Who You Love (Katy Perry/John Mayer Fanfiction)

Epilogue: Part II

I helped Katy to take her pyjama leggings and bra off, before placing the oversized, definitely unflattering hospital gown over her petite body. She giggled as I slid my phone out of my pocket, to which she did a silly pose as I pressed click on my camera button. She still had her sense of humour despite being in labour... One of many things I loved about her.

We eased our way from the bathroom back into the suite, walking slowly as we approached the bed, which to our surprise, we noted that our doctor Pete was already standing beside. After sharing the usual hugs and exchanges, I helped Katy ease herself onto the bed, taking a seat beside her and holding her hand as we listened to what Pete was saying, which he was explaining very much in detail, but all these words seemed foreign to me. I didn't realise just how complicated the birthing process was until now. Katy shifted uncomfortably in the bed, her face red with beads of sweat forming again on her forehead as her contractions flared up once again.

She remained patient as internal and external exams were performed on her body, a cannula placed into her right arm, attached to a drip beside me. There were so many machines to monitor everything... Katy's heartbeat, the baby's heartbeat. The heart rate monitor was placed on Katy's index finger on her left hand, and it honestly freaked me out the more things that were connected to her body, though of course I knew they were only strict procedure. This was a scary process... And it hadn't even really started yet.

"... Unfortunately Katy, though your contractions seem to slowly be getting closer, you aren't dilating. You're only at six centimetres right now, but you need to be ten centimetres dilated before you can start pushing. In the meantime, we can give you an epidural, which is going to numb your body and free you of the pain of the contractions and the birthing process. It's completely safe for both you and the baby. Did you still want it?" Pete continued, standing beside Katy at the bed and giving her a sympathetic smile as she attempted to open her eyes, which she'd closed at the beginning of her contractions.

She simply nodded her head and she let out deep breaths, and I kept squeezing her hand, tucking her hair behind her ear and making sure I could comfort her as much as possible. I helped her as she sat up in the bed, with Pete preparing the long needle which was to be placed in her lower back. Katy looked up to me, biting her lip nervously, looking like a scared child as she squeezed my hand tighter than ever. I noticed the tears forming in her eyes, and I leaned forward to kiss her cheek, caressing her face with my spare hand to l comfort her.

"It's okay, you're okay..." I whispered, though I wasn't exactly too sure how much of a good job I was doing right now at comforting her when obviously she was in excruciating pain and doing her very best to not show it.

"It... Hurts... So... Much," She cried, burying her head into my shoulder, her fingernails digging into the flesh on my neck but I didn't care. I held her closer to my body as the needle went into her back, to which Katy let out a deep breath and clung to me for dear life.

The needle was released, but Katy still held onto me. I kissed her face, placing my fingers through her silky hair as her body trembled in my grip. I couldn't imagine how scared she must be feeling right now... And this was only the beginning.
Stay strong for her, John. For her.

I gently pulled away to help her lay back down on the bed, though she wouldn't let go of my hand. Pete continued to talk with us about what to expect the next few hours, and from what I could hear in his tone, it wasn't going to be an easy labour. Katy's contractions were forcibly becoming quicker and more intense, though thankfully the epidural was numbing most of it. He mentioned that they could use some sort of gel to help her dilate quicker, and that would mean that she could start pushing sooner rather than later. I just felt so sorry for her. I couldn't do anything except try to comfort her right now.