Chapter 9

A/N: Hey again! Thanks for reviewing; especially katiedid90, thanks! Anyways, I'd better be going to write… Thanks for reading and review please!

The epidural was like a godsend to Seany. She barely felt anything, except for a slight pressure in her abdomen. As the doctor had been inserting the needle she didn't really feel anything but a pinch, and a numb tingling sensation down her legs. Yet now she didn't feel the pain of the contractions, and she knew that she kept getting closer and closer to actually giving birth.

Chris was exhausted, after being awake for almost another day straight. He rested against Seany's bed, stroking her forehead gently and trying to cool her down from the sweat that was caused by the almost constant contractions. "You ok?" He asked, lifting his head.

"Yeah, I'm good." She replied, turning her head to look at him. Both of her hands were resting on her stomach, resting the best she could for a minute before her next contraction. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Don't ask, it's all about you right now," He informed her, yawning after he did so.

"Alright…" Seany replied, stretching her arms and readjusting her weight. "How long have you actually been awake?"

"Forever."

"Riiiight."

"Baby, I'm awake now."

"Ok."

It was about five minutes later when Dr. Stevens returned. "Alright Seany, let's have another look." She rotated the monitoring device, bringing it closer once more. "Well, you're at nine centimeters… Just a while now." She replied, going to examine Seany once more. All of the sudden Seany felt a pop, and the pressure on her back and stomach tripled. She took in a sudden deep breath, jerking Chris fully awake and both of their attentions focusing at Dr. Stevens; whom was calm and collected.

"Congratulations Mrs. Irvine, your water just broke… It won't be too long now before you need to push. I'll page a few interns to come and assist me." Dr. Stevens walked over to the wall, pushing a round blue button that matched the one on Seany's nightstand beside her. It was the button to use when you needed a nurse or another doctor to help you.

There was silence in the room besides Seany's slightly heavy breathing. Chris leaned over and kissed her on the head, pulling her hair back from behind her face. "You're doing great sweetheart… Did you hear her? We're almost there." He whispered soothingly in her ear. Seany barely nodded her head, reaching up and grabbing Chris's hand.

And hour later…

Seany took a deep breath; she could instantly feel something was different. There was an urge for her to push, to get this baby out of her. To bring it into the world. But what if she was wrong? She would wait for the doctors before she did anything.

"Dr. Karrel, will you check how far along she is?" Dr. Stevens commanded as she checked some of the monitoring equipment, typing something in as she nodded. "It seems like the infant is ready… Karrel, how far is she?" She asked impatiently, awaiting a response from the female doctor examining Seany.

"Ten centimeters Dr. Stevens… Should we start?" The woman intern asked, looking up at her boss. Dr. Stevens nodded, coming around the equipment and motioning another intern to keep an eye on it. She replaced Dr. Karrel, looking up at Seany.

"Mrs. Irvine, it's about time for you to give birth; when I tell you to push, do so, ok?" She instructed, and Seany nodded slightly fearfully. She looked up at Chris as if to tell him something.

"Chris; go get John please."

"Sean, c'mon we need to-"

"Please Chris… Just do it."

Chris sighed, nodding and kissing his wife on the forehead. He nodded to the doctor, and then walked out briskly to find their friend. Seany took another deep breath, her hands moving back down to her stomach as she waited for her husband to return. She saw a shadow move across the curtain that separated her room, hoping that it was Chris and John returning. Instead it was a surprise she would never forget.

Shawn looked around the curtain, entering as soon as he realized it was the right place. "Seany? I thought I wouldn't make it in time." He informed her, making his way across the room.

"Dad?" Seany asked in a small whisper of a voice, not believing what she was seeing.

"Excuse me sir- you can't be in here," Dr. Stevens informed him. "You'll have to wait-"

"I'm her father, I'm her father." Shawn informed the doctor, rushing over to his daughter and taking one of her hands in his as he kissed her on the forehead. "Sweetheart, are you ok?" He asked, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

Seany nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks as she nodded. What was going on? Why was he here? She hadn't seen him in so long, and she missed her dad. With a few deep breaths she had calmed herself down, and wiped away her tears. It was about then when John and Chris returned.

"What the hell?" Chris reacted, his eyes widening at the sight of his father-in-law. John's jaw dropped, and there was silence besides the light beeping and buzzing of the equipment. Shawn looked up, a blank expression on his face as if he didn't know what to do.

"Well, Rebecca's in labor and I heard that Seany was having her baby… So I left St. Christians and came over here." Shawn explained, and there was silence once more until

John spoke.

"Uh, I'm gonna leave y'all alone… Good luck baby girl." He blew Seany a kiss, then waved and left. There was a pause for another moment until the Doctor's voice filled the air.

"Mrs. Irvine, you're going to need to push soon; are you ready?" She asked, looking up. Seany nodded.

"Chris, deliver it ok? Please?" Seany asked, looking at Dr. Stevens. "He can do that, right?"

"Yes, it's been done before." She answered, making room for Chris as he stopped giving Shawn 'the look' and made his way to deliver his baby. Or at least what he had convinced himself was his baby.

"Ok," Seany replied, positioning herself and getting ready. By the time Dr. Stevens finally told her to push, the urge was so great she didn't think she'd be able to avoid it anyways.

She grasped Shawn's hand, her grip tightening initially and starting to loosen as she got the 'hang' of her pushing. Chris was at her feet looking so anxious he would be sick, and had his hands ready listening to Dr. Steven's advice as she coached him trough it. Seany couldn't exactly hear anything but Dr. Steven's nearly constant instructions to push, and the almost mute sounds of Shawn and Chris cheering her through it.

It went by so much faster than Seany thought it had. Somehow she just stopped pushing, and Dr. Stevens never told her to begin pushing again. She just felt Shawn kiss her soaking forehead once more, and a huge smile spread across Chris's face. It practically lit up; a look she had only seen a few times before. Seany fell back onto a pillow, resting with her heavy breathing.

"Where's, where's… Did I have it?" She asked, looking up at her dad. He actually looked like he had tears in his eyes as he nodded. "What's wrong with it?" She asked in a panicky manner. "My baby- why can't I hear it?" She tried to sit up, but was too exhausted. Finally all the excited talking from the interns, the Doctor trying to quiet them down, and everyone else in the hospital seemed to stop. The room was once again silent except for the sound of the equipment and the cries that Seany could hear her baby making.

"Seany, Seany baby…" Chris managed to say, and Seany saw him holding her tiny baby in his arms. A few tears had made their way down the side of his face as he gazed down at their child. "It's; it's a boy." He sputtered with a large grin across his face. He looked over at his wife, walking towards her. "Here angel… You deserve this."

Seany too began crying, taking her screaming baby in her arms and placing him on her chest. She was able to coo to him, speaking softly and her breathing slowly coming to a relaxed state. In a few minutes, the baby himself was relaxed, his blue eyes only half opened as he was sprawled out across Seany's chest. No one wanted to say anything, but it was only policy that Dr. Stevens followed the instructions the couple had set before they had come to the hospital.

"Mrs. Irvine, I'm going to need to take him now and do the tests you specified, circumcision, and weigh and measure him." Dr. Stevens moved towards her past Chris, and reaching around Shawn. "Have you decided on a name yet?" She asked, and as Seany looked up she almost froze. Of course Chris and Seany had thought about it, procrastinated, and thrown a couple names around that they liked, but never decided on what it might be. To tell the truth, they had been hoping it would be a girl, and now didn't exactly know what to do. But Seany loved her son like nothing she had ever felt before, and would find the perfect name for him before it was over with.

"We'll need to discuss that… Is there any way you can do the tests and then come back to us?" She asked, and Dr. Stevens nodded as she took Seany's sleeping baby out of her arms. It felt like a part of her body had been taken away from her, but she knew he would be back. Of course he would.

30 minutes later…

"What should it be?" Chris asked his wife, kissing her hand. "I want you to choose." He whispered, resting his cheek against it gently. "You're the one who had to go through this whole thing and all." He assured her, kissing her hand once more.

"I don't know…" Seany replied, thinking away. She couldn't think about anything but her baby, the beautiful little person she had brought into this world. Maybe her thoughts of 'this is horrible' really were stupid.

"C'mon baby," He whispered, stroking the side of her face. "I know you know which one you want. C'mon, you can name him anything you want to."

"Alright," She thought for a moment, trying to think of the many names she had gone through while she had been pregnant. "Alan, Bryce, Tyler… How about Austin?" She asked, as if she had just had an epiphany. She really loved that name, and also the artist she would be naming him after. "Austin Bryce… What do you think?" She asked a little self-consciously, feeling stupid now for bringing it up. Chris grinned once more and kissed her on the forehead.

"I think it's terrific; if that's what you want."

"Ok," She replied, nodding. "I like it. And it's been forever since anyone's actually kissed me…" She muttered with a fake pout, and Chris happily obliged to kissing her on the lips.