Complete Chaos

036

Nurse Rose arrived in the room five minutes later.

Julia couldn't get back up on the bed on her own.

She was leaning on the small bed, her arms one on top of the other by the edge of the bed, her head resting on top of her hands. She rocked from side to side.

The pain was definitely stronger than twenty minutes ago. "Is the baby coming," Julia was able to ask.

"Let me check how dilated you are," Rose said, standing behind her.

Julia closed her eyes, trying to relax her body. She exhaled, making a loud sound.

"You're only 6 centimeters dilated." To begin to push the baby out, Julia needed to be 10 centimeters.

"Keep doing that. I'll go and call the doctor and get everything ready."

Julia didn't move her position. "It hurts," she grunted.

Steve was by her side, rubbing her back moving his hand in circular motions. He moved his hands up her back and started massaging her shoulders. They stayed like that for five minutes.

More nurses walked in, getting the room ready.

Julia moved her shoulders, growing uncomfortable, her body feeling heavy and hot.

"Can you not touch me, please," she said to Steve.

Steve stopped rubbing her shoulders and took a step back from her giving her room.

"Do you want to walk around the room," he suggested. She shook her head.

"Do you want to sit on the bed?" She shook her head, straightening up her posture, her hands resting on her hips. "I think sitting down is going to make the pain worse."

Steve looked around the room, thinking of something he could do to help her. Then he got an idea. "Do you want me to sing to you?"

Julia looked at him, squinting one eye from the pain, her baby hairs sticking to her forehead from her sweat.

"W-what." She wasn't sure she heard him right. "I can sing your favorite song. It makes you happy, right?" It was sweet of him to try to cheer her up in moments like this.

"I don't think it will work this time, but you can try," she said, letting out a grunt.

She turned around and started to walk, hoping it would help the pain go away.

Steve moved to her side, wanting to help her. He didn't know if she was alright with him touching her arm to help her steady her.

Even though Julia was in pain and began to feel a little dizzy, she saw how Steve was hesitant to touch her.

Earlier she felt overwhelmed by having him close to her, breathing near her ear. She held his arm, "I thought you were going to sing to me ," she said through the pain.

Steve cleared his throat, "You put the boom-boom into my heart. You send my soul sky-high. When your lovin' starts," he began to sing.

Steve wasn't a bad singer; she was able to smile through the pain. They walked around the small room doing a few rounds. It didn't help much with the pain, but it helped her with the dilatation.

"Hello, Miss Wallace," said Dr. Gray to Julia as he walked into the room with a nurse by his side.

"How are you feeling," he said, looking at the chart with her information.

"Exhausted," she answered honestly.

"It's not going to get easier from here. Rest every chance you get," he told her, finally looking at her.