Chapter 36

"What?!"

"well unless I've wet myself then, my waters have broken…" she said brokenly, looking down at the darkening patch on her leggings. "Call Mum…"

Doing as she was asked Sara called Tanya, who by no surprise, was completely fuming and less concerned by the fact her daughter had just gone into labour, but that she had left the house. "she's on her way" Lauren nodded, seemingly calm for the situation. "are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I guess it'll all be over soon"

*JL*JL*JL*

"Lauren? Are you ok ? are having contractions?" Tanya ran towards the bench in which Lauren and Sara were seated on about 10 minuets later . The panic evident in her voice. Lauren didn't miss the frequent glances around though, as Tanya tried to ensure they hadn't been spotted.

"Honestly Mum I'm fine, really I am. There's just a lot of small twinges, like Braxton hicks and my waters broke. Please stop panicking… your stressing me out" Lauren rubbed her stomach gently, imagining what her baby was going to look like, if she was actually a girl… then a thought hit her. would she get to hold her when she was first born, to name the baby… see her first smile, hear her first words.

"come on Lauren… we need to get you to hospital."

"I feel fine. Can't we just wait ?" she asked in hope, the longer she was away from the hospital the more time she had to ignore the whole "adoption" issue.

"don't be so stupid Lauren" Tanya snapped , Sara staring at her and seeing Lauren become very nervous. Sara moved to her niece lifting her chin so she could see her.

"Lauren, you really need to go to the hospital darling, the baby's on its way. The best place for both of you is in the hospital alright? You want to make sure Everything's ok yes? Then you need to go to the hospital" Lauren nodded weakly "that's my girl"

"come on Lauren, I've packed a bag it's in the car," Tanya said ushering her Daughter towards the path and to the car. Lauren followed as Tanya over took, not really giving a second thought to the speed she was walking, which was proving too quick for Lauren to keep up with.

"Lauren ?" Sara shouted "you'll do great"

Lauren froze and turned back to her aunt, "come with me ? ...please"

Sara was about to reply, knowing Lauren needed her support, but her phone sounded. She rejected the call and looked at Lauren sympathetically "it was Derek, I have to go darling."

Biting her lip she nodded and climbed it her mums car.

*JL*JL*JL*

As Lauren had guessed, when they got to the hospital they were told nothing was really happening. It turns out that the rupture of membranes doesn't automatically mean labour, after all- most women go into labour within 24-48 hours after their waters break and Lauren was pretty sure she was going to be one of those women.

They'd been at the hospital for about two hours, Lauren sitting more patiently than her Mum, on the bed. The door to Laurens room opened, Tanya walking in with Laurens social worker in tow.

"Lauren, nice to see you. I see baby's decided to make an early appearance?" the middle-aged woman smiled.

"Hi" Lauren replied weakly, glancing up from the book she was reading.

"Lauren, Helen's come to go through a few things with, to finalize everything, that ok?" the two elder women exchanged a look of concern, Tanya simply nodding.

"ok Lauren, now because the baby's a little early, we haven't had a chance to make sure everything was in place. So what's going to happen today is I'm just going to tell you what'll be happening from now on" Lauren looked up biting her lip. "I understand that baby's Father isn't on the scene?"

"he's not" Tanya said answering in place of her daughter.

Helen looked at Tanya "Mrs Branning, I really need for Lauren to answer the questions herself. Lauren?"

She shook her head "Joey's not going to be around...I don't think, he knows I'm pregnant though and his name will be going on the birth certificate"

"Lauren!"

"I'm sorry Mum but it will be, we might not be raising the baby, but we made her or him… he's the Father end of"

"By putting his name on the birth certificate Lauren, you will be giving him a right to stop adoption proceedings." Helen said sympathetically "He will have legal rights over the baby, and the adoption won't go ahead unless he agrees."

Lauren sighed, breathing through a contraction, the first one she'd actually felt properly. "that won't be an issue, he doesn't want anything to do with either me or the baby… he's living life at university "

"very well, we will still need his contact details though" Lauren nodded "as always with birth adoptions there's a 6 week period in which baby is still legally yours. This is what we call a cooling off period, where you can change your mind and the adoption won't go ahead"

"well that won't be necessary" Tanya mumbled from her position in the corner.

Ignoring Tanya, Helen continued "now, once baby is born, it says in your file, that it's been agreed Baby will be taken into temporary foster care, until the adoptive family have been contacted and informed is that right?" again Tanya nodded on Laurens behalf. A few tears strayed from Laurens eyes falling onto Helens paper work, and once she started she couldn't stop, and crumbled into a broken fragile young girl.

"Do you want to do this later Lauren?"

The young girl shook her head "I'm sorry, I can't do this…"

Helen placed her hand on Lauren shoulder offering some comfort. "Do what Lauren?"

"I can't go through with it, I don't want to have the baby adopted, I never have. I'm sorry Mum, I really am." Lauren sobbed as Helen tried to calm her down " I want to keep the baby…"

"no…" Tanya whispered brokenly and sped from the room leaving Lauren crying on the bed.

"you want to stop the adoption process?" Helen confirm

"Yes..." she bit her lip nodding. "am I allowed to do that?"

"of course you are Lauren... the baby is yours. I'm going to go and talk to your Mum and i'll be in contact to see how your getting on"

Nothing much happened after that for several hours. Lauren was slowly progressing in labour but the baby wasn't fully engaged. Every so often a surge ran through her and midwives would complete their checks, telling her she'd dilated only half a centimetre more each time.

She was on her own in the room again. Tanya having not returned since Lauren had confessed her feelings towards the adoption. Lauren had come to the conclusion she was in it on her own.

Lauren's finally stood up for what she wants ! Back tomorrow xx