Ten days came and went. Ten turned to twelve and eventually seventeen. Normally, labour would be induced, but no medicine had its drawbacks. River awoke in the night to braxton-Hicks contractions and a bad back ache. She was sick of them. Every time she thought they were real. She would be so excited and tell the Doctor. But by the time he would be finished with flailing his arms in panic and run back to whatever room she was in, she realized that they weren't real. She hated the false hope. She just wanted the baby out already.
She sighed getting out of bed as quietly as she could without waking up her husband. As the day their child was born grew ever so closer, the Doctor became more worried. The Silence clearly already knew about her pregnancy, but who else? The Daleks? The Cybermen? The Shadow proclamation? His head often grew heavy with the fear that anything would happen to his family that he tried so hard to protect. He had nightmares every time he closed his eyes. This was one of the first nights that he hadn't tossed and turned.
River stood and moaned softly in discomfort. Pacing back and forth she knew that these were not real. She would not be tricked again by these damn false pains. She tried to think of a way to relieve the pain. Walking did nothing, so she leaned over her dresser. Nothing. She sat on the couch. That just made it worse. "Jesus, Baby. Are you planning on keeping me up the whole bloody night?" Giving up, River walked into a bathroom. It was one of the large ones with a stainless steel bathtub big enough for five. The TARDIS hummed. "That really wasn't necessary." River told the TARDIS. "But thank you, I suppose."
The water was already filled when she walked in and at the perfect temperature. River stripped off her nightie leaving on her sports bra. She stepped into the warm water and smiled at the relief it gave her. She let the water seep into her sore muscles and relax her. The pain in her back was nearly gone. She leaned over the side of the tub, resting her head on its cool sides. She looked around the room. She had never been in this one before. There was a shelf of towels next to the shower on the far wall. On the other side of the room, there was a large closet full of ... medical supplies? Now why would the TARDIS but that in here?
The TARDIS hummed an answer that made River's eyes grow wide.
She turned her attention back to the pain in her torso. The braxton-Hicks that she had felt before were now stronger and at constant seven minute intervals.
She was in labor.
River breathed feeling a wave of panic. "Okay. Okay" She said to herself. Everything was fine. They had supplies and nothing was wrong. Except maybe the fact that the Doctor was still asleep. She was about to get up and wake him, when the TARDIS made and angry noise in protest. She should stay put. River rolled her eyes because that left her with one choice. "Doctor!" She bellowed. The sound of her voice echoed through the TARDIS. She waited a few moments but heard nothing. "DOCTOR!" She tried again, this time hearing the startled noised and panicked squeaks that the Doctor made when not seeing River by his side. She knew that waking up to find her gone would give him heart attacks, but it was what had to be done.
He rushed towards the bathroom in a night shirt and his boxers, sonic in hand. His face was a white as a sheet and there were tears in his eyes. His heart were pounding hard and his chest was moving up and down rapidly. She knew he would be upset and even scared, but she never thought this scared. His he ran into the bathroom and knees buckled. He was kneeling in front of the bathtub, a tear running down his face. "I-I" he began in a shaky whisper, his hands reaching out for her. "I thought..." But he couldn't finish.
River cupped his face in her hands and pulled her face towards his. She kissed him again and again, feeling terrible about the fear she had caused him. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I'm right here, Doctor. I'm right here." She stroked the tears away from his face and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their foreheads were pressed together as his breathing steadied.
"You're okay." He told himself. "She's okay." He opened his eyes to look her in the face "Don't ever do that to me again." Her kissed her forehead. "Ever."
"I won't." River smiled. "I promise."
They sat there, the Doctor catching his breath. A few moments passed before he spoke again. "You woke me up, River...?"
"Yes"
"You screamed my name, that wasn't part of my dream"
"Yes"
"Why?"
"The baby's coming."
"What?!" He jumped up. The color left his face again. He stepped left. Then right. He couldn't decide what to do so he sat himself down in front of River once more. "You're in labor."
"Yes"
"Like, contractions, pain, panting." He then demonstrated by puffing his cheeks out a few times. He looked absolutely ridiculous.
"Yes" River chuckled.
"Our baby. Like actually coming into this world. Right now?"
"Yes" Her voice was like a whisper and a hand held his face. He seemed calmer now that he had actually realized and accepted what was going on. He got up and moved his legs to help him think straight.
"Do we need to get Martha? Or to the med bay? You can't have the baby in the water, can you? What if something goes wrong?" His voice was not panicked, but very serious. He needed to figure out what to do.
River just smiled at her idiot of a husband. "Doctor the water is a fine if not better place to give birth than a hospital bed. And look around." He saw that the TARDIS had already stalked the room with anything needed.
"Oh" He said quietly.
"See? We don't need Martha. Everything is perfectly fine. We just nee-" River stopped mid sentence and groaned. She gripped the sides of the tub and shut her eyes tightly. She had been having contractions though her conversation with him, but had hardly noticed them. She was too busy calming him and telling him things were okay. Now that the spotlight was on her, all her attention was back on the pain radiating from her middle. The contractions now would come out of nowhere with little to no warning. She whimpered and took a few deep breaths before she relaxed again.
The Doctor was at her side rubbing her arm. She looked up at him as the pain ebbed. His eyes were wide and his face in shock. He had hardly ever if not ever seen River in pain. Or at least pain that she showed. "What do I have to do?" His brain kicked into overdrive. Anything that made his beloved wife whimper in pain was something that had to be taken very seriously, even if it did involve having to deliver their baby.
"You need to get some supplies." She pointed a finger to the shelf. "Scissors, clamps, bulb suction, and a load of towels." She had clearly done her homework.
The Doctor ran over and started to grab the listed items then paused. "River, what the heck is a bulb suction?"
"It's looks kind of like a turkey baster with a short nozzle and it's blue."
The Doctor easily found the items and rushed back to her side. "Okay now what. Do you push? Do I catch her?"
"Oh you really are a complete idiot." But she had expected that much from him. "You have to check how dilated my cervix is. I can't push until I'm at 10 centimeters."
"I what?"
"My cervix, dear." She said through gritted teeth as her abdominal muscles tightened again.
"I have to..." He gulped. "B-but..."
"Doctor, there's nothing there you haven't felt before" Rivers voice was stern. Now was not the time to argue with her. He took a calming breath and plunged his hand into the water. His face was a bit awkward and squeamish as he felt around. Eventually his hand emerged and he wiped it on a towel. "This much" He announced holding his thumb and forefinger away from each other.
River groaned. "That's only seven centimeters" She rested her head back down on the side of the tub and focused on her breathing.
"It's better than nothing" He smiled at her. She looked so peaceful. Her features were calm and her eyes closed. One arm was tucked under her head as a makeshift pillow and the other hanging loosely over the side of the tub. The Doctor leaned forward to kiss her, then stroke her hair. That was one of his favorite parts about her. It was like a halo around her head that cascaded down her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her beautiful golden curls and brushed them away from her face. Her face so beautiful. She opened her emerald eyes to look at him.
"Hey" She said. It was close to a whisper, but full of excitement.
"Hey yourself." He beamed at her. She was so brave going through all of this. She had had many worries about being a mother because of her past with Kovarian. She was afraid the she couldn't protect their daughter and she was afraid of the kind of mother she would be. But she had made it this far and she seemed ready. He knew she could do this.
"You've got that face on" She said
"What face?"
"You're thinking face. The face you have when you get lost in your thoughts. It's usually about something that's worrying you." She said, concerned.
"Nothing's worrying me. I promise you." He bopped her on the nose "I was just thinking about what a wonderful mother you're going to be." He leaned in to kiss her but instead of the playful quiet moan she often made when he did, he heard a rather uncomfortable groan that sounded like she was in pain. He pulled away a bit surprised, but not that much, to see her face etched in pain. He reached for her hand which was clawing at the metal tub. Immediately he felt like his hand would break, but he didn't care. "Breath, River."
She glared at him ready to bite his head off, but exhaled as the pain passed. "I hate this." She said. "I don't think I can do it." She searched the Doctor's face for any reassurance.
"Of course you can do it" He stroked her cheek. "You're already doing it, River, and you're at the home stretch. It's almost over."
"How do you know that? I haven't even begun to push. How do I even know when to push?"
The Doctor put a finger to his lips. "Timelord stamina. You're stronger than a human mother. Pushing will go faster." He didn't mention that it was still going to be painful, if not agony. "And listen to your body. Your body will always know what to do." He said with confidence.
River gave a silent nod. The contractions were closer together now, she had only a few moments before the next one. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her baby. She could feel it's head, like a soccer ball pressing down on her cervix. The pressure was immense and grew until it was almost unbearable. River was groaning with out realizing it an let out a sudden gasp of pain. "I need to push." She said out loud in realization that she had been trying not to.
The Doctor moved more in front of her, his hearts beating harder than they should be. He knew he shouldn't be that nervous, not even being the one giving birth but he couldn't help it.
Without even thinking twice about it, River bore down as hard as she could. She grabbed on to the sides of the tub as she did so. She cried out as she felt her birth canal stretch far past it's limits to accommodate the large head forcing though it. "Uunghh!" After a few more pushes, the Doctor could see the skin of River's opening start to bulge out as the head slowly emerged. River could feel her self stretch and it burned. Her knuckles were white from holding on to the tub so tight.
"What should I do?" The Doctor said, realizing that he didn't know if he should help or not.
"Y-you need to help the head out!" She said hoarsely through clenched teeth.
The Doctor, face panicked, plunged his hand into the water and used his fingers to spread apart the skin and support the baby's head as is came out.
"Aaghh!" River pushed again, forcing the head all the way out. Her insides burned and every muscled in her body cried out in agony. She stopped to catch her breath, leaning to rest her sweaty forehead on the Doctors shoulder. Her chest heaved up and down fast and sweat glistened on her forehead. "You need..." She breathed "To check... if the c-cord is wrapped around h-her neck." She gasped out, exhaustion dripping in her voice.
He did as he was told, feeling around the infant's neck. There was something there. Something sort of squishy, but rope like. "There's something there. I-I think it's the cord." He announced.
River's hearts dropped. She had to think fast. "What color is she?" She asked urgently, forgetting about anything that didn't have to do with helping their child.
"What?" The Doctor said a little taken back. He glanced into the water deciding not to question it. He could see his daughters head sitting right in between River's legs. She was facing upward, unusual, but it allowed him a first glance at her face. "Reddish-pink". He looked up at River. "I can see her face, River. She's so beautiful." He smiled.
She had been so relieved to her that she wasn't blue or purple that she didn't really hear the part about her face. "It's not choking her. You need to get the cord away from her neck, Unwrap it, but carefully."
He nodded silently as she wrapped her arms around his neck for support and winced again. He had to put his attention on their baby. He slowly unwrapped the cord from the baby's neck. As soon as he did, River grunted and he could see as well as feel their baby turn sideways. "What's happening?" He said concerned.
"It's t-turning so the shoulder c-can pass." She said in obvious discomfort. She groaned again and bore down, arching her back and letting out a scream. "Aargh!" One shoulder slipped out, then the other. She stopped to catch her breath again. Her face was red red with effort. "God." She breathed. "I can't do this any more. It hurts too much. " She said shaking her head.
"Yes you can, River. You can do this." He took one of her hands and lead it down to where he was supporting their baby. River gasped as she felt the tiny body. "That's our daughter." He smiled at her. That was all the motivation she needed. Bringing both of her hands down, she gave out a final cry of pain as she pushed again. "Ungh!" She felt her baby slip out of her. Both pairs of hands bringing their child the surface of the water.
Still gasping and panting, River held her daughter in her arms and looked upon her face for the first time. The Doctors eyes were watery. He kissed his wife, and then his wonderful child. "You did it." He let out a laugh. "We have a daughter!"
"We have a daughter." She repeated. She was smiling from ear to ear, equally as happy as the Doctor was. "Hi" She stroked the wriggling infants cheek. "Hello there. It's so nice to finally meet you." She was exhausted, but despite wanting to close her eyes, all she could do was stare at the beautiful baby in her arms. "Welcome to the TARDIS"