Labor Pains
LEONARDO:
I was on my feet in a fraction of a second, reflexes guiding me before I even knew what I was doing. I suppose it was reflexes, too, that I threw the door open with my katanas in hand. I dropped them quickly as I saw her, gasping for breath on the bed. She was crying and gripping the blankets tightly. She panted for a moment, and moaned.
Mike pushed past me and dropped to his knees at the side of the bed. Amy raised herself, leaning back on her elbows. The look on her face was frantic. "Something's wrong," she gasped, closing her eyes. "God, it hurts!"
I was still too stunned to move. Mike grabbed her hand and she fell back on the bed, sobbing. Finally, I snapped out of it. Donny. I turned and sprinted from the room.
DONATELLO:
A frantic pounding on my door woke me up out of a deep sleep. I groaned, glancing at the clock. It was five in the morning. What did he want? I didn't usually get up for another hour, at least. The knocking didn't stop and the doorknob rattled as someone tried to get through the locked door. "Donny, come on!"
Leo's voice. He wasn't frantic, persé. But he was plenty insistent. "Yeah, yeah, hang on," I moaned. The pounding stopped and I dragged my tired, sore body out of bed. I unlocked the door and cracked it open. "You have any idea what time it is, bro?"
"There's something wrong with Amy," he informed me, a nervous look on his face. "I think she's going into labor."
Three weeks early? It was probably a false alarm. I yawned and rubbed my eyes. Better to be safe than sorry, I guess. I opened the door further and stretched. "Alright. Give April a call. Tell her to head down here. We'll probably meet her halfway."
He nodded and turned away. I reached my arms above my head and yawned again, glancing longingly at my bed. I didn't feel much like doing this right now. I stepped out of my room and closed the door behind me. Then, suddenly, a loud and inhuman-sounding moan made every muscle in my body tense. I quickened my pace toward the room where Amy was supposed to be sleeping. When I got there, I nearly tripped over the twin katanas on the floor. Nice, Leo, I thought quickly. Thanks a lot.
Amy panted for a few seconds and moaned again. The moan turned into sobs. Tears were streaming down her face and she held Mike's hand tightly. He shot me a panicked look. "What's going on?" I asked, a little concerned by the scene before me. Maybe she really was going into labor.
Her eyes flew open at the sound of my voice. "Donny!" she cried. "Donny, help me! What's happening?"
She was hyperventilating. I approached her and Mike stepped aside. "Amy, relax," I instructed her. "Just calm down."
She squeezed her eyes closed and whimpered. "How long has she been like this?" I asked Mike.
He shook his head, stumbling over his words. "I dunno. Leo and I heard her just about 5 minutes ago but I have no idea how long..."
"No, the contraction," I directed. "How long has it lasted?"
A worried look crossed his face. "I didn't think to time it," he admitted.
"More than thirty seconds?"
He nodded. "Oh yeah. And this is the second time in five minutes."
I felt my eyes get wide. Did she just skip her early labor period? Maybe she slept through it. How could she sleep through that? I remembered the sleeping pills. Damn! I had no idea they'd be that effective!
The bed was wet. Her water had broke. She was definitely in labor. She relaxed for a moment, tears still streaming down her face. I knelt next to her and brushed the hair off her forehead. She was drenched in sweat. "Hey, Amy, look at me," I called quietly. She stared at me with panic-stricken eyes. "Just try and relax, okay?" I advised calmly.
"It's too soon!" she gasped. "Three weeks premature..."
"It's alright," I assured her. "Leo's calling April and we're gonna get you to the hospital."
"No," she moaned. "Donny... I can't make it!"
"Yes, you can."
She reached up and gripped my shoulders so hard it was painful. She gasped again and moaned, her fingernails digging into my skin and drawing blood. Reflexively, I started counting seconds in my head. Thirty. Forty-five. Sixty. I was at eighty-two before her grip loosened and she fell back on the bed, gasping. It was no more than two minutes after her previous contraction.
The intense look in her eyes spoke volumes and at that moment, I knew. I guess somewhere inside of me, I'd known from the moment I saw her. That had to be true because I wasn't surprised at all, and I knew I should be. There was another word for it, but not surprised. It was fear that was flooding through me.
Leo walked back into the room. He said something, but I didn't understand a word. "Oh, god."
I didn't realize I'd spoken out loud until I felt eyes on me. Amy took a few deep breaths. "Donny..." she moaned. "Help me."
I pulled away, not sure I could breathe. "What's wrong?" Mike asked.
I stared at him for a moment, my voice lost. "She's..."
I couldn't finish. Panic was not an emotion I was familiar with, but there was no other word to describe the feeling that swept over me. Shocked and confused, and afraid of what I knew, I backed up and walked straight out of the room.
LEONARDO:
He was pacing back and forth in the living room, his hands covering his mouth. "Donny," I confronted, glancing over my shoulder at the open door to the room he'd just left. He didn't look. He was walking quickly, staring down at the floor and oblivious to the world around him.
I approached him and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around to face me. "Donny!" I snapped. "What's wrong?"
He made eye contact and took a deep breath. "She's in the transition stage of her labor," he informed me.
"That means what, exactly?"
"That she's going to have that baby in the next hour. If we're lucky. More likely, she's got... twenty to thirty minutes. Hell, I don't know!"
He jerked away and continued pacing. I stared at him, shocked. "How the hell did she sleep through two stages of child labor?" he cried. "I mean, I knew it would be effective but that's just..."
"Is there any chance at all that she'll make it to the hospital?" I interrupted.
"No," he answered, not stopping or looking up. "I mean, maybe if we could just get in a car and drive her there. But not we should've taken her to April's a week ago and he wouldn't have."
I stared at him for a moment, trying to make sense of his last sentence. I shook it off. It didn't matter. Nothing else mattered right now, beside that girl in the other room. If she wasn't going to make it to the hospital, there was only one choice. I closed my eyes and gathered my thoughts quickly. "You can do it," I reminded him.
He stopped then, and spun to me. "Deliver a baby, Leo?" he cried. "Are you out of your mind? And three weeks premature? There's a million things that could...!"
"What's wrong?"
The voice made us both turn. Kat stepped out of her room and joined us. "Amy's having her baby," I explained. "Here. We can't get her to the hospital."
Kat's eyes widened. "Is she okay?"
"She panicked," I mumbled.
Kat's gaze fell to Donny. "And so are you, from the looks of it."
She glanced at the room where Amy was resting. "Is she in there alone?"
"Mikey's with her."
She turned to Donny. "Donatello?"
"No," Donny laughed nervously. "No. I know what you're thinking and I..."
"You prepared for this, remember?" Kat reminded him, calmly.
"No, you don't understand," he protested. "This is a high-risk delivery in a hospital setting. She's fourteen years old and three weeks premature. There's so many things that can go wrong..."
"What choice do we have, Donny?" I reminded him.
"I..." he stammered, glancing back toward the room where Amy was moaning. He turned away. "Oh, god."
Kat turned and walked into the room with Amy and Mike. Donny was pacing again. And once again, I stopped him. He froze and his eyes met mine. There was a long moment of silence. He wasn't even trying to mask the frantic, worried look in his eyes. Don't panic, Donny, I pleaded silently with him. She needs you to keep your head on straight.
Leo, I can't do this...
You can, I assured him. I know you can. I have faith in you.
He stared at me, his gaze unwavering. You have more faith in me than I have in myself...
"Yes," I whispered, bringing the silent conversation into an audible realm. "And I know you can do it."
He closed his eyes and breathed deep. I could feel the tension radiate from him as he struggled to get it under control. Finally, he nodded slightly.
"Okay," he whispered. "Alright. I'll do what I can."
His eyes opened slowly and he stared at the floor between us. Suddenly, I felt his whole demeanor change as he regained control of his thoughts and emotions. "Get the first aid kit," he ordered calmly. "And boil a pot of water."
I turned away from him and headed for the kitchen.
DONATELLO:
I washed my hands up to my elbows, and returned to the room. Amy was panicking. Mike was trying desperately to talk to her, but it wasn't helping. Kat was perched on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair. He looked up as I entered the room. "Mikey, I want you to go get a sock," I directed. "Fill it with dry rice and put it in the microwave for a minute or so. Get me cool rags and water. And a bath towel."
He darted out of the room. Amy's eyes flashed to me. "Donny!" she gasped. "Donny, what's happening! This can't be happening yet!"
I knelt next to the bed and took her hand. Kat pulled back, and watched me carefully. Amy gripped my hand hard. "Amy, I want you to listen to me," I whispered, using my other hand to brush her hair out of her eyes.
"Help me!"
I rested my hand on her forehead. She was hot and sweaty. "Listen, Amy," I comforted. "Just listen to me."
She stopped and closed her eyes, breathing hard. "Are you listening?" I asked.
She nodded quickly, and pressed her lips together tightly. "You're going to have the baby soon. I'm going to help you deliver her, okay?"
She whimpered slightly, but nodded again without speaking. "I just want you to relax," I told her. "Everything's going to be just fine. What you're feeling is normal."
Suddenly, she cringed. Her mouth opened as if she wanted to scream, but couldn't. She arched her back against the pain and let out an inhuman cry, gripping my hand more tightly than I would've thought she could. I stroked her hair and waited for it to pass. She was close. We didn't have much time. That scared me. But I wasn't about to let her see that.
Her muscles relaxed and the death grip on my hand loosened. "You okay?" I whispered.
She gasped for a few seconds before opening her eyes to look at me. "I think so," she breathed, cringing again. "Donny... I can feel her moving down."
"Okay," I nodded. "That's okay. That's normal."
I pulled my hand away. Better to do this now, between contractions. I moved down her body and untied the band around her stomach. Then I eased the shorts over her hips and down her legs, as carefully as possible. I pulled the blanket around her for the sake of modesty, but I knew it was a lost cause. Still, I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible.
Michaelangelo returned. Where was Leo? I sat on the edge of the bed and looked down on Amy. "You're gonna want to sit up a little," I told her. "It'll be easier. Hold onto me."
She gripped my shoulders and Kat and I helped her to sit up. She cried out through closed lips. "Mike, you got that sock?"
He placed it in my outstretched hand and I laid it on the pillows so that it would rest against the small of her back. She breathed hard as she settled back against the headboard. "How's that feel?" I asked.
She nodded, eyes closed, but said nothing. Leo came into the room. "Sorry," he apologized. "It took me a while to find the first aid kit."
"S'okay," I answered as he set it on the bed next to me. I rummaged through it and suddenly remembered something else I needed. It was in my room. I glanced at Amy. She'd be alright for the ten seconds it took me to run in there. "I'll be right back, okay?"
She tried to sit straight up and grab at me, but collapsed again, crying out in pain. "No, Donny, please!" she gasped. "Please don't leave me!"
I stared at her, not sure what to do. "I'll get it," Mike offered. I turned to him. "What do you need?"
I sighed and focused my thoughts. It was harder than it had ever been. "In my room, there's a metal cabinet to the right of the door. It's black. Inside, on the top shelf, there's a clear plastic box. Just bring me the whole thing."
He nodded and darted out of the room. I turned my attention back to Amy and took her hand, stroking it gently. She opened her eyes and stared at me. I forced a smile and raised her hand to my lips, kissing the back of it. "You're doing great."
She smiled faintly, and the panicked drained slowly from her eyes. I glanced over my shoulder as Mike ran back into the room. "Donny?" Amy whispered weakly.
I looked at her, granting her my undivided attention. "Yeah?"
"I'm scared."
I smiled reassuringly and brushed my fingers over the side of her face. "It'll be okay," I promised. "Trust me."
Her hand was still in mine, and I opened the box with my free hand. "I'm gonna start an IV, okay?" I told her.
A worried look crossed her face. "Why?"
"Just a precaution. I'm pretty good at it, so it shouldn't hurt much."
Just then, she tensed. Her eyes squeezed shut and she took in a sharp breath. I began to sort through the sterile contents of the box. I tied the band around her arm and sterilized the patch of skin on the back of her hand, waiting for the veins to show. She had large veins, thank god. I didn't want to have to stick her more than once. She moaned loudly and panted for a few seconds as I set up the IV. I don't think she even felt the injection, in the midst of the other pain.
I pulled the needle back, leaving the tiny, flexible tube under her skin. Then I hooked the device to the line that ran to the sealed bag of water and rummaged through the box again, not finding what I was looking for. "Damn," I mumbled under my breath.
"What?" Mike asked. "What do you need?"
Amy relaxed again, moaning softly. Just then, the box fell on the floor, spilling medical supplies at Mike's feet. He jumped back, startled. "Surgical tape," I mumbled, flustered by the uncooperative events.
"Donny?" Amy whispered.
"Hang on a sec," I directed, thinking a million things at once. Did I not have any tape? It should've been in that box.
"Don't move your hand okay?" I directed Amy. She moaned and nodded. Kat took hold of her wrist to hold her hand steady. I heard her whisper something to Amy, but wasn't paying close enough attention to understand it. I leaned off the side of the bed, searching through the supplies.
"What's surgical tape?" Mike asked.
"It's the white, fabricky-looking..." I muttered, distracted.
Michaelangelo laughed out loud. I looked up, not sure what was funny. Then I realized what I'd said. Even Amy was smiling at my choice of words. "Should I get you a dictionary, Donny?" Mike teased.
A faint smile tugged at my lips. Comic relief. "No, Mikey," I assured him. "But you could get me some tape."
The laughter faded quickly. But it had accomplished its purpose. The atmosphere was a little bit lighter. "Okay. Where?"
"Check in that cabinet again. If there's no white tape in there, just find me masking tape, okay?"
He nodded and disappeared.
AMY:
The urge to push came so fast it was shocking. I didn't expect it. The movies always made it seem like it hurt so much to push that it was a great effort to do it. I never expected my body to want to force the baby out.
I gasped as pain shot through me and felt the baby drop down, under the pubic bone. "Donny!" I cried. "It's...!"
He was still taping the IV to the back of my hand. In a heartbeat, he forgot about that and settled between my legs, his hand resting lightly on my stomach. My muscles spasmed painfully and I gasped breaths of cool air. "Oh, God, Amy, don't push!" he suddenly cried.
Don't push? Was he insane? My body screamed at me and I tensed. I heard his voice from somewhere... it sounded like another planet. "Leo, did you... knife and... bathroom... lidocane..."
And I knew what he was going to do. Fear shot through me. "No!" I cried.
He turned to me. "Amy..."
"No!" I gasped again, my chest heaving as I battled the never-ending pain. "No episiotomy!"
He took the hand that wasn't attached to the IV. "Amy, please trust me," he whispered.
"No!" I growled, clenching my teeth through the pain. "You can't!"
The pain drowned out his next few words. "Amy... tear unless... please..."
But I was not budging. "No!" I screamed at him, releasing the pain. I couldn't hold back anymore and I tensed as I tried to force the baby out of me.
"No, no, Amy, please," he tried to stop me, almost frantically. I wasn't stopping.
A ring of fire sent pain surging through every nerve in my body and I made a sound that I was surprised could come from a human. "It's okay, Amy... You're doing good..." A whisper, from nearby. A gentle, human hand brushed my forehead. A cool rag on my skin eased the heat, but not the pain.
I screamed. I felt my flesh tear and searched for some release from the pain, but there was no place I could turn and nothing else I could do to relieve it. "Good, Amy..." the whispered voice. Kat.
The urge to push died and I cried out in agony, sobbing. I could hardly hear the voices in the room. The only one that made any sense to me was the quiet whisper. "It's going to be okay... Just relax, okay? Relax for a minute."
The pain surged again, though strangely not as intense as it had been a moment ago. I pushed again, gripping the bedsheets with white knuckles. Oh, God! "That's good, Amy... You're doing wonderfully."
A hand moved over mine, slipping underneath my fingers. Another voice, calm and steady. "Push, Amy." Donny. "One more time. It's almost over."
I gripped his hand, sucked in as much air as I could, and pushed again.
And I heard a cry.
DONATELLO:
"Leo, you got that clamp?"
"Yeah."
I clamped off the umbilical cord, and cut it. I was covered in blood, as was the baby, and she was still bleeding. She was going to need a few stitches. Damn it, I really wished she'd just trusted me. She was breathing heavily, eyes closed. I turned to Mike. "Got that towel?"
He produced it in a flash and took the crying baby from my arms. "Go wash her. Lukewarm water, be careful."
He and Kat both left and I turned my attention back to Amy. She moaned softly. "Amy?"
"It still..." she gasped. "Why...?"
She moaned and tensed, but I could tell that the pain was nothing like what she'd just been through. "It's alright," I assured her. "It's normal. You still have to deliver the placenta."
"No..." she moaned.
"It's okay," I assured her. "This part should be easy."
I looked down at my arms, and the blood that covered the bed. A slight sound from right behind me suggested a presence, and I turned to see Leonardo standing over me. He rested one hand on my shoulder and with the other, handed me a damp towel. I took it gratefully and wiped some of the blood off of my hands and arms. I tried to clean the blood on the bed, but it was pointless. There was no chance of that.
I wasn't even paying attention when she delivered the placenta. Kat returned with the baby and placed it on her chest. Leo and I exchanged glances and I nodded toward the pile of rags Mike had brought earlier.
Cleaning the blood wasn't the hard part. The hard thing was the stitches. She needed almost a dozen, and I knew it hurt. And there was nothing I could do to ease the pain. She'd lost a lot of blood, and I couldn't take the time to go hunting for some kind of numbing agent. It wasn't a good idea to put anything on an open wound, anyway. She did well, and remained remarkably silent.
Finally, I stepped back. I was still covered in blood, in spite of the towel. Cleaning myself hadn't been my primary concern. "You think the three of you can handle changing the sheets?" I mumbled to my brothers and Kat.
They both looked back at me, and nodded. I nodded toward the large chair in the corner of the room. "Help her over there, very carefully. Change the sheets. Put a towel down if the mattress is damaged, which it probably will be. And get her a new blanket. I need to go wash up."
LEONARDO:
Donatello was gone for a half-hour. Finally, I went in search of him. I knocked lightly on the bathroom door. He didn't answer and I cracked it open. He was leaning forward against the sink, his weight on his hands. "You alright?" I asked.
He breathed deep. "I can't stop shaking," he mumbled.
"It's the adrenaline," I told him.
"I know."
I slipped silently into the room and leaned back against the sink, about a foot away from him. "She's asking for you." He didn't respond. I rested a hand on his shoulder. "You did really good, Donny."
He really was shaking. I could feel his muscles twitch on their own accord. "I still can't believe..." he whispered.
"I know," I smiled. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still in shock."
His eyes closed and there was a moment of silence. "Leo?"
"Yeah?"
He paused for a minute. "She's only fourteen."
I considered his words. The reality of the situation hit me all over again. A child. "Yeah, I know," I answered solemnly.
"It's not right."
No. It wasn't right. It was as if her childhood had been cut short. Now, years younger than we were, she was forced to conform to the mold of an adult.
Donny hung his head and took in a slow, deep breath. "God, Leo, I..."
I studied him carefully. He never finished. I saw tears brim his eyes. "She's still a child," he choked.
I closed my eyes, and sighed. "You can't think of it that way, Donny," I mumbled, letting my hand drop. "You need to be happy for her. She needs that. From you more than anyone."
"Why?" he mumbled. "Why does it matter? There's nothing I can do."
"Because she trusts you. And she needs your support. This isn't going to be easy for her, you know? Support her in whatever decisions she makes."
He breathed deep and nodded slowly. "I know. I just..."
Again, he didn't finish. I rested my hand on his for a moment before leaving the room.
DONATELLO:
The room was dark, the only light coming from an oil lamp on the bedside table. I knocked gently before pushing the door open wide enough to walk through. "Amy?" I called quietly.
"Donny?"
"Yeah."
I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. "Come here," she invited. "You gotta see this."
I approached her slowly and laid down next to her, on my side. The tiny figure on her chest was asleep. For the first time, I caught a glimpse of the new life. I couldn't help but smile. "Wow," I whispered.
"Yeah," Amy laughed quietly.
I ran my finger down the fragile arm. My finger was almost as long as her entire forearm. "She's so tiny..."
"Yes."
She had no hair, and her eyes were closed. She was wrapped in a towel that made her seem even smaller. "She's beautiful," I breathed. I looked to Amy and saw her smiling broadly. Our eyes met and I smiled back at her.
"Salome?" I questioned.
"Yes," she smiled. "Salome Marie."
I nodded. "That's pretty."
We stared at each other for a moment. I felt my chest tighten as I considered telling her everything. Right here and now, just spilling my heart out to her. No, Donny, that's not a good idea.
"I'm so tired," she sighed.
I nodded slightly. I had no trouble believing that. "You want me to take her?" I asked. "So you can rest? I'll make a bed for her here in the room if you want."
She smiled faintly. "That'd be great."
I stood and left for my room. I returned with a medium sized box. I lined it with blankets and set it next to the bed. Then I carefully took the child. God, she weighed nothing! I set her in the box within view of her mother, and returned to Amy's side. She welcomed me with a smile and I placed my arm across her stomach, carefully holding her. "You did great, Amy," I whispered, pulling close to her.
"Mmm," she acknowledged. For a long time, it was silent. I rested my head against her shoulder, and felt a comfortable sleep beckon me.
"Donny?"
"Hmm?"
"I feel weird."
I laughed quietly. "You just got your body back after nine months of sharing it with someone else," I reminded her. "That ought to feel a little strange."
Her laugh was quiet and gentle. "Yeah. It's not just... physical though." I didn't answer. "I... I'm feeling so many different things right now," she laughed. "My emotions are just... off the charts."
I grinned. "I think that's normal."
"You think?" she chuckled.
"Yeah." I brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I think."
Something deep inside of me ached. So close to her, it was all I could do to not kiss her. I wanted to. So badly. God, why? And why didn't I? Because she's a child, Don, remember? She's only fourteen! Ever hear of statutory rape? I cringed, biting back the pain. So wrong...
"Donny?"
Her calm, quiet voice broke through my thoughts. "Yeah?" I choked.
"You know... I don't regret it but..."
Her voice trailed off. I brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Regret what?"
"My decision," she whispered. "To keep Salome."
"Oh," I sighed, resting next to her again.
"And I..." She turned to the box and the tiny figure inside of it. "Just looking at her now... she's so tiny. So beautiful. God, I... I could never give her up. Not for the world. But at the same time, I..."
Again, she didn't finish. I pulled close to her. "What, Amy?"
She sighed. "Well, I just..." She turned and looked at me. "I wonder if this is how the Virgin Mary felt. When she had Jesus." I watched her carefully, waiting for an explanation. "To bring to life the product of love and to never experience..."
I heard the pain in her voice, and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Amy," I whispered.
She forced a smile and raised her hand to the side of my face. "No, it's not your fault. I'm just saying."
I stared at her for a moment, painful desire raging through me, and had to look away. You need to stop thinking like this, Donny, it's not right. Her hand fell, and it was quiet for a moment.
"Don?"
I looked back at her again, a little more controlled now. "Hmm?"
"Thank you. For everything. I couldn't have done it without you."
I smiled at her. "Your welcome."
She sighed, and a look of sadness crossed her face. "It still hurts," she mumbled.
"Yeah, it'll hurt for a while," I mumbled. "I don't have anything more powerful than Tylenol right now, though. It's the stitches, right?"
She cringed. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should've trusted you."
Yes. She should've. She'd be in a lot less pain in she hadn't ripped her skin apart. If she'd let me make the cut, she would've needed five stitches at the most. "Why didn't you?" I asked, curious.
She took a moment to answer. "I don't know. I guess I just... panicked."
I could understand that. There was another long silence. "Donny?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm tired."
I smiled. "Rest, Amy."
