A/N: I think I am going to post a couple of these today. We'll see. Anyway, enjoy and review please! :)
35. Hold My Hand-
"Hold my hand." Lexie said breathily towards Mark. "You have to hold my hand. I'm not going to be able to do this if you don't hold my hand."
Mark reached over and grabbed her hand. "You'll be able to do it. I'll be right there."
"I'm not sure I can."
"People do this everyday. You'll be okay." Mark assured her. "And we'll have a beautiful baby girl after it's over."
Lexie smiled down at her stomach that was protruding far out past the rest of her. When Lexie found out she was pregnant it was unplanned but they couldn't have been happier. They both enjoyed every milestone of the pregnancy. When Mark first felt the baby kick inside her it became real. They soon found out it was a girl and Mark was slightly disappointed since he wanted a boy but he was completely happy with the baby girl since he knew that both her and the mother of his child were healthy. Lexie felt another contraction start and took in a sharp breath.
"Breathe, Lex." Mark encouraged her as they pulled into a parking space in front of the hospital. "You ready to go have this baby?"
"Let's do it." She smiled getting out of the car.
Mark helped her into a wheelchair and checked her into the room. They waited for a while for her to dilate far enough to deliver. When Lexie was at about seven centimeters she opted to get an epidural. The next few hours after that went pretty smoothly and without an extreme amount of pain. Although, when Lexie hit about nine centimeters, she started to feel them again. The next hour the contractions worsened until she hit ten. Ten hit and they prepped her for delivery.
"Mark. Hand." Lexie said breathily.
Mark grabbed her hand and kissed her forehead. "You can do it. Think about the baby."
"Alright, Lexie, time to push." The doctor said. Lexie bared down and squeezed Mark's hand. She pushed intervals of ten stopping and regrouping every time a contraction ended. The cycle continued for about ten or fifteen minutes and finally she felt like she was getting somewhere. "Alright, I can see the head. Just a few more pushes."
"She's got a lot of hair, Lex. Come on, you can do it. Just a few more."
Lexie nodded and pushed again, letting out a scream as she did so. Mark never let go of her hand. The baby came slowly out and finally the head was delivered. Two more pushes later the shoulders and the rest of her slid out easily.
"Here she is." The doctor announced laying the newborn baby girl on Lexie's chest. Mark reached up and cut the cord ending the physical tie between Lexie and her baby.
Later that day, Lexie woke up from a nap to find Mark walking around the room with his daughter. The baby was latched onto Mark's pinky with her tiny fist barely fitting around her father's smallest finger. "Don't let go of her hand." Lexie smiled. "She's going to need it."
"I won't." Mark smiled at his daughter. "And she won't let go of mine. Right Emma?" Mark asked down at her bouncing her gently in his arms.
The baby grunted slightly in her sleep. "I think we did good." Lexie smiled.
"You did great." Mark smiled back at her.