"Your blood pressure is normal, so that's good…" Mr Thompson said as he took off the band off Jac's arm, who was lying on the bed, covered with a sterile sheet from the waist down. Michael sat by her side, observing.
Mr T wrote down some notes in her file, and moved around the bed to put on a glove, "I have to examine you… now this may feel a bit uncomfortable…" he said as he examined Jac between her legs, now lifted up. Jac made a bit of a face at the sensation that brought, while Michael placed his hand on hers.
"so?" Jac asked, as Mr T was done and threw the glove away.
"Well… your cervix about 90% effaced, so that's a good sign… it means you are approaching birth anytime soon…" Mr T explained.
"and when is that, exactly?" Jac asked, with her right hand on her huge bump.
"very soon… you don't have much to worry about, even though you are a bit over 41 weeks… your blood pressure is not high and your baby is not in distress… but we have to make sure you don't go over 42 weeks, that'd be serious…" Mr T explained.
"so what do you suggest we do? Wait a bit more?" Jac asked again. Michael just sat there, listening.
"well I'll give you another two days chance… or else I can book you in for an induction if you're that anxious… we'll start you off on some oxytocin and you'll be in labour in no time…" Mr T suggested.
"Yeah we could do that…" Michael said, looking at Jac.
"No! I don't want to plan its birthday, I want it to happen naturally…" Jac said, making a face at Michael's suggestion.
"Right, well there are some natural methods you can try… but as I said, two days is all I'm giving you, if nothing happens, induction it is…" Mr T added.
"Right, so what could I try?" Jac asked, curiously.
"Well, exercise especially yoga and walking are very helpful… or maybe some herbal tea, spicy food…" Mr T suggested.
"I don't have time for walking, yoga is not my thing and spicy food makes me sick…" Jac blurted out.
"oh well… one other method proven effective by lots of couples, is intercourse…" Mr T suggested with a smile.
"well, we don't have trouble in that department, do we honey?" Michael smiled at Jac.
"No, that's not gonna happen…" Jac was really not in the mood for anything of the sort.
"Well we have to try something!" Michael argued.
"You mean I have to try something! I'm the one pushing this baby out, not you!" Jac yelled.
"Okay, calm down, now Jac I understand that your hormones are all over the place and being full term, doesn't make it any comfortable, but if you experiment a bit, I'm sure you'll find a way…" Mr T said smiling, "anyway, think about, but if nothing happens, I'll see you again in two days and we'll have to proceed with the induction…" Mr T explained, "that's all I can tell you I'm afraid, see you in two days…" he said, as he took the file and left the room.
"you know, we can go the store cupboard in the basement like the old days," Michael almost whispered, smiling. He was thrilled with the doctor's suggestion. They hadn't slept together in ages.
"No, standing up in the store cupboard is definitely not an option, neither is lying on a towel" Jac muttered, as she put her legs down and sat up, on the side of the bed, trying to get down. Michael held out his hand, to help her but she brushed him off.
"I can manage!" she raised her voice, as she lay sitting down, trying to do it a step at a time.
"Good God, you're hormonal!" Michael muttered, "here, put your pants on…" he told her as he handed her, her underwear. She had to take everything off before Mr T came in.
She took the underwear in her hands, tried to put it on, but found some difficulty to slide it up, "would you just help me?!" Jac raised her voice.
"Oh so now you want my help?!" Michael said as he rolled his eyes, as he knelt down and helped her get dressed. As soon as she was ready, then he held out his hands again, so she could step off the bed and this time, she didn't refuse.
…
They walked out of the examination room on maternity and made their way to the lifts,
"Ah no lift, we're going to walk down the stairs, that will help you," Michael told Jac, as she frowned.
"Come on Jac, we have to talk about this… let's go to the on-call room on AAU, they barely use that there…" Michael suggested, as they were halfway down the stairs.
"There's nothing to talk about!" Jac said, as she walked down the final stair.
"Yes there is, we have to do something about this! Don't tell me you're comfortable in this situation?!" Michael told her, as they arrived on AAU and found the on-call room.
"Comfortable?! My ankles are swollen, I have to pee like every 5 minutes, the indigestion is unbearable, my breasts are sore and leaking, the summer heat is not helping, my hormones are all over the place, I'm so cranky and hormonal, I've never been more miserable in my entire life!" Jac ranted as she walked into the on-call room and sat down on the bed.
"Okay Jac, breathe!" Michael said slowly as he sat down beside her, "clearly you're not comfortable with the situation, but why does something tell me you don't want this baby to be born?"
"I don't know… I'm just scared… oh God, what was I thinking? a second baby? I didn't need this…" Jac said in tears.
"Hey honey, don't cry, I know you love this baby, and you're just going through a tough time right now, but it'll pass, and it'll be better when you see the little one in your arms…" Michael tried to calm her down.
"Better? Seriously?! and what about, all the sleepless nights, the nappy changing, breastfeeding?!" Jac said as she placed on of her hands on her forehead.
"Calm down, yeah you're right, but that's why I'm here, to do this together, I am going to help you out, you're not on your own…" Michael said as he placed his hand in hers, "the only thing I can't help you with, is giving birth, but I'm going to be there by your side. But honey, if it's today, tomorrow or next week, this baby has to come out either way, so we not try to get it over with?" Michael tried to persuade her in a gentle voice.
"Yeah I guess you're right…" Jac sighed.
"and not to mention, when the baby is born, we can forget about any 'alone time' if you know what I mean…" Michael said with a cheeky grin as he leaned in for a kiss.
Jac smiled and kissed him back. In a split second, she calmed down, clearly her hormones were indeed all over the place.
Slowly she lay down on her back, Michael tried to lean on her, without putting his body weight on her or the baby, still their lips working together. But just as he was about to get the job done, his pager went off.
He adjusted his scrub pants, and took the pager in his hands, "Sorry I have to go…"
"Great, so now you leave me?!" Jac said frustrated, she said as she tried to sit up.
"I'm sorry, I'm needed," Michael told her as he helped her get up from the bed, "if you get a cab home, you'll alright?"
"I'm not going home, I'm going up to Darwin while I'm here," Jac said, as she grabbed her bag.
"What? You can't work! I thought that's why you stopped working two weeks ago and started maternity leave early!" Michael told her.
"I don't want to go home, I need something to take my mind off this," Jac said, as she held her bump.
Michael understood her point and sighed, "fine. But no stress, alright? No theatre!"
"Michael you sound like my dad! I am a doctor you know, I know what's best!" she said as she opened the door.
"I just don't want anything bad to happen to our child, excuse me for being extra careful!" Michael said as he walked out after her.
"For the millionth time, stop fussing!" Jac told him as she held his hand.
"If there's a problem, you call me, yeah? anything, just call," Michael told her.
"I'll be fine," Jac said as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and left.
…
Jac, already dressed in scrubs walked into her office on Darwin, to see Elliot standing in front of his desk.
"Jac?! What are you doing here? And still no baby I see…" Elliot said, as he smiled, thrilled to see Jac again, but at the same time confused about seeing her in scrubs.
Jac made a few steps forward, "I had a doctor's appointment this morning, I thought I'd pop up here to help," she said.
"But you're not supposed to be working, you should stay at home resting…" Elliot told her, as he took a patient's file and tucked it under his arm.
"Elliot, I am a week and a half over due, I am tired of sitting at home, staring at four walls, waiting for something to happen!" Jac said as she folded her arms.
"Aw, but you're around Mason all day so that's good," Elliot replied.
"Yeah, but with the size my body is now, I can't even play with him," Jac told him.
At that moment, the door knocked and it opened to reveal HCA Adele, "Professor, Mo is still caught up in theatre with an emergency, she is not available to assist you I'm afraid,"
"Ah, right, thank you Adele, I'll see what I can do…" Elliot muttered, looking around trying to think of something. Adele closed the door and left Jac and Elliot alone again.
"Assist you on what?" Jac asked curiously.
"I booked my patient for an emergency aortic valve replacement, we're supposed to take him down to theatre, Mo was supposed to be done by now…." Elliot said worried.
"I can assist you…" Jac said with a smile.
"No, of course I'm not going to let you do that, you're not supposed to be here…" Elliot, said as he started walking towards the door.
Jac moved backwards, blocking his way by placing her hand on the closed door, "yeah but I'm here now, and I've got time on my hands, let me help you,"
"No, Jac, you know as well as I do, the procedure takes a bit over two hours, surely, you're not going to be able to stand that long…" Elliot didn't want her to do this.
"Elliot I'm pregnant, not an invalid, I can stand you know," Jac said, still her hand on the door.
"Yes but being over-due, the extra weight must be unbearable…" Elliot tried to convince her not to go into theatre.
"Oh I'm sorry, how many babies have you had?" Jac said sarcastically.
"None, but that's what Gina used to say, when she was having Martha…" Elliot commented.
"Please Elliot, you and Michael are treating me like I'm a little girl, I know my own body… if I say I can manage, I can… so where is this patient's file?" Jac told him.
"Fine… it's at the nurses' station…" Elliot sighed.
Jac smiled and opened the door for him.
…
"What's his name?" Jac asked him as they walked down the corridor.
"Mr Reed, bed 5," Elliot told her, but was soon stopped by a nurse for a word. Jac made her way to the nurses' station, to see Zosia seated on one of the chairs. She was still doing her rotation on Darwin.
"wow Ms Naylor… you look… huge…" she commented, as she eyed her body over.
"Thank you… F1. That is normally what pregnancy does to your body… where are Mr Reed's notes? The one in bed 5?" Jac snapped.
"Here…" Zosia told her as she handed her the file. Elliot soon joined their side, while Jonny walked up to the gang.
"Elliot patient in bed 5 is prepped… Jac, didn't expect to see you here, I thought you were supposed to be on maternity leave!" Jonny said, as he stood in front of her.
"It's Ms Naylor. And doesn't everyone have anything better to do, than being up in my business?!" she snapped at both Jonny and Zosia. Jac took hold of the file and walked down the corridor with Elliot and the patient.
…
Down in Darwin theatres, Elliot and Jac were scrubbing in for surgery. Jac had just finished washing her hands, when she felt a sharp pain across her lower abdomen, pain which only lasted one minute. Jac made a face.
"Are you ready?" Elliot asked her as the team helped him put his gloves on.
"Yeah, sure, totally ready…" Jac replied. Elliot left the sink and Jac took one deep breath in and out.
…
They were 20 minutes in, and Jac felt the pain again, which took a bit longer this time.
"Jac… Jac…" Elliot called out her name.
"mhmm…" Jac looked up, confused.
"Suction please…" Elliot said.
"right…" she said, as she did the job.
…
The operation carried on, and Jac felt more pain. She tried denying they were contractions but they kept coming closer to each other and more frequent. She stood still, trying to keep concentrated, when the machine started beeping.
"He's arresting! Internal defibs please!" she called out. She was handed the defib and she put them in place.
"Clear!" she called out and shocked the patient.
"He's back in sinus…" Elliot said. But Jac had to hold her bump this time, as she bent forward in pain.
"Jac, was that a contraction?" Elliot asked concerned, standing on the other side of the open patient.
"Nothing, it's fine…" Jac said as she took another deep breath in.
"No it isn't, you're in labour, step away from the table and page Ms Effanga please, she should be ready by now…" Elliot ordered.
Jac stepped away and took the mask off, "oh sorry about the mess, my waters just broke…"
"Someone get her down to maternity please," Elliot said, concerned about his colleague and friend, but he couldn't do anything to help her, he had to carry on with the operation.
"No! I can manage!" Jac said as she took everything off her and threw them away in the bin. She took out her phone and called Michael… if only he could answer his phone…
To be continued...