NOTE: I do not own any of 'The O.C' characters… you can thank FOX. If you have any questions or comment you can e-mail me at liverbrain22@hotmail.com

(Please read and review!)

Chapter Twenty One

Ryan was sitting in the passenger seat, fidgeting with the dials on the radio. Every time he changed the station Conner would complain. Ryan ignored his youngest son, as he turned to another station.

"Dad, go back." Conner demanded.

He ignored Conner. "Are we almost there?" Ryan asked Sandy.

"Another five minutes. Don't worry." Sandy assured him. "I'm going as fast I can without getting pulled over."

Ryan looked out the window and asked, "Do you think it's the baby?" He didn't wait for Sandy to reply when he added, "The baby's due in November, not September…It's too soon, Sandy. This can't be happening." He babbled on. "This can't happen. Not now – it's too soon." Ryan repeated. Seth had really rubbed off on him throughout the years. Sometimes it was hard for him to shut up.

"I'm sure she's fine, Ryan." Sandy replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "I'm sure the baby is fine – if that's the case. Kirsten had Seth a couple weeks early, did you know that?" He asked.

"No." Ryan looked at him. "That's a couple of weeks though, Sandy. That's a different story…Marissa's supposed to give birth in month and a half. Not now." Ryan turned back to the window and whispered, "What if – What if something happens…To the baby?" Conner, who was sitting in the backseat, didn't hear Ryan.

Sandy shifted his gaze over to Ryan. "Try not to think about it too much, Ryan. You're only going to stress yourself out. Just breathe." Sandy replied, patting him on the shoulder.

The car then pulled up into the hospital parking lot. Ryan quickly climbed the steps to the hospital and went straight to the maternity ward, hoping to find Kirsten or Summer there.

Sandy and Conner had caught up to him. "Maybe she's not in labor." Sandy pointed out. "The note didn't say she was."

Ryan went up to the front desk and asked the receptionist of Marissa's whereabouts. Before the receptionist could reply, Summer called his name.

"There you are!" Summer exclaimed, walking up to them. "It took you boys long enough."

"Where is she? What happened? Is it the baby?" Ryan blurted out.

"Ryan," Summer began, looking over at Sandy and Conner, then back at Ryan. "Marissa had a little spill." She explained. "And she's –"

Ryan cut her off. "A spill? What happened? Is the baby alright?"

Sandy picked up Conner. "Hey, let's go find us a vending machine," he said and then walked away from Ryan and Summer. Sandy didn't want Conner to get upset.

"Oh, Ryan." Summer hugged him. "This afternoon she fell down the stairs, so we called an ambulance and while we were on our way to the hospital her water broke. She's been in labor for two hours already."

Ryan started to walk off on her. "Where is she?" He demanded, checking the nearby rooms.

Summer ran up to him and gripped his arm, pulling him towards Marissa's room, where Kirsten was with her.

Ryan ran up to Marissa and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm so sorry, Marissa! I should have been here sooner." He looked at her arm. "What happened to your arm?" He asked.

"The spill." Summer replied.

Marissa started to cry. "I fell down the stairs." Her face raged, as she could feel the baby's arrival.

Ryan looked at her belly. "The baby? How's the baby?" Ryan quickly asked, looking at Kirsten, who was sitting next to her.

"The baby's fine." Kirsten assured him, squeezing Marissa's hand. "Everything's going to be fine."

Ryan gave Marissa another kiss and told her he loved her. He then pulled a chair beside her bed and sat down. Summer stood at the end of the bed, watching Marissa's reactions. She knew that, soon, she too would be going through this whole ordeal. She was beginning to feel a little lightheaded.

"I'm going to go get something to drink." Summer said and then quickly left the room.

"How far along are you?" Ryan asked. Marissa let out a moan as she squeezed Kirsten's hand. "I'll go get a nurse." Ryan got up.

"It's okay, Ryan." Kirsten said. "The nurse should be back soon."

Ryan sat back down next to Marissa and kissed her forehead to reassure her that everything was okay.

The nurse walked into the room and smiled at Ryan. "You must be the father." She walked over to Marissa and placed her hand on her shoulder and said, "We're going to check your progression. Try to relax for me right now."

Marissa swallowed hard and nodded.

"You're presently five centimeters dilated. Do you want an epidural?" The nurse asked.

She moaned. "Hell yeah!" Marissa bellowed out.

The nurse laughed at her and said, "I'll go inform the anesthesiologist of your decision and he'll be in shortly." She then left the room.

Sandy and Conner then came into the room and Connor ran over to his mom.

"Mommy! Where's Emily?" He asked, bouncing around her.

Everyone burst out in laughter. "She's still in Mommy's belly." Ryan explained.

"When is she going to be here?" He asked in confusion.

"Soon." Sandy patted Connor on the head. "I just called Seth and they should be here within the hour." Sandy told everyone. "How are you feeling, Marissa?" He asked.

Marissa squeezed Kirsten's hand, letting out a scream. "How do you think I feel?" She spat out at him. She knew the baby was on its way – soon.

"So, how was your first time camping, Connor?" Kirsten asked, changing subjects.

"It was the best!" He said enthusiastically. "We went swimming, canoeing and hiking today. And last night we had a fire and roasted marshmallows." Connor went over to his mom and poked at her cast on her right arm. "What happened to your arm, Mommy?" He asked.

"Mommy fell." Marissa replied, scuffing his hair up. The anesthesiologist then came into the room. Sandy took Connor and left the room.

"Why can't I stay there with Mommy?" Connor asked, as they walked down the hallway.

"Trust me Connor; you don't want to be in there." Sandy replied. They saw Summer sitting down in the waiting room. She was staring at the wall ahead of her in a daze.

"Summer?" Sandy went up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Summer jumped in her seat and turned around. "Oh, hey…How's Marissa doing?" She asked.

"They're giving her an epidural right now and she's five centimeters dilated." Sandy replied. "Are you okay?" He asked. Summer looked like she going to be sick. Her face was pale.

"Oh, I'm fine." She waved him off. She then put her head in her hands and started crying.

Sandy rushed over her and sat down beside her. Connor went and sat down beside her.

Sandy rubbed her back. "What's the matter?" He asked.

Summer looked up at him and said, "You should have seen her, Sandy." Summer cried out. "I thought she was going to lose the baby! She wasn't responding to any of us. Do you think the baby's going to be fine?" She asked. She had had been trying hard for hours to keep herself from exploding but she couldn't handle it anymore. "Oh, God, how could I have let her go upstairs by herself, when I knew she wasn't feeling well?"

Sandy shook his head. "Marissa's going to be fine." He assured her. "Connor, why don't you go get yourself a chocolate bar from the vending machine?" He gave Connor some money and Conner left. He turned back to Summer. "This isn't your fault."

Summer nodded her head and wiped her tears away from her cheeks. "It's just been a crazy afternoon." She told him. "I'm sorry."

Sandy stood up. "Come on; let's go see how Marissa's doing. I'm sure Kirsten needs a break from Marissa's death grip." He joked as they made their way back to Marissa's room.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seth didn't even bother going back to Ryan's place to drop off their camping gear; instead he went straight to the hospital.

When they reached the maternity ward of the hospital, they found Connor sitting in a chair eating a chocolate bar.

"What are you doing out here, Connor?" Seth asked, walking up to him.

"Mommy yelled at me. She said I was talking too loud and that I smelt like a fire pit."

Seth sniffed his shirt. "She's just going to have to live with a couple fire pit bums, like ourselves." He joked. "Which room is your mom in?" He asked Connor. Connor got up and started walking down the hallway.

"Are you coming?" Seth asked Trey.

Trey sat down in a chair. "Nah, I'm not really into the childbirth scene." He admitted. He wasn't even there for Josh and Amy when they were born. His ex-wife had supposedly ordered him not to go to the hospital. He didn't care, though.

Josh and Ben both sat down next to Trey.

"You're not coming, Ben?" Seth asked, looking down the hallway to where Connor had disappeared.

"Nah." He replied, slouching down in his chair.

Seth threw up his hands and walked down the hallway. He found Connor waiting at Marissa's doorway for him.

"Seth!" Summed hugged him and then backed off. "You smell."

Seth shook his head and looked pass her and at Marissa. "How's she doing?" He asked.

"Good." Summer replied. Marissa let out a scream and the nurse standing near by checked her again.

"You're two centimeters dilated now." She told her. "I'll go get the doctor." The nurse then left the room.

"She's coming." Ryan whispered to Marissa and then kissed her.

Marissa glared at him. "That's easy for you to say! You just have to sit there!" She spat out at him. She looked around the room. "Where's Ben?"

"Uh…He's in the waiting room with Trey and Josh. If you think Connor smells like a fire pit, you should smell Ben." Seth joked. Marissa glared at him. "I'll go get him." He scurried off.

Marissa had told the boys that they had to be there with her when their new baby sister came into the world. She told them that Emily needed their big brothers to be there first for her.

The doctor came into the room and smiled at Marissa. "It looks like the baby's coming out." 'Why do doctors always state the obvious?' Marissa thought to herself. Did they think she was stupid? "Shall we start?" The doctor asked.

Marissa shook her head.

Kirsten, who had been sitting at Marissa's side for three hours asked, "Did you want Sandy and I in here with you?"

"You were here for the twins, and then for Connor" She moaned in pain. "I want you here for Emily." She replied, as Ben and Seth entered the room. Ben leaned against the wall and stared at his mom.

Marissa was propped up in her bed. The doctor, along with three nurses, waited for the baby's arrival, coaching Marissa through it. Marissa started to scream out in agony, as she bickered at Ryan about how bad he smelt. A nurse gave Kirsten a cloth and Kirsten wiped down Marissa's forehead, soothing her with her voice.

Marissa pushed again and screamed. "Oh, God!" She steadied her breathing and the nurse told her to push again.

Marissa pushed again and the doctor told her to stop. He pulled the chair away from the bed and stood up. "I'm afraid we're going to have to do a C-section."

"A what?" Connor asked, standing next to his dad.

Marissa nodded her head at the doctor and turned to Ryan, "This baby's coming out – NOW!"

"It seems as though the umbilical cord is entwined with the baby, which makes it almost impossible to conceive. But, don't worry, its standard procedure." The doctor explained. "We'll have to take her into another room and only the father can stay."

"But the baby's fine, right?" Ryan quickly asked.

"The faster we do the C-section, the sooner we'll find out." He replied.

Kirsten left Marissa side, as the two nurses wheeled her out of the room. Everyone said their goodbyes and wished her good luck, as Ryan followed one of the nurses to another room. The nurse handed him some scrubs and ordered him to wash his hands.

Ryan quickly slipped himself in the scrubs and washed his hands. He entered the room and quickly rushed over to Marissa side and kissed her hand. The nurse set a stool for him next to Marissa and he sat down and held her uninjured hand.

Marissa had a choice to remain awake during the cesarean or taking an anesthesia. She chose to stay awake, so the nurse gave her a spinal block for the pain through her IV. The doctor then prepared for the C-section, by washing Marissa's belly with an antiseptic solution. The doctor began the procedure by making an incision in the abdomen and uterus.

Marissa squeezed Ryan's hand and looked up into his crystal blue eyes. She couldn't feel anything – yet it was such an odd sensation. She could feel a bit of pressure as the doctor opened her up and fished for the baby.

"How are you doing?" Ryan asked and then kissed her forehead. Marissa nodded her head and closed her eyes.

The doctor was right; the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's head. He cut the umbilical cord and the baby came out. A nurse quickly wrapped the baby in a blanket and rushed off to the side of the room. He then he removed the placenta from Marissa and stitched her up. Neither Ryan nor Marissa saw Emily yet. There were three nurses huddled around her, but they could hear her screaming. Ryan rushed over to Emily and was startled when he noticed that her head was fading blue. She was crying, Ryan thought to himself, which was a good sign.

"She's four pounds, two ounces." A nurse told him.

"How is she?" Marissa asked. She wanted to see her baby.

The nurse handed Emily over to Ryan and explained to him that the umbilical cord had cut off the circulation to her head and that it was a good thing Marissa had the baby this early.

Ryan brought Emily over to Marissa and placed her down into her arms. Ryan wiped away the tears that were rolling down his cheeks and sat down next to her.

Marissa kissed Emily's hand. "Welcome to the world, Emily Adrianna Atwood." Emily looked up at Marissa as she spoke and gave her a half smile. "She's got your smile." Marissa pointed out to Ryan.

A nurse took Emily away from them and Marissa went back to her room where she was being monitored. Because of the anesthesia that she was given, she fell into a deep sleep.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

*Okay, so I hope I got everything right in this chapter. I've never been involved in any sort of birth….So, I had no clue what I was writing. Hopefully, I made sense of it all. I used the net to help me out – but you can never be too sure. Stay tuned for the next chapter!*