The One Where Chandler Comforts Phoebe
Chapter Ten
Continued from: 'TOW The Souvenirs'
By: Jana~
*****~*****
--They arrived at the hospital, immediately approaching the nurse's station…
"Um, hi…" Phoebe said to the first nurse she saw… "I have babies coming out of me."
"Babies?" The nurse asked innocently…
"Yeah, it's called multiples! Ever hear of it?!"
The nurse smiled awkwardly at her, then at the rest of the group gathered around her…
"She's in some pain…" Chandler offered as an explanation for her outburst…
The nurse nodded slightly, the odd smile still plastered on her face, then extended to Phoebe a clipboard with several papers attached… "You need to fill these out."
Phoebe just looked at her in shock… "You have GOT to be kidding me!"
Chandler quickly grabbed the clipboard… "I'll fill them out for you, Pheebs…"
"It's standard procedure…" the nurse assured… "Did you fill out a pre-reservation pack?"
"All the papers at Lamaze class?" Phoebe asked, and the nurse nodded… "Yeah. Weeks ago."
"Then you can forgo these for now…" she stated as she gestured for Chandler to hand back the clipboard.
"K, got ahold of Frank…" Ross informed as he clicked off his cell phone and approached… "They're in Delaware visiting Alice's relatives or something… but they're on their way."
"Oh GREAT! That's just perfect! Now who's gonna be my coach?!" She sounded angry at first, then burst into tears… "I don't wanna do this alone!" she wailed…
Everyone was dumbfounded and unsure of how to respond…
Joey fidgeted at the sight of her tears… "I'll be your coach Pheebs…"
She almost instantaneously stopped crying as she looked up at him… "Have you ever coached before?"
"Well, um, no. But, I can be there for you! And put a wet washcloth on your forehead and stuff…"
"And fetch me ice chips when my mouth is dry?" She asked…
Joey smiled… "Sure."
"Yeah, THANKS!" she barked… "But there are NURSES who do THAT!"
Joey's smile dropped and he looked down at the floor sadly…
"Oh, God, don't do that!" Phoebe pleaded… "I hate the 'Tribbiani sad face'!" She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head… "Fine! You can be my coach! It's better than doing this by myself…"
Joey cracked a small apprehensive grin, suddenly wondering if volunteering for the position was such a good idea…
"Well, good luck then!" Chandler exclaimed, hugging her quick, then glancing over at a worried Joey with a look that seemed to be saying 'Better you than me'…
Everyone else followed suit and hugged her, wishing her good luck…
"Yeah, ok, thanks…" she muttered, then grabbed Joey's hand and started dragging him away, ignoring the orderly with the wheelchair…
"Let's get this OVER with!" she snapped, and Joey looked behind him at the other friends as she pulled him away, his expression looking something like a man being drug away to war against his will…
They all looked at each other after Phoebe and Joey were out of sight…
"I'm really gonna miss Joey…" Chandler quipped… "Cafeteria?" he suggested… they all nodded…
*****
--Ross and Rachel made kissy faces at one-another as they sat at the small formica table in the hospital cafeteria, waiting to hear word from Joey about Phoebe… or word from Frank and Alice.
Monica looked at her brother and sister-in-law's open display of affection, then looked to Chandler, silently telling him with her eyes and expression that she wished they could be doing the same.
She wanted to be there for Phoebe, knowing after she gave birth she would want her friends gathered around her, but she also wanted to be in Chandler's arms.
If everyone knew about them, she could be sitting on Chandler's lap and kissing his delicious lips… but everyone didn't know. No one knew. And they couldn't tell anyone because they had to wait and see how Phoebe was going to emotionally handle handing over the babies to her brother Frank.
--While Ross and Rachel were busy feeding each other disgusting hospital food and kissing, Chandler discreetly reached under the table and gave Monica's hand a squeeze… it would have to do till later, and she squeezed him back.
--"There you guys are!" Joey exclaimed as he entered the cafeteria, heading straight for them…
All four stood as he approached…
"How is she?" Monica asked…
"Ok. She's cranky cause she's in pain, but ok. Any word on Frank and Alice yet?"
"They were able to get on the first available flight out…" Ross informed… "They should be here in, like, three/four hours…"
Joey nodded, then grabbed the untouched half-of-sandwich off Chandler's plate and took a big bite…
"Joey! That's a TURKEY sandwich!"
"So?!" Joey asked, his mouth full, his voice muffled… "She's giving birth! She can't eat till the babies are born, DR said, I'm eating MEAT!" He pointed the sandwich at Chandler like a weapon, then grabbed a handful of chips off the plate, shoving them into his pocket. He took another huge bite out of the sandwich, then turned and walked out.
Chandler looked over at the rest of the group and smiled… "It's like when you try to take a bone away from a dog…"
*****
--It was time to start pushing, and Frank and Alice still weren't there…
"I'll still be here Pheebs…" Joey assured her as he wiped her brow with a cool wet washcloth…
"Thanks Joey," she panted, trying to do her Lamaze breathing… "I love you."
He smiled… "I love you too."
"Ok, it's time to start pushing…" the DR instructed… "With your next contraction Miss Buffay…"
*****
--Joey ran out into the waiting room to the four waiting friends, all anxious to know what was going on with Phoebe and the babies…
"It's a boy!" Joey announced excitedly… "Little Frank Jr. Jr.!"
"Awww…" Rachel cooed… "How does the baby look?"
"Gross!" He made a disgusted face… "And slimy! And he turned colors, like, 3 times!" He shuddered, then turned on his heel and walked back to the labor room…
--A short time later Joey was back out in the waiting room to give an update…
"Second baby is the girl… little Leslie."
"How's Phoebe holding up?" Monica asked…
"She's fine…" he informed… "A real trooper!" He gestured back towards where he came from, then turned and went back in…
--Joey entered the waiting room and grinned… "Third baby is here…" he informed them… "Little Chandler. Only thing…" his grin seemed to grow wider… "It's a girl."
"What?" Chandler asked, as if he hadn't heard him right the first time…
Joey chuckled… "Chandler's a girl."
--It felt like sweet revenge to Joey. Back when Frank and Alice asked Phoebe to name the third triplet, who at the time was thought to be a boy, it was narrowed down to 'Joey' or 'Chandler'. Phoebe picked 'Chandler' because the adult Chandler tricked her.
He pretended to hate his name, in the hopes that Phoebe would pick the name as proof that it was a good name. His plan worked, and Phoebe did pick 'Chandler' for the third triplet, the second boy baby. Only, the sonogram was wrong… the third triplet was a girl, not a boy…
--"Chandler's a girl…" Joey repeated, and Chandler glared at him…
"Ok, you can stop saying it now!" Chandler snipped at his gloating friend…
"Is Phoebe ok?" Monica asked as she rubbed Chandler's back in sympathy…
"Yeah. Tired, but ok."
"Can we go see her?" Rachel asked…
"Yeah. I think so." Joey replied, looking around as if the answer to that question was in the air around them…
Just then Frank and Alice flew out of the elevator and to the group of five they immediately recognized…
"How is she? Did she give birth yet?" Alice asked frantically…
"Yeah…" Joey nodded… "They're all fine, but, the sonogram was wrong…"
"What?" Alice asked, concerned…
Frank gripped his wife's hand… "How so?"
"No, no…" Joey assured them… "Everything is fine. It's just, Chandler's a girl."
Chandler could tell Joey was fighting to keep from grinning… "I'll be right back…"
Monica watched him walk away, then excused herself to follow him…
--"Chandler! Wait up!"
He turned to acknowledge her, then stopped so she could catch up…
"Hey. What's wrong?"
He shrugged as he kicked at the ground… "Nothing."
"Doesn't seem like nothing…" She took his hand in both her hands… "Are you upset cause baby Chandler is a girl?"
"No." he cocked his head in frustration… "It's not that…"
"Then, what?"
"It's just--" He shook his head, dropping his gaze to the floor… "I just thought it was kinda neat… ya'know? Having a little baby named after me…"
"Yeah…"
"All through school… through jobs or whatever… I have never run across another 'Chandler'…" He sighed… "I just thought it would be neat. And we'd have, like, a special bond… that no one else had with him, cause we had the same name. And when he'd come by to see Phoebe, we'd be buddies…"
"Wow. I had no idea it meant that much to you."
He shrugged… "And now, I won't have that."
She hugged him, running her hand through the hair at the nape of his neck…
"And it doesn't help ease the pain when Joey keeps teasing me."
"He's just being weird. You know he loves you."
"I guess." He pulled her tighter to him… "I can't wait to 'have' you tonight."
"Ditto. I love that I have the apartment to myself now. It makes sneaking around with you so much easier."
Chandler peeked around, just to be sure no one was watching them, then leaned in and kissed her…
"You feeling better now?" she asked as they broke away… he nodded. "Let's go see Phoebe, hmmm?"
"Yeah. Ok."
*****
--"We are so proud of you Pheebs…" Monica patted her arm… "You did it!"
"So proud!" Rachel added… "Was it painful?"
Phoebe scoffed, as if that were an understatement… "Uh, yeah. You won't be able to handle it."
Rachel looked almost offended, and Ross took her hand in his…
"Pheebs, what are they gonna name the second girl baby?" Chandler asked, and Joey snickered… Chandler glared at him and he stopped, but his smile was still prominent…
"They're gonna name her 'Chandler'." Phoebe replied…
Chandler squinted in confusion… "But, isn't that kinda odd? To name a girl a boy name?"
"Odder than naming a baby 'Frank JR. JR.?" Phoebe asked with a slight chuckle…
Monica nudged Chandler… "She's got a point…"
Everyone laughed, including Chandler, who made a gesture of understanding…
*****~*****
--"So, are you ok with baby 'Chandler' being a girl and not a boy?" Monica asked as she snuggled with Chandler in her bed…
"Yeah. I think I'm gonna have to listen to a lot of snickering from Joey for a while, but it's ok…"
"Good…" she murmured in his ear, kissing his neck a moment later, inciting a low moan from him…
"I thought you were too tired to 'go' again?" he asked, certain where her affections were leading him…
"Maybe I changed my mind."
He smirked… "Maybe? You're not sure?"
She smirked back, then climbed on top of him and started rubbing against him… he moaned again…
"You keep that up and I won't make it past the appetizer, let alone to dessert… if you know what I mean…"
She continued her movements… an almost torture, and he reached up to caress her bare skin. He groaned, then gathered her into his arms and flipped over with her, pinning her to the bed…
"I need you…" he moaned softly into her ear…
She smiled and grabbed his neck, bringing his lips to hers.
The kiss that followed was beyond passionate, and they made love with intensity until they collapsed in each other's arms, falling asleep quickly as the events of the day caught up with them.
*****~*****
--"Ya'know, they say giving birth is the hardest thing you'll ever have to go through…" she shook her head grimly… "Wrong. Giving birth isn't the hardest thing, giving them up is."
"I'm sorry Pheebs…" Monica soothed as she put her arm around her friend… "Is there anything we can do?"
"Well, could I maybe stay here with you? In Rachel's old room for a bit? I just don't feel like being alone…"
"Monica glanced at Chandler briefly before responding… "Sure, sweetie. Anything you need…"
"Thanks…" she murmured softly… "I'll go grab a few things from my place and be back…"
"Phoebe…" Chandler spoke up… "I'll go with you to help, ok?"
She shrugged… "Ok. Thanks."
As Phoebe headed for the door, Chandler looked over at Monica, feeling her eyes on him. She mouthed the words 'Thank you', and Chandler smiled, nodding his head.
--He knew how worried Monica had been about Phoebe, and he could see the concern on her face when Phoebe suggested going alone to gather her things. He didn't quite get Monica's concern… Phoebe seemed ok to him… a little down maybe, but not, like, super depressed or anything. Still, Monica would know better than he, so he followed her lead in the matter.
--Chandler and Phoebe got to her place and Chandler looked around her livingroom briefly before following Phoebe to her room…
"Ok, where's your suitcase? What do you need packed?"
She sat heavily on her bed and began to cry…
Chandler backed away slightly, her tears making him uncomfortable, then he moved to sit beside her… wrapping his arm around her…
"Phoebe?"
"I'm sorry…" was all she said in reply as she buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder and sobbed…
"It's ok…" he whispered as he rubbed her back… "It's gonna be ok…"
His mind frantically searched for the word Monica used for this… *Something depression…* He continued to console her, his brow wrinkled in concentration. Finally, it came to him… *Postpartum depression.*
"Pheebs, ya'know, I think a lot of women get this postpartum depression thing after they have a baby. You should maybe tell your DR about it… so she can help…"
She nodded, her face still buried… "I will…" she whimpered… "I just miss them so much. I even miss the kicking…"
"You did a wonderful thing Pheebs, ya'know? And Frank and Alice are so happy. And I know it's hard, but we're all here for you… k?"
She pulled back and wiped her tears… "Thanks Chandler. It's no wonder why Monica cares so much for you…"
She stood and reached for her suitcase off the top shelf of the closet, struggling with the task, but Chandler made no move to help her. He was too floored by her comment…
"Chandler? A little help?"
Her request pulled him out of his thoughts, and he jumped up to give her a hand…
"Pheebs?" he broached the subject carefully as she grabbed clothes from her dresser… "What did you mean by that? About Monica…"
Phoebe shrugged as she threw underwear into the suitcase… "Whenever she's upset… you always seem to be there for her." She closed her dresser drawer and moved over to the closet, yanking clothes off hangers and tossing them at Chandler… "It's sweet."
He sighed in relief… "Oh. Thanks."
She stopped what she was doing and eyed him curiously… "What did you think I meant?"
He fought not to panic… "I didn't know! That's why I asked!"
She watched him for just a moment, then went back to her task, much to the relief of Chandler…
"I'll want my guitar…" she informed, pointing at it, and Chandler nodded and grabbed it…
"Is that everything then?" he asked as he set the guitar on the bed, then closed and locked the suitcase…
"Yeah. Just need some toiletries and then, that's it."
He sat on her bed and waited for her to return, looking around the room that just screamed 'Phoebe'. Candles everywhere, odd bits of knick-knacks and pictures that looked like they were purchased at a thrift store… even her furniture looked second hand.
He smiled and shook his head… *No wonder Phoebe and Monica couldn't live together…* he thought, looking around at the disarray. She wasn't sloppy by any means, but she was just too 'out there'… her décor had no rhyme or reason to it what-so-ever.
--"I'm ready now…" she sniffled, her eyes puffy from crying…
Chandler stood and gathered her into his arms… "I wish I knew what to do…" he muttered into her hair… "I wish you weren't so sad…"
"Same here." She pulled back from his embrace, then looked into his eyes… "I never really noticed how blue your eyes are…" She reached up and touched his cheek, then leaned forward and kissed his lips…
TO BE CONTINUED…