"A… a…" Rita didn't get chance to finish her sentence before she cried out as she felt the pain of another contraction tear through her body.
"Take some deep breaths" Dylan found himself rubbing the bottom of Rita's back as Dervla stood beside Rita, yelping occasionally when Rita made a noise of pain. "I'm going to get some towels to wrap her in, I'll be right back" he told her, smiling slightly as he noticed Dervla move closer to Rita, the faithful hound wanting to protect the woman who'd shared her breakfast with her this morning.
"Dylan" Rita groaned as he returned, "I, I think I need to push."
"Okay" Dylan put down the towels he was carrying and knelt beside Rita, "if you need to push then push on your next contraction, I might need to help her a bit, is that okay?"
Rita nodded, "Just… just make sure she's okay, don't…don't let anything happen to her."
"I'll do my best to make sure nothing happens to either of you" he promised, getting nothing in response as Rita simply groaned, her whole body tensing as she began to push.
For Rita the pain seemed never-ending, she felt like nothing was happening, that no matter how hard she pushed she wasn't getting any closer to holding that tiny baby in her arms. She couldn't believe she was doing this, leant against the sideboard in the kitchen of Dylan's boat either, she wanted to be in the hospital, she wanted an epidural "I can't" she whimpered, "I can't do it anymore."
"Yes, yes you can Rita" Dylan told her, "you're doing really well, now, I imagine it won't be pleasant for you but I think we'll be able to get her shoulders out on your next contraction, she's almost out Rita and I know you must be tired but once she's here you'll be able to sleep while I take us back to Holby" he said, not wanting to panic Rita but he knew the risks associated with a breech birth and he wanted to get the baby out as quickly as possible.
"She...she…"
"I'm holding her Rita, one big push to get her shoulders out and then it's just her head." Rita nodded, the news that Dylan was holding their daughter's body gave her a new burst of energy, and with Dylan's help, Rita felt something slip from her body just a few short minutes later.
"She's not, why isn't she crying?" Rita began to panic as she glanced down towards the baby.
"It's okay, calm down" Dylan too tried to stay calm, "can you sit down? Lean back against the cupboards?"
Rita carefully did as Dylan asked her to and he laid the baby on the floor between her legs and wrapped her in a towel, briskly rubbing her back before he picked up another towel and gently used the corner to clean out her nose and mouth. "Dylan" Rita felt tears fill her eyes as he picked the baby up and once again rubbed firmly at her back.
"Come on" he mumbled, letting out a sigh of relief as the baby coughed, spluttered and then let out a loud cry. "Here we go" he passed the baby over to Rita, "congratulations."
"Oh Dylan" Rita sobbed as she held the baby to her chest, "she's perfect, thank you, thank you so much." She wasn't sure if she was thanking him for fathering the baby or for helping deliver her.
"It's okay" Dylan said simply, "Now erm...the books I read said there have been several studies that have shown benefits to skin to skin contact with newborns, especially after early or difficult births so it might be good for her to...it will help her regulate her breathing and her temperature."
Rita nodded, "could you take her so I could…?" she was reluctant to part with her daughter just yet but she knew Dylan was right, that the skin contact would benefit their daughter.
Dylan nodded, gazing down at the baby as Rita handed her over, he hadn't really looked at her before, he'd been too focused on being 'doctor' but now, now he was this baby's father and he knew, he knew straight away that he'd do anything to protect her. He'd never really believed in love at first sight until his daughter was placed in his arms, she was perfect and Dylan swore he felt his heart fill with unconditional love for the tiny infant.
"Hello girl" he said softly as Dervla came over and sniffed carefully at the bundle in his arms, "have you come to say hello?" He moved the baby carefully so he could hold her in one arm, taking hold of Dervla's collar with the other to stop her getting too close, "we've got to be careful with the baby" he told Dervla, "you're going to have to look after her, no licking her or trying to play with her just yet." Rita smiled as she watched Dylan talking to Dervla, their daughter cradled safely in his arm, "hey, you're okay" he said softly as he heard the baby begin to whine, "shall we give you back to Rita, I mean your Mummy?" he asked her before gently passing her back to Rita who'd covered herself with the towels Dylan had bought through.
"Hello" Rita cooed as she slipped the baby from the towels and laid her against her chest, the infant instantly settling against her mother, "shall we see if you're hungry hmm?"
Dylan tidied things up a little as Rita fed the baby, taking her a blanket to cover herself with and finding out some of the tiny nappies, baby vests and sleepsuits he'd bought for the baby along with some underwear and jogging bottoms of his own so Rita would be able to make herself at least half decent.
He waited until the baby had finished feeding and they were both dressed before getting Rita settled in his bed, their daughter sleeping beside her and Dervla laid protectively on the floor by the side of the bed where the baby lay, she looked up at Dylan and barked quietly letting her master know that she'd make sure the baby and her mother were safe.
He made his way out of the bedroom, intending on taking them back to Holby when he saw Rita's damp trousers on his kitchen floor along with some of his towels, and the morning's events suddenly hit him, he had a baby, he was a father, a daddy. He was struggling to process everything so he pulled out his phone and rang the one person he knew would help.
"Dylan, is everything okay?" Zoe asked as she picked up the phone, she knew Dylan and Rita were going away for the weekend so they could sort out their differences in private.
"I've got a baby Zoe" she could hear the shock in his voice, "Rita, in the kitchen, Dervla came to get me."
"Rita's had the baby?"
"She's so beautiful Zoe, she's tiny and perfect, I just had to tell someone."
"Is everything okay? Where are you?"
"We're still on the boat, we're coming back to Holby. I've got a baby Zoe, I've got a daughter."
"Congratulations. Does she have a name?"
"No, I don't know, I haven't spoken to Rita…"
"What do you mean you haven't spoken to her, Dylan you've got a baby with her, you need to…"
"No, Zoe, no." He interrupted, "the baby was breech, Rita was exhausted, I checked them both over, she fed the baby and then I helped her to bed so she can get some rest, they're both asleep. I'm not… she's perfect, I'm not going to let her down if I can help it."
Zoe smiled, "congratulations Daddy."
"Daddy" Dylan whispered, "I'm a Daddy."