There he was, Ivan, standing in the doorway with a big, stupid grin plastered across his big stupid face. And like usual he was playing completely oblivious. There Maria was sitting on the couch looming over her shoulder, struck dumb and filled with horror. Eli sat next to her looking towards the door too unable to move.
The twins were screaming now, after being woken up from their nap. Antonio was attempting to calm down and quiet the two and to Maria's surprise (well would-be-surprise if she were watching) Rue was even attempting to help as she bounced Lovino up and down on her hip frantically whispering to the boy.
The uninvited intruder and the screaming babies were not the only issue either. There was something else wrong, and really wrong at that. Maria placed both hands on her stomach with a pained expression on her face; something was up with Ludwig. Eli was no longer by her side, having jumped over the back on the couch making his way towards Ivan who was still standing there grinning like an idiot.
"Did I interrupt something?" the big dumb idiot asked, there are so many people here then I am used to."
"Yeah you did so you need to leave." Eli said in a stern matter-of-fact tone motioning towards Ivan's chest with a jabbing pointer finger then to the door over his shoulder, "So you better get stepping."
Meanwhile Maria was still sitting on the couch confused, with that pained expression on her face as her finger tips moved their way all across her stomach trying to figure out what exactly was wrong. Francis was the only one not preoccupied with and intruding crazy-ass Russian man or two screaming kids; so Francis was the only one to notice her discomfort. "Are you OK?" he asked crouching next to her on one knee with his face full of concern.
"I don't know." Was all she said looking right back into his face. "I can't tell if it's gas or… ugh—" the 'ugh' cut off the word labor.
Ivan was still standing there smiling as Eli tried to get him out of the apartment. It was easy to tell that whatever was going on with them it was quickly escalating. Antonio had a squirming Lovino in his arms (Rue had traded him out for Feliciano since the older one was far more difficult to deal with—though Feliciano had started up again with his crying after being handed over to his mother).
Francis however was still focused on Maria, "Do we need to go?"
"I don't—" there she was cut off by a rush of fluid from between she legs. Maria looked at her roommate as he starred back at her switching his gaze from Maria, to his couch, then to his couch, expensive rug, and his pants' leg, them back to Maria in a never ending circle of horror. "OK yeah, I think it's time to get going. Maria began to wiggle her was off of the couch in the wetness making it awkward and even more uncomfortable than usual with the planet under her clothes.
Francis darted away from his spot on the floor to run to the linen closet in the hallway to hunt down his ugly old towels and attempt to rescue the couch and carpet. The pants he could always burn it wasn't like he even cared for this particular pair all that much. He scurried back into the room just as Maria had finally managed to get off of the couch.
"Time to wrap this shindig up!" She said clapping her hands together and pointing at Eli and Ivan who were now in one another's faces a matter of inches away from one another.
"Oh! But I just arrived." Ivan smiled.
"You weren't exactly invited now where you." Eli muttered his arms crossed over his chest and scowl on his lips.
"Yeah well I just ruined Franny's couch and his fancy-ass-pants. She motioned towards Francis as he attempted to sop up the mess of baby related fluids in between his sobs about the ruined rug. There was a beat before what she had said sank into her boyfriend and ex's heads before simultaneously they said "Oh!"
They both grabbed each of her arms and began to pull her towards the door. Maria yelped causing Rue and Antonio to divert their attention from their children. "What on earth is going on?" her cousin asked raising her eyebrows and looking into the chaos. "This is why I can't stand spending time around you there is always some sort of drama or other. I swear you are the most ridiculous person I have ever spent any amount of time with."
Antonio though seemed to put all of the pieces together on his own (for the first time in his life). "Is it baby time?" he asked super excited with a look in his eyes that suited a brand new puppy more so than a grown man pushing thirty.
"Yes." Francis cried out from his spot on the floor.
Eli and Ivan went back to their tug of war and Maria tried to shake Ivan free. Antonio handed Lovino over to Rue as she struggled to try and hold both babies onto either one of her hips. He was busily trying to repack the diaper bag and fold the play pin up into its little bag. Francis changed the rags.
Maria managed to free her hand from Ivan, tucked it to her chest. Eli took this chance to hurriedly move her away from the apartment. They ran down the hall, well more like Maria waddled at a power-walk-esque past and Eli half dragged her behind him. It was still rather uncomfortable.
Ivan followed after the two of them, Antonio behind him, and Rue with the twins (Francis had yet to leave his spot on the rug. The line of running people must have looked ridiculous as the made their way thru the hallway and down the stairs, out to their respective cars. Eli let go of Maria's hand next to her passenger side of his car before sliding across the hood. Maria maneuvered herself into the car regretting her choice to go panty-less.
"Are you alright?" he asked turning on the car and immediately backing out of the spot.
"Just peachy." She breathed out as Ivan ran to his panel van. She was pretty sure you weren't supposed to run around while in labor. Like that was a pretty big no-no, though she had never really read any of those shitty ass parenting magazines. "Just drive and fast so he can't follow us."
"What about Rue and Antonio?"
"Fuck them both! Rue for being a cunt-face-whore, and Antonio for inviting her."
"We still need to kill him."
"True. But, I don't what to precious babies stuck with Rue… wait until he uses that sweet ass of his a new wife, then we can go ahead and kill him."
"Revenge is after all a dish that is best served cold."
They pulled out onto the highway. Maria turned around in the seat and looked around squinting to try and find Ivan's van. But she was having no luck at all seeing how she was practically blind without her glasses. She patted herself down, which seeing how she was in a dress meant there was nowhere to hide her phone.
"Eli phone." Maria turned her hand up and reached it over towards her boyfriend.
He momentarily lost control of the car and swerved a bit as he lifted up in the seat to reach back and get his cellphone out from his back pocket. Retrieving the he placed it in her upturned hand.
"Fuck, it needs a passcode."
"0608" Eli said focusing back onto the road.
"Isn't that your anniversary with bitch-face?"
"Yeah that is. I just haven't gotten a chance to change it yet."
Maria just rolled her eyes and squinted out at the and typed in her roommate's phone number.
"Bonjour." He sounded like her had just found out he had cancer, "Francis Bonnefoy speaking."
"It's me. Suck it up about the goddamned rug, it'll be fine."
"Get my phone and glasses, then meet us at General."
"What about your dad?" Eli asked in a harsh whisper.
"And call Vati for me?"
"Is he going to pay for the damage?"
"Sure why not? Just do it."
"Fine" he hung up the phone.
Maria tossed the phone into the cup holder. "So General Hospital then?" Eli asked.
"Since I told Francis that, I guess that we have to don't we?"
"Works for me, do you see Ivan?"
"Nope. Can't see a fucking thing though. He drives a white panel van that looks like something a pedo would lure children to."
"I don't see anything like that." He turned off onto the exit and followed the H's until they made it to the hospital. Eli sped up to the emergency room door and glanced towards Maria nodding at her.
She shifted around in the seat and did her best to cover her bare goodies with her hand as she tried to make her way out of the car smoothly. Maria managed this somehow and waddled away to the sliding glass doors and Eli sped off to park the car. She continued on through the doors and up to the counter where a nurse sat looking flipping through a magazine.
"Hey," Maria winced as another sharp pain coursed through her abdomen and was then replaced with a dull ache, "I'm kind of in labor."
"You want maternity then, not the emergency room." the nurse's tone was bored and she looked less than impressed.
"Right. Where is that?"
"The fourth floor tower."
"And how do I get there?" she resisted the urge to swear at the young woman.
The nurse stood up from her swivel chair and pointed down the hallway, "Go that way a bit, then once you get the elevators press 'T4'. Get off on that floor and follow the signs that say maternity… or well the stupid stork stickers will also get you there."
"Right, thanks I guess…" And off she waddled down the white linoleum hallway to find the elevators and make her way to her destiny. She made it to the floor and squinted her way from stork sticker to stork sticker until she stood outside the double doors. That was when she stopped hearing a familiar voice.
"Her name is 'Beilschmidt'." The voice, which struck fear into her heart and down her spine—since it was Ivan's overly cheerful childish voice with just the right touch of menacing, "I am almost certain that she is here… where else could she have gone?" he wondered aloud.
"I'm sorry sir but there is no Beilschmidt on this floor."
"Silly nurse this is the floor for the babies, yes?" he asked as his voice dropped down to just above a whisper, "And where else would a lady having a baby be at in a hospital other than maternity?"
"Sir I have no idea. She is not here on this floor though, and like you said where else would she be at, other then maybe another hospital."
Ivan paused for a brief moment and thought about something which Maria wasn't exactly sure of. "She must just not be here yet." He glanced towards the little waiting area then with one hand motioned towards it where others were anxiously awaiting the arrival of friends' and relatives' newborns. "I will just wait for her, and my son, here."
The nurse said nothing but just nervously watched the man trying to decide if she should page for security to come up or not. Maria on the other hand was nervously glancing around hoping that she would see Eli. Maybe the two of them could make a break for it to another hospital. If Ivan was so sure that she was on her way here then the thought that they could have gone to Memorial instead hopefully wouldn't have crossed his mind… or maybe they could be really out there and go to that hippy-dippy birthing center two towns over… then again that place probably required an appointment and months in advance warning, and most importantly didn't offer the beauty of modern drugs (and she had been really looking forward to trying out the epidural—it sounded amazing). There was another sharp pain to replace the dull ache that had settled into her body after the last stab.
As she stood there in pain and contemplating her choices the magical word 'Security' crossed her mind... Oh Security. If there were called p then Ivan would be banned from the hospital, possibly arrested, and obtaining a restraining order would then be easy-peasy. It was great. Though at the same time Maria was worried that her sadistic side was coming through sure he was crazy but legal action could maybe, possibly, be a bit much… and then she felt too soft letting that thought wander into her head… next it was confusion… followed be a small wave of self-loathing… and then the blessed reminder that she was probably just emotional.
In the end though Maria choose to confidently stroll up to the counter with the thought of security tucked into the back of her mind—if need be and only need be of course.
"How can I help you ma'am!" the nurse whom Ivan had been speaking to earlier beamed up at her from her stool behind the counter. She was a cute overly happy type of Asian girl wearing scrubs decorated with little ducks that screamed she enjoyed her job as a hospital receptionist way too much.
"I kind of have a baby about ready to come flying from my vag… so I need to you know check in and junk before I pop him out right here on this floor. I mean I am kind of over this whole being pregnant thing, so I really don't mind traumatizing every one of these good folks here… but still I'd rather not."
The girl smiled right back at her not at all phased by what had just come out of Maria's mouth. "Right, you must be Mrs. Beilschmidt!" she pointed towards Ivan who had now turned towards them hearing her name, "Your husband's already here."
"Yeah no that's not my husband—" Maria started.
"—Yet—" Ivan called out from his spot as he stood up from the chair.
"And you never will be!" she called over her shoulder before focusing back on the nurse who was now starting to actually look concerned about the situation. "Right anyways, I'd like to check in so hand over the paper work. And don't let this dude back there." She jammed her thumb towards Ivan who was hovering behind her shoulder, "Uh there is this other guy though Eli Herdarvary. He's cool peoples so he can come on in. ID check if you have to."
The nurse gathered the necessary papers onto a clip bored and handed it to Maria along with a check stick pen. "Right, 'Eli Her-dar-vary'?" she pulled a pen from her pocket—this one more fancy and clearly personal, "How do you spell that?"
"Honestly no fucking clue."
"I'll just sound it out then. Please fill out these forms and turn them in when you're finished or we call you back, either one."
Maria took the clipboard, winked at the nurse and waddled her way towards an empty hospital chair. Where the fuck is my wheelchair? she thought halfway to the seat, In all the movies and TV shows they always get one…
"Why don't you want me there?" Ivan asked snatching Maria back into reality and away from her wheelchair dreams. His voice was far more serious and lower then her typically was, and she had to admit that it was unexpected and quite startling. "Why?"
"Because I don't. OK." Maria said without looking p from the paper work as she filled out her name. "Man, we're terrible around each other and the vibes coming off you man are so toxic I could choke to death, like super easily and I'd rather not die."
"Do I stink?"
"No I'm talking like figuratively man not literally. It's just not stable and that's no buenos for a baby ok? And like I know it's totally unorthodox how I'm doing this whole motherhood thing but I want a good environment for Lutz even before he can figure out the world and is just crying and covered in guts pissed off that he's been forced out of his swanky warm room."
Ivan looked hurt and made quiet noise. Maria stopped her writing and paused looking at him. And it wasn't a look of disgust, or lust, or anger, or any of the ways she typically looked on him. It was pity. That was the feeling she was pitying him, and she wasn't even sure if she could blame it on the whole being pregnant thing. Ivan may have been fucking crazy but he was still a human being.
"But, he's my first child too." He said in a low voice, just barely auditable to her. And those words, that sentence it melted her heart. Maria felt like a total bitch.
"I… right… he is isn't he?" she sighed and looked about the room. "Right, OK… let me…" She turned to face the nurse's desk "You can give this guy a badge too!" she called out, "He can officially come to the party." Ivan instantly perked up. Maria focused back on him and yanked him into the seat before he could scurry away to collect his visitor's sticker, "You can't be crazy though, and no fighting with Eli. I'm his now. Once this chaos is over and I'm still high as a kite we can talk about visitation rights and shit. But the moment you do something to piss me off today I'm calling security. Got it?"
He nodded vigorously and made a motion to stand up. Maria held him down in the seat though and fixed him with a hard stare extending her pinky towards him. Ivan looked from the pinky to Maria's face, he nodded again and wrapped his own around hers. She closed her eyes gave her own short nod and let him go.
"You can go get the sticker now."
He stood up and did as he was told, and she went back to filling out the forms. Eli entered the ward with a confused look on his face. He noticed Ivan first and nearly ran up behind the buy to drag him out; then he noticed Maria and hurried to where she sat on one of the wood and vinyl arm chairs. "What is he doing here?" He motioned towards Ivan as he whispered in her ear.
"I told him it was cool if he came into the delivery room too… as long as he doesn't act like a total psychopath."
"So you're giving him room to mildly act like one. And what about that whole car chase thing we did earlier. Are we just going to ignore that?"
"Yeah we are. Are you questioning my authority?" Maria sighed signing her name on the final line and placing the clipboard on one the magazine covered coffee table next to her. "Dude, as fucking crazy as Ivan is, he's still this kid's father. Like it's his baby, and wouldn't you want to be around for all the important things that happened to your child too? Like what if after you and Re decided to break things off you found out she was going to be pushing your span fourth form her stank-cave? You know you'd want to be there just for your half satanic progeny."
"But I'm not crazy." Eli mad a last ditch effort to convince Maria.
"True. He's not entirely crazy though either. It's what's so frustrating about being with him. He knows what he's doing is wrong but he does it anyway… I think it's more that he's an asshole then insane."
"Well I'm not an asshole."
"You can be darling. We all can be." She grabbed the clipboard from the table and shoved it into her boyfriend's hands, "Could you please turn this in for me and get your badge. I want you on your best behavior Eli."
"Yes 'mommy'." He mouthed the last word to her and stood up.
Maria relaxed in the chair and wondered what the hell was taking so long for them to get her room ready. Ivan returned to the seat to her left. She glanced over at the man who was looking absolutely giddy. But not in his usual malevolent way, but an innocent one… like a seven year old at Christmas who was expecting an XBOXONE.
"I can't wait… for Bor—the baby to be here."
Maria nodded, "I decided on Ludwig. I've already told everyone that's what his name was going to be, even my dad. So don't even think about calling this kid Boris out loud."
His excitement wavered and there was a slight hint of disappointment on his face. Like when he had un-wrapped the box there was a PS4 there instead. On one hand it wasn't the exact thing that he had wanted, and expected, but it was still a pretty bitching present. "I don't really like that name… 'Ludwig'."
"Too bad. I really don't give a flying fuck what you like. It's Ludwig. So deal with it. And don't even think about starting one of your fucked up little games. Or you best believe I'll smack you with the ban hammer." She really wanted to break out in a huge grin, but that would be too much of an obvious sign she was really enjoying lording power over her ex-boyfriend and current baby-daddy.
Eli returned with his florescent orange sticker stuck to his chest and settled into the chair to her right. He was smiling at her and placed his hand on top of hers, though he still looked a bit uncomfortable. Like Perky Reception Nurse and the other occupants of the waiting room did over the whole situation. It was weird but since when had Maria been one to worry about society's stupid little rules? It was like the jovial atmosphere had fled the room.
Antonio came running into the waiting room panting. He had Feliciano and Lovino in either arm and the diaper bag hanging from around his neck. It seemed that Rue had ditched her ex-husband and two children somewhere in the course of their trip to the hospital. And Maria just added it to the list of why Rue was so terrible. The woman was so high and mighty and was so convinced she was so much better then Maria but when it came to the boys, she was really curious how she could pretend to be the better woman.
Maria vowed that she would never be like Rue. She promised that she wouldn't go around ditching Ludwig constantly.
"Hold the boys." Antonio said breathlessly giving Lovino to Eli and Feliciano to Maria. He panted removing the diaper bag from its location around his neck before going rifling through it.
Maria winced when another contraction went through her body. She decided to focus on Feliciano who sat in her lap, and wonder Where the fuck is my fucking room at? And my drugs? That was until there was a flash of light that filled the room and she looked up fast to see that Antonio was taking photos.
"Is that really necessary?" She half-growled glaring up at her best friend. Antonio really seemed to want her to really murder him and bury him in a shallow grave.
"It's for the scrap book." He answered cheerfully, "I have to make sure that Lovino and Feliciano remember the first time that they sat in a hospital waiting room!" he raised the camera again, "Now smiled!"
"NO!"
"Please—"
"Maria Beilschmidt, you're room's ready." A nurse called from the doorway.
"Finally." Maria breathed standing up and depositing Feliciano in the chair she had just been seated. Eli stood as well and placed Lovino in the same chair. Ivan just stood up. The two men followed Maria to the door.
"Sorry it took so long. It's a new moon so we've been kind of busy." This nurse wore pigtails tied with bright red ribbons and while she was polite and seemingly happy wasn't all that perky and seemed to be towards the end of her shift. "Right so these two are your in rooms?" She nodded towards Eli and Ivan. Before grabbing a discarded wheel chair for Maria, then began to walk down the hall. "I'm Michelle so if you need something you can hit the call light."
Eli grabbed ahold of the back of Maria's chair and the three followed behind the nurse. Maria let out a little yelp at the next contraction. "So when can I expect this party to be over?"
"So this if your first kid?" Michelle said glancing over her shoulder, "Honestly it could be an hour or heck a day and a half from now. Really it's hard to say… if you're taking bets," she stopped in front of a room and opened the door up for the three of them to file through while she took the time to think. "I guess I'll put five dollars on ten hours."
"TEN HOURS MORE OF THIS." Maria said struggling to get out of the wheel chair.
"Oh you're not even to the worst part yet." The nurse gave her a sadistic smile, "I may not of had a kid yet but the screams are burned into my memory from the two year's I've worked here." Her face brightened right up again. "So again I'm Michelle! Please use your call light if you need anything. Your doctor has been notified of your arrival and will be her shortly to inspect your progress." She shut the door behind her.
Maria and Eli were silent and shocked while Ivan looked rather happy. "I like that nurse, she seems like she's a lot of fun."
"Right, whatever." Maria said sitting on the bed. She let out another gasp of pain and clutched her stomach. "God dammit this shit fucking hurts."
The two men just looked at her unsure of what to say, so they just remained silent for fear of her wrath. "Do you want something to drink maybe, or something to eat?" Eli ventured to ask.
"I could go down to the cafeteria for you…" Ivan offered, "… if you would like."
"Why would I want something to eat?" Maria snapped.
"I don't know… as a distraction…?" Ivan offered in a careful tone.
"That's a shitty ass distraction." She said before yelping out again placing her hands on her stomach. "I mean it's not too bad right now, I'm starting to get used to the contractions I think. I'd just rather get this over with."
"Ah well that's good… that you're getting over the pain. So hopefully this will go well."
"It still sucks though." She settled into the bed.
There was a light knock at the door and the nurse from earlier returned carrying one of those white hospital gowns with little navy blue dots, "So I forgot to give this to you earlier, but if you cold please put this on. They kind of suck because there is no back though…" she handed it over to Eli since he was the one closer to the door. "Your doctor's arrived too, he asked me to make sure you were ready so he can see how dilated you are. I'll be right back with him, if you'll just change." Nurse Michelle left the three of them again with a little click of the door shutting.
The moment the door was shut Maria went to ripping off the dress that she had so far soiled with her sweet and ambeonic fluids. The poor thing didn't need any more of the bodily fluids associated with labor.
"What are you doing?" Eli asked half shocked as she wrestled her way around in the dress, flopping around on the hospital bed like a fish out of water.
"Taking this damn thing off! What does it look like?"
"With him here?" he pointed to Ivan.
"Well shit Eli, what a keen observation! Why yes that appears to be what is happening doesn't it?"
"But Ivan's still in the room."
"If he's the one who did this." She freed of her arms from the tangled wet fabric to motion that particular arm around her stomach as if she was a show room model displaying a bowling ball, around her stomach. "Then I am pretty sure I don't care if he sees me naked. I don't care if you see me naked either."
Eli was quiet and moved forward to help Maria out of her dress.
Ivan was the next person to speak though. "Where… where are your panties?" he asked noticing Maria's bare crotch.
"I decided to go commando today Ivan. If my naked cooch is something that you find disturbing, seeing how you've had no problem in the past suck right on it."
Eli winced, "Not a mental image I wanted to have cross my mind."
"Please you know that you've dreamed of eating this—"
A knock on the door interrupted her words, followed by a happy male voice. "Are you ready yet Miss Beilschmidt?"
"Not quite." Maria called out flinging her arms into the gown. Eli stepped forward to help close the top couple of buttons. "Alright, ready now!"
The door swung open and in strolled Dr. Vainomen. The little blond man had a huge grin on his face that seemed to yell out 'What a Beautiful Day to Birth Some Babies!'. And something inside of Maria wanted to smack that smile right of his face and onto the floor where she would stomp it right the fuck out. "Good afternoon Miss Bielschmidt," he kept up the tone despite her death glare. He looked about the room, "Oh Eli, right? I believe I met you at one of Maria's appoints."
"It's good to see you." Eli offered a hand to the Doctor who smiled and took it.
He let it go then looked to Ivan. "I'm afraid that I've never met you before." The man smiled, "I'm Doctor Timo Vaimoinen."
"Ivan Braginsky." His voice was low and a bit menacing but he still shook the other's hand.
Maria let out a high pitched noise before sucking in a quick breath of air through her teeth. "Are the introductions over then, 'cause I'm curious about my uterus pain."
"Oh yes of course!" the doctor turned on his heel and went to the sink to wash his hands, "So how long have you been having these contractions?"
"I'd say that it's been about an hour."
"Good, and they're coming right after one another?"
"I guess."
He turned off the sink and dried his hands before slipping them into a pair of vinyl gloves. "They told me, that you're water's broke."
"It has. My poor roommate was weeping over the carpet when we left." The memory of Francis's tears made her smile, just a little bit.
"So, there is no turning back." Tino kicked a stool to the foot of her bed and sat down in it. He pulled the stirrups out from their place beneath the bed and placed Maria's legs into them.
"Hold up. What are you doing?" Ivan asked nervously as the doctor unwrapped a speculum.
"I need to see how dilated she is Mr. Braginsky. You see babies come out from the vagina so I need to look there."
"Shouldn't the nurse do that? Since she's a woman?"
"Oh no, this is my job. If you're concerned that I may become aroused or something of that nature I'll let you know that I am a very professional man. And if the reminder that I am a professional doesn't put you to ease, maybe the fact that I am gay will."
"I—I didn't mean any kind of harm or—"
"Ivan just shut it, please?" Maria growled.
Timo went back to his work and after a brief examination sat up straight again. "You look like you're only three centimeters along." He stood up and removed his gloves, "That's not too bad considering that you've only noticed that you're labor began an hour ago, but you still have two more centimeters to go before you're halfway there. From what information my patents have told me, and from what I have studied in text books, the first half is the roughest after that the next five are smooth sailing."
Maria nodded along before eagerly asking, "So how much longer?"
"Hard to say. But you don't want to rush these things, if you're not fully dilated then there could be some vaginal tarring which I assume is terribly painful." He sighed.
"So how long until I get the spinal tap thing?"
"Whenever you get to five centimeters," He said with a little sigh, "Well, let's not worry too much about the drugs or anything like that yet. My advice to you would be to take a little nap and let nature take its course. Just relax ma'am and I'll be back if you need anything or if you don't then I'll be back to check up on you in a little while."
The next few hours went rather uneventfully other than Maria's yelps of pain and her sharp breaths. Ivan remained quiet most of the time, other than a couple of coughs. He just quietly watched Maria as she lay in the bed and Eli as he sat next to her offering his girlfriend a couple of comforting words. The call button went untouched, and both the doctor and nurse came in only for brief check-ins to make sure everything was progressing as to be expected. The staff also brought news of who had all arrived. Francis had come, brought her cellphone and glasses, and shortly after him her father had shown up and was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his first grandchild.
There was a calm that had settled in. The room was calm, and Ivan had not provoked Eli nor had the other man provoked him. Sure there were gasps of pain and small screams emitting from Maria but they'd grown used to it and that just seemed like background noise, like a clap of thunder during a storm. Expected and not shocking though it may have startled you to begin with.
Slowly, but surely though her yells became more frequent and her temperament grew sour; it wasn't as if Maria was a sweet woman to begin with on most days. She was very very rarely a 'sweet woman'. And if women who were normally kind and generous got violent and nasty while in labor a woman who's temperament was normally sour got that much more violent and nasty. She was swearing up storm and passing the room. She seemed to almost choke the kind doctor too when he came in to check on her progress. And she didn't calm down one bit until after they injected her with the epidural right in her spinal cord and though she protested when she had seen the needle the relief from the pain she felt made her relax.
"Total worth it." She said in a low voice once sedated. It got a laugh from everyone in the room.
And when the time came Ivan went to her left and Eli to her right, and Maria began to push. The doctors and nurse counted and Maria would follow their lead pushing, and swearing, and complaining; but she was still pushing.
And then all of a sudden there was the sound of a high pitched cry and the nurse took the baby wrapped him up in a towel. His sex was declared, his cord was cut, and he was cleaned up. Eli hurried away from the room to tell everyone that was waiting that Ludwig was now born. Maria raised up in the bed to catch a look at him as he was weighed and Ivan watched right there next to her.
The nurse came to Maria's side and smiling down at her handed her the baby. He wasn't screaming but just small, quiet, and asleep. She looked down at her son and smiled. It was a quiet moment, and when she glanced to the side to see Ivan standing their quietly starring at the two of them she looked up at him and said in a low voice, "Do you want to hold him too?"
The man nodded and Maria handed him over. Ivan remained silent as she examined his son's face. "I'm a bit disappointed…" he started "… he… he doesn't look at all like me."
And Maria laughed.