The Baker, Part 2: Sous Chef

Chapter 14

"Come on, Cassie, just a little bit more," the doctor encouraged, as an exhausted Cassie finished screaming in pain. "Alright, the baby's ready to come out," he confirmed. "This is going to be the tough part. I know you're tired, but you need to give me a big push. Ready? Push!" 

Cassie gripped Ben's hand with one of her's and her mom's with the other. She pushed with no noise coming out of her; her face turning bright red and her face contorting in pain. Once she stopped, she let out a light scream and fell back on to the bed. 

Ben quickly put a damp cloth on her head. "That was so good, love, you're doing beautifully," he encouraged. Julie piped in and told her, "You're doing great, Cass. You're almost there, sweetie." The doctor looked to them and said, "She's to push again now!" 

Julie and Ben encouraged her by rubbing her back and giving her soothing words of comfort. "Almost there, baby, almost there," Ben said. She squeezed his hand and let out a horrific scream. When she was done, she fell back once again, then panted, "I can't. I can't anymore, Ben." 

He smoothed back her hair as he said, "Yes you can and you will. You're so close, honey. Just a few more and we'll have our baby." She smiled at the excitement in his eyes. She took that excitement from him and used it as her motive. 

She pushed harder and harder each time, until she slumped back exhausted. Ben was about to encourage her to get up...but then he heard cries. Beautiful cries. He turned to look...and saw his baby. His and Cassie's baby. 

"It's a boy," the doctor proudly told him. Ben let out a deep breath and started to cry. That beautiful, tiny being was his baby. His son. He quickly looked to Cassie, but saw she had passed out. Julie was damping her head with a cloth, when she looked up to Ben with a smile and said, "Go with him. I've got her." 

Ben smiled and placed a kiss on Cassie's head, before bounding over to his baby to see him getting cleaned off. He wasn't crying so much anymore, but Ben must have taken almost a hundred pictures by now. 

As soon as they were done cleaning his son, they turned to him with a bundle in a blue blanket. "Alright, someone's ready to meet daddy," the nurse told him. Ben took the little bundle and held him in his arms like a precious gem.

He let out a shaky breath once he got a good look at him. "Oh, look at you," he whispered. "My beautiful boy." He gently ran his thumb over the newborn's forehead, then placed a small kiss on his head. 

Ben was fascinated by how small he was. He could hold him in the palm of his hand if he wanted to. He was fascinated by everything, though, especially at the fact that this was his and Cassie's child. This was their son. 

"Ben," Julie called. Ben turned around and saw Cassie just waking up. With a wide smile, he walked over to her and sat on the bed. Julie gasped and put her hand over her heart when she saw the baby, then said, "I'll go let everyone know you three are okay." She walked out of the room and into the hall. "Cass," Ben softly said. "Sweetheart, someone wants to meet mummy." 

Cassie slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times, until Ben was a clear image. She saw him smiling like a loon. When her eyes trailed down...she knew exactly why. The little blue bundle started squirming and crying. 

"Our baby," she breathed with a tired smile. Ben chuckled and told her, "Yeah. Our baby boy." He handed him to her and she rested him on her chest. "He's so small," she giggled. Ben laughed and put his hand on his son's back. 

Cassie looked up at Ben with tears in her eyes. "Ben?" She asked. He looked at her and asked, "Yeah, baby?" She bit her bottom lip and asked, "Can we...can we name him Liam?" He put his hand on her head and smoothed down her hair. 

"That's perfect," he told her. "Liam Carlton Cumberbatch. It has a ring to it, doesn't it?" She laughed with tears running down her cheeks and nodded. Ben then leaned over and kissed her. "I am so proud of you," he said against her lips. "God, I am so in love with you." 

He kissed her over and over again, until a nurse walked up to them. "Here's the birth certificate for when you're both ready." Ben took it and thanked her. "Want me to fill it out, darling?" He asked Cassie. She nodded without taking her eyes off of her baby boy. 

Smiling, he happily filled out their son's name, his and Cassie's names, and then signed it. He looked at the time of Liam's birth and smiled. 11:59 p.m.. He looked up to Cassie and said, "Best anniversary I could ask for."

**

Throughout the course of the day, friends and family having been driving out to see the newest member of the Cumberbatch family. Cassie was resting in her room, while Ben was the proud dad and showed off his son. 

"Hope he doesn't look like you, Benny," Adam quietly teased, as everyone looked down at Liam sleeping in Ben's arms. "Sod off," Ben chuckled. "Besides, he's too beautiful to look like me." He leaned down and kissed his soft cheeks. 

"How's Cassie doing, dear?" Wanda asked. He looked up at her and said, "Good. She's sleeping, Julie's watching over her." He looked back to Liam. "I think it's great he's named after Cassie's dad," Amanda said. "She must have been happy you agreed to that," Martin told him. 

Ben shrugged. "There was no reason for me not to agree," he told them. "Anyways, I should get him back to his mummy. I'm sure he'll want to eat soon." Everyone quietly said their goodbyes to Liam and Ben went inside the room. 

Julie was sitting beside Cassie, gently running her fingers through her hair. "Sweetie, you have to," she softly said. "You have to keep strong for Liam." Ben looked oddly at them. As he set Liam in his cot, he asked, "What's going on?"

He covered Liam in a blanket, then walked over to his wife. "She refuses to eat," Julie told him. Cassie sighed, then said, "I'm just not hungry, mom." Ben sat down next to her. "Baby, you were in labor for fourteen hours. You've been feeding off ice chips. You need to eat to keep up your strength." 

"He's right," Julie said. Ben picked up the hospital phone. "I'll order whatever you want," he said. "They have sandwiches, soup, even fruit--." Cassie suddenly slammed down her fist on the bed and shouted, "Goddammit, I said I wasn't hungry! Both of you just leave me alone!" 

She then started sobbing and turned her face into her pillow. Her outburst woke Liam and he started crying. "Bloody hell, Cass," Ben angrily muttered as he got up and went over to him. "All because you're too fucking stubborn--."

"Ben," Julie called. Ben picked up Liam, then looked over to her. She had a worried look on her face. He looked to Cassie and saw her just shaking uncontrollably with sobs. He only assumed it was hormones. 

If only.