Thank you for the reviews! Keep them coming! I'd love prompts for the second large Domesticity arc that is coming soon. I've got some ideas in the works but would love to know what you all would like to see!
Sam got back first, carrying a bright orange book titled How to Land and Airbus A330 and Other Vital Skills for the Modern Man and a bottle of Aspirin. Sophie went to try and make conversation but another contraction hit and she could focus on nothing but the air coming in and out of her lungs.
Sam sat down on the infirmary bed next to her and started flipping through the pages.
"It's in here somewhere," he muttered.
Sophie's muscles stopped contracting and she was able to breathe normally again.
"You're positive you just have one baby in there?" Sam asked, swallowing a handful of aspirin and reading intently.
"We're positive," Dean said as he returned to the room and handed Sophie a bottle of Tylenol, "I've got Jody on FaceTime. I know it's not great but…"
"No. That's good," Sophie panted, "It's fine."
"You okay honey?" Jody asked.
"Been better," Sophie replied, "the whole giving birth alone in a snowstorm isn't my ideal scenario but…"
"You're gonna do great," Jody assured her, "I'm right here."
"Okay step one," Sam said, "Don't panic. Remember birth is natural. It says here, In the era of Tess of the d'Urbervilles a peasant girl might squat in the field to deliver her baby and then gather herself up to get on with the harvest. Birth is not an aberration…"
"Sam," Sophie tried very hard to keep her voice even, "Shut up and get to the part where they actually tell you what to do."
"Okay, okay," Sam agreed as another contraction took Sophie's breath away.
"Just breathe," Dean murmured, letting her grip his forearm while he stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.
"You're doing great honey," Jody offered, then asked, "She fully dilated?"
"When this one passes I'll check," Dean said.
Sophie relaxed as the contraction passed.
"So that was what…ninety seconds in between?" She asked.
"Something like that," Dean agreed, "Feet on my shoulders again. Sorry baby."
"You know what," Sophie gasped, wincing, "Don't even care if it hurts. Whatever we need to do in order to expedite this process is fine."
"Okay," Dean said, wiping his hand on the sheets, "She's at 10cm."
"So the book says that when contractions are less than two minutes apart and the cervix is dilated to at least four inches we need to get her out of bed so she can sit leaned back against the wall. Apparently that makes it easier?" He said.
"No that's right," Jody said, "When I had my son they still had you lay down but now in the hospital they won't let you. Takes longer."
"Quicker is good," Sophie agreed immediately, "Dean, help me up."
"Put something on the floor for her," Jody called through the phone, "Clean towels if you've got them."
Dean lifted Sophie into his arms and nodded for Sam to spread some towels against the wall.
"This right?" He asked as he set Sophie down with her back against the wall, getting her knees bent and her feet flat on the floor.
"I think?" Sam said, "They don't have an illustration of that part."
"Boys," Jody said, "She's gonna need someone to hold her hand and help her breathe and then someone else to deliver the baby."
Sam shoved the book in Dean's direction, a look of panic crossing his face, but Sophie shook her head and gripped onto Dean's shirt collar.
"You're the one who studied up," she said to Sam.
"You don't mind my being…down there?"
"If it looks anything like it feels there will be exactly nothing attractive about what's about to happen," Sophie panted, "I want this baby out. Now. And you're the best I've got."
"It's okay Sammy," Dean put in, brushing sweaty hair back from Sophie's face, "You've got this."
"Alright," Sam rolled up his sleeves and knelt down, "next time you have a contraction I'm gonna see if I can feel the baby's head. Okay?"
Sophie nodded, then arched her back and gripped Dean's hand, breathing hard.
Sam could just barely feel the baby's head. Couldn't see it yet.
"Okay," Sam said, checking the book where it lay on the floor beside him, "Can't see the head but I can just feel it. Now Sophie, next time you have a contraction I need you to push. Got it?"
"Got it," Sophie agreed, head lolling onto Dean's chest.
"You're doing great, Sophie!" Jody encouraged.
Dean just kissed her forehead. This might just be the most terrifying day of his life. And given he'd survived the apocalypse…multiple times…that was saying something.