She climbs out of the shower, and grips the counter top. She grimaces, in pain. She is wrapped in a towel, and her hair is still wet. She looks down at her stomach.
"What are you doing? You have two weeks before you're supposed to be here. Just stop. Okay?"
She gets her pajama's on, and makes her way to the couch. She lays on her side, and flips on the TV. It's barely six o'clock, and she is already exhausted enough to go to fall asleep. Daphne gets in from her date around ten thirty. She knocks on the door of the guest house. Bay opens her eyes, and crawls off the couch. She looks through the peephole, and opens the door.
"How was your date?" Bay questions with a grimace.
"That is why I'm here."
"That bad?"
"He was a total dud."
"I don't know why you agreed to go on a blind date, in the first place."
"I thought that it would be fun."
"I guess that you were wrong."
"Bay are you ok?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you cut dinner short, because you said you didn't feel good, and now you look even worse."
"I'm fine," she insists.
"You look like you are in pain."
"Don't worry about it."
"Are you having contractions?"
"I have been having contractions for weeks. It is normal."
"Are you in labor?"
She takes a deep breath. "Maybe a little."
"Since when?"
"Since dinner. I was hoping that they would stop. Maybe it's just a false alarm."
"Since dinner? That was five and a half hours ago. We should go to the hospital."
"I'm not ready."
"I'll go get Kathryn..."
"No I don't want to wake her up. It's probably just a false alarm, I'll be fine."
"I am taking you to the hospital."
"Fine, but don't wake anyone up."
"Okay," Daphne agrees.
They arrive at the hospital fifteen minutes later. The nurse ushers Bay into an exam room. She hooks her up to a fetal heart monitor. As the nurse pulls on gloves Daphne stands next to Bay. Bay looks over at her.
"Maybe you should step out for this part."
"I am not going anywhere," Daphne argues.
The nurse does her exam. She pulls off her gloves, and tosses them in the trash. She looks at Bay.
"You should have come in earlier," the nurse tells her.
"Why? Is there something wrong," she jumps to conclusions.
The labor and delivery nurse smiles, and shakes her head, "There is nothing wrong, but you're dilated to an eight. Your membranes already ruptured."
"I've only been having contractions since five thirty. I thought that first babies were supposed to take longer than that."
"It looks like this one is in a hurry."
"She isn't due for two weeks," Bay adds.
"Well, she's on her way now."
The nurse leaves the room. Daphne looks at Bay.
"Should I call them now?"
"No, I don't want everyone to be here for this."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," she nods.
"Bay I think you should let me call one of them."
"No. It's better this way."
"Okay," Daphne agrees against her better judgment.
"Do you want me to call the adoptive family?"
"They are a five hour flight away. They aren't going to make it in time anyway. We can wait until she is actually here."
"Why didn't they offer you any pain medicine?"
"They generally won't offer an epidural at eight centimeters."
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"No, it feels like a day at the spa," she responds sarcastically.
"Are you ready for this?"
"Not even a little bit. You know people still die during childbirth?"
"Bay, you are not going to die in childbirth."
"You don't know that. I could hemorrhage and die."
"Stop saying things like that," Daphne insists as she pulls up a chair.
"What do you want me to say? I'm in labor, it isn't exactly pleasant."
"Why didn't you tell me that your water broke?"
"I wasn't sure that it did. I have never had a baby before, I don't know what it feels like."
"How could you not know?"
"I was in the shower."
Half an hour later the nurse returns to the room. She checks Bay's progress, and then starts to break down the bed. She pages the doctor.
"Are you ready to push?" the nurse questions.
"Already?" Bay looks at the clock, "I have been here for forty five minutes. It isn't even midnight."
"You could have her before tomorrow. I want you to give me a good push."
"The doctor isn't here yet," Bay argues.
"On your next contraction I need you to push." She then looks to Daphne, "I want you to help hold her leg."
Her face turns red as she pushes. Once the ten count is over Bay looks over at Daphne.
"Keep your eyes up here," she warns, "I don't want you to see what's going on down there." Daphne nods in understanding. Unfortunately from her position she can see everything.
"I want another good push on this next contraction," the nurse instructs her.
Bay catches her breath. On the next contraction she begins to push. The doctor comes into the room, and gets gowned up, in a matter of seconds. He pulls on gloves, and takes the nurse's place. The nurse grabs a blanket off the warming table.
"You're doing great," the doctor tells her, "The head is out. One more really good push, and I think that the baby will be out."
In two pushes the doctor is pulling the baby out. The nurse clears her airway. The newborn squalls as they place her on Bay's chest.
"There is your little girl," the doctor announces.