Harry: 35
Camryn: 35
Darcy: 18, 40 weeks, 1 day pregnant
Lennon: 16
Auggie: 15
Bowie: 13
Calum: 11
Bindi: 9
September 4 2029-- 9:00 am
"Lennie pass the cereal,"Bindi instructs, holding her hand out towards the cereal box that her older brother is holding.
"And?"Lennon asks, tilting his head and raising his eyebrows, holding the cereal box just out of her reach until she finishes her sentence politely.
"And what?"Bindi asks, furrowing her eyebrows, and reaching towards the box with a whimper as Lennon moves it just out of her reach again.
"What do you end that with?"Lennon asks, raising his eyebrows at Bindi who sighs at him dramatically.
She rolls her eyes and deadpans a "please" as she rips the box out of Lennon's grasp.
"Next time try it with a little less sass Belle,"Harry calls from his spot at the stove, scrambling some eggs as he chuckles and shakes his head at his kids' interaction.
"Oh, look at who has arisen,"Bowie sarcastically announces, grinning over his bite of cereal as he watches his heavily pregnant and overdue older sister walk into the kitchen.
She's only wearing a pair of shorts that show practically her entire butt with a tank top (that she has semi leaked through since her milk has already come in) as well as a the same messy bun she's been sporting for the past 24 hours and a deep grumpy scowl.
"You look gorgeous, sunshine,"Lennon chuckles, smirking over at Darcy as he chews on his cereal, earning a big middle finger from Darcy.
"Good morning Miss DD,"Harry greets, looking over at his oldest daughter who looks purely miserable as she waddles closer to him, "how're we feeling today?"
"Gross,"Darcy grumbles, pouting dramatically and holding her stomach in her hands. "My back feels like it's gonna break and I want her out and my legs are aching so bad and I want her out...I also couldn't sleep last night cuz I couldn't get comfortable and I want her out..." She sighs and runs a palm down her face, "have I mentioned that I want her out?"
"Ooo yay we get hormonal and grumpy D today,"Bowie scoffs sarcastically as he watches Darcy waddle closer to the kitchen table.
"I swear the second I get this child out of me, I'm pummeling you,"Darcy threatens, leaning over the table and pointing her finger in Bowie's face as he pretends to bite at it to tease Darcy further.
"Alright, alright, how about we go two seconds without threatening each other,"Harry suggests with an exasperated eye roll, walking over to the kitchen table with his and Camryn's plate of eggs as Camryn walks into the kitchen right on time. "I was expecting to get a midnight wake up call last night considering the day we had yesterday, D."
Darcy sits down heavily in her seat, putting her elbow on the table and putting her face in her palm as she blows a raspberry with her hand. "No, I thought so as well, but apparently she thinks it's really funny to just give me nonstop contractions during the day and night but never let me progress."
"Have you checked yourself recently?"Camryn asks, pressing a kiss to Harry's cheek in appreciation for the breakfast before she sits down next to him and looks over at Darcy who's looking at the cereal in front of her like she's trying to decide if she really wants it or not.
Darcy whimpers miserably. "Don't mention it."
Camryn cringes as she realizes that she's brought up a touchy topic and looks over at Harry who looks just as tense as she does, "still a one?"
"Still a f*cking one,"Darcy exclaims, resting her forehead down on her arms that are crossed on the table.
"At least you're dilated a bit, huh babe?"Harry tries, smiling over at Darcy who's head is still down on her interlocked arms as Camryn shoots him a look of not the time, love.
"I've been a one since I was 37 weeks!"Darcy exclaims miserably, looking up from her arms and over at Harry with a glare.
Harry holds his hands up in innocence as he realizes his mistake. Never try to make a pregnant lady feel anything that they don't want to feel, he should know this by now. "Sorry, just trying to look on the bright side."
"There will be no bright side until..."Darcy begins before it turns into a whimper, resting her face back in her palm as she begins to breathe deeply as a contraction gips her stomach and back, making her thighs begin to tremble a bit, "hoahhhkay..."
"Good breathing, babe,"Camryn nods, shoveling eggs into her mouth as she continues to watch Darcy blow raspberries with her lips to try and control her breathing.
Darcy whimpers, her face pinching a bit as the contraction gains strength, holding her hand out towards Auggie who takes it and interlocks his fingers through hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
"Y-Y-You've g-g-got a-a g-g-grip, D-D,"Auggie grins, squeezing Darcy's hand again as he tries to lighten the mood.
"That's a good contraction, babe,"Camryn grins excitedly, the adrenaline and butterflies rising in her stomach just like they used to when she was the one going into labor, "those are definitely doing something."
"Not enough,"Darcy whimpers, blowing out one more deep breath before nodding her head and straightening back up, shaking her shoulders out before she releases Auggie's hand and smiles over at him. "Sorry for mangling your hand, Augs."
Auggie holds up his left hand and scrunches his fingers towards his palm, "i-i-it's o-okay I-I'm a r-r-righty a-a-anyways." He holds up his dominant right hand to wave in front of Darcy as she giggles and shakes her hand, finally jumping into her breakfast.
"Speaking of righties,"Camryn hums, looking around the table and noticing one seat that's empty. "Where's our family lefty? Has anyone seen him this morning?"
"I went to tell him that we were all eating breakfast, but he was still asleep,"Lennon responds with a shrug, looking at the empty seat at the table that Calum usually occupies.
"He stays up too late drawing,"Harry says through a mouthful of coffee. "We need to stop letting him stay up so late, bug."
"It's the weekend, he'll be okay,"Camryn waves off nonchalantly, looking over at Bindi who has swallowed her orange juice down the wrong hole and is currently trying to cough it up.
"Don't eat too much, I've got a reservation in an hour for you and me at the cafe down town, but I wanted to give us a little thing to hold us over,"Harry grins proudly, watching as Camryn gasps and puts her palm over her heart.
"Sweetheart..."Camryn coos, reaching out to squeeze Harry's knee. "Thank you, baby." She leans in and presses a gentle kiss against his lips as he grins and presses another one against hers.
"You're welcome, bug,"Harry grins, putting his hand on her back and beginning to massage her upper back and shoulders.
"So I'm in charge,"Darcy asks, raising her eyebrows up at Harry who chuckles and nods.
"Just thought we'd help you get used to being a parent,"Harry smirks, winking at Darcy who jokingly groans as she rubs her bump.
"If I gave birth to any of these people I'd shove them right back up,"Darcy jokes, reaching over to grab one of Lennon's strawberries and plopping it into her mouth as he swats her grabbing hand away from his plate.
"EW!"Bowie exclaims, looking at Darcy with the most mortified look, paling a bit.
"And on that note,"Harry huffs, blowing a breath between his lips and widening his eyes, pushing his chair away from the table. "I think it's time for us to leave, bug."
"I'm right behind you,"Camryn laughs, taking Harry's hand to help her stand as he wraps his arm around her.
"I liked you guys a lot more when you couldn't talk and just crapped in your pants,"Harry smirks, pulling Camryn in tight to press a kiss to her temple, "or if you were Bowie, on the floor.
***
10:45 am
"Do you wanna go check on Cal and make sure he's still breathing?"Darcy suggests, looking at Lennon as she picks up her empty dish and his, waddling over to the sink, having to lean heavily backwards because of her big bump.
"Sure,"Lennon nods with a yawn, stifling it with his fist before pushing his chair out and moseying towards the stairs.
"DD, is she moving?"Bindi asks, walking over to Darcy who's at the sink washing the dishes.
"Yeah, she's moving a bit,"Darcy grins, holding her hand out to grab onto Bindi's wrist, placing Bindi's little palm down on top of her stomach, and placing it on the left side of her bump. "Her bum is right there." She combs her fingertips up the side of her bump to show Bindi. "Her back is right there against the side of my stomach." She taps the underside of her bump and wiggles her eyes at Bindi. "And her heads right there! Pushing on my bladder and making me feel like I have to pee my pants!"
"Oh she just kicked my hand,"Bindi giggles cheekily, grinning up at Darcy.
"Yeah, I felt that, that one hurt,"Darcy groans with a little laugh, shaking her head down at Bindi.
"C-C-Can I f-f-feel t-t-too?"Auggie asks, sitting on top of the granite counter top and holding his hands out for Darcy.
"I suppose so,"Darcy cheekily responds, waddling the few feet over to Auggie and sitting her bump out as she stands in between his legs. "Here, give me your hand."
Auggie holds his hand out for Darcy as she places it on the top of her bump, right where both of Penny's little feet are.
"Oop, there you are,"Darcy giggles, looking up at Auggie's face as it lights up, his eyes trained on her bump with a huge smile.
"C-C-Can y-y-you b-b-believe t-t-that's a r-r-real l-l-little h-h-human?"Auggie grins, looking down at Darcy as she moves his palm around her on her bump as Penny wiggles around.
"I know,"Darcy nods with a little squeal. "Gosh, I can't wait to meet her. Like we could meet her at any second, how cool is that? You could be an uncle literally at any point today!"
*
"Mate, it's almost 11, you should probably get up,"Lennon announces as he opens Calum's door, looking over at his little brother who's curled up with the blankets over him in the fetal position.
It's only after he looks at him for a bit that he realizes his eyes are open and staring straight at the wall opposite of his bed, his body slightly shaking as tears race down his cheeks.
"You okay, Cal?"Lennon cautiously asks, crossing Calum's room and kneeling down in front of his little brother, resting a gentle hand on his side as Calum hisses at the touch.
"What's wrong?"Lennon asks, watching as his brother breathe in and out shakily, clenching his eyes closed to try and focus on his breathing just like he's had to so many times before.
"Mum..."Calum whimpers, shaking his head at the sound of Lennon's voice.
"Mum's not home right now,"Lennon gently explains, his heart speeding up as he watches his little brother writher in pain. "Her and dad are at the cafe—"
"Darce..."Calum pinches out, whimpering in pain and burying his face into the pillow as he whines, his arm gripping his stomach.
"Okay, I'll go get Darce,"Lennon nods quickly jumping up from the ground and bolting out of his room and down the stairs, finding Darcy rolling out her birthing ball to bounce on while the rest of the kids watch television.
"D, can you come up here, Cal's got another stone I think,"Lennon calls, standing on the last stair as he watches Darcy's head snap up, her face pinching in concern.
"Sh*t,"Darcy frowns sympathetically, waddling as fast as she can over to the stairs and beginning to climb up them as she shoulders past Lennon. "In his room?"
"Yeah, he's curled up on his bed,"Lennon sighs, running his fingers through his sleep messed curls. "Should I call mum and dad?"
"Yeah,"Darcy frowns, a sinking feeling in her heart when she realizes that she's calling them away from their date.
She patters to the first door on the left where Calum's door is left creaked open slightly from when Lennon ran out of the room.
"There you are,"Darcy whispers, taking on the motherly demeanor that she falls into so well and has ever since she was young.
"DD,"Calum cries out, tightening his arms around his stomach and gripping the sheets between his fingers.
"Oh honey,"Darcy coos as she awkwardly positions herself to kneel down on the floor in front of Calum, holding onto the edge of the bed to help lower herself before she reaches out to put her hand on top of Calum's with her other hand in his blonde curls. "How're you feeling? Another kidney stone?"
"Yeah,"Calum sniffles, nodding his head with a permanent grimace pinched across his face.
"I'm sorry, lovey,"Darcy whispers, combing her fingers through Calum's blonde curls and leaning over him to shroud him a bit. "Lennon's calling mum and dad right now so they'll be home so soon, okay? Can I get you something? Do you need a bowl to be sick into?"
"Yeah,"Calum whimpers with a pained nod, groaning after he says it and burying his face into the pillow.
"Hey, okay, breathe, mum and dad are coming home right now,"Darcy whispers reassuringly, squeezing Calum's hand that's squeezing hers in a death grip. "I'm supposed to be the one going into labor today, lovey, not you."
That little jokes gets a pained whimper in response from Calum as he shoves his face deeper into the pillow.
"LENNON!"Darcy calls, hearing his footsteps fly up the stairs and down the hall, barging into Calum's bedroom.
"Yeah?"Lennon asks with a petrified face, his heart in his throat as he looks at his big sister kneeling on the floor.
"Puke bowl,"Darcy quickly instructs, watching as Lennon nods and immediately runs out of the room and down the stairs in search of the deemed family "puke bowl" that has out stood many many flu seasons.
"You're okay, you're okay,"Darcy whispers, squeezing Calum's hand reassuringly. "I've got you, babe. You're okay."
"It hurts,"Calum cries out, shaking his head and then burying his face into the pillow again.
"I know it does, I know,"Darcy nods, pressing a gentle kiss to Calum's forehead, wiping some of the sweat off of it as tears roll down his flushed cheeks. "You're being so brave, bud. Mum and dad will know what pain meds to give you when they get home."
"Here,"Lennon offers, running into the room with the puke bucket in his hand and handing it to Darcy.
"Thanks,"Darcy quickly rushes out, turning her attention to Calum who's getting paler and paler by the second. She places the bucket under Calum's mouth as he breathes heavily into it, closing his eyes and beginning his body to not be sick into the bowl.
"You're okay,"Darcy promises quickly, watching as Calum's face turns a sickly pale green color, his breathing getting shallower. "Just be sick if you need to, lovey. It's okay if you need to. Your body needs to get it all out."
"Don't feel good..."Calum mumbles, his head hanging over the bowl as his cheeks tingle with saliva.
"I know you don't,"Darcy whispers, nodding her head comfortingly. "But you're okay. You're right here with me. You're okay, sweetheart—"
She's cut off by a loud hacking cough before the bowl becomes heavy in her hand with vomit, a frown drawing across her lips as she watches Calum continue to heave.
"Get it all out, babe,"Darcy whispers, continuing to watch as Calum vomits into the bowl. She's become completely numb to watching people be sick, it doesn't even bother her in the slightest because of her midwife training. "I've got you. You're okay."
Darcy looks behind her shoulder quickly to see Lennon bouncing on his feet, his eyes looking away as he listens to his little brother heave into the bowl. He cannot handle sick in the slightest, but he also doesn't want to leave Darcy all alone up here to help Calum.
"There we are,"Darcy hums calmly, putting the filled bowl on Calum's nightstand. She grabs the washcloth that Lennon brought up along with the bowl and wipes it gently across Calum's face as she continues to cup the back of his head with her palm. "You're okay...oh I know it hurts, love, I'm sorry."
"I want mum,"Calum sobs again, completely distraught about being so sick and not having his mum here to cuddle and reassure him.
"She's coming, honey,"Darcy promises, laying Calum's head back down on his pillow as his hand grips onto hers again. "I'm right here." She combs her fingers through Calum's sweaty hairline, looking over him with the most loving eyes. "Where's it most, honey? Can you show me?"
"Here,"Calum whimpers, pointing to his lower stomach before he presses his fingers into that spot again, crying out in pain as more tears leak down his cheeks.
"Do you want to rub there, honey? Can I help you?"Darcy offers, watching as her little brother foggily nods, his eyes clenched shut as he warily takes his fingers away from his fingers, feeling Darcy's fingers being to massage into his lower stomach.
"OW! OW! OW!"Calum yells out, gripping his pillow and shoving his face into it as his entire body clenches.
"You're okay, I know it's hurting, I'm sorry,"Darcy repeats, looking up at her little brother who's sobbing into the pillow as he grips it with white knuckles, his hand reaching out to grab onto Darcy's forearm and dig his nails into her skin.
"Mum and dad are coming soon, bud, I promise,"Lennon encourages, keeping a safe distance away from Darcy and Calum since he doesn't quite know his role yet, but still wanting them to both know that he's there.
***
11:20 am
"Where is he?"Harry asks as him and Camryn run into the house, their chests panting as Camryn throws her purse onto the ground and looks at Bowie, Auggie, and Bindi who have positioned themselves in the living room.
"I-I-In h-h-his r-r-room,"Auggie tells Camryn and Harry, pointing up towards the stairs as they all watch their parents bolt up the stairs and into Calum's room.
Upon entering, they find Calum still curled up on his side in the fetal position, his body rocking back and forth as he moans. His forehead is tipped down and pressing against his and Darcy's interlocked hands that he's squeezing until they're pure white, pained and tight moans and cries escaping his throat. Darcy has her free hand in his hair, combing her fingers through his blonde curls as she whispers soothingly at him, Lennon kneeling right beside them with his hand gently placed on Calum's leg.
"Hi baby,"Camryn coos as she rushes over to her three kids, immediately taking Lennon's place as he jumps off of the floor to allow room for Camryn.
"Mumma,"Calum sobs, releasing Darcy from his grip and reaching his shaking arms out towards Camryn as she wraps her arms around him, hugging him gently as he buries his face into her neck and begins to sob in both relief and pain.
"Oh sweet boy,"Camryn murmurs, quietly shushing him as she runs her hand up and down his back, feeling his hot tears fall onto her neck as his sobs increase in intensity. "I'm right here. You're okay. Mumma's got you."
"Thanks for calling us,"Harry whispers as he offers both of his hands down towards Darcy to help her stand up onto her feet.
"Of course,"Darcy nods, grinning as Harry places a gentle hand on her bump, giving it a little rub. "I'll go grab a heat pack for him."
"Thanks,"Harry nods, grinning at Darcy and Lennon before they leave the room to give Calum some privacy. Harry kneels down next to Camryn and puts a gentle hand on her back to let her know that he's there as she continues to hold their littlest boy who's still sobbing and tightly moaning into her neck, his hands gripping onto the back of her shirt.
"What do you need daddy and I to do, lovey?"Camryn asks slowly, trying to talk as evenly and gently as she can so that she doesn't cause any more fear in Calum's little body. He's had kidney stones since he was 5 years old, he gets about 3 a year, but it never gets any easier to deal with because the pain is just miserable. Most people say that it's the only type of pain that can be compared to labor.
"I dunno..."Calum moans, shaking his head into Camryn's neck as he lets out an ear piercing cry that makes Camryn's heart shatter.
"Do you want me to hold you? I can lay with you on the bed?"Camryn suggests, thinking back to all of the ways they've gotten through Calum's kidney stones in the past.
"Yeah,"Calum whimpers, pulling away very unwilling from Camryn, his face coated in agonized tears and snot.
"Alright, let's cuddle, sweet boy,"Camryn murmurs as she gently climbs onto Calum's bed, trying her very best to not jostle Calum's pained body.
"There's my bud,"Harry whispers, reaching out for Calum's hand as he immediately grips it, his lips blubbering with sobs.
"Daddy..."Calum sobs, shaking his head against the pillow.
Harry's sure his heart shatters as he listens to Calum's pained cry. There's nothing quite like the heartbreak of your kids moaning out you name in absolute agony that you can't fix.
"I know, buddy, I know,"Harry nods comfortingly, offering his other hand to Calum as he begins to squeeze that one as well. "Mumma and I are right here. We're not leaving you. This will be done so soon. It's just another stone, huh?"
"I was sick,"Calum blubbers as Camryn gently wraps her arms around his waist, spooning her body around his as she snuggles her face into the side of Calum's neck, massaging her palm into his lower stomach to try and ease some of the pain.
"That's okay, bud, that's okay,"Harry whispers, smiling gently as he looks over at the puke bowl that he noticed when he first walked into the room, only now realizing that it's not on the desk anymore. Darcy probably took it to wash it out, he assumes. "It's okay to be sick. It's just your body's way of coping with the pain, huh? That's normal."
"Do you still feel sick, baby?"Camryn asks, frowning deeply as Calum moans out, unable to respond as a pain runs through his stomach, zinging all the way down to his crotch and making his thighs clench.
"OWWWW!"Calum yells out, his face turning up in agony as Harry tightens his grip on Calum's hands, his eyes looking at him with the most loving and caring gaze as Camryn buries her face into Calum's neck, the vibrations of moans leaving his throat and pressing against Camryn's forehead.
"Calum, bud, take a deep breath,"Harry whispers, nudging his face closer to Calum's who's still crying out in agony. "Honey, look at me. Take a deep breath, it will help. I promise. Buddy..."
"I CAN'T!"Calum cries out, desperate sobs ripping through his throat as he begins to completely panic. It's a lot of pain and very overwhelming for anyone to go through, let alone an 11 year old.
"You can, bubby, you're doing awesome,"Darcy encourages as she waddles back into the room with the freshly cleaned puke bowl, a heating pack, and a few cold rags, falling into her comforting midwife training so easily. She supposes it will work just as well on a pained Calum as it will a laboring pregnant woman.
"Thanks, D,"Harry murmurs, watching as Darcy sets the supplies down next to Harry on the floor since Calum is very unwilling to let go of Harry's hands.
"Mumma..."Calum sobs, flinging her head back and almost hitting the back of his head into her face before she can quickly move it.
"Sweetheart, can you listen to my breathing?"Camryn asks gently, pressing her lips to the shell of Calum's ear as his flung back head rests back against her shoulder.
"Noooo..."Calum whimpers, his brain too fogged with pain to really comprehend anything.
"Buddy, listen to mumma, listen to her breathing,"Harry softly instructs, rubbing his thumbs against Calum's knuckles.
"Take a deep breath in,"Camryn whispers, her lips brushing against the shell of his ear as she takes a deep breath in and then releases it, blowing against Calum's ear as his chest hiccups with a whimper, his breaths shaky, but definitely more controlled than before.
"There we go, good job, buddy,"Harry whispers, nodding his head encouragingly as she watches Calum and Camryn who are completely in their own world.
"Those are such good breaths,"Camryn praises, kissing Calum's ear gently as he sniffles and coughs wetly, moaning out breathily as the pain ripples through his lower stomach again.
"You're so brave, Cal,"Darcy encourages, reaching down to squeeze Harry's shoulder before waddling out of the room to give Calum his space.
"Oop, daddy we're gonna be sick,"Camryn warns, watching Calum's face pale as his stomach rumbles ominously under her hands.
Harry quickly releases Calum's hands from his grip and grabs the bowl, placing it under Calum's chin just in time for him to be sick into it, hurling everything in his stomach into the bowl.
"Alright, good job, bub,"Camryn whispers, rubbing his blonde curls back with the palm of her head as she holds him while he continues to heave forward into the bowl. "Get it all out."
Harry winces as he watches Calum heave into the bowl again, coughing up what little he has left and then spitting into the bowl. "I'm sorry, buddy. You're doing awesome."
"There we go,"Camryn whispers as Calum collapses back against her, his cheek falling to the pillow In exhaustion as she brings her fingers up to run through his blonde curls. "You're okay. Daddy and I are right here with you."
***
11:50 am
"I wanna pop that thing so bad,"Bowie jokes as he looks over at Darcy bouncing on her birthing ball in the corner of the room, her palms rubbing up and down on the sides of her bump as she watches The Office that all of the kids are watching with her.
"F*ck off,"Darcy grumbles, frowning over at Bowie and shooting lasers at him with her eyes. "If you had 7 pounds of baby attached to you, you'd be bouncing on this as well."
"W-W-What's g-g-got y-y-you s-s-so p-p-pissy t-t-today?"Auggie asks, shooting a glance over at Bowie who's lips are formed in a slight frown as his eyes stare into the television, his arms crossed against his chest as he slouches against the couch.
"I'm not pissy,"Bowie grumbles, refusing to make eye contact with any of his siblings as his dyed black hair falls into his eyes.
"Yes you are,"Bindi butts in. She always has a talent of chiming in at the...best...possible moments.
"It's because Meyers is with her boyfriend,"Lennon smirks, shooting a look over at Bowie whose frown deepens at the sly remark.
"I don't care that she's with Conner,"Bowie whispers, sinking down further into the couch as all of the siblings watch him with gazes that suggest that they don't believe a word he's saying.
"Right guys, he doesn't care that she's with Conner cuz he doesn't like Mo at all, how could we forget,"Darcy teases, smirking viciously over at Bowie as she holds her hands up in fake innocence.
"I don't like Mo!"Bowie exclaims, sitting up from the couch and throwing his arms out in front of him to try and prove his point. "I don't!"
He stands up from the couch and immediately charges towards the bathroom with bright red cheeks before slamming the door a bit harder than he was intending and hiding out in there until the kids get on another topic, preferably one that won't embarrass him as much.
"He likes MoMo,"Bindi grins devilishly, biting down on her lower lip as she looks between her older siblings.
"H-He d-d-does,"Auggie agrees with a little smirk playing on his lips as he throws a crisp into his mouth.
"Who likes who?"Harry asks as he walks down the stairs, running his hands through his curls exasperatedly as he makes his way to the living room. He raises his eyebrows questioningly as he looks between all of his kids who have evil little smirks plastered on their faces. "What? What am I missing?"
"Bowie likes MoMo,"Bindi tattles, always the first to break when it comes to secrets that are supposed to be kept as she grins up at Harry who raises his eyebrows down at her.
"Oh does he now?"Harry asks with a little breathy chuckle, huffing as he sinks into the couch, sitting right next to Bindi who immediately repositions her body to snuggle in tight against him, her cheek falling to Harry's chest as he brings his hand up to comb his fingers through her hazel hair. "It's not obvious at all..."
"How is he?"Lennon asks, looking over at Harry with a worried glance as Harry sighs and rubs a palm down his exhausted face, dropping his cheek to the top of Bindi's head.
"He's okay,"Harry assures the kids, feeling an obvious tension leave the room at the reassurance. "He's snuggling with mumma. She's trying to get him to fall asleep."
"Do you think he can pass this one or are you going to have to go to the hospital?"Darcy asks, rolling back and forth on the ball as she begins to swivel her hips on it as well, trying to diminish some of the intense pressure that's been settled in her hips for a few days now.
"I'm not sure,"Harry admits honestly, resting his head back on the ball of his neck against the back of the couch. "This one seems pretty bad. I dunno if mum will be able to soothe him long enough to help him pass it."
As if on cue, a loud cry erupts from upstairs followed by fervent hushed shushes from Camryn as all of the kids in the living room cringe.
"Poor guy,"Darcy whispers sympathetically, looking up towards the stairs as her back spasms again, causing a hiss to escape from between her lips.
"I wonder if he's having a boy or girl,"Lennon teases, watching as Harry chuckles a bit and shakes his head, grinning over at Lennon.
"You're terrible,"Harry accuses, despite his laugh that he couldn't conceal in the slightest.
"Oh yep, hug my bladder, that's awesome, thanks sweetheart,"Darcy complains, sighing heavily as she stands up from the birthing ball with a huff and waddles her way over to the downstairs bathroom. "Now to steal the bathroom away from Bowie before I pee my pants."
"Bowie, can I have the bathroom please,"Darcy requests, holding one hand under her bump and using the other to pound her fist against the door. "Please? I've gotta go so bad."
"No,"Bowie defiantly calls back, sat on top of the toilet with his face in his palms as he hunches over and rests his elbows on top of his knees.
"Bow, please, I don't have control of my bladder anymore,"Darcy raises her voice a bit more urgently as Penny kicks her bladder again, making her one step closer to pissing her pants. "Bowie!"
"Darcy, no,"Bowie fights back stubbornly. All of the Styles children are way too stubborn for their own good. "You should've thought about this before you teased me about Mo!"
"Bowie I'm sorry! I won't make fun of you and Mo again, I promise,"Darcy whimpers, banging her fist against the door again and beginning to do a little potty dance to try and keep everything in. "Bowie please! Bow I'm literally about to pee my pants!"
"Go upstairs then!"Bowie yells, throwing his hands towards the closed door as he hears Darcy's palm slap against it again.
"I can't! I cant walk up there fast enough and the stairs will make me pee!"Darcy whines, traveling one of her hands down to cup her vagina because at this point it's the only action that's saving her from having an accident all over the wood floor below her.
"Alright, what's going on?"Harry sighs exasperatedly as he walks down the hall, finding Darcy leaning against the door as she pounds her open palm into it, her other hand squished in between her legs that are crossed and clenched tightly.
"Dad tell him to let me in,"Darcy whimpers, tattling on Bowie as she looks at Harry with big blue desperate eyes. "I'm about to pee my pants, dad."
"Mate, c'mon let Darcy in,"Harry says sternly, pounding his fist upon the door. "Bowie Robin, now."
"Bowie I always have more contractions when my bladder is full,"Darcy whimpers, pouting at the door as she continues to bounce up and down with little desperate whimpers escaping her lips, "please."
"I thought you wanted her to come out?"Bowie sarcastically grins. He's always been a bit of an evil one, especially when it comes to annoying his siblings. "I'm helping!"
"Bowie, hurry up,"Harry sighs, rolling his eyes and reaching to put his hand on the door handle, trying to open it a few times to make Bowie know that he's serious, "and don't argue with a pregnant woman. Write that down for future reference."
"Oh sh*t, oh sh*t, oh sh*t,"Darcy whimpers, throwing her head back on the ball of her neck as she braces her arm that's not in between her legs against the door and slaps her palm against the wooden surface.
"You're okay, breathe,"Harry whispers comfortingly, his hand traveling to the small of her back as he begins to rub it gently while she leans to rest her forehead on top of her arm that's braced on the door, trying to focus now not only on keeping her pee it, but breathing through her contraction.
"Bow, c'mon, Darcy's having a contraction,"Harry urgently calls, losing his patience more and more by the second as his stubborn son remains defiant. "I'm not gonna ask again, Bowie."
"I'm pooping!"Bowie calls with a devilish smirk, resting his chin in his hand as he looks towards the door.
Darcy whimpers and rolls her forehead against her arm, a deep pout forming on her face as her full bladder makes the contraction 10x worse than it would normally be. "Dad."
"I know, you're alright,"Harry murmurs soothingly, leaning over to press a kiss to Darcy's temple as she continues to blow tight breathes in and out of her lips. "Bowie get out of the bathroom now."
"I'm pooping,"Bowie exclaims again with a sigh. All of the kids are stubborn in their own ways, but they also all know when their dad means business and when they need to stop playing around. Well...except Bowie. Bowie has the tendency to push things a bit too far when it comes to rebelling against Camryn and Harry which has caused a lot of heartbreak (and groundings) in his short 13 years of life.
"If you don't get out I'll tell Morgan's mum that you can't go over to their house on Friday night,"Harry threatens sternly. He doesn't often get stern with the kids. In fact, he can probably count on one hand the amount of times he's raised his voice at them (most of the time being Bindi).
Harry hears a dramatic sigh from inside the bathroom before footsteps move across the tile floor and the handle on the door twists downwards, revealing Bowie with a deep frown written across his face as he shoulders past Harry who gives Darcy's lower back on last rub before she begins to waddle quickly into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
"Hey,"Harry calls, grabbing Bowie's bicep before he can escape into the living room. He turns his son around to look at him sternly, his green eyes meeting Bowie's brown ones. "Not okay."
"Okay,"Bowie sighs, trying to pull his arm away from Harry's grasp.
"Hey, no, look at me,"Harry sternly commands, keeping his voice as even as possible. "That was so mean Bowie. It was totally uncalled for."
"They were making fun of me and Mo,"Bowie fights back, his face falling as he realizes that his dad is completely taking his siblings' sides without hearing the whole story.
"I know they were, and that's not okay either. I'll talk to them about not doing that, but you need to apologize to your sister the second she comes out of the bathroom, okay?"
"Okay,"Bowie grumbles, sheepishly shooting his glance away from his dad as he finally drops Bowie's arm, walking away from the bathroom to leave Bowie waiting outside of it for Darcy to finally reappear.
*
"You look like your mum when you lay like that,"Harry chuckles, peeking over at Darcy who's laying flat on her back on the couch, her big mound of a belly creating a mountain on top of her as she pokes her fingers around on it, her chin tucked to her chest so that she can look at her stomach as Penny squirms in response to her pokes and proddings. "She used to always lay like that when she was pregnant."
"It's not very comfortable,"Darcy laughs breathily, tapping her finger against a freckle at the side of her bump as she hits her toes against Harry's knuckles as he continues to knead the pads of his fingers into her sore feet, giving her a little massage. "She's laying right on my lungs now, but it does take the pressure off of my hips a bit."
"Where is she?"Harry asks, raising his eyes over at Darcy as he looks at her bare bump that has a few stretch marks coating the underside.
Her fingers gracefully dance across her mound as she taps her fingers at the left side of her bump, "her bum is right her" she dances her fingertips a bit higher "and her feet are right here. She's been kicking me in the ribs a ton today" she glides her fingertips down a bit to right under her stomach, rubbing her skin gently "and her head is right there. She's so low."
"You've dropped a ton in the past day,"Harry acknowledges, excitedly wiggling his eyebrows over at Darcy who bites down on her lower lip with a big smile and nods. "It should be soon."
"Don't jinx it,"Darcy jokes, collapsing her head back against the couch and rubbing her palms over her bare stomach as she feel little baby kicks pressing out of her stomach.
"Daddy can I have a biscuit that mummy made?"Bindi calls, peeking her head out from the edge of the wall and putting on her cutest and most convincing smile. "Please..."
"Sure, but just one, I don't want it to spoil your lunch,"Harry agrees, nodding his head at Bindi and chuckling as he watches her squeal and bolt towards the plate of biscuits on the counter.
"Dad, look at her,"Darcy giggles, pointing towards her bump as Penny fidgets around in Darcy's stomach, making her stomach rumble and rise and fall with movement.
"Woah, someone's doing somersaults, huh?"Harry chuckles, shaking his head in amazement at Darcy's bump as it continues to rise and fall with Penny's moments.
"Here, give me your hand,"Darcy requests, holding her hands out for Harry's hand as he gives it to her. She guides it to her bare skin, pressing it to the side of her navel as she looks up at him and waits for another detectable movement from her baby girl, which they soon receive.
"Oh hello munchkin!"Harry coos with a breathy chuckle, focusing his eyes on Darcy's bump, specifically the spot where his hand is pressed up against. "Are you gonna come and meet us soon? Can you at least wait until Uncle Calum passes his stone?"
***
12:50 pm
"Mumma..."Calum groans, digging his forehead deeper into her shoulder as he clutches his arms around her, his body pressed up against hers as they lay in his bed together.
"I know, sweet boy, I know,"Camryn whispers, combing her fingers through Calum's blonde curls and hugging him close to her body as his pained cries continue to make her heart break. "I think it's time to go to the hospital, okay? I think we need some help passing this one, huh?"
She gets a scared whimper from Calum as he shakes his head and digs his fingernails tighter into Camryn's shoulder blades, his whole body rocking back and forth s he clutches onto her, unable to stay still because of the pain. "Mumma, no...."
"I know you don't want to go in, buddy,"Camryn murmurs, nodding her head and kissing his temple as he moans out in pain again. "But I think we need to. I'm sorry, buddy."
"I don't want to go,"Calum sobs desperately, shaking his head and pulling away from Camryn to look at her with his big pained green eyes that are begging her to not make him go.
Anesthesia: Calum's worst fear. He's been put under it numerous times though out his battle with Cystinuria since he was 5 years old. It causes him to have kidney stones, about three a year, that are often too big for him to pass at home and have to be surgically removed. The surgery is not a complicated one or dangerous at all, and the recovery time is very short, but just the thought of going under anesthesia is enough to make Calum become frozen with fear.
"Sweetheart, you're going to be just fine,"Camryn assures him, cupping his damp cheek with her hand and using the pad of her thumb to wipe away a few of his tears. "It's going to be just like all of the other times we've gone to the hospital."
"I don't want to have anesthesia,"Calum cries, his voice shaking as his lips wobble, his whole body trembling under Camryn's arms at the thought.
"Hey, you know exactly what happens under anesthesia, right?"Camryn calmly explains. She knows the drill, they've been through this more times than she'd like to count. "Daddy goes back with you while the doctors give you your anesthesia, and what does daddy do? Does he talk to you the whole time? Yeah, he does, huh. He talks to you until you start getting sleepy, and then you just go to sleep." Camryn leans in to press a gentle kiss to Calum's forehead as he sniffles feebly and continues to hold onto her, his body still moving restlessly with pain.
"And then, when you wake up you're back in the room with me and daddy, huh? It's not that bad, right? It's just like having a little nap,"Camryn grins, trying her best to put on a brave face for Calum so that his anxieties won't be heightened as he takes shaky breaths and eventually nods his head, the pain overwhelming him and making him realize that he really does need a doctor's help for this.
"Yeah, okay, okay, we're okay,"Camryn soothes, pressing a kiss to Calum's forehead as he nods before placing her chin on top of Calum's head and yelling down, praying that her voice travels over the sound of the television in the living room.
"Harry, baby, can you come up here?!"Camryn calls, mentally cursing herself for leaving her phone in her purse downstairs.
"COMING!"Harry calls back, immediately jumping off of the couch and letting Darcy's legs, which were still on top of his lap, fall down on top of it as he bolts upstairs and straight into Calum's room.
"Hey, I'm here, what's wrong?"Harry pants, rushing over to the bed where Calum and Camryn are cuddled chest to chest, Calum's face buried into Camryn's neck as she holds him tightly.
"I don't think he's gonna pass this one,"Camryn gently explains, "we need to take him to the hospital."
"Okay,"Harry calmly say, nodding his head and looking at Camryn's face that's looking up at him over Calum's shoulder and silently telling him to remain calm so that Calum stays calm as well. "Yeah. Let's get you in the car, bud."
"Daddy will carry you downstairs while I get the things we'll need, alright sweetheart?"Camryn quietly whispers, delicately making sure to explain everything to Calum before it happens since she knows it helps him to feel safe and more sure about what's happening to him.
"Alright bud, I'm gonna pick you up really gently, okay?"Harry murmurs, reaching his arms down towards Calum and gently picking him up into his arms as Calum cries out at the movement, his entire body flinching.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, mate,"Harry quickly frets, a deep frown forming on his face as he gets Calum settled in his arms bridal style, his trembling arms gently wrapped around his dad's neck as he buries his face into Harry's neck.
"It hurts..."Calum whimpers, feeling Harry's cheek drop to the top of his head.
"I know it does, bud, this is almost over, okay?"Harry promises, beginning to walk out of the room and rush down the stairs, but not too fast since he's trying his best to not jostle Calum's body. "I promise you're almost done. You've been so strong, mate."
The kids' heads all snap up at the sound of Calum's muffled whimpers and whines as he continues to shove his face into Harry's neck while they quickly rush down the hall and towards the front door.
"Love you Calum!"Darcy calls with a sympathetic pout as she glances over at her little brother cradled in her dad's arms, her head never moving from where it's resting down against Auggie's shoulder.
"You've got this, mate!"Lennon shouts, laying on the floor of the living room and balancing the big birthing ball on top of his stomach.
"Okay, okay, where's my purse,"Camryn anxiously frets, mumbling under her breath to herself as she rushes down the stairs and begins to nervously search around the living room for her belongings.
"Here mum,"Bowie offers, jumping off of the couch and grabbing Camryn's purse that was discarded on the floor right next to his feet, rushing over to hand it to his mum.
"Thank you, lovey, I love you,"Camryn breathes, trying to calm her racing heart as she presses a quick kiss to the top of Bowie's head before looking at all of the rest of the kids.
"I love you all, dad and I will call with updates as soon as we have any,"Camryn explains, waving quickly at the kids before blowing a kiss in their direction, "mwah, I love you. Darcy's in charge, okay?"
Camryn quickly turns her attention to Darcy, looking over her shoulder as she begins to rush down the hall and pointing to her daughter who's eyebrows are silently pinched in a contraction as she rubs her hands along her bump and continues to rest her temple against Auggie's shoulder. "Please don't go into labor, let's wait till Calum passes his kidney stone, 'kay?"
"No promises,"Darcy murmurs as her face pinches up even more, shooting a tight smile in Camryn's direction to let her know she's joking.
"Gosh, D, another one?"Camryn sighs in a bit of fear. She's been getting contractions every ten minutes today, but luckily they haven't been increasing in intensity and the time between them has remained constant. "How close together are they now?"
"Like 9 minutes..."Darcy says warily, not wanting to lie to her mum but also not wanting to tell her the truth because she knows she'll be even more anxious. "I'm fine, don't worry. Just worry about Calum. I'm all good."
"I'll call nana and tell her to have her phone on her, so if you need anything and dad and I aren't answering, give her a call, okay?"Camryn quickly says before shutting the front door behind her and bolting towards the car.
***
1:10 pm
"I've got you, buddy,"Harry whispers as he cradles Calum in his arms, rushing into the hospital as fast as he can, but making sure not to run because he knows that the bouncing just hurts Calum more.
"Daddy..."Calum moans, whimpering tightly as he buries his face further into Harry's neck, feeling his dad nuzzle his face down to the top of Calum's curls.
"I know, honey, I've got you,"Harry promises, practically running into the automatic opening doors as he crashes through the emergency room hallway and right to the front desk where a frazzled nurse immediately snaps her head up to look at Harry.
"My son has a kidney stone, can we get him some help,"Harry frantically asks, flinching a bit as Calum cries out in pain, his shaking hands against his own stomach as the pain rolls through his lower stomach and all the way down to his groin.
"Sure, sure, follow me,"the nurse immediately instructs, motioning her hand towards Harry and Calum as Harry quickly follows after her down the hall and into a little hospital room. "Just lay him with on the bed there."
"I've got you, bud. I know that hurts, I'm sorry,"Harry profusely apologizes as he carefully lays Calum's pained body on the hospital bed. He immediately grasps onto Calum's trembling hands, sitting in the stool right next to Calum's hospital bed as he curls up in the fetal position on his side since that's the only semi comfortable spot.
"We've got a kidney stone, huh?"a nurse asks as she rushes into the room, immediately heading over to grab a pair of gloves and snap them on before rushing over to stand by Harry at the side of Calum's bed. "Have you had one of these before, bud?"
"Yeah, he has Cystinuria,"Harry explains, keeping a tight grasp on Calum's hand as he uses his other hand to comb through Calum's curls. "My wife and I thought this one was a bit too big to pass at home."
"Alright, it's a good thing you brought him in,"the nurse nods, looking down at Calum with gentle eyes. "The doctor will be in so soon my love, but while we're waiting, do you think it would be okay if I gave you an IV? I can give you some pain meds through it to take some of the edge off."
"Daddy..."Calum groans with a whimper, fidgeting in the bed and shaking his head as he tucks his forehead down against his and Harry's interlocked hands.
"You're okay, bud, I promise it won't hurt bad at all,"Harry soothes, leaning over in his chair to try and shroud Calum's body a bit. "You've had one before. You're okay."
"It will just be a little pinch and then it will be over, okay my darling?"the nurse promises, grabbing the needle and IV equipment. "It won't be nearly as bad as your kidney stone, buddy."
"Yeah, she's right, you've already been going through the worst, huh?"Harry coos, nuzzling his lips against Calum's forehead as he cries out in pain again. "You're being so brave."
"Can I have your right hand, my darling,"the nurse asks gently, watching as Calum shakes his head against the pillow and cries out again, tightening his grip on Harry's hand. "You can hold your dad's hand with your other hand, sweetheart. He's staying right here with you."
"Daddy, no..."Calum begs through a desperate and pained sob, shaking his red and damp face against the pillow. "It hurts..."
"I know it hurts, bud, I do, I'm so sorry,"Harry whispers sympathetically, feeling his heart shatter even more at Calum's desperate exclamation. "Can you hold my other hand? I'm staying right here with you." He loosens his grip on Calum's right hand with makes him whimper, but eventually he brings his left hand up from cradling his stomach to grip onto Harry's hand as he holds his right hand out towards the nurse.
"Thanks, lovey, I'll make this real quick, okay?"the nurse hums, positioning the needle on top of Calum's skin before pushing it in without warning so that he doesn't have time to get more anxious.
"Oh you're alright, bud, it's all done,"Harry soothes as he watches Calum whimper and flinch at the needle, his grip tightening on Harry's hand. "You were so brave. Mumma's gonna be so proud of you."
"I want mumma...."Calum sobs, reaching out towards Harry who abandons his seat and instead lays down on the bed next to Calum because how could he not? He wants to be as close as possible to his baby boy to try and ease the pain that's rippling through his body.
"I know you want mum, she's coming right now,"Harry hums, wrapping his free arm around Calum and continuing to hold his hand that's now covered in an IV. Calum's face buries into Harry's chest as he continues to whimper out painfully, each little whimper having a hint of "mum" in it.
"Mumma's coming, she's just parking the car,"Harry promises, resting his chin on top of Calum's head that's still burrowed against Harry's chest. "Mumma's coming."
"Owwwww..."Calum groans out, shoving his forehead deeper into Harry's chest just as the hospital room door flings open, revealing a very flustered looking Camryn who immediately bolts towards Calum and Harry snuggled together on the bed.
"Look who's here, Cal,"Harry whispers with a small grin, looking up at Camryn as she smiles softly at Harry and immediately goes to the side of Calum's bed, his back facing her as she sits on the edge of the bed and begins to massage her fingers into his lower back that's aching tremendously with efforts to pass the kidney stone.
"Mummy..."Calum sobs, reaching his hand backwards for Camryn who scoots closer to him on the bed and takes his trembling hand, sandwiching it between both of hers as she presses a kiss to it, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I'm right here, buddy. You're being so brave,"Camryn encourages, looking at her baby boy with the most loving eyes. "Look at you! You already got your IV in? You're so brave!"
"He was so brave, mumma, he took the IV like a champ,"Harry grins proudly, rubbing his hand up and down Calum's back now that both of his hands are free.
There's a quick tap of a knock at the door before it's pushed open and a man in a white coat rushes in with a hurried smile on his face, immediately going over to the hand sanitizer and squirting some on before walking over to the pained little boy laying on the bed. "Hello, I'm Dr. Jacobs. I hear we have a very brave little guy in here."
"We definitely do,"Harry smiles as he makes eye contact with the grinning doctor who's currently pulling up a stool for him to sit in.
"Hi bud, I hear that your name is Calum, is that right?"the doctor greets, hunching over a bit in his chair to be face to face with Calum who has his cheek smushed against Harry's chest. He gets a tight and pained head nod in response before he continues on. "Awesome, okay. My name is Dr. Jacobs and I'm going to be looking at your tummy today to see what's going on in there, okay? I hear you have Cystinuria...?"
"He does, yeah, we found out when he was five,"Camryn responds, nodding her head at the doctor and keeping Calum's hand sandwiched in between both of hers.
"Okay, so I assume that's what's going on here, but just to be sure, bud, do you mind if we do a little ultrasound right here? Have you had one of those before?"the doctor asks, watching as Calum cries out and clutches onto Harry tighter, trying to escape everything that's going on in his body currently.
"Yeah, we've had those before, huh bud?"Harry responds for Calum, knowing that he's in far too much pain to be able to respond. "We're okay with doing those. We know the drill, huh?"
"Perfect, then if I could have you lay on your back, bud, we can get this all started,"the doctor hums, standing up from his stool as he begins to patter around the room to grab all of his equipment.
"Buddy, hey, honey, listen to me,"Harry whispers, as he tries to roll Calum over onto his back which only makes him whimper and clutch onto Harry tighter in fear. "Me and mummy are going to stay right here with you during the ultrasound, we'll hold your hands and be right here, but we need to get you on your back to do it, okay? Does that sound okay?"
"Noooo..."Calum moans out, shaking his head desperately as miserable sobs break through his wobbling lips. "Daddy, no...."
"Sweetheart, look at mumma,"Camryn gently instructs, leaning over the hospital bed with Calum's hand still grasped in hers. "Can you look at me?" She watches as Calum slowly turns his head over his shoulder to look at Camryn while still keeping a tight grip on Harry to make sure he doesn't move from his position on the bed with him.
"There you are,"Camryn coos, leaning her body closer to him. "The faster we do the ultrasound the faster the doctor will know what to do to help you feel better, okay?" She watches as Calum's eyes continue to scan over his face, his brows pinched together in both pain and overwhelming confusion. He's done all of this more times than he can count, but it's still extremely scary and overwhelming in the moment, especially when you're so blinded with pain.
"What about you flip onto your back and daddy and I hold both of your hands, huh? How does that sound?"Camryn asks, raising her eyebrows at Calum who warily gives a little flicker of a nod which Harry runs with and immediately helps to roll Calum over onto his back.
"OWIE!"Calum yells out, his head flung back against the pillow as a sob escapes his throat, his fingers digging into Harry's bicep as Harry keeps his hands protectively on Calum's hips, kneeling on the bed beside him.
"I'm sorry, buddy, I'm sorry,"Harry profusely apologizes, reaching his hand up to cup Calum's cheek and brush his thumb against the skin, trying to collect all of the moisture there. "You're being so brave."
"Daddy's right. You are being so brave,"Camryn agrees, holding on tightly to Calum's hand as Harry climbs off of the bed and grabs Calum's other hand. Camryn places her forehead down against Calum's and cups his cheek with her hand to try and get him to feel safer now that his mumma is right by him.
"There's my boy,"Camryn whispers just as the doctor begins to roll up Calum's pajama shirt to reveal his stomach that's bloated a little bit in response to the kidney stone. "You're being so brave. And remember, ultrasounds aren't scary. This is just like the ones that Darcy does to look at baby Penny, huh? Do you think they'll find a baby in your tummy?"
Camryn watches as Calum's eyes search hers, unable to respond to the joke because of how pained he is, but she does get a little hand squeeze in response. "Huh? What do you think? Is there a baby in your stomach as well?"
"Well, there's no baby in your stomach, bud, but there is a kidney stone about the size of one,"the doctor announces, his eyebrows furrowing in sympathy as he looks at the stone traveling down Calum's body. "This is a big stone, bud. It's a good thing you came in because there's no way he could've passed this on his own, we're going to need to surgically remove it."
"MUMMA NO!"Calum yells out desperately, beginning to completely panic as he shakes his head desperately against the pillows, begging Camryn with his eyes to not make him have to go under anesthesia.
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay, you're okay,"Camryn quickly comforts, nodding down encouragingly and soothingly at Calum who's still sobbing up at her. "You're going to be just fine. Remember what I told you? It's just like a nap. You're just taking a little nap and then you'll feel all better, right?"
*
"Oh look at that cool mask you get to wear, mate,"Harry whispers, wiggling his eyebrows at Calum as he holds Calum's hand in his big palm, using his other hand to rub his forehead gently, brushing back his blonde curls as he lays on the operating room table, a blue sheet over his body.
"Yeah, this is our superhero mask,"the nurse hums with a big grin, carefully helping to slide the oxygen mask over Calum's face. "Only super brave kids get to wear these."
"Well it's a good thing you're super brave, huh lovey?"Harry grins, nudging his face closer to Calum's as Calum turns his cheek on the table so that he can stay focused on his dad. There's too much hustle and bustle in the room around him, but looking at his dad keeps him grounded. He's the only familiar thing in this huge and daunting room.
"Have the meds kicked in a bit?"Harry asks, grinning at Calum as he presses a gentle kiss to his forehead. "You seem like you're not in as much pain anymore, huh? Does that feel nice?"
"Yeah,"Calum whispers, his voice muffled behind the oxygen mask and his breath fogging it up slightly. "My tummy still aches a bit."
"Does it? I'm sorry, bub,"Harry frowns sympathetically, squeezing Calum's hand. "I'm sure after your surgery it won't hurt anymore, huh?"
"Alright bud, so let me explain what's about to happen, okay,"the anesthesiologist smiles warmly, sitting on a stool at the very top of Calum's head as he sets up everything to begin administering the anesthesia into Calum's IV. "I'm going to give you a bit of medicine and it will make you a bit sleepy, okay? You're going to keep talking to your dad until your eyes get too heavy to keep them open anymore, okay? And it's okay if you need to go to sleep, don't fight it, alright?"
Calum blearily nods, his grip tightening on Harry's hand as he whimpers in a bit of fear while Harry nudges his face closer to Calum's in response.
"Hey, it's okay, it's just like all of the other times we've done this,"Harry promises with a big grin, "you're okay. Can you tell me about the new art piece you're working on at the studio?"
"It's a monster I made up,"Calum explains as the anesthesiologist quietly begins to administer the medicine into the IV. "I dreamt about him one night, and now I'm painting him."
"Oh yeah?"Harry asks with a huge grin, continuing to comb his fingers through Calum's blonde curls and keeping his face close to Calum's. "What color is he? And what does he look like?"
"He's green,"Calum murmurs, his voice beginning to get softer as his green eyes begin to droop a bit as the medicine runs through his veins. "He's got horns...and really long legs...and scales...I like drawing scales."
"You like drawing scales, huh?"Harry grins with a breathy chuckle, watching as Calum tries to fight to keep his eyes open. "How many eyes does he have?"
"One..."Calum whispers, his breathing hitching in his throat as he realizes that he's beginning to drift off. He doesn't want to drift off to sleep, he wants to stay here talking with his dad. "Daddy...you're fuzzy..."
"That's okay, buddy,"Harry assures Calum, smiling at him gently and nodding his head encouragingly. "You're safe, okay? If you want to close your eyes you can."
"I don't...want...to go...to sleep..."Calum foggily murmurs, his lips beginning to go slack as his eyes remain closed, his strength to open them leaving his body.
"You're okay, bud, daddy loves you,"Harry murmurs with a small grin as he watches Calum's chest begin to even out with breaths.
"Daddy—"
"I'm right here, bud,"Harry quickly responds, squeezing his limp hand, "just go to sleep, okay? It's okay."
*
"Augs, this is impossible,"Lennon groans, sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands as he pulls at his curls.
"I-It's n-n-not, it's j-j-just t-t-trig,"Auggie insists, sitting forward more in his seat right next to Lennon and tapping on the page of math problems with his pencil. "It's r-r-really n-n-not t-that h-hard when y-you g-get t-the h-hang o-of it."
"I'm never gonna get the hang of it, though,"Lennon groans dramatically, pounding his forehead repeatedly down against the kitchen table.
"You need to start learning it, mate,"Darcy says, sticking her hand into the chocolate chip bag and pulling out a handful to munch on. "I overheard mum and dad talking about getting you a math tutor."
"They wouldn't actually,"Lennon says, a hint of worry coating his voice as he realizes that maybe they would.
"They would,"Darcy warns him, shrugging her shoulders in his direction. "Be careful."
"I GOT IT! I GOT IT!"Bowie yells as the doorbell sounds through the house. He pops up from the couch and bolts down the hallway, practically running into the front door as he swings it open.
"HIII!"Morgan's voice sounds from the front porch, running into the house after Bowie and straight towards the staircase.
"I gotta show you this new game I bought, Mo,"Bowie tells Morgan as she follows closely behind him on the stairs.
"I DON'T EVEN GET A HI?"Darcy calls jokingly, peeking her head around the kitchen wall to watch as Morgan turns around with a big smile, looking down at her big sister.
"Hi DD! No baby yet?"Morgan asks, raising her eyebrows at Darcy who sighs and drops a few chocolate chips in her mouth.
"No baby yet, Mo,"Darcy says sadly, giving her bare bump a rub. "Maybe she was just waiting for you to be here."
"I am her favorite aunt,"Morgan calls as Bowie grabs onto her wrist to drag her into his room towards the computer that's lit up with his new game.
"NO I AM!"Bindi yells from her seat on top of the counter, licking the spoon covered in chocolate chip cookie batter that her and Darcy just made.
"You both are,"Darcy grins, walking over to Bindi and placing her hands on the counter on either side of Bindi before leaning forward to steal a lick of the batter on the spoon.
"Heyyyy you said I could lick it,"Bindi frowns, staring at Darcy with a dramatic pout and crossing her arms over her chest.
"Sorry, it wasn't me, Penny wanted some,"Darcy teases, tilting her head up to nuzzle her nose against Bindi who can't help but grin to herself.
"Penny is making you eat lots of sweets,"Bindi giggles as Darcy leans her cheek to rest on Bindi's little shoulder, her arms wrapping around Bindi's waist as she stands in between her little legs, Bindi's arms wrapped around Darcy's neck as they snuggle.
"I know, and I'm not complaining,"Darcy teases, nuzzling her face in closer to Penny's neck.
"Tell her to come out, babe."
"She was supposed to come out yesterday,"Penny states obviously, just twisting the knife in Darcy's heart.
Darcy sighs dramatically and whimpers, squeezing her arms tighter around Bindi's waist, "trust me, I know."
"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"Bindi requests, snuggling her cheek in deeper against the top of her big sister's head who she thinks is just about the greatest human alive.
"Sure, but you might not get much sleep,"Darcy warns, pressing a kiss to Penny's neck. "I toss and turn the whole night and Penny keeps me up."
"That's okay,"Bindi assures Darcy with a big grin, pressing a kiss to the top of Darcy's head.
"Alright, I can't do this anymore,"Lennon exclaims, standing up from the kitchen table and reaching down to grab his football bag before rubbing a hand down his face in pure exasperation. "I've gotta head out to football practice."
"Y-Y-You're g-g-gonna n-need a t-tutor if y-you k-keep p-putting f-f-football f-f-first,"Auggie calls, turning to the side on his chair so that he can watch his big brother storm out of the house.
"No I won't!"Lennon fights back, stealing a cookie from the baking wrack and shoving it into his mouth in one bite. "I won't need to know trig when I'm on the national team."
"D-D-Don't be t-t-too sure a-a-about t-t-that!"Auggie exclaims, resting his cheek in his palm and completely giving up. You can't teach a person who doesn't want to learn.
*
"Here he is mum and dad,"the nurse smiles as she wheels Calum's bed back in with his sleeping figure peacefully laid in it.
"Oh hey bud,"Camryn whispers with a huge relieved grin at the sight of her baby boy okay and not in pain anymore. She immediately rushes to the side of the bed and sits down on the stool next to it, reaching out to interlock her fingers through Calum's and comfortingly run her finger through his curls.
"How'd it go? Everything was okay?"Harry checks, standing behind Camryn with a hand on her shoulder and looking over at the nurse who nods and reaches in her back pocket.
"Everything went perfect,"she confirms, pulling a little plastic container out of her pocket. "The doctor was able to get the stone out easily and here it is." She holds up the container with the stone in it for Harry and Camryn to see. "This is about twice the size of stones that our adult bodies are able to pass naturally, let alone a child's body. No wonder that little guy was in so much pain. He handled it like an absolute champ, though."
"Holy crap,"Harry murmurs, looking at the stone in the container and feeling his stomach churn at the thought of that traveling through him with all of its tiny spikes and edges.
"You can keep it if you'd like to show him,"the nurse offers, handing the container over to Harry. "He should start to wake up a bit in a few minutes."
"Great, thank you for all of your help,"Harry smiles, holding his hand out to shake hers as she smiles widely and walks out of the room.
"He looks so grown up right now,"Camryn whispers, her eyes tracing over Calum's peaceful face as she continues to hold his hand tightly. Surely her baby boy should not be able to be 11. There's no way this should be allowed. "I don't like it."
Harry chuckles breathily and squeezes Camryn's shoulder, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "He does look old. He's such a strong kid."
"He is,"Camryn quietly agrees as Calum begins to stir a bit in the bed.
"Hey my love,"Camryn whispers, standing up from her stool as she leans over Calum's body, her eyes trained on his face as his face puckers up as a whimper leaves his mouth. "You're alright. You're with mummy and daddy. Do you want to open your eyes?"
Calum squints his eyes open with a furrow in his brow as he whimpers and brings his shaky arm up to reach towards Camryn.
"Hey, you're okay, I'm right here,"Camryn promises with a big grin, nodding her head comfortingly as her eyes stare right into Calum's clogged ones. "You're all done, baby. You were so brave. The stones all gone."
"M-Mumma..."Calum tries out in his mouth, his voice coming out raspy and soft.
"Yeah, sweetheart, it's me, what do you need?"Camryn patiently asks with a soft grin.
"Will you...lay with me..."Calum asks, watching as his mum immediately nods and begins to climb into the bed without a second thought, snuggling her chest close to his as her arms wrap around him, his ear falling to her chest.
"There's my Cal,"Camryn murmurs with a peaceful grin, resting her cheek on top of Calum's head and rubbing her hand up and down his back. "There's my brave boy."
"Mummy and I got you a chocolate muffin whenever you're feeling up to eating, bud,"Harry whispers, sitting at the foot of the bed and holding the plastic wrapped chocolate muffin up in front of Calum that him and Camryn got at the hospital cafeteria.
"Can I have some now?"Calum asks with a little light coming back into his eyes as he looks at the chocolate muffin in his dad's hands, still a sugar bug just like he was when he was little.
"Sure, lovey, if you're feeling up to it,"Harry chuckles breathily, peeling the plastic from around the muffin and breaking off a little piece of it before plopping it in Calum's open mouth. "How's it taste, bud? As good as the ones nana makes?"
"Not as good, but it's still yummy,"Calum decides with a content grin as he nuzzles his cheek closer to Camryn's heart, listening to it pound as he chews his chocolate muffin and closes his eyes.
***
9:30 pm
"We're home,"Harry calls with a big smile, looking down at Calum who's cradled in his arms, his cheek drowsily resting on Harry's chest as he falls in and out of sleep, his hand gripping his dad's shirt.
"Hey, there's my bud,"Darcy coos, waddling to the doorway of the kitchen and setting her Nutella (that she was eating by the spoonful) down onto the countertop. She only has on a sports bra, that she's leaked through, as well as the same pair of booty shorts that she's been wearing all day with her long hair sashaying down her back. She takes one more spoonful of Nutella before walking over to Calum in Harry's arms.
"How're you, lovey,"Darcy whispers with a soothing tone that she does so well, combing her fingers through Calum's blonde curls.
"We're still a bit sleepy from the anesthesia,"Harry explains with a loving grin as he looks down at his little boy who's sleepily blinking his eyes with his cheek pressed against his dad's chest, not really comprehending anything that's being said to him.
"Oh are we,"Darcy whispers, pressing a gentle kiss to Calum's cheek. "That's okay. We made you some chocolate chip cookies for whenever you're feeling up to eat them, okay?"
Calum's lips twitch up at the mention of cookies, a complete sugar bug from day one.
"Oh yeah, there's that smile,"Darcy giggles softly, rubbing her fingertip against Calum's lightly freckled cheek. "I know the way to my CalCal's heart is through sweets."
"H-H-Hey m-mate,"Auggie greets with a huge smile as well, walking into the hallway and placing his hand on top of Calum's blonde curls as he grins gently at his little brother. "Y-Y-You're l-l-lookin' s-snazzy, I l-l-like t-t-those s-socks." He motions his head down to Calum's feet that are covered in grippy hospital socks that are known to be the most comfortable socks in the world.
"They're the best socks, huh lovey?"Camryn whispers, pressing a kiss to the top of Calum's curls. "I always used to steal a few pairs whenever I was in the hospital having you guys."
"Alright, let's give Calum some space,"Harry murmurs, swaying his hips soothingly as he feels Calum begin to fall asleep again, his body succumbing to the leftover anesthesia. "I'm going to go lay him in his bed, bug."
"Let me know if you need anything,"Camryn nods, pressing a kiss to the top of Calum's head and one to Harry's cheek. "I'll be getting his meds sorted."
"Who's is that?"Camryn asks, motioning her head towards the papers on the kitchen table.
"Lennon's,"Darcy sighs, shooting a glance towards the discarded homework as she awkwardly climbs up onto one of the barstools with her Nutella placed in front of her, eating it by the spoonful as she watches Camryn sort Calum's variety of pain meds. "Augs and I were trying to get him to do some, but we didn't really succeed."
"Is he getting any better, babe?"Camryn asks, looking over at Auggie who's sat himself down on the barstool next to Darcy, tapping his fingertips against the granite countertop.
"K-K-Kind o-of,"Auggie shrugs, running his fingers through his white blonde hair before tapping on the bridge of his circular black glasses to ease them up onto his nose. "I t-t-think h-h-he'd t-t-take a-a-advice b-b-better f-f-from s-someone w-who isn't his l-little b-brother, t-though."
"Yeah,"Camryn sighs, resting her elbows down on the countertop and bending at the hips, resting her face in her hands in pure exhaustion. The chaos never stops when you have 6 kids. There's always something new to focus on or worry about or get sorted through. "Dad and I have been calling around with some of the student tutors that the administration gave us."
"Any good ones?"Darcy asks, licking her spoon clean before deciding that the baby (well really her, but Penny's a good excuse) needs another bite of the chocolatey goodness.
"Um, yeah, I think we've got one that dad and I like,"Camryn nods, rubbing at her eyes before straightening back up and putting Calum's pills in his pill organizing container along with all of the other pills he has to take. "Her name's Nora Tanner? She seems like a really sweet girl."
"O-Oh I k-k-know N-N-Nora,"Auggie brightens up, his head snapping up to look at Camryn with a big smile. "S-S-She's t-t-the b-b-best! S-S-She's in c-c-chess c-club with m-me."
"Perfect, okay,"Camryn grins, shutting the pill organizer and putting it at the back of the countertop. "I think we're going to wait to see how he does on his exam next week, and then depending on his score, we'll probably hire her."
"That will work out great,"Darcy sarcastically grins. "Lennon's great at taking instruction from people."
*
"Knock knock,"Darcy quiet voice calls through Calum's door as peeks through the already creaked open door that she used to make sure that they wouldn't be waking Calum.
"Hi,"Calum rasps, raising his head slightly from his pillow to watch as his two sisters walk into the room, Bindi holding a plate of fresh cookies while Darcy waddles beside her.
"We come baring gifts,"Darcy sarcastically announces, holding onto the edge of the bed with both of her hands and she kneels down right next to Bindi who's holding the plate towards Calum.
"They're really yummy,"Bindi promises with a toothy grin, one of her two top teeth missing. "I've had five."
"No, you've had seven,"Darcy giggles, shaking her head at her little sister.
"Nooo, I've had five,"Bindi insists, shaking her head up at her older sister with a stubborn gaze. "Lennie and I split the other two before he went to football practice, but that doesn't count so they were split."
"Two halves make a whole, so that's six,"Darcy says with a nose scrunch at Bindi who dramatically sighs and rolls her eyes, focusing her attention back on Calum and the plate of cookies.
"Here,"Bindi offers again, holding the delicious smelling gooey plate of cookies up to Calum.
"Thanks,"Calum whispers, his voice a bit hoarse from not using it much and all of the moaning and groaning he did this morning.
"How're you feeling, lovey?"Darcy questions with a concerned gaze, scrunching her fingers through Calum's blonde curls, her brows slightly pinched together. "A bit better? Did your nap help? You slept for a while."
She gets a silent bleary head nod from Calum as he takes his first bite of cookie and contently sighs, resting his head back against the pillow and closing his eyes in bliss.
"Yeah? Good,"Darcy giggles, placing her free hand on her bare bump. "She's kicking up a storm at the sound of your voice."
"Really?"Calum questions, peeking his eyes open slightly as he looks over at Darcy's bump just in time to catch it move a bit against her skin.
"Yeah, give me your hand,"Darcy whispers, grabbing Calum's little hand and placing it on top of her bump, resting it there for a minute before Penny kicks her uncle's hand, making him break out into a huge chocolatey grin. "She's telling you to rest up so that you can snuggle her when she comes out."
Calum giggles with a nod, yawning as his head falls back against the pillow, his blinks increasingly getting slower and slower.
"Let's give Calum some time to rest some more, 'kay Beenie?"Darcy whispers, looking down at her little sister whose gaze is focused on her big brother, her hand resting gently on his knee that's in a bent position against the bed.
"I'm going to stay with him for a minute,"Bindi murmurs, looking up at her big sister with a little grin. "I'll come down soon."
"Okay, don't be too loud, okay?"Darcy gently instructs as she places a gentle kiss against Calum's forehead. "And let him get some rest."
Bindi nods and watches as her sister walks out of the room before she quietly reaches for the covers around Calum, pulling them back to allow a bit of room for her to climb in.
"What're you doing?"Calum rasps, his eyebrows pulling together in half conscious confusion as he watches his little sister climb into his bed, laying down on her side so that she can face him.
"Snuggling you,"Bindi simply replies as she wraps her arm gently around Calum's waist, her cheek landing on Calum's arm that was outstretched against his pillow.
"Okay,"Calum grins, quietly relieved that he has someone to snuggle with and isn't alone. "I'm really sleepy."
"That's okay,"Bindi assures her older brother quietly, looking up at him and then snuggling her cheek deeper into his arm as she watches his eyes flutter closed, his face beginning to relax into sleep. "I'm tired too."
~~~~~
HELLOOOOOOO MY DARLINGS!!!!
I had to write this chapter before Calum's next novella chapter because his condition plays a big part in it ;)
Grandbaby Styles #6's birth will be out in the middle of the week!!! It's an intense one, so be prepared!!
Next week's chapter will be back to being about the kids when they're little!! I think having chapters about them in their teen years every once and a while is fun to write about, but if you guys don't like it feel free to tell me!
Also I hope you enjoyed getting to see more of teen Darcy pregnant with Penny since I've literally never written about it which is CRAZY to me!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE 170k!!! You are all SO freakin amazing and I love you I love you I love you!!!!
Did I mention that I love you? ;)
MWAH
-Mel❤️