All familiar characters are JEs, not mine. I make no money. Just doing this for fun and cause I'm bored at work! Also first story so reviews and constructive criticism welcome! ENJOY!
Sorry its been a while. I went on vacation and like I've said before I do this for fun at work when its slow.
This chapter is long. And maybe a little graphic. I don't see a lot of men reading this kind of fanfiction so most women will be fine with the childbirth process.
Enjoy.
…
STEPH
"You think you were a little harsh on him?" Cat asked me as we were pulling onto the highway.
"NO. He made me go into labor early by breaking into my house in the middle of the night. I should have run him over with my car, throwing a toaster was me being nice."
"You threw a toaster at him?" She looked over at me, obviously trying not to laugh.
"Hit him right in the head." I said smugly.
"Well you're still alive after throwing a toaster at Ranger Manoso, so I definitely say he loves you." Her eyes wide.
"I hit Daddy with my baseball bat." Alex said from the back seat.
"What?" I was laughing now too.
"Well I thought he was a stranger kissing Momma, so I hit him in the leg. And then again in the face. I didn't know it was Daddy though!" Poor little guy looks so upset and guilty.
"So it sounds like your reunion went well." I asked Cat.
"Yeah. I mean I suppose I knew it would happen eventually, and Sam, I missed him like crazy. As soon as I was around him for more than five minutes again I just couldn't resist him." She looked like a love struck teenager and I envied her right now.
"How did he take the news about Alex?" I wondered how Lester would react to knowing he had a five year old.
"He already knew, probably came up on whatever report was run so he wanted to meet him. Then Alex gave him a black eye." She smiled.
"I didn't mean to!" Alex interjected from the back seat.
"You gonna give that massive rock back to him?" She asked me, I had totally forgotten about the ring on my finger.
"No. It's mine. I'm keeping it. He gave me 15% in Rangeman, too. And never told me about it. And made me a core team member. The other guys knew too and didn't tell me!" I was getting fired up again.
"So you're mad he gave you a massive amount of stock in a multi-million dollar company and trusted you enough to be a member of his most trusted circle." I didn't like that she was making me sound irrational.
"He didn't even ask me. He just did it. That's what I'm upset about." I had told her about the things him and Joe would do and knew I hated having other people make choices for me.
"Ok, I'll agree with you on that one, but why he did it was for the right reasons. He loves you." We were pulling off onto Bagley road and I was getting nervous.
"Do you think we should have stayed at home a little while longer? I mean my contractions are pretty far apart. They could be Braxton hicks, too."
"You're three weeks early and I'll put twenty bucks on your blood pressure being through the roof. You need to go." Dammit. I hated hospitals.
I even entertained the possibility of having an at home birth so I wouldn't have to spend time in the hospital, but as soon as they told me no epidural at home, hospital it was.
I had been here before for a few rounds of testing so we knew exactly where to go. We parked in the lot, went through the lobby and up the elevator to the maternity ward.
"Ah, crap!" Another one hit. They were getting stronger but I was getting used to them, and more prepared knowing they were coming.
There was an intercom on the wall to get buzzed in. The doors were locked at all times.
"Name Please." The woman asked right in the middle of the damn contraction.
"Samantha Costas. I'm three weeks early." It took a minute or two for them to look up my name, and by that point the contraction has passed and they buzzed us in.
At the front desk we got checked in and put into a labor and delivery room. I had bought my own labor gown on Amazon so I wasn't subjected to having to wear one of those awful backless hospital gowns and felt a lot more covered. I was then fitted with fetal monitors strapped around my belly and told to get comfortable.
Alex wasn't technically allowed in here, but until Lester got here, he would have to stay with us. We had originally made arrangements for Doug to take him for a sleepover with his son, but they are at Cedar Point for the weekend.
Another nurse came in while my nurse, Ashley, was hooking me up to everything annoying thing they had.
"Mrs. Costas, there are two gentlemen here at reception, uh, Mr. Manoso and Mr. Santos, requesting visitation. Would you like them to come up?"
I looked at Cat. I knew Lester had to come up to get Alex, but I wasn't really ready to see Ranger right now.
"Do you really want him to miss the birth of his baby?" She asked me. She was better at guilt tripping than my mother was. Thankfully she didn't use her powers often.
"Fine. But I reserve the right to kick anyone out." I told her.
"Just say the word and they're gone."
The on call doctor came in to check my progress and Cat and Alex went to get Lester and Ranger.
"Alright Mrs. Costas you're doctor has notes in your chart you were already starting to efface a little bit, but you're only about 40% right now and only maybe 2cm dilated. When did you start having pain?"
"About an hour ago. I think this was more stress related to be honest. The nurse said my blood pressure was high, too." I admitted a little shyly. Cat was right. I needed to be here. Dammit.
"Well check it again shortly, it's always higher when you first come in, nerves and all. If it is early labor brought on by stress, it will probably take longer." The doctor told me sounding sympathetic, and I appreciated that.
"Just great."
"It's good that you came in when you did though, being a little early. Were also going to give you a steroid shot to help increase the baby's lung development. You're all hooked up now, so you can walk around, just be mindful of the monitors, this one will keep track of your contractions. Well check your progress again in about half an hour. And your doctor should be arriving not long after that." The doctor seemed nice enough.
The nurse came in and explained the steroids and stuck the needle into my thigh which hurt worse than any normal shot should.
I was sitting on the side of the bed, one hand rubbing small circles on my belly. The motion was relaxing me.
I wasn't sure what to say to Ranger. I'd had a little bit of time to calm down and think about everything. Cat was right. He was wrong in not talking to me first, but what he did was out of love. And I did love him. More than anything. I wanted him here. Especially now that I knew he felt the same way and wasn't going to look at me and our son like a burden or a mistake.
I knew we had a lot of things to talk through. I'd realized after leaving I had been immature in a lot of the decision I'd made and needed to grow the fuck up. Everything from burning the dining room table I caught Dickhead and Bimbo Barbie on to getting kidnapped, tossed over bridges, whatever. I made hasty choices that I thought was right in the moment and didn't think about the consequences of those actions.
I would say it wasn't my fault, and sometimes it really wasn't. But most of the things that happened to me was from me sticking my nose where it didn't belong or avoiding using the resources at my disposal due to stupid pride. I was so hellbent on doing things on my own and proving I could do them, I never stopped to think about alternatives.
If I had gotten the training that I knew I needed, I could have defended myself better. I wouldn't get kidnapped as often. If I had kept my trackers on me, I would have been found before damn near dying in a cabinet. I would have been more physically capable of taking down my captures without rolling in garbage and being made the laughing stock of the police department.
I knew all of these things would have made me a better bounty hunter and if I was trained properly and good at my job maybe my mother and Joe wouldn't have given me so much crap about quitting. It probably would have raised my self-esteem, giving me the courage to actually get my own love life in order. Telling Joe we didn't work and telling Ranger how I felt years before everything fell apart and felt I had not other choice than to leave.
Now I knew. Old Stephanie was reckless.
Ranger loved me. Not just as entertainment or some other crap, but actually wanted to be with me. I was playing with the ring around my left ring finger when I heard his voice from the doorway.
"That doesn't come off. It never should have come off in the first place." He walked over to me and sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"I'm sorry for throwing kitchen appliances at you." I said looking into my lap. I was ashamed for the way I acted.
"You didn't shoot me, so I'll take it as a win." He smiled a little.
"If you had just told me any of this, I never would have left. I left because I didn't want to be a financial burden and have my son grow up having the Burg think he was a mistake or anything less than perfect." I told Ranger
"He's a boy?" Ranger asked placing his hand on my belly. I put my hand on top of his and it felt warm and right.
"I actually don't know. I keep calling them a him, and Cat keeps calling them her. Alex sides with me too. We tried twice to get an anatomy scan and he was about as cooperative as you." I laughed.
"Doesn't matter, Steph, as long as you're both healthy." He had taken my hands in his and was rubbing small circles on the back of them with his thumbs.
A contraction hit and it felt stronger than the other ones. I stood up, keeping rangers hands in mine, but squeezing them. He took his right hand back and started doing deep massage on my back. It almost hurt but was relieving the tightness.
"It's almost over, see the lines on the monitor, they are going down." He pointed to the paper coming out of the machine the doctor told me monitored the contractions. It looked like a mountain but the little needle was going lower and lower. The pain and tightness finally eased up and I sat back down on the bed.
"When did you learn about this stuff?" I asked.
"Honestly? On the car ride over here. I spent that ten-minute drive googling everything I could about how to help with labor. Which isn't much so be patient with me. And please don't ask questions." He laughed. It was a first to see Ranger admit he didn't know something.
"I'm scared." I admitted. And he knew it was not just about the baby and the birth, but about us too.
"Me too. But I promise to never do anything without asking you first. And always support you no matter what as long as we can compromise. Steph, if you agree, I'm all in. No breaks, not back and forth, no engaged to be engaged bullshit." We both laughed at that. What a fiasco that was.
He lifted my chin so I had to look directly in to his eyes. There was no blank face. No anger, no resentment towards me, just chocolate brown eyes.
"This is it. Just you and me. Our family." He said and I had never wanted anything more in my life.
"I get to be Stephanie Plum again?" I was tired of faking. It was so much work keeping lies straight.
"No." That shocked me a little bit. Why couldn't I go back to being Stephanie?
"You'll be Stephanie Manoso. And our child will be…..what did you pick out for names?" I smiled a little.
"Well now that you're here, if you don't like them we have some time to think of something else. If it's a girl, Rosa Constance. I know your Abuela Rosa was special to you. And Connie cause without her we never would have met."
"It's perfect." He lifted my hand to kiss it.
"I was having a really hard time with boy's names. Alex already has Alejandro. Carlos was first pick, but the middle name stumped me. My dad's name was Francis and Tank was Pierre so those are both out. With Ricardo, I thought people would call him Ricky, and I have to admit I didn't really like it. Cuban and named Ricky?" I laughed.
"We don't have to name him after me, or anyone in our families, Babe. He can have any name we choose." I had felt the need to honor him since he wasn't here, but now that he is, I suppose he's right.
"I always liked Michael." Michael was one of those normal but biblical names I always loved. And it was never Italian enough for anyone in the Burg.
"You know Saint Michael is the patron saint of the military and police?" He asked me.
"I knew Michael was an Archangel from my years in Catholic Church, and considering I have family in the force and service, and I dated a cop for years, I suppose I should have known that."
"Not a widely known fact. How about a middle name?"
I thought about it in my head for a minute, how certain names would sound together,
"Michael Carlos Manoso, get over here!" I mocked yelled.
"Already getting yelled at before he's even born. Definitely my child." Ranger said looking slightly amused. Slightly worried.
"What were you like as a child? I know about the teenage years, but you never told me about anything else."
"I know I haven't been very forthcoming with information about my life. But I promise anything you want to know and I can tell you without threat of a court martial, I will." He promised and I knew he meant it.
"I don't want to know about anything mission related. I don't need to. I want to know who Carlos was, before the Army. What was it like growing up?" I didn't know much about Ranger's life before he became 'Ranger'. Hell I hardly knew anything about that life either.
"Well let's hope this is a little Manoso girl, because my sisters were perfect little angels. Always hard working, smart, respectful, obedient. Manoso men tend to run more on the wild side." He continued to tell me about his childhood and some of the antics he got into.
He was helping me through another contraction when Cat walked in with Lester and Alex in tow. Lester's eye was swelling and turning purple and neither of them looked too happy.
"How ya holding up? I see you're still here, so I'm guessing better?" Cat asked walking over to me while looking at Ranger.
"This sucks." I was gripping Rangers hand, and though I was getting used to the cramping pain, it still hurt like a bitch.
"Thank you Kelly, for taking care of her these last months." Ranger told her.
"Kind of weird having everyone call me Kelly again after so long." She said.
"Do I have to call you Kelly now? Or can I still call you Momma?" Alex asked.
"Never call me anything but Momma." She ruffled his hair.
Just then my OB Dr. Johnson came in the room.
"Well Samantha, looks like we have a full house again today." He ruffled Alex's hair. After the second ultrasound Alex came to, he and Dr. Johnson were buddies.
"Were going to get ready to check your progress again, so were going to need everyone but Sam out of the room please."
Ranger looked at me with a mix of please don't make me leave and you can't make me. I wasn't really sure how I was going to explain this one. According to Dr. Johnson I was Samantha and my husband died just before I found out I was pregnant. And Cat was already listed on my paperwork as my support persons.
And that made me think of a whole other set of problems. I wasn't Stephanie Plum having a baby. I was Samantha Costas. Any my son was supposed to have the last name Costas. My mind was going a mile a minute while the doctor and Ranger just stared at me.
"Sam?" Dr. Johnson was trying to get my attention.
I looked up at him with wide eyes
"Are you ok? Do I need to call security?" Dr. Johnson whispered to me.
"Um…Um…" I was looking around the room failing to think of something to say. The doctor was looking at me with concern and went to reach for his phone, I'm guessing to call security, so I just blurted out,
"This is the, um, baby's father. I'm Stephanie Plum. Long story. He can stay." I didn't really mean to blurt it out that way. Both Ranger and the doctor just looked at me while Cat and Lester giggled.
Alex was just plain confused. He looked like a puppy flopping his head to the side.
"Your name is Stephanie? And your husband is alive?" Dr. Johnson was also very confused.
"Long story?" I shrugged.
"We're going to need some kind of confirmation on that before filling out more paperwork, I guess, but that won't affect the current situation." He seemed to be more accepting of my crazy situation than I would have been.
"Mr. what's your name?" He asked Ranger while shaking his hand.
"Manoso." He responded.
"Mr. Manoso, if Sam, I'm sorry, Stephanie, was it?" I nodded." If Stephanie would like you to stay, that's fine by me, but you will have to change your clothing. You can't be in here while she gives birth covered in what smells and looks like motor oil."
Lester was giggling again from the corner of the room and Ranger glared at him.
Ranger looked down at his clothes like he had completely forgotten he was splattered with oil. It was still in his hair making it look wet and overly slicked.
"Let's get her checked real quick then we can decide if you have time for a quick run home, or if you will be sporting a pair of our fashionable hospital scrubs." The doctor told him.
Cat ushered Lester and Alex out of the room to wait in the hall as the doctor and Ranger helped me slide down and assume the position, I was all too familiar with at this point.
I knew it was irrational but being naked from the waist down with my legs straight up in the air with another man poking around down there was making me really self-conscious with Ranger here.
Sure, Ranger had had me in a similar position, more than once, and I'm pretty sure that position is what got me here in the first place, but it wasn't quite the same.
"Alright, you're about at 50% and maybe 2cm, which isn't much of a change from before. This is probably going to be a long first stage, I hate to tell you."
"How long?" I had heard horror stories about women being in labor for days and that was NOT something I was planning on doing. I would have a C-section before that happened.
"Hard to say, every birth is different. We'll avoid medical intervention for as long as possible and allow the body to do what it's supposed to. We will allow you to eat something small now, but after that its ice chips and popsicles. And Mr. Manoso you have plenty of time to go home and shower and change."
"Can I have someone bring me clothes and the use shower here?" He asked the doctor.
"I prefer you not if that is indeed motor oil." The doctor looked him over again.
"I'll stay, you and Lester can take Alex home and go shower and get fresh clothes and whatever else you need. There's a mall I'm sure you passed on the way in, in Strongsville. You'll find everything you need there. Here is my cell phone till you get your own, we will call if anything happens." Cat told him handing over her cell phone.
Ranger looked less than pleased but Cat told him, "Can't be here for the birth if you don't leave to shower now." And that seemed to motivate him to leave.
"Ok. Give me a minute." He told the doctor and Cat and they both left the room, leaving us alone again.
"I will be back. I won't be more than an hour. What would you like to eat?" He was playing with my now blonde hair.
"Do you like the blonde?" I asked. I was a little nervous he wouldn't
"It's not you, but yes, I like it if you do." Vague answer there.
He leaned down and put his forehead to mine and kissed me. Slow and sweet.
"Dibella's, across from the mall. A Cheesesteak. With fries." I smiled at him.
"How about a salad?" He smiled.
"I've had enough salad to last me a lifetime the last seven months. Bring me cheese and carbs."
"Yes, Ma'am." He kissed me one last time before leaning down to kiss my belly and walking out the room. Cat came back in and sat in the chair next to the bed.
"Well that looks promising." She smiled at me.
"So does you and Lester." I said.
"We almost got in a fight in the cafeteria."
Another contraction hit, they were getting worse. I guess that meant labor was progressing and I was actually thankful for it.
"Alright, breathe. Deep, slow, breaths." Cat said
"Tell me about the fight, keep my mind off it." I was trying to breath, but if I had something else to concentrate on it made it pass quicker.
"Ok, well he started in about how much we were going to love Trenton. I don't want to move to Trenton. I don't want to move to New Jersey. I have no interest in that, no offense. Alex has friends here and I like my house. I'm not moving!"
"Do you want to be with him? Ahhg." I was standing up now and slowly pacing. Between that and Cat talking it was helping keep my mind off it.
"Yes. But not in Trenton. Why can't he move to Cleveland? I like it here, more than I originally thought I would." I had to agree with her there, I did like it here, too.
The contraction was passing and I was able to relax again.
"So tell him that. Try to compromise. Lester will probably move anywhere you are, and there's enough crime and money in Cleveland that a Rangeman branch would be pretty damn profitable."
"Oooo, that's good. I can even make him think it was his idea." She had an evil grin on her face, it was a little scary.
Me and Kelly continued to talk till Ranger got back in almost exactly an hour. She decided to go back to being Kelly. It was confusing the hell out of me.
"You have another visitor." Ranger told me walking in while carrying a bag from DiBella's.
"Hector. I was wondering when he would show." I smiled. If anyone would follow Ranger to find me after finding out where I was, it would be him.
I took the bag and started scarfing down the sub before someone took it away from me.
Ranger just looked at me questioningly and I smiled. I was never sure if he knew about our monthly dinners, but it looked like no.
"He was at the house when we arrived. He's waiting in the living room." Ranger told me.
"You sure you want me to go?" Kelly asked. We had decided she could go home and spend time with Lester and Alex and Ranger would stay with me till things progressed further.
"We're good. And now I have Hector here, too." I smiled. The contractions were still like half hour to forty minutes apart and though getting worse, not progressing any closer.
She gave my hand a squeeze and smiled and glared a look at Ranger.
He gave her back her phone while she gave him a look a lot like her look of "You mess up and I'll beat your ass."
Kelly walked out and Ranger stood off to the side. Hector was practically running into the room.
"You are in trouble! How could you leave with mi ahijado and not tell me. And Lester told me you finally learned Spanish! I am so proud of you!" Hector was hugging me and gave me a kiss on the forehead.
"I'm sorry. I hope you understand why I left." I told him. He knew enough about me and Rangers relationship, I was pretty sure if anyone understood, it would be him.
"Are you going to let the pendejo step up?" He mock whispered to me.
"I am still your boss." Ranger scowled.
"I'm officially on vacation for a week. Tank approved it. So, not right now you aren't." Hector told Ranger with just the slightest hint of sass.
My eyes widened at the display in front of me. Hector stood his ground and Ranger eventually accepted he was right.
Right now he was just being my overprotective brother. And I loved him even more for it.
"What do you need? Anything." Hector asked me
"Ranger already brought me food." I said motioning to the empty bag.
"Fastest way to your heart." He laughed at me. I couldn't get mad, it was true.
"What about for the house? Do you have everything ready to go?" He asked.
"Yeah. Kelly insisted I have everything ready like two weeks ago. Which I guess now, in retrospect, she was right."
Hector was up and starting at my contraction print out.
"You're not progressing very quickly. How long have you been in labor?" He asked me.
"How the hell do you know about this stuff?" I asked.
"I was there for all three of Maria's bebes. You learn a thing or two." He smiled at me. I knew he was close with Maria, his cousin, and her kids but I didn't know he was there for all three of their births.
It was nice to have someone here who knew what was going on that I could trust. Ranger kept looking around the room and at me and his eyes were looking a little crazy.
I had only been in labor for about four hours at this point, but I had had enough.
"Estephania, this could take a very long time. You need to try and get some sleep now before they start getting worse. I will stay if you would like me here, but I think you should try to get some sleep for a little while." He told me. I knew he was right, but I don't think I could sleep in here if I tried. All the beeping and people not even the fact that it was broad daylight.
"He's right Babe." Ranger told me.
"Fine. What will you do?" I asked Hector.
"I will go make sure the house is perfect and cook lots of food for the next few weeks. Ella will also be bringing some with her and Tank and Bobby when they come out in a few days. They wanted to give you time first."
"My hero." I said to him. Ranger didn't seem to like that.
"Do you want me to call your Madre?" He asked. I hadn't actually thought about them yet. So much had happened in just the last few hours.
"Um, does anyone outside of Rangeman know?" I asked.
"Just us. And even then not all of Rangeman. The Burg will not get wind of it." He promised me, rubbing the back of my hand.
"Yeah. Just my mom and dad though. Grandma will call everyone she knows." I loved my grandmother dearly, but she was the worst of the gossip queens. I had figured out the last few months my grandmother was a great help with her Burg knowledge and gossip, but she also caused her fair share of problems. Stiva's being one of them. Lula was the same. She was always willing to go along and help but would leave when things got weird. Or scary. Or the police were involved. She had abandoned me more times than I should have allowed. I already knew I needed to change the way people treat me and I suppose this was a good first step.
"Ok. Well I do not want to keep you from resting, but you WILL tell me everything when you get home with my newest ahijado. I'll be back when you are ready." He kissed me on the forehead again and I was thankful to have such an understanding and caring friend.
"Te amo Hermano." I said to him.
"Te amo Hermana." He smiled at me before walking out the door.
"Hector was the one you were seeing at least once a month." Ranger didn't really ask as much as stated a fact.
"I kind of thought you knew." I smiled right as another contraction hit.
Ranger came over and started rubbing my back again.
"Hector is sneaky." Ranger commented.
As the contraction came and went, I decided to take the doctors and Hectors advise and try to get some rest. Ranger refused to leave and stayed in the recliner next to the bed, reading everything he could about labor and delivery.
The contractions were still 30 minutes apart and I was only able to sleep for 20 minutes at a time. It felt like eternity.
Around 3 p.m. the doctor came to check on me again, and I wasn't much further than I was the last check. He just told me to "hang in there" and I wanted a toaster to throw at him, too.
By 7 p.m. I'd given up on sleeping. The nurse told me I could only have small foods and liquids. Thank God I ate a massive sandwich for lunch.
My new night nurse suggest I try walking the halls, and brought a ball for me to bounce on at Ranger's request.
"It's like one of those things we had when we were kids, just with no handle." I joked at Ranger while bouncing.
"It supposed to help move the baby further into position and loosen the pelvis." Ranger told me.
"How much time have you spent googling since we got here?" I asked bouncing up and down. It was kind of fun and a break from being in bed with everything beeping at me.
"When you are finished bouncing, were going to try rocking on your hands and knees." He said before looking at his phone again, "It's supposed to encourage faster dilation and effacement." He said.
"Screw the ball, how do I do that?" I was excited there was something I could try to get this process moving faster.
Ranger showed me pictures on his phone of what to do and helped get me into the position.
"Didn't you read any of the books or articles about birth and labor?" Ranger asked me, and I felt stupid for not doing so.
"I honestly kind of hoped it would just happen and I wouldn't have to worry about any of it. I never imagined I would be here like this, especially you being here to help me. I thought Kelly would be here and she would know what to do and tell me what was going on." I had been in denial about the whole birth process and liked it there.
Another contraction hit, and it was a few minutes before I was expecting it. It felt about the same but the fact that they were finally coming quicker meant things were finally starting to move forward.
Ranger helped me rock back and forth for a while before we decided to go for a walk. The maternity ward was small and I couldn't leave, but it was better than my little room.
As he helped me through another contraction and unhooked things to be hooked back up to the waking unit the nurse showed him earlier, we started our stroll around the maternity ward.
"So are you going to keep the ring on?" Ranger asked me after our first lap around.
"Depends. Are you going to force me to stay locked in your brick fortress and never see the light of day again?" I smirked. He joked about handcuffing me to things before and as fun as that sounded now, I knew he would really do it if he felt I was in danger.
"Over the last few months I've been told I'm a little too controlling when it comes to you. And I see now how someone could think that." Ranger admitted almost embarrassed. This was a whole new side of him and I was loving it. Batman's human side.
"Bruce Wayne was just a human man, Babe. With lots of money and lots of tech toys."
"Dammit, I was doing so good about not saying stuff out loud anymore."
"Don't ever stop. How else am I supposed to know what's going on in there?" He kissed the top of my head.
We continued to walk while I thought about it. Could I really be Stephanie Manoso?
The thought of marriage after the Dick made me break out in hives and start to hyperventilate, but not now. I could see my life with Ranger, and as fairytale as it seemed, I knew there would be difficult discussions and compromises neither of us really liked, but I could see it. And I was happy in it. I knew there really never was another option for happiness, and that's one of the reasons I left. I looked up at Ranger after making the second lap.
"Were going to need to expand seven." I didn't really care if we stayed on seven or moved somewhere else, but I knew he would understand what I was saying.
"Babe." He half whispered before grabbing both sides of my face and kissing me hard, right in the middle of the maternity ward.
There were whispers and cat calls and my cheeks instantly turned red. I hung my head and started walking back to my room.
"Done already?" Ranger asked me.
"I just have to pee. Again." I told him while closing the bathroom door. I loved the man, but there was no way I was letting him see me on the toilet.
As I finished up in the bathroom and started walking out another contraction hit, this one lasting longer than the last and felt slightly more intense.
"They are getting stronger and quicker" My new nurse Becky told me. I didn't like Becky. She was perky and happy and looked like she was the cheerleader in Highschool.
She was also constantly staring at Ranger. I know the man is like a God, carved out of granite, but I'm the patient and I was losing my patience with her.
"The doctor is going to come in again to check on you in a few minutes. You can keep all your walking monitors on if you'd like but go ahead and get on the bed." She told me.
I knew this was going to be another, different doctor and I was less than pleased another person was getting up close and personal with my hoo-ha, so when Dr. Johnson walked in, I was pleasantly surprised.
"Thought I gave up on you, did you?" He smiled at me surprise. It was well past 9 p.m. and I had thought he would have gone home.
"I did go home, but it's Monday, the Browns aren't playing, and my wife has her mother visiting till Wednesday. Having a patient in labor is an awesome excuse to get out of the house." He laughed.
"Let's see how things are going here." He said looking at the contraction readout from the last few hours.
"Alright now, lets do a quick dilation check." I slid down into position and felt just as red faced as the first time as Ranger stood off to the side.
"We're getting there. I'd say about 80% and maybe 4 centimeters. It's slow but its progress and that's what we want to see. If things stall, we'll have to jump start your labor again with oxytocin and were going to try and avoid that."
"So, there's a drug that will speed this up? Why have I not been given this already?!" Now I was getting pissed.
"It's not always effective and new research finds it to be unnecessary in most cases. Adding any medication isn't without its risks, including its own risks to the baby."
Damnit.
"I know we talked about an epidural, but you'll be confined to bed once its administered, and the walking and other measures are showing they are helping. I suggest you hold off on that as well."
"From my understanding she should be able to walk after an epidural." Ranger asked. He really was googling for a while.
"This hospital policy states no. It can increase her fall risk, and any falling in her stage can be dangerous, so we avoid it. I can't tell you what options to choose but I can inform you of the risks involved with them."
Ranger and the doctor started talking about risks with epidurals and other pain management options and the more I learned the more I concerned I was. Not about the risks themselves, but that Ranger was going to try to talk me out of it.
"Mr. Manoso. As much as I appreciate your interest in the matter, its ultimately Sam's, I mean Stephanie's, decision. You have no legal say in the matter."
HA! Yeah! Go Dr. Johnson! I was smiling, and Ranger looked pained. Crap.
"Labor is still early stages and slow so I'm going to suggest a small amount of Ambien. It wont effect you or the baby negatively, and will help you sleep for a while. It will be a very small dose so if you start having stronger contractions, those will wake you up."
"Thank you." I told him. Sleeping sounded awesome right now.
"I'll be here through the night if only to avoid my mother in law. I would never wish a three-day labor on any woman, but in this case, I would be forever grateful." He smiled at me and Ranger before leaving.
"I will rip this child from my body before I stay in labor for three whole days." I gritted through clenched teeth as another contraction came rippling through me.
"I want to talk about the epidural risks" he said while rubbing my back.
"I know the risks, I just heard all about them. Still happening." I was used to the contraction pain now and able to work through it without too much effort.
"Stephanie, "I cut him off before he could finish.
"You are not the one having your insides squeeze every twenty minutes. The squeezing will only get more frequent and stronger. You are not the one having a human attempt to squeeze out of an opening the size of a bagel. YOU do not get to make this choice."
Ranger didn't look happy but didn't say anything to argue against me either. It created a weirdness between us suddenly and now I wasn't sure how to deal with it.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you." I said getting back up to walk around some more.
"No. You're right. This is your body and you have the choices here. Not that I would, or could, force you on this, but I promised we would compromise more. You are allowing me to be here and be a part of this, but its not me going through it." He was being very understanding. It was weird.
He helped me up off the bed and we continued to walk around for another hour. Then bounced on the ball and rocked on my knees. The contractions were still about fifteen minutes apart by 1 a.m. and I wasn't progressed much further.
"Ok. I'm going to try to sleep a little more. I'm exhausted." I told Ranger climbing back into bed. I hit the call button on the bed and had the nurse bring me the Ambien. She said I could ask for it whenever I was ready. Ranger didn't look much better either. He laid back into the recliner and closed his eyes, holding my hand as I laid in the bed.
I must have finally fallen asleep for more than twenty minutes when I was woken up by one hell of a squeeze from my lower abdomen.
The sun was shining through the curtains and Ranger was wide awake.
"How long was I asleep?" It was hard to imagine sleeping in here at all, much less long enough for the sun to come up.
"Almost seven hours. I was shocked you stayed asleep through the contractions. They are getting to be less than ten minutes apart." Ranger told me.
I had never taken sleeping pills before but I could see how people got addicted to them.
A knock came at the door and Ashley came walking through. Thank God. I hated Becky.
"Good morning, Stephanie. Let's do quick vitals check then you have a very handsome little visitor waiting to see you."
She checked the blood pressure, fluids, monitors, all the fun stuff and shuffled little Alex into the room. He wasn't allowed to be in labor and delivery but he somehow managed to sweet talk his way in here again. I'm sure the fact that Dr. Johnson thought he was adorable helped.
"I thought the baby was gonna be here?" He looked so disappointed.
"He's taking longer than he should." I told Alex as Lester and Kelly came over to say hi.
Me and Kelly talked for a while with Alex and Lester and Ranger could be heard talking about prospective Cleveland Rangeman branches. They both agreed it needed more research and would look into it further while Lester roamed around the city for the next few days.
They only stayed for about half an hour, telling us they would be around the area today and to call us if anything happened.
Another contraction started right as they were leaving. Lester waked over to give me a hug to leave and I felt this slight pressure and warm wetness start running down my legs, creating a small puddle on the floor.
Alex started laughing and Lester looked down at his now wet boots.
"I don't want to know what that is but were going to buy new boots. Now." Lester said looking down at his shoes in disgust. Kelly laughed and walked out of the room to get Ashley my nurse.
"Did your water just break?" Ranger asked looking slightly pale. I honestly wasn't 100% sure if that was my water breaking or if the baby just jumped on my bladder, making me pee myself.
"Alright, now were getting somewhere!" She said as she walked in the room.
She grabbed some medical pads to soak up the fluid and shooed out Kelly, Lester and Alex.
"You don't have to lay back down for this if you don't want to but were going to test just to make sure that's amniotic fluid." She said grabbing a swab out of the medical cabinet.
She swabbed between my legs and the tip turned bright blue. I guess that meant yes.
"Alright, I'll give Dr. Johnson a call and let him know, then he'll be back up to check you again. This is progress, so fingers crossed it won't be too much longer now." She told us before walking out the room.
Ranger want saying anything just standing there. I was now feeling embarrassed and I could feel the flush rise in my cheeks.
"Um, I know this isn't exactly sexy, and you can leave whenever you want to. You don't have to stay here for this. Kelly was going to be here anyways so if you guys want to take Alex and go…."
"Babe, No. I'm sorry. This is all new to me. I'm just not sure what to do here and didn't have adequate time to research and make contingency plans." He was talking like this was a takedown.
"You know I'm very calculated. If this had been planned I would have spent months researching and creating SOPs and none of it would have mattered cause its you." He laughed. I knew he was right. I didn't exactly give him time to prepare for this.
Just then another contraction hit, much quicker than expected. We waited another hour for the doctor to come in and the contractions were now only five minutes apart and felt like they were ten times worse than before.
Ranger rubbed my back and said soothing things in my ears and at first it was everything I wanted. As more time and contractions went by I wanted nothing more than to throw more things at him.
Ashley came in to tell us Dr. Johnson was held up with another patient but would be in soon.
"What the hell is taking him so long?" I yelled at Ranger.
"You're probably not the only woman in labor today, Babe." I know he was being rational, but it wasn't helping.
"Why are they getting closer and closer so fast? I thought this took longer."
"Active labor is different for everyone and some lasts longer than other. This is good Steph, it means it's getting closer."
I had originally planned on getting an epidural and after thinking about it last night and hearing Ranger didn't want it and all the other risks, I decided against it. I know its probably totally safe but this was something Ranger felt strongly about. I knew I could do it.
Maybe
A few more minutes went by and Dr. Johnson finally came in.
"Ashley tells me your contractions have kicked up considerably, and your water broke on its own, so lets take a look and see where you're at."
As I got into the position, I was no longer embarrassed. I couldn't give a shit who saw me like this right now. My insides felt like they were being torn apart.
"Well that was quick." Dr. Johnson said.
"How far?" Ranger asked.
"I'd say about 7. We've got a little longer to go. The contractions will be stronger and much quicker. Get ready. Some take as little as twenty minutes, some take hours, but you seem to be progressing quickly though stage two and three so I'm going to get ready and I'll be back in twenty.
The doctors left and Ranger went into prep mode. He got the bed ready for me and started rummaging around in my bag for the blankets and clothes and all the other stuff that was set aside. I just stood there dazed.
"Babe, are you ok?"
"No. I'm not ready. It's too early. I was supposed to have another three weeks. Maybe more. The doctor said It might even take longer and I was banking on that extra week or two to mentally prepare myself for this."
"Steph. You've had almost nine months to prepare for this. It's happening weather you are ready or not. I'll be right here through everything." His words were calm and steady, but his eyes weren't his usual stoic pools.
"You're freaking out too?" I asked him. I could see it in his face. Usually it was blank or showed little emotion, but I could see it.
"No. I'm getting prepared." There was a slight sheen to his chest and forehead even though it was a comfortable 65 degrees in this room.
"Don't fucking lie to me right now. Shit!" I was double over as Ranger came running around the bed.
"Yes. I don't know how to help you here and I don't like seeing you in pain. I've had" He checked his watch "roughly 36 hours from finding you, to finding you pregnant, to you're about to have the baby. This is I how manage stress. I prepare. I focus on a task."
I was having a hard time focusing on anything other than the pain. These contractions were so much worse. It made the ones earlier feel like period cramps.
As it passed, I was finally able to relax again, but not for long as another one came less than two minutes later.
Ashley was in the room, waiting on the doctor and gave Ranger some tips to help me and positions to help with the pain. She suggested a bar in the bed to labor since the squatting position seemed the most comfortable.
I was in the bed now as Dr. Johnson came in about 20 minutes after he left. He check me again and I was already at almost 9 centimeters.
I knew I didn't want to be one of those women who cried and cried and said they couldn't do it and it was too hard and blah blah blah. I knew I wanted to be stronger than that, but I was having serious doubts about that now.
I went through another fifteen minutes of contractions before I felt this ungodly feeling of needing to push this thing out of my body.
"Alright Stephanie, it's go time. On the next contraction, take a few deep breath and push. Bear down and focus on it." Dr. Johnson told me.
Ranger and I were both quiet. Nothing to really say at the moment. He was holding my hand and wiping the sweat off my face and doing everything he was supposed to be doing.
After fifteen minutes of pushing I was losing my patience. Ranger was holding my left hand and I was suddenly pissed at him.
"This is all your fault!" I screamed at him while reaching my right hand up to punch him.
Ranger being Ranger, he dodged the punch and looked frightened. I never swung at him before, well except for stuff yesterday. He didn't say a word and never let go of my hand.
"You can't be bothered to play by your own fucking rules. You'd think you'd learn after Julie to be more careful. ARG!" My insides were rebelling against me and I could see the actual contractions in my belly.
"Focus Stephanie. Push." I kept pushing and following the doctors orders for another ten minutes.
"Why is this taking so long?!" I was pushing for almost a half hour and hadn't expected it to be like this. I thought this part was quick.
Ranger climbed into bed behind me and grabbed the backs of my knees. I wasn't as mad at him as I was ten minutes ago, but he still hadn't said much.
"Stephanie, you are the strongest woman I know. You can do this all day if that's what it takes. And I promise you it will all the worth it when its over." He whispered in my ear and his confidence in me gave me renewed energy.
I grabbed the bar, leaning forward with Ranger holding onto my knees. I waited for another contraction and pushed as hard as I could. I could feel the head starting to crown and was glad there wasn't a mirror to see. I didn't want it and sure as hell didn't want Ranger watching that. He may never have sex with me again after this. Not that I was every going to want to have sex after this.
"This baby has a full head of black hair." Ashley smiled to Ranger.
As the next contraction hit the doctor instructed me to push longer and harder. I kept pushing and pushing as I felt everything in my neither regions start to burn. Then I felt a slight release of the pressure.
"Heads out. Few more and well finally see who wins the bet." Dr. Johnson told me.
"A few more. Ok. I can do this. Ok." I was mentally trying to pump myself up.
"Babe, I love you." Ranger whispered behind me and it gave me everything I needed on the next contraction to push.
I felt the shoulders and the rest just slide right out like a wet gross mess and the doctor lifted him up for us to see.
"Looks like you and Alex win." He said holding onto my son while Ashley wiped him off and clamped the cord.
Ashley then took my gown and helped me unbutton the front as the doctor had Ranger cut the cord and then laid him down on my chest.
He was perfect. Black hair and deep dark blue eyes. His face was Ranger and skin was a mix of us both. He was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen in my life.
"Why hasn't he cried yet?" I asked Dr. Johnson getting worried.
"Some don't. He looks good, but well double check everything in a few minutes."
"He's amazing. You are amazing." Ranger was still behind me looking at our son. I wish I could see his face right now as he ran this thumb over the black slick hair.
We sat there for a few minutes just taking everyone in. The baby just started at me and Ranger and didn't make a sound. He looked at us taking everything in and closed his eyes and started to fall asleep.
"It's been a busy afternoon for him. I'm going to get him cleaned up, weight, measured, printed and all that fun stuff." Ashley told me as she took him from my arms.
"We still have a few more things to do here Stephanie." Dr. Johnson told me.
"Go with him." I told Ranger and he was off the bed following Ashley and our son to the other side of the room.
I delivered the placenta, got cleaned up and Ranger placed him back in my arms in less than 10 minutes.
"Seven pounds, ten ounces. Nineteen inches long. Big baby for three weeks early." Ashley told me as she took my cell phone off the counter and took a picture of me, Ranger and our son.
"Do we have a name for baby boy?" Ashley asked filling out tags for wristbands and basinets.
"Michael Carlos Manoso" We both said at the same time.
Ashley helped us get situated and Michael cried for the first time almost a half hour after he was born.
Ashley helped me get into position to breastfeed for the first time.
"This feels weird." I admitted. I didn't not like it, but it was weird.
"Yeah, you'll get used to it though. My first I thought I wasn't normal and couldn't do it and then it was like second nature by the end of the first week. Round two was even easier." She laughed.
Ranger hadn't taken his eyes off me or Michael and wasn't saying anything. Ashley walked out and said shed be back soon to check on us.
"I love you." He whispered to me and kissed me and then kissed Michael's forehead.
We sat there watching Michael eat from me for over forty five minutes as he drifted off and eventually fell of my nipple.
"That was by far the most exhausting thing I have ever done." I laid my head back on to the pillow and the last two days came crashing down on me. Michael was here. He was safe. He was fed and asleep in my arms and now I could barely keep my eyes open.
"You were amazing, Babe. I'll take Michael, so you can get some sleep. I already sent Lester a text and Kelly insisted they wait till you say you're ready."
"I don't want to sleep. I want to stare at him."
"You can stare at him when he wants fed again in two hours." Ranger lifted him off my chest and my arms fell to my sides. I watched at he took our sleeping son and sat down in the recliner next to me.
I was getting ready to say something when Ranger said to me, "We won't go anywhere, I promise."
I smiled and stared at the sight of the love of my life holding our son and thought how perfect everything finally was. After months of pain and turmoil and questions, I finally had answers and commitment and everything I never knew I wanted.