Chapter Twelve
She knew this was going to happen.
The pain was small at the moment as she swung her legs out of bed.
She pulled off her night dress and put on her sweat pants and Cameron's t-shirt, grabbing her bag as she went through the bedroom door
She headed downstairs, not caring about how loud she was, pulled on her sneakers and started searching for the car keys
"Abi?"
She turned around and saw Joanne at the top of the stairs, a concerned expression on her face
"Is everything ok?"
Abi took a deep breath "My waters broke"
"Are you sure?"
She nodded "I'm sure"
"When?"
"I...I...I'm not sure"
"How bad are your contractions?"
"Ok for now, had a couple of small ones"
"We'll get to the hospital all the same, incase he speeds up..."
"Speeds up?" Abi's voice was higher now
"Don't worry, don't worry" She assured her "I'll just wake David to go pick Cameron up"
"Are we not waiting for them?" Her voice was quiet now
"We'll just go to the hospital. Nothing major will have happened in the time that Cameron's not there. The time will fly by"
...
A knock sounded on Kyle's bedroom door.
He looked at the clock two AM? Who could that be at this hour?
He climbed out of bed, rubbing his eyes and putting on his slippers
The light almost blinded him "What?"
"Your son's step father is here"
"David?" He frowned "Whats he doing here?"
"He says Abi's been taken to the hospital?" There was question in her tone as she didn't know who Abi was
"Oh my God" He said "Right, I'll just go wake him up"
Kyle rushed through to Cameron's room
"Cam" He said, shaking hin "You need to wake up"
Cameron wafted his hand in his father's face and rolled over
"Cameron, Abi's in labor"
Cameron sat up "What?"
"Abi's gone into labor" He said "The baby's coming"
"How'd you know?"
"David's here to take you to the hospital"
Cameron's head started spinning "She's in labor?"
Kyle nodded "Yes she is"
Cameron let it sink in for a moment, staring at himself in the mirror across the room. The time had come, whether him and Abi were ready or not
He got out of bed and pulled on his jeans
"You'll call as soon as he or she's born?" Kyle said
"Yeah, I will" He pulled off his t-shirt and pulled on another, then started throwing things in his bag, revealing his nerves
"Cameron" His father said "Calm down"
"How can I calm down?" He said "Abi's in labor with out me, she needs me there"
"Nothing big will have happened yet" Kyle said "You have plenty of time"
Cameron zipped his bag up "I'm not taking any chances" He threw it over his shoulder and went through the door
"You ready?" David said
"As I'll ever be" Cameron replied, then turned Kyle "I'll let you know whats going on"
He nodded "I'll be waiting"
...
Cameron stared out the window of the car, mind in overdrive...a father in twenty four hours time...no way was he ready...he said the last part out loud
"Hmm?" David said, as he hadn't quite heard him
"I'm not ready" He repeated
"Everyone thinks that. You'll be fine don't worry"
"I won't"
"And what makes you think that?"
"I just know I won't be"
"Cameron, you'll be fine, look how you are with Ella, you have the patience of a saint" He started rolling a list off "She comes to you whenever she's sad, you make her laugh..."
"Ok, you made your point" He sighed "But this is my baby, not my sister..."
"I know that, but how you are with Ella, shows how you will be with you're own child. Trust me, you'll be fine"
"What if...what if he's ill...?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, like he's going to die"
"The hospital will do everything they can to save him"
Cameron saw the lights of the hospital up ahead, he could almost here Abi asking where he was
"Almost there" He assured him "Only a few moments"
...
"Can I eat?" Abi asked the nurse
"No, sorry sweetheart" She replied "But as soon as your baby's here you can have whatever you want"
Joanne smiled at Abi as the nurse left "You can have two of whatever you want you'll desver it"
Abi smiled too "Thanks" But then screwed her face up and squeezed Joanne's hand as she got a contraction
"Breathe in...breathe out..." Joanne instructed
Abi's head fell against the pillow "Where is he Aunt Jo?"
"I can go call them if you want?"
"Do you mind?" She said
"I'll be just outside on the phone then" She walked out the room...then walked straight back in
"They're just coming now"
Abi nodded "Ok"
Cameron's eyes were fixed on the machine around her bump "What are they?"
"Just measuring the baby's heartbeat" Joanne assured him
He sat on the bed beside Abi and kissed her softly "I'm sorry I wasn't there"
"Don't be" She said "You're here now, which is all that matters"
...
5 hours later...
"I don't know how much more of this I take Cam" Abi said, taking deep breaths
He put his arm around her and let her wriggle up to him "I don't think it'll be that much longer"
"I'm only dialeted 2!" She said, getting another bad contraction "These are killing me"
"I know, I know" He kissed her head "I'm sorry"
"Don't be, it'll be worth it when he's here"
Time dragged on and on, and when Abi had been in labor for another ten hours...
"Ten centimeters" The doctor smiled
"Are...are...are you sure?" Abi asked
She nodded "We're all ready"
"Not sure if I am" Abi said, her nerves peaking
"Last moment jitters, don't panic, everything's going to be fine"
"But what if he isn't?" She started to cry
"He will be" Cameron wiped her eyes and kissed her head
"We'd have most likely would have detected it in your check ups" The doctor said
...
Abi looked up at Cameron while they waited for the doctor to come back
"Are we ready for this?"
Cameron shrugged "Have to wait and see"
"I'm gonna suck at this..."
"No you won't"
"Ok..." The doctor said, coming back in the room "...lets deliver your baby"
Abi gripped Cameron's hand, not in pain, but out of fear
"Its ok" He whispered "It'll be over soon"
"I need you to push now" The doctor said "On three. One...two...three!"
Abi pushed, gripping Cameron's harder, and yelled as she pushed her hardest
"Alright, thats good, just one more"
Abi did as she said and pushed again, though she struggled slightly now as she'd used her energy on the last push
Crying filled room...from both the baby and Abi