SecondarySamuel's personal note: I'll admit. This is my first time writing for a hospital setting, so I apologize if my writing does not match up with proper hospital protocol.
The day had come. For just under nine long months Mallow had used her womb to support nine lives, and now it was time to bring those nine lives into the world. It was noon right now, and emotions were swirling in Mallow's head as the doctor examined her.
"Will the babies be okay? Will I be okay? How will we get through this?"
Ash gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, and Mallow couldn't help but relax. Ash's smile did soothe her and for that, she would be grateful.
"Right then…," said the doctor. "I was hoping we could wait a few more days, but I've decided that for the sake of the babies' and your health we should deliver them today."
"What time will they be delivered?" Ash asked.
"2:00 PM."
Both nodded. "I'm just going to step outside to talk to everyone, okay?"
And so, Mallow watched as Ash got up and left the room. She couldn't help but smile. She wasn't sure why… but her heart was telling her Ash was going to be a GREAT father. She traced circles on her massive belly, even as it jiggled, ripples of motion coursing across it.
"Your father might not have been thinking with his head when you were conceived…*" Mallow thought, "*but I know he will love you all to the moon and back. I just know it."
After a few minutes passed Ash re-entered the room. Mallow spoke for the first time in several hours. "Ash… I'm still in a little disbelief that in a few hours, we will have nine babies."
"Yeah, and we'll probably pack this hospital even more than it already is. You wouldn't believe just how packed the reception was…" And then Ash told her. If Mallow heard things right, the reception room hosted all their Alolan friends, alongside Delia, Professor Oak, Gary and all of Ash's previous travelling partners.
"Ugh… but I won't get to eat until two hours after the surgery," Mallow complained.
"If it helps, I won't eat until you can eat."
At that Mallow shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no. It's alright. Go ahead and eat."
"Okay then."
"And Ash, one last thing?"
"Yes, Mallow?"
"I'd like you to be in the delivery room with me. No curtain peeking and no fainting, or else."
"Heh. Understood."
Silence permeated the air as Mallow was wheeled into the operating theatre. Even as the greenette was helped onto the operating table by the doctors, she couldn't help but feel nervous. Around thirty or so doctors and a few Chansey were in the room.
"What if something goes wrong? What if the doctors cut something they shouldn't? What if-"
Just like before, Mallow's worry was cut off when Ash gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. That helped her relax.
The head doctor turned to her. "Well then, Mallow. I'm sure you may have heard of me. I'm Dr. B and I will be leading the surgery. I'm sure you may be nervous, but that's to be expected. Don't you worry. The team and I have been practicing this surgery for three months now. You're in the best hands possible."
After a bit more discussion, the final preparations for the surgery were made. Dr. B took out a needle. "Alright Mallow, we're going to connect you to an IV so you can receive medications, okay?" Mallow nodded. She felt a sting as the needle pierced her flesh, but it was over very quickly as the doctors withdrew it and connected the IV line before securing it with tape.
After that, the curtain over Mallow's belly was placed and the doctors rubbed iodine solution over her belly. Then the doctor took out one more needle. "This line will provide a drug that will numb your lower body so you won't feel anything."
One more sting later, the anesthetic line was in place. A few minutes later, everything was set. "Alright Mallow, it's time." the doctor proclaimed. "Time to bring your nine babies into the world!" He motioned to the chief surgeon. "You may begin."
And with that cue, the chief surgeon lowered his scalpel to Mallow's massive abdomen and began to cut. It was a good thing the curtain was there, or else Ash and Mallow probably would have fainted from the sight of Mallow's innards.
Once Mallow's skin had been opened the surgeon loaded a retractor device in to hold it open. This done, the chief surgeon took a breath to steady himself before carefully opening the wall of Mallow's uterus. What greeted him was utter chaos - a jumble of limbs and bodies, with umbilical cords snaking through the mess like wires in a server room.
After some consideration, the surgeon reached in and began carefully freeing the first baby from their brothers and sisters before gently extracting them. Once the baby was out Dr. B checked their genitals before turning to the parents and smiling.
"Congratulations you two, the first baby is a healthy boy."
At this, the two smiled and looked at each other, misty-eyed. They shared a kiss.
The baby boy felt oxygen hit his lungs, and instinctively he began to cry. The surgeon motioned for two clips, which he used to clamp the boy's umbilical cord before he was passed a pair of scissors to sever said cord. Once the cord was severed, the boy was taken away to be cleaned and weighed.
Time ticked by. The doctors repeated this process eight more times, reaching in and extracting each baby, stating their gender in the process. By the time the last baby was out half an hour had passed and all nine babies, five girls and four boys, had come out big and healthy.
Only two more steps remained. The surgeon reached in and carefully began detaching the nonuplets' placenta from its attachments to Mallow's womb. Then he lifted the whole structure out, a huge bloody jellyfish with vessels snaking across its bell and nine tentacles hanging down. The placenta was placed down on a nearby table that had been prepared for it.
And then came the final task: sewing Mallow back up. That took several more minutes as the doctors had to be careful. But eventually, all of the stitches were in place and the doctors placed several dressings on Mallow's incision.
"There. All done."
"How do you feel now that the babies are on the outside?" Ash asked.
"I feel… a bit weird," Mallow replied. "I hope they'll be okay."
A few minutes passed before a nurse entered with a clipboard and a pen, which she handed to Mallow. "At the moment, your nine are doing good. They just need a little bit of oxygen, and in a few days, all should be good. Anyways, I need you to fill out the birth certificates with their names."
"Oh, right…," said Mallow. She turned to Ash. "...What should we name them?" Somehow, the question of what the babies' names would be had not come up during Mallow's pregnancy. But now they couldn't delay the question any longer.
Deciding on the babies' names took a few minutes. Somehow, Mallow was able to smooth-talk Ash into giving all of the babies names that started with the letter "M". They bickered, agreed, bickered some more, and eventually, they were able to agree on the names. The babies' names were, in birth order, Matthew, Madison, Mallow Jr., Mia, Madeleine, Max, Michael, Milo, and Mateo.
And with that, a new chapter in the lives of both Ash and Mallow was unfolding…