Meteor Garden -- Delicate Keys (Huaze Lei)

Ch. 51: Broke

* RAIN's POV *

I was waiting for the person that was on front of me, still paying for her things. The woman was an old lady, she was a little bit sick and struggling to hand her things to the cashier so I helped her. The woman thanked me.

- Oh, thank you, young woman- she said. - you are expecting! Congratulations!-.

- Thanks- I said.

I rubbed my belly. I could feel peanut's kicks. 

- Is it a girl or a boy?- she asked.

I smiled.

- Its a...- I was about to say, when I felt something falling from me.

I felt a liquid... ash thing coming out of me. I had read that when your water breaks its something like a popping sensation followed by a gush or a trickle of fluid, but this was different. It felt as I had lost control over my bladder or something... I was feeling ashamed as I glanced at my wet pants. The woman just stared at me.

- Are... are you okay?- she asked.

- I... am... I'll... excuse me- I said, as I walked past her.

I walked out of the supermarket, leaving my stuff behind. It was not time to make pancakes now... so I wouldn't really need the milk and the butter I was just about to purchase. I took out my phone as I called Lei.

- Hi, baby- I said. - umm... I think my water just broke-.

- What?!- he said, nervous. - I'm coming, I'm coming!-.

- Okay... don't freak out and please drive safely!- I said. - I'm fine, don't worry!-.

He came rushing to the supermarket. I recognized his car and got into it as fast as I could, trying to still remain calm. I was really freaking out... nonetheless, he was even more nervous than me. 

- I'm not having contra...- I said, as I felt a really strong pain from my back radiating to my belly. - oh, my god. I think I'm having one-.

I felt my belly get hard, and this pain was overwhelming me. Haha... and I considered a natural childbirth. No epidural... in your dreams!. As Lei was driving to the birthing facility, I was having contractions. Whenever I had one, he'd give me his hand for me to hold on. He was cute and thoughtful even in moments like this.

- We are here, we are here- he said, as he got out of the car. 

He opened my door and helped me get out of the car. We went into the facility and soon got a doctor to help us. 

- You are 36 weeks pregnant... this is a premature labor- the doctor said. - anyways, the baby must be born soon. We couldn't detect it, but you see here- she pointed out a part of the ultra sound image. - your baby's umbilical cord is tied on to its neck-.

- Oh god- I said. - that means... c-section, right?-.

The doctor nodded.

- Emergency c-section- she said. - so, we'll get you prepped and soon you'll deliver your baby-.

I stared at Lei who was just as amazed, scared and excited as I was. And no, I wasn't excited because my baby had a risk do die... but because I would see her for the first time sooner than what I had expected. At the same time I was scared AF because I'd had to get a c-section. And well... labor itself was scary. Let's face it... its hard to understand how a human comes out of another one... and its also quite painful.

- Umm... do I get something for the pain?- I asked, as I felt another contraction starting.

- Y... yeah, I'll call the nurse. You need an epidural for the surgery- the doctor said.

I nodded as the doctor got out. Lei came towards me and held my hand.

- I'm scared- I said. - peanut will be born now... and she's got her umbilical cord tied to her neck and...-.

- Don't worry- he said. - everything will be fine. Peanut will be healthy and strong... she's a fighter, just like her mother-.

I smiled as he helped me sit. The nurse was entering the room. Holding a big needle and some kind of medical thingy that I couldn't recognize. The woman explained that, basically, this would hurt a lot and that I had to remain calm - I mean, that's the part I got from her explanation. But I kept on repeating her words "After the epidural, there's no pain".

The woman injected me... well, stabbed me with that gigantic needle as I struggled to bare the pain of it. "After the epidural, there's no pain" I kept on telling myself. 

- All done- the woman said. 

- Thank god- I said. 

The woman got out of the room as I started to feel the epidural's effects. Right before Lei started talking to me, he'd probably tell me to call my parents even though he had done so before, the doctor entered.

- Okay, as we are all set we'll take you to the surgical room- she said.

Surgical room. That sounded scary.