Chapter 25

A few weeks later...

Zoe was laying in bed, cuddling with Olivia. The little girl wasn't very well, she'd caught a summer cold.

Olivia sneezed. "Bless you" Zoe murmured to her daughter, wiping her nose. "I know" she sighed as Olivia began to cry. Zoe pulled her daughter close. "Shh, Mummy's here."

The family were having a lazy day, outside it was boiling hot, and Zoe was exhausted. She was counting down the days until she was going to be induced and finally, Oscar would come into the world- eight days.

"Here you are" Max brought Zoe a glass of water.

"Thanks." Zoe smiled, sitting up. A sharp pain shot down her back. She sucked in a breath.

"Are you alright?" Max asked.

"Yeah, I just moved too fast. Oscar's been kicking up a storm." Zoe sighed.

"I suppose that he just wants to see the world" chuckled her husband.

The consultant slipped a sleeping Olivia into Max's arms. "I'm a bit worried about her, I think that we should book her in for a check up- this is the first time she's been very poorly."

"I think so too" Max nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired" Zoe responded.

Max put his arm around her. "In eight days it'll all be over."

"Hmm." Zoe said, then winced as another pain, a little sharper this time, shot down her back.

"What's up?" Max noticed her face.

"Cramp, I expect. I've been laying down for too long. Can you get the phone, please? I'll ring up paediatrics to arrange an appointment for Olivia."

"Okay" Max got up and went into the living room to get the house phone.

Zoe swore as a third pain, worse than the first two, hit her. "Max" she called "I think that something's starting."

Max entered their bedroom again, a frown on his face. "You mean..?"

"Yes, you'd better call Connie instead. I think that Oscar wants to put in an appearance now instead of a week's time."

"Impatient, just like you then." Max grinned.

"Consider yourself lucky that you're not within shoving distance." Zoe growled out, and then gasped in pain as another contraction hit her back. "Hurry up!"

"You've got a choice : Dixie and Iain can come and get you in the ambulance or I can drive you to the hospital ." Max said to his wife. He was on the phone to Connie.

"Ambulance, in case anything goes wrong." Zoe said. "Plus I'm not sure if I entirely trust you with my car!"

"Zoe, it's okay, come on, you can do this." Max encouraged his wife a while later. Zoe's contractions were more close together, and she was trying to walk to the lift in the block of flats to get downstairs to the ambulance.

"Can you ask Dixie to bring a stretcher up?" Zoe asked, wincing in pain as she felt another contraction.

"Are you sure?"

The consultant nodded. "Is my bag ready and everything?"

"Yes" Max smiled at her. "Everything is ready for our baby boy." He reassured her, kissing her forehead. "Olivia has her coat on, her nappy bag is packed, and she's sat quite happily in the ambulance with Iain. I'm not sure if she likes his rendition of "Mary Had A Little Lamb," though."

Zoe chuckled, but then yelped. "Don't make me laugh, it hurts!"

"Right, Zoe Walker, 41. She's in labour, contractions every 4-6 minutes." Dixie reeled off Zoe's sats to Connie a while later.

"Right, we don't have any time to move Zoe to maternity, let's call the midwife and get her into a private room. I need a scanner machine and a foetal heart monitor, please." Connie ordered.

"Lucy... that's what my midwife's called. Lucy Vickery." Zoe said.

"Page Lucy Vickery." The Clinical Lead ordered Ethan. "And get Zara!"

"I can't do this." Zoe groaned in pain.

"Zoe, Zoe? Look at me" said Max. Zoe did so.

"Now, the Zoe Walker I know won't give up. She'll give it her best shot. We've come this far, we're not going to give up now." He continued, holding her hand.

Zoe managed a weak smile. "I love you Max."

"I love you too."

An hour later...

"Zoe, push! He's nearly here, I promise!" Connie encouraged.

"You said that an hour ago!" Zoe muttered, then strained to push.

"Come on, come on, Zo. Let's welcome little Oscar." Max said, and gave Zoe's hand a gentle squeeze.

A baby's cry reached Zoe's ears.

"Here you are." Connie beamed, handing Oscar, wrapped in a towel and crying away, to his Mum.

"Hello" smiled Zoe. "Hello Oscar!" she said, holding her newborn close.

"Isn't he cute?" Max smiled.

"He certainly is" Zoe grinned as Oscar cried again. "What's up?" she asked her son. "Given how eager you were to see the world, I should think that you're on top of the world!"

"Well done, Zoe. You did really well." Said Connie.

"It's not the easiest job in the world. Thank you" smiled Zoe.

Connie did Zoe's obs, Zoe was cleaned up, Oscar was checked over, and the family were left alone.

"Where's Olivia?" Zoe asked.

"She's okay, she's in the staffroom with Zara, being spoilt, as usual." Max chuckled, rocking Oscar.

"Can you get them please?"

"Of course" smiled the porter, standing up and handing Oscar back to Zoe. "Here you are, little man. Back to your Mum."

Zoe smiled and cuddled Oscar. "I love him so much. He's perfect."

"He is" Max agreed. "Just like you."

A few minutes later...

"Here's Olivia" Zara smiled.

"Hello, lovely!" Zoe said to her daughter.

Zara placed Olivia next to Zoe, so Olivia and Oscar were together.

"Here's your brother, Oscar" Max said.

As if she'd heard her Dad, Olivia turned her head towards Oscar and gazed at him.

"That's him." Zoe said. Then to Max: "Our little miracle."

"Our little miracle." Max agreed, and gave her a kiss.

The End!

I know that many of you won't be happy that this is over-the truth is that I've been running out of inspiration for this fic for a while now... But, I do have a oneshot planned where Zoe and Max meet Zoe's parents and we find out a bit more about Zoe's past, if you'd like to see that?

I hope that you all enjoyed!

Laura xxx