Chapter 12

7 months later...

A 9-month pregnant Jade walked into her second to last appointment with her OB/GYN before the baby would be born. As she sat down in the waiting room, she thought back to what had happened nearly 6 months ago.

After Austin moved out, he signed the lease on the apartment over to her, picked up the rest of his stuff, and was officially out of her life. She'd found another job as a waitress, and then picked up a second job as an assistant for a CEO of a publishing company. Technically, she was the assistant to the assistant, but it paid good money so she wasn't complaining. She'd stopped bleeding and cramping about two weeks after her miscarriage, but when she went back to her doctor for a follow up, her whole life changed.

"It says here that you were seen for a miscarriage at a hospital a couple weeks ago. How're you feeling?" Jade's doctor asked, as she walked into the exam room.

"I finally stopped bleeding and cramping. I have been having some nausea and vomiting, though. That just started last week. I don't know why. I feel fine by around noon. I've also noticed my boobs are getting bigger and they're really sore." Jade replied.

"Ok. I think, just to be safe, we should draw some blood to run some tests. And I want you to pee in this cup. I want to run a pregnancy test."

"But the doctor at the hospital said my hormone levels were too low and that I had lost the baby. There's no way I could still be pregnant or be pregnant again."

"I just want to make sure."

Jade reluctantly took the cup and went into the bathroom. She peed in the plastic cup and took it back out to the doctor who was now holding a pregnancy test.

"Thank you." The doctor said, accepting the cup. "When I dip this in, it will either stay the same color, meaning you're not pregnant, or turn pink, meaning you're pregnant." The doctor dipped the stick in and it turned pink.

"How can that be possible? I was bleeding for two weeks straight. How can a baby survive that?"

"Well, we need to see what the blood tests say, and we might have to do an ultrasound, but what I think happened is you had a chorionic hematoma that ruptured and caused bleeding."

"What's that?"

"It's basically a pool of blood outside of the sac the baby is in. Usually, it doesn't present any problems, but sometimes it can. In your case, the pool of blood ruptured. That's why you were bleeding so much and for so long."

"So what do I do? What happens next?"

"Right now, I'm going to go get the nurse to draw some blood and the ultrasound tech to do an ultrasound. I'll be back soon."

When the doctor left, Jade just sat there on the exam table. She was thinking about a million things and nothing at all. How could she still be pregnant? How was she going to handle a baby? She wasn't even still together with the baby's father. There was no way she could be a single mother at 20 years old. She couldn't do it.

Jade was left to her own thoughts for a while longer until the nurse came in. She quickly drew some blood, left, and then the ultrasound tech came in after her.

"Hi, Ms. West. My name is Hera and I'll be doing your ultrasound. We're going to try and do an abdominal ultrasound, but if that doesn't work, we'll have to do a transvaginal."

"Um, ok. Will it hurt?"

"An abdominal ultrasound doesn't hurt at all. The ultrasound gel is a little cold and I might have to push the wand in a little bit to get a clear picture, but there shouldn't be any pain. A transvaginal is uncomfortable, but not painful."

"Ok."

Jade laid back on the exam table and rolled up her shirt. She was then instructed to unbutton her pants, so she did so.

"This is a little cold." The ultrasound tech said, as she squirted some clear gel onto Jade's lower abdomen. She then put the wand in the gel and started pushing it around.

Jade looked over at the ultrasound screen, and at first everything was just black and white and had no real structure, but then a small blob appeared on the screen. It kinda looked like an alien. It didn't really have any defined arms or legs, or a head. It had a small hole in what Jade assumed was the heart.

"There's your baby. You're measuring about 9 weeks along, meaning we should be able to hear a heartbeat. Would you like to?"

Jade nodded slightly. She was more nervous than she'd ever been in her entire life. She was drawn from her thoughts when a rhythmic whooshing sound filled the room.

"A nice, strong heartbeat."

Jade didn't even realize she'd been feeling emotional until she felt a few tears slip down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away, but her gaze remained trained on the ultrasound screen. She didn't want to look away.

"I can print out a copy of this ultrasound, if you would like."

Jade again nodded.

The ultrasound tech turned off the machine and then left the room.

"Oh my god, I'm pregnant." Jade whispered to herself, realization finally setting in.

"Here's your picture. I printed two copies just in case you wanted to give one to somebody else. The doctor said she'd be back in soon. Feel free to use some of the paper towels to wipe off the gel." The tech said, as she handed Jade the pictures, and then left the room again.

From that day on, Jade's entire life revolved around the baby. She decided she would keep the baby. That baby might be the only thing that doesn't leave her. She moved into a bigger apartment, thank god she got paid a fortune to be able to afford a two bedroom in LA. She bought all of the baby's things. She started eating healthier, which was something recommended by her doctor due to the fact that she was anemic and slightly underweight. Everything in Jade's life became baby, baby, baby. Her boss even threw a baby shower around 6 months. Her boss never did anything nice for anyone, so a baby shower was saying a lot.

Jade and Cat had regrown their relationship, which they were both thankful for, and rebuilding her relationship with Cat meant that she also rebuilt her relationship with Andre and Robbie. Andre and Cat had started dating after high school, and Robbie finally admitted to himself and everyone else that he was gay. He and Cat stayed best friends, though. Everything was finally looking up for Jade.

"Hey, Jade. How are you and baby doing today?" Jade doctor asked, as she walked into the exam room.

"We're good. She's been kicking me nonstop in the ribs and her head is sitting on my bladder, but other than that, everything's good." Jade responded, rubbing her hand over her bump. She smiled when she felt a kick from the baby.

"That's good to hear. Have you had any more contractions since last week?"

"Yeah. I get a few everyday. They're not very painful though, and they don't last very long."

"Ok, good. You're 39 weeks, so it could be any day now. If you want, today I can check your dilation. Last week, you were only at a 1."

"I don't want to. It really hurt last week and I'd like to not have to go through that again until I'm in labor."

"Ok. We don't have to do it. At your next appointment, provided you have another appointment, we can talk about it again. Right now, I want to talk about your birth plan. Do you have one?"

"I want to have a natural birth. I'd like to avoid Pitocin or any pain meds if possible. My first birth was done without pain meds, and I'd like to do the same for this one. I want to labor at home for as long as possible. My friend is coming to stay with me soon so that she can help me with labor and then drive me to the hospital."

"Good. I've only had 2 patients drive themselves to the hospital, and one ended up having the baby in her car a few minutes after she pulled into the parking lot. What are you thinking about doing after the baby's born? Do you want the baby to be placed on you and something we call 'Kangaroo Care'?"

"Yes, I want the baby and I to have as much bonding time as possible. I also want delayed cord clamping if possible"

"Ok. Do you have any questions for me?"

"Should I call you when I'm on my way to the hospital?"

"You can, or you can have the hospital call me. It's up to you. Either way, my plan is to be at your birth."

"Ok. Good."

"Well, if you don't have any more questions, then I think you're free to go. If you want to try and induce labor naturally you can take walks, do some light exercises, drink pineapple juice or raspberry leaf tea, eat spicy foods, or nipple stimulation. Those have all shown promising results in naturally inducing labor."

"I picked up pineapple juice from the store yesterday and I plan on eating Mexican food for dinner tonight."

"Good. Just remember to try and relax. Don't stress if the things you try don't induce labor. Stress can prolong the start of labor. The baby will come when she's ready, and there's not much anyone can do to coax her if she's not ready."

Jade nodded and hopped off the exam table. The doctor held the door open for her and they walked out together. After Jade paid at the front desk, she went back home to finish doing the baby's laundry. As she folded the laundry, she started feeling a few light cramps. They were inconsistent and there only a few an hour, so she really didn't think about it. She organized the last of the baby's things, ordered dinner, and then sat down to eat it. As she ate, she noticed the cramps had become more painful and were coming consistently every 20 minutes. She was pretty sure she was in early labor, but early labor could last weeks, so she didn't think anything of it. She watched The Scissoring before bed, and then crawled into bed to try and get a good night's sleep.

Unfortunately, that is not what she got. She was tossing and turning all night. She couldn't get comfortable and she was still feeling really crampy. Halfway through the night, she started getting nauseous. She tried to breathe through the nausea, but around 4am, it overtook her. She threw up all of her dinner. After throwing up, she noticed the cramps had moved to about 10 minutes apart, and they probably couldn't be classified as cramps anymore. She walked around her apartment for a while, trying to relieve some of the pain and get labor to progress. She walked for hours, just doing laps around her apartment. She heard a knock on her door around 9:30. It was Cat.

"Hey, Cat." Jade said, as she answered the door.

"Hi, Jadey! Are you ok? You seem kinda pale." Cat asked, concerned once she saw Jade.

"I think I'm in early labor. I'm having contractions about every 9 minutes and I'm nauseous."

"You're having contractions!" Cat exclaimed, as she rushed into the apartment.

"Yes, Cat. That's usually what happens before you give birth to a baby. It's not really a big deal. It could still be days until the baby decides she's ready to come. For right now, just unpack your stuff in the guest room."

"Ok." Cat pulled in her hot pink suitcase. She'd become slightly less childish since high school, but her favorite color was still pink.

Cat made her way to the guest bedroom to unpack while Jade continued walking around.

"Do you want anything? Have you had breakfast, yet?"

"I'm not hungry. If I eat something, all I'll do is throw it up. You can eat, though, if you're hungry."

"I'm good. Andre made me breakfast this morning."

"How's Andre doing?"

"He's doing great! He's been at the studio a lot. I think he's already recorded like 6 songs this month. His goal is to have a full album in two months."

"That's good. It's a good thing that at least one of us will become famous."

"What do you mean? Beck and Tori are kinda famous. Beck's done like 3 movies and he's on a tv show right now as a supporting character. Tori's starring in a movie that's supposed to be a hit. They started filming last month."

"I guess you're right. I kinda try to forget about them. Especially Tori."

"Have you talked to Beck at all?"

"The last time I talked to him was the day I quit the movie. He's called me a few times, but I've ignored them. I'm assuming you've talked to him."

"Yeah. He and I talk a couple times a month. He told me he has a girlfriend. He said her name's Willow."

"Willow is the girl he cheated on Tori with, Cat."

"He cheated on Tori!"

"Of course he wouldn't tell you that. Yes, he cheated on Tori. He'd been cheating on her for like a month before they broke up."

"Beck wouldn't cheat. He's not like that."

"I thought so too, but I guess he's changed."

"Well, hopefully he's not cheating on Willow. Maybe he just didn't like Tori."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Have you talked to Austin?"

"You know I haven't, Cat. The last time I talked to him was the day he officially moved out."

"So you're never going to tell him about the baby?"

"Nope. This is my baby. It's his fault that he'll never get to know his child. If he had stayed, he could be a true father to her."

"He deserves to know, Jade."

"He deserves nothing."

"He's her father."

"Only biologically. She doesn't need a dad. She has me, and you, and Andre, and Robbie, and that's all she needs."

"What if she asks about her father one day? What are you gonna tell her?"

"The truth. I'm not gonna lie to her. I'll just tell her that her father left me and that I felt she didn't need a dad to be happy."

"But what if she wants to find him?"

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, the family she has is perfectly fine."

"Ok. Have you chosen a name for her?"

"I have, but I'm going to wait until I actually see her to announce it. I need to make sure the name suits her. I think it does, though."

"I bet it'll be pretty."

"I think it is. I really like the name I chose."

Cat and Jade talked for a while longer, until Jade's contractions started getting closer together and she didn't want to hold a conversation anymore. Around noon, her contractions were 7 minutes apart and lasting about a minute each. She was still walking around the apartment, but now she had to stop for each contraction. Cat offered to rub her back, and at first she was reluctant, but eventually she gave in when the back labor got worse.

"Do you want to try a bath? I read that warm baths can reduce pain." Cat asked, as Jade finished another contraction.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I'll try it." Jade replied.

Cat quickly ran a warm bath in Jade's bathroom. She lit some candles and turned off the harsh lights to help Jade relax. She then helped Jade get into the tub. Almost immediately, she could see relief written all over Jade's face.

"Do you feel any better?" Cat asked.

"Yeah, this water feels nice. Thanks." Jade gave, closing her eyes as she prepared for another contraction.

Jade stayed in the tub for about an hour until it started getting cold. She then got out and continued walking around. By 3pm, her contractions were 5 and a half minutes apart and lasting a minute and 15 seconds.

"Do you want to go to the hospital, yet?" Cat asked.

"Not yet. I'm not ready to leave yet." Jade responded, as she leaned over her kitchen counter to try and relieve some of the pain in her lower back.

"Ok, just let me know when you are. Do you have your bags packed?"

"Yeah, they're right by the front door."

"Ok."

A few more hours passed by, and by 5:30, Jade decided she was ready to go to the hospital. They loaded the bags and themselves into Cat's car and made their way to the hospital. On the way, Jade calles her doctor. Once they got there, Jade was taken up to the L&D ward by her doctor.

"Hi, Jade. How're you doing?" Her doctor asked, as they made it to Jade's hospital room.

"I'm ok. I'm in a lot of pain and I'm still nauseous, but I'm excited to finally meet her." Jade answered, as she sat down in the hospital bed.

"That's good to hear. Have you had a lot of fluids today?"

"Not really. I haven't really had much of anything today because I've been so nauseous."

"Ok, I want to start you on an IV. The fluids will most likely help with the nausea and give you a bit of extra energy to deliver your baby."

"There won't be any pain meds, right?"

"Right. Just saline."

"Ok."

"I'll be right back with the IV kit. Just sit tight."

Cat and Jade were left alone in the room when the doctor left.

"Do you want me to tell Andre and Robbie that you're here?"

"Uh, yeah, that's fine. Just tell them not to come in. I don't want any visitors yet." Jax responded.

"Kk." Cat said, as she sent off a quick text to Andre and Robbie.

Jade went through a couple more contractions before the doctor came back.

"Ok, now that you have the IV, I want to check your dilation." The doctor said.

"Ok." Jade replied. She hated when her doctor checked her dilation, but she guessed it was necessary.

The doctor quickly checked Jade's dilation and slipped her hand put just as Jade was having another contraction. Once the contraction was over, the doctor spoke again.

"You're at about 6 and a half, which is really good. If you want to progress labor even further, I can break your water. Would you like to do that?"

"Not yet. I want it to happen on its own if possible."

"Ok, just let me know if you change your mind. I'll be back in a little bit to check on you."

"Jade, is it alright if I go get some food from the cafeteria? I can bring you some ice chips while I'm down there." Cat asked, hesitatingly. She hadn't had anything more than some water and a package of peanut butter crackers since breakfast.

"Yeah, that's fine. And with the ice chips, see if you can get me anything to flavor them with."

"Ok, I'll be back soon. Just breathe through the contractions. Remember, every contraction gets you closer to meeting your baby girl." And with that, Cat left the room, leaving Jade by herself.

Jade found a certain amount of solace in the silence she was left in. It gave her more time to mentally prepare herself for giving birth and becoming a mom, not that anyone could truly prepare themself to become a parent. As she went through another contraction, she really thought about how different her life would be with a baby. Everything would change more than it already had. She'd no longer just be seen as Jade. She'd be seen as Jade, the mother of her daughter. Her and her daughter, at least until she turned 18, would be seen as a package deal. Jade found that a bit odd, but she was excited, nonetheless.