It's here! Love it? Hate it? Still reading for sh!ts and giggles? R&R either way!
Soft yet strong hands massaged her low back. Pillows were adjusted underneath her legs to help alleviate the pressure on her back. Water flowed through the straw of the hospital brand water bottle. A rushed breath of air flowed through her nostrils and she worked to steady her breathing. A cacophony of noises threatened to breech her concentration, machine blips and ticking signaling yet another contraction if Emma's excited cries were anything to go by. All Regina could do was nod in understanding as she gripped Emma's hand. Once the contraction was over she released Emma's hand and sank back into the pillows as Robin took her other hand and peppered kisses on the backside.
"That's it, that's it Regina, just breathe," Robin soothingly whispered in her ear.
"Mmmmm. Water, I need, um, some water," she croaked out, her throat hoarse from her guttural moans. Robin released her hand and reached over to the tray stand for the water bottle he had quickly snatched from her hands at the beginning of her last contraction. She greedily sipped through the straw, gulping as if her life depended on it.
"Alright dear, I don't think there's any more water in there," Robin commented as he removed the water bottle and straw from his wife.
"Mmm, could you get me some more? I think I'll need it." Robin looked pleadingly at Emma.
"Oh, um, yeah, I'll go get you some more. Hang tight!"
"That's not why I'm here, Emma!" Regina yelled as Emma squeezed through the door. Robin chuckled as he smoothed his hand over his wife's hands. They leaned forward, their foreheads together, breathing in steady breaths, drawing energy from each other.
"Hey," Robin breathed out.
"Hey," Regina responded, chuckling a little.
"How're you doing?"
"What a question to ask. I'm about to squeeze your fat head of a child through a very tiny opening. The anticipation is crippling. Urgh, and so are these contractions." Regina's grip on Robin's hand tightened and he struggled to stand up to look at the tocodynamometer.
"Another one?" Regina nodded as she sat up and curled over her belly. She let out a steady groan, her eyes squeezed tight. "Alright, alright, just listen to my voice, here we go, it'll be over soon."
"Shut up Robin, I'm trying to breathe."
"Mm hmm, I hear ya," Robin responded, taking his wife's temper in stride.
"Oh God! How long is this one lasting?!" Regina gasped as she took another inhale and started the long exhale.
"Wait, is that another one already? Are they supposed to be that close together? So soon?" Emma exclaimed, setting the refilled water bottle down and grasping for Regina's free hand. Regina violently shook her head.
"No," she whined out. "It's too soon for them to be right on top of each other. I haven't been here that long. Robin, go find someone, tell them to hurry, something's wrong."
"What? No baby, nothing's wrong. You're okay, it's okay, they're just contractions okay."
"Mmm, but please just get someone, just ask them to come check. Find a nurse, a doctor, I don't give a damn! Where's the epidural?!"
"Uh, Robin, you want me to – " Emma asked. Robin waived her off.
"Yeah, yeah, go see if you can find someone. Maybe we're a lot further than we think."
"We? Excuse me, are you the one sitting -. Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck fuck. Robin, it hurts."
"I know love, I know."
"Where's the epidural? Why isn't it working?"
"Okay, alright love, here's the thing. I think they said if you waited too late to get the epidural it wouldn't really be effective, but you wanted to try, right?"
"Mmm hmmm," Regina nodded her head.
"I think that might be the case here."
"No, no no no no, that can't be. This hurts."
"I know love, I know."
"Alright, here we go! Look who I found!" Emma waltzed in with Regina's labor and delivery nurse in tow.
"Okay Regina, Emma here tells me your contractions are right on top of each other?"
"Yessss," she hissed out, gripping Robin's hand.
"Okay, well, I'm just gonna check and see how far dilated you are. We were at 5 centimeters last time, right?"
"Uh huh." Regina nodded.
"Okay, do you mind if your friend stays in here?" Regina looks at Robin, her eyes pleading. As much as she loves her friend, she and Robin wanted this experience for themselves, their first, and perhaps only child together given how much she wasn't enjoying this experience. Robin kissed his wife's hand before making his way around the bed while the nurse helped Regina get into position.
"Hey, uh, Emma, I know you're really excited for this."
"I am! This is so exciting!"
"Well, the thing is, as much as we would love, love to have you here, we kinda just want this experience for ourselves, if you can understand?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, you're right. This, this is a moment for the two of you. I will just uh, go check on the boys? Relieve Mary – Margaret?"
"Don't you have a shift?"
"Well, when I called the station a little while ago David said he and Graham had everything covered. So, um, I'll just check back in with them, give them a progress report?"
"Okay, great, sounds good."
"Can I say good – bye?" Robin nodded his head.
"Yeah, sure, I'm sure Regina would be amenable to that. Let me go see how she's doing and let her know." Robin headed back to room just in time to see the nurse snap off her gloves. He approached the bed and placed a kiss on Regina's sweat covered brow.
"Hello love, how're we doing?"
"Well, it's appears she's progressed quite quickly. Maybe another centimeter or so. How does that sound?"
"That sounds, oh god!" Regina started in as she gripped and squeezed Robin's hand, panting through another contraction.
"I'll go page the doctor and we'll get this show on the road. Just breathe through the contractions, try not to push okay?"
Regina's eyes were squeezed shut tight.
"Hey, Regina? No pushing okay?" The nurse tried getting Regina's attention. Robin leaned forward to his wife's ear, whispering,
"Hey, did you hear the nurse? She said not to push just yet."
"I can't help what my body wants to do damnit! I suggest you hurry up with that page!" Regina spoke harshly.
"I'll page Dr. Campbell and she'll be here shortly. Mr. Locksley, would you like a gown?"
Robin looked up from his position next to Regina, a grin stretching ever so slightly across his lips. This was it. He slowly nodded his head, pecked a kiss to kiss his wife's forehead as he followed the motioning hand of the nurse out into the hallway. They stopped at the circulation desk so she could page Dr. Campbell and then they continued down to a supply closet.
"So, what size are you, hmm? Maybe a medium?" she asked as she held up a scrub top and some pants in front of Robin. "I think those will work. Here, you can change in this restroom here. I'm going to break down the bed so we can finally get the show on the road." Robin nodded his head in understanding and the two parted ways.
Robin rushed back down the hall, arriving at his wife's room, and even with the door shut, he could hear her pained moans. He lightly knocked on the door, announcing his arrival. There was a shout of "Come in!" so he pushed the door open, surprised to find a curtain drawn at the entrance. He worked his way through in time to see his wife seated in an upright position with her feet in stirrups grasping the nurse's hand. He quickly rushed to her side, peeling away her hand that was grasping the side of the bed rail as she slowly relaxed.
"Oh god," she cried, sinking back into the pillows that were piled high behind her. "Robin, what took you so long? I had to start pushing without you!" She whined, twisting to her side so she could see his face.
"Sorry my love, I changed clothes as fast as I could. I'm here now. Don't worry, I wouldn't miss this for anything." He soothed as he brought her hand to his lips. She leaned in heavily to his side and he peppered kisses onto her sweaty hair.
"That's it momma, just relax in between contractions as much as you can," coached Dr. Campbell from her position in between Regina's legs.
"Do you see anything yet? The head at least?" Regina asked, pulling herself forward in a vain attempt to see if anything was poking out between her legs. Dr. Campbell simply patted her legs.
"No, nothing yet, but we'll get Kristin here to bring over a mirror so you can see what I'm seeing. How does that sound?" Regina nodded her head and the nurse that was assisting walked around the bed and headed out the door to retrieve the mirror.
Regina let out a low moan as another contraction began, rolling her body into Robin's as she tried stifling her tears. Robin tucked her in as close as he could, rubbing circles on her back.
"There, there, that's it, just breathe, in," Robin breathed in, holding his breath, "and then out," Robin let out an exhale. Regina opened her eyes and tried her best to mirror his breaths, but nothing could stop the scream that ripped through her lips and the sudden upheaval of her body as she instinctively bore down.
"That's it Regina, one, two, three, you're doing great!"
A clanging noise could be heard coming from the entrance to their room and soon Kristin popped through the curtain with the mirror mounted high on wheels. She positioned it behind the doctor.
"Okay mom, dad, how does this look? Is this a good angle?"
"Kinda busy pushing right now," Regina gritted out through clamped down teeth.
"Right, sorry." Kristin waited patiently for the contraction to end. Dr. Campbell glanced behind her to see the mirror reflecting everything the parents could possibly want to see, and then some.
"Okay guys, look up at the mirror." Dr. Campbell called for Robin and Regina's attention. They stared hard. Dr. Campbell pressed her gloved hands in between Regina's legs. "Look, here's baby's head." There was an audible gasp and then more fervent tears making their way down Regina's cheeks.
"Oh baby, look Robin, its head!"
"I know, I see," he responded.
"Okay, maybe just a few more pushes. Getting the head and shoulders out will be the hardest part."
Regina nodded her head as she adjusted her grip on Robin's hand. A nervous giggle escaped her lips as Robin brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.
"That's it babe, you can do it. Bring our child into the world," he brightly smiled at her.
"Alright, another one is starting you ready?" asked Dr. Campbell. Regina nodded her head as she firmly planted her feet in the stirrups while Kristin directed Robin to mirror her motions of helping Regina pull her legs up close up and open to create more room to deliver the baby. Dr. Campbell raised her hand. "Hold on," she calmly stated. Regina tried to sit up on her elbows while Kristin and Robin relaxed their grips a little.
"What's wrong? Is something wrong? Is the baby okay? Is she alright?' Regina fired off questions without taking a breath in between.
"No, nothing's wrong, just doing a little suctioning here, the head's out. Can you see in the mirror?"
Robin and Regina gasped, looking into the mirror where the doctor delicately held their baby's head.
"Now, for real this time, just a few more pushes to deliver the shoulders and baby should be here!"
"Okay Regina, there's another contraction, you ready?"
Regina nodded her head and bore down for one final time. Suddenly, all the pressure she felt disappeared. Everything was in slow motion. The doctor dipped down before coming back up, splaying the crying baby across Regina's belly. Robin and Kristin let her hands go so they could help her hold the baby close. Kristin rubbed the baby down with towels and Dr. Campbell passed the scissors to Robin to cut the umbilical cord.
"Congratulations you two, it's a boy!"
Robin and Regina gazed at each other, unable to read each other's expressions.
"A boy? Did you hear that Regina?! It's another boy!"