Chaos in November

New parents are expected to be nervous and scared beyond their wits. But nothing compares with the chaos of childbirth, especially if none of your friends know anything about bringing a child into the world.

November 14, 2012

"How long did Will say he was going to be away for his mission? I thought he was on vacation," Mia asked as she sat across from Layla in a seafood restaurant by Maxville Bay. The two were accompanied by Warren, who sat beside Mia and was preoccupied with his phone, where he was reading mission files sent to him from the IAS headquarters.

"Yeah, he is, but his archenemy Helios escaped from prison the other day, he couldn't say no to working on the mission," Layla replied, sighing. "Besides, I don't think he'll be missing anything, the doctor said I'm not due for another two weeks."

"Let's hope she's right," Warren added to the conversation. To him, Layla looked like she was going to pop very soon. Mia and Warren have been with Layla for the whole day, and both could see that she was having a hard time walking, getting up, sitting down, and well, everything else, due to her humongous belly.

Layla finished off her shrimp and vegetables and took a sip of her drink, "Well I haven't felt anything out of the ordinary really, just the usual disability that comes with this enormous thing," she laughed.

"That's why we're here," Mia joked and the two women laughed.

Layla got up to go to the bathroom and Mia went along with her, leaving Warren at the table so that he could pay for their meal.

Mia stood in front of the mirror as she fixed her hair, and waited for Layla to finish in the stall behind her.

A few moments later she heard Layla say in a weak voice, "Oh no, not now, not here."

Mia moved towards the stall door, concerned for her friend, "Layla? What's going on? Are you alright?"

She heard the lock on the door move, and Mia opened it cautiously. She saw Layla clutching on to her belly, wincing in pain.

"My water just broke," she said as Mia helped her out of the stall and steadied her on her feet.

Trying hard not to show her panic, Mia walked her out the door, "Let's go then, we have to go to the hospital."

"No Mia, I can't have this baby now, Will should be here," Layla panted as she stopped walking, but Mia urged her to go on.

"We're going to call him Layla, he'll be here soon," she reassured Layla.

"But his mission-"

"He'll be here," Mia said again, hoping to calm the pregnant woman's nerves.

She scanned her eyes out across the room to find Warren, and when she spotted him standing by their table, she shouted and waved her arms frantically.

"Warren! Layla's in labour!"

The occupants in the restaurant turned their way, and the staff proceeded on helping the very pregnant lady and her hysterical friends towards the exit. Warren ran towards the parking lot and quickly brought the car in front of the entrance, and he helped Layla onto the backseat.

He was on the phone with Will the instant he started driving towards Maxville Hospital for Superheroes.

"Will, you better get back here quickly, Layla's in labour," he said swiftly and he heard a thud and a yell from the other end. It seemed as if Will was fighting with someone.

"What!" Will yelled back. "She can't be!"

Another strangled yelp and Warren could tell that Will had just punched someone through a wall.

"Well, yes, we're taking her to the hospital now, so you might want to finish your mission quickly," Warren replied and heard more shouts from the other end.

"Tell Layla I'll be there I promise!" came Will's strangled reply and his phone disconnected.

"Where's Will?" Layla asked worriedly.

"He said he's almost done with his mission and he'll be here soon," Warren reassured her.

"He better be, he can't miss the birth of his child," Layla winced as she felt another contraction coming along. She gripped Mia's hand tightly and Mia briefly locked eyes with Warren on the rearview mirror.

"Drive faster Warren!" Mia asked, as she felt her arm go numb from Layla's grip.

"I am, we're almost there," Warren said as he turned sharply to the right, feeling the panic grow inside him. He had never been in a situation quite like this before; driving a pregnant woman in labour while his girlfriend hyperventilated beside her was completely out of his expertise.

Finally he screeched to a halt in the hospital parking lot, and the three got out of the car. Warren carried Layla to the doors, while Mia rushed ahead to arrange for healers. The healers recognized the three and they immediately called Layla's healer. They brought in a wheelchair to take Layla to the delivery room.

The three were left alone in the room while one of the assistant healers fetched more supplies. Layla was gripping Warren's hand this time, while Mia made the necessary calls to Layla's parents and their friends.

Layla felt another contraction coming along and she closed her eyes tightly in pain as the pain subsided.

"Where's Will?" she asked through gritted teeth and Warren looked at her worriedly. "I think this baby wants out very soon."

"He promised he'll be here soon, can you hold it in for a while Layla, just until he gets here?" Warren asked, panic clearly in his voice, and a sort of pleading look on his face.

Mia hit him on the arm as she got off the phone with Magenta and heard Warren's request, "For goodness' sake Warren, you can't tell a pregnant lady to hold it in."

An hour later, the couple slumped exhaustedly on the benches beside a private birthing room heard the cry of a baby. Moments after that they saw Will come out, a tired but happy look on his face. He had come to the hospital just minutes before Layla gave birth, taking over Warren's and Mia's roles as supports who had very numb hands from Layla's death grips. At least Will could take the pain more easily than their two friends.

"Hey guys, come in here and meet the new addition to our family," Will said to the two, who promptly stood up. Warren grasped Mia's hand as the two walked inside.

Layla was carrying a blue bundle, and when she saw the two come in she smiled widely in response.

"Mia, Warren, meet Cameron Stronghold."

Mia and Warren looked down at the sleeping baby in Layla's arms, and all their frazzled nerves, panic, and tiredness from earlier on that day went away. Layla handed over Cameron to Mia, who held the baby so delicately in her arms, a big smile on her face. Warren looked at the baby beside Mia, and a small smile appeared on his face as well.

"He has your red hair," Mia chuckled softly at Layla and Will, who sat beside each other on the bed.

"And Will's nose," Warren added lightheartedly.

The parents smiled, and as Mia rocked the baby slowly, Layla looked at Will and he nodded at her to go on.

"I can't thank you two enough for helping me out today," Layla said to the two.

"Anything for you Layla," Mia replied.

Warren held on to Cameron's tiny hand as he opened his eyes and moved slightly, "Yeah, it was no trouble at all."

Mia had to grin at Warren's comment, and Layla laughed in response.

"You two took it so well, considering we haven't gone through this before," Layla said and Will nodded fervently. "So we wanted to ask you something."

Mia and Warren nodded at her to go on as Mia sat down on the seat beside the bed, still holding Cameron.

"Will you two be Cameron's godparents?"

Warren and Mia looked at each other and smiled. They looked at their two very lucky friends and then at their new family member.

"Of course."

"We would love to."

The rest of Layla and Will's family and friends came in to see Cameron Stronghold later on in the night. For most of them, the day had been exhausting, especially for the superheroes who have travelled far to head over to Maxville. Upon seeing the new bundle of joy however, they all recognized that their work had been for something significant. If it meant they were keeping the world at peace for newborns such as Cameron, the next generation, then their work was worth it indeed.

TBC