Briefly mentions Brax's mum, Cheryl and Nate again.
Sweet - as - honey: Thank you for the review. I hadn't heard of an EVC until I started researching. It is sad for them. You'll see if Ricky gets them special moments in this chapter. She could go to another hospital for her delivery but I think she trusts the doctors. Had to have some brotherly love in the chapter. Taylor doesn't have anything against Casey, I think he's just reminding her that soon she'll have her own baby. I shouldn't, I come on here to share my stories.
The Secret Life Of Casualty.
Chapter 241.
Now at 7 months pregnant, Ricky was beginning to feel the strain; her back ached, she would have done anything for one of Brax's famous back rubs that eased her stresses, her boobs were hurting her and she was finding it difficult to pick up Casey.
She had a tight pain around her abdomen, she found it was similar to period pain, as she got up and walked in to the kitchen to make herself a chamomile tea. Reaching up to get a mug, she felt a twinge, she rubbed her belly and then stared as a puddle of water surrounded her legs. She reached for her phone that was on the table.
"My waters have broken, Cal. "
Cal was ecstatic as he read the words, as it meant the baby was making it's entrance in to the world. "You'll be fine. "
"I am, " She thought as she went in to the bedroom, to locate her hospital bag. Remembering what she needed when she was pregnant with Casey, who was currently with Cheryl, she had packed clean underwear, comfy clothes, some cooling spray and a pair of pj's. She threw a couple of bobbles in to her bag as she knew how sweaty hair could get during labour. She walked slowly to the door and opened it.
She grabbed a taxi to the hospital, and kept one hand on her belly.
As Ricky arrived at the hospital, she was unaware that someone was watching her. She paid the driver and walked in.
Nate met her. "How far are the contractions?"
"Every 15 minutes" Ricky replied as Nate nodded as he helped settle her in to a room, she sat up on the bed as Zoe come in and the two doctors, quietly consulted with each other.
"You'll need a c- section, Ricky" Nate told her.
Ricky let out a sob, as Jessica prepped her for theatre, giving her a spinal block before the surgery, which would stop her feeling pain, but she would be awake. The nurse helped her change in to a gown.
"What about surfing?" She asked, she knew it was vain, but she loved the water, she was a River Girl.
"You won't be able to surf until the wound has healed. " Nate told her.
Ricky was wheeled down to theatre, the bright lights were giving her a headache, she had a gown on, a hat, a needle in her arm and as they come through the double doors, it was hitting her what she was doing.
A screen was put up, to stop Ricky seeing what was happening.
"Scalpel please, " Nate asked.
Jessica handed Nate the scalpel and Nate cut in to the stomach of his ex - girlfriend, he reached his hands in and pulled the baby out, Ricky felt some tugging as it came out feet first, it wasn't breathing, and the cord was wrapped around the neck, Nate expertly swung it over the head, as it gave a cry and then Nate removed the placenta before he stitched Ricky up.
"Is everything OK?" Ricky asked.
Nate nodded. "Everything's fine. "
Cal was, anxiously pacing surgery outside, wondering where Taylor was.
"It's a girl, congratulations " Nate told him.
Cal looked down at the baby in his arms, she was wrapped in a pink blanket, and had brown eyes.
"Hello, " Cal whispered, "I'm your daddy, "
The baby gripped his finger.
Taylor joined him. "She's perfect. "
"Yeah. " Cal replied. "She is. "
Ricky was wheeled back to her room, Jessica was the nurse looking after her.
"Are you ok?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah. " She nodded. "Just sore. "
Jessica gave Ricky some pain relief.
Cal walked in to the room, baby in his arms.
"Thank you, " He whispered. "Do you want a hold?"
"OK " She told him, she had done an amazing thing but now she was feeling tired and sore.
"Hello," Ricky whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at her: She had brown eyes, and a snub nose. "Have you and Taylor decided on a name?" She asked, as she looked in her handbag for her camera. Switching it on, she asked Cal if it was OK for her to take a picture of the baby, he told her it was.
Snapping a picture, of the baby in Cal's arms, she knew she'd treasure it. In it, the little girl was in a pink sleeping suit, her eyes screwed shut, but content in her dad's arms.
"Not yet, " Cal shook his head, as he placed a document about 2 pages long on the table.
"What this?" Ricky asked.
"It's a parental order " Cal explained, once Ricky was pregnant, Cal had been to his solicitor and asked him to draw it up. "All you have to do is. "
"Yes, Cal I know. " She replied, picking up the pen he had placed down.
Quickly reading it, she realised she'd be handing over all rights to Cal and Taylor and that she'd been simply an "Egg renter" But she had made someone happy, wasn't that all that mattered?.
"Ricky, are you OK?" Cal asked.
"Yeah." She blew a breath, to stop the tears she could feel falling. She picked up the pen and signed her name,
Erica Sharpe.
That was it, it was done, over, she'd never see the baby again. As Cal left the room, baby in arms, Ricky turned on her side and cried, it had felt like she'd lost a baby all over again, it felt like she was relieving her miscarriage.
Brax walked in to the side room, he was planning to surprise his ex - partner, but was surprised to see the bed was empty. He shrugged, thinking that a nurse had helped her to the toilet, but after a few minutes, she still hadn't come back out. Had she collapsed?
"Where's Ricky?" He asked a nurse.
Jessica looked up, "I don't know. "
"How can you not know?" He snapped.
"Brax, calm down. " Taylor said.
"Or, what?" He said, folding his arms.
"Or, " Taylor smiled, smugly. "I'll call the police. "
Brax couldn't risk that, he had stayed in motels, keeping his head down and whenever he went for interviews to try to get work, to get money to send Ricky for Casey, he always gave a fake name.
As it was time for the baby to be taken up to ITU, to help with her breathing, Taylor told Cal she needed to go out to the car.
"Don't be long, " Cal replied, texting Ethan. "Taylor and I have a baby girl. "
Ethan was on a break, when he got his brother's message. A smile lit up his face when he read the words.
"That's fantastic, Cal " He replied.
Taylor nodded and walked out, walking towards her car. She unlocked the door.
"Your coming with me. " She snapped.
"I'll scream" Ricky threatened.
Taylor grabbed her arms as she tied rope around them.
"You stole Cal from me. " She said as she tried to put a gag in to Ricky's mouth, she tried to struggle. "Keep still. " She hissed.
"No. " Ricky replied, wondering what was going on, she had seemed polite when they first met.
"I didn't want to have to do this, " Said Taylor as she opened the boot, looked for an item, and picked it up, hiding it behind her back, opening the door, she hit Ricky over the head, watching as the younger woman slumped forward in to the seat, unconscious as Taylor drove off, leaving a trail of smoke in her wake.
Thank you for reading, I really enjoyed writing this one. I know a lot of you wanted Ricky to give Cal a boy, but I thought a girl would mix it up as she had baby Casey in Home and Away and whenever I do pregnancies for her, she does end up with a boy. And even though Cal had Matilda for a brief time, she doesn't exist in this short story.
