Meredith woke up in the middle of the night and she felt off. Nothing was wrong, Dai was asleep at her aunt Amy's house, Derek was asleep right next to her, and baby was quiet in her stomach. She looked over at the clock and it was 1:45 A.M. She rearranged herself on the bed and when her bare leg hit the wet spot on the bed she freaked.
"Derek!" She yelled in a whisper as she used the back of her hand to slap him.
"Mhmmm" Derek groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.
"I think my water broke, or I just peed the bed. Like a lot of pee." Meredith said moving the covers off her so she could stand up. That's when the contractions started, she felt a ripping pain that stretched from her abdomen all the way across her back.
"Holy moly guacamole Derek!!" Meredith said as she clutched her stomach and bent over.
This woke Derek up. He quickly rushed to Meredith's side and started rubbing the lower part of her back. "I think it's time to go." Derek said once the contraction had passed.
"Yeah, I would say so. But it's to early, baby stay in there longer please." Meredith said as she moved to the bathroom to change.
"I'll go call someone to stay with Dai, yell if you need me." Derek said. He was in go mode now, nothing was going to stop him from missing the birth of his baby. Derek called Amy, his sister, to come and take care of Dai. She was over at the house in less than 10 minutes.
Derek rushed back upstairs to find Meredith curled in a ball on the bed. Derek immediately rushed over again and rubbed her back, trying to do as much as he could to help.
"You should have called me." Derek said
"I... I wanted... I did it on my own last time." Meredith said in between breathed.
"We you have me this time and I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. I'm in this Mer." Derek said as he brushed the hair out of Meredith's face.
"Thank you, I love you." Meredith said
"I love you too, now Amy is here so we can go to the hospital now." Derek said helping Meredith up
Meredith and Derek slowly walked to the car and drove to the hospital. Derek periodically looked over at Meredith, who had this permanent look of pain on her face. When they finally arrived at the hospital, Derek helped Meredith out of the car and into a wheelchair. Connie, who Derek had called already, was waiting in the waiting room when they walked in.
"Hello Connie, I am really glad to see you." Meredith said as she breathed through a contraction
"Hello Meredith and Derek, lets go get you settled in a room." Connie said
Once Meredith had changed into a gown and was settled on the bed, Connie came in and was flipping through Meredith's chart. Derek made his way to the side of Meredith's bed and took her hand.
"So, it looks like you are going to be about 10 weeks early. I am going to give you some medicine to help the develop a little faster, but we knew this could possibly happen early. Have you been keeping up on the medications I had prescribed?"
"Yes, she has." Derek answered for Meredith. Meredith was squeezing Derek's hand tightly breathed through another contraction.
"Good, now I am just going to check how dilated you are. Do you have a birth plan?"
"Yes, all natural. I didn't need drugs last time, I don't need them this time." Meredith said
"Are you sure Mer?" Derek asked
"Yeah, I can do this."
"Ok, I will be here every step of the way." Derek said
"It looks like you are only about 2 cm dilated." Connie said
"Only 2 cm!?" Meredith said
Connie nodded, "Yes, it might take awhile to progress. If it takes to long we will have to do a c-section."
Connie left the room and Derek climbed into Meredith hospital and wrapped her in a tight hug."You are doing amazing, you are such an incredible woman. I love you." Derek said
//
Five hours later, Derek was still laying in bed with Meredith as she continued to squeeze Derek's hand tighter and tighter every time a contraction hit. It was only 7 A.M and Meredith already felt as if it was 10 P.M.
"Please Derek, have someone come check me please." Meredith said as she wiped sweat off her forehead
"Ok, I will be right back." Derek ruhed out of the room and found Connie right outside.
"Hey Connie, Mer would like you to come check her. She is getting pretty tired." Derek said
"Yes of course. We knew prolonged labor could happen." Connie said as she walked into the room.
Connie checked Meredith and was disappointed to find that she was only 5 cm dilated. Meredith slammed her head back against the bed and groaned.
"Ohhh baby, I love you, but I really hate you right now." Meredith said.
"Meredith, are you sure you want to go all natural. I don't like seeing you in pain." Derek said sadly
"I want to go all natural, and that is final."
"Why?" Connie asked stepping in
"What do you mean why?" Meredith exclaimed
"Well, I was just wondering, most moms have a reason."
"Well, I got daddy issues, mommy issues, trust issues, past with with mental illness, I don't need drug addiction in there, I am afraid if I have pain killers, I won't be able to stop. I know it is some irrational fear, but what if?"
"Oh Mer" Derek said as he climbed back into bed with her
//
By the time is was 11 A.M, Meredith was mentally and physically done, She wanted to give up, she wanted to give in. She was finally 8 cm dilated and was so close, yet so far. Connie said that this stage may take the longest.
Derek had been going back and forth between Meredith's room and the ice machine. He was tried but he kept going because he had promised that he was going to be there every step of the way.
"Derek, I know I keep asking but I feel like I need to push, can you go get Connie quickly!" Meredith said with much urgenancy in her voice.
"Will do!" Derek said as he quickly left the room. He went to the nurses station and asked them to page Connie. Once he saw Connie had been paged, he went back to Meredith's room. She was breathing deeply and almost in tears.
"Oh Mer, I love you so much. You are absolutely amazing. Connie was paged, she will be here soon." Derek said wiping lose strands of hair away from Meredith's face.
"Good, I love you too." Meredith said. Her eyes shut and her heart monitor beeped loudly. Derek looked up and saw that she had passed out from lack of air, he was glad it was that and nothing wrong was with her heart. he quickly jumped into action and grabbed a oxygen mask from behind the bed.
In couple minutes, Meredith had regained consciousness and tried to take the mask off, Derek however, put it back on.
"Nope, that is staying on." Derek said sliding the strap over her head
Connie came in and stood at the foot of the bed. "So I was paged, you think it's time? What's up with the mask?"
"She passed out from lack of air, I put the mask on her just to be safe." Derek answered
"Yes I think it's time, it better be time." Meredith said
"Ok, let's take a look." Connie said, "Well, I am sorry to say this but you are still only 8 cm dilated. The baby is in some distress so I am going to give you some more meds to try and take of that. If you aren't pushing by 3 PM, I am going to have to do a C-section, and that is final."
"I can work with that." Meredith said lifting up the mask
"Put it on." Derek said
"I hate you."
"You love me." Derek said as he pushed the mask down back on her face gently
//
It was 2 PM, Meredith was zoning in and out of consciousness because of pain. Derek put the o2 mask back on and Meredith didn't fight it.
"Push, I need to push." Meredith said lifting the mask off to speak then immediately putting it back on.
"Ok, press the call button, I'm not leaving you." Derek said pushing wet, sweaty strands of hair away from her face.
Meredith pressed nurse call button and fainted again. When the nurse came in, Derek just asked her to page Connie. The nurse looked at Meredith and felt bad for her, she had gone through so much and was just not getting break.
When Connie came in, Meredith was still passed out. "How long? Connie asked
"Only 2 minutes, she's been going in and out." Derek said petting her hair.
"Ok, I will wait here until she wakes up and I will check her, she said she feels she needs to push right?"
"Yeah, what can I do for her. I feel so unless just sitting here?" Derek asked.
"If she is able to push now, sit behind her and let her lean into you, she'll want that extra support and if she passes out again, you'll be there." Connie said as she watched Meredith come back.
"Mhmmm I hate this" Meredith moaned
"It's almost over, hang in there Mer." Derek said
"Ok Meredith, you are 10 cm. Let me go get some nurses and you can start pushing." Connie said and quickly left the room.
Derek moved behind Meredith just like Connie and Meredith immediately leaned back against him. "I love you, you got this!" Derek said rubbing her shoulders
Connie came back in with a team of nurses and a bunch of equipment. "You ready Meredith."
//1 hour later//
"Come on Meredith! One more push!" Connie said
"Nope, I can't." Meredith said falling back
"Meredith, you got this. I don't even know how you've done this so far. You are the most amazing person I've ever meet-" Derek said
"Stop with the lovey dovey crap." Meredith snapped
"Fine, do you want to see your baby." Derek said
"Yes."
"Then push!" Derek said
Meredith pushed until she heard Connie say the baby was out. Derek and Meredith both sat up and watched, they didn't hear anything. anything in fact.
"Baby, crying- why- why isn't it crying." Meredith spit out as she leaned back into Derek.
Derek looked around as Connie took the small baby over to the warmer.
"The baby is having respiratory issues, we are taking it to the NICU. We will keep you updated." Connie yelled for one her interns to check Meredith and run out of the room.
"Wait-" Meredith yelled, but it was two late, Connie was already out of that room. "gender?"
"Meredith you did great, I love you." Derek said giving Meredith a tight squeeze.
"I need air- I can't-" Meredith said having a mini panic attack.
Derek grabbed the O2 mask and put it on her. Soon the intern left the room so it was just Meredith and Derek.
"Do you think our baby will be ok?" Meredith asked
"Yes, she's a fighter like you." Derek said