HAPPILY EVER AFTER

CH.21 AND BABY ENTERS THE WORLD

Pacey dropped Joey off at home. They had just looked at yet another apartment. Pacey dropped Joey off so that he could go to work. He and Joey had looked at alot of apartments on the past few weeks. The apartment they looked at today turned out to be the best. Pacey filled out the application for it. He had to show his emancipation papers to the landlord since he was only 16. The landlord told them that he would look over the application and make a call to Pacey's dad.

Joey walked into the house and asked Bessie if she had anything for a stomach ache. "Jo what kind of pain are you having?" "My stomach gets tight and starts hurting. Before it was coming and going but now it's almost constant." Just as Joey said that, she doubled over in pain.

"Jo it sounds like you're having contractions. You may very well be in labor. How long has this been going on?" "Since this morning. The pain just keeps getting worst.""This can't be happening again" Bessie said. "Bess call Dawson's house and see if his mom is home."

"Dawson thank goodness you answered." "What's up Bess? My mom and I are heading out the door to take me to work." "Dawson get your mom, I need to speak with her it's an emergency." Dawson rushed to get his mom. "Mom Bessie is on the phone, she said it's an emergency." Dawson's mom rushed to the phone. "Bessie what's the emergency? She as she put the phone to her ear.

"It's Joey, she's in labor and the guys have the vehicles with them at work." "Say no more Dawson and I are on the way. Dawson's mom hung the phone up and told Dawson to hurry. "Mom what's going on? Is it Joey?" She put her hand on Dawson's arm and said " son we have to get Joey to the hospital. She is in labor."

Joey was lying on the couch when Dawson and his mom walked in. Dawson rushed over to her and picked her up. He started toward the front door when Joey yelled "can someone please call Pacey?"

"I will Jo" Bessie yelled to her. "Also Bess tell Pacey to let the boss know that I'm also with Joey." "Sure will, now get going before we have to deliver my sister's baby here."

As soon as they had Joey loaded in the back seat of Gail's car with Dawson and they were backing away, Bessie ran into the house and grabbed the phone.

"Pacey you need to get to the hospital. Dawson and Gail are on their way there now. Joey is in labor." Bessie heard the phone drop and his saying, "son what's wrong? You're pale as a ghost." His boss picked up the phone and said "hello who is this?" "I'm Bessie, Joey's sister. Joey is in labor and on the way to the hospital with Dawson and his mom Gail." "Oh ok now I understand the paleness. I'll make sure he gets there." "Thank you sir, goodbye."

"Pace man get out of here. You're girlfriend is about to have y'alls baby." Pacey finally getting some color back in his face said "I gotta go! Are you going to be ok without me" Pacey asked his boss. "GET OUT OF HERE KID!"

Dawson sat in the back with Joey so that she could lay across his lap. Gail had her emergency flashers on all the way there. The flashers made it easier for them to get through the traffic. "Are we almost there?"Joey asked in agony. "Just a few more miles sweetie."

When they got to the emergency room, Gail rushed into the hospital to get someone to come out with a wheel chair. She found a nurse and Gail explained what was going on. They both rushed out to the car as soon as they found a wheel chair. The nurse and Dawson got Joey into the wheel chair. Then she rushed Joey to the ER where she was soon transferred to the O.B department. Bessie had also called Joey's doctor and she was waiting for Joey.

By the time Pacey made it to the hospital, they already had Joey in a room and hooked up to all kinds of machines. When Pacey walked in he seen Dawson standing by Joey holding her hand and Gail was sitting on one of the chairs.

"Hey man" Dawson said as Pacey walked into the room. He held up Joey's hand motioning for him to come take it. Once Pacey had taken his spot, Dawson sat down in the chair by his mom.

"Thank you for getting her to the hospital" Pacey said looking at Dawson and his mom. Gail stood and walked over to Pacey. "Honey you're welcome. "Now that you're here, I'm going to be taken off. I guess Dawson isn't going to work so I'll leave him here." Gail said and told Dawson to call when he was ready to be picked up. She wished Joey good luck, kissed on the forehead and left the room.

Pacey turned back to Joey and said "hey pretty girl, how's my lil momma doing?" "You're lil momma is in pain. She's trying to stay calm because any minute now they're going to come in and give me the epidural." Just aa soon as Joey said those words, the anesthesiologist came walking in. "Ms. Potter are you ready?" "Yes sir" Joey said as another contraction hit. "Once your contraction subsides turn toward your husband and lean forward." After the contraction was over Joey did as the anesthesiologist said. When he put the needle in her back she yelped out in pain. "Now now the hard part is over the anesthesiologist said and patted Joey lightly on the shoulder. He put a bandage over the epidural and said "all done, you can lay back down."

Joey was in la la land before her head hit the pillow. "Im going to get the nurse to check her cervix. She's already  had two big contractions." "What do you mean? I didn't feel anything" Joey said. "That means the epidural is working."

The anesthesiologist left to get the nurse. A short time later the doctor and nurse returned. The doctor took a look at her contraction report and said to the nurse "I guess we need to check her, she did have some pretty bad contractions. The nurse ushered Pacey and Dawson out of the room into the hallway, telling them that they can come back in in a few minutes.

Once they were out in the hallway and nurse had shut the door, the doctor checked Joey's cervix and said "time to get her into a delivery room." They unhooked Joey from the machines. On the way out the door the nurse told Pacey to follow them and Dawson was told to wait in the room.

When they got to the delivery room the nurse handed Pacey some scrubs to put over his clothes and said "I assume you're going into the delivery with your wife." Pacey took the scrubs from her and quickly put them on.

"Has her water not broke?" The doctor asked the nurse. "No sir it hasn't broke." The doctor looked in shock at the nurse and said "from the contractions she's been having I assumed it was broken but that's ok I'll break it right now.

After her water was broke, it seemed like her contractions were coming even faster now. It wasn't long and the doctor was telling her to push.

"Jo you got this. Remember the breathing techniques we learned in lamaze class." "Come on Joey give one big push" the doctor said. Joey pushed with all her might. The next thing she heard was the cries of her baby. "Congratulations mom and dad, you have a healthy baby boy."