Chapter 14
I get registered and hooked up to all the monitors, a nurse starts an I.V and examines me. First they have to make sure my water did break, so the nurse comes in with litmus paper and tests the fluid, sure enough it turns bright blue, my water has broken. All I can do is panic, "Luke he isn't here he promised he would be here, Charlie cannot come until he gets here. " Luke comes to my bedside and holds my hand, "Ana, it is ok I promise you, I already sent him a text and left Taylor a voice mail and I also left him a message at the airport. Ana he will be here." We hear a knock on the door, "Come in." In walks Grace, Gail and Kate, I wonder where Madie is, I am sure Luke told her where we were going. "Oh Ana how are you feeling dear?" Grace comes over and strokes my forehead, "I am ok so far, my water broke, and I haven't had a contraction since I left the house, Grace, Christian is going to miss this." Grace shakes her head, "No dear he won't. I promise you he will be here, these things take hours and the contractions have stopped I am betting little Charlie will be here tomorrow afternoon. Would you like me to call your mom and Ray?" I nod and tears come down my face, "It will be ok dear, just think in a few hours you will be holding your precious baby. Looks like we will be having another guest of honor at the baby shower." We laugh lightly as Dr. Greene walks in, "Ana, how are you feeling?" I shrug, "Ok I guess I haven't had a contraction since I left the house but my water broke so what is the game plan. Obviously my birth plan is out the window." Dr. Green takes a deep breath, "Well it looks like you will be needing pitocin." I shake my head no violently, "No! I have heard horrible things about that." Grace rubs my arm comforting me and looks dead into my eyes, "Ana the baby has to come out. Charlie is at risk now for infection. Ana it will be ok we can give you something for the pain. You are having back labor and the pitocin will make the contractions stronger. We are here so there is nothing to worry about." I nod and agree, "Ok as long as you promise me that if something goes wrong you can get Charlie out safely." Dr Green reassures me and orders the pitocin.
An hour later the contractions have gotten very intense and they say I am already dilated to 4 and I can have an epidural, I am very tempted because this is the most excruciating thing I have ever been through. The pain is so intense I puke during every contraction and Grace and Kate take turns cleaning out the basin, and Luke is busy getting me ice chips and cool wash cloths to wipe my face. I feel like I am being ripped apart and all I can do I cry. With every contraction I want to lift my body off the bed. The nurse walks in and checks my vitals and Charlie's. She looks at the fetal heart monitor and studies Charlie's heart rate then leaves hurriedly, "Grace, something is wrong, the nurse looked concerned when she read Charlie's heart monitor." Another contraction rips through me again and this time I sob in pain, "Oh this hurts, Mother of God make this stop." Kate blots my face with washrag and I dry heave into the basin. "Oh Ana I hate seeing you like this." Kate cries, I Just smile through the pain, "It will all be worth it once I am holding Charlie." I take another deep breath and breathe through the pain. I look at the clock while Grace watches the contraction on the monitor, "It's almost done sweetie, just breathe through it, you are doing great. It's coming down it's almost done…and its done." I release her hand, "Thank you everyone for helping while he is gone. Where did Gail go?" Grace and Kate look around and Luke looks in the hall, "I don't know, I will call her." Luke leaves the room to call Gail.
A knock on the door and Dr. Greene walks in the room, "Ana listen to me the baby's heart rate is dropping I need you to go one your side I want to release the pressure on the cord. I also need to check you to see how fair along you are dilated." Kate and Grace leave the room and let the doctor examine me, "Ok Ana you are at 6 centimeters. It seems like we will have a birthday tonight." I shake my head no, "Well it looks like I will be having this baby without him." I put my head down and caress my belly, "Charlie you were supposed to wait until daddy landed." Dr Greene taps my hand, "Get some rest Ana, you need to save your energy so you can deliver this baby." She gets up off the bed and leaves the room.
Oh Christian where are you? I know you don't want to miss this; you are going to be so upset with yourself. I just don't want him to have guilt about not being here. "Kate and Grace come back in, "Ana your mom returned my phone call she is on her way and Ray is driving in, I also called Molly and let her know. She wasn't happy that she wasn't here but I told her everything is ok. What did the doctor say?" I take a deep breath and breathe through another contraction, I stopped puking because I have nothing left in my stomach. Kate gives me some ice chips, holy Christ this sucks. "I swear I am never having sex again. This is ridiculous!" I am never letting Christian touch me again. Speaking of Christian shouldn't his plane of landed already where the hell is he? Kate and Grace laugh at me and Kate whispers in my ear, "Like you could say no to him." Kate knows all about what happened when we were dating.
The contractions are getting harder and I know it's almost time to push I can feel it, Christian still isn't here, I look up at the clock it is almost midnight. "Luke! Where is he, you need to go and find him and find him now! He cannot miss this, he will never forgive himself" Luke walks out of the room and I am left with Kate and Grace, Gail went to help Maddie with the baby, and to make sure Carrick and Elliot aren't hungry. Grace is pacing back and forth and Kate is flipping through the TV channels, God please let him be ok.
I look up and see Luke standing in the door way, I can tell something isn't right, "Luke…what is it?" He put his head down and walks over to me and takes my hand, "Christian has been detained by customs, apparently his passport has been flagged and they are keeping him on suspicion of terrorism." I reach over and grab the basin and vomit nothing but bile and water, "Fucking Elena." is all I can get out. "Luke I want you to look into Elena Lincoln find out where she is, I know she is responsible for this. I swear I will hurt her one-day. "Where is Taylor?" I start to breathe heavily again and breathe through the pain, "Wait Luke did you say Christian is being detained by homeland security?" Grace stops pacing and walks over, "Ana do you really believe Elena had something to do with this?" I press my lips together and breathe through another contraction, "Yes I do, she has been too quiet and what better way to make problems. Luke…" He just puts his hand up, "I'm on top of it ma'am" He walks out of the room.
Dr. Greene comes in about 45minutes later, "Ok Ana lets see how far you have progressed." Grace and Kate leave the room again, and Dr. Greene examines me and stands up and throws her gloves out and turns back to me, "Well my dear Ana it looks like Charlie will be here you are dilated to ten, so we can start pushing." Kate and Grace come back into the room all smiles and all I can do is frown, "Its time to start pushing. He is going to miss this. Well Elena has gotten what she wanted." Dr. Greene comes back into the room and drops the end of the bed and instructs Grace and Kate to each take a leg, "Ana when you have the urge to push you need to push, I want you to push like you are going to have the biggest bowel movement of your life, do you think you can do this?" Just then the urge to push comes over me, and I let out a carnal yell, "Owww it's burning, it hurts oh my god this hurts, I can't do it." Dr Greene looks up, "Ana you doing well but you have to listen to me when I tell you to slow down pushing you have to, I don't want you tearing." I just nod and lean back, and take a few deep breaths, "OK I have to push again." With that I start to push, "Ok Ana I can see the head." Grace and Kate automatically look between my legs, "Oh Ana I see dark hair." Kate squeals. "It burns it really burns I feel like I am on fire." I lean back once more and take a few more breaths. "My wife is in labor I need to get into her room." I hear coming from the hall." I also hear the nurse telling him she doesn't care who he is she has been told to keep everyone out of the room. I stop mid-push, "He is here I can feel him." I start to push again and Christian busts through the door and runs to my bedside, I'm still pushing and finally stop Charlie's head is out and I have instant relief "You made it." I smile and he kisses me on the forehead, "I wouldn't have missed this." Dr. Greene looks up, "Ok Ana, one more big push and your baby's shoulders will be out. " I take a deep breath and bring my chin to my chest and push with all my might, "Good baby, you are doing so good I am so proud of you." Dr. Greene looks at me, "Ana reach down and grab your baby." I reach down between my legs and grab my baby, "Christian you're a Daddy, you have beautiful little girl." I kiss my baby and then kiss Christian, Kate and Grace are crying and taking pictures, "Ana we have to take her we have to check her." The nurse takes Charlie from me while Dr. Greene stitches me up.
I wake up to Christian rocking Charlie back and forth in the rocking chair singing "Your Are My Sunshine." I reach over and grab the camera and snap a few pictures. This is a moment I want to always remember. "Good morning sleepy head." Christian looks up, I smile and relish in the feelings of happiness seeing my daughter and my husband bonding. She is wrapped in a pink blanket and pink hat. "Ana, I am so sorry, I should have been there. I should have been the one helping you and coaching you." I raise my hand up to stop him, "Christian it was all Elena. I know what happened. It is ok." He stands up and walks over to me, and kisses me chastely, " Now would you like to nurse our daughter I think she is hungry. I take her and she latches on to me and nurses. "Ana, that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. You are simply the best and our daughter is best gift anyone has ever given me. Thank you for leaving me. For making me grow up and take responsibility for this little one. I can't imagine my life with out her. The love I have for her is overwhelming. I can't believe I was such an idiot. Thank you for not listening to me."
A knock on the door interrupts us, its Kate "Ana, Christian the paparazzi is crazy outside, can we release the baby's name? Maybe they will let up a bit." I look at Christian and nod, "We might as well, they aren't going to leave us alone you know that." He agrees and I look at Kate, "Let them know that Charlie Grayson Grey was born at 1:11 in the morning and mother and child are doing well and resting."
The following morning I see the papers and the headlines read An Heir to the Grey Fortune has been Born!