Chapter five: Waiting for Emily

Joseph inhaled sharply, "Ok Jac, we're on our way back. We'll be with you in about an hour and a half- hang in there. Call the midwife and get a taxi to Holby General- I'll find you there." Jac doubled over as her stomach clenched with another contraction. "Joseph," she said through gritted teeth "I- need- you. I can't do this on my own. Get here."

"I'll be there Jac, I promise- call Sascha or someone 'till I can get there. I love you- just think it's not long till you'll be a mum. You can do this." Joseph urged "I have to go or I'll never get to you. I love you." And with that he hung up. Jac cursed loudly- why did it have to be today that Joseph had to be miles away because of his bloody ex-wife? Why did the baby have to arrive today? She was only two weeks away from her due date; couldn't she have waited just that little bit longer?

Her doctor's intuition told her that she was going to need to be in hospital within the next hour or so, but turning up at Holby now would be pointless and would gain her nothing. Deciding she needed to be distracted, she reached for her phone and dialled the mobile number of the only other person she trusted. "Hi, you've reached Sascha Levy. I'm probably up to my armpits in surgical stuff right now, so please leave a message or call me back later." Jac couldn't help but smile at her goofy friend's daft voice message, he was probably busy doing ward rounds or something, so she decided to contact him on Keller instead. She punched in the number and waited.

"Hello Keller?" answered the brisk female voice that belonged to Sahira Shah.

Jac was confused, "Ms Shah?" she quizzed "I was expecting to speak to Dr Levy."

"He's on holiday leave, I'm afraid. Can I ask whom I'm speaking with?" Sahira trilled, "It's Jac, Jac Naylor, but don't worry. I'll call again when he's back." Gasped Jac, hanging up the phone as another contraction took hold of her. It was time to go to the hospital; she would have to go it alone for now.

…

The traffic around Holby was a nightmare, what was normally a 20 minute trip was nearly doubled and Jac's discomfort increased with each contraction. Eventually she staggered out of the taxi alone and vomited into the gutter at the front of the hospital; the pain was getting longer and more overwhelming. She leant against a lamppost until the pain subsided; she barely noticed the clacking of Jimmy Choos as a very concerned Sahira came trotting towards her. "Jac! Jac!" She called in alarm "Are you ok? What happened to your face?" She asked, seeing the bruise. "Great" Jac thought "Just what I need…Princess Earth-mother."

"Oh I'm bloody fantastic thanks!" Jac glared at her former rival, "I'm in fucking labour, caused by the father's mentally unstable ex-wife, who came to try and threaten me today. And the man himself is miles away in London, trying to meet her."

"Right hold on I'll get you a chair and take you up to maternity" Sahira turned on her heel.

"There's really no need-" Jac protested as she was overcome by yet another wave of pain which forced her to cry out in pain. When Sahira returned with the chair and a porter pushing it, Jac couldn't help but fall into it gratefully.

…

A few hours later, Jac had been transported to the delivery room and Joseph had still not arrived and Sahira was still lingering around uncertainly, seemingly reluctant to let her ex-colleague suffer the birth of her first child alone. "Sahiiiraa!" Jac howled "Joseph should be here by now. Where. Is. He?" She panted. Suddenly the sound of Jac's mobile ringing in her bag, answered her question. With Jac's permission Sahira rummaged to find it and held it to Jac's ear. It was Joseph.

"Where are you?" She bellowed into it. "You said you'd be here!" she nearly sobbed.

"I'm coming Jac my love, I'm so sorry, there was so much traffic. I've just dropped Harry at mothers; I'll be with you in two minutes. I mean it this time. I can see the Hospital now." He promised.

A sudden feeling in her abdomen caused Jac to ignore Joseph's last comment. She wanted to push, her daughter was almost here. "Joseph, you'd better be bloody running, because she isn't going to wait much longer, she's coming Joe. I want to push." She told the midwife clearly but as she began to take a deep breath, there was a clatter of squeaky shoes and an almighty bang as Joseph tumbled into the delivery room, looking dishevelled and out of breath but still irrevocably handsome. Seeing Jac, he ran over to her and tried to grasp her hands, but she threw them away.

"You bastard!" she shrieked in agony "Where have you been? You utter bastard!"

Joseph, blushed "Jac I'm so sorry, I know there's no way you can possibly forgive me," he grovelled, hoping that she would eventually do just that. "Wait a second Jac." He paused, "What's that bruise on your face? What did you do to yourself? Did you fall?"

"No, Joe." Jac growled as she pushed harder, "This is the work of your bloody ex-wife, turns out she didn't get straight back on the train to France, she took a detour to my flat instead."

"Oh my gosh Jac,"

"This is all your bloody fault Joseph" Jac panted, "It's your fault I'm bloody pregnant, It hurts so much, I hate you! Oh God it hurts!" she cried, grabbing Joseph's hand and digging in her nails, causing Joseph to yelp in surprise.

"I can see the head" called the midwife, "Come on Jackie, you're nearly there, you can do this. One more push and you'll be a mum."

"Yes, Jac you're almost there, you're doing brilliantly," Joseph chimed in, feeling slightly useless.

"My, name, is, Ja-" Jac began to protest breathlessly, but she was cut off as with one final push Jac felt something slip from her and the air was filled with the cries of her new born daughter.

"Joseph!" Jac gasped, her eyes filling with tears of joy, "She's here, our girl, she's here."