Chapter Twenty-Eight

The entire process of giving birth was quite different from what Andromeda had expected. In the past nine months she had read many books on the topic, but nothing could have truly prepared her for what it was like in reality. Mainly she had counted on pains beyond imagination, but what she had not foreseen was that a great deal of it would actually be a rather boring affair. At least half a day passed with contractions coming and going. They were uncomfortable and tiring, but not quite painful enough to actually mean something. So far it was all best described to be a waiting game. What did not help was that Ted continuously behaved like a hyperactive child. He ran back and forth the whole time and asked her how she was feeling every other minute ("No different from thirty seconds ago!") He meant well, but Andie was glad for the more professional support of her mother-in-law, Irene Tonks, and her friend Molly Weasley. Her own nursing skills were of no help today at all; the moment her waters broke all common sense appeared to have left her. She felt restless, mainly, and busied herself pacing the room for a while and taking showers in hopes of progressing things. By the time the clock had hit midnight, things were finally getting serious.

The contractions had intensified, and came rapidly. Andie had been moved into the bedroom, where she sat cross-legged on the bed. She was surrounded by pillows in an attempt to get more comfortable. As strange as it sounded, she actually felt more relaxed in this stage of labour. There was nothing she could do about it anymore; the child had to come out, and the best she could do was letting the pains wash over her instead of fight it. Somehow she had managed to enter a sort of subspace, where she focused mainly on maintaining a steady, calm level of breathing. Everything else goingn on did hardly get through to her. Her face tightened as another contraction hit her. It wouldn`t be long now. A baby. She could barely imagine what it would be like.

"She's a natural," Andie vaguely heard Ted's mother say. "And then to think it's only the first! I was very different when I had Ted."

"Oh, me too!" Molly replied. "Having Bill took me nearly twenty-four hours. I screamed at Arthur I'd never have another. Changed my mind about that pretty soon, though," she chuckled.

Andie barely listened, finding the women much too talkative. She was grateful when Ted sat down by her and dabbed her forehead with a cold cloth. He must have finally exhausted himself from running about in a stressful state all day. It couldn't be easy on him; wanting to help, but unable to take her pain away. Still it was a comfort to have him in the room. Andie's knowledge of childbirth in the Pureblood world showed men outside the birthing chamber; drinking Firewhiskey and smoking cigars, waiting to be called in when the ordeal was over. Ted had been very clear from the start: not even a hoard of hippogryffs would be able to keep him from staying by her side while their child was born. As frightened as he was about the whole thing.

"I think it's time," Andie announced at some point. She had worried about the birth endlessly beforehand. The idea of giving up control, unsure of how things would go, was killing. She should not have worried, though: her body knew exactly what to do when it came down to it. The feeling, despite the pain, boosted her confidence. As tired as she was from the long process of early labour, adrenaline gave her the strength she needed when the time came to push the baby out. Irene and Molly's instructions were well-meant, but really unnecessary. Everything went rather smoothly at that point. There was barely time to register how fast things were progressing when the last push caused something to slide out of her. It went so fast, it took the baby's loud first cries to make Andie realise it was over.

"She's got a decent pair of lungs, that one!" Irene announced, holding up a red and wrinkly infant.

"She?" Ted enquired, squeezing Andie's hand rather tightly.

"A girl," Irene beamed, wrapping her newborn granddaughter in a warm blanket before she handed her over to Andie, who carefully took hold of her daughter.

"Is she all right?"

"Perfectly all right," Molly assured her. "You did fantastic! Don't you think so, Ted? Ted?"

But Ted was too preoccupied to hear a thing she said. Just like Andie, he was beaming at the baby and completely oblivious to the cleaning, checking, and other necessities the two women busied themselves with. Andie barely even registered the afterbirth coming out.

"She's perfect,"Ted said, for once rather speechless. Carefully, he pressed a kiss to Andie's temple. "You did it babe! Can you believe we're parents?" he grinned.

"Not really," Andie murmured, suddenly feeling how tired she was. And cold, too.

"Do we get to hear the names yet?" Irene enquired curiously.

"I think so. You tell them, An?"

But Andie was not quite capable of telling anyone anything. All of a sudden she felt so cold and faint. Dizzy. "Not well," she whispered, quickly putting the baby in a confused Ted's arms.

"She's bleeding!" Molly said, sounding very far away. "I can't get it to stop."

Andie struggled to remain conscious, vaguely aware something serious was going on. She tried to focus on her surroundings, but it was getting harder by the second. The world was slipping from her. Her ears were ringing loudly, and her vision became more and more blurred. The last things she could focus on were Molly and Irene's agitated voices, talking of doctors and healers, and Ted. Ted standing there with the baby, who had ceased crying. And then all went black.

When she next opened her eyes, for a moment Andie was convinced she had died. The lights were so bright, and the walls so white, it had to be another world. Only, if she were dead, how could Ted be sitting there? Was he dead as well? Then why would he be napping? While she blinked hard several times to improve her focus, she tried to stop the confusing train of thoughts.

"Ted?" she said, pulling on the wires of beeping machines surrounding her. "Where's the baby? What happened?"

"Wha..?!" Ted all but jumped from his seat upon hearing her voice. "Babe, you're awake!"

Once he recovered, his startled expression made room for one of concern. He regained his seat and laid his hand on hers to stop her from removing the wires. "Better leave those, they're helping you." He leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Merlin's beard, I thought I lost you... We've been so worried! You're in the hospital. Do you remember anything?"

"No," she frowned, calmer than she had been due to Ted's reassuring presence. She remembered having the baby, their daughter, but everything after that was just a black hole. The baby. She suddenly sat bolt upright, blinded by a new flash of panic.

"Is fine," Ted quickly said, helping her lay back down. He smiled gently. "She's beautiful. Mum and dad are taking care of her. Mum brought her over here for a while this morning. So she can bond with you. We do it every day."

Every day? "Ted... How long was I out for?"

"Three days," he said quietly. "And I never doubted you'd make it."

"What happened?"

"You had a bleeding, after the birth. Mum and Molly couldn't get it to stop. And they all but argued on whether to get you to St Mungo's or the local hospital. Mum insisted we'd take you here. She trusts these doctors with her life since they saved Uncle Jack from his heart attack."

"You look dreadful," Andie commented, eagerly accepting the drink of water he offered her- her throat felt like dry sandpaper.

"You're one to talk," Ted replied with a hint of his signature grin. "I'm just going to tell the doctor you're awake. I'll be right back!"

The moment gave Andie some time to look at her surroundings. The hospital room was pretty much all-in white, but there were some fresh flowers on the sidetable, along with some colourful "get well" cards. At present, she still felt too weak to look at them. She just wanted to get her strenghts back, and go home. To the baby. A sharp pain shot through her upon realising she had missed the first days of her child's life. The first feedings, the first bath. Perhaps she wouldn't even be able to breastfeed anymore. All these things had been so important after spending her own childhood being cared for mainly by nannies.

"Mrs Tonks, we're all very glad to see you awake!"

Ted had re-entered with a rather old and friendly-looking healer. Or doctor, as he would be referred to in this muggle hospital. He shook her hand and looked through the chart he was carrying. "I'm Doctor Clarke, how are you feeling?"

For a moment, the doctor seemed distracted by a moving "get well" card on the night stand.

"I've been better", Andie quickly responded to distract him from the flashing magical card. "But not too bad."

"Do you remember what happened?" Dr Clarke inquired, turning his attention back to the patient.

"I don't remember much," she said truthfully. "Ted said a bleeding, after the birth."

"Indeed," the doctor nodded. "A tear in the uterus. It happens sometimes, hard to say what caused it exactly. You were brought in here just in time. Any longer and the blood loss would have been too severe." He took off his glasses and studied her intently. "Mrs Tonks, you're lucky to be alive. You've got a healthy child, and after some recovery time, you'll feel right as rain. Best not to dwell on other things."

Something was starting to dawn upon her. "What do you mean? What other things?" Beside her, she felt Ted squeeze her hand. He knew more than she did.

"Considering the scar tissue you'll have, the risk of another pregnancy would be too high, for both yourself and the fetus," Dr Clarke explained. "I'm very sorry, Mrs Tonks. You won't be able to have any other children."

The news hit her like a bombshell. She and Ted had always wanted to have a big, happy family.

"Oh," she merely whispered, unable to find words for the scala of emotions she felt.

"When can I take my wife home?" Ted stepped in.

"Now that she's awake, we'll just run some final tests, but everything looks as expected. I see no reason not to discharge her later this after noon."

Ted squeezed her hand again with a smile she found she could not reply to. She couldn't even thank the doctor when he went to leave. Instead, Ted showed him out. He returned with an expression of concern, and sat down on the edge of the bed to wrap his arms tightly around her.

"An, I know this is all a bit much of a shock, but please listen to the doctor. You're going to be all right, and that's a bloody miracle. You almost died, right in my arms. I've never been more scared in my life."

The break in his voice stirred her, and caused her to answer his embrace more heartily.

"And the baby, wait till you see her. She's beautiful, just like her mother."

"Ted..."

"No," he said quickly. "It doesn't matter. This is how it is supposed to be. The three of us. We don't need any other children."He kissed her gently, pulling her tightly against his chest.

Andie tried to believe him. She had to. "I just need to hold her," she said. There was too much going on to know how she was feeling at all. Right now her main priority was to reunite with her daughter and make up for the valuable first days she had missed out on.

As was said was done, and within the hour Ted's parents arrived with the baby in the hospital room. She looked well taken care of; dressed in pink with a warm blanket wrapped around her, and smelling of baby shampoo.

"She's been an angel," Irene said, laying the baby in Andie's eager arms.

"She knows you better than she knows me," she couldn't help but say.

"Don't be silly, sweetheart," Irene said, sitting down by the bedside. "She's been with you for nine months." The baby stirred at that, making soft gurgling noises. "See? She recognises her mum."

This brought a smile to Andie's features, and she let Ted's parents embrace her while she breathed in her little daughter's lovely scent. She had been frightened this moment would feel strange, but nothing was less true. It was as if the baby had always been there, as part of her and Ted's love.

Ted beamed, proud to have his whole family together at last. "I'm just going to ask when they'll discharge you!"

"I'll help you with that," Ted's father added, sensing the women needed some time to talk.

"You have no idea how relieved we were when Ted called to say you were awake," said Irene.

"I had no idea I was out for so long," Andie replied. Se finally tore her eyes from the baby for a second. "It feels like I've missed out on everything important."

"I know," Irene said quietly. "But from now on it's going to be different. You're her mother, Andie. We were only looking after our granddaughter," she smiled. "And we always will, when she's in need of it."

"And I'm so grateful for that," Andie responded. "I'm glad she's got grandparents that love her."

"And we're thankful to have a grandchild."

Before the conversation could get truly emotional, the two men came back in looking rather pleased.

"Good news!" Ted announced. "Time to go home at last!"

"Hang on," Irene said. "We can hardly take a nameless baby home now, can we?" she grinned.

"You haven't told them yet?" Andie asked Ted in surprise.

"Of course not," he assured her. "The honour is all yours."

Perhaps Andie hadn't missed out on everything important, after all.

"Her name is Nymphadora," she said proudly. "Nymphadora Irene".