Symphony

Booking in... Again

Later on that evening Jack and Nikki have locked up and headed upstairs for the evening. Nikki comes from the ensuite with her hand on her bump watching Jack put the fitted sheet back on. "Puppy pad is under your side of the bed." He then looks up and across as Nikki as he resets the bed, "Nothing?" He asks and she nods with a heavy sigh.

"At this point I'm considering eating a hot curry, going for an eight-mile run or even going for a run," She sighs as she waddles over to the bed and sits down on the bed.
"I don't recommend the run in your condition. I always hear sex is good to bring labour on," Jack smirks.
"No," She breathes as she lays back and swings her legs over so she is laid flat.

Jack smirks knowing she would say no, she had only once ever agreed to sex when heavily pregnant and it was very awkward to manoeuvre or even get comfortable with her bump in the way constantly.

He climbs into bed beside his wife and leans over her and turns the lamps out, he kisses her forehead and snuggles down beside her knowing any minute now he's going to be used as her human pillow.

Around two in the morning Jack feels something poking him followed by his name being repeated, it was his wife. His eyes dart open frantic, "Get up... it's happening," She speaks.
Jack sits up in bed his eyes squinting as he adjusts to the light source. His eyes drift over to Nikki who is taking a steady breath as she rubs her bump, "Don't worry your Mum is on her way... I called her."

Jack jumps out of bed and pulls his clothes on before helping Nikki down the stairs, within a couple of minutes Josephine is at the door and helping Nikki out to the car with Jack carrying the hospital bag and supporting Nikki's other side.

Once in the car, they head off to the hospital praying they didn't meet any late-night traffic. Around twenty minutes later they arrive at the hospital, despite Nikki being in labour she makes sure Jack parks correctly and pays for his parking ticket. Jack couldn't believe it he was paying for a parking ticket while Nikki stood beside him mid contraction holding onto his arm groaning.

Multiple people had stopped them to ask if she was okay or needed a hand getting to maternity but by this point, with four previous pregnancies she knew the baby wasn't coming yet and Jack knew the way to the maternity wing like the back of his hand.
Getting themselves booked in and are shown to a birthing room due to Nikki's history of fast births they had decided to bypass the examination ward and treat her as active labour.

As soon as they got into the room Nikki was quick to change into the short night stress she had for easy access, she didn't want to bother with shorts or anything covering her legs at this point. Jack, on the other hand, was on his phone in the chair in the corner of the room, it may have only been three in the morning but he was already emailing Thomas and also dropping him a text to say he won't be at work.

With the panic of his wife going into labour he had completely forgotten something, it was his birthday. He places his phone down on the side and walks over to Nikki as he watches her deal with another contraction, as it passes she looks up at her husband a small smile appearing on her face, "Happy Birthday... sorry to throw this on you," She breathes.

"Hey don't worry about it, I've had forty-three of them. And I think I may be about to share my birthday," Jack chuckles and kisses her forehead.
Nikki smiles a half-laugh escaping her lips, she couldn't believe her luck she was going to give birth to his son on his birthday, it was truly meant to be.

A few minutes pass and the midwife walks into the room and introduces herself to the expectant parents. "Hi, you must be Nicola Hodgson. I am Zoe... so I hear this is baby number five..."

Nikki flushes at the thought of the midwives knowing she's had five children now. "Yes... I prefer to be called Nikki..." She announces.

"And this is Dad?"

"Yeah. Nikki's husband... Jack" He responds introducing himself properly.

Zoe smiles at the pair and pulls a set of latex gloves on and talks Nikki through the examination to check how things are currently progressing. "Deep breath..." Zoe speaks as she starts the examination. "...Right okay... that was quick, eight centimetres..."

"Speeding things along Nik," Jack smirks and plants a kiss on her head.
"Have this little one out before you know it," She beams positively running her hands over her bump as Zoe covers her legs over to give her some privacy.

"Do you know what you are having?" Zoe asks.
"Girl... again," Jack smiles.

"Again?"

Nikki rolls her eyes she was desperate to tell him it's a boy but she wanted to wait until he was here to tell Jack or should we say for him to find out himself. "We've got four girls already..." Nikki smirks.
"Gosh, got your work cut out..."

"Tell me about it, it's hard work but they're worth it, right Nik?" Jack smiles softly looking at his wife.
"They're amazing, funny, bright and just beautiful," Nikki beams thinking about her daughters.

Jack pulls his phone out as Zoe removes her gloves, placing them in the bin and then filling out some of Nikki's notes. "Here they are... Poppy's our eldest... she's eight and then there is Maddison she's five, Freya is four and Orla is three."
Zoe looks at the photo and smiles "Woah, you are both very lucky," She smiles.

Soon Zoe leaves Jack and Nikki be for a while in hope of things progressing in good time. Jack had managed to find a comfortable position on the chair and is trying to get a little bit of sleep in before they're graced with another child in their lives.