The Doc

Chapter 19

Alice had originally put the pains to the back of her mind, thinking they were nothing but Braxton Hicks contractions. But as the day went on, she began to worry. Danny was out on a scouting mission with Buzz and a few others from the town and wouldn't be back for at least another day.

She and Joel had spent the afternoon in Tommy and Maria's house. It had been such a nice day, being able to celebrate Tommy & Maria's wedding anniversary with most of their friends and Alice didn't want to see it end, but the baby had other ideas. She looked at Joel just as a contraction came and without her saying anything, he knew it was time to go.

He felt remarkably calm about the whole thing, maybe because he'd been through it already and he knew the baby wouldn't come for a while. "You ready?" He asked her and she nodded. "Can you walk to the surgery?" He quizzed, being fairly certain she would nod and they would walk over to the surgery as normal. When she shook her head without so much as an argument, Joel suddenly realised that they did not have the luxury of time.

That calmness that he'd been feeling evaporated and he tried not to panic. "Is everything all right?"

"This little one is in a bigger hurry," She told him with a calmness she wasn't feeling.

Maria looked at Alice. "Al, are you having the baby now?"

She looked at her friend and nodded. "The baby's finished turning."

"Alice, you should have told us!"

Alice knew it was true, but believed they'd had more time. "I know."

There was nothing anyone could have said at that point to help the situation. Alice realised that they were out of time because her water suddenly broke. "Joel, I'm not going to make it to the surgery." She told him. "I'm having the baby now."

That was something he didn't want to hear. 

"You can't be havin' it now, when was the last contraction?"

"30 seconds ago. Joel, this baby is ready."

Oh my God. Joel thought. "Let's go back to the house."

"Joel, I won't make it back to the house." She said.

Like hell she was havin' this baby in his brother's house. "Alice..."

"Joel, please." She insisted. Alice was as stubborn as a mule and when she made up her mind, she wouldn't change it. 

"Al, are you sure about this?"

"I don't have a say in the matter anymore. This baby is coming now and I'd rather have it in the house than out on the street."

He was going to have to deliver his own baby, the realisation hit him. 

"Al, I've never delivered a baby before."

"I'll help you as much as I can."

-

Maria and Joel helped Alice climb the stairs to the huge double bed in the spare room and made her as comfortable as they could while Tommy cleared out the remaining guests. Maria positioned herself by Alice's head, holding her hand tightly and patting her forehead with a cold compress. Joel took a deep breath before positioning himself at the bottom of the bed.

"I can see the head!" Joel couldn't believe it.

Alice couldn't talk as the baby's head crowned and it took all she had not to cry out. This was always the hardest part for any of her expectant mothers and she didn't want to scare Joel any more than he already was.

When that was done, she knew it would only be a moment before their baby was born and she could relax.

"Al, what do I do now?" He asked.

"One shoulder has to come out first, then the other."

He followed her instruction and the next thing he knew their baby was in his hands screaming their little lungs out. He looked at Alice and she was lying quietly, with a smile on her face. 

"With lungs like that, I think he's goin' to be a drill sergeant." He joked. "It's a boy." He told her as an unnecessary afterthought.

"How is he, Joel?"

"He looks fine, love. He's got ten fingers and ten toes and we know he's got a strong pair of lungs." He said as he cleaned up the baby as best he could, cut the cord and handed the baby to Alice. "You did a great job." And he leaned over and kissed her.

The baby had fallen asleep and Alice closed her eyes. "You didn't do such a bad job yourself, Joel." She smiled and he kissed her again.

"Look at my little nephew!" Maria smiled softly, walking into the room with some towels and blankets. "You did good mama."

"What are you guys gonna call him?" Tommy asked, peeping around the door timidly. Alice made eye contact with Joel, who now had tears streaming down his face as looked at the newborn in her arms. He nodded and Alice smiled softly before she spoke.

"This is Luke Jacob Miller," she said. "Our son."