23rd May 2013. So... we're about to go places I've never gone before... It's been a challenge... Enjoy!

Chapter 61.

It was mid morning on February 6th when things began to happen. Lauren was thirty seven weeks pregnant by this stage but had been mostly enjoying the last few weeks of her pregnancy. She'd felt a bit out of sorts since she'd woke up, well for the last couple of days if she was being honest so her and Joey had stayed at home because the weather was bad and she didn't really want to go out. They were lying on the couch watching a film when Lauren began to wonder. After mulling it over for an hour she lifted her head from Joey's chest and spoke to her husband, "Joe... I think I might be in labour..." she told him.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly, remaining calm, on the outside at least.

"I thought they were Braxton Hicks but they seem to be getting stronger and are definitely more frequent than normal. Do you think we should call the doctor?"

"I can if you'd like." He said, climbing off the couch and picking up her mobile from the table. He dialled the clinic and waited for it to be answered. "Hi. This is Joey Branning. My wife, Lauren thinks she might be in labour. She's pretty sure she's having contractions." He paused and Lauren watched as he listened to the voice at the other end. He turned to her, "How far apart are they, baby?"

"I've had three in the last hour." Lauren whispered. "They're pretty evenly spaced apart."

Joey was silent for a couple of minutes before hanging up and turning to his wife. "I'm going to get the things from upstairs. I spoke to the doctor and she wants us to go to the clinic now."

"My book says you don't go until the contractions are fifteen minutes apart... we aren't at that stage yet, Joe."

"She wants us to go there so she can check you out and with your health risks, she said it's better to do it sooner rather than later." Joey explained, crouching in front of her and gripping her hands in his. He could see the fear on her face and he just wanted to wipe it away... but he wasn't sure how to do that when he was as scared as she was.

"Okay..." she whispered eventually.

Joey kissed her quickly on the lips then stood and went up to their room. Lauren had packed everything she needed for the birth between Christmas and New Year to ensure everything was ready to go as soon as they needed it. Lauren heard him come back down the stairs and go out to the car. He walked back into the house and was soon standing in front of her, her coat in his hands. He helped her to her feet and then on with her jacket. Slowly they walked out of the house and into the car. As Joey climbed into the car and started the engine Lauren reached for his hand, squeezing it in hers. He watched her face, seeing the slight signs of strain around her eyes. He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her cheek, "You okay?" he asked once her hand eased her hold on him. She nodded and he started the car, quickly pulling out of the driveway and towards the clinic. "Should we call your mum?" he asked her.

"I think so..." she whispered.

Joey dialled the number for Booty and Tanya answered the phone, "Hi mum, it's Joey. We're on the way to the clinic, Lauren's having contractions so the doctor wants us to go there."

"Isn't this a bit early?" she asked worriedly.

"I guess." Joey said glancing at Lauren. He saw tears falling down her face and he squeezed her hand. She brushed her tears away angrily. "Anyway, we wondered if you wanted to come down there."

"I'll speak to Max and we'll be there as soon we can." She said, excitement clear in her voice, "I love you, Lauren. I'll see you both soon." She added before hanging up.

Joey pulled the car into the car park and in a repeat of a few months earlier Lauren's doctor was waiting with a wheelchair. She opened the door and helped Lauren out of the car and into the chair. As soon as the car door was shut again Joey pulled the car away and parked it. While he was getting out of the car and getting the bags from the boot he called his mum, telling her what was going on. He walked into the clinic, nervous excitement building inside him. Would today be the day he met his child?

*JL*JL*

Joey was shown into the doctor's office a while later as she'd been in the middle of examining Lauren when he'd first got there. The doctor had left the office a few minutes before he was shown in so he hadn't see her yet. Joey made his way to where Lauren lay on the bed, her hand entwining with his automatically. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, "What did she say?" he asked her softly.

"Well I'm definitely in labour." Lauren whispered. "I'm only about 1cm dilated and bump's head down... so I guess bump is going to be making an appearance sometime today."

The doctor walked back into the office and smiled at the prospective parents. "Right, Lauren... you'll be pleased to know there is no one in the birthing room currently so we can move you there now." Joey helped Lauren to her feet and into the wheelchair. He pushed her from the room, following behind the doctor into the birthing room that they'd seen once before. "So Lauren you need to change into whatever you've brought to wear and get into the bed. I'll come back in a few minutes or so and I'll put a foetal monitor on you."

"Can I use the birthing pool?"

"I'd like to monitor your contractions for an hour or so first and make sure bump isn't in any distress. Once you're a little more dilated you'll be able to use it. What I would suggest is you use this time to get some food and something to drink. You need to keep your energy levels up and you should probably try to get some sleep while you can. It could be a long night before bump makes its arrival, Lauren."

"Our parents are on their way here. My mum's going to be in the delivery with me and Joe but would it be okay for dad and Joe's mum to be in here for a while until I'm further along?"

"Absolutely. I'll get reception to show them through when they arrive." She smiled at them. "I'll leave you in peace for a few minutes so you can get ready." She walked out of the room.

"Can you get my stuff out of the case, baby?" Lauren asked him softly.

Joey opened the case and laughed when he saw a T-shirt that used to be his along with a pair of white maternity knickers and a dressing gown he'd been looking for ever since Christmas. "I wondered where these had both gone." He told her softly.

Lauren blushed slightly, "They're really comfortable..." she whispered. "Do you mind?" she asked.

He helped her stand, pausing slightly when he recognised the contraction that hit her. Lauren leant against him and Joey brushed his hand down her back. Once she relaxed again, "You know I like it when you wear my clothes, baby girl. Why would I mind?" He helped her change and then he eased her up onto the hospital bed and pulled the blankets over her. He pulled a chair closer to her and held her hand, kissing her fingers tenderly.

"I'm scared, Joe," she said softly.

"Why?"

"It's early... three weeks early, Joe. What if something's wrong with bump?" She wiped away a tear from her cheek, "What if bump isn't strong enough to..." she couldn't complete the sentence for the lump in her throat but she really didn't need to because Joey knew what she was trying to say.

"Has the doctor said anything to make you think there's anything wrong?" Lauren shook her head. "Let's ask when she comes back and see if there's anything we need to worry about... but I'm sure it's fine, baby girl. She didn't seem too concerned a minute ago."

There was a knock on the door and the doctor walked back in a few minutes later. "Okay, here's the machine that's I'm going to strap to your abdomen. This will measure two things. One thing is bump's heart beat. The other thing is the intensity and duration of your contractions. I'd like this to stay on for about an hour... this will give me an opportunity to get a better idea of how advanced you are and it'll mean you'll get a chance to eat and relax before the hard work starts. I've contacted your consultant and he's aware of the situation. He's not available for the next couple of hours but that should be fine, your blood pressure is pretty much normal at the moment so there's no urgency yet... if there ever will be."

"So you don't have any concerns that Lauren's in labour three weeks early?" Joey asked, brushing his hand over Lauren's.

"Well, ideally I'd have preferred it if we'd made it to the end but at thirty seven weeks, Lauren isn't actually classed as being in premature labour so bump shouldn't have any future issues. In some ways this might be better for Lauren as her heart is healthy right now and I can't promise that would continue as the weeks pass."

"So bump's going to be okay?" Lauren whispered.

"I can't promise that either, Lauren, in the same way I can't promise it to any new mum I treat." She said honestly, "What I can say is that so far I'm seeing nothing which makes me believe we have anything to worry about." She began to put the monitors on Lauren's abdomen, connecting the leads to the machine where the readings would be recorded.

"How long do you think it will be before bump's here?" Lauren asked.

"Again, that's a really difficult question to answer. At this stage I have no idea. You're currently only 1cm dilated and this is your first labour so it could be many more hours before you're fully dilated. Once you're at that stage it will just take a couple of hours to push baby out."

"That long?" Lauren whispered.

"That's why I suggest you get some rest now... because you will need it later." She glanced at the clock on the wall and seeing the time was almost midday. "If I had to make a guess, I think bump won't be here until the early hours of tomorrow morning at the earliest. I could be wrong, it's happened before, but that is what I suspect. So, get some rest Lauren." She squeezed Lauren's hand that Joey wasn't already holding and smiled at her young patient. "If anything changes or you want some pain relief, there's a button on the wall. Press that and I will be notified and a nurse will come in and check you're okay. Otherwise Joey or one of your parents can find a nurse at reception if you have any questions. I'll be back to check the monitor in an hour and to examine you again. As long as bump is in no distress and if you're up to 4cm dilated by then or the contractions have notably increased in frequency then we'll see about getting you in the birthing pool." She left them alone at that time.

"Lay down, baby girl..." Joey said softly. He helped her move so she was lying on her side, without disrupting the monitors strapped to her. A couple of minutes later Lauren felt another contraction, she thought it felt a little stronger than the previous ones but whether that was just wishful thinking she wasn't sure. Joey stood when he realised it had hit and he brushed his hand up and down her back, knowing it helped settle her. Lauren leant her forehead against his stomach, her fingers gripping the belt around his waist as she took a couple of deep breaths. She relaxed after about a minute and lay back down. Joey sat down and brushed his hand through her hair to try and get her to fall asleep. It worked because in the space of five minutes Lauren was asleep.

There was a quiet knock on the door about forty minutes later. Lauren slept through it but when it opened Joey saw their parents standing behind a nurse. "Come in, guys..." Joey whispered.

All three walked over to the bed, staring at Lauren. "Is she okay?" Tanya asked softly.

"Yeah, just getting some rest. The doctor's got her hooked up to a monitor to check on bump and measure her contractions."

"How long has she been asleep?" Lesley asked him, moving round to hug her son.

He glanced at the time, "About forty minutes, I guess. She had a contraction just before she fell asleep but she hasn't woken since."

Tanya had a quick glance at the monitor and saw the traces. She'd had one of these for both of the girl's births but having never made it to hospital for Oscar's birth hadn't had one for his birth. "She's still been having contractions," she told him, "They probably aren't very strong at the moment so she's able to sleep through them."

"Did the doctor say anything about bump being early?" Max asked.

"We asked. She's not too concerned at the moment. She thinks Lauren may actually be better for having bump now because her heart is healthy... and there's no guarantee that won't change." Lauren stirred on the bed and the parents stepped back, not wanting to crowd her. She opened her eyes and looked at Joey's face, her hand squeezing his as she inhaled sharply. Joey lifted her hand and kissed the back of it softly. She slowly released her breath a minute later, "Stronger one, baby?" he whispered to her, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. She nodded. "Look who turned up while you were sleeping?" he said softly. Lauren glanced around the room and saw their parents sitting across the room.

"Hi..." she whispered.

Tanya was first at her side, pulling her into a hug. Lauren, of course, got emotional as she felt her mum comfort her. Joey watched, slightly concerned but he saw Tanya shake her head slightly in his direction so he relaxed. "It's okay, sweetheart." Tanya murmured to her daughter. "Everything is going to be just fine." Lauren calmed after a couple of minutes and Tanya pulled away, to be quickly replaced by first Max and then Lesley.

Another knock at the door indicated another visitor and it turned out to be the doctor, "Hello again," she said to Lesley. She turned to Max and Tanya, "You must be the grandparents."

"Yeah. Lauren's our daughter. I'm Max and this is my wife, Tanya." Max said.

"So Tanya, you're going to be present at the delivery with Joey, I understand."

"If that's okay."

"Yes, it's fine. Of course, if we get into an emergency situation, you'll be asked to leave the room. We keep personnel to a minimum in those cases and dad takes precedence."

"That's fine." Tanya said with a smile.

"Right, now I need to examine mum... so if you can wait outside for a few minutes. You can come back in when we're all done." All three parents leave the room. While they're going the doctor is checking the monitor. "Well bump's heart beat is good and strong, Lauren. And your contractions are regular and getting stronger and longer. Well done." She moved back to the bed, "Now I need to do an internal examination of you to see how you're doing. I know you don't like these and this might be more uncomfortable than usual but I do need to check you."

"Okay." Lauren whispered.

The doctor did the examination of Lauren relatively quickly. "You're now 2cms, Lauren." She saw the disappointment on her face, "I know you hoped you'd have advanced more but actually slow and steady is better for you... it should make it less painful in the long run. If it's quick, it could result in tearing and the sensation of bump moving into place will be much quicker and much more painful. It's also more likely to affect your heart if this goes quickly. Now I'm going to remove the foetal monitor from you and I think you might find it useful to walk around for a while, that might stimulate the contractions a bit, without pushing it too quickly."

"And the birthing pool?" Joey asked.

"It isn't really beneficial until mum's about 4 or 5 cm dilated... Once Lauren gets that far... she can spend as much time as she wants in there."

Lauren breathed deeper as another contraction started and once it was done and the doctor checked the monitor again and she removed the straps from around Lauren and pushed the machine away from the bed. "Help me stand, Joe." Lauren said softly. Joey did as she asked and she took a couple of steps. "Can I go for a walk?" she asked the doctor.

"Yes, try not to be longer than about half an hour at a time. Do you want me to get a nurse to bring you some food?"

"Would it be okay if I got some delivered?" Joey asked, sharing a smile with his wife.

"I think that would be fine." She smiled at Lauren, "I'll be back in another hour to see how you're doing."

Their parents came back in while Joey was on his mobile ordering five burgers and chips to be delivered about ten minutes after the doctor had left them. Lauren leant against him as a contraction began while he was talking. He put his mobile back in his pocket and helped Lauren sway slightly from side to side through the contraction. She sighed in relief once it had passed and kissed Joey's chest through his shirt, "Thanks baby."

"Do you want to go for a walk then?" he asked her, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"Do we have time before Maggie's food gets here?" she asked softly.

"She said it'd be about twenty or thirty minutes."

"Can we then? I want to try and encourage bump a bit."

Joey turned to their parents who were silently watching them, "We're going to go for a short walk... I've ordered us all some lunch and it's being delivered. I'll let the reception know as we go past and I'll leave some money there."

"Don't be silly, son. I'll pay. It's the least I can do for my children." Max said.

"Thanks dad." Lauren whispered. Joey took her hand in his and they walked towards the doorway.

"We'll be back soon," Joey said.

TBC

A/N: And so it begins... are you excited? Not as much as Lauren and Joey, I bet. Any guesses on gender or names? The story's already written so it won't affect anything but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. Back tomorrow...