Keep Yourself Alive - Roger Taylor

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"Where the fuck is he?" I growled, as much harsher contractions hit my stomach.

"You're nearly ready, it will be an hour at the most" The midwife said after checking how dilated I was.

"It's been eight hours, he should be here any moment" Winifred reassured, nodding her head as she sat beside me.

"I'm sorry for getting angry, it just hurts so much and I need him here" I sighed, and she rubbed some sweat from my head with a towel.

"I know love, I felt the same. If it makes you feel any better, Michael went to get fish and chips when I was in labour and missed the birth of Clare" She scoffed, pushing my hair out of my face and tying in back with a bobble.

"No way" I laughed in shock, and she just nodded.

"I wish it wasn't true" She sighed.

Eventually, the time came when the contractions were too much to bare and all I could do was push.

"He's still not here" I stressed, looking at Michael with scared eyes.

"I'll go and look for him, when he shows up I can get him here quicker" He nodded and rushed out of the room. He probably wanted to go anyway, as I was about to push a baby out and it probably wasn't on his list of sightseeing.

I leant forward in pain as the first push began, sending painful shivers over my body.

"You're okay darling" Winifred soothed, rubbing my back.

"Come on Rose" Mary grinned from the other side of me.

I nodded in agreement and the midwife ordered another push, which I gladly delivered.

After about five more excruciating pushes and a few pained screams, they said the words I'd been waiting for.

"I can see the head, keep going!" The midwife called.

Tears poured from my eyes when I came to the harsh reality that Roger was not going to witness the birth of his first child. Mary noticed and wiped the tears away from my cheeks quickly.

"We're here" She said, kissing my head as though she'd read my mind.

After another push I just couldn't do it anymore. I closed my eyes and shoved my head back, much to the dismay of the midwife who was trying so hard to help me.

"Just a few more pushes, you can't stop now" She called, and I shook my head with my eyes forced shut.

I felt Mary's hand leave mine, and she brushed the towel over my head to calm me down.

However, instead of her hand meeting mine again another, bigger hand intertwined with mine.

My eyes opened in confusion, and when I met the familiar gaze of Roger Taylor my heartbeat and breaths quickened.

"Roger" I breathed happily, my tears pouring more freely now as I realised that he was finally here.

"I'm here, babe. I'm here" He nodded, kissing my hand as I continued to push.

"What does it look like Roger?" I asked frantically, hoping he would be a man and take a look.

"I'm not looking down there are you joking?" He said, and I rolled my eyes with a hitched laugh.

His other hand rested on my back and rubbed circles into my skin soothingly, which instantly calmed me down.

"One more push!"

I groaned in pain as I pushed one last time, and I felt the final part of my baby fall out into the midwifes arms.

"It's a girl!" She grinned, and Roger cut the cord quickly before she took her away to clean her up.

The whining screams of our new baby called through the hospital room, and although it was loud and annoying to some people, it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.

"It's a girl" I breathed, and Roger kissed my forehead.

"I love you darling, we have a baby girl" He smiled, a few tears pouring from his eyes too.

"You're actually here" I sighed in awe, sitting up to hug him which he gladly accepted and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"I was always going to make it, you knew that deep down" He smirked.

"I wasn't so sure when I was pushing for the last few times" I rolled my eyes, and he laughed in response.

The midwife walked over to me, cradling our new baby in her hands carefully, placing her down in my arms.

She was perfect. Truly perfect. She has Rogers piercing eyes and she seemed to have his light blonde hair. Maybe that's why she is so perfect, because she looks just like him already.

"She's amazing" He breathed in awe, staring at the tiny girl in my arms.

"She's just like you" I smiled up at him, tears still falling over our cheeks as we stared in shock at the life changing baby that I held in my hands.

"She does have my hair" He laughed, rubbing his hand over her thin hair gently.

"Oh wow, how gorgeous" Winifred gushed.

"She's beautiful, well done Rose. We'll come back later to give you some time alone" Mary nodded, leaving the room with Winifred.

"Thank you so much guys, you've been the biggest help ever" I smiled, and they nodded in response before leaving.

"We have a baby Roger. A real baby" I sighed.

"Yeah, I can't quite believe it" His eyes widened.

"I think she is an Elizabeth after all, don't you think?" I asked, and he nodded in agreement.

"Definitely, very regal just like our little princess" He smiled, perching on the edge of the bed.

I squished up so he could get further into the bed and he snuggled up to me carefully.

"I've missed you so much" I smiled, kissing him as he leant down to my level.

"Me too, so fucking much" He mumbled into my lips.

"Do you want to hold her?" I asked, as he nodded sceptically.

I passed the frail girl to my husband and he took her in his arms carefully. His smile lit up the room as he bounced the sleeping girl gently. Tiredly, I rested my head against his shoulder and almost drifted off to sleep as I watched Elizabeth's tiny movements.

We really had a perfectly imperfect family now.