28
Kathy felt the baby move, kicking as she woke with the need for the loo. She hobbled to the toilet and sat, sighing with relief as she let it all out, then headed back to the bed where Douglas slept on unaware that…. Kathy stopped moving as the baby did something new.
God that hurt.
It had been a week since the Sierra thing … this could not be stress,, right? Kathy did her numbers and wondered if it was time… had she miscalculated by a few weeks? Could be… no telling when this happened, they had some sad 'let's hold on' sex from virtually the moment they started to run from the Biters. It's been what… ten months now since… shit.
She knew she was right… she was starting the long hard day that would hopefully have a positive outcome. Mind you... given the conversations as of late, she was trying to be positive. God. What if it came out… don't. Don't do that. God.
Kathy reached the bed, wadding for real and now she knew the reason for that as well, the pain such a deep low throb as her body readied itself for some real work. "Douglas."
Douglas grunted rolling away from her.
Bastard.
Kathy was leaning against the bedside table and her hand found the nice heavy book she had been reading, throwing it at his head with that pinpoint accuracy of a pissed off woman.
BAM
Douglas shot out of the bed to his felt his hand slamming on in the pistol by his side of the bed as he swung toward the doorway.
"Douglas."
He turned to her, thankfully the gun not swinging as well and he stared.
"Kat?"
"Douglas, Godsake man … it's time!" she snarled totally not in the mood for his brain arts right now.
Finally he seemed to wake up and drop the gun, crawling across the bed to grab her, looking into her face as he asked "What do you need love?"
"Maybe… maybe get Danni and…. Shit" she roared, her knees going weak as she panted through the pain, Douglas turned to run from the room and he re-entered with Danni and Dean. Dean carrying his medical kit and a look of excitement.
"Let's get ready to rumble" Dean said excitedly as he knelt by the bed, Kathy still half-pie squatting next to it now glaring at him as she wondered if she could get across the bed to the gun Douglas had dropped on it. Not to kill anyone mind… maybe just a kneecap the excited fucker reaching between her legs to touch … "Hair! I feel hair!"
"No shit, you hand is up my wife's …" Douglas stated to snarl as he advanced.
"No.. I mean… the head. I feel the baby's head" Dean said without turning around so he never knew that Douglas had in fact reached for the gun himself and was now torn, finally dropping it again to watch as Kathy groaned and pushed, bringing forth their son. The hours of labour she expected did not come, the stress of the last few days quickening the ordeal.
Their son.
A boy.
Douglas was on his knees next to Dean, holding his son as he wept with joy and relief. The baby awake, aware and his eyes bright. Alive. So alive. So clearly not infected with anything. He hoped.
Kathy bore down and cried out as she sent the afterbirth to the floorboards, now upset as she looked at the mess that had been made and the people that were walking in it, crouching in it, kneeling in it as she stood there like an extra in a movie or something.
"Come on love" Dwight said softly, his arm going around her as he carefully lifted her off her feet "To hell with the water rationing … you need a nice warm bath after that. Maybe they will remember that one needs you tit, yeah?"
Kathy found out he had started running it when she first went into labour, the water was lovely and warm, not too hot and as she lay there groaning though her body's adjustments now happening Douglas finally remembered her, entering the bathroom with the baby and looking at his naked wife in the tub with shock, the large man kneeling by the tub gently cleaning her.
"Dwight?"
"Put that baby on her breast, it needs to latch on as soon as possible, get the goodness of the first milk" Dwight demanded, not looking up as he continued to gently wipe her face with facecloth.
Douglas did so, watching her joy as she held her child and he felt like shit for not being here by her side sooner. He placed a hand on his son's back as he watched the little one give up on the breast in favour of laying there staring intently at the woman now gently singing to him with joy.
His mother.
Dwight watched from the other side of the tub and frowned as he wondered if Douglas was capable of being a good father here, he clearly lacked something in the partner stakes.
Dwight sighed and rose, his heart not as heavy as it had been over the last week. His wife was gone, the mother of his children gone but … this was a new life. A fresh start.
Dwight would be there.