Finding You, Looking for Me: A Henry Cavill FanFic

Part 20: Our Baby

I had settled into my hospital room around six o'clock that evening. I'd never been to a hospital in London before—I was surprised that the facility wasn't as plush as hospitals I'd seen in the States. I was nervous. Henry was excited, phoning our families and pacing the room as I rested in bed. The nurse had just left after checking me over, letting me know that my cervix was only dilated to 2cm, so we had some ways to go before this baby would join us. Paparazzi had gathered outside of the hospital, and snapped photos of us as we entered. Henry was in such an inflated mood that he'd let them know that my water broke.

Between phone calls, Henry would sit in the bed beside me and hold my hand. We'd smile at one another—like the happiest fools.

It was about ten o'clock in the evening when I felt my first contraction. I was half asleep, and suddenly my eyes shot open, and I bit my lower lip. Henry was dozing off in the recliner beside my bed, but I grabbed his hand and squeezed it—promptly waking him.

"Sarah," he breathed. He sat up, the concern visible on his face.

"Contraction," I said quietly, as held on to him. He squeezed my hand back and moved to sit beside me on the bed.

"I'm calling the nurse," he said, reaching for the call button. I nodded in agreement as I clenched my jaw. The pain radiated through my lower back.

A moment passed and the contraction continued, but the nurse arrived. She let me know that as soon as I was comfortable again, she need to check my cervix. After a few minutes, the contraction subsided. I felt a bead of sweat appear on my forehead. Henry noticed it, too, and grabbed a tissue to wipe it away.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. He looked shaken.

"Yeah," I responded.

The nurse was joined by my doctor. Dr. Shah was a small, South Asian man, with an impeccable English accent. I was surprised that he arrived so quickly that late in the evening. He was all smiles.

"Sarah, Henry," Dr. Shah greeted us, "how are you both doing, tonight?"

"Good," I lied, feeling drained from that contraction.

"We need to see how dilated you are," he let me know. He gestured for me to put my feet in the stirrups. I complied and then the doctor and nurse both gathered between my knees, as Henry held my hand and stroked my hair.

"You're at 10cm," the doctor let us know. "You know what this means," he said, smiling at me and catching my eye. He checked the baby's heart monitor, nodding in approval at the reading.

I nodded and looked to Henry. His eyes were wide, and he looked frightened. I pulled his hand to my mouth and kissed it gently.

"We're going to have a baby soon," I told him. As soon as the words escaped my lips, another contraction wracked through my body. I clenched my jaw and squeezed Henry's hand. The nurse moved towards him, with a paper smock, instructing him to put it on. He let go of my hand for a moment, while he adjusted it over his clothes.

The pain was excruciating. I remembered this pain from my pregnancy with Emily. It began in my lower back and radiated throughout the rest of my body.

The contraction passed, and I was left exhausted from it.

"On the next contraction, you're going to push, okay, Sarah?" Dr. Shah told me.

I nodded, and Henry grabbed my other hand in his. He kissed my cheek, scraping his beard on my face, and nuzzling me with his nose.

"Are you ready?" he asked me quietly. I could feel his smile.