Partners

Chloe POV

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!

Oh, God.

We're have a baby.

We. Are. Fucking. Having. A. Baby.

My mind kept switching between excitement and anxiety.

"Chloe. Call our parents." Max panted. They'd had her on and off oxygen since we got here yesterday. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

"Okay, I'll be right outside, alright? Yell if you need me, baby." I stepped outside the hospital room, thankful that both sets of parents decided to stay in Arizona from the time of the baby shower until the baby was born.

I decided to three way call them, dialing the Caulfields first then Joyce and David. Once everyone was in the call, I yelled, "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!" To which utter chaos erupted on both lines followed by quick 'I'll call you back's, and the call ended. I walked back into Max's room, noticing that she was back on oxygen and they were doing an ultrasound.

"Any news?" I asked them.

Max ripped the oxygen mask off and yelled, "they won't tell me anything! The baby's heart rate keeps dropping! I don't know what's going on!" The last part of her sentence came out as a sob.

I ran to her, hugging her tightly and  and stroking her hair. I can see on the monitors that her the baby's heart rate keeps going up and down chaotically and Max's contractions are literally off the charts.

The ultrasound tech walks out of the room. Max and I stay in our position, she was silently crying, I was trying to comfort her while also trying not to cry myself.

About 5 minutes after that, the Caulfields and the Madsens entered the room. Seeing our position, Max crying and my eyes watery while holding her, they grew concerned. "What's going on?" Ryan asked us.

"We don't know. The baby's heart rate keeps dropping and they won't tell us anything." I couldn't hold the tears back by the end of the sentence. Nelly walked in at that time, a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes.

"Hello, Max. Chloe." She nodded toward us as she said our names. The she turned toward our parents. "You're the family, I presume?" The all nod their heads in unison. 

"Nelly, what's going on?" I asked. I had to know.

"Well, it looks like the little one is in breach position. There's no way for us to try to re-position the baby. Max, you're going to need a C section. Immediately. Only one person is allowed in the delivery room with you. Only fifteen minutes and you go in, okay?"

Max just nodded her head, but I could feel her shoulders shaking as she cried harder. "Max, honey, a C section isn't horrible." Joyce said, "Chloe was born via C section. It really isn't as scary as it seems." As she spoke, she walked to Max's other side and started rubbing her back.

"I-I j-just want-ed a n-normal deliver-y." Max stuttered between sobs.

"Baby, you need to calm down. None of the hysterics are helping the baby. And you probably want to punch me in the face right now, but you gotta take deep, calming breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Come on, love, do it with me." She started mimicking my breathing, and it helps a little.

"Well," Vanessa spoke for the first time since she got to the hospital, "it's a good thing you guys put that plan in place for Joyce to go in with her. Backup plans do pay off." She hugged Max and gave her a kiss.

One of the nurses came in to take Max for prep work, meaning the rest of us had to vacate the room. We went to the waiting room right next to the nursery, and waited.

//////////\\\\\\\\\

It felt like it took four hours when in reality, it was only one. When a nurse can and put me the bracelet that would allow me in the nursery on my wrist, she assured me that the next baby I would see would ours.

Sure enough, the next little bassinet was her. Yes, her. A little baby girl. When the nurse confirmed that was indeed her, I lost it. I was taken into the nursery and after a couple of small tests, I got to hold her. She was so tiny, having only weighed five pounds twelve ounces, but she was so perfect. She had a bit of brunette peach fuzz on her little head, her eyes colorless, but with that bit of tint that told me should was gonna have blue eyes.

I started blubbering like a fucking baby, no pun intended.

Joyce joined us soon after. I didn't want to leave my beautiful daughter. I got to feed her, but had to leave the nursery after that. I walked back into the waiting room with everyone else, wiping my eyes. I looked up at all of them as a new wave of tears came. "She's so beaut-i-fu-ul!" I cried, hugging Joyce. 

"Oh, honey." She said, but she didn't say anything else.

"H-how's Max?" I hiccuped. 

"She's fine, sweetie. She's in recovery." Joyce said. Something about the way she said that seemed odd, but as long as Max was fine, I was happy.

///////////\\\\\\\\\\

They assigned Max to a room, so we all moved from the waiting room to there. Once Max was brought in, I noticed she was sleeping. "I thought they didn't knock you out during a C section?" I turned to Joyce.

"There were some complications. I'm not sure what those complications were, I just know they had to sedate her and perform another procedure. I'm sure the doctor will explain." She says.

The nurse brought little Natalia in and everybody got a chance to hold her but only after washing their hands and applying hand sanitizer. I made sure to get a photo of everyone holding her for Max. After a bit, everyone said their goodbyes and I sat on the little couch/bed piece they had in the room, looking at the most beautiful little girl in the world.

Natalia Cymbaline.

//////////\\\\\\\\\\

Later that night, I was woken up by something smacking my face, accompanied by the crying of a baby. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "What is it, pretty baby?" I mumbled.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, sleeping beauty."

Now I'm awake.

"Max!" I ran over and hugged her. I let go over Max and went to check on Natalia. She needed a diaper. Wham, bam, clean diaper for you, little ma'am.

I heard Max giggle behind me, and spun around to ask her what was so funny.

"'Wham bam, clean diaper for you little ma'am'?" She laughed.

Fuck, that was supposed to stay in my head.