Prompt: Brilliant
Rating: K+/T
Hours one and two were hard.
Three and four were difficult.
Five and six were somehow, unbelievably to Jess, even worse.
When it got to hour seven of being in the medical bay with no sign of her baby, Jess was ready to give up.
She was exhausted, every muscle in her body aching and demanding she rest but every time she tried to close her eyes, she'd feel another contraction begin and instantly be awake again.
She was only just eight centimetres dilated so it was far too early to push no matter how much she wanted it to be over.
"This can't be normal," she mumbled, not really sure who she was talking to. "This can't be right."
"I'm afraid it is, Mrs Becker." The nurse who'd been left by Doctor Ellis to tend to her gave her a friendly smile that Jess wanted to wipe off her face. "It's your first child. There's no rushing these things, we just have to wait for nature to take its course."
"It needs to take its course faster," Jess ground out, leaning forward as she felt her muscles begin to cramp once again. "I can't do this. I can't."
"Yes, you can." Becker, having re-entered the room after leaving briefly to give their waiting family and friends a quick update, was beside her in an instant, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. He clasped her hand in his, lifting it to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. "You're doing great, Jess. It won't be long now."
"You said that three hours ago," Jess complained, knowing in the back of her mind that it wasn't her fault but unable to bring herself to acknowledge it. "I'm so tired, Hil. It's so hard."
"I know." He turned her hand in his and kissed her palm. "I know it is, sweetheart, and if I could trade places with you, I would but I can't." He lifted his other hand to cup her cheek, catching an exhausted tear that escaped from her eye with the pad of his thumb. "You can do this, Jess. You're the strongest person I've ever met and I know you can do this."
"What if I can't?" She whimpered, hating herself for it. "What if it's too much and I can't do this? I don't want to let you down. I don't want to let you or the baby down."
The sight of tears in her eyes and anguish on her face made Becker's heart ache. "You can. And you're not going to let me down, or the baby. You are brilliant, Jessica Becker. You are going to be an amazing mother to our child. It's just going to take a little longer than we thought it would, that's all."
She leaned into his hand, closing her eyes against the sting of tears in them. "I'm just so tired," she murmured, her breath catching in her throat.
"I know, baby." He shifted on the bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and letting his forehead rest against hers. "I know."
Another hour passed, painfully slowly. Near the end of it, Doctor Ellis returned and confirmed that though her labour had progressed, Jess still wasn't ready to push. Another thirty minutes later, however, and it was finally beginning to look like it was time.
"You can do this," Becker coaxed, letting her crush his hand as another contraction hit her slender frame. "You're strong, Jess. You can do this. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead as she fell back against the pillows, her breath leaving her in uneven pants. "I'm so so proud of you."
Jess tried to smile but it didn't last. Almost as soon as she started to relax, her body tensed again, the contractions coming quicker and quicker as she cried out.
"That was less than two minutes," Doctor Ellis announced, sounding excited despite the late – early – hour of day. "I'm just going to check you over again, Mrs Becker, but I think it might be nearly time to push."
"Oh, thank god." Jess let her head fall back onto Becker's shoulder when he shifted to sit behind her. She closed her eyes as the doctor began her examination, too far into her labour to get about being embarrassed about the situation. "Please, please tell me I can push soon."
Doctor Ellis straightened, a smile on her face. "You can. I'm just going to get the nurse back in here and then we can get this show on the road, okay?"
"Okay." Jess opened her eyes when Becker moved so she could see his face. She smiled at the tender expression on his face, at the way he looked at her with such adoration in his eyes. "It's nearly time," she murmured, lifting a trembling hand to touch his cheek. "We'll meet our baby soon."
"I know." Becker leaned in to kiss her gently, lovingly. He only broke away when the door opened again, admitting Doctor Ellis and a nurse, a different one from earlier. Squeezing Jess's hand, he slid off the bed to stand beside her, their fingers still clasped. "Whatever you need, I'm here," he vowed quietly. "Scream at me, shout at me, break my hand if you want to. I'm here, sweetheart, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
To be continued in 'Arrival'