Fighting Fate

73. Look up the hallway

"Why didn't we think to pack the bag sooner?"

"Rachel told me that I should have packed it at 33 weeks because you never know, but I just got so caught up with everything else that I forgot. I kept putting it off and I regret it now."

Harry takes a step closer to me and places his hands on my shoulders and tries to calm me down. "It's alright, everything is going to be okay." He kisses my forehead before picking up the baby bag and walking over to the change table. "Lucky we transported everything over here, eh?"

"I only have my pyjamas and my dirty clothes from today. I need to stop by my parent's place to get an outfit."

"No baby, we need to pack this baby bag and get to the hospital. I'll bring my suitcase I'm sure there's something of mine that you can wear."

"You're stylish Harry and I love your style for you, but I don't want to have my first pictures with our daughter wearing your floral shirts."

He frowns at me, slightly offended by what I said. "I think they're wonderful." He places four diapers into the bag. "Wait, how much do you think she will poo? I'll add a few more."

"Harry, those won't fit her. If she's being born early then we are going to need premi-diapers. The hospital will supply us with them I'm sure."

He places another handful of diapers inside the bag just incase.

"And going on what you said before, about your first pictures with our daughter. Hailey babe, you're going to be naked." He laughs. "Your first pictures will probably be when she slips out and is placed straight on your tit."

I laugh at him while holding onto my stomach. "Stop making me laugh, you're going to bring on the labour quicker."

"Yeah, that can't happen. Those baby books did not prepare me to deliver my daughter in the car on the side of the road."

I lean against the wall while bending over slightly. I squint my eyes shut tightly and hold my breath. Even though Dr Avery told me to breathe through the pain, it hurts too much to breathe.

"Another contraction? I'll put it in the app." Harry runs over to the opposite side of the room and picks up his phone. I didn't know this, but he downloaded an app that monitors your contractions. He said that Lou told him to get it because that's the one she used during her labour with Lux.

*

Harry and I got to the hospital safely. We got taken up to my private room and the nurse got me settled. She said that all of the on call midwives are currently delivering other babies and one of them will be with me shortly. Dr Avery isn't due to start her shift until 11am and she isn't answering her phone. She was the one who I wanted to deliver my baby, but I trust these midwives.

"Hey there Hailey, I'm Phoebe and it looks like you're stuck with me today." A girl who looks to be in her mid-late twenties walks into the room and is rubbing her hands together and rubbing in what I'm assuming is hand sanitiser. She then reaches for a fresh pair of gloves from the rack on the wall. "Hi, I'm Phoebe. It's lovely to meet you."

Harry holds his hand out to her. "Hey Phoebe, I'm Harry. Can I shake your hand or is that not sanitary?" He hesitantly holds his hand out to her.

Phoebe laughs at him and stares down at his hand. "How about you shake my hand when I deliver your baby safely into this world." She looks at the print outs from the tocodynamometer which has been displaying my contractions since the nurse attached the device to my stomach. "Alright, let me take a look." She walks to the end of the bed and moves my already parted legs, further apart. "She's really low."