Chapter 18

Joey held her close in a silent room. Silence. Every parent's worst nightmare.

Lauren lay frozen to the bed as the nurse pulled the blankets up around her. Joey held her tight running his hand through her hair "It's alright…It's ok"

"why isn't it crying?" she murmured into Joeys shirt, after listening to the silence. A team of about six doctors were all surrounding the small incubator at the opposite end of the room. Joey watched as they fussed around his child, the child he didn't even know he was having, he didn't even know what it was. "something's wrong isn't it?" Laurens eyes filled with tears again.

"I Don't know Lo…"

"I'm sorry Joe… I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry" Joey shook his head, he had no idea what she was apologising for. None of this was her fault, It wasn't like she'd had any of the symptoms of pregnancy.

A different doctor walked over to them an uneasy look on his face "Lauren, we need to explain a few things to you." Lauren looked at Joey, she didn't like this doctor as much as the one she'd encountered earlier. He spoke much more to the point a little less sugar coated. "We know you didn't know you were pregnant Lauren and that's probably the way baby was lying, you've had a moderate placental abruption and to be quite honest you and baby are very lucky to be here right now."

Lauren was still crying on the bed everything just too much to take in. "We need to ask you a few questions Ok ?" Lauren nodded "Did you smoke throughout the pregnancy?" straightaway she shook her head. "Good… what about drinking?"

"A little, one or twice maybe, I'm not a big drinker." He nodded and moved back over towards the other doctors and nurses.

The room was silent for another few minuets when there was a loud cry from the other side of the room. Lauren's hand shot to her mouth as she released a breath she'd not realised she'd been holding. The crying carried on and it brought so much relief to her and Joey, it was slightly unexpected. To immediately cry and hope for something they'd only just know about was a strange feeling to say the least.

He smiled weakly at her and kissed her lips, just before the doctor, who she actually liked came back over. "is everything ok?" Joey questioned.

"your son is doing just fine" she smiled nodding at them.

"It's a boy?" Lauren said wide eyed, in a tiny voice.

The doctor nodded "he's a little bit small, but we think you were nearly full term Lauren, he's very well developed, we're just going to take him to neonatal for the time being, just to give him some support."

"He'll be alright though won't he?" Lauren asked.

"I do see any reason why he won't be, but it's early days, just be prepared for anything." Lauren nodded and looked over to the back of the room.

"Why didn't I realise?" she whispered not really intending on being heard but the doctor responded.

"It could have been a number of thins Lauren. He may he been laying really far back, which would be why you didn't get a bump. Weight wise I think, because you didn't know you weren't compensating with your diet, baby was just getting what he could from what you had been eating."

"can I see him?" Joey looked amazed as Lauren asked the question, he really hadn't thought about what their next step would be.

"of course you can, we'll give you five before we move him alright?" Lauren nodded and looked at Joey. She leaned her head against his stomach, as he stood at the side of the bed.

"I love you Lo… you know that right ?" she nodded and sniffed her arms curling around his waist. She pulled away as the Doctor brought their son over.

"Here we go Mum and Dad… I'll leave you three to it."

Lauren peered into the clear plastic cot at the side of her bed, he was so small, but so perfect at the same time. His eyes were fluttering open, adjusting to the light, they were a perfect shade of brown, a lighter version of Laurens, but darker than Joeys. He small tufts of brown hair, sticking up softly, much like Joey's did in the morning.

She leaned in, running her hand over his head "Hi Mr…" the little boy wriggled a little under her touch, his face turned into her hand as he stretched and moved his body to get comfortable. "What do we do Joe?". There was a long pause before either did anything. Joey sighed and bent down so he was level with the cot.

"nothing…he's ours Lo. We love him and raise him the best we can, we give him two parents that love him for everything he is."

"we keep him?" Joey nodded "really? You'd do that? You really want us to do this?" again he nodded and laced their fingers together.

"I love you Lauren, having a baby with you is amazing" Lauren cried again "hey what you crying for? Is this not what you want or something ?"

She shook her head "no, it's exactly what I want, I'm just a bit in shock to be honest. I woke yesterday in a normal life, now everything changes."

"it's already changed baby… we have a baby… a beautiful baby boy"

"Harry…we should call him Harry, after your Dad…" Joey Looked down to his son smiling and then across to Lauren.

"My Dad would have loved that…he would have been so happy to have a grandchild. He always loved kids."

The doctor came in and saw the three of them together, it was a completely different picture to when she'd left 5 minutes ago. "sorry kids I need to take this little guy up to the NICU, and we're taking you onto one of the wards." Lauren pouted a little and kissed the tips of her fingers placing them on Harry's head.

"see you soon baby boy."

Lauren was soon taken to a different ward and was sleeping soundly on the bed. Joey decided to bite the bullet on the things that were swirling in his head. "Hi…ye…erm we're in city hospital, I think you might need to be here."

I'll be back later :) xx