Thinking Out Loud

Chapter 16

"Are you sure?" Joe asked. Having only woken a moment or two ago, Dianne's sudden panic had pushed away any signs or tiredness. "It could just be Braxton hicks or whatever it's called?"
"No, Joe. I'm positive it's labour," Dianne said. She let out a sob and buried her face in her hands. Joe jumped out of bed and rushed round to hug her, stroking over her hair with his hand. "It's too early," she cried, "she shouldn't be coming until late February! Why is she coming?!"
"Shh, shh," Joe soothed, "it'll be fine. I'll ring the midwife and see what she says."
Dianne took a deep breath and stepped away from Joe. "Okay." She pecked his lips and went back to sit on the bed, propping up her pillows and leaning back against the headboard whilst he took his phone off charge and rang the midwife.
"Um hi, Dianne's gone into labour." Joe began pacing, going backwards and forwards, running his hand through his hair every other minute. "Right, ok. Thank you." Joe threw his phone on the bed and turned to Dianne. "She wants you to start timing your contractions. But she's coming over to check now, just to make sure you are having contractions."
"Okay," Dianne said calmly. "Come sit next to me." Joe turned the light on and flicked the tv on for some background noise before settling next to Dianne.
"Are you worried?" She asked as she played with his fingers.
"Not really, I know that we'll be fine."
"I hope so, I just don't feel prepared." Dianne's grip on Joe's hand tightened as another, more painful contraction washed over her. Breathing through the pain, Dianne leaned her head back and closed her eyes, waiting until the contraction passed.
"They're getting worse," she mumbled as the pain subsided. "I'm gonna start timing them." She reached for her phone and began using her pregnancy app to time the intervals between each contraction.

Roughly twenty minutes later there was a knock at the door. Joe, who was supporting a sleeping Dianne, gently held up her body and slipped a pillow under her instead of himself as he climbed off the bed and rushed downstairs to the door. He opened it quickly and stood aside to let the midwife in.
"Sorry for waking you up, I know it's really early," he apologised as he hugged her briefly, partly in relief that someone could offer some comfort to his pregnant fiancé.
"Don't worry about it, that's what I'm here for." She waved her hand to dismiss Joe's comment and looked up the stairs. "I'm assuming she's up there?"
"Oh, yeah." Joe turned and walked up the stairs, leading the midwife to the bedroom door. As they reached the door that Joe had pulled to as he left, he placed his palm against the wood but didn't push it open.
"She's asleep," he warned, "and you've got as much experience as anyone. I've learnt not to wake a pregnant woman."
"I think she'll be rather glad to see me!" She chuckled quietly. "If she's asleep, I'll hang around until she wakes up. If this is labour, she'll need all the energy she can get."
"Good point." Joe nodded his head and pushed open the door, poking his head through and listening for any noise. After hearing nothing, Joe walked through silently over to where he had left Dianne.
"You awake?" He asked softly. No answer. Joe crossed back over to the door where the midwife was waiting and shook his head. "We'll go downstairs. Coffee?"

"Joe!"
"Oh god." A now-panicked Joe put his cup down and rushed upstairs straight away, into their bedroom. "What's happened?!"
"They're so much worse, is she here yet?" Dianne asked as she sat up shakily, her face creasing in pain.
"Yeah, she's been here for an hour or so," he said calmly, walking over to her, "do you want me to get her?"
"Yes, oh god." She grabbed Joe's hand and squeezed tightly, breathing deeply with her eyes shut. "Please get her."
"Jo!" Joe shouted loudly. Footsteps came rushing up from downstairs before their midwife, Joanne, appeared in the doorway.
"Ah, you're awake," she smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"It hurts," Dianne moaned.
"Your waters haven't broken have they?"
Dianne shook her head. "Not yet."
"Because you aren't 37 weeks yet, I'm going to advise you go to the hospital." She reached for Dianne's hand as panic spread across her face. "Now, I don't want you to worry. You and baby will be just fine but we need you to get checked out by a doctor just to make sure, okay?"
Dianne took a deep, shaky breath and nodded. "Okay."