I thought I'd get this up quick before I go away, since I keep getting requests to 'update soon!' :p I will not be updating until AT LEAST Sunday 2nd of Feb after this, due to no computer, no wifi and in general no civilisation for the next week while I'm camping haha!
"Good morning, sleepyhead." Daniel whispered to Trixie as she slowly woke up. It was 1am, pitch black outside, but the fluorescent lights above her made her remember right away where she was.
"Did I have the baby yet?" She asked groggily.
Daniel laughed softly. "No, darling. You had your epidural about two hours ago and you've slept basically ever since."
"Ah, she's awake!" The nurse said cheerfully. "Hello, Trixie. I'm Nurse Martin. The other nurse ticked off at midnight so you've got me from now on." She pulled on gloves right away and almost without warning just began checking Trixie's cervix.
"Good news, you slept from 6 centimeters to 9 and you're almost ready to go."
"Really?" Trixie and Daniel said in unison, both as shocked as one another.
"I'll arrange the doctor to deliver you, get the rest of our team and be back right in time for you to push this baby out." She swiftly left the room.
"It's so strange because I don't even feel any pain," Trixie commented. "Just pressure."
"Should I call your parents?" Daniel asked. Trixie noticed he had begun sweating and couldn't keep his hands still.
"Nervous?" She commented. He smiled and nodded. "Call them afterwards." She added, holding his hand to keep them still.
"This is where it all begins." Daniel said softly.
"And ends."
"On the count of three, I want you to push as hard as you can, Trixie." The doctor said firmly, in what Trixie felt was only seconds later, but in reality had been about half an hour since her nurse had checked her. She was now at 10 centimetres and ready to go.
In her head, Trixie counted to three, then did as she was told and pushed down. Her head collapsed on the pillow afterwards and she gasped for breath. Daniel was beside her, holding one of her legs with one arm and squeezing her hand with the other.
"Again!"
She pushed again and again with every contraction, ignoring the burning sensation she felt and concentrating only on the things Daniel was whispering in her ear.
"I love you,"
"You can do this,"
"I'm so proud of you, baby"
"You're doing an amazing job, keep going!"
"Your baby's head is crowning. Daniel, would you like to see?" The doctor asked him. Daniel slowly left Trixie's head and peered down to watch his first born child enter the world.
"It's amazing," He whispered, although his face had swiftly lost colour and he look as if he was about to pass out.
One final push and it was over. A moment later a tiny cry came from between her legs and a slippery baby was placed on her chest, his faced crinkled up in displeasure.
Trixie burst into tears as soon as she saw him, she looked at his perfect little nose, his thick head of dark hair and his tiny fingers.
"He's beautiful," she faintly heard Daniel say, but she could concentrate on nothing but her perfect son. He was whisked away for a little while, so the doctors could get his weight and measurements but they returned him after a long moment, this time a little cleaner and with a little blue beanie on his head.
"7 pounds 6 ounces." The nurse told her, smiling. "Ten fingers, ten toes. You have yourself a healthy little boy."
"Do we have a name?" The doctor asked, smiling at the two young parents holding their precious bundle.
Trixie looked at Daniel and he nodded. "Benjamin. Ben, for short." She said, smiling.
"Hey, uh, Trixie," Daniel said quietly.
"Mmm?" She let Benjamin grip on to her finger, not paying much attention to Daniel.
"I was going to ask you earlier, but we got a little sidetracked with... having a baby..." Daniel cleared his throat and looked down at his son, who had now settled a little and was blinking slowly, taking in his surrounding. "But no time could be better than now. Will you marry me?"
Trixie looked at him with surprise and tried hard to keep herself from crying with happiness. "Of course I will!"
The little family slept soundly and didn't wake up until 9am the next morning. Baby Ben had only woken up twice to be fed during that time and each time Daniel had been the one to get up and retrieve him and bring him to his mother. Because he was 100% healthy, he was allowed to sleep in the room with them.
"How was your sleep?" Trixie asked. Daniel had slept in the lounge chair supplied in her room.
Daniel rubbed his aching neck sleepily. "Great," he yawned.
"We'd better call our families," Trixie smiled, rocking baby Benjamin gently while he nursed.
"Already did," Daniel kissed her on the nose and smiled back. "I was up earlier, they'll be in a little later."
The nurse Trixie had had the first time came into the room then and smiled warmly. "Congratulations," she gushed. "I hate to do this to you right at this moment, but I'm going to have to check your stitches now."
"Stitches?" Daniel replied, confused.
Trixie looked at the nurse and they both giggled. "Yes, stitches."
"Where-" He started, but his question was answered when the nurse lifted Trixie's blanket. "Oh!"
"They had to give Trixie an episiotomy." The nurse informed him as she examined the doctors work. "It's quite common. When the baby's head is quite large, we cut the opening to save the mother from having severe tearing when the baby comes out."
Daniel nodded, but didn't say anything. He sat down, Trixie guessed, to save from falling over. She couldn't help but smile at how nervous he was.
"Looks good." The nurse told her, looking up. "The stitches will dissolve on their own, but going to the bathroom might be painful for a while. You'll have to spray water down there instead of wiping. Also, as you should already know, no sex for at least 6 weeks."
Trixie blushed slightly but the nurse didn't seem phased. She obviously had this conversation regularly.
Benjamin was sleeping in Trixie's arms when her family, Honey and Di arrived. Mart and Brian had come home to meet their nephew, too. The next hour was filled with passing Benjamin around, cooing, questions and congratulations. After they left, Trixie was feeling very sleepy, as if she had just spent the whole day running around.
"I'll go home and clean up a little." Daniel said. "Are you okay here by yourself for an hour?"
Trixie nodded and handed Ben over to him to put in his bed. Daniel kissed her forehead and left. Trixie felt herself nodding off slowly but woke only 20 minutes later when she heard another woman down the hallway screaming as if she was being murdered. I hope I wasn't that loud, she thought, feeling self-conscious.
"Can you tell me where Trixie Belden's room is, please?" She heard a faint, familiar voice say outside.
"In here, sir." A nurse told him.
A moment later, in walked Jim Frayne, holding a massive bouquet of flowers. He smiled when he saw her.
"Trixie," he said nervously.
"Jim. "What on Earth are you doing here?"
"I got a call late last night from my wonderful sister informing me that you were having the baby. Jumped on the first flight here. It was tight, but I made it."
"You didn't have to come all this way-"
"It was only four and a half hours from Arizona."
"You know what I mean." Trixie said. "You didn't have to drop everything to come here. Christmas is soon."
"You thought I was going to wait until Christmas to meet this little man?" Jim laughed, putting the flowers in a nearby vase. He went around the bed to where Benjamin lay. "He's handsome. Good work, Shamus."
Trixie smiled shyly. "Do you want to hold him?"
"Oh, no. I'd drop him. Maybe another time." Changing the subject, he went on. "So, what's the name?"
"Benjamin." Trixie replied. As if he could tell he was being talked about, Ben woke up and began to fuss. "Okay, now you're going to have to pick him up and give him to me. He's hungry."
Jim looked around nervously. "Isn't there a nurse?"
"Jim Frayne, just pick up my baby and give him to me," Trixie laughed.
Uncomfortably, he picked up the wriggling baby and gave him to Trixie. She pulled down her shirt subtly and Ben latched right away. Near her, Jim looked away politely.
"How long are you here?" Trixie asked him, to break the silence.
"Three days. I figured I'd stay until the weekend then head back on Sunday."
"How is Arizona going for you?"
"It's great. I'm convinced more than ever it's where I'll build my boys' school now."
"I kind of always thought you'd build your school on your uncle's old plot." She replied, referring to the land on Glen Road Jim's uncle had once owned, before the mansion on it burnt to the ground. She had once had dreams that she and Jim would get married and live there together, near both of their families.
"I don't know what I'll do with that. Maybe sell it. Maybe build a house that I can stay in while I'm visiting. Maybe even build an office building there for, say, a detective agency run by two women, named the Belden-Wheeler detective agency." Jim laughed. "That is, if that dream is still viable."
"Honey and I will be detectives one day," Trixie told him honestly. "Just not as soon as I'd hoped. I am going to college in another year. Providing I actually graduate at Sleepyside Junior Senior High this year. I missed a math test today because I went into labour." She told him, with mock frustration.
Jim laughed. He seemed happy, Trixie thought.
"I better go," he told her. "I'm sure I'll see you again before I leave, though."
"Sure." Trixie smiled. He grabbed her hand then, to kiss it, but he stopped in his tracks when he noticed the ring on Trixie's left ring finger.
He didn't say anything, he just let go. Clearing his throat, Jim said, "I'll see you. Congratulations, again." And he left, leaving Trixie's feeling guilty for not telling him earlier. Not that it would have made a difference.