Following the Stars

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Six

Three weeks later...

"No Jack nothing has happened yet... course I'm sure! Yes I promise. I will call you instantly. Ok I love you and stop annoying your sister! Bye!" Johnny said hanging up the phone. "I think he's getting a tad impatient." He said to his wife. "He's not the only one." She smirked laying beside him in bed. "How you feeling?" "A little nauseous still and my back is killing me. Nothing new though." "I told you we over did it." He said chuckling. "Johnny, having sex is not overdoing it. In fact they encourage it... and besides what's a girl to do lying in bed day after day with her handsome husband just strutting around looking insanely sexy." "I don't strut." Johnny said resuming his reading. "Ok but you admit you're sexy?" "I don't see it myself." "Well take it from me then. I'm a very lucky woman." She giggled.

A few hours later, it was close to midnight, and Lexie got up to use the bathroom. Johnny stirred from beside her, he had been reading and sketching for hours lying by his wife who had been dozing. "Doll?" He asked quietly. "I just need the toilet.. again!!" She huffed as she managed to manoeuvre herself off the bed with great difficulty. Johnny sat up to assist her but she turned "I'm fine honestly." She was extremely independent and still wasn't used to having help with basic tasks. She headed into the bathroom and did what she needed to do before making her way back out towards the bed. Half way across the room she stopped, and placed her hand on her bump, she felt uncomfortable and strange, when she felt a gush of water trickle down her leg. She gasped at the sensation, surely not? She had read many books about pregnant women loosing all control but surely she wouldn't be one of them? Johnny watched and moved his glasses down his nose. "Are you alright?" He asked calmly. "No.. yes. Well I don't know." "You don't know?" He asked concerned. "I think my water just broke.. that or I've just wet myself." She said giggling nervously.

"Oh Jesus fucking Christ. Are you sure?" Johnny said jumping up from the bed. "No I'm not bloody sure Johnny! I've never done this before!!" "Ok ok ok. Calm down, breathe, come sit down." "I don't want to sit down. I want to change." Lexie said panicked. "Shall I call the midwife?" "And say what I think my wife just pissed herself? Surely I should just keep an eye out for contractions?" "God I wish I read that book you got me!" Lexie's eyes widened. "You didn't read it??" "I skimmed it.." "Johnny!!" "Well I'm already a father of two I thought it would be ok." Lexie quickly cleaned up and changed, before sitting back on the bed. She stroked her bump with her eyes closed and took deep breaths. Johnny grabbed his phone and fired off some texts.

Pretty sure Lexie's waters just broke, think she's in denial. Ready the team. JD

Will do boss man. Travis and I will be there when you need us. Mark and Malcolm on back up. Still planning a sneak attack?

Yes very much so, sneak into the hospital and hopefully out without anyone knowing. Thanks man.

An hour later Johnny had noticed his wife was getting more and more uncomfortable. She had changed position more than a dozen times when he saw her finally relent and say "Johnny.. I'm cramping." "That's the start of contractions. I'm calling the midwife"

Two hours later, Lexie was attached to various machines in a private hospital room whilst Johnny paced. "I don't like that they checked you and then quickly disappeared again." He said. Lexie sighed "Johnny, she has another mother in active labour she can't sit holding my hand all night." "But still.." "if that was us, you would want her to come running wouldn't you?" "Yes I guess.." "Now stop pacing and come sit with me. Baby misses their Daddy." Johnny smiled sweetly before approaching the bed and sitting on the edge of it kissing her head.

"So yes your waters have broken but we are yet to see an actual contraction yet. I can't keep you here but you are at risk of infection now that the waters have gone, so my advice would be to stay in." The midwife said. "Well we are here now, and every time we move we are scared the press will find us so I'm ok with staying. Johnny?" Lexie said. "Yes I agree." "Well then my advice would be to rest as much as possible, anytime the pain gets too much Mrs Depp use this button and a nurse will come to see you, other than that, it's a waiting game." Johnny nodded thanking the midwife as Lexie laid back on the bed against the multiple pillows.

"It's been hours.. why doesn't the baby want to come out?" Lexie whined, she was overtired but couldn't sleep and was very uncomfortable. "I don't know darling, I'm sorry, I'm sure it will be soon." Lexie nodded snuggling into Johnny. "Everything aches." He moved so that he had better access to her back and gently began to rub the lower muscles making her groan in satisfaction. 30 minutes later, she had dozed off and Johnny was pleased to see his wife resting. He took this time to sort himself out, using the attached bathroom to freshen up and ditch his over shirt, leaving him in just a tee and jeans. It was stuffy in the hospital and he had been in the same clothes since they arrived just after midnight.

An hour later, he was pacing the room when he heard his wife "Johnny have you slept at all?" "No I haven't.. I'm ok. How do you feel?" "I'm ok. My tummy is starting to cramp again and my back is worse." "Shall I call a nurse?" "No it's not that much worse than earlier." "Ok darling.." "I am hungry though. Can I eat?" "I don't know I assume so? I'll check." Johnny headed out the room and was immediately approached by a fatigued looking Sean and Travis. "Well?" "Nothing. That baby will be hard boiled I imagine. She wants to know if she can eat so I said I would speak to somebody. Why don't you boys go back I'll call you if I need you?" "Sir you don't wanna be here unprotected do you?" "I guess not but maybe take it in shifts. We could be here a while." Johnny approached the nurses station. "Excuse me can I talk to somebody about my wife?" "Are you??" Johnny rolled his eyes. Not the time. "Yes, yes I am" "oh my god I love you!!" "Thank you." He said kindly. "But my wife.." "oh yes go on." "Well she's hungry but she's read you can't eat in labour?" "Let us come check her out sir."

"No Mrs Depp I would suggest something small, a Big Mac is not what I would call small." Lexie smirked at being scolded by the nurse, and Johnny hid his chuckle behind a closed fist. "Maybe a banana?" The nurse suggested making Lexie wrinkle her nose. "Yum." She said sarcastically. "Linda will be in again soon to check on you." Lexie nodded before the nurse left. "A fucking banana? I'm about to squeeze something the size of a fucking watermelon out of me and they want me to have a banana?" Johnny smirked at his wife. "I'll see if I can find you one.." "there's some in the hospital bag. I put them there today. Well yesterday." "God you do think of everything don't you?" He said rummaging through the bag.

It was coming up to 24 hours since Lexie's waters broke and still no sign of a baby. "I think we need to get things moving to avoid distress, I'll give you a little something in a drip that should bring on contractions." Lexie's eyes widened. "Is that necessary? I wanted to do things as natural as possible." "It will help nature take its course. Everything is fine with baby but we don't want them getting distressed do we?" Lexie shook her head looking scared. "Do what you need to do." Johnny grabbed her hand squeezing it tight knowing her needle phobia was far from cured but the mother to be took it like a trooper and the cannula was placed in her hand easily enough.

Three hours later. "Good god. That hurts." Lexie was sat up in bed holding the bump. "That stuff is good stuff then?" Johnny smirked stroking her hair out her face. "Not the fucking time Johnny." "Sorry love!" He stepped back "Don't leave me!!!" She said loudly and distressed. "I'm not leaving you I just wanted to grab your headband out the bag. Get your hair out your face." She smiled at how sweet he was being and nearly burst into tears. "I'm sorry." "God doll don't be sorry, you're pushing something the size of a watermelon out remember?" He chuckled. She laid back on the bed and kicked off the sheets. Her little cami night gown clung to her body enhancing her figure. Johnny turned round from the bag on the couch and admired her. "Woahh this is how we got into this situation." He said chuckling. "What?" "You looking this fucking sexy all the time." Lexie's eyebrows furrowed "Seriously? Now?" "Yeah.. I've often told you, you're even sexier to me carrying my child." "You keep your distance John Christopher Depp!"