Birth

Will didn't stop. He ran and ran, like that stupid carpet would never end. When he finally reached Kate, he surveyed the scene only briefly. Two thrones, side by side. He was meant to be sitting on one, next to Kate. Kate. She was crouched on the floor by her throne. Her dress was crumpled, she was crumpled. Will crouched next to her. He ignored the yells of the crowds, Harry rushing through the throng of anxious clerics. Will didn't care about the cameras any more. "Give her space!" he bellowed. The clerics scuttled off, leaving Harry standing there. "What do I do, Harry?" he whimpered.

Harry just raised an eyebrow and said, "You know what to do. Think of mama."

Will stared at him. "Oh."

Then he put tender arms around the screaming Kate. He kissed her head. "What happened?"

"My...waters...broke," she gasped.

Will froze. No. No. This wasn't meant to happen! She was meant to have Diana in a couple of days, a new-reign baby! No! This was...what did it mean?

"OK. They'll be getting somebody, don't worry. Just..." he racked his brains, "Breath."

He held her closer and kissed her, again and again and again.

The ambulance bounced again and Kate juddered. "Agh!" she squealed.

Will held her hand, tighter, and jumped up.

"No."

Will looked at Harry like he was crazy. "Sit down," said Harry, "She'll be fine," more soothing.

Will sat down. "Help me."

Harry touched his arm gently.

"Dude. It's going to be OK. It'll be fine. Nothing's going wrong; you heard the paramedic. This is a normal birth. Nothing has gone wrong," he repeated.

Will smiled and nodded, shakily. "Hear that, Kate? This is natural."

But she wasn't hearing him.

Will bit another nail.

"Don't," said Harry, "Mama hated it."

Will smiled again, but he wasn't thinking of Harry, or even the hospital. His mind was on the past. The distant past.

Will pushed the train along the wooden floor. "Choo-choo!" he giggled.

Behind him, he heard a splash and a groan. "Ohhh!" He spun round to see his mother lying on the floor in a puddle of goo. "Get...daddy!" she gasped.

Will ran out of the house, yelling.

"Will. Will!" Harry was shaking his arm. "Will, I'm..." his face was grey, "There's been a complication."

Will slid off his seat. "Is...is...Kate...OK?" he asked, trying to ask the question he really wanted to ask. "Kate's OK, she's fine, it's just..."

"Harry. Henry Charles Albert David. Tell me. Is my baby Diana OK?"

Harry looked him in the eye and said, very quietly, "They're still working on it. She came out feet first. They'll try their very hardest, but there's a chance..."

Will cut him off by fainting. "...Die. Oh, Will!" Cried Harry and burst into tears.

"Look at you both!" said a very familiar voice behind them, "Pair of softies!"

Harry stopped crying abruptly. "Kate!" he said, a little too high.

"Harry. Oh, Harry, you odd, vulgar, you!"

"Is the...are you...is Diana..."

"We're both just fine, Harry. She's beautiful...Will!"

She spotted Will, finally. Then he stirred. "Huh?"

"Will?"

"Kate!" he exclaimed. He leapt to his feet faster than ever before.

He didn't need telling, either, he could sense. Everything in his world was going to be just fine.