8:15am

Sam and Tom had just been shown to their room where they would be staying until the birth of their babies which would hopefully be at an elective Caesarian at 34 weeks. Thankfully, Mr T had organised for there to be a bed in the room that was designed for bariatric patients so it was extra wide and could easily accommodate the couple, even if Sam was heavily pregnant. Along with the bed, there was an ensuite bathroom, a comfortable reclining armchair and a few cupboards for storage.

Unfortunately, Tom had to go to work at half past but they'd have to get used to it because Tom would be working right up to the babies' birth because of the ridiculous paternity leave rules.
"Well, this room isn't too bad is it?" Tom said as he lifted the three large holdalls onto the bed - one contained Sam's things, another for Tom's and the third contained food supplies for Sam's high calorie diet.
"Nope." Sam replied simply as she began lowering the wide bed so that she could get on it by herself. She was only 24 weeks, but carrying eight babies twenty four hours a day, seven days a week was exhausting. As Tom began to unpack their bags in the bedside cupboards, Mr T and a nurse came into the room.

"Right Sam, we need a blood sample, urine sample, and we need to hook you up to a BP monitor and I just want to perform an ultrasound okay." Mr T explained.
"I'll do the urine sample first." Sam stated because she was bursting however Mr T stopped her.
"No, it's probably best that we do the ultrasound first while you've got a full bladder." He stated. Sam sighed before she climbed onto the bed with her husbands help whilst the nurse prepped the ultrasound machine. "Right, just so you know, you are high risk for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia so we will be monitoring your blood pressure and urine to check for protein. And I want you to make sure that you tell someone if you have blurred vision, headaches, vomiting or if you feel unwell okay?" Mr T explained as he put a blood pressure cuff on Sam's upper arm.
"Yep." Sam nodded.
"Right, I'll stay for the ultrasound but I'd better be heading off after.' Tom said quietly to his wife.
"Okay, we'll get a move on then." Mr T smiled as he put the lubricating gel on the transducer probe and then placed it on Sam's bump after she had rolled her shirt up. He began at the very bottom of Sam's bump and worked his way to the top like usual. "Right, baby A is looking good... Baby B is- ooh, they're on the move." Mr T smiled as he felt his hand being jogged slightly.
"I know." Sam smiled to herself as she focused on trying to work out who was moving, though she never really knew, it was just fun to do. Mr T waited until they stated still before he resumed the scan.

"Right, Baby B just kicked his brother by the looks of it." Mr T couldn't help but smirk, neither could Tom. "Baby C's spina bifida is looking pretty much the same. I think considering his size, it may be a week or two after birth until we can operate on him. Baby D..." He paused for a few moments as he searched around Sam's womb before he took the probe off of her. "Right, they're all the same pretty much. But Baby F and Baby H are still very small." He explained as Sam wiped the tell off of her bump and then pulled her shirt back over it.
"Okay." Sam nodded as she held Tom's hand.
"Right, nurse do you want to take the blood sample please?" Mr T suggested and the nurse did so by taking a small amount of Sam's blood from her arm. "Okay, now urine sample." Mr T ordered as he handed Sam a small tube. She took it and slowly waddled to the ensuite. A few minutes later she returned and handed the pot of pale yellow liquid to her consultant before she climbed back onto the bed. "Thank you. Right, now I don't want you to get out of bed for anything other than going to the toilet, and if you want anything just press the buzzer. I'll leave you to it." He said before he and the nurse left the room.

"Right, here's your laptop and one of the parenting books." Tom stated as he took them from the bag and put them on the beside table. "And here is your lunch and snacks." He stated as he placed a plastic container and a bag of various bits and pieces for her to eat besides it. "Is there anything else you want before I leave?" He asked as he pulled his jacket on.
"A hug?" Sam asked and Tom smiled as he went besides Sam's bed and pulled her into a hug, though their chests never got anywhere near each other anymore because of her bump; he could only just manage to wrap his arms all the way around her. "Go on, off you go. Otherwise Zoe'll be on your tail." Sam stated as she eventually pulled away.
"You sure you're gonna be alright on your own?"
"Tom, I've got nurses serving me hand, foot and finger, I'll be fine." Sam stated. "Besides, I'm not on my own, I've got these eight to keep me company." She said proudly as she patted her bump.

"Right, I'll come and see you at lunch." He stated as he pecked her on the cheek before he quickly made his way down to the ED. Once he had gone, Sam pulled out her stethoscope from her bag and planted it on the top of her bump just under her bra. She could tell that she was already favouriting baby H and she felt guilty about it, but she just felt that the smallest girl was going to be her 'little girl' as she listened to her fast heartbeat. Listening to the steady, gentle thump, distorted by the amniotic fluid, Sam slowly let herself fall asleep...

6pm
Tom was sitting next to Sam on the bed, talking about baby stuff when Sam suddenly leant forward and clutched her bump.
"Ah." She muttered.
"Sam? Sam what's wrong?" Tom asked worriedly as he repeatedly pressed the button for a nurse to come in.
"I..." She finally let out a deep breath before she settled back into Tom's arms. "No no no no no that... No it's too early it can't be." Sam said quickly.
"What? Was that a contraction?" Tom asked.
"I think so." Sam admitted and Tom grabbed his wife's hand for support when a nurse burst into the room.

"Get Mr T now. Tell him it's urgent." Tom ordered. The nurse nodded before she sprinted out of the room. "It's alright, just stay calm." Tom said softly as he rubbed Sam's tensed back. "Do you want some water?" He asked but she shook her head - she could do nothing but fear for her babies.

Mr T burst into the room to find Sam sitting upright on the bed with a face of pure panic. Whilst her husband was presumably trying not to panic as he rubbed her back.
"Right, what's happening?" Mr T demanded - he couldn't let her have the babies then, it was far too early becuase she was only 24 weeks and the babies would be almost certain to die that prematurely.
"We think she had a contraction um just a few minutes ago and it lasted about twenty seconds." Tom explained quickly as he jumped off of the bed and then laid it slightly flatter.
"Okay Sam, can you just roll your shirt up a little bit for me please?" Mr T asked and Sam nodded as she pulled her shirt as far up as she could - she had to do everything she could to prevent her babies coming at that moment and to her, even a couple of milliseconds mattered. Mr T rubbed his hands together to warm them up before he gently palpated Sam's abdomen right at the bottom which made her feel uncomfortable. "Right, have you had any more back pain than usual?" He asked and Sam shook her head. "And it was just the one contraction yes?" He asked and Sam nodded. "Well it might've just been a Braxton hicks contraction. The first ones can definitely startle mums sometimes when they're not sure what it is." He explained.

"It wasn't Braxton hicks, I know what they feel like. I can't go into labour now, it's too early." Sam looked pleadingly at the consultant as Tom could only watch and do nothing.
"Okay, don't panic. Have you had your show?" He asked.
"No."
"Have you had an increase in the amount of discharge you have? Or an upset stomach or loose bowels?"
"No nothing like that." Sam relied quickly.
"Well it's pretty unlikely that you're in labour. But don't worry, we will be keeping a very close eye on you tonight okay. Now your blood and urine samples from earlier came back fine so I think it's just a false alar-"

"Aah!" Sam interrupted as she bent over again and hung her head. Tom leapt forward and placed his hand on her back, whilst Mr T placed his hand on Sam's bump, only to be relieved by what he felt. A few moments later, she straightened back up again, but she was looking even more worried than she had been before.
"Right Sam, I think this is just false labour." Mr T stated.
"How do you know?" Sam asked.
"Because false labour contractions start and finish in your lower abdomen whereas actual labour contractions start in your lower back and spread like a wave through you until they reach the front of your stomach." He explained and Sam closed her eyes as she felt like an idiot. "Don't worry, it's perfectly understandable for you to panic. But I think all that's required here is for you to drink plenty of fluids this evening, and a warm bath should hopefully stop the contractions."

A mere ten minutes, and two infrequent 'contractions' later, Sam was in the birthing pool in her ensuite bathroom in the really warm water as she sat on on her husband's naked lap sideways, because in water she was weightless. Neither were wearing anything as they relaxed in the large tub and for both, the water was relaxing their muscles after a long day.
"Are you feeling better now?" Tom asked curiously as he stroked her wet hair; her body was perpendicular to his as she rested the side of her head on his chest.
"Mmhmm." Sam mumbled sleepily.
"You lot gave us a right scare, you did." Tom said softly as he wrapped his arm under Sam's bump.
"How do you just talk to them like that? I just feel like an idiot if I do it." Sam admitted.

"Well, the only people here is you and me. And just think, if our babies get used to our voices, then we might be able to settle them in NICU when they can't be held. I mean, they'll know your voice because they listen to it all the time which is why I try and speak to them every day. But look, if you feel stupid, why don't you just speak to me about them, and I'm sure they're listening." Tom suggested.
"But I don't know what to say."
"Alright then. Answer this: who do you think is going to be more cheeky? Boys or girls?" Tom asked.
"Definitely the boys, if they take after you." Sam stated.
"Are you trying to say that daddy's cheeky?" Tom queried and Sam couldn't help but laugh. "What?" He protested.

"How do you not feel stupid?!"
"Alright then, we'll leave it there. Tell you what, when I read them their story tonight, you can join in."
"Okay then." Sam nodded reluctantly.
"Y'know, you're actually lucky about being on bed rest because we've got air con in here, and there's a heatwave outside and it's only the beginning of June." He stated. Summer had already arrived and outside was absolutely scorching - presumably to make up for an extra wet winter. "Speaking of which, it's our six month wedding anniversary soon." Tom smiled.
"Don't go getting presents or cards or anything like that, it'll just be a waste of money that we'll need for the babies." Sam stated.
"Okay. How about we just have a nice meal? I could order in a takeaway or I could cook a homemade meal, it's up to you." Tom offered.
"Um... How about we just watch a movie in here and have one of them party food boxes from tescos that's got the various chicken bits in with potato skins?" Sam suggested.
"Yep, that sounds fine to me." Tom nodded.

Sam and Tom were laying in the extra wide hospital bed in their nightwear under the thin sheet. Tom had one arm around his wife, and used his other to hold the small story book.
"Right, you settled?" Tom asked.
"Yep." Sam nodded so Tom opened the book to the first page. "Just to make it clear, I am not doing the voices." Sam stated.
"Why not?" Tom protested.
"Because the whole point of this was so that they'd get to know my voice, and so that I didn't feel stupid." Sam stated sternly.
"Alright then. No voices." Tom reluctantly agreed and glanced at her before they both began reading to their eight children.
"Once upon a time..."

Thanks for reading, please review :)