Chapter 7 - 'Push, Push...Pant, Pant...'
Cordelia half sat, half lay in the glorified hospital bed. The mid-wife was fussing around one of the three machines was hooked up to. Cordelia didn't care about the machines she just wanted the drugs. Her back was killing her and the pains that shot through her stomach were worse than the visions and that was saying something. A monitor beeped constantly beside her, giving her a security that her baby was OK. A doctor walked into he room and wordlessly put his fingers to her neck, feeling her pulse.
"Well you're heart beat seems around normal and as does the babies. Well Miss Chase I think you are in for an easy delivery."
Something in Cordelia snapped and she grabbed the doctor by his coat lapels. "Easy delivery? Forget that just give me some drugs."
"Oh I'm afraid it is a little late to give you an Epidural Miss Chase. No, you're far too advanced for that." He said chuckling to himself as the nurse wiped Cordelias brow.
She grabbed him again. "Listen to me Doctor…" She flipped his name badge. "Cardel. This baby isn't coming out until I get my drugs. You understand me."
Doctor Cardel backed away from her and studied the notes in his hand carefully. "Ah Miss Chase. Your mid-wife is Doctor Marlanie. I will have her paged and she will be present at the birth instead."
Cordelia continued to glare at him as he backed out of the room. Her mind was screaming 'Angel, where are you?' every time a contraction hit, which was about every 10 seconds now.
The nurse moved cautious to Cordelia, afraid after her resent outburst. "Right Cordelia, when you next feeling like pushing I want you to push down hard and try and push for as long as possible. OK."
"I told you I'm not pushing anything until I get my drugs. I mean I…" Her words were lost to a scream as another contraction forced her to yell out. After reassurance from the nurse that everything was fine Cordelia sneaked a look at the clock on the wall. It had been 5 hours since the first contraction made it's self felt. Her mind screamed for Angel again. Her thoughts were once again lost to the pain as she pushed into the contraction.
"OK I can see the head. Oh he has brown hair. Right now Cordelia when you feel like pushing, don't. I need you to pant lots. Then in the next contraction push like hell."
Cordelia nodded and sucked in more gas. It gave her little rest bite from the pain before she heard the mid wife telling her when to pant and when to push. Eventually came the shout 'I can see the head!' and the room started to relax. Cordelia began pushing in ernest and just as she felt her strength leave her she heard the shrill cry of her baby boy. The Midwife held him up in front of her and Cordelia burst out in tears.
"Oh he's beautiful." Cordelia managed through her tears before the little bundle of joy was placed in her arms. She stared down at him. A little screwed up face, upset at being taken away the warm haven of Cordelias womb. Cordelia stared down at his blue eyes as clear as crystal and he blew a bubble at her. Their faces turned towards the door of the delivery suite, hearing a commotion outside the door. Her heart lifted higher when she heard Angels annoyed grown. She didn't envy the person that Angel was growling at. She heard the footsteps retreat from the door and down the hall. She looked down at the baby and smiled. "That was your daddy." She whispered to him as she watched the baby's eyes slowly close, fighting the sleep that invaded him.
Later
Cordelia sat in the more comfortable bed, all cleaned up and her little baby sleeping beside her wrapped in a blue blanket in a padded Moses basket. She couldn't take her eyes off him, scared that the Powers might of changed their mind and he would disappear before her eyes. It hadn't hit her until now just what responsibility she had been given by the Powers. She was the mother to their saviour and she had to bring him up with love and teach him the right things in the world. Doubts sliced into her mind like old Japanese daggers. Her mother had never shown her love or compassion so how was she suppose to show her baby what love was when she had never really had any herself? Her mother had only taught her about fashion and the right way for a lady to act and what men made the best husbands. Cordelia decided that she was going to make a rubbish mother just like her mother was. Maybe they should hire a nanny to love her baby instead. Cordelia started to cry and looked back at her baby. Her was now awake and staring back at her his eyes now darker and more soulful, just like his father, she reconsidered her thought and realised that no matter what happened she would never be like her mother plus she would have Angel there.
Speak of the Vampire and the Vampire appeared. Angel hung unsure around the door way until Cordelia beckoned him to her. He smiled one of his rare lopsided smiles and looked at her.
"You OK?" Angel whispered, scared to disturb the silence.
"Yeah. His a tough guy, I think he's gonna make his mothers life tough." She smiled at the mention of a mother.
Cordelia picked up the baby from the basket and held him carefully in his arms. His little face was less screwed up but still looked lost in the mass of blue blanket. Angel looked among the blankets and felt his heart soar. The darkened eyes in front of him, studied him and smiled at him. Cordelia held him up to Angel but Angel backed away.
"But what if I drop him?" Angel pleaded quietly
"Don't be silly Angel. If you drop him, babies bounce." She said with a smile.
Angel tentatively accepted the bundle and held him close to him. The baby looked up at him again and smiled. Angel felt at peace, his heart full of love and affection for the baby in his arms. He also felt an overwhelming feeling that he had to protect this baby at all costs and not because he belonged to the powers but because he was his son.
Angel bent down to hand the bundle back to Cordelia and kiss her on the cheek. He saw her grimace in pain.
"Are you sure you're OK? I mean I can call the doctor."
She lay her free hand on his arm. "Angel, it's natural. I'm just a little sore OK. We can't keep on calling him bump or baby can we?"
"No. I think he looks like an Allen, after Doyle. He brought us together so it's only right that he to name the baby and we know how much he loved his name!
Cordelia looked down at her son and saw he was asleep again. "Our little Allen. I like it."
Angel and Cordelia both turned to look down at the latest addition to their strange family and smile. Baby Allen slept on, unaware at what he had done.
Cordelia half sat, half lay in the glorified hospital bed. The mid-wife was fussing around one of the three machines was hooked up to. Cordelia didn't care about the machines she just wanted the drugs. Her back was killing her and the pains that shot through her stomach were worse than the visions and that was saying something. A monitor beeped constantly beside her, giving her a security that her baby was OK. A doctor walked into he room and wordlessly put his fingers to her neck, feeling her pulse.
"Well you're heart beat seems around normal and as does the babies. Well Miss Chase I think you are in for an easy delivery."
Something in Cordelia snapped and she grabbed the doctor by his coat lapels. "Easy delivery? Forget that just give me some drugs."
"Oh I'm afraid it is a little late to give you an Epidural Miss Chase. No, you're far too advanced for that." He said chuckling to himself as the nurse wiped Cordelias brow.
She grabbed him again. "Listen to me Doctor…" She flipped his name badge. "Cardel. This baby isn't coming out until I get my drugs. You understand me."
Doctor Cardel backed away from her and studied the notes in his hand carefully. "Ah Miss Chase. Your mid-wife is Doctor Marlanie. I will have her paged and she will be present at the birth instead."
Cordelia continued to glare at him as he backed out of the room. Her mind was screaming 'Angel, where are you?' every time a contraction hit, which was about every 10 seconds now.
The nurse moved cautious to Cordelia, afraid after her resent outburst. "Right Cordelia, when you next feeling like pushing I want you to push down hard and try and push for as long as possible. OK."
"I told you I'm not pushing anything until I get my drugs. I mean I…" Her words were lost to a scream as another contraction forced her to yell out. After reassurance from the nurse that everything was fine Cordelia sneaked a look at the clock on the wall. It had been 5 hours since the first contraction made it's self felt. Her mind screamed for Angel again. Her thoughts were once again lost to the pain as she pushed into the contraction.
"OK I can see the head. Oh he has brown hair. Right now Cordelia when you feel like pushing, don't. I need you to pant lots. Then in the next contraction push like hell."
Cordelia nodded and sucked in more gas. It gave her little rest bite from the pain before she heard the mid wife telling her when to pant and when to push. Eventually came the shout 'I can see the head!' and the room started to relax. Cordelia began pushing in ernest and just as she felt her strength leave her she heard the shrill cry of her baby boy. The Midwife held him up in front of her and Cordelia burst out in tears.
"Oh he's beautiful." Cordelia managed through her tears before the little bundle of joy was placed in her arms. She stared down at him. A little screwed up face, upset at being taken away the warm haven of Cordelias womb. Cordelia stared down at his blue eyes as clear as crystal and he blew a bubble at her. Their faces turned towards the door of the delivery suite, hearing a commotion outside the door. Her heart lifted higher when she heard Angels annoyed grown. She didn't envy the person that Angel was growling at. She heard the footsteps retreat from the door and down the hall. She looked down at the baby and smiled. "That was your daddy." She whispered to him as she watched the baby's eyes slowly close, fighting the sleep that invaded him.
Later
Cordelia sat in the more comfortable bed, all cleaned up and her little baby sleeping beside her wrapped in a blue blanket in a padded Moses basket. She couldn't take her eyes off him, scared that the Powers might of changed their mind and he would disappear before her eyes. It hadn't hit her until now just what responsibility she had been given by the Powers. She was the mother to their saviour and she had to bring him up with love and teach him the right things in the world. Doubts sliced into her mind like old Japanese daggers. Her mother had never shown her love or compassion so how was she suppose to show her baby what love was when she had never really had any herself? Her mother had only taught her about fashion and the right way for a lady to act and what men made the best husbands. Cordelia decided that she was going to make a rubbish mother just like her mother was. Maybe they should hire a nanny to love her baby instead. Cordelia started to cry and looked back at her baby. Her was now awake and staring back at her his eyes now darker and more soulful, just like his father, she reconsidered her thought and realised that no matter what happened she would never be like her mother plus she would have Angel there.
Speak of the Vampire and the Vampire appeared. Angel hung unsure around the door way until Cordelia beckoned him to her. He smiled one of his rare lopsided smiles and looked at her.
"You OK?" Angel whispered, scared to disturb the silence.
"Yeah. His a tough guy, I think he's gonna make his mothers life tough." She smiled at the mention of a mother.
Cordelia picked up the baby from the basket and held him carefully in his arms. His little face was less screwed up but still looked lost in the mass of blue blanket. Angel looked among the blankets and felt his heart soar. The darkened eyes in front of him, studied him and smiled at him. Cordelia held him up to Angel but Angel backed away.
"But what if I drop him?" Angel pleaded quietly
"Don't be silly Angel. If you drop him, babies bounce." She said with a smile.
Angel tentatively accepted the bundle and held him close to him. The baby looked up at him again and smiled. Angel felt at peace, his heart full of love and affection for the baby in his arms. He also felt an overwhelming feeling that he had to protect this baby at all costs and not because he belonged to the powers but because he was his son.
Angel bent down to hand the bundle back to Cordelia and kiss her on the cheek. He saw her grimace in pain.
"Are you sure you're OK? I mean I can call the doctor."
She lay her free hand on his arm. "Angel, it's natural. I'm just a little sore OK. We can't keep on calling him bump or baby can we?"
"No. I think he looks like an Allen, after Doyle. He brought us together so it's only right that he to name the baby and we know how much he loved his name!
Cordelia looked down at her son and saw he was asleep again. "Our little Allen. I like it."
Angel and Cordelia both turned to look down at the latest addition to their strange family and smile. Baby Allen slept on, unaware at what he had done.