A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews, favourites and alerts you guys are giving this story. I planned on having this update up a lot faster this time but this chapter was the hardest one for me to write. I borrowed heavily from my own experience having my son to write this part of the story and since I'm due to go through this again in another 5 weeks I had a really hard time, emotionally, getting this chapter out on paper. I hope you enjoy it. Only a few more chapters left in this story and I'm going to miss it. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the grammar and spelling mistakes ;)
Rachel slowly opened her eyes and squinted as she adjusted to the dim lighting of the room. It had been over 4 hours since Lauren had driven a frightened Rachel and a relatively calm Finn to the hospital. After checking to ensure that Rachel's water really had broken, the nurses had put her into a room and hooked her up to the machines so they could monitor her and the baby's heart rate. Rachel had been dozing on and off for the last couple of hours but it was beginning to be difficult to get any sleep now that her contractions were starting to pick up in timing and intensity.
"Finn?" she questioned, her voice barely above a whisper. The gentle, rhythmic beeping of the monitor, the only other sound in the room
"I'm right here." Finn said jumping up from the chair in the corner of the room he'd been slumped in for the last couple of hours while trying to get some sleep.
"Can you get me some ice? My throat's really.."
The rest of Rachel's sentence was cut off by her anguished cry as a contraction took over her body. Squeezing Finn's hand tightly she tried to remember to breathe as she rode out the waves of pain.
"Okay babe you're right at the peak. Hang on, you can do this. Okay now you're starting to come down." Finn said soothingly, trying to ignore how tightly Rachel was squeezing his fingers as he watched the lines on the paper coming out of the monitor next to Rachel's bed.
Rachel let out a long breath as the last of the contraction petered out and she slowly released her death grip on Finn's hand as a wave of emotions washed over her and she began to cry.
"Hey ssshh…it's going to be okay Rach." Finn said, caressing her cheek with his free hand.
"I'm so sorry Finn." She managed to choke out through her tears.
"You don't have to apologize, babe. It's okay to cry. Your hormones are all over the place right now and you're in a lot of pain."
Rachel sniffed and wiped at her eyes.
"That's not what I meant. I mean I'm sorry for the walking out on you. I'm sorry for the last few weeks and putting you through all that. I'm an idiot. I should have never left."
"Rach, we've been over this at least three times since we got to the hospital. I told you to forget about it. None of that matters anymore. All that matters is that I'm here and I'm not going anywhere and we are bringing two beautiful girls into the world today and I will spend every moment of the rest of my life showing all three of you just how much you are loved."
Finn leaned over Rachel and brushed his lips over hers. "I love you so much." He murmured.
"I love you too." Rachel said as another contraction began, her grip on Finn's hand tightening once again as the pain in her abdomen increased.
Finn brushed Rachel's hair off her forehead as the contraction worsened. "Remember to breathe baby." He whispered, watching the monitor for the contraction to peak before starting to diminish. Rachel's breathing slowly returned to normal as her contraction once again ended.
"They're starting to come faster now." Rachel said, a worried look in her eyes.
"That's normal babe. That book you made me read said that this would happen. I'm going to go get you some ice okay. I'll be right back."
Finn stepped out of the room and headed down the hall towards the ice machine. Pulling out his cell phone he sent out a text to Rachel's Dad letting him know how things were progressing. He filled a Styrofoam cup up with ice and started heading back towards Rachel's room. He was halfway there when he saw a nurse moving quickly towards Rachel's room and pulling open the door as the sound of Rachel's anguished cry filtered out into the hallway. Finn's heart leapt into his throat as he dropped the cup of ice on the floor, and sprinted towards Rachel's room.
"Finn!" Rachel cried in relief as Finn threw open the door of her hospital room, his face pale as he moved quickly to the side of the bed to grab Rachel's hand.
The nurse, a kind looking older lady, looked worried as she surveyed the paper readout coming out of the monitor.
"What happened?" Finn said, addressing both Rachel and the nurse. "Is everything okay?"
"I had another contraction as soon as you left. It hurt so badly and you weren't here so I pushed the call button. I'm sorry about that." Rachel said, addressing the nurse.
"Perfectly fine honey, that's what we are here for." She gave Rachel a small smile. "I'm glad you pushed the button though. I don't like what I'm seeing on the monitor here. Your contractions are coming harder and faster and the babies just aren't responding as well as we'd like them too."
Rachel squeezed Finn's hand, worry lines creasing her forehead as she looked to him for assurance.
"Are the babies going to be okay?" Finn asked, trying to keep his voice steady so as not to frighten Rachel.
"We're going to do everything we can to ensure just that." She said, giving them a encouraging smile. "I'm just going to page your doctor. I'll be right back."
Finn watched the nurse quickly leave the room before turning to look at Rachel. Her eyes were wide with fear and quickly filling up with tears.
"It's going to be okay baby." Finn said soothingly, pushing back the hair that was matted to her forehead and placing a gentle, reassuring kiss in its place.
Finn felt Rachel's body tense up as she was hit with another contraction and his heart clenched as she cried out with the pain of it. He hated watching her go through this. Watching her in pain was heart wrenching for him because he wanted so much to be able to take the pain for her and there wasn't anything he could do but sit by and watch her hurting.
"Finn it hurts so much!" she whimpered, sounding like a small child.
"I know baby, I know. It's almost over. Just breathe through it okay. I love you."
"I love you too." She said between breaths.
The contraction had reached its peak and was coming back down when Dr. Prystawski walked briskly into the room. He gave Rachel and Finn a supportive smile as he walked over to take a look at the paper readout from the fetal monitor.
"Looks like these little ladies are getting to be a handful already." He said lightheartedly.
"Are they going to be okay?" Rachel questioned.
Dr. Prystawski came over to stand by Rachel's bed and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.
"I just want you to relax okay? The babies are doing okay. They just aren't responding to your contractions they way I'd like to see. Their heart rates keep dropping and I'm just a bit worried about the stress that labour is having on them right now. I'd like to see them out sooner now, rather than later."
"What do you mean?" Finn questioned the doctor.
"I think it would be best if we take you in for a Caesarean section to get these babies out as soon as possible. I know it's not ideal and probably not the way you envisioned bringing these babies into the world but right now I feel that it's what is best for the babies. Do you have any questions?" Dr. Prystawski asked them.
Rachel and Finn looked at each other before looking at the Doctor, both of them shaking their heads no.
"Okay then. I'm just going to go get myself scrubbed and ready for the surgery and I'll see you in a little bit. Try and relax okay?" he said, leaving the room.
As soon as the doctor left Rachel was hit with another hard contraction and she cried out in pain, gripping onto Finn's hand and the side of her bed and squeezing for dear life. She scrunched her face up and tried to breathe through the pain as her abdomen tensed with the contraction. It felt like her stomach was being torn apart as the sharp pain spread through her entire belly. She was glad Finn was there holding her hand because it was helping to keep her somewhat calm. She could feel her pain starting to dissipate as the contraction came down from its peak and she turned her face to Finn's as he stroked the hair on the top of her head in a soothing manner.
"Thank you for being here." She said
"No where else in the world I'd rather be." He said with a smile, leaning over to place a kiss on her nose.
The door flew open as a couple of nurses came in to get Rachel ready to wheel her down the hall to the OR.
"Finn, I'm scared." Rachel said, quietly as the nurses bustled around her unhooking wires and fiddling with the bed.
"I know babe. I am too but it will be okay. The book I read said it's a perfectly safe procedure and I'm sure these nurses and doctors have performed it a hundred times. I'm going to be right in there with you so you don't have to be scared."
Rachel started crying as the nurses informed them it was time to go. Finn stood up and never let go of Rachel's hand as they began to wheel her bed out of the room and down the hall to the OR.
"Don't cry Rach. It's okay babe. Don't cry." Finn said as tears came to his own eyes.
"Okay Daddy, you're going to come with me." The kind nurse said, placing a hand on Finn's shoulder as they reached the swinging doors leading into the operating room.
"You mean I can't go in with her?" Finn said, trying to remain calm as Rachel's eyes filled with fear at the thought of going in the room alone.
"We just need you to come with us and get suited up into some scrubs while we get Rachel prepped for the section. Don't worry. It will only take about 10 minutes and then you can come into the room."
Finn let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as he realized he would only have to be separated from Rachel for a few minutes. The nurse gave them both a comforting smile as she motioned for Finn to follow her into a room off to the side.
"I'll be right back okay babe?" Finn said, leaning over the bed and kissing Rachel's forehead.
Rachel looked up at Finn with tears in her eyes. "Hurry back?" she said, her voice cracking with emotion.
Finn gave Rachel's hand one last squeeze before letting go. He watched as the nurses wheeled her bed through the doors and disappeared before turning to follow the nurse into the room.
"Okay put these on over your clothes." The nurse said, handing Finn a set of green scrubs along with what looked to be 3 shower caps.
"What are these for?" Finn said, motioning to the shower caps. "Is it really wet in there?"
The nurse laughed loudly at Finn's question. "Surprisingly that's not the first time I've been asked that." She said. "One is to cover your head; the other two go over your shoes.
Finn gave the nurse a sheepish grin and began to get dressed.
"Just stay here until I come get you okay. Shouldn't be too much longer." The nurse walked out of the room, leaving Finn to finish getting dressed.
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Rachel tried not to panic too much as the nurses and doctors bustled about the room preparing for her surgery. There were so many people in the room it seemed crowded but everyone knew what they were doing and were moving about like a well-oiled machine. She cried a little when they put in the IV and when the anesthesiologist administered the epidural. She wished Finn could be there to hold her hand while it was being done but she had to settle for the nurse instead.
Now she was laying flat on her back, her arms strapped out to the sides while the nurses put up a curtain just above her abdomen so she couldn't see what was going on. She didn't feel cold but for some reason she couldn't stop herself from shivering. One of the nurses had told her it was normal and had covered her chest with a blanket to help. Tears slid down the side of Rachel's face as she waited for what seemed like forever for Finn to come back in the room. Just then the door to the OR opened and in walked one of the nurses with Finn following close behind. Rachel could tell by the look on his face and the way he looked around the room that he was nervous but he tried not to show it as the nurse motioned for him to sit on the stool next to Rachel's head. A sob escaped her lips as Finn grabbed her hand in his.
"It's okay babe. I'm right here. Everything is going to be alright." Finn brushed away a few loose strands of her hair that had come out of the surgical cap on her head and leaned over to kiss her forehead.
"I'm just….so…glad…..you are…here." Rachel said, having a difficult time getting the words out through her chattering teeth.
"Like I said earlier, nowhere else I'd rather be."
"Okay Rachel we're just about to start. Tell me if you can feel this." Dr. Prystawski said from somewhere on the other side of the curtain.
"Feel..what?" Rachel said, confused.
Dr. Prystawski laughed. "I just poked you with some tweezers to test if the anesthetic was working. It looks like we are good to go so I'm going to start making the incision. We should have these babies out in a couple of minutes. You're going to feel a lot of pressure and pulling but it shouldn't be painful okay? Tell me if it starts to hurt."
The hustle and bustle of movement around the room became a blur as Rachel tuned everything out around her, waiting to hear the most beautiful sound in the world, a newborn baby's first cry. She could feel lots of pressure and pulling on her belly but it wasn't painful and she locked eyes with Finn as he held her hand, gently stroking her knuckles back and forth with his thumb in a soothing manner. He was her safe haven and staring into his warm eyes helped calm her down.
"And here comes the first baby." Dr. Prystawski said, before a plaintive cry filled the room. Rachel's heart swelled at the beautiful sound as the doctor lifted the tiny, squalling baby up and held her over the curtain for just a second before handing her off to the waiting nurses.
"She's so beautiful." Rachel said, her eyes quickly filling with tears. She glanced over to Finn to see tears streaming down his face as well.
"Just like her mother." Finn said, his voice breaking with emotion.
"And here comes your second little lady." came the doctor's voice again from behind the curtain before a second distinct cry filled the room. Another equally tiny, squirming, squawking baby was held over the curtain briefly before being whisked away by another team of nurses.
"I am so proud of you." Finn said, unabashedly crying now as he leaned over and kissed Rachel on the lips.
"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you here." Rachel smiled at Finn
"Are the babies okay?" she asked, straining to peer around Finn to see where the babies had gone to. She could still hear them letting out intermittent cries so she knew they were still in the room. The doctors were busy stitching Rachel up but she didn't even notice as all her thoughts were focused on the two tiny girls on the other side of the room.
"They're fine babe." Finn said, peering over his shoulder to where two teams of nurses were busy working over the babies. "The nurses are just cleaning them up and stuff."
As if on cue, one of the nurses began walking towards them carrying a tiny bundle wrapped in a blanket.
"Here you go Daddy." She said.
Finn swallowed thickly before tentatively reaching out his arms so the nurse could place the squirming bundle into them. He looked nervous as the nurse showed him how to properly support the baby's head. Gently cradling the precious bundle he turned to Rachel, thick tears falling from his eyes.
"Daddy…" he breathed, marveling at the sound of the word. His heart swelled as the full weight and meaning of the word registered with him. He was a Dad.
"And what a great Daddy you will be." Rachel said, more tears falling as she looked into the face of the man she loved before focusing on the tiny little face peering out from the blanket.
"I wish I could hold her." Rachel said, as Finn held the baby closer to her face so she could kiss her.
"Soon babe." Finn said, smiling at his girls.
"And here's your other daughter." The nurse smiled at Finn as she placed a second squirming bundle into the crook of his other arm.
"You got them?" she asked, noticing the look of panic that briefly passed Finn's eyes as he adjusted to cradling two babies in his arms.
"I think so." He chuckled nervously, looking in awe from one arm to the next as two sets of dark blue eyes stared up at him.
"You'll get the hang of it eventually." The nurse laughed before walking away.
"Look at what you made Rach." Finn whispered, holding both girls at Rachel's eye level so she could get a good look at them. He brought the second baby to her face so Rachel could give her a kiss as well.
"I never thought my heart could hold this much love." She whispered.
"Ok Mom and Dad we're going to take the babies over to the NICU for observation while they finish working on Mom. Daddy you are welcome to accompany the girls over there if you would like."
"But they're okay right?" Finn said, looking down at the babies in his arm. He noticed a look of fear on Rachel's face and gave her a encouraging smile.
"They both scored a 9 on their Apgar scores which is a perfect score but because they are early and they came by c-section we just want to keep an eye on them for a little bit to make sure everything is okay. It's standard procedure." The nurse smiled reassuringly at both of them.
"Ok." Rachel said shakily. "Finn, will you go with them please?"
"Are you sure?" Finn said nervously, as first one nurse and then another took the babies one by one from his arms and placed them in isolettes.
"Yes. I don't want them to be alone. I'll be fine. It's more important to me that you stay with them."
"Okay." Finn said, getting up from his stool. "I love you."
Finn squeezed Rachel's hand once more before turning and following the nurses and babies out of the room.
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Rachel swallowed nervously as she stared up at the ceiling and a million thoughts raced through her mind as she lay on the bed.
"How are you doing Rachel?" the anesthesiologist asked her, startling her from her thoughts. She'd almost forgotten he was standing right there, just to the left of her head.
"I'm good." She said, "Are they almost done?"
"Almost." He said, giving her a comforting smile.
Looking back, those words would be the last thing Rachel remembered before everything went black.
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