Born in the fire- A Reddie Fanfiction

Chapter Seven

Four hours later...

Everything was perfect. Rachel and the baby had been checked over and all was well. Despite being in a fire, the baby seemed unharmed by the smoke Rachel had inhaled. The Doctor's planned to keep them both in for the next few days, just in case.

With Eddie's help, Rachel had managed to have a shower. After the fire and the birth, her body felt itchy and uncomfortable. Once she had washed the sweat, blood and bits of debris out of her hair and body and had gotten changed into a hospital night gown, she felt much better and able to relax. To Eddie's relief, she had gotten back into bed without any arguments.

Rachel had never felt like this before. She was blissfully happy. Never in her life had she ever thought she would experience love like this. Her heart felt like it was going to explode as she cradled her sleeping daughter in her arms. She was just beautiful.

Everything was perfect.

Almost.

Having her little one resting contentedly in the crook of her elbow was taking Rachel's mind off the fact that she was waiting for the results of the x-rays on her ankle and leg, which she'd had done just under two hours ago. She didn't want to think about it. She knew her ankle was broken, but she was dreading finding out how bad the damage was. Her little girl was taking her mind off of it all.

The mattress of the hospital dipped a little as Eddie sat next to her, draping an arm around her shoulder. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, rubbing his daughter's arm with his thumb

"Tired and sore" she admitted with a small smile

"I bet. You did great" Eddie whispered, kissing her cheek gently

"She was worth every minute" Rachel beamed

Eddie nodded.

"I love her so much, Eddie" she whispered, staring at the little girl in her arms

"Me too"

"I love you, both of you" he added

Rachel pecked him on the lips before resting her head on his chest.

"We love you too" she told him

They both looked up when Doctor Evans entered with a clipboard in her hand. Rachel's heart started to beat a little faster as she sat up. The woman offered her a smile, which didn't provide any reassurance or comfort.

"Hi, Rachel, congratulations on your little one" she greeted, nodding to the little girl resting in her arms

"Thank you" Rachel replied, smiling weakly

"So, I have your x-ray results. I'm afraid your ankle is broken, and so is your leg. The damage to your ankle is actually worse than we thought. We're going to have to take you down to the Operating Theatre to fix it so it can heal properly"

Rachel suddenly felt the blissful happiness she had been feeling before die out, replaced with fear and dread.

"W-when do I have to go?" she asked

"We'll be taking you down in the next couple of hours, once you've signed the paperwork and I've talked to the anaesthetist" Doctor Evans explained

"But... what about my baby? I can't leave her"

"Your fiancé can look after her"

Rachel wanted to cry. Doctor Evans had said those words like it was the simplest and easiest thing to do. Her daughter had only just been born, even though she knew she would be safe with Eddie, she couldn't leave her. She needed her Mother. The thought of leaving her made her feel sick. What if the surgery went wrong?

Eddie placed a hand on Rachel's arm as she started to tremble. She looked at him, her eyes filling up with tears. Eddie turned to Doctor Evans.

"Can you give us a minute, please?" he requested

Doctor Evans nodded, stepping out of the room.

That was the moment when Rachel burst into tears. Eddie pulled her into his arms, holding onto her tightly as he ran his hand through her hair.

"Rach? Talk to me" he pleaded

"I can't- I can't leave her" she blurted, a sob escaping her lips

"Rach, they need to do the surgery so your leg and ankle can heal properly" he reasoned

"I know that. But I've just given birth to her, Eddie. I can't just up and leave her, what kind of Mother does that make me? The thought of leaving her makes me feel sick, I can't do it"

"Rach, you're not abandoning her. You need to be seen to, for her sake and yours" he argued

"But what if something goes wrong?" she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek

Eddie held her closer to him.

"They know what they're doing, darling. You'll be in and out in no time, I promise you" he reassured

Rachel shook her head, her gaze glued to the little girl in her arms.

"Rach, I'll be with her the whole time, she won't be on her own. She'll be safe. We'll be waiting right here when you get back" he promised

"You need to have this done, darling. You need to let the Doctor's help you. I promise you it will be ok" he added

Rachel sighed. She knew there was no way she was going to get out of it. She had to have this operation. The thought of it terrified her, but what was the alternative? If she didn't do this, she'd be in more trouble than she currently was. Eddie was right. She needed to do this, for her sake and the baby's.

"Ok, I'll do it" she agreed

Eddie kissed her forehead gently before heading out of the room to get Doctor Evans.