Growing Together

Chapter 29

Warning: Childbirth in this chapter.

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G: Kao, can't wait. We are heading to the hospital.

G: Please hurry P'Pete!! P'Kao wants you to be here.
We just got to the hospital; the nurses took Kao back.

G: Mom's here. Where are you, Pete?

Pete had seen every single text that Gift had sent him, but they had all just made him all the more anxious to get to the hospital. Even though he was speeding and rushing, he felt like everything was just out to delay him even more. Cars switching into his lane making him slow down, lights turning red when he needed them to stay green, and even to find a parking spot.

When he had finally made it in, he rushed down the corridors following the signs to Labor and Delivery where he found Kao's mother, Mrs. Karn and Gift talking to a Nurse. "I'm so sorry for being so late," Pete had been all too quick to apologize to her before he was turning towards the nurse "How is Kao doing?" Pete had asked the moment he had joined them.

But before the nurse could say anything Mrs. Karn had placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "They're waiting on you. Kao wants you to be there with him during the delivery."

"Can I really?" Pete said asking the nurse this time.

"Yes, please follow me," The nurse said rushing him back towards the delivery room Kao was in. The nurse had helped him get gowned up before he was even allowed to walk into the room where the had Kao was laying down on the bed dressed in his gown. He looked absolutely miserable, but he had managed to smile at him when his eyes landed on him.

"Pete," He had let out in a trembling voice that just had Pete only moving closer to him.

"I'm here," Pete had said reaching to take his hand as he leaned down to kiss his temple. "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts, Pete..." Kao had whined out with eyes full of tears threatening to fall that had Pete just feeling sorry.

He had paid no attention to the nurses working within the room until he noticed one walking up towards the bed and told Kao that she was just going to check how far along he was. He had watched to attentively as the nurse had raised the sheets around Kao's legs and reached down between his legs. The moment Kao had winced and tightened his grip on his hand Pete had gotten a little upset.

"What are you doing to him?" He had asked thinking that she had hurt Kao in some way.

"I'm just checking to see how dilated he is, and from the looks of it he has been in labor for a while because he's almost ready to push. So it shouldn't be too long now," The nurse said with a smile as she covered Kao back up.

"For a while?" He repeated as he looked down at Kao. No wonder he had been so insistent that he stayed home today. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked with a small frown. "I would have stayed."

"I didn't know that was what it was..." Kao whispered as he looked at Pete. He had assumed it was just discomfort of the aches he had been feeling from how active the baby had been these last couple of days, or that perhaps he was just being needy. Pete was getting more comfortable touching him and kissing him, and Kao was really enjoying the attention.

Every contraction that Kao was having was frightening Pete just a little more each time. The nurses had seemed so nonchalant to an inexperienced first-time dad like him. They were all talking and just casually gathering equipment and blankets into the room while Kao was crying in pain with every contraction that came. Occasionally, the same nurse would come reaching between Kao's legs to measure him before reassuring Pete—more than Kao—that they were getting close. Maybe because it seemed like he was on the verge of panicking every time they did anything to Kao.

"I-I want to get up," Kao whined feeling uncomfortable being on his back. He tried his best to roll onto his side on his own before he was turning to Pete with such desperate eyes, "Pete, help me get up."

"I don't know whether you should be getting up at all," Pete said worriedly even though he was moving to help Kao enough to sit on the edge of the bed.

"it's perfectly fine, sometimes walking around can help move the process along," A nurse had assured him as she walked over to help Pete get Kao to stand up on his feet. Which was bringing some ease to Pete's ever worried mind until they heard Kao's water break.

"It looks like baby is ready now," The nurse said with a smile before she was turning towards the bed to reach and press the call button alerting the other nurses. She turned back towards Pete and saying, "Alright dad, want to help me get him back in bed?"

He wasn't prepared for that at all, just how fast was that supposed to help? Once they had gotten Kao back in bed the nurses started coming back into the room along with the doctor and preparing for the delivery. A nurse had told him to stay on Kao's right side and hold his hand. The moment Kao had taken his hand it was immediately crushed as another contraction hit him. He had watched the nurses helping Kao move his legs onto the stir ups and lifting the robe up to his hips.

"Alright, Kao, you are going to push on your next contraction, okay?" The doctor said as he sat between Kao's legs.

Pete wasn't sure how he felt about it, but he couldn't say anything with Kao suddenly holding his hand so tightly again and crying out in pain as he pushed. The doctor kept praising Kao with every contraction and urging him to push, rest, breath, and then push again. All while under Pete's constant supervision.

Eventually, he watched a nurse reach between Kao's legs with a rubber suction to clear his son's nostrils and throat while the doctor cradled his head in his palm. It was the strangest thing and a little traumatizing to see, but when he looked back towards Kao, he couldn't help reaching over to hold his other hand. "You're doing great Kao," he said into his hair.

"I-It hurts so much," Kao had cried out, voice trembling as he spoke to Pete. A part of him wanted to give up and was starting to curse Pete in his head for getting him pregnant in the first place and for causing him this excruciating pain. But his mind was so fuzzy, and he could feel his hips cramping and going numb all at once, that was just making Kao dig his nails deeper into Pete's hand.

"One more big push and you'll be done," The doctor said urging him to give his all on this last push and Kao had.

Soon, the baby was in the doctor's hands crying loudly that it was filling the room and replacing Kao's cry. Pete had watched as the nurses wrapped their son in a blanket to try and quickly whip the fluids from his tiny body, while the other nurse besides him was hurriedly undoing the top half of Kao's robes so they could place In on Kao's chest. Kao had let go of his arms to wrap his arms around their son, gently stroking the small of his back.

"Daddy, do you want to come cut the cord?" The doctor said addressing Pete. Even though he was a bit shaken up by everything he had seen, he had moved around and cut the cord where the doctor had instructed him to. It was all very frightening for Pete to see Kao go through all the ordeal of childbirth, but at the same time it seemed all so surreal, like it wasn't just all happening before his eyes. He had walked back to his small family and watched how quiet his son had gotten in the comforts of his mother's arms.

"He's so tiny," Kao had said through tears as he looked up at Pete.

"He's perfect, Kao," Pete had said leaning down to kiss Kao's head before he was reaching out to carefully stroke his son's hand that was gripping tightly to Kao's robe. Even he couldn't help but cry suddenly feeling overwhelmed with happiness just watching In's first moments with them.

In was so tiny and cute, even though it was difficult to see who he had taken after in that moment, and when the Kao had asked the nurse if Pete could also get to hold their son. Well, he was just over the moon falling in love with Kao all over again. Just being handed In, had Pete's heart wanted to jump out of his chest. "Thank you, Kao, for having him," Pete found himself saying. He didn't think that getting to hold his son would ever feel like this. He felt so prideful, scared, and happy all at once. He didn't think all these emotions he felt would have him crying like an idiot.

The moment with him had felt so short before the nurse was coming over to him saying "Alright daddy, we have to get the baby properly cleaned and dressed now," she said taking In from Pete's arms. Another had gone with her to help take measurements of their child on the other side of the room, while the rest of the nurses helped the doctor finish up with Kao's birth.

It wasn't long before he was being ushered out of the room as well, with a promise to come get him once they had Kao properly dressed and situated in his room. He hated the idea of leaving but Kao had assured him he was fine and that he would see him soon.

*~*~*

The moment he had walked out into the waiting area, Mrs. Karn, Gift, his dad—who had been notified by Mrs. Karn—had gotten up from their seats and rushed over to him.

"How is Kao and the baby?" Mrs. Karn asked looking just anxious as he had been before.

"When can we see them?" Gift had asked almost at the same time her mother had.

"They're fine, the nurses just took In to get washed and Kao's being moved rooms right now," He said not being able to help but smile wide and share his joy with their family and excitement to see both Kao and In again.

"Congratulations, son," His dad said bringing him into a hug.

"Thanks, dad," Pete said hugging him back just as tightly. "I can't believe I'm a dad, now." He said to him. He couldn't even remember the time he was scared of being a dad or that he had been questioning if he could do it. Just getting to hold In had changed so much in just one instance.

"Wait until you see him dad, you'll fall in love with your grandson," Pete said with a huge grin.