Dream Child

Chapter Fifteen

The nurse pushed her down the hall as she leaned her head back, watching the lights as they flashed by.

Passing the front desk, the nurse paused briefly to talk to the nurse there.

"We are going to labor and delivery, the father will be coming back in here. Send him to the floor and give him directions to the desk. He needs to ask for her and they'll get him to us," she instructed.

The person at the desk nodded and her nurse continued to the elevators.

The pain was so intense; it was like she was being torn in two. She wanted to pull her legs up and put herself in a ball to try to ease off the pressure, but she couldn't move. At this point she was breathing in gasps and was beginning to feel like she wasn't getting any air in.

"I can't breathe!" she panted.

"I know, we're almost there," the nurse assured her.

The doors open and she was wheeled in and the nurse punched the floor number and then the button to shut the door closed.

"No.... I can't breathe... I can't!" she panicked.

"Hold on Amanda, I promise that when we get to the room I am going to take care of you."

Amanda closed her eyes, tears falling from the corners as she endured the contraction. Pain radiated from her lower back to her front pelvic, and it felt like someone was running over her repeatedly; causing her both pain and short of breath.

What felt like years passed before the doors opened again, and the nurse shot out into the hallway and swiped her badge on the wall to open a set of doors. As they rushed into the new hallway, the nurse called out to her colleagues.

"She needs oxygen asap!" she called out.

Another nurse appeared ahead of her and held open the door to a room, and her nurse zipped her in to the bedside.

"Okay Amanda, we have to get you into a gown." she explained.

Amanda shook her head, denying that she could.

"You can Amanda, we have to get this baby out," she ordered.

The second nurse came over and helped lift Amanda out of the wheel chair, and steadied her as the first nurse began to strip her down.

Amanda wasn't trying to fight her, but stretching her caused the pain to increase and radiate out.

"I know," murmured her nurse.

Shortly she was in her gown and eased down on the bed. The second nurse placed an oxygen mask over her as the first nurse inserted a IV into her hand and set the bag to the rack that was next to the bed.

She was then asked if she wanted an epidural.

She nodded and both nurses left the room.

She closed her eyes and held onto the bed rails and rode out her constant pain.

The door flew open and Eric came flying in the room and to her side.

"I'm sorry baby, I'm here now," he blurted.

He grabbed her hand and took in her oxygen mask.

"Is everything okay? Did the doctor come in yet?" he asked.

Amanda shook her head and pointed to the mask.

"It's okay, you don't have to talk," he assured her.

She closed her eyes again, the pain becoming unbearable. She wanted it to end, she couldn't do it. It was too much pain; it was unlike her first delivery in all ways.

She was crying and just wanted it to end.

She leaned up and shifted around on her side and placed Eric's hands on her back and he began to rub her.

The door opened and her doctor came in the room and came to her side.

"Hi Amanda, hi Eric," she greeted them.

"Amanda, I am going to have to get you to lay on your back so that we can examine you and see how dilated you are."

She shook her head no and the doctor smiled.

"I know it hurts and I want to get your epidural started right away, but I have to see how far you to know if I can," she soothed her.

"If you aren't dilated enough, I can't give it to you. You have to be at least 5 centimeters or the epidural will slow down the contractions and we don't want that."

Amanda huffed and then slowly turned back over onto her back and moved down when the doctor instructed her to. The doctor had her put her legs up and felt the pressure as she was checking her. Amanda tried to crawl her way back up the bed, but the doctor held her knee firmly in place.

"I know its uncomfortable, but bear with me."

Amanda forced herself to lay there and allowed the doctor to see how far dilated she was.

"Alright Amanda, you are going to feel some pressure while I check. I need you to not back up on the bed, but just breathe through it."

Eric grabbed her hand, and Amanda squeezed it as she felt the doctor began to check her.

"Ugggh!" she said. It felt like the doctor had placed her whole damn hand up her!

"I know its uncomfortable Amanda, but you are ready for your epidural," the doctor told her as she removed her hand and put her legs down.

She sighed in relief, only to be hit with another contraction.

"Can I - Can I have it now?" she begged, as she contorted her body upwards.

"I'll get right on it. I have to page the anesthesiologist and have him in her as fast as I can," she assured her.

"You mean you don't have it?" she cried in a panic, tears streaking down her face.

"Honey, I don't administer that, but I will have him here as soon as possible, and then we'll have that baby out in no time!" she said, patting her arm.

She then let Amanda know that she was going to place what was called a cardiotocography belt on her abdomen so that they could monitor the baby's heart and her contractions.

"Why do I have to have this on?" she asked, not wanting to sit up to allow her to slip it on. She was tired and hurting so bad she just wanted to rest between the contractions.

"We have to put his on so that once your epidural is given, we can still monitor the contractions because you won't feel them." She explained.

Amanda sighed and asked Eric to help her sit up.

The elastic belt that was wrapped around her abdomen had two round circles about the size of a tennis ball that were placed on her skin. The doctor explained that one was to monitor the baby's heartbeat and the other the pressure of the contractions. Once it was on, she moved the machine to the side of her bed so that Amanda could watch the contractions. She explained which spikes the contractions were and which one was her daughter's heartbeat.

Eric nodded and thanked her and crowded closer to Amanda, nearly getting himself on the bed.

He began to massage her back and she asked him to sit behind her. He lowered the top of the bed and manipulated his way behind her, twisting underneath the IV to get behind her. Once he was settled, she leaned against him.

"It's going great babe, soon we'll see our Anastasia," he whispered in her sweat soaked hair.

She nodded wearily and continued to cry.