig jumped up and tried getting Freddie's attention. Freddie saw him and stepped on his breaks and parked his car, not even bothering to turn it off first. He jumped out and ran over to Craig franticly.
"Craig! Quick, where's Sam!" he jumped.
"By the tree over there." Craig pointed directly at me and Freddie took off running towards me.
"Sam!"
"Freddie" I said weakly, I felt another contraction coming up, so there was slight tension in my voice. He ran up and hugged me tightly. Wrong time Benson. I had another really bad contraction, this one might be the worst one I've had. I screamed in pain, right in Freddie's ear. I could tell it hurt his ears but he wasn't going to say anything. That's just the kind of guy he is.
"Shhhh" he comforted me, rubbing my back in circles. Unlike when Craig did it, Freddie actually managed to calm me down. My nails were gripping his back and probably leaving really deep marks, but like I said, Freddie won't say anything right now.
"Sam, I'm sorry." I pulled away from the hug. I was contraction free for the moment.
"About what?" I asked in my normal voice.
"Everything; leaving you home alone, making you have my baby-"
"Whoa Benson! You have NOTHING to apologize for, I promise..." I needed to tell Freddie something before I had our daughter; it was about my true feelings for him.
"Freddie...before our daughter's born...I've been keeping some secrets from you that I feel I should tell you." I said cradeling my stomach.
"I'm listening" he said putting his thumbs into the fronts of his pockets.
"Well...I've been kinda opposite with you and beating around the bush a bit so I'm just going to...say it all now before my water breaks! You're not as much of a dork as I say you are. Infact ever since last year when you started working out...and taking you shirt off...and your abs! That's beside the point. I don't really hate you, that's just my term of affection for you. Anyway, There WAS a reason I didn't get an abortion or give it up for adoption, You."
(Freddie's POV)
Whoa! Sam JUST admited that she thinks I'm hot ( I thought so ever since that time I took my shirt off and she dropped a plate of meatballs), that shoe doesn't hate me and that's her way of "showing me affection" AND The reason she's even pregnant right now is because of me. Well not just because of the techical "when a boy cell and a girl cell come together they make a baby." But because of me just being...me.
"Really?" I asked suprised.
"Yeah and...the reason I picked you wasn't because you were my ride home"
Told ya! Grrrrr...it was my stupid conscious again.
"Then... why?" I shrugged.
"Because..." Sam looked at her feet. "I sorta...might...like you more than...a friend" she was making circles in the dirt with the tip of her shoes. I smiled and stepped towards her, lifting her chin up.
"Awww does someone have a crush on me?" I asked in a joking tone, like the tone you'd talk to a 5 year old with. She laughed.
"Yeah, even though you have cooties" she laughed. Her laughter was contageous. I was laughing too. After we stopped I stepped forward and tried doing the same thing I've been perking up the courage to do for months now. I leaned in and gave her a sweet simple kiss, similar to our first one. I felt her jolt a bit. I think she was suprised. But she kissed me back.
"Hey what goin' on- Whoa! mama!" Craig stammered. "Well...I don't wanna disturb you guys so I'm just going to go back to the car..now" he backed away. After a minute of kissing I pulled away.
"Sam...there's something wet on my shoe" I looked down at my shoes that had some kind of liquid on them. Sam clutched her stomach in agony.
"My water broke nub!" Great. We go from flirty and kissy to name calling and nubiness again. That's ok with me though, that's how it always is and always will be.
"Ok...uhhhh Craig! We don't have time to get to the hospital, do you have some blankets or something in the trunk?" Craig popped open his trunk and revealed a flannel blanket he kept back there. I helped Sam walk over to the car from the tree. She had a deathgrip on my arm and was surely going to leave some perminate indentions. I'm not going to complain though, surely the kind of pain she's experiencing isn't even comparable. We finally got to the car and opened up the back door. Sam layed down and I put the blanket over her. I took her shoes, socks, pants and panties off and set them in the front seat. I was extremly sqeemish when it came to blood, or female parts. My mom scarred me for life when she made me and Sam watch her giving birth to me when she first found out Sam was pregnant. But I had to look anyway. I'm not a doctor but that video did help a little. I could tell how many centimeters she was dialated.
"9 1/2" I said to Sam.
"9 1/2 what?"
"That's how many centimeters you're dialated, you need to be 10 to push" The contractions got closer and closer together. After 7 minutes or so Sam was ready.
"Craig, we need something for wrap the baby in."
"I don't have any more blankets Freddio" He said holding Sam upright so she could push. I groaned in frustration, then I remembered I had a jacket on. It was December and freezing cold outside but I took it off anyway and held it down. Sam had her leg sread apart and was using the drivers seat and the back window as "stirrups" to keep her feet in place. She had a tight grip on the nylon seats next to her.
"Ready to be parents Sam." She nodded, sweating and breathing fast.
"Give me one big push Puckett, I know you can do it!" She pushed with everything she had. Craig held her up as I watched for a head. Craig looked over.
"I think I'm gonna faint Fredman" he said weakly holding his head.
"No! You CANNOT faint on me Craig, man up!" I said aggressivly. He took a deep breath in and continued holding Sam up. I saw the formation of a head.
"Ok Sam, take a minute...and breath." I looked away and took a huge breath. Craig wasn't the only one who felt like fainting. I felt so light headed. Heck, I felt like Lucy in the sky with diamonds right now! I took another big breath the looked back at Sam.
"Ok Sam, you need to push again." she pushed and I could tell she was getting tired.
"Push push push!" I encouraged her. She was doing really good for someone who didn't have an epidural. I could see the top of the baby's head coming out and Sam shriked in pain.
"Shhhhh Sam...you're strong!"
"It...h-h-hurts!" she cried pushing harder. I felt bad for her, I wish there was some way I could've given birth. Well...there's surgury or I could've been a male sea horse. The head was far enough out to where I could get a grip on it and help Sam pull it out.
"Keep pushing Sam" I said. The baby was inching out every few seconds. On shoulder popped out. Then the second. Then out she came. Sam let out a cry of relief and layed back in the car, still breathing heavy. I shifted so I held the baby the right way. Soon little cries filled the air. I let out a breath of relief. She kept crying as I rocked her side to side. I went over to Sam, who was putting on some pajama pants next to Craig. She was still crying when I went over.
"Is she ok?" Sam asked immediately. Her motherly instincts were kicking in fast.
"Yeah, she's perfect" I said kissing the baby's forhead then Sam's cheek. Sam held her arms out. I obeyed and handed our baby over to her. She soon stopped crying. I laughed.
"Guess she likes you better." I laughed lightly
"No, she loves her daddy too, she's probably more fimilar with me because I carried her around for 7 1/2 months straight." Sam talked to the baby softly for a minute. She squirmed happpily in Sam's arms and giggled. It made me smile, I couldn't help but have a tear run down my face. I leaned over Sam and our baby and we both talked to her, giggling and smiling. Craig came over and took a picture.
"Aww what a cute, happy family." he smiled. Sam and I laughed and got up from Craig's car. She handed her over to me and got in the front seat of the car.
"You coming Freddison?" she called. I rocked Layla in my arms, not having a care in the world as I looked into her beautiful blue eyes.
"Freddie!" she waved. I sunk back into reality.
"I'll be there in a sec" she close the door and started the car up for me. I looked into the sky. Snowflakes started slowly falling down, it was the first snow this winter, The twinkling stars were dancing in the sky above us. I looked up.
"Thank you" I whispered to god so quietly that not even Layla could hear me. And I swear, walking back to the car the stars formed into god himself and one that became his eye, winked at me as I got into the car and started driving to the hospital.