'George, can you please ring my mum and Uncle Cal, its urgent' she called over.
'Sure sweetheart, what's the matter?' George asked her. She whimpered in pain. 'Darling?' he spoke, beginning to panic.
'Just tell them to get here as soon as they can' she breathed. He took her hand in his. 'The baby is on its way' she told him as she sat down on the sofa.
He ran to grab his phone and dialled the number. He relayed the details to Cal before returning to his girlfriend's side. Jess grabbed his hand and screwed her face up. 'Keep going darling you are doing amazingly well' George whispered.
'I want my mum' Jess sobbed as the pain finally dissipated. There was a knock at the door and George ran to answer it. 'She's just through here, she's in a lot of pain but I think she's doing well' he informed them. Cal stalked in with his bag on his back and a tank of Entonox on his shoulder.
'Alright Jessica, how are we doing?' he asked as he put his things down and crouched beside her.
She looked up at him with tear filled eyes before grabbing onto him and screwing her face up tight. She let out a small scream. Her bottom lip wobbling. 'Hey darling, please don't get upset. Everything is going to be alright' He assured her. Jess began to cry.
Kate dropped onto her knees on the floor beside her brother in law. 'Don't worry baby, you are in safe hands especially with Uncle Cal here' she informed her daughter. Jess bit her lip to stop herself from crying and nodded her head gently. She tried to sit upright and Cal wrapped his arm around her to support her.
George sat beside her, pulling her head close to his chest. She rested her head there for a moment, listening to the faint thrumming of his heat beat. She inhaled his sweet scent. Her eyes filling with tears. 'I-I don't know if I can do this?' she sobbed.
George looked at Cal, his face etched with concern. 'Of course you can, you are an incredibly strong young lady' George whispered.
'Of course you are, trust me darling. You will be perfectly alright. When have you ever not been able to trust me? I won't let anything happen to you at all, I promise' Cal asked.
Jess hauled herself off of the sofa and stood upright. 'Can you help me run the bath?' she asked turning to her boyfriend. George nodded before running up the stairs. Cal slipped his arm around her waist and she draped her arm over his shoulder. He steadily walked her up the stairs. Her legs buckled and Cal swept her off of her feet into his arms.
'Easy does it darling' he whispered as he carried her into the bathroom. George took her to her room and helped her change into something more comfortable before helping her climb into the bath. She sighed with relief as the warm water lapped over her.
It wasn't long lived as the pain came back, worse. Cal grabbed the Entonox and handed her the mouth piece. 'Take a couple of deep breaths on this, it will take the edge off of the pain' he instructed. He kissed her forehead as she clasped the mouth piece tightly. She took a long drag on it before a small scream escaped her lips.
George began panicking. 'Oh my goodness you need to help her' he cried, grabbing her hand.
'George, outside now!' Cal ordered. He followed him outside and closed the door behind him. Meanwhile Kate helped her daughter out of the bath and into some clean clothes.
'Listen to me mate, she's going to be just fine. I promise. I honestly would never let anything happen to her, I would never be able to forgive myself, if anything happened' Cal told him. George nodded his head.
'I'm sorry I just can't bear to see her in so much pain' he admitted sheepishly.
'There is nothing wrong with that, it shows how much you care for her. You know I have experience with this sort of thing, after all I delivered both Charlie and Jess, single handedly so please don't worry' he assured the young man.
George nodded. 'Thank you so much, I appreciate it' he whispered.
'It's not a problem, anything for Jess and for you, you are part of this family now, whether you like it or not' he murmured clapping the young gentleman on the back.
They returned to the bedroom where Jess was snuggled in her mother's arms. Kate was reading her a small extract from the journal her father had left for her. Jess seemed absorbed in what her mother was saying and barely looked up when the guys returned. As Kate neared the end of the story, George stepped forward. Kate put the book down. 'If you father was here now, I know he would be proud, almost as proud of you as I am' he whispered sitting behind his wife and rubbing her lower back for her. He pressed his thumbs into it, causing her to moan with pleasure.
She lurched forward slightly as a contraction took hold, but George placed his hand on her rigid baby bump and stroked it lightly. Cal pulled his bag from the foot of the bed and pulled on a pair of gloves. He pulled a blanket over her. 'This might be a little bit uncomfortable darling but just keep still for a moment so I can check you over' he whispered. Jess bit her lip in anticipation as George wrapped his arms around her tightly.
Cal ducked down momentarily before resurfacing. He smiled at the couple. Before turning to Kate. He held up 5 fingers before explaining his findings to the couple. 'Jess is five centimetres so it will be a little while yet so I suggest you try and get some rest' he whispered.
George lifted her out of the bed and peeled back to covers. He nestled her in the bed before pulling the duvets over her. He wandered around to his side of the bed and climbed in beside her, wrapping an arm protectively around her. She rested her hand over his on her bump. She fidgeted for a moment before slowly drifting off to sleep in her boyfriend's arms.
Cal took Kate downstairs and made them a cup of tea, there was a knock at the door. Kate answered it, Cal could hear hushed voices in the hall. He poked his head around the door to see his wife stood in the hall. 'Connie?' He whispered.
'I dropped the kids off at school and I thought I would come and lend a hand' she explained. Cal gave her a hug before leading her into the kitchen.
'How is she doing?' Connie asked.
'She's been better but we're getting there, slowly but surely. She's at five centimetres at the moment and in quite a lot of pain. I'll keep monitoring her but for now its a waiting game' Cal informed his wife, handing over a mug of tea.
A loud scream echoed around the house, making everyone jump. Cal jumped off of the stool he was sat on and sprinted towards the source. He charged up the stairs and threw open the door. He launched himself at the bed where his niece was, huddled up, crying in agony. Kate and Connie soon followed. George was sat beside her, holding her hand tightly. 'Keep breathing darling, I'm still here, don't worry' he soothed.
Cal sat on the other side of her. He handed her the Entonox which she took gratefully before taking a long drag on it. He kissed her forehead as she cried in pain. Kate sat beside her daughter who had her hands clasped around something. She handed it to her mother, nodding her head as she did so. Kate took the book. 'R-Read the next part' Jess gasped. Kate sat on the edge of the bed, opening the book. She began to read the passage entitled 'Safety Net'.
As she finished reading Jess began to cry, George pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. 'Keep breathing my love' he whispered. Connie sat on the bed resting her hand on the young girl's arm.
'You are doing really well Jessica' she assured her. Jess hauled herself off of the bed. George snaked his arm around her waist.
'Where are you going?' He asked.
'I want to move around and I want to get some ice' Jess told him, taking his hand in hers.
George smiled at her as she led him down the stairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed the ice cube tray and filled a small cup with the ice. George took the cup from her as her attention was stolen by another contraction. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, her hands on her bump. He rubbed her back gently with his spare hand. Cal appeared in the doorway watching the pair. A smile spread on his face as he saw the young couple embracing.
'Come on you two, let's get you both upstairs' he whispered. He held a hand out for his niece who took it. He slid his arm around her back and led her back to her room. He lifted her onto the bed and helped her get comfortable. Connie and Kate helped Cal organise his equipment whilst he kept an eye on Jess.
George sat on her left hand side, holding her hand tightly and talking to her whilst Cal sat on the other, monitoring her vital signs. Jess stood up, beside the bed, so she could drink some water. A sudden contraction came, causing her to wince in pain. As the pain radiated through her body she dropped the glass onto her foot. It shattered into a million pieces and she cut her foot on a small shard of glass. 'Ow!' She cried the blood dribbling onto the floor. Cal lifted her into his arms and lay her on the bed.
'It's okay darling, don't you worry. We'll sort your foot out and it will be as right as rain in no time, just keep breathing for me and keep calm.' He whispered.
He pulled on a pair of gloves and began examining her foot. Kate sat at the foot of the bed assisting him whilst Connie sat with Jess, stopping her from being able to see what her uncle was doing. He gently pulled out the remaining bits of glass from her foot before preparing some anaesthetic so he could stitch the wound. 'Alright Jessica, this is going to be a bit uncomfortable whilst I inject this but it will make your foot go numb and then I will stitch it up' he explained. Jess had another contraction so Kate held her leg still so Cal could quickly inject the anaesthetic. She whimpered as he did so but tried to keep still.
He quickly stitched her foot up and placed a small gauze dressing over it. He removed his gloves and began sweeping up the broken glass to prevent any further injuries. 'How are you feeling Jess?' He asked as he sat down beside her.
'I've been better but I can't complain' she responded. Cal took her hand in his and stroked it with his thumb. Her whole body tensed as another contraction came and went. He squeezed her hand gently to reassure her as she winced.
He brushed her hair from her sweaty face before placing a small damp cloth over her brow. He pulled a blanket over her lap, donning a pair of gloves and ducked down to check her progress. He reappeared a second later. 'I'd say it will be less than two hours before we meet the latest addition to our family' he told the group.
'Uncle Cal, I'm scared, I don't think I can do this anymore' she cried.
Cal took her hands, and leant close to her. The smell of his aftershave hit her nostrils making her instantly relax. 'You are going to be just fine, I promise. I am not going anywhere, so stop worrying and just calm down. You are in the best possible place, you have three highly qualified, and experienced doctors, and a paramedic, all here to look after you' he assured her.
Jess whimpered as tears rolled down her cheeks. 'Baby please don't cry, your uncle Cal is right, we are all here for you. I am not going to leave you, I am staying right here with you every step of the way. You have nothing to be scared of. I won't let anything happen to you because I love you so much and I couldn't live without you' he soothed, tears springing to his eyes. He leant forward and pressed his lips to hers. She put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him close.
A few minutes later, Jess was faced with another excruciating contraction. Cal checked her over again, he resurfaced with a broad grin on his face. 'Let's meet this little baby' he whispered. Jess looked at him shell shocked. George sat in front of her.
'You can do this, I have every faith in you. You are the strongest most amazing woman I know. I am right here by your side so don't worry' he told her. Jess nodded her head weakly.
'I need you to push as hard as you can for me on your next contraction. Your mum and George will keep an eye on you, Auntie Connie and I will sort you and the baby out. Just do exactly as I say and stay nice and calm for me. You are doing a great job baby' Cal whispered.
The next contraction came and Jess pushed with all her might. After several contractions and no sign of the baby, Cal became a little concerned. 'Jess, darling Auntie Connie is going to sit next to you and press on your tummy a bit to try and help your baby, it seems that the baby doesn't want to come out at the moment. Don't worry though, everything is going to be just fine. It might be a little uncomfortable but I promise she won't hurt you' he explained. Connie sat on the bed, pressing hard on Jess' bump. She squealed in pain but tried to remain calm as Cal had told her. She continued to push, as she became more and more tired she started to worry that she wouldn't have the energy to continue, until the room was filled with the soft cries of her new born child.
'It's a little baby boy!' Cal declared lifting the tiny child onto Jess' chest.
Jess' face was streaked with tears of joy and exhaustion. 'I am so proud of you Jessica' George whispered kissing her sweaty forehead.
Everyone began to crowd around the pair to see the child. He had his mother's eyes and his father's button nose. George tickled his son's tummy and the baby grabbed his thumb, wrapping his fingers around it tightly. 'You did a brilliant job Jess, I am so proud of you! I am sure your dad is proud of you too! Despite everything you still managed it and you have a precious baby boy to prove it' Cal told her.
'Ethan' Jess stated. Everyone looked at her. Their gazes shone with a thousand unsaid words. 'His name is Ethan Caleb, after his grandad and the person who brought him here' Jess told them. A tear snaked down her cheek but she brushed it away.
Cal smiled at his niece, tears running down his own cheeks. 'Oh Jess, you are going to make a wonderful mum to little Ethan' he told her.
Jess handed the baby to her boyfriend and made herself comfortable. She paused momentarily feeling light headed. 'Jessica, are you alright?' Cal asked concernedly.
'Just a bit light headed and a small headache that's all' she whispered clutching her head.
Cal delved into his bag and pulled out some equipment. 'We'll get you some fluids to keep you hydrated, it's probably because you are dehydrated but if it continues for more than a few hours then we might have to get you checked out' Cal told her. Jess buried her head into George's chest as Cal inserted the needle. Kate was holding her grandson whilst George kept his wife comfortable. Connie was helping Cal by handing him the equipment he needed.
George carefully lowered Jess back onto the pillows and tucked the blankets around her. He kissed her forehead before leaving her to get some rest. He carried his son down the stairs and sat down on the sofa. He was completely smitten with the tiny bundle in his arms.