Hello everyone,
here we go. The second to last chapter before the epilogue.
I am planning on writing an extra chapter about the Noahs. Like that they see Allen on a later trip to Japan and what happens to him and his family after that. It's not fully planned out yet... Might also become longer, but there have to be enough people who want it. 5 reviews at least ^^'
Thank you for the reviews.
Disclaimer: I am waiting for any new chapters just as much as you are. By the way does anyone know when the next one (224) is coming out?
But somehow I seem to manage to slip into sleep. Because the next I know is shooting up in the middle of the night as a searing pain, very different from all the others before shoots through me. I muffle a surprised scream. When it ebbs away I am left sitting there in the bed, panting and sweating. Kanda is still sleeping next to me, or at least pretending to be asleep. I am not sure. Anyway he must be really beat to not jump up next to me at that. Rubbing my belly I try to calm my breathing down. Only to roll myself together when another hot pain shoots through me.
And suddenly I realise what's happening. Shit! This are contractions. The baby is coming. Now. Hurriedly I try to focus and simply breathe through the pain. Does that mean that all the pains I had throughout the afternoon and night were already contractions as well? Damn it, how stupid have I been? Kanda told me to call if I feel anything at all. Idiotic Allen! But now is not the time for that. We have to go to the hospital immediately unless I want to give birth in Kanda's apartment. Urgently I lean over to the raven and shake his shoulder.
"Kanda! Kanda, wake up. Please," my voice is shaking.
He turns to me, eyes half-open, "What is it, moyashi?"
But he sits up when he sees my pained and frightened face. I can still see the exhaustion in his, but we have more important matters right now. So I only hide in his arms and grip his shirt hard.
"It's time, Kanda. I am so afraid," I whimper.
"Time? What – " his sleep-muddled brain takes a minute to progress what I said, then his eyes widen, "The baby is coming? You are having contractions."
I can only nod and groan when another approaches. I feel his grip on me tighten. He carefully picks me up and stands from the bed.
"Shit, moyashi. How long have you been feeling them?"
"I don't know for sure. Some time. But I thought they were nothing but backaches," I shake my head into his shoulder.
He groans but doesn't comment. Instead he puts me down on my feet and hands me some clothes, while hurriedly grabbing a shirt and trousers for himself. A look to the clock tells him that it is after half past one in the morning. He takes my face in his hands and looks in my eyes.
"Calm down. Everything will be fine, I promise. Put those on. I will get your bag and the car. Wait up here for me, okay? We only need ten minutes to the hospital."
All I can do is nod and be thankful that he isn't panicking as well. Thank god for his stoic character in this moment. I see him hastily throwing on the shirt, covering his scars, and pulling on the trousers and socks. Then he gives me a short kiss as reassurance and leaves the room. A fright fills me and I cry out at the next contraction, pressing both hands to my hard bulge. But after that passes I remember Kanda's words and change as fast as I can from sleeping clothes to the ones he handed me. I hear him leave the apartment and slowly step out into the hallway.
It doesn't take long until he comes back through the door. I am still leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom to keep on standing up. He walks over to me and holds out a hand, which I gladly take. Carefully leading me over to the door, he only stops when I cry out softly when the next contraction runs through me. I breathe hard, while I cling to Kanda. This time I feel something snap inside of me and immediately afterwards I feel liquid soaking my trousers. My eyes widen in fright and meet Kanda's.
"Moyashi?" he says warningly.
"Sorry," I grind out, "I guess my water just broke."
He only groans and hoists me up, to carry me down the stairs, "It doesn't matter. We can't change it anymore. It only means we have to hurry all the more on the way to the hospital."
All I do is cower in his arms, softly shaking while he murmurs soothing words. I hardly notice how he places me on the passenger seat of his car and tucks the belt around me. I scream at the next pain without the strengthening feeling of contact with Kanda. He hurries to the other side of the car and rips the door open. After getting in and a last comforting rub of my back, he starts the engine and heads off towards the hospital.
He drives like the devil and later I am only glad that we don't encounter any police on the way. He stops close to the emergency entrance at the back of the building. I scream as the next contraction, sooner than the rest, rips through me. Kanda hurriedly exits the car and lifts me out of it. I pant and grip his shirt, trying to stop my tears. It just hurts so much.
"It will be okay, moyashi. But you should have told me earlier. The contractions are way too close for my liking right now," he murmurs in my ear and gives me a kiss on the forehead.
I can only offer a pained smile and cuddle deeper into his chest. He leaves the car after locking it and hurriedly walks over to the reception desk. The nurse behind it stands up immediately.
"He's in labour. His name is Allen Walker. Dr. River knows who he is," Kanda hastily informs her.
She nods and asks for River and some nurse to come into the room Nr.5047 over the intercom. Then she turns to Kanda.
"Take him to the room. Down this corridor to the left, second right and then the fourth door on the left. You should hurry. Dr. River and nurse Seman should be there shortly. Change him into a hospital gown if he allows it. Do you need a wheelchair?"
"No, I can carry him," he says and immediately turns when I scream again.
His steps are fast and I think to detect a small nervousness in them as well. Arriving at the room, he checks the number and pushes the door open. Inside is one of those classic operation tables and two chairs. As carefully as he can, Kanda sets me down on the hard surface. He wants to let go, but I cling onto him.
"Please don't go away from me now. Please, I need your help," I nearly sob.
"I won't, moyashi," he murmurs in my ear, "But you need to change, remember? I am getting the gown. I will be back in a second."
I nod, but scream again. He cringes for a moment and gives me a kiss on the head, then walks over to the other side of the room to grab one of those awful hospital gowns. I twitch when he grabs at my shirt.
"Calm down. I have already seen you naked. Plus this has different reasons," he says and rubs my back soothingly.
I force myself to relax to the best of my abilities and allow Kanda to pull my shirt off and the hospital gown over my head. He takes my socks and pants off. Nonetheless I stiffen again when he reaches for my underwear. Rubbing my knee, he assures me that it will be fine. But before he can proceed I feel the next contraction approach and cry out. He embraces me and sends me a very worried look.
"That was fucking less than five minutes. Moyashi, really how bloody long did you have these pains before you told me?" he grumbles.
I can only groan and hide my face in his shirt, "Long… I am sorry. I think the first cramps started around two o'clock in the afternoon."
He pulls me closer for a moment and I can feel his worry in his tense muscles, "God moyashi. You could have just called me. If we ever have another child, don't do that again, is that clear?"
I nod and let some tears fall into the black material. Then he lets me go again and goes to the end of the table. He looks up at me questioningly and I nod, so he pulls my last article of clothing off. I see his eyes widen a fraction and he stiffens.
"I am no doctor, moyashi. But from what I can tell you are already pretty wide open," the concern is obvious in his eyes.
"Can you stop scolding me and come here?" I ask weakly.
"Sure," he says and sits himself on the chair at my head. I grip his hand and squeeze it hard when the next contraction rolls over me. Right when I am finished the door opens and River hurriedly steps through.
"Mr. Walker, so it is time. I wondered when I would see you two the next time. And Kanda, do you want to revise your statement about your relationship with the young boy?" He smiles softly at our joined hands.
"Stop joking and do something," I growl, panting.
"Ah yes. Give me a moment," he walks to the end of the bed and carefully spreads my legs.
I don't even have the strength to protest and simply let him check me. I see how his brow furrows and he casts both of us a critical look.
"You are already nearly eight centimetres dilated. That usually needs hours of labour. How long ago did your cramps start? You should have come to the hospital way earlier. Kanda you really should have paid more attention."
"It's my fault. He couldn't be home throughout the day and I didn't take the cramps as contractions," I ground out through the pain.
River still looks displeased but nods, "Kanda, I need you to help Allen to the maternity ward as fast as possible. Carry him if needed. Go down this corridor further and through the big glass doors. The birthing rooms are on the right side, the fifth should be free. Put him on the bed there and keep him in this position. I will send you nurse Seman and a midwife soon. Allen, you will make it through. Everything will be fine. Just focus on giving birth for now."
I nod and scream at the next contractions. Even I have counted this time, two and a half minutes. Fuck, I am really getting close. Kanda bends down and lifts me up. Instinctively I want to wriggle free and spread my legs, but he keeps them closed.
"You can lay down soon, moyashi. Just relax for now. I will hurry."
"Thanks for everything, Kanda. I – " I start while clutching his shirt.
"Don't say anything. You will both be fine. The pain will be over soon. And I will stay with you the whole time if you want," he calms me, giving me a short kiss on the head.
Meanwhile we have arrived at the room. Kanda unceremoniously kicks the door open and closed behind us. He lays me down on the bed. This is soft enough to be comfortable but not so much that I would sink in. He props me against the back, so I am half-sitting. Moving down, he carefully grips my ankles and spreads my legs as wide as I allow him.
"Stay like that," he orders me softly and returns to my head, taking my hand in his.
I scream again, especially when I feel the baby's weight shift further down in my stomach, "Aaah. Something is changing. Kanda, do something."
"I can't, moyashi. You are the one who bloody has to do this. But you are going to fucking manage just fine," he whispers but I can hear how tense and worried he is.
I cuddle my face into his shoulder, "I am so scared, Kanda. What if something goes wrong? What if something happens to the baby? Or me? I don't want to lose any of you. Please, do something to help me."
He embraces me tightly and presses his lips to the top of my head, "Everything will be alright, Allen. Nothing is going to fucking happen. Both of you are going to be fine and tomorrow we are going to leave the hospital with a healthy baby boy. I believe in you. You can do this. Just bloody focus on bringing him into the world now. I will stay with you the whole time."
I only cry into his shoulder as more pains wreck my body. Then the door opens and a man and a woman enter. The elderly woman has a soft face and a long braid of greying hair, her dark brown eyes are shining gently. The man is about River's age with a smiling face, dark eyes and short, blond hair. The woman is carrying a bowl full of water and some towels. The man steps next to me.
"Hello Mr. Walker. Can I call you Allen? My name is James Knight. I am a midwife for male carriers. I will help you today if that is okay with you," he says in a gentle voice.
I lift my head a bit from Kanda's chest, "Allen is fine. And please just get him out of me," I groan.
I scream at the next contraction. James hurriedly pulls me upright and spreads my legs again. Kanda follows my movements and comes to sit next to me on the bed, still keeping his arms around me and my hand in his. The woman, who I guess is nurse Seman, puts the items that might be needed down on a small table across from my bed. Meanwhile James inspects me. If I could think straight I would find it humiliating. But like that I just keep still until he looks up and at the same time another contraction grips me.
"Okay, this was only about one minute between the contractions. You are also nearly fully dilated. That means you can start pushing soon. Mr. Kanda, right? The best would be if you could sit on the bed behind him and support him from there, so he has something to lean against. Or do you want him to leave, Allen?"
"No, please, I need him," I sob, clutching Kanda's hand as he moves to do as told.
I breathe in relief when I feel Kanda's chest against my back, his warmth and scent giving me strength and security. He believes in me and is here with me. We will get through this and after that we are going to be a complete family. I just have to pull through this. James and nurse Seman pull my legs apart and I scream at the new pain gripping my abdomen. I can feel how my child has settled at the bottom of my stomach. It looks kind of weird, but I don't notice. Kanda's free hand is rubbing circles on my back and I try my best to focus on his touches instead of the pain.
Suddenly the pain changes and I feel the need to get the child out. To push him out. I scream, clutching Kanda's hand until he winces.
"I need to push," I yell.
"No, wait a bit longer," James says, "If you start now, you will tear yourself. Just breathe through the pains for now."
"It fucking hurts, you idiot!" I shout at the 'midwife', "Fucking let me push."
"Just a bit longer," he says soothingly.
But I only scream. Kanda pulls me against him. He rubs sweat from my forehead and murmurs to me. I try to breathe in deeply and press into his warmth. Tears are running down my cheeks, but I don't care. It hurts so much. Five pains later finally the relieving (I hope) call from James.
"Okay, it's time, Allen. On the next contraction I need you to push, understood? Your little one is finally ready to make his entrance into this world," he looks at me sternly and settles between my legs.
"You can bloody do that, moyashi. Just focus," Kanda murmurs into my ear.
"I know that, you jerk!" I yell and with a loud scream bear down for the first time.
When the contraction is over I am breathing heavily but can't feel anything different.
"That was good, Allen. Just keep going like that. It might take a while. The first child is always difficult, especially for male carriers," James tells me.
That's it for today. Thanks for reading.
Second half of the birth next time. Then the epilogue and after that the extra chapter if I get enough votes for it.
Please review and see you at the next chapter.