Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Emmett's POV:

"Okay, Dr. McCarty, the webcam is set up and we have connected it to the television," the head nurse on Labor and Delivery said when she walked into the room. "It is set for channel three. Are you ready to test it?"

I looked over to Rose, who already had a great deal of sweat dripping from her brow. She nodded her head.

"Will they be able to hear me as well as me hearing them?" I asked.

"Yes, the microphones and speakers are hooked up as well," Nurse Johnson answered. "Wow, I cannot believe that I will be helping to deliver your babies. I thought for sure you would have them back in the States. Then there are your friends. Boy, God is very mysterious."

I just nodded, not really knowing what to say. This was the first time I would not be on the receiving end. Well, actually, I would be delivering the babies, my babies, but I usually try not to get too involved with the patient. I knew that Rose had had her heart set on delivering back in New York, all of her friends with her, providing support. I looked up to the TV, which all of a sudden became the worlds' largest webcam and video. I grabbed the remote and turned to channel three. The screen was split down the middle and I could make out Jasper on one side and Edward on the other, obviously trying to figure out what in the world to do with the camera, just like myself. I smiled as I watched them wave their hands in front of it.

"Hey, can you hear and see me?" Jasper asked.

"Loud and clear," I called out and then moved about to set up the camera to focus more on Rose.

"This is just plain weird," Edward's voice came through the speakers. "I mean, yeah, we are all friends, but nothing personal, Jasper and Emmett, I wasn't really planning on being in the delivery room when Alice and Rose were having their babies."

"I agree with you," Jasper said and I could hear some muffling in the background. "Alice, the doctor said you cannot have your epidural until he examines you."

I smiled as I looked over to Rose, who was trying so hard to be a real trooper, so far not asking for any drugs.

"Rose? Bella?" Alice's voice popped through the television and I could make out her frame. "Are you two there? Because I will be damned if I am having these things without you."

I moved the camera so that Alice would be able to see Rose. This was the first time that I had seen Alice and Bella since before they were pregnant.

"Jesus, Alice, what the hell happened? Did you have an allergic reaction or something?" I could see both Jasper and Alice give me some very evil looks and felt a hard smack on the back of my head. "Rose, that hurt!"

"Well, don't talk to my friend like that!"

"Good to see you, Rose," Alice said. "I am telling you now that there is no way in hell I can have that dress ready for you."

"That's okay, Alice, it's not like I will be going anywhere anytime soon," I could see Rose looking around Bella's room. "Where's Macy?"

"Oh, she was here a few minutes ago," Bella replied, taking in a deep breath. I watched as her face scrunched up in pain.

"Oh, that was a big one." A familiar voice said, somehow sounding distinctly different at the same time.

I looked over to Rose who was sitting almost exactly the same way Bella was, and then turned my attention to Alice and noticed that she had the same expression.

"Um…Jasper, Edward?" I called out for my two best friends. "How far along are the girls?"

"Alice's water broke about three hours ago. Her contractions are becoming more frequent and she's dilated about four centimeters," Jasper said, standing up and walking over to the bedside table. "She has been a pain in the ass, though, constantly asking for drugs."

"Bella's water broke about the same time?" Edward followed. "Why do you ask?"

It was just a hunch, but as I sat there and watched the three of them, looking down at the print out of Rose's contractions and the heartbeats, I could not fathom the possibility. "Well, I think they are contracting at the same time. Rose's water broke around the same time as Alice's and Bella's. Then, while Bella was talking a couple of minutes ago, she had a contraction. All three of them did and they all said the same thing."

Edward walked over and looked at the printout. "Bella's last contraction lasted about…"

"Three minutes." Jasper and I said together.

The three of us had our eyes locked onto one another. "How is this even possible?" Edward finally broke the silence.

"Well," Jasper started. "There have been links to this same sort of behavior with twins. Maybe their friendship is just that strong, if not stronger."

"Can you all just shut up?" Alice screamed out. "What difference does it make? This is by far the worst day in my life! My back hurts, my throat hurts, I need more ice chips, and AGGHHH!"

"I quit!" Rose, Bella, and Alice said at the same time.

"This is just too freaky," I said, sitting down on the bed next to Rose and taking hold of her hand. "Only the three of you could manage something like this."

Time began to go by slowly, as it did with any other delivery. Even though this is one of the strangest I had ever been a part of, all three of the girls had been progressing nicely and at the same time. The only difference was that Rose had insisted that she did not need any drugs, not even to take the edge off, whereas Bella and Alice had both had an epidural going at the very first request. So, when I heard the words 'time to push', my head popped up. I had not heard so much as a whimper out of Rose and if I had not known any better, I would have thought that she had fallen asleep.

But as I studied her face, I realized that she was focusing hard on her breathing. I looked up at the TV and tried not to laugh as Bella and Alice held the same face.

"Okay, Bella, you're doing well," I could hear a stranger, who I assumed was her doctor, say. I moved my attention to Alice and Jasper and saw the same thing.

"Rose?" I asked.

She turned to me, her body still seemed to be very relaxed, and the only signs of labor were the general wincing and the concentration of breathing. "Rose? Do you want me to check you?"

I watched as a single tear fell from her eye and then streaked down her cheek. She shook her head.

"Rosalie, honey," I moved closer to her bed and wiped the tear from her cheek. "What's wrong?"

She just nodded toward the TV. "Watch."

Rosalie's POV:

I sat in my hospital bed in Germany as I watched my two best friends give birth. I held in my own urge to push, just so I could actually think and feel like I was there for them. I cried as I thought back on this past seven or eight months of hell. I had been able to keep quiet through it all, but deep down, I was scared shitless. I had not a clue as to how to be a mother. Look at who I had as a role model, after all. I bit my tongue as I thought of how I had screwed up so badly with Macy and I hadn't even had to raise her, she was half grown by the time I took her in.

Now, as I watched my two best friends giving birth, both of which were just minutes apart, I truly began to panic. Something was not right; I couldn't go through with this. It felt as if I were holding onto something or someone, waiting. Even though I knew deep down, she wouldn't be there. I kept my eyes glued on Bella's half of the TV, trying to at least catch a glimpse, but she never made an appearance.

"Rose?" I moved my head, shocked to have heard Alice's voice so clearly. She and Jasper were smiling over the airwaves as he held up their two babies, one in each arm. Both were swaddled in yellow blankets and I knew right then that the plans had changed. They were keeping the sexes hidden until we all could be there to rejoice together.

I looked around for Emmett, but he was not up near the head of the bed. I glanced down and saw that he was checking me. I could feel the pressure of his fingers sliding in and then the pushing of the head.

"Rose, you're ready to go," he said, looking up at me.

I bit back a cry from the pain and the tears that started to seep down through my eyes. "I can't."

"Honey, you are going to need to push on the next contraction. The babies are right there."

"No, I won't!"

Emmett looked beaten, and I knew that he had seen patients like me before. Mothers that were ready to deliver, but would not, holding on with every fiber of their being until a long lost loved one showed up: fathers stuck in traffic, trying to get to the hospital; fathers fighting in the army; fathers that had passed away. But here I was, not waiting on the father of my child to show up. Here I sat in agony to have my sister and, in every essence, my daughter to come walking through the door; to hold my hand, to brush the sweat from my brow.

I heard a beeping from one of the monitors by my bed. My eyes shot over to it and then back down toward Emmett.

"Rose, we need to get the babies out now or I will need to do a C-section. The heart rate is beginning to drop."

"Come on, Rose, push." My eyes darted to the TV and I watched as Bella and Alice were looking right at me, both of their hands were outstretched, like they were trying to reach through and touch my face.

The tears that were in my eyes were burning; the pain in my stomach and birthing canal ached so much. I had the urge to push, I wanted to push, but I couldn't.

"Alice and I are right here with you," Bella said, her eyes had tears in them as well. I was not sure if they were for me or from her own emotions.

"I can't do it. Macy. I need to see Macy."

I watched as Bella's eyes grew and she looked over to the side; my guess she was communicating privately with Edward. I saw her eyes drop and then look back up at me.

"I'm sorry, Rose. She never came into the hospital."

My throat began to get tighter; I could feel my heart rate begin to increase. "Where is she?"

I did not even need to hear Bella's answer, it was written all over her face. She did not have a clue where Macy was.

I let my head drop back onto the pillow in defeat. I rolled onto my side, not even feeling the pain anymore. I clasped my legs shut and began to force my body to shut down. I refused to bring two children into this world.

I could barely make out the voices of Alice and Bella, calling out to me. Emmett already seemed to know that he was going to have to take the babies out by force. I heard him get up and talk to the two nurses and the other doctor in the room, but all I could make out was 'O.R.'. It was then that I allowed the tears to slip out and I watched as they drizzled down my nose and onto the white pillowcase, leaving in its wake a gray spot. I scrunched my face and tightened my grip on my legs as another contraction came – but still refused to push.

"Rose," Emmett came up behind me and I felt his hand, now clammy, on my forehead, brushing my blond hair out of my eyes. "We are going to perform a C-section."

"No, you're not."

"Damn it, Rose, you are going to kill them!" Emmett said, taking hold of my face and forcing me to look in his eyes. "You are not going to kill my children."

"You are not going to touch me until I know what is going on with Macy!"

"Rose, it's not your choice to make anymore," Emmett said as he began to unplug everything and then nodded over to the nurse who helped him begin to move the bed.

"Did you have them yet?" a voice called out.

I turned to look by the door and gasped in surprise as I saw Macy walking closer to me. She gently sat on the side of the bed and began to tuck my hair behind my ears. My eyes were still opened in shock, not really sure if she was really there or not.

"I took the Concorde over. You don't want to know how much it cost," she said, letting out a heavy sigh. "I just knew I had to be here."

Finally, I began to relax and the urge to push came hard and fast. "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. I don't know anyone else in this world stronger than you," Macy said, taking my hand. I started to squeeze hard when the next contraction came and went.

"Rose, are you ready?" Emmett asked.

I gave a shaky smile and nodded my head. He quickly helped the nurses and the doctors set up.

"Okay, on the next contraction I want you to push for ten seconds and then take a deep breath and push again."

Macy positioned herself behind me and helped me to bear down. I looked up to the TV and saw that Bella and Alice were both holding their babies, all of them waiting for me and my children to join this incredible family.

I lowered my head to my chest and pushed with everything in me. The pain, the burning, the hurt was unbelievable. I now understood why they had kept asking if I wanted any type of drugs.

"Good, Rose, keep pushing. I can see the head," Emmett said. "Blond hair."

I laughed through the pain. "Did you expect anything else?"

"Give me one really big push and the first baby will be here."

I felt Macy squeeze my hand. "Come on, Rose. Push!"

I pushed and I could literally feel the baby slip out of me. Emmett quickly suctioned the nose and then handed the baby over to a nurse who started to clean it. I felt Emmett slide his fingers inside as he tried to find the other baby. His eyes grew large as he looked over the blanket and up to me.

"What is it?"

"I need an ultrasound, now!"

"Emmett, what's wrong? I need to push again."

"No, Rose, don't."

The ultrasound machine wheeled in and Emmett, along with a nurse, quickly put the cold gel on my stomach, searching for the second baby.

"Is that what I think it is?" the nurse asked quietly and I looked at the monitor to see what they were looking at.

"What?" I asked, trying to push myself up onto my elbows. "Emmett, tell me what is going on?!"

Emmett met my gaze and eyes seemed to be searching my face for some understanding. "Rose, the next one is breech…"

"Okay," I started slowly. "So it's going to come out butt first. I need to push, so what are we waiting for?

"The third one is stuck under the second's head."

I looked at him, confused. What did he mean the third one?

"Triplets?" Macy asked incredulously from behind me.

Suddenly a powerful contraction shot around my sides and my body forced a push, I could not hold it back.

"Emmett, you need to get down there and catch this baby because it is coming NOW!"