CHAPTER 25
ARIA POV
I still can't get over the fact that Wren tried to kill me. It's been a month and a few weeks and I flinch every time I hear a door close. I put a lock on my bedroom drop and all my windows and so have the girls.
Emily said that she is starting to want Alyssa out of her. She said that she is getting Brandon hicks (false contractions), her nausea is coming back a little, that she is very tired and sleeps a bit, that she keeps leaking from her boobs and that she has just had enough. We're all happy for her but all afraid, me especially. Everyone knows what Wren did to me and I wasn't pregnant. But what could he do to Emily after the baby is born? She'll be weak and tired, being an easy target. We need to do something before this year ends otherwise we are going to have so many more problems.
EMILY POV
I've just about had it. I'm so uncomfortable and tired. It's hard to sleep, I keep trying to find a position that isn't uncomfortable to sleep in and by the time I do I'm not tired anymore. I have gotten some sleep but not much. I been doing the best I can at yoga, it's all I really want to do at the moment. Dad has been super helpful with everything. He bought me some clothes for the baby and went down to the bank to set up an account for Alyssa. I've been giving it heaps of thought, I don't think I want to be in a relationship after Alyssa is born, not for a while, maybe not ever. It'll just be me and my girl for a while. I want to raise my girl to be smart, kind and to earn everything she gets. Just like how my parents raised me and no matter who she chooses to become I will support her. I want to shield her from her father as much as possible. There will come the day when she will have to know the truth and I dread that day. I still have the position of assistant swim coach at school and I've been helping but they said for the rest of my pregnancy to take the time off and maybe when I come back I can be swim coach, (I know that probably requires a teaching degree but let's pretend for a bit that it doesn't), to be coach would be an absolute honour.
I'm about 1 week from my due date and I've just about had it. I keep getting Brandon hicks which hurt a lot so then it worries me what really labour will be like, will I get an epidural or will I not? I honestly don't know. Mum and dad are out doing something I had to reassure them numerous times that I'll be fine for an hour or so, I look at the clock and it's boarding on 2pm. Toby and Spencer will be here soon, they said they'd come around and just stay with me. I go to get up to go downstairs when a terrible pain shots through me and I collapse on my bedroom floor. "AHHHH" I hurts a lot. I wait a few minutes after it goes away to get up but when I do it comes again and I'm back on the floor. I crawl over to my bed and grab my phone. I find toby's number and ring it. As it rings another contraction comes.
Toby: Hey Em, where almost at yours
Me: Toby (I breathe out in pain)
Toby: Em, what's wrong?
Me: The baby, she's coming
Toby: We'll be right there. Can you meet us at the front door?
Me: No, I hurts Toby. I collapsed under the pain, I don't want to collapse on the stairs
Toby: We're pulling up now, bye
Me: Bye.
I put the phone down and breathe in and out. "Well looks like you want to come out early. Not that I'm complaining but hon, maybe let my water break first as a warning." I tell Alyssa and as soon as I say that my water breaks. Another contraction hits and I groan in pain. "EMILY!" I hear Spencer's voice float up the stairs. "Up here," I manage to get out. Footsteps get louder than Toby and Spencer appear. They rush over and bend down to my level. "Are you ok, do you want to try and stand?" Spencer asks but I'm too afraid. "No, I'm worried I'll fall or something will happen. The pain is horrifying Spence, I'm too afraid to move in case it makes it worse." I explain. Toby scoops me up and I wrap my arms around him. "Spence, can you grab the hospital bag and my phone please?" "Sure thing."
We get out to the car and Toby helps me in. "Are you ok?" He asks. "I just need to get this baby out of me." I tell him, he laughs a little and closes the door. As we drive to the hospital I send a text to the girls and then ring my dad.
Dad: Hey Emmy, we'll be home in a few minutes
Me: Dad, don't come home. I need you and mum to meet me at the hospital
Dad: Is everything ok, what's going on?
Me: Alyssa has decided to come early
Dad: Ok, just breathe Emmy we'll be right there.
Me: I love you daddy
Dad: Love you too Emmy
I hang up and I grasp Spencer's hand tightly. "It'll be ok Em. Just think soon you'll have your little girl." She tries to encourage me but it doesn't help. "Spence, I don't know what to do. At least with her being in me I can protect her. The pain of going through labour from what I read is awful and apparently sometimes epidurals don't help. I don't want my little girl to be taken from me." I start to bawl my eyes out. "Em, no matter what we will all be here for you and Alyssa." Toby says, "Right Spence?" He continues. "Of course, no matter what." She tells me.
We pull up at the hospital and Spencer gets me a wheelchair. We rush in and within a few minutes I've changed into a hospital gown and I'm in my room. A nurse or doctor walks in and speaks to me. "Hello Emily, I'm Doctor Smith. Now your midwife will along shortly but for the moment can I get you something to help with the pain?" He asks. "No thanks, I'm going without" I say and Toby laughs. "No problem, now as I said your midwife will be along in a bit so just buzz if you need anything." He says and leaves. Spencer went to meet the girls and my parents should be here any moment. "Thanks for staying with me." I say and look over at Toby. "Em your one of my best friends, to leave you alone at this point in time would be cruel of me." He says dramatically and I laugh. "Oh thank you kind sir, I don't know what I would do without you." I say.
Moments later my parents come in and my mum is gushing with excitement. "Oh Emily, sweetheart. Are you ok?" She asks. "Well you went through labour too so I think I don't need to answer, oww" I cry. I start as deeply as I can to try and help through this contraction and my mum rubs my back in up and down motions. "It hurts." I tell her. "I know baby, I know." She tells me. There's a knock on the door and a woman appears. "Hi, you must be Emily?" She asks and I nod. "Yeah, who are you?" I ask unsure. "I'm Jessica your midwife." As soon as she says that I smile. "Please come in." She closes the door and comes over. "So do you mind if I check how much you've dilated?" She asks. "Yes, please do. The more the know how much closer I am to this being over the happier I'll be." I tell her. "I'm going to go and find Spence." Toby says and leaves the room. "Ok Emily, you're about 4cm dilated and I was told that you went into labour about 15 minutes ago, is that right?" She says. "Yes." I tell her. "Well my dear, if you keep going at this rate your baby should be delivered within an hour or two. I'll be back to check on you in a bit but alert someone to get me or your doctor if anything changes ok?" "Ok. Thank you." I say and she leaves the room. But as she does everyone else comes in. Everyone hugs me, even Jason because he's here too. "Hey Em, how are you?" He asks. "I'm ok, I'm in a lot of pain though." I say. "Why don't you get some medicine for the pain then?" Hanna asks. "Because I want to go through this feeling everything. We've been through some crazy shit so how hard can this be?" I say. "You're choice." Hanna replies. "So how long do you think you'll stay here for?" Caleb asks. "Um, maybe a night. Just to get some help with breastfeeding and anything else I need." I say. "Do you know how long until the baby arrives?" Aria asks. "No, they midwife said I'm 4cm into this so hopefully not too much longer." I rub my stomach.
1 hour later
It hurts so much and the contractions are becoming more and more frequent. The doctor and the midwife got everyone but my mum and dad out of the room, Jessica said at any moment I could be ready to push. "Oww!" I cry. "Ok Emily, I'm just going to check and see how far along you are. Ok, you're ready. So on your next contraction push as hard as you can, ok?" "Ok." I breathe out. "Oh my god, here it comes" I say. "Ok push Emily, push." She tells me and I push as hard as I can. "You can do Emily."
ARIA POV
We're all sitting waiting, hoping that Emily and the baby are going to be ok. "Hey, you ok?" Spencer comes over and asks. "Yeah I'm fine." I say. "Where's Ezra?" She asks gently like something's wrong. "Um down at Rosewood PD, he's trying to do everything he can to track down Wren. He knows how afraid I am. I'm practically at his place almost every night. My parents are over in Iceland at the moment trying to find anything they can that's linked to James from when we were there and as for Mike well he's only home a little bit which is when I stay but otherwise he's with a friend or with me and Ezra." I feel my eyes well up and I blink them away. "It's going to be ok, we're going to get him." She comforts me.
½ an hour later
The door to Emily's room opens and the doctor walks out. "You're all waiting for Ms Fields?" He asks. "Yeah," we all stand up and walk over. "I'm happy to say that they're both fine. Ms Fields has given birth to a beautiful baby girl. I told them just to send someone out when they're ready for all of you to come in." He walks away and there's smiles on everyone's faces. "Well Ali, I think it's good that we have a new member to the family, it'll bring everyone together. Not that you guys aren't family…" Jason starts to ramble but Spencer stops him. "Jason, we understand." He smiles and stops talking.
EMILY POV
I hold my baby girl tightly in my arms and look at her with aw. She has my eyes, I can see some of Wren in her but I don't know how permanent it is. "I promise baby girl, I will protect you." I whisper.
Kisses lovelies- A