Chapter 9 A surprise
*Memory 6*
Peggy's point of view
For the first time in months, since the attack, I woke up feeling frisky.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes"
"OK"
Afterwards, I went downstairs to the library… my back had been throbbing all morning… I was still on sick leave from the office. Howard had returned to work a few hours every day.
I sat in the library with my feet up. I read a couple of chapters of Little Women and then I fell asleep… Ana and Edwin had gone shopping, Howard was at the office, and I was alone in that big mansion. I woke up in a lot of pain. I rolled onto the floor, clutching my stomach. Thinking I was badly constipated, I crawled to the bathroom… I drew myself a bath, hoping that the hot water would make the pain subside. I got into the bath, but the pain didn't go. It increased tenfold as did the pressure, and then I realized… did some rapid mathematics and repeated the calculation 11 times…
"Margaret Elizabeth Carter, how could you be so stupid?" I scolded myself as another enormous pain erupted within my system.
Howard's point of view
When I got home from the office, Ana and Edwin weren't back from their shopping trip yet… I heard screams coming from somewhere.
"Peggy?"
"In the bathroom… OWWWWWWW!"
"Which one?"
"The one downstairs…"
"OK"
I ran to the bathroom… Peggy was in the bath, she was on her knees.
"Peg… what's wrong?"
"I think I might be pregnant, Howard… from when that bastard attacked me… and I think I'm in labour. I did the math 11 times."
"OK, I'm going to call for help… I'll be right back".
I called Obie and Maria first.
"Dr Stane is ill and can't come to the phone right now, Mr Stark." said Cecily, "and Mr Stane can't leave her."
"Peggy is in a lot of pain… she needs help, she seems to think she's in labour from when she was attacked."
"All right, I'll call Dr Turner and send him over"
20 minutes later, Dr Patrick Turner arrived, he had Nurse Lucille Robinson and Nurse Valerie Dyer — Peggy's sister-in-law — with him.
"Lucille, why don't you and Valerie see what you can do to help Peggy, and I'll go and see Maria?"
"Yes Doctor Turner"
I showed Nurse Robinson to the bathroom where Peggy was…
"Mr Stark, I need you to get some towels. I'm going to help Ms Carter".
Peggy's point of view
"Peggy, relax, we will fix this, OK?"
"OK… OWWWW".
"We need to get you out of the bath, precious"
"Where's Howard?"
"He's gone to get some towels."
"I'm here"
"We need your help to get Peggy out of the bath"
"OK"
Howard helped me up and the pain increased suddenly
"I need to poop!" I shrieked.
"No you don't it's the baby's head, when you get that horrible feeling, push as hard as you can as though you're constipated, OK?"
"OK"
"Three big pushes per pain OK"
"OK"
"Here, Peg, lean on me… atta girl"
Howard helped me out of the bath, and then I got a massive pain.
"Push, hard, breath in big push one more… good girl"
I collapsed onto my knees. Howard knelt beside me.
"You got this Peg… I'm right here… I know it's not me who caused this, but if you feel like screaming at me or hitting me, go ahead."
The next pain hit me hard and I screamed
"Push babe… you got this… good girl…"
"HOW CAN YOU WANT ME AFTER THIS? OWWWWWW!"
"You're my soulmate, I love you, Peg… big breath and push hard. That's it, good girl, keep pushing".
"STOP" Nurse Robinson said firmly, "the head is crowning, just breathe or scream if you want"
Howard's point of view
Peggy screamed
"Head's out, next pain, give me a big push for the shoulders"
"You got this Peggy big push… good girl"
"One more"
"Come on Peg, one more, good girl one more big push, and it'll be over. I know it hurts, but you're nearly there".
"Except that she still has to deliver the placenta, and you can't be in the room for that part, I'm afraid"
"Well, while that's happening, I can make arrangements for the baby."
"Good idea last big push Peggy, good girl, you have a little girl, precious."
Nurse Robinson handed the squalling baby to me, wrapped in a towel. I tried to hand her to Peggy, but she put her hands up in front of her face.
"I can't raise her Howard" she wailed, "it wouldn't be right"
"Don't worry, Peg, I entirely understand." I took the baby to the living room, I was joined by Nurse Trixie Aylward, she helped me put the baby in some warm clothes and give her a bottle.
"Peggy doesn't want to bring her up, and I don't want her to go into an orphanage. I have an idea".
Obie came over. The children were with him.
"Obie, what's going on?"
"Maria has been rushed to hospital, another…"
"Oh that's awful. I'm sorry… What happened?"
"Peggy just had a baby… a little girl"
"What?"
"She didn't know she was pregnant, she went into labour after we had adult time this morning. She would rather not raise the kid".
"Leave it to me, Howard… go and be with her."
*In the room*
Peggy's point of view
Pepper hugged me.
"I can't believe you went through that Peggy" she said
Next, Tony hugged me.
"I can't believe you didn't tell us about it before now, Mom" he said.
"OK, everyone, I think it's time we go to bed. It's been a long, exhausting day, and we have a lot more memories to watch tomorrow". Said Queen Shuri