"You ok?" Katniss asks as she sets a cup of tea in front of me. Gale looks up from his spot on the floor next to Rory, concerned. The two of them have been trying to put together the cradles for a while but refuse to look at the instructions. I can see the frustration building up in Gale, but he does his best not to show it.
I close my eyes for a moment, cringing a bit at the sharp pain that travels in my stomach. I had just hit the eighth month mark and was getting really tired of everything. My back hurt, my stomach was starting to cramp, I haven't seen my own feet in two months, and I had to be really careful around everything on low shelves or tables because my stomach seemed to always knock things over.
"I'm fine." I say, puffing out a breath and smiling at Gale. My smile doesn't seem to reassure him because he tenses up a bit, forgetting about the slew of boards and bolts that are scattered around him and Rory. He begins to stand up but I shake my head at him, trying to force my smile to become more cheery and real, "Really, they're just kicking."
"Alright." Gale says, even though he still seems a little unsure. He stares at me for a few more seconds and I struggle to not let my face contort into pain. These pains in my stomach are a lot sharper and almost make me want to throw up, but I'm sure the twins are just becoming more active now that we're a month away.
"Gale don't you think it would be a smart idea to look at the instructions?" I ask, attempting the change the subject. It works because Gale rolls his eyes and Rory gives me a stubborn look, one I have grown accustomed to since Gale shoots me the same look all the time.
"We don't need instructions Norah. This is pretty straight forward." Gale says as he picks up a screwdriver and then licks his lips as he looks over at the items laid out in front of him.
"Uh-huh," I say as I cock an eyebrow up at him, holding my breath and swallowing as I try to make the pain in my stomach disappear. "Well if it's so straight-forward, why have you and Rory been sitting on the floor for the past hour?" I ask and Gale rolls his eyes towards me.
"We're just taking our time Norah, we're bonding." Rory says and I can't help but smile at them.
"You two are exactly the same." I say and Rory stands up a bit straighter, his smile widening as he looks up towards Gale. Rory has grown a lot since I had first come here. He's taller, his voice is starting to deepen, and he's becoming a lot more stubborn and sarcastic. Gale's even starting to take him out into the woods and I know that by the time Rory reaches his contract date he'll be as ready as Gale was to support the family he is going to marry into.
"It's a Hawthorne thing." Katniss says and the two Hawthorne boys in the room smile crookedly at us. "Thank god you're having girls." She says and I laugh, cringing at the pressure it puts in my stomach.
Katniss eyes me and I smile at her, like Gale she doesn't seem to believe the lie either. She doesn't question me though, just continues to watch me closely just in case.
"So did the two of you decide on a name?" Katniss asks and I glance at Gale again. He sighs, not looking up this time.
"Gale and I decided on one name, Eden but we're still at ends on the other name." I answer and Gale sighs again.
"What names are you guys thinking about?" Katniss asks a bit uneasily, like she can sense the never ending argument that has been happening between Gale and me for the past two weeks.
"I like Rosie." I state, glancing at Gale again who rolls his eyes. Rory snickers helping Gale out by searching through the boxes for the instructions on the cradles. I smirk at him and Gale rolls his eyes back.
"And I like Maisie." Gale says, glaring at me playfully and Katniss chuckles. "Which name do you like?" Gale asks before grabbing the instructions from Rory and then picking up the screwdriver.
"Well to be honest," she says slowly and Gale lifts his brows at her, "I like Rosie."
I smile at Gale and he acts like he's going to throw the screwdriver at Katniss. She laughs and shrugs her shoulders at him, "You're supposed to be my best friend." Gale grumbles before turning his attention back towards the cradles.
The pain hits me again and I hold my breath, trying not to gasp in pain. I start to stand up hoping that walking around will work off the pain. The second I'm on my feet the pain hits me worse and I almost collapse.
"Norah." Katniss says, getting to her feet quickly to make sure I don't fall. Gale's at my side in a second and I find myself clutching onto my stomach, the cramps causing me to feel as if I might be dying.
"There's something wrong." I gasp out and Katniss sits me back down onto the chair. Gale takes my hand and kneels in front of me.
"Rory, go to the specialist office and get Dr. Weston." Gale commands and Rory's out the door before Gale can even finish his sentence.
"Gale it hurts really bad." I say and he squeezes my hand. Katniss brings a cool washcloth over to me and places it onto the back of my neck.
"Where does it hurt Norah?" Gale asks and I place my hand on the lower part of my stomach and bite my lip.
"I'm just going to run and get my mom, perhaps she can help until Dr. Weston gets here." Katniss says before taking off out the front door. Gale's grip on my hand loosens and I let out a small cry.
"Please don't leave me." I say and I'm not even ashamed by how fearful my voice sounds. There is something wrong and the idea of that terrifies me more than Contract Day had.
"I'm not going anywhere." Gale says evenly as he reaches for a chair to sit in, "I promise."
"It's very common to have twins early." Dr. Weston says as her nurses bustle around, attaching me to machines and fluffing my pillows up. One of them quickly presses a needle into my arm and Gale frowns at the tiny brunette with the blue highlights.
He begins to say something to her but she cuts him off, "It's just a blood sample." The nurse then turns to me and I catch a glimpse of her nametag, Verona, and I know she's a Capitol resident based off her name and highlights alone. "Can I get you anything Mrs. Hawthorne?"
"Water." I say and she nods her head, following the other two nurses out of the room while Dr. Weston squirts the jelly for the ultrasound onto my stomach.
The two little heartbeats sound in the room and Gale relaxes a bit when he sees the two of them on the screen. I realize that this is the first time he's ever seen them live on the screen himself instead of just in a photo. "It's great huh," I say to him and he nods as Dr. Weston stares at the screen. Her brows furrowing.
"The smaller of the two seems to be breeched. She isn't in the correct position, she'll most likely change positions the farther along you get into labor but there is no guarantee." Dr. Weston says evenly, she doesn't seem to be a bit worried but more serious than she has been in the past.
"And what happens if she doesn't change positions?" Gale asks, the tone of his voice is darker and I can hear the worry that he's trying not show.
"I'll have to perform a C-section, but not I've performed countless caesarean births." Dr. Weston says and I cringe at the pain in my stomach. Gale takes my hand and presses a kiss to the back of it.
"What about complications?" I ask and Dr. Weston shakes her head at me.
"The baby is only breeched, there isn't anything wrong. She'll either change positions or not but the twins are completely healthy." Dr. Weston says with a smile and I nod my head, looking at Gale who is still grumpily sitting in his chair.
When she leaves and Gale and I are finally left alone I sigh, shaking my head and covering my face with my hands. "They're going to be fine Norah, ok."
"I know that." I whisper before peeking at him from in between my fingers, "I'm scared." I say and Gale pushes my hair out of my face.
"I know, but everything is going to be fine and soon we're going to have two perfect little girls." Gale says warmly and I nod my head, biting my lip as another contraction passes through my stomach. Gale squeezes my hand comfortingly.
"Who's finishing the cradles?" I ask and Gale chuckles, kissing the back of my hand.
"I don't know." He says and I smile, covering my face with my free hand again in attempt to hide the pain from him, "I could probably ask Thom to do it."
"Well someone has to do it before we bring them home." I say and Gale nods his head, standing up and I hold onto his hand tighter.
"Norah I'm just going into the waiting room to see if Rory can run and tell Thom to help him with the cradles. I'll be right back I promise." Gale says and I let go of his hand reluctantly watching him as he walks out of the room.
My nurse Verona enters a few moments later and hands me a cup of water. "How are you feeling Mrs. Hawthorne?" She asks as she checks the machine that's monitoring my contractions.
"I'm alright, it's just painful." I say and she nods her head, moving away from the machine to fluff my pillows once again.
"Wish I could say I know how you're feeling but I'm not even married yet." Verona says with an audible sigh and I lift a brow at her. "Most people in the Capitol won't drop everything to be with a spouse who lives and works in another district."
"So why not leave District 12? I would if I could." I say before even realizing how my words must sound. I suck in a quick breath and my eyes widen as I glance at her. She works for the Capitol and I'm sure she doesn't care to hear about an unhappy district citizen.
She just chuckles though, a genuine smile stretching out on her face. She doesn't seem to be heavily influenced by the Capitol trends now that I can get a good look at her, other than the blue highlights in her hair she seems normal. From what I can tell all her physical features are natural and she isn't wearing a single layer of heavy makeup. "It is humbling here isn't it? I can understand how it must be hard to adjust, especially from a District Four native. I hear it's absolutely beautiful there."
"Oh it is." I say thinking back to my home there. I wonder what my parents and siblings are doing and if they suspect that I'm in labor right now or if they believe that they already have a new member of the family. I bet Persi already made them up in her mind.
I feel my eyes begin to tear up and Verona is handing me tissues, "Sorry, didn't mean to make you upset."
"Oh it's fine." I say as I take a tissue from her, "I just miss my family, my mother would have loved to be here."
"Yes, I think that's the most heartbreaking thing about Contracts isn't it. You lose part of your family and it really isn't necessary." She says before licking her lips nervously and looking at the door. "I should probably go check on the other patients."
"Yeah, thank you for the water." I say to her and she smiles, glancing over her shoulder again before leaving with her entire body tensed.
When Gale returns I tell him about the encounter with the nurse. "Guess not every Capitol citizen agrees with the Capitol laws over the Districts." Gale says and I can tell that he's intrigued with the idea of their being Capitol rebels, even if it's just a small handful and just an idea.
"I should have asked her if she liked the name Rosie better than Maisie." I say and Gale groans, leaning back in his chair and covering his eyes.
"Are we really still having this conversation?" Gale asks and I nod my head, biting my lip as the contractions seem to becoming more and more painful.
"Unless you agree on the name Rosie, than yes we are." I say and Gale rolls his eyes, sitting back up to look at me, "And really it's only fair because you're the one who put Eden on the list, so technically you already named one."
"Norah." He sighs, eyes rolling to the back of his head as I talk.
"Gale, please." I say and looks at me, I attempt to look extra sad by putting my bottom lip out and pouting like a small child. Gale chuckles and rubs his face, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I'll think about it." He says and I roll my eyes knowing that the only way I'm going to get my way is if I stop pushing the subject. It still was annoying. I and a lot of other people think that Rosie is pretty name, perfect for a little girl growing up in District Twelve.
"What if I'm not a good dad?" Gale asks after a few minutes of silence and I look at him, shaking my head as the corners of my mouth turn up.
"Oh please Gale," I say "I can't think of anyone who would be a better father than you."
"I just- I mean," he says struggling to find the right words, "I try so hard to live up to my father. I want him to just be proud of the person that I am and be proud of the people I raise."
"He's proud of you Gale. Look at you, look at what you've done since he passed. You helped your mother raise three children, you've made sure that there's food in their stomachs, clothes on their backs, and that they still have a happy childhood. If you can do all that I think you've probably already lived up to your father and that you're going to raise our girls to be fantastic people." I say and Gale tries his best to fight the smile that's threatening to appear on his face.
"I don't think I could have ever asked to be married and start a family with someone better than you." I say when he doesn't reply. Gale looks up at me and I let go of his hand to cradle his face.
"You're too good to me." Gale says before leaning in close to press a kiss against my lips.
"Well it looks like we're going to have to proceed with the C-section. The baby hasn't moved out of the breeched position and Norah isn't as nearly as dilated as she should be at this time." Dr. Weston says after running a few tests and an ultrasound on me.
I look at Gale in a panic and he squeezes my hand in comfort. There's nothing he can do for me, but comfort me now. We had to take a path that neither one of us wanted to do.
"Verona will get Norah all prepped for the operation." Dr. Weston says as she takes off her gloves and throws them into the trash, "I'll see you two soon."
Verona enters a few moments later and I smile at her. "Do you want to see any other family members before the operation?"
I nod my head, "I want Hazelle." I say and it's difficult to not hear the panic in my voice.
"I'll go get her." Gale says but I won't let go of his hand, terrified that he won't make it back here in time and I'll have to go back there alone.
"I promise that I'll be right back. Let Verona prep you ok." Gale says before kissing my forehead, "You're fine, take a deep breath."
I do as he tells me and watch him walk quickly from the room. Verona begins to prep me for the procedure, she sticks me with a few needles explaining the C-section process to me but I can barely understand the words that escape her lips. "Norah, C-sections are very common." I hear once I start to really listen to her.
"This wasn't part of the plan though." I say and Verona tucks my hair into some strange hat to keep it out of my face.
"A lot of things don't go according to plan." Verona says softly, "But you have to just accept that and move with it. You're going to be ok and your daughters are going to be ok."
"But how do you know?" I ask and she tilts her head thinking about it.
"I don't." She says and I feel sick to my stomach at her words, "But I have to believe that everything will work out, hope is sometimes the only thing people have to hang onto."
Gale and Hazelle walk in before I can reply and Verona's words are left hanging in the air. "I'll return soon to escort you and Norah to the operating room." Verona says to Gale as she backs out of my small hospital room.
Gale nods, "Thank you." He says and I know that he has a bit more respect for Verona than he does for the other Capitol nurses and specialists. She gives me one last look, a gentle smile on her face to comfort us as she closes the door behind her.
Hazelle sits down next to me and I almost burst into tears when she looks at me. I want my mother so badly and she must know that because she leans forward and wraps her arms around my shoulder. "Oh you're going to be just fine."
I can't form any words but a sob escapes and Hazelle rubs my back soothingly, "This is just an obstacle, it's best to get it over with early so you don't hit it at a later time." Hazelle says and I pull away from her, rubbing my eyes with my hands.
"I want my mother." I choke out and Hazelle cups my face in her hands.
"I know sweetheart." She says and I begin to sob again. This time I reach out for Gale though, even though a mother's hug would be nice, I need Gale. I want to feel protected and safe in his arms and the second he sits on the other side of my hospital bed and pulls me into my arms my sobs begin to slow down.
Gale rests his chin on top of my head and I twist my hands into his t-shirt. I take a deep shaky breath and let go of his shirt with one hand to hold Hazelle's. She squeezes my hand comfortingly and I relax a little bit more.
The pain medication they use to numb for the C-section makes me feel weird. I do my best to focus on Gale but I keep getting distracted by the little things in the room like the barrier between me and my stomach so that I can't see Dr. Weston cut me open, the highlights in Verona's hair that seem to be much more vibrant under these fluorescent lights, and the steady beeping of the heart monitor attached to me.
"Are you ok?" I ask Gale breathlessly because there are beads of sweat on his forehead. He doesn't look like he feels too well but that could also be because the pain medicine seems to be warping my sight just a bit.
"No, I'm watching you be cut open. Are you sure you can't feel anything?" Gale asks and I nod my head, glancing up towards the ceiling and smiling.
"Did you see the pretty birds up there?" I ask him and he looks up, looking at the brightly colored birds that litter the ceiling, "Who do you think painted them up there?"
"I don't know Norah." Gale says with a weak chuckle before he looks back down at me, "I love you." He says, reminding me in case I had forgotten and I smile, giggling at the mask on his face. The blue color brings out the lighter silver flecks in his eyes and I can't believe how pretty his eyes are. I hope our daughter's eyes are silver like his instead of brow like mine.
There is suddenly a light wail and Gale's eyes shoot up to see Dr. Weston lift up a tiny baby. She hands our crying daughter to a nurse and I struggle to get a better look. The nurse wraps her in a blanket and brings her over for us to see while Dr. Weston works on helping our other daughter out.
"Eden." I whisper when the nurse brings her close enough for me to see. I glance up at Gale whose smiling; he wipes his eyes and nods his head at me.
"Eden." He agrees as the nurse takes her away so that she can be cleaned up.
The beeping on the heart monitor slows down a bit but I only think it's from the pain medicine, it's already warped my eyesight somewhat so it must be doing the same to my hearing. It's only a second and then Dr. Weston is holding up our other daughter. She wails just as much as Eden had and I feel the smile stretch onto my face. My eyes begin to droop down and the beeping slows even more.
Verona brings our second daughter to us and I smile, "Rosie." The whisper barely escapes my lips when the beeping suddenly reaches a point where I can no longer hear it and it's a fight to keep my eyes open now.
"Norah." Gale says, but he sounds far away and I can no longer see him or the flecks of silver in his eyes. I'm somewhere dark and by myself.
"She's lost a lot of blood!" Dr. Weston says and she sounds even farther, her voice in a panic but I don't know who could possibly be bleeding. Were my daughters ok? I struggle to find them but I feel like I've been glued down to a table. I can't get up to search in the darkness for anyone. "Please get Mr. Hawthorne out of here," I don't understand how they got away from me so quickly and why they left me alone in the dark.
"No, Norah!" Gale shouts and I try to fight the darkness to get to him, but he's too far now and I can't find my way out. I feel like I'm drowning and I have no idea where the surface is.
Thanks for voting. The top three names were Eden, Rosie, and Maisie!
If you're not following or don't realize that there is a Night and Day part in Gale's point of view on my profile than I suggest you go and follow it. I will be uploading another chapter to that very soon! It's a oneshot for now but I'm going to post a few chapters there so you guys know what Gale is going through for different parts of the story.
I hope you liked this chapter and I want everyone to know that I am now searching for another beta since I haven't heard from mine in a while.
Let me know what you think!