A/N: This is part one of a two part scene. It can be difficult for some people to read, but it has to do with Sarah's first birth and the difficulties she faced. I hope you all are doing well, Please enjoy.

She hadn't felt right all morning.

Sarah winced and eased her heavy body off the couch to make her hundredth trip to the bathroom. Twinges in her back had made sleeping in the bed intolerable and she had moved to the reclining rocker they had bought for the baby's room. The upright position was the only one she could even dose in anymore. But it wasn't just her back, her legs had bothered her through the night as well. She counted it something like luck that Connor hadn't been home. He would have gotten no sleep with her constant tossing and getting up to pee – even less when he'd noticed she had gone to sleep in another room. And that wasn't acceptable with the longer and longer shifts he had to take on.

His residency had him basically working anywhere between eighty to a hundred hours now. Connor looked like an extra from the Walking Dead when he did come home. It worried her how burnt out he was becoming, but she hoped all the time he was putting in now meant that he would be around more when the baby actually did arrive because she wasn't sure how she'd handle everything without him.

A clenching pang pierced through her pelvis to her rounded belly, and Sarah gasped in discomfort. At thirty-seven weeks she was feeling all kinds of interesting things... none of them pleasant. The pang passed and she finished her shuffle to the bathroom. Once again, she found herself grateful that Connor wasn't there. She loved her husband, but he had taken to following her everywhere when he was home, and it was slowly driving her crazy. Yet, as she finished her business and leaned heavily against the sink counter that pang came again... This time a little more intense and she wished Connor was there.

Sarah groaned quietly.

Contractions... but it was too soon. The baby wasn't due for three more weeks. And God, that currently seemed too far and too close away.

She clumsily slipped her phone from her bra and turned on a timer as she pulled up the symptoms for Braxton Hicks. The Mayo Clinic page stated that the false contractions could be brought on by dehydration and Sarah knew she hadn't had much water – going to the kitchen had been too much effort.

Sighing quietly now, she shuffled down the hall and straight to the drinking glasses. It was as she was sipping the water that another contraction pulsed through her.

She growled in frustration, "I'm drinking water. Stop it."

She was too tired for this, but she clocked the time on her phone. About eighteen minutes. She refilled her glass and began to shuffle back and forth through the kitchen. Movement was supposed to help. It just made her feel tired and grumpy.

Yet, it felt like the universe was out to get her. Eighteen minutes later her belly contracted again, but this one felt like a punch to the gut, and she found herself white-knuckling the counter until it passed. Her heart thudded with unease, and she felt the first pang of fear.

This had to be Braxton Hicks.

Labor was too soon. She wasn't ready.

Sarah quietly heaved for breath and counted to ten as she vainly fought her anxious murmurs and continued her desperate waddling again.

At another eighteen minutes, another contraction swallowed her, and tears pricked at her eyes. She needed Connor.

SR: Hey. Do you have a minute?

She stared at her screen and prayed Connor responded. He didn't and she didn't know what to do.

She didn't want to call an ambulance that felt too dramatic. What if it was just Braxton Hicks and she was overreacting? But Connor would have a fit if he found out that she didn't reach out when she knew she needed help.

Her hand clenched and unclenched around her phone. It took less than a minute for her to scroll through her contacts and press on the hospital number. A strange tenseness enwrapped her as she listened to the ringing.

"Harborview Surgical Ward, Melissa speaking."

Sarah fidgeted. Melissa was one of the charge nurses. She hadn't actually met the woman in person but had spent enough time giving and receiving messages from her that she felt like she had known the nurse for years, "Hey Melissa. This is Sarah Rhodes. Do you happen to know if Connor is available?"

"Oh hey, Sarah. Actually, he stepped into surgery about forty minutes ago. The procedure he's standing in on will be going for a few hours. Is everything alright? Do you need me to get him out?"

Light concern coated the other woman's voice and Sarah was quick to reassure her, "Uh. No. No, don't pull him out. It's nothing that can't wait."

As if the universe was laughing at her another contraction seized her and she nearly dropped the phone.

"Are you sure?"

Melissa must have heard her pained gasp and Sarah quietly cursed, "Yeah. Just a food craving. Was going to send him to the store when he got off. I'll just text him. Don't know why I didn't think of that before, I think I'm just missing him. Sorry to bother you, Melissa."

'You're no bother, Sarah. Tell you what, if he gets a break, I'll have him call you. God knows that boy misses you too. He gets grumpy when he's been away from you for too long."

Sarah huffed a quiet laugh because she felt the same way. It felt like ages since she had heard her husband's voice, but really they had talked that morning, "I'll try and cheer him up for you then."

"Please do. Alright, hun, I got to run, but you take care alright?"

"Yeah, you too," Sarah murmured as she listened to the telltale click of the call ending. She rubbed absently at her belly as she felt the little one swish and fidget, "You're not done yet bug. It's too soon."

Yet, the next wave of contractions had her scrolling for her OB's number.

"Dr. Harris office, Susanna speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hi, Susanna. It's Sarah Rhodes. Is Dr. Harris available?" Sarah asked tightly.

"Are you a patient?"

Sarah blinked. She had been at this office a hundred times. Had visited just two days ago. She had spoken with Susanna on numerous occasions for various durations. She knew Sarah was a patient, but every single time she called this question was asked.

"Yes, Susanna, I am. You saw me on Tuesday." Sarah replied tiredly as tapped for the speaker function to keep an eye on the timer of her phone, "Can you get Dr. Harris, please? Or Anita?"

"Umm, hold for just one second, please."

"Wai -" The dulcet notes of hold music punctuated the line and Sarah wanted to throw the phone across the room. Irritably she snagged her water glass and sipped as she waited. It felt like an eternity passed before the line was picked up again, but Sarah was ever grateful that it wasn't Susanna that spoke.

"Sarah? It's Anita."

"Anita, hi." Sarah gasped in relief at the midwife's voice even as the muscles of her belly began to tighten again. She gritted her teeth and breathed through her discomfort.

"Sarah... Is everything alright?"

"No." Sarah answered shakily as this contraction seemed to linger, "I'm having contractions. Started at about eighteen minutes apart and are now about sixteen. Please, please tell me this is Braxton. It's too soon."

"Okay, how long have you been having contractions?"

Sarah eyed the clock on her phone, "About two hours. I've been trying to walk and drink water, but it's not helping."

"Are the contractions mild or are you in a lot of pain?"

"It feels like a giant Charlie horse in my pelvis that echoes up. If this is mild then I don't want to know what painful is." She pressed her head to the cool refrigerator door. She was hot and cold and just generally not comfortable.

"Okay, this sounds more like labor than Braxton. Is Connor there? We need to get you to the hospital to get checked out."

"No, he's in surgery right now." Sarah murmured, "I can get there in about twenty minutes though."

"Alright, get your things. I'll call the hospital to let them know you're on your way. Go straight to the Women's Pavilion Dr. Harris is already there for a delivery. Do you need me to call anyone for you? Or an ambulance?"

"No. No." Sarah answered shaking her head as she reserved an uber. The car would be here in eight minutes. Connor had made her pack a bag a week ago to keep in his car. He had been convinced she'd go into labor when he was home and that it would be in the middle of the night. Her husband had seen too many movies it seemed because it was the middle of a Thursday, "I got it."

"Okay, Sarah. I'm texting you my personal number. If you have any issues between now and getting checked in, just give me a call. I'll pick up right away."

Sarah nodded at the reassurance even though Anita couldn't see her. She was still vainly holding onto the hope of this being Braxton. It was too soon for the baby. They hadn't even settled on a name yet.

When asked later Sarah couldn't remember ending the call. She barely recalled the trip to the hospital. The next thing she really remembered was being in a hospital room with a blood pressure cuff cinching her arm and the nurse frowning severely as her numbers came back.

Her blood pressure was too high.

That wasn't good. That wasn't good for her or for the baby. Preeclampsia maybe? Sarah swallowed tightly. Her blood pressure had been fine at her last visit. She had no protein in her urine. Her heart lurched against the walls of her chest. She had been doing everything she was supposed to be doing. She couldn't - she couldn't be in labor now.

It's too early.

As if he knew she was about to spiral out of control her phone began to ring. She glanced at the screen desperate for the distraction and nearly sobbed as she saw her husband's face. He didn't know what was going on. She hit accept.

He didn't wait for her greeting as the ringing stop, but rushed on, "Hey Babe, I only have a few minutes before I go back in. Melissa said you called, and I saw I missed your text. What do you need me to pick up?"

Sarah barely remembered the lie she uttered to the charge nurse when she first called. She managed to rasp his name, "Connor..."

Sarah couldn't see him, but Melissa could. Connor's lax position at the nurse's station suddenly straightened. The fond smile on his face disappeared in an instant, "Sarah, what is it? Are you okay? The baby?"

He wandered a few feet away as he tried to contain the urge to grab his keys from his locker and drive home.

"No." Her watery voice came, full of quiet fear, "I'm in the Woman's Pavilion. I've been having contractions all morning. Connor, I need you."

Connor didn't waste any time. He sprinted for the stairway door unheeding of the attending calling after him. He could give a damn about a surgery that he was barely assisting on just then. His wife needed him, "What room are you in?"

"Umm 212, I think." Sarah whispered, "My blood pressure is 156 over 99. My contractions are thirteen minutes apart now. Dr. Harris wants to give me magnesium, but she hasn't been in to see me yet."

"It'll slow the contractions down, but it won't stop labor. She thinks you're in actual labor. This isn't Braxton?" Connor wasn't really asking, but he was because, like Sarah, he knew it was too soon.

"No. She doesn't think so."

"Has your water broken?"

"No. Not yet."

He barged out of the side door to run across the parking lot to the Woman's Pavillion. His ID badge granted him access to the second floor as he quickly scanned the room numbers. He didn't pull his phone away from his ear until he stepped into her room and her wary gaze met his.

Sarah sighed in relief and immediately reached for him, uncaring of her phone falling to her lap as he all but flew to her side, "Connor."

"I'm here, Baby. I'm here." Connor soothed as he frantically checked her over, mindful of the IV and monitor she had been hooked up to. She was too pale for his liking, "What happened? When did this start?"

Sarah tugged on his arm, not interested in being poked and prodded. It took a minute before he followed her silent instructions and found himself tucked onto the side of the bed with her. She wanted to be held. A flicker of fondness burrowed through his agitated fright and Connor softened. He pressed a kiss to her temple as he situated himself to sit more behind her as she came to rest against his chest, "Tell me."

"I've had a headache since yesterday," Sarah whispered, falling into his firmness. She breathed his musky scent in and felt some part of her begin to settle. Connor was here. It would be okay, "I didn't think much of it. I get headaches. Couldn't get comfortable last night. My back and legs kept bothering me, so I slept in the nursery."

Connor frowned and pulled back her blanket to eye her legs. Her feet and ankles were swollen – not uncommon with high blood pressure, but not a good sign to be sure, "We talked this morning. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was fine. Me being uncomfortable is the norm nowadays not the exception." She answered, she could practically taste his ire. This was why he followed her around the house now. She accepted the changes to her body for what it was – being pregnant. Connor tracked any change and raised alarms if she so much as sneezed weird, "It wasn't until I went to the bathroom that I felt the first contraction... that was three hours ago. I thought maybe Braxtons, but it kept happening. I called you thinking I was being ridiculous, that I was fine, but then I couldn't get ahold of you, so I called Dr. Harris. I got Anita and she told me to come straight here. And well..."

Well, here they were.

Connor bit back on his desire to hunt Dr. Harris down and get a full brief on Sarah's condition. She needed him here, not barking at her obstetrician to make her better. He tightened his arms around her and murmured in her ear, "We'll be okay, Baby."

As soon as the words left his lips a contraction seized her. She whimpered, curling her fingers into the fabric of his scrubs. Connor eyed her monitors, not liking how much her heart rate elevated. All her numbers were borderline with exception of her blood pressure. He slid his hand under hers as she slowly began to relax, linking their fingers so she had something more substantial to grasp than his scrubs when the next contraction hit, "Don't break 'em, I kinda need my hands for work."

A quiet snort left Sarah and she gently squeezed his hands, "Connor, I'm scared. This isn't supposed to be happening yet."

"I know." Connor murmured into her hair as he quietly did some math, "You're still a couple days away from thirty-eight weeks. It's sooner than we'd like, but you and the baby should still come out of this okay. You're technically considered at term now. He'll be a little small and they'll probably want to keep him in the NICU for a bit."

Sarah chewed on the inside of her cheek as she listened to him give a step-by-step of what would likely occur. These were the kind of things she needed. If she knew what to expect then she could prepare, "We haven't picked a name."

"Well, you've vetoed every name I've come up with." Connor muttered sagely, "I mean I think we could get away with Amadeus. Be a little strange, but that's kind of all the rage now anyway."

Sarah smiled reluctantly at his teasing. She knew what he was doing, trying to calm her and distract her, "Stop it. You're ridiculous."

"See, I give you a perfectly good name and you just shoot it out of the water." He continued unperturbed, "So, what have you come up with?"

"I like Riley," Sarah murmured, she didn't really, but she knew the reaction it would get from Connor.

He didn't disappoint as he shifted to catch her gaze and asked archly, "Riley Rhodes? Kid's begging to get his ass kicked."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Amadeus Rhodes made him bulletproof, did it?" She returned with a weary smirk.

"Alright, you got me there." Connor chuckled before he continued more seriously, "I was thinking maybe Malachy for his middle name."

"Malachy?" Sarah questioned curiously, the name was familiar, but she couldn't place why.

"It's my uncle's name." Connor said softly, "When my mom died, he practically adopted me. I spent my summers with him and his brood up in Canada. Anything that happened in my life- good, bad, big, small – he was who I called after my grandpa. Him and my cousin Jake. They kept me sane."

That's right Jacob Doyle. That's how she knew the name. She had met his illustrious cousin once. He was the very definition of a rascal as she recalled. She had to bail him and Connor out of jail during his visit, but still, she had been charmed. Her lips quirked up ruefully, "You mean your big brother Jake?"

Connor sniggered, "Technically, he's not wrong. DNA-wise we're closer to half-brothers than cousins."

Sarah twisted her head back to look at him in bemusement.

He shrugged, "My mom and my aunt were identical twins."

"Malachy," Sarah said slowly, tasting the name and its weighting sentiment to her husband. His Irish roots ran strong, and she was partial to the Gaelic names, "What do you think of Callum Malachy Rhodes?"

"Callum." Connor hummed, "I like it. Where did Callum come from?"

She didn't get a chance to answer as her breathing turned short and her hands clenched around his. Connor winced as she fought through another contraction. He murmured quiet instructions for her to take steady breaths and nearly got elbowed for his efforts.

The nurse appeared then. Double taking at the sight of him in bed with his wife before she ignored his presence and stepped forward to change out her IV bag for one with magnesium, "Dr. Harris is going to be in a few minutes. She'll take another BP reading and we're going to draw some blood."

"Can we get her some oxygen?" Connor asked, ignoring the way Sarah pinched his hand to get him to shut up, "I don't like her saturation levels and she's too pale."

"I'll have to run it by Dr. Harris first, but I don't see that being an issue Dr. Rhodes." The nurse said kindly, happier that he was in here with his wife than out there harassing the nurses like other doctors had been known to do when it was their wives in labor.

"Thank you." He murmured as she left before turning his attention back to Sarah, "What was that pinch for?"

"I don't want one of those stupid cannulas shoved up my nose. I'm uncomfortable enough as it is." Sarah muttered wearily and shifted to find a good position again.

"Tough. I'm not budging on this, Babe." Connor said firmly as he nudged her to sit up. He slipped his hands to her lower back and began to gently knead, "How's that?"

"I think that's how we got into this." Sarah groaned as she leaned into his touch. Her knotted muscles sang in delight at his delicate massage, "I'd do you now if it didn't mean moving."

Connor smiled and brushed his lips to her crown, "Just hang in there, okay? You can do me later."

She scoffed, "If you think I'm going to let you touch me after I push this person out of my body, then you're insane Rhodes."

"So, we're never having sex again?" He asked amusedly, "I'd like to know if I need to take a mistress."

That did earn him an elbow, "Don't even joke. Cheat on me and they won't find your body."

"Yes, Dear," Connor replied dutifully. He grinned as she mockingly scowled at him, "I love you, crazy lady."

"I love you too." She murmured back softening. She felt suddenly dizzy and tired. She wanted to nap, but she also wanted something to drink, "Can you get me some water, please?"

It surprised her when Connor shook his head, "We need to wait for your doctor. I think you're supposed to just be getting ice chips, but she may allow a small glass."

Sarah groaned and fell back against his chest, "I hate this. Can we go home, please?"

"Ten minutes between those contractions and I don't like your numbers, so no." Connor stated calmly if stoutly, "Our little bug's coming whether we like it or not, Babe."

'It's too soon." Sarah muttered again, closing her eyes, "...You timed my contractions?"

"Of course." He murmured, "Think I'm going to do anything other to pay attention to you?"

As if to protest this statement his phone began to ring. He was content to ignore it, but Sarah merely arched a brow at him in annoyance. Connor sighed. He knew who was calling, but he didn't want to talk to his attending until after he had been able to speak to Dr. Harris. Reluctantly, he answered, "Dr. Peters."

"I'm assuming your house is on fire and that's why you ran out here like a bat out of hell, Dr. Rhodes?" The older doctor's voice queried drolly over the line.

Connor coughed awkwardly, feeling a little too much like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar at that tone, "My wife has gone into labor. Early. I'm in the Woman's Pavillion with her now."

There was a long pause that was uncharacteristic of his mentor before he was quietly asked, "Is she okay?"

Connor gazed worriedly at Sarah. She had only been half-listening to his conversation and seemed to have grown even paler. He could tell that she was focusing on her breathing, and it was taking all her strength, "No... not really."

"I'll have you removed from the rotation, and I'll contact administration. Let me know if there is anything I can do, Connor."

The use of his given name jolted Connor a bit, he didn't think he had ever heard the older doctor use it. He swallowed tightly and nodded, "Yeah, thank you, Dr. Peters."

"Just take care of your family. I'll check in later." Dr. Peters said squarely, hanging up the phone before Connor could reply.

It didn't matter, his attention was on Sarah like a hawk. He brushed her curls from her face and tried not to frown at the clammy feel of her skin. He knew labor was difficult, but this couldn't be normal. At that moment he wished he had gone into obstetrics instead of surgery. He and Sarah both had devoured as much medical literature on pregnancy as humanely possible but reading only allowed so much. Experience was the better teacher in medicine.

"Baby?" He pressed softly, "How you're doing?"

Sarah moaned pitifully as she fidgeted restlessly, "I want to stand."

Connor shook his head, "You can't. It'll just exasperate your blood pressure."

"Can I get something for my headache?" She whispered, already expecting to hear a negative on that too.

"Yes. I can get you some aspirin for that."

The couple looked up to see Dr. Harris coming in the doorway. She crooked a weary smile at the couple as she came to Sarah's side. She pulled the BP cuff from the wall and began to take a new reading, "Sorry for the delay, Sarah. Delivery took a little longer than expected. Now, how long have you had this headache?"

"Since yesterday." Sarah mumbled, ignoring the way Connor was craning to get a look at the BP gauge, "Contractions started about four hours ago."

"Have you been nauseous? Any vomiting?" Harris questioned as she began to gently press on Sarah's stomach.

She shook her head and winced as the doctor's prodding touch sent a bruising pulse through her abdomen.

Dr. Harris was perceptive though and paused as she asked, "That hurt?"

"A little," Sarah admitted, feeling Connor stiffen behind her.

Her doctor nodded and backed off. She called for the nurse and pulled the stirrups for the table out, "Okay, Sarah, you know the drill. Feet up, scoot as close to the edge as you can comfortably get. Nicole is going to get some blood from you for a platelet count and to check enzyme function. You are showing signs of preeclampsia which is worrisome and why I have you on magnesium sulfate. I'm going to see how much you've dilated, so we can decide on a course of action."

"She hasn't had any of the symptoms during her pregnancy." Connor spoke quietly, his frustration clear, "Her blood pressure has always been good. None of her prior visits showed any proteins in her urine. She'd get headaches occasionally, but Sarah's good about resting when she feels off."

Dr. Harris shook her head as she laid a paper blanket across her patient's legs. Sarah didn't know why she bothered, everyone in the room knew what she looked like without pants on. Still, she used Connor as a pillow as she relaxed backward and felt his hands anchor her. She listened with half an ear to their conversation, happy to let Connor ask the questions on her mind as her dizziness grew worse.

"Symptoms don't always present, unfortunately. It's a condition that has a tendency of just cropping up when it feels like it." Dr. Harris explained as she pulled her tray of implements to the side and gave the nurse room to get to Sarah's side.

Sarah lifted her arm with little thought as her vein was found and tubes were quickly filled with her blood. It looked rather dark to her, but she couldn't be sure. She became too distracted by the prodding between her legs and stifled a sigh as something decidedly not fun was pressed into her. She felt too sensitive for this examination and winced as her walls were pressed a little wider.

Sarah was rocked by another contraction and swore she felt her insides slam down onto her pelvis. She didn't know how to describe that too sharp and too blunt pain.

"Seven centimeters." Dr. Harris said quietly.

Sarah barely heard her as Connor whispered quiet encouragements in her ear. She didn't realize she was crying until she felt the harsh wipe of a tissue brush her cheeks. She smiled wanly at her husband, "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Connor's lips pressed into a firm line, because she wasn't, "Aspirin?"

Harris nodded, "We'll get her some. And some water. No food. Her BP is still high. I'd like to get the results of her blood tests back, but we may need to perform a c-section."

Connor nodded in understanding and gently cradled Sarah, "Did you hear that, Babe?'

"Yeah." Sarah mumbled unhappily, "How long can we put off that decision?"

Dr. Harris hesitated, "Your water hasn't broken, but that's likely to change soon. If you don't dilate to eight centimeters in the next hour, then I'd say you have some time. A few hours at the very least. I'm more concerned with your blood pressure. I'd like to see that come down, but if it keeps going up, we're taking you back and performing the c-section."

Sarah sighed meekly, "Okay."

"I know it's hard, but try and rest, Sarah. I'll be back to check on you soon."

Sarah didn't bother to watch her leave but moved to give Connor space to get up. This was happening whether she wanted it to or not and that meant she'd need her things, "Go get my bag from your car, please. It has my headphones in it."

Connor was reluctant to leave her. Slowly, he eased off the bed. It wasn't until he added another pillow behind her, found a spare blanket, and got her a small glass of water that he left. She looked too small and frail in that damn bed. He wanted to bundle her up and take her home, even knowing that wouldn't help anything.

When he came back Sarah was glaring petulantly at him. A nasal cannula was fixed to her face. They had gotten her on oxygen, "I kind of hate you right now."

Connor rummaged through her bag and pulled her headphones out in appeasement, "I know, but I'm glad you're humoring me."

Sarah sighed and accepted the thin wired device before she looked at him worriedly, "What if something happens to him? I want him to be okay, Connor."

"Hey..." Connor grabbed the box of tissues and placed them on her lap. His heart broke as she began to quietly cry. He hadn't seen her this scared since she had told him that she was pregnant... and that was nothing compared to this. He pressed his face against hers, "Don't do that. This stuff happens. You're at term. He's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. I won't allow for anything else. And you know how stubborn I can be."

Sarah continued to sob.

"You gotta hang in there, Sarah." Connor whispered pressing his lips to hers, "We'll be okay. We'll be okay."

But even he was having trouble believing those words.