It was ten past three when Maria managed to leave the ward, she found Maddy pacing the staffroom looking surprisingly calm as she spoke to Ruby, one hand resting on the bottom of her back, the other rubbing small circles on her bump. "Okay?" Maria asked. "Fine" she smiled, "I think we might still have a bit of a wait". Maria smiled, "so I've got time to get changed?" Maddy nodded, leaning against the sofa and rocking onto her heels as she felt another contraction brewing. "How far apart are they?" Maria asked, slipping her jeans on before taking of her dress and pulling her t-shirt over her head. Maddy was silent, concentrating on breathing deeply until her contraction passed. "I'm not sure, more than 5 minutes apart, less than 10." Maria nodded, quickly changing her shoes. "Right then" She smiled, "ready to be a mummy". Maddy shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. Maria was quickly by her side. "Hey, there's nothing to be scared of, I mean, I know it'll hurt and you don't want pain relief, but just think about that beautiful baby girl you'll have at the end of it" Maddy nodded, "I know. I just, I don't know if I'm ready for her, not yet" Maria smiled, "you've been trying to convince her to come out for almost 2 weeks, and now she's on her way you're saying you not ready for her". Maddy bean to sob, "It's not right, all this, Ruby, she should be Dan's, Amy should be here, she'd love being a big sister". Maria looked puzzled as she rubbed Maddy's back, trying to calm her down. "Who's Amy?" she asked quietly. Maddy bit her lip as she looked Maria in the eye. "She was my daughter".
Maddy spent the next 20 minutes telling Maria about Amy, her friend lost for words as Maddy recalled the day she lost her daughter, the scene playing in her head as clear as the day it happened. "I had no idea" Maria said sadly once Maddy was finished. "It's not the sort of thing I like to announce to the world, 'hi I'm Maddy, 6 years ago I lost my daught-argh" She clutched her stomach as a strong contraction too her by surprise. Maria smiled, "Maybe it's a sign that Amy wants you to let go, well not to let her go as such, I mean she'll always be your daughter, but you've got Ruby now, you need to concentrate on the future, on now, and right now I think Ruby wants Amy to be a big sister". Maddy nodded and took Maria's hand, reaching for her bag. "I'll get it" Maria smiled, picking the bag from the floor, "let's go and met Ruby".
After a quick stop on Darwin to let Sam know what was happening, Maddy was sat calmly in the maternity ward waiting for the midwife to see her. Maria watched as Maddy began to rock slowly on the bed, breathing deeply and rubbing her stomach as another contraction came and went. "Anything I can do?" Maddy shook her head. "Just being here's more than enough." She smiled.
Almost 3 hours passed before there was a tap at the door. Maria was quick to answer it. "Have we got a mini-Maddy yet?" Maria laughed. "No, not yet.! She turned her attention back to Maddy, "It's Sam" "Let him in" she said, gritting her teeth and inhaling deeply on the gas and air as she felt the familiar tightening spread across her abdomen. "How are you feeling?" Sam asked, as he moved towards the bed. Maddy glared at him, "Like I'm about to give push a beach ball out of my-argh. Ruby please"
"Have you tried standing up?" The midwife asked, pulling off her gloves. Maddy nodded, "Wasn't comfortable" The midwife nodded, "Kneeling on the bed? All fours? Gravity will help baby descend." Maddy snorted with laughter, slightly high from the gas and air. "We've already tried all fours to get her out haven't we?" She turned to face Sam. He blushed as both Maria and the midwife tried to stifle their giggles."Why don't you try standing again, you can lean on me and Maria" he said quickly. The midwife smiled and left the room as Maddy moved to lean on Sam, Maria moving to rub her friends back.
"I can't do it" Maddy moaned shaking her head. "You're doing so well" the midwife encouraged, "you'll be cuddling this baby before you know it" Maddy shook her head, "I can't". "Maddy" Sam said sharply, moving to stand behind the head of the bed, putting his hand on her cheek, turning her to face him as she knelt against the back of the bed, "you are doing so well Maddy, and Ruby will be so lucky to have you for a mummy, now I know you're tired, and I know it hurts, but you have been waiting to meet this little girl for so long, and now she's ready meet you, so you need to be strong for just a little bit loner, then you can collapse and sleep for a week if you want to" He brushed a stray hair back from Maddy's face and kissed her forehead a he squeezed her hands, "You can do this Mads".
"Oh Maddy she's beautiful" Maria cooed, as the midwife placed a screaming red bundle into Maddy's waiting arms. "Oh Mads, I'm so, so proud of you". Sam kissed her forehead as she collapsed exhausted into the pillows. Maddy smiled wearily, unable to tear her eyes away from her daughter. "Hello Ruby" she said softly, rocking her daughter gently. "We've been waiting to meet you for so long" Sam smiled, stroking Ruby's clenched fist "Was she worth waiting an extra 9 days for?" Maria asked, sitting on the bed by Maddy's feet. Maddy nodded, she didn't even need to think about the answer, "every second."
"Looks like she'd made her mind up about when she wanted her birthday to be" Sam grinned as the midwife took Ruby to be cleaned and weighed, Maddy glanced at the clock and realised Ruby had been born just after midnight. She nodded slowly, "Amy's birthday".
