Chapter 54: Giving Birth
May felt a sudden pain in her stomach. Her eyes shot open and she placed a hand on her stomach. She can feel the baby kicking inside. It's the middle of the night by the looks of outside through the balcony doors. May sat up in the bed, feeling more kicks from the baby.
Drew is still asleep of course. And May is trying her best to not wake him with slight screams in pain. But she started feeling more and more pain in her stomach.
May couldn't handle the pain she was feeling, so she let out a scream, her eyes closing shut.
Drew heard May and quickly opened his eyes and sat up, looking at her. "May, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly.
May opened her eyes, looking at Drew. She's breathing heavily to calm the pain down. "Drew...it hurts." May said. "She's kicking...a lot. I-I...can't handle it- aaaah!" She let out another scream, shutting her eyes closed when the baby kicked again.
Drew mentally started freaking out. May is in more pain than ever. Could it be time?
Drew placed a hand on May's stomach and felt the baby kicking. He looked at May. "You're going to be okay, May." He said. "I think you're going into labor."
May opened her eyes. "I...I…"
"Hey. It will be okay. I'll make sure of it." Drew got out of bed.
"Where are you going?" May asked.
"I'm going to bring help. We need to get you to the hospital."
"But Drew...please don't leave. I need you."
Drew stared into May's eyes. She looks...scared. This will be her first ever baby after all, so it makes sense. And how could Drew refuse to stay with her when she's in so much pain?
"Alright, May." Drew said. "I won't leave you alone like this."
"D-do you really think it's time?" May asked.
Drew nodded. "I do. The doctor said last week that you'll have the baby soon. So I think soon is now. Do you think you can stand?"
"I-I…"
Drew held out his hand. "Give it a try."
May took Drew's hand and scooted herself closer to the edge of the bed. She hung her legs off of the bed and Drew took her other hand.
"You can do it. Take your time." Drew said.
May stood up in front of Drew. She doesn't feel the baby kicking for the time being, so everything's fine.
"Now, we'll take it slow." Drew said. "We have to get you to a carriage and to the hospital."
"Right." May agreed. "But can you get me my scepter first?"
Drew nodded and slowly slipped his hands off of May's, making sure that she doesn't fall or stumble. Seeing that May is perfectly fine, Drew turned around and walked to the tall display case. He opened it and took out May's scepter. He closed the case and walked back to May, handing her the scepter. Drew grabbed his sheath and sword, putting the belt around his waist.
May took Drew's hand with her free hand. "Let's go."
May and Drew had successfully made it out of the castle, to a carriage, and then to the hospital, where they were immediately brought into a hospital room. There were surprisingly people at the hospital this early in the day and when they saw King Drew and Queen May, they had to help them right away.
May is laying on the hospital bed and Drew is sitting on a chair next to her. They're waiting for a nurse to come and deliver the baby.
"Drew, I'm a little scared." May said.
"I know, May." Drew said. "And it'll be okay. I'm right here for you."
May smiled. "I'm...scared, but yet...excited as well. We're going to start our family soon. Are you excited for that too?"
Drew smiled. "Absolutely." He answered. "And I'll be there for you and our daughter whenever you both need me."
"You're going to be an amazing...mmm...father." May said, closing her eyes.
"Still tired?"
"Mm hm…" May hummed.
"I'll wake you up when the nurse comes."
"Okay. Thank you, Drew."
Drew smiled, watching May drift off to sleep. He leaned over the railing of the bed and placed a kiss on her forehead. He then sat back down in his seat.
("You'll be just fine, May.") Drew thought. ("And soon...I'll get to start a family with you. I can't wait for that. But for now, sleep for a bit until the nurse comes.")
The Nurse had come and tested May to see if it's really time to give birth. And it is. She brought in more Nurses to help and it's now time for May to give birth.
"Ready, Queen May?" A Nurse asked.
"I think so." May answered.
Drew took her hand. "I'm right by your side."
May smiled at Drew. "I'm ready."
"Okay then. Start pushing." A Nurse said.
May started pushing out her baby. She would groan every time she pushed. She tightened her grip on Drew's hand and let out a small scream when she pushed harder.
"Push! You can do it!" A Nurse assured.
May pushed even harder, groaning and screaming. She was now squeezing Drew's hand super tight, and Drew didn't mind that at all.
"Come on, May." Drew said. "You got this."
"You're almost there." The Nurse said.
May kept pushing and eventually, with one last push, she felt the baby leave her completely. She started breathing heavily. May and Drew heard crying coming from behind the curtain that blocks their view from the nurses that just delivered the baby.
"You did it, May." Drew said.
May gave Drew a small smile. "I couldn't do it without you here."
From behind the curtain, a Nurse cleaned the baby off in a sink. The nurses began checking the baby's condition.
After a few minutes...
A nurse wrapped the baby in a blanket and rocked her to quiet the crying down. After a moment, the baby stopped crying.
May and Drew saw a Nurse walk around the curtain to them, carrying the baby. May sat up in the bed with her upper body still leaning back in the bed.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty." The Nurse said. She placed the baby on May's chest and May held her in her arms. "We'll be back later to take her off to the nursery for a more thorough exam."
"Okay. Thank you." May said. The three nurses left.
Drew stood up and looked at the baby. May was gently holding her in her arms.
May looked up at Drew. "Green hair."
Drew smiled. "That's the best color of hair she could have, right?"
May giggled. "Maybe."
The baby now opened her eyes and stared at Drew and then at May. Drew and May looked at the baby's eyes.
"Blue…" May said quietly.
"She's beautiful." Drew said.
May looked at Drew and smiled. "You better not go saying she's any more beautiful than me."
Drew chuckled. "She's just as beautiful as you. It'd be mean to say that she's more beautiful than you, but yet it'd also be mean to say that you're more beautiful than her."
"True." May said. She looked down at the baby. "I'm glad it's over with."
"Me too." Drew said. "And I'm a father now. I've never been more happy."
May looked at Drew. "Not even when you married me?"
"That was one of the times I was beyond happy, but this is another."
"Do you want to hold her?"
"Umm…"
"Give it a try."
"...okay then." Drew reached out his hands and carefully picked up the baby in his arms.
May watched as Drew rocked the baby a little in his arms. "I just know you'll be an amazing father." May said.
Drew looked at May. "Thanks. And you'll be an amazing mother. You're a perfect wife, so being the perfect mother is just a bit away."
May blushed slightly and giggled. "I'm sure it's more than a bit away to be the perfect mother."
"Maybe." Drew said. He handed May back the baby. "Are we sticking with the name Amaryllis?"
"Mm hm. Unless you have a better and more unique name for her?"
"Nope. Amaryllis is perfect."
May smiled. "Amaryllis it is then." She looked down at her baby. "I can't wait to show her to the gang."
"Me neither." Drew agreed. "Do you feel okay after giving birth?"
May looked up at Drew. "Yeah. I'm feeling better."
"That's good. I was so worried about you when we woke up. And when we came here."
May smiled. "I'm really glad you were here. I don't think I would've been able to do it without you with me."
"Well, I'm your husband, so how could I miss the moment my daughter is born?"
May giggled. "True."
Drew leaned over the railing of the bed and gave May a peck on the lips. Drew backed away and they both looked back at Amaryllis. May decided to start talking to her.
"Hi, Amaryllis." May said. "I'm your mommy." She looked up at Drew. "And that's your daddy." Drew smiled. May looked back down. "You'll love it at the castle. There's a big nursery for you and you'll have a bunch of Pokémon friends to play with."
Drew placed his hands on the railing and leaned over it a bit. "And you'll get to experience school starting at Pre K."
May turned her head and stared into Drew's eyes. "You mean it?"
Drew smiled at May. "Of course I do. It's what you want to do, right? You don't want her to experience what you went through."
May nodded. "Right. Thank you, Drew. You're already a great father."
Drew stood up straight, hands still on the railing. "That means a lot."
May's smile faded after a moment. She looked down at Amaryllis. "Can you promise me something, Drew?"
Drew saw May's expression and he started to question to himself why she looks sad. "Sure." He answered.
"Promise me that you'll never mention my past to Amaryllis. Or any other kids we have in the future."
"...Why?" Drew asked after some hesitation.
May looked up at Drew. "I don't want our kids to know about what I went through. It was tough. And I don't want them to worry about something like that happening to them. They shouldn't know that my parents trapped me inside the castle for most of my life. And that they tried forcing me to marry a Prince. And that they kept me away from you at that time. So please promise me that you won't ever mention my past to them."
Drew didn't respond for a while. The room was silent. He was thinking about what he should answer. He knows that he never breaks his promises. And a promise is a big thing to May. If he promises something, she'd be heartbroken if he breaks that promise. Just like what happened before he even proposed to her. Gabriella had put a love spell on Drew, and May was heartbroken when Drew broke a promise to her.
"Drew? Please." May said. "They can't know."
"But May...that means we'll be keeping a big secret like that from them for years." Drew said. "Are you sure you want to do that to our kids?"
"I…" May moved her gaze down. "We...have to."
After hearing that she really does want them to keep her past a secret, Drew found himself nodding. "Okay then. I promise I won't mention your past to our kids."
May looked up at Drew. She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."
May and Drew had talked a lot while waiting for a nurse to return. They talked to Amaryllis too. And they took in the joy of creating this new life.
A nurse entered the room. "Your Majesties, it's time for your baby to come to the nursery where we'll give her a full checkup to make sure everything went well with the birth."
"Am I able to go with you?" May asked.
"Of course. If you feel well enough you stand. Please place the baby in this bassinet, and we'll be off to the nursery."
May looked to Drew. Drew reached out and carefully lifted Amaryllis off of May. He then walked over and slowly placed her in the bassinet. Drew walked back to May. "Let's get you up."
"Kay." May slowly sat up with the help of holding the bed railing. Drew took both of her hands and she turned to hang her legs off of the bed.
"And 1...2…"
Drew pulled May's hands a bit and she ended up getting off the bed. Drew held her for support.
"Okay. I got it." May said.
"You're sure?"
May nodded.
"Okay then." He released one of her hands, holding the other tightly. They both faced the Nurse. "We're ready to go."
"Great. Follow me." The Nurse said.
May and Drew had followed the Nurse to the nursery, who had rolled the bassinet there as well. They saw tons of other babies, and they watched as nurses gave Amaryllis a checkup.
Once the checkup was done, it was time for Amaryllis's first bath. May and Drew got to help with that. They learned about the right way to give a baby a bath, and they successfully gave her her first bath, enjoying every second of it, but of course it didn't take long. Afterward, Drew teleported one of the pink onesies from the castle, as well as a diaper, and May put them on Amaryllis.
"She looks so cute!" May said excitedly.
"That's thanks to you." Drew said.
"Queen May, you'll be resting in a hospital room until tomorrow." A nurse said. "You'll have your baby of course. Please follow me to your room."
May put Amaryllis in the bassinet and her and Drew followed the Nurse out of the nursery and to a hospital room. May climbed up on the bed, laying down. The Nurse left the bassinet next to the bed, and Drew remained standing next to the bed. The Nurse said 'good luck' and 'see you tomorrow' before leaving the room.
May and Drew looked at each other. "Drew…" May started sadly. "...You'll have to leave now, huh?"
"Who said anything about me leaving?" Drew questioned, smiling.
"Huh? But, Drew-"
"Like I said before...Ruling can wait. This is more important."
May smiled. "You're really going to spend the night here?"
"Of course." Drew answered. "I can't leave you alone to care for Amaryllis right after she was born. And you need me, so why would I just walk away?"
May giggled. "Well then...I guess I should get some sleep. I'm feeling tired after giving birth."
"Yeah. You get some sleep. It is still the middle of the night. And I'll watch Amaryllis."
May yawned and closed her eyes. "You'll be an amazing father...and tonight's the chance to prove it…"
Drew smiled. "It sure is. I'll do my best."
Drew looked around the room and his eyes landed on a chair in the corner. He went to it and lifted it up. He moved the chair to the bed, placing it right next to it. He grabbed his sword's grip. "Teleport." His guitar appeared.
(This song is "Can't Do It Without You" from Austin & Ally. This is the acoustic version.)
Drew positioned his guitar to play before playing the gentle melody. Amaryllis looked at where Drew is. "There's no way I can make it without you, do it without you, be here without you." May opened her eyes and looked at Drew. "It's no fun when you're doing it solo. With you it's like whoa. Yeah, and I know. I…own this dream." Drew looked up at May. "Cause I...got you with me." May smiled. "There's no way I can make it without you, do it without you, be here without you." He finished.
May closed her eyes again. Drew teleported the guitar back to his room and stood up. He leaned over the bed railing and placed a kiss on May's forehead. "Good night, June."
May smiled. "Good night…"