Josh laughed loudly and leaned on Donna as CJ told a funny story. His cell phone began to ring and he pulled it off his belt and check the caller ID. 'Sam's cell.' He frowned and flipped it open.
"Hello?"
"J–- ow, ow Ainse. Shut up! I don't know what you're owing for!" Josh could hear Ainsley in the background as Sam moaned in pain.
"Sam?" he heard Sam let out an ow and then a loud smack, then another ow. "Sam!"
"Josh, she's abusive! She's tiny but abusive."
"What's going on?"
"Okay, so I got home and I was fighting with Emily and then Ainsley walked into the kitchen and tells me, very calmly may I add, that she's having contractions..."
"So... you're at the hospital and she's in the middle of another contraction and your hand is most likely broken?"
"Well see, they don't seem very ba– ow. I know honey, I don't understand the intensities of the pain you're going through. I know, you don't have to smack me again."
"Sam, buddy I'll let you go. You call me when you know something." Josh snapped his phone shut and tossed it onto the table. "Ainsley is in labor and is still able to abuse Sam."
"See, men don't understand how much pain women go through to give birth." CJ said, taking a sip of her drink.
"Did you give birth and we don't know about it?" Toby asked. CJ gave him a look. "Then how do you know what giving birth feels like?"
"It's a woman thing."
"Sam seemed to be in touch with his feminine side." Josh said, making them all laugh. "You'd think he'd be more sympathetic."
"I think he is." Toby said. "It's just Ainsley acting out from the pain."
"And how would you know?" CJ asked. Toby didn't respond and CJ looked at Josh. "Did Sam say—"
"Sam didn't say anything." Josh quickly interrupted. "You'll have to call him if you want the details. He seemed kind of busy getting injured."
-------------------------TWW---------------------
"I hate you so much!" Ainsley exclaimed after a contraction passed. "It's all your fault Sam!"
"I know." he said soothingly, kissing her forehead. Ainsley buried her face in his shoulder and sighed, leaning back on the bed.
"I'm hungry." she mumbled. Sam held a cup of ice chips out to Ainsley. "Oh get the hell away from me! I need food Sam! No... no I need drugs."
"Which do you need more?"
"Don't try being funny."
"Okay."
They sat in silence for a minute and Ainsley reached over, taking Sam's hand in hers.
"I'm sorry." she said quietly. "For the way I'm acting and will act as this gets worse."
"Ah, don't worry about."
"I am honey. I feel bad, yelling at you. I mean... well yeah, you did do something. You know what? I'll apologize later."
"Okay."
--------------------TWW-------------------
Sam winced as Ainsley squeezed his hand tightly.
"I absolutely hate you." she hissed. Sam rolled his eyes and nodded. He had heard the words 'I hate you' too many times to count.
"Just breathe Ainse." he said and she threw him a nasty look. "I know you know. You don't have to tell me."
"Then why do you keep telling me?"
"What else am I going to tell you?"
"Oh I dunno! How about, 'Ainse, after all this is done I promise I'll get a vasectomy' or 'Ainse, after all this is done I'll never touch you again!" she spat.
"You know you don't mean that."
"Oh I do Sam! I swear to God I do!"
"Shh..." he pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head.
"You better be satisfied with kissing my head because that's as close as you're ever getting to me again." Ainsley muttered as the door opened.
"How's everything in here?" Dr. Coleman asked, a smile on her face.
"Why are you so cheerful?"
"Probably because I'm not the one in labor."
Sam hid a smile as he glanced at his watch. He looked back up at Ainsley and pushed her hair out of her face.
"I'm gonna go get some coffee and call Leo, tell him I'm not coming in." he said. "You gonna be okay?"
"Do you really need coffee?" Ainsley asked. Sam shook his head. "Good, you can suffer for a few hours then. You can call Leo from your cell phone."
Dr. Coleman hid her smile as she examined Ainsley.
"You're almost there Ainsley. You're at 6cm. You want that epidural?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Oh thank you God."
"I'll take that as a yes."
Ainsley nodded vigorously and Sam silently thanked God, hoping Ainsley's attitude would decrease a bit. About fifteen minutes later a man walked in and Dr. Coleman introduced him as the anesthesiologist, Dr. Richards. Sam saw a glimpse of the needle and blanched slightly.
"Honey..."
"What?" Ainsley looked up at him and Sam chewed on his lip for a second.
"Uh... you sure about this?"
"Why?"
Sam turned his attention to Dr. Richards, who stared at the other man.
"Yes?"
"Are... are you honestly going to stick that in my wife?"
"Sam, I don't care what it looks like or how big it is. I don't care if they stabbed me a couple dozen times with it. I will do anything to make this pain stop." Ainsley said.
"Ainsley, it's pretty big."
"Shut up Sam."
"Okay."
-----------------------TWW----------------------
"Sam!" Ainsley grasped his hand tightly and let out a small sob. "I can't do this anymore."
"What? Oh honey, this can't be the same Ainsley I married." he grinned. "She never said she couldn't do anything."
"Well that Ainsley has left! This one is in pain! And wipe that stupid smirk off your face!"
"Ainsley, only a few more good pushes and the baby will be here." Dr. Coleman said.
"Hear that? A few pushes and you won't be in pain anymore. Besides, weren't you complaining to me yesterday that you just wanted the baby here?" Sam said. Ainsley nodded and silently cursed Sam for being so damn persuasive.
"Sam..."
"Shh..." he moved closer to her and kissed her cheek, resting his forehead against the side of her head.
"What if we're not good parents?"
"Honey, I don't really think we have a choice anymore."
Ainsley let out a small laugh and turned towards her doctor, who looked up at her.
"You ready?" she asked. Ainsley nodded and squeezed Sam's hand tightly as she pushed. He bit back a moan as her nails dug into his skin, most likely drawing blood. He tried to ignore the pain in his hand as he whispered softly into Ainsley's ear. She felt tears fill her eyes, not really sure if it was from the pain or Sam's sentimental words. She half listened to him as she gave another push, her nails digging deeper into his skin. Ainsley heard Sam give a soft yelp but kept talking to her, saying how much he loved her and that it would all be over in a matter of minutes and their daughter would be here.
Ainsley knew Sam was saying all of it to keep her calm and it was working. Surprise, surprise. Anything Sam thought of worked. A sudden cry jolted Ainsley out of her thoughts and Sam pulled away from her slightly. They looked at each other and then at Dr. Coleman, who was holding a tiny, squirming body.
"Oh my God..." Ainsley murmured. "Sam..."
"I know." his voice cracked slightly and Ainsley brought a shaky hand up to his cheek. "Is she okay?"
"She's perfect. Ten fingers, ten toes... just have to get her weighed." Dr. Coleman said.
"Then you're gonna bring her over here right?" Ainsley asked. Her doctor laughed and nodded, handing the newborn off to a nurse. Ainsley and Sam stared at their daughter and Sam raised his eyebrows.
"Well, she's pretty loud." he said, making Ainsley let out a laugh. The nurse brought the baby over to the couple and placed her in Ainsley's arms. "Wow. How big is she?"
"7 pounds, 8 ounces." the nurse replied. Sam made an 'oh okay' face and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his wife and daughter, who had quieted down once she was placed in her mother's arms.
"She's here." he said dumbly, reaching out a hand timidly.
"She? Didn't we decide on a name?" Ainsley asked.
"Huh? Oh we're really going along with it then."
"I thought we had both agreed we liked Grace."
"We did." Sam said. Ainsley looked away from Gracie and up at Sam. She pulled him to her and kissed him hard on the mouth. He brought a hand up, stroking her cheek softly. They pulled away from each other and Ainsley brought a hand up to Sam's cheek, wiping off the tears trailing down from his blue eyes.
"I'm gonna tell Josh you were crying." she said, a teasing tone in her voice.
"I don't care. I love you so much Ainse."
"I love you too Sam."
"God, she's beautiful."
"She looks like you."
"No."
"Yeah. Look at that dark hair."
"So she has my hair color. Her face is like yours."
"I bet when she opens her eyes they'll be blue like yours."
"Your eyes are blue too."
"They're a bluish-green. Yours are clear blue."
"You realize we're debating over her looks right?" Sam said, making them both laugh.