Chapter 44 – The Arrival

12.16 AM

"We need to get her up to OB!" Susan shouted bursting through the ambulance bay doors, helping Carter holding on to Abby who is staggering in pain. Jerry dashed from the admit desk and grabbed nearest available wheelchair and Abby dropped herself in to it when he parked it behind her. Susan rushed to the admit desk to phone to inform the OB that they are on their way. Pratt and Morris who are on their night shift watch Carter rushing Abby into the elevator.

"Just breathe in and out" Carter doing the breathing technique.

"Hee hee ooh ooh" Abby panted watching the elevator door closing.

"Whoa whoa wait for me!" Susan shouted rushing in after jamming her hand to stop the doors from closing.

"In and out, in and out"

"Shut up will you? You're not the one in pain here!" She snapped

Carter looked at Susan pursing her lips trying not to smile. They both winced at Abby's deafening scream inside the elevator.

"Aargh!" She screamed in agony.

"Just breathe slowly," Susan said leaning over rubbing her back. Abby nodded as she cocked her head to bury it into Susan's side, she pats her on the head "You're doing just fine"

The elevator door opened and they rush out to the corridor and swerved the wheel chair in to one of the free delivery rooms.

"How are we doing?" The obstetrician asked wheeling in the Electronic Fetal Monitor.

"Fine at the moment, her membranes ruptured an hour ago" Susan said, putting on the yellow protective gown on. "She's having contractions every 4 minutes"

"You will manage ok, if you need any assistance I'm next door dealing with another patient"

"Thanks"

"Oooooooh!" Abby moaned as she puts on the surgical gown and placed herself on to the bed.

Susan picked up the belt from the EFM and strapped it round Abby's tummy to monitor the baby's heartbeat and contraction. She then placed the tiny electrode on to the baby's scalp. Susan looked at the VDU for the readings.

"Everything looks good" She commented loosening the belt. "You have very string contractions"

"Do you need your back rubbing?" Carter asked softly, as he feels as though he is treading on eggshells.

Abby nodded "Please"

He sighed with relief and starts to rub her back.

1.02 AM

"I need an epidural!" Abby cried in pain. "Eeeeeurrrrrrghhhh!"

"I'll just check the dilation" Susan leaned over to examine underneath Abby's gown. "You're 5 cm apart, It's ok you can have one, I'll go and get the anaesthetist"

Susan left the room to get the anaesthetist from next door.

"You're just doing fine" Carter said, rubbing Abby's back as she is wincing with pain.

The anaesthetist followed Susan as she walked back in to the delivery room and he starts to rummage through the drawers for the equipment. He stood by Abby lifting her left hand and inserts an IV drip. He kindly asked her to curl up in to a foetal position then inserts a spinal-block injection in her lower back. Susan held her hand while Carter stroked her hair.

2.04 AM

"You are fully dilated" Susan said, looking between Abby's legs. "I want you to start pushing on your next contraction ok?"

Carter dabbed a cold flannel over her grimacing face, her hair is tied up but the sweat has made her loose strands clung to her skin.

"Eeeeeurrrrrrghhhh!" She groaned in her pant.

Carter grasped hold of Abby's hand and rubbed it. "You know Abby I want this baby have the best in life"

"I am not having this child spoilt like you ok?" She sneered at him then screwed up her face as she goes for another push "Neeeeeurgh! Ooh ooh!"

Her honesty wiped the smile off his face then glanced at Susan, she is nodding in agreement. Quite true Abby doesn't want their child to have everything. She wants this child to have a normal up bringing regardless that Carter is stinking rich.

"I don't want to rush things between us John" Abby gasped.

"Ok you can have all the time you need"

"Take things one as a time ok?"

"What ever you want Abby, I will always be there"

"Will you? I'm being optimistic about it"

"I will this time"

"Will you? Oh I'm sure you will!" Abby said sarcastically. "Ooooh!"

"Guys, cut the domestic!" Susan interrupted shaking her head.

"Yeah what's with you and Chuck? You said you would never go back to him"

"Well I am a hypocrite ok… happy now?" She nodded frantically "you two don't have any room to talk"

They all look at each other seriously thinking about what they all just been saying. A smile crept up on their faces and they had to laugh about it.

"What are we like?" Abby laughed then lets out a grunt.

Carter started to massage her shoulders but Abby pushed him away.

"Get off you are annoying me," She growled.

Carter laughed, "I can tell she's going through that transitional stage!"

"Righty ho John" Susan nodded, looking down examining Abby's vaginal opening.

"Can you see the baby's head yet?" Carter asked walking to Susan's side and cocked his head to look. He raised his brows.

"Nope" She answered, "How are you feeling Abby?"

"Absolute shit!" She yelled "I am not going to have anymore children! Aaaargh!"

"I said that when I went in labor with Cosmo!" The blonde guffawed

"God Susan!" Abby begged with her bottom lip quivering "I can't do this anymore, I'm so tired!"

"Abby you are doing ok, you're doing well" She praised her with a smile "We are nearly there hun…"

2.32 AM

"I can see the head crowning, I want you to stop pushing" Susan instructed.

Abby is experiencing the urge to bear down but trying to resist. She started to pant as she tries to control her desire. As the baby's head emerge Susan probed her finger into her opening to feel around the baby's neck to make sure that the cord is not present. Gritting her teeth, Abby then pushes on her next contraction, as the baby's shoulders are free. Susan asked for a suction to clear the mucus and then guided the baby as it slithered out of her vagina followed by a great gush of amniotic fluid.

"It's a boy!" Susan cried with joy as she lifted up the tiny little baby carefully with its face screwed up crying, looking bluey-purple covered in blood and amniotic fluid. She placed the baby on her chest and dabbed it dry with a towel.

Abby felt a sob caught in her throat as she looks on at the brand new life. Tears came streaming down Carter's face. Abby looked at him laughing and crying. He leaned over to kiss her. Susan clamped the umbilical cord and Carter cuts it. She then wrapped the newborn in a towel and placing him on Abby's chest.

"He's beautiful!" Carter choked as he felt a lump in his throat.

"Riley Jonathan Lewis Carter" Abby announced, stroking the baby's cheek with her finger.

"Lewis?" Susan gasped in surprise.

"Yes I wanted to give him a middle name after you" She smiled "Well both of you"

"It's perfect" Carter grinned and leaned over to kiss Abby again.

Abby tugged Susan's arm for attention. Pulled her to herself and gave her a kiss. "Thank you"

Susan grinned with tears welling up in her eyes. She took the baby off Abby and carried him over to get him, cleaned up, weighed and checked over while the OB nurse delivers the placenta.

"He weighs seven pounds and two ounces" Susan announced the baby's birth weight.

"He's got all the right things in the right places" Susan commented. She started the apgar scoring. "Heart 2, Breathing 2, Movements 2, Color 1, Reflexes 2"

Abby's teeth started to shatter as she shakes and shivered after the delivery of the placenta, her body is adjusting from the deprivation of the heat it produced. Susan walked over to Abby with the baby cradle in her arms.

"You may want to give him a feed?" She asked.

"Sure" Abby takes her newborn in her arms. She latches him on to one of her breast for him to drink the colostrum. She jerked in surprise at his strong sucking reflex.

"I better notify our families about the arrival" Carter said excitedly, he leaned over to kiss Abby and looked at her exhausted face "I love you…"

Abby watch him leave the room and looked at her child in admiration stroking his face while suckling away. Susan sat herself on to the bed next to Abby leaning over to coo at Riley.

"He's beautiful"

"I can't believe that I'm a mother now"

"I think you'll be a great one too"

"It's gonna be hard work, I'm going to be better mom than my own mother"

"I'm sure you will" She grinned "Abby… John loves you"

"I know"

"But how you feel about him?"

"You know Susan…"

"I've informed everyone…" Carter walked back in to the room with the biggest smile. He is still overwhelmed at the arrival. Abby unlatches Riley from her breast and she handed over Riley to Carter to hold him. His eyes are fixated on his son "He's got the Wyczenski nose"

"John…" Abby reached out to tug his arm to bring him towards herself and kisses him. She lets out a weary sigh when she broke away from the kiss and said, "I love you…"