Be My Shelter (Book II)

Labor (part two)

It was 12:50 AM and the contractions were 30 minutes apart.

"We need to go to the hospital." I gasped as another contraction hit.

His eyes widened and he nodded. "Okay, you get the bag and I'll go start the car."

"How about you, the person who is NOT a woman in labor, go get the bag and I will sit here and wait for you." I said, falling into a chair. 

"That's a better plan." He said, running upstairs to grab my hospital bag.  He came back downstairs and helped me to the car and then called his parents.

"Sorry....did I wake you?" He asked whoever picked up the phone. "Oops....yeah we're on our way." He said. "How far apart are the contractions?" He asked me.

"Thirty minutes." I said.

"She says thirty minutes....we'll see you soon." He said as he pulled into the hospital parking lot.

"We need to see Dr. Lee." Nolan told the receptionist and I doubled over in pain, digging my nails into Nolan's arms.  She stood up and motioned for a nurse to bring me a wheelchair.

~*~*~

"You're dilated four centimeters." Martha informed us. "We'll get you in a room and hopefully you'll be able to rest." She said, smiling at me. When we got to the room I would be staying in, I was helped out of the wheel chair and into the bed.

"Try to rest, sweetie." The nurse said.

"What time is it, Nolan?" I asked him.

"1:30." He said. "Have you slept at all?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I can't." I said.

"You can if you try." He said.

"You don't understand, Nolan."

"Its just cramps, right?"

"No, its not JUST cramps, you idiot. My back is killing me, I'm exhausted, I'm hungry, I look like a beached whale, and I feel like punching someone." I snapped, glaring at my husband.  I have never been in this much pain in my entire life. 

"Regan!" Alexis shouted, coming into the room.

"Thank goodness." Nolan sighed.

"What's wrong, Nolan?" Mom asked, coming into the room and kissing my forehead.

"I got called an idiot." He said and mom chuckled.

"That's better than what I called Tristan." She grinned. "How's the pain, sweetie?" She asked me.

"It hurts." I groaned.

“You should get the epidural.”

“No…no drugs.” I mumbled sleepily.

"Alright...then you should try to sleep."

"But I can't!" I wailed, bursting into tears. Nolan wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair just as mom did. Gavin, Alexis, mom, dad, Ethan, Keegan, Keith, Payton, Izzy, and Nolan were all crowded in my room, I couldn't handle it. Nolan must have noticed this because he turned to everyone else.

"Unless you are mom, the doctor, a nurse or me, get out. He said, pointing to the door. "You are overwhelming her." He said as everyone left reluctantly. He came back to my bed and I grabbed his hand as another contraction hit me hard.

"Ow!" Nolan yelped, trying to yank his hand out of my grip. "That hurt!" He said and I glared at him.

"I am the one who will be pushing a ten pound human being out of my uterus. I think you can deal with me squeezing your hand."

"Okay, sorry. Geez!" He said.

"Nolan." Mom said. "You need to relax. Anything she says is from pain, she doesn't mean it."

"I'm sorry." He sighed, kissing my forehead.

***

Three hours later, I was still only seven centimeters dilated. They broke my water, claiming it would speed things up.

"Would you like an epidural?" Martha asked.

"No." I said and bit my lip to stop from yelling in pain.

"Regan..." Nolan said.

"I'm doing it naturally." I snapped and he put his hands up as if he were surrendering. "This sucks." I whined when the doctor left the room. "Why can't our baby just come out already?" I asked. It wasn’t fair, I had been in labor for hours and hours, and my baby still wasn’t here.  Now I knew how Dumbo’s mom felt when her baby didn’t come.

"Try and sleep." Nolan repeated and I decided to listen to him.  I drifted in and out of consciousness, waking up for good when the pain was excruciating.

"It hurts! It hurts! I want the epidural." I pleaded with Martha as she was checking how dilated I was.

She shook her head. "It’s too late, you're fully dilated. Let’s have this baby." She grinned and I was wheeled into delivery.

"Nolan." I whimpered.

"I'm right here." He said softly, grabbing my hand and stroking it with his thumb.

"Alright, Regan." Dr. Lee grinned "I want you to push on your next contraction. Don't stop until I count to ten." She said and I nodded.

"Alright. Push!" She said as the next contraction hit. "One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine and ten!" She said.

"I can see the top of the head." Nolan grinned.

"Okay...push!" She instructed me and I did as I was told. "One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine....and ten!" She said. "One more!" She said and I shook my head.

"I can’t!" I panted. I was completely exhausted.

"You have to. One more! Your baby is almost here." She said as another contraction hit me. I started pushing and squeezed Nolan's hand as hard as I could. "One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...and ten!" She said and we heard the long awaited sound of our baby crying.

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AWWW they finally had their baby =D 

Next chapter we shall meet little baby Mitchell =)