The Ordinary Days
A/N: The big moment is here, y'all! This isn't the final chapter but the next one will be (plus the epilogue, which I will try to post at the same time). Please see the warnings below because if you don't like graphic stuff then you won't like this chapter. But I promise, it will all be worth it in the end!
WARNINGS: Graphic depictions of childbirth (but it's not super bloody or anything like that) and a brief moment of danger for Peggy and the baby. The main part of the birth starts around 3/4ths of the way through the chapter so if you'd rather skip that part then stop at the part of the story that starts "Night was starting to fall by the time Peggy's contractions came on hard and fast…" and skip down to the sentence that beings "He took a cloth and cleaned its nose and mouth…".
Chapter Seventeen
The weeks following the incident with the barn brought peace to the house once again because there were no other causes for alarm that Steve or Peggy noticed. But despite the peace, Peggy's fast-approaching due date was causing them both to feel on edge to the point where Steve hardly wanted to let her out of his sight. He hardly slept a wink, waiting until she was fast asleep before settling in himself, but could not seem to quell his anxieties of what would happen if Jack tried to take their baby away. He stared at the ceiling most nights in wonderment of how they were going to get out of this mess and in the morning he lied to Peggy when she asked if he had slept well.
About a week before Christmas, an intense blizzard meant Steve, Peggy, and Benny had to barricade themselves inside the house until it passed.
"I can barely see outside," remarked Peggy as she pulled back the curtains one afternoon while Steve was stoking the fire in the fireplace. "We haven't had a storm this bad in years."
Steve pondered. "Well, it lessens the chance of Jack creeping around the house since it's too hard to see anything in this weather."
Peggy frowned but said nothing.
Steve had found an artificial Christmas tree stored in the attic by the previous owner and brought it down with a box of dust-collecting ornaments, but neither Steve nor Peggy found themselves in a particularly jolly mood. Truth be told, they were both filled with dread at the idea that Christmas was coming up so soon because that meant they were running out of time to come up with a plan before Peggy's due date. Their prevailing plan at the moment was to keep the house as secure as possible but call the police if and when Jack decided to come by, but there was no telling if he would try anything the day the baby was born or days or weeks later. The uncertainty caused them both much anxiety, even if they didn't voice their concerns to one another for fear of causing the other to worry.
But the blizzard meant that Steve had an excuse to be around Peggy as much as possible. He tried too hard not to annoy her with questions of if she needed anything or how she was feeling, but sometimes he could not help himself.
"I'm feeling like a beached whale, truth be told," said Peggy hotly as Steve delicately handed her a red glass orb to be hung on the tree.
"For what it's worth, you don't look like one," replied Steve immediately with a twinkle in his eye. Peggy rolled her eyes but smiled.
"Flatterer."
"If I were in your shoes right now, I'd be lying in bed all day," joked Steve as he handed her another ornament. "I don't know how you do it."
"And they say women are the weaker sex," scoffed Peggy with a bemused expression. "I just can't wait for the day when I can finally–"
They both jumped when there was a sudden banging on the front door. Peggy looked at Steve in alarm and he held a hand out to tell her to stay where she was. He silently crept toward the door, heart pounding as he expected the worst.
He stood behind it, listening for another moment, but heard only the whistling wind outside. He slowly reached for the doorknob and opened the door a crack, but then sighed with relief when he saw who was on the other side.
"Bucky?" Steve asked incredulously as he let his friend in from the cold. "What on earth are you doing here?"
"Freezing my ass off, that's what," he replied as he shook the snow from the suitcase he was carrying. "I got leave for Christmas but I thought I'd spend some time with you both in case the baby comes."
"Why didn't you telephone before coming here in the middle of the blizzard and scaring us half to death?" questioned Peggy as she stood and approached him to dust the snow off the sleeves of his heavy army-issued coat.
Bucky gave them a confusing look. "The lines are dead because of the storm. Didn't you know?"
The couple looked at each other and Steve shrugged. "We haven't had to make any calls in a day or two."
"Well, it would've been nice to have gotten picked up from the train station instead of having to drive my ma's old beat-up truck out here, but I'm just glad I got here okay."
Steve clapped him on the back warmly. "It's really good to see you, Buck. Especially in one piece."
"Who said I was in one piece?" he joked, making Peggy laugh.
Bucky proved to be a welcome distraction from both the blizzard and their anxieties about the baby as he tried to keep them in high spirits. The radio – an early Christmas gift from the Starks – crooned holiday tunes at them as Bucky told them stories about the war and he and Steve reminisced about when they were children. It was a warm balm to be reminded that they had friends looking out for them, Peggy reminded herself. But when she went to bed that night, she dreamed once again of a shadowy figure slowly creeping closer and closer to her no matter how fast and how far she ran.
She wasn't sure what time it was when she woke because it was still rather dark outside, but Peggy figured the storm clouds made it seem earlier than it was. She wondered sleepily why she was up so early but then a sharp pain made her eyes jolt awake. There was a cramp in her lower belly and Peggy rubbed it gently, wondering if she actually felt it or if she had still been dreaming.
She looked over at Steve who was fast asleep next to her, lightly snoring which made Peggy smile a little. He looked so peaceful that she did not want to disturb him if it was nothing, so she sat up as carefully as she could. Her hand was still resting on her belly and she thought she had probably just imagined it.
But then another sudden pain tore through her belly and she inhaled sharply.
Please don't be labor, she prayed silently. Not now…not during this snowstorm…
In an attempt to calm herself down, Peggy decided to draw a bath to see if that would help the pain. She carefully swung her legs around to the side of the bed when she realized something didn't feel quite right. She gasped when she realized her nightgown and the bed beneath her were soaking wet: that meant her water had broken.
"Steve," she said in as calm a voice as she could, reaching over to shake him awake. "Steve, wake up."
Peggy was surprised by how quickly Steve shot awake but then recalled that he had been a soldier.
"What's wrong?" he asked in alarm, sitting up to look at her.
"I think I'm in labor."
Steve's eyes widened. "Are you sure? How do you know?"
"Well, for one thing, you're lying in a puddle of water, which I'm pretty sure came from me."
The look of utter bewilderment on Steve's face almost made Peggy laugh as he glanced down at the bed and himself.
"Ah," he replied, trying – but failing – to appear to be calm. "W-well, are you in any pain? Have you had any contractions?"
"I feel a bit of cramping," she replied, putting a hand on her belly. "It's not terribly painful so I don't know if they're contractions yet. But it might be only a matter of time before they start."
"Okay," Steve breathed, rubbing his forehead and closing his eyes to think. "We can't go to the hospital because of the storm. Nor can we telephone the doctor because the lines are down. So…"
"We're basically stranded here," Peggy finished for him. He looked at her nervously.
"For the time being, yes. But hopefully the storm will let up soon."
"I doubt it will let up any time soon…but most women labor for hours and hours before a doctor needs to become involved, so hopefully we have some time."
As if to contradict her, pain flooded her belly and Peggy inhaled sharply. She rubbed her belly soothingly until the pain passed a few seconds later as Steve watched her carefully.
"Are you alright?" he asked with worry in his voice, and she nodded.
"It's not pleasant, but I'm not at the point of screaming and cursing yet."
"Well, at least you can't say I did this to you."
"Watch me," retorted Peggy with sharp eyes and a slight grin.
Peggy decided to go forward with her plan of taking a warm bath and Steve helped her climb into the warm water. When she was settled, Steve went to the nursery-turned-guest-room where the spare bed was still set up and he knocked on the door. Bucky opened it almost immediately.
"Peggy's in labor," revealed Steve, causing Bucky to groan.
"Really? Today of all days?"
"It's not like she had a choice!"
"Alright, Steve, calm down," he chided, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "I know you have pre-parental jitters, but relax. She'll be okay."
"You don't know that," rebutted Steve with fear in his eyes. "Something could happen to her but we're stuck in this storm and the closest doctor is an hour away."
"We'll do what we can to watch out for any warning signs. But for now, the best thing we can do is keep her comfortable. She could labor for hours before anything happens."
Steve gave Bucky an impressed look to which he replied, "You forget that both my younger sisters were born at home while I was in the next room."
"Well then, I'm especially glad you're here," replied Steve earnestly.
The living room was determined to be the most suitable room for Peggy to labor in so they could get her out of the house as quickly as possible the minute the storm let up. But after several hours, the snow outside began to fall heavier than ever and it appeared that the storm wouldn't dissipate any time soon.
"Ooh, the pain's getting worse," Peggy admitted through gritted teeth. She was laid up on the sofa with Steve sitting behind her and she used his chest as a back rest while gripping his hand.
"We just have to get through the storm," reassured Steve in as soothing a voice as he could muster. "It should only be a few more hours."
"You're saying that," she panted as she gripped his hand tighter, "but you don't know for sure."
The contraction died down after a few moments and Peggy sighed in relief. Sweat was beading at her forehead and Steve became increasingly nervous that a doctor would be needed soon.
"Damn this kid," she said ruefully as she rubbed her enlarged belly. "All this pain better be worth it."
Steve gave her a sorrowful smile. "I'm sure it will be, sweetheart. I'll be right back, I'm going to go see how Bucky's doing with the telephone."
Peggy nodded but said nothing, focusing on slowing her breathing, while Steve unraveled himself from her and helped her lay back against a pillow.
He went to the entryway to meet Bucky, who was repeatedly trying to dial the telephone.
"Any luck?"
"Not yet," sighed Bucky in exasperation. "It seems that the line is still down but I'll keep trying."
"Thank you. I'm afraid she won't last much longer and we need to either get her to a doctor or get a doctor to her."
"Those may not be realistically achievable Steve," replied Bucky softly, looking at him. "There may not be time."
"There has to be!" exclaimed Steve in a sharp whisper, careful not to let Peggy overhear the fear in his voice. "We can't let her give birth by herself. I'm terrified something will happen to her or the baby and there's no doctor around. "
"We may not have a choice–"
Suddenly Bucky's expression lit up as he heard a voice on the other end of the phone. Steve watched him impatiently.
"Hello? Operator? Yes, get me Dr. Roberts at the Denver hospital, quick as you can please."
Steve breathed a sigh of relief and Bucky nodded reassuringly. They waited a few minutes before Bucky was finally connected and he described to the nurse on the line what was going on. After a moment, he handed the receiver off to Steve.
"The nurse said she's getting the doctor to talk to you."
Puzzled, Steve took the receiver and listened as the doctor came on the line.
"Steve? It's Dr. Roberts."
"Dr. Roberts," he said with a sigh of relief. "My wife is in labor. I don't think we can get her to the hospital right now so how soon do you think you can come take a look at her?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Rogers, but with the storm going on, that just won't be possible," the doctor replied calmly. "The storm won't be letting up for another day or two, so unless she labors for that long, I'm afraid you're going to have to help her deliver the baby."
Steve paused as he took in the doctor's words. Then panic flooded his entire body. "Me? I can't deliver a baby, I wouldn't know what to do."
"I will coach you through it. Barring anything catastrophic happening, you should be fine to keep the baby healthy until the storm clears and then you can come to the hospital to get it checked out."
"I…I don't know if I can…"
"Mr. Rogers," said Dr. Roberts sternly, "I need you to listen to me. Your wife needs your help and you're the only one that can make sure she and the baby survive, otherwise they might not make it. Will you do as I say?"
The harsh words acted as a wake-up call for Steve and he took a steadying breath to calm his nerves. "Okay. I'll do whatever it takes."
"Good. Now, what you want to look out for is when the contractions are about a minute apart, and then she can start pushing, but not too hard or fast at first. Then when the head is clear, tell her to push as hard as she can."
"Okay," replied Steve, trying to listen intently but felt fear pulsing through his veins.
"Once the baby is out, make sure its nose and mouth are cleared with a clean cloth. Wait for her to deliver the placenta before cutting the cord with sterilized scissors. Then just keep them both warm until you can bring them to the hospital."
"That…that's it?"
"Her body is built for the baby to come out with little intervention," the doctor explained. "I believe you can do this, Steve. Telephone again if anything happens."
"Okay. I will. Thanks, doc."
When he hung up the receiver, he turned to Bucky.
"The doctor can't come," he revealed numbly. "I have to deliver the baby myself."
Bucky put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You can do it, Steve. People have been giving birth without doctors for millenia; you'll all be fine."
"I hope you're right. How are we going to tell Peggy?"
"I wouldn't if I were you," retorted Bucky gravely. "It'll make it a lot harder on her to labor with all that fear and anxiety of knowing the doctor isn't coming."
Suddenly they heard Peggy cry out in the next room and Bucky and Steve exchanged a nervous glance before Steve rushed to her side. He sat next to her to let her lean against him and hold his hand as the contraction increased in intensity.
Steve prayed with everything he had in him that she and the baby would be okay as the sound of the storm raging outside became masked by Peggy's cries of pain.
Night was starting to fall by the time Peggy's contractions came on hard and fast, barely giving her a couple minutes of rest before the next one hit. Steve did his best to keep her calm, but the increasing pain and timing of the contractions made them both realize the baby would be coming sooner rather than later.
"The doctor…" Peggy managed to cry out in between the short contractions as she gripped Steve's hand. "When…is the doctor…coming?"
Steve swallowed as he wiped the perspiration from her brow. "He's not…the doctor isn't coming, Peg."
Peggy looked up at Steve in alarm. "What…what do you mean, he's not coming?"
Before Steve could answer she screamed out in pain and grasped his hand desperately.
"I think…the baby's coming," she cried out.
Bucky, who had been keeping his distance in the kitchen to give her room to breathe, poked his head around.
"Do you need anything, Steve?" he asked as Steve repositioned himself at Peggy's feet.
"No, but I'll let you know if I do."
"You both can do this," he said encouragingly and then left the couple to have some privacy.
Trying to remember everything the doctor had told him, Steve let Peggy lay back onto the sofa and steadied himself between her legs.
"If you feel the need to push, then push," he urged her.
She screwed up her face in concentration and pushed, visceral grunts escaping her as she strained from the exertion. She pushed several times until Steve could see the head crowning.
"You're doing great, Peg," he encouraged over the sound of her straining. "I can see the head! Push harder now!"
"Get this damn thing out of me!" she screamed as she pushed harder than ever before.
"It's coming out, Peg, you can do it!"
But suddenly the progress the head was making stopped. Despite her pushing, the crown of the head stayed where it was and wouldn't go out any further. Steve watched it for a few more moments and then felt a trickle of fear go down his spine.
"It's not…the head's not coming out," said Steve in a panic.
"Wh-what?" cried out Peggy in between pushes.
"I think it's stuck."
"The…the umbilical cord?" she panted. "Is the baby caught up in it?"
"I-I don't know."
Steve felt around the crown of the baby's head until he came down to the neck. Sure enough, he could feel the umbilical cord stuck between its neck and shoulder.
"It's the cord," he shouted over Peggy's cries. "I think it's wrapped around its neck."
"You need…you need to move it," she grunted.
"I–"
"Do it, Steve!"
Steve maneuvered the cord up and around the baby's head as carefully as he could, trying to ignore the shake in his hands. When he finally got it out of the way, the baby's head began to make progress again.
"Okay, it's out of the way; you just need to push now, Peggy."
"I c-can't," she sobbed in between panting. "I can't do this anymore."
"Yes you can, my love, you're almost there. I know you can do it."
"I can't do it, Steve –"
"Look at me, Peggy."
She raised her head a little to look at him. Steve grasped her hand.
"You're a superhero, remember? You can do this. You're going to be a mom after this and that's all that matters. Now push, and the baby will come out."
Peggy hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head as she braced herself. She gripped his hand tighter than ever before as she pushed.
"Push, Peggy!"
She strained with all her might and, finally, the baby was on its way out. Steve put his hands below it and let it fall into his hands, taking care to support its head and tiny body.
He took a cloth and cleaned its nose and mouth, remembering the doctor's instructions. He looked down at the tiny, red thing as his heart hammered, waiting for a sign of life from it. Finally, the baby uttered a deafening cry and the sound was like music to his ears.
Steve's face broke into a smile at the relief that the baby appeared to be just fine. He held the baby up to show Peggy, who had collapsed against the pillows but raised her head a little to look at him apprehensively.
"It's a boy," Steve breathed, in awe of the miracle he had just witnessed.
A laugh escaped Peggy in relief and happiness that the baby was okay. Steve wrapped him in a blanket and then came around to Peggy and placed the baby gently in its mother's arms.
Peggy looked down at the tiny thing fussing and smiled when he began to settle into her embrace.
Steve wrapped his arm around Peggy and she leaned back against him. Tears sprung to both pairs of eyes as they looked down at their tiny miracle. She kissed the top of the baby's head and then looked up at Steve with a relieved smile.
"We have a baby," she exhaled in disbelief.
"I knew you could do it," he replied softly as he kissed her on the forehead.
Bucky came around the corner after a moment and asked trepidatiously, "Everyone okay?"
"Everyone's great," replied Steve, beaming. Bucky came closer and smiled down at the bundle of blankets in Peggy's arms.
"What is it?"
"It's a boy," replied Peggy, feeling her heart bursting with pride. She glanced up at Steve with a watery smile.
"Here's our son."
A/N: Obviously I had to take some creative license with exactly how birth is depicted because I know it's usually not this dramatic lol. Plus I tried to make it period-accurate, e.g. cutting the cord right away, but please know if you are ever in a situation of helping someone give birth at home, the general consensus is DO NOT cut the cord until you can get medical professionals involved to avoid the risk of infection. Also immediate skin-to-skin contact is recommended right after giving birth but I did not find this was common practice in the 1940s in my research, so just know you should be doing that too in the off-chance you have a home birth. Just wanted to put that disclaimer out there. XD
