A/N: Don't hate me xx
SHAY
1 January
"Are you feeling okay?"
I lay on an examination table in the hospital with a monitor strapped to my bump and a hospital gown covering my body, completely calm now. We've been here for around an hour, demanding to speak with Dr. Surrey, who thankfully was in doing paperwork when we arrived.
She got a nurse to take us back to the room we're currently waiting in, strapping heart rate monitor around my stomach for the baby and measuring my contractions. Since lying down the contractions I was feeling have stopped, which leaves me lying embarrassedly on the table awaiting Dr. Surrey.
"Yeah, I'm feeling okay." I answer, staring up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath. "I feel bad that Cheryl, Liam, and Louis came all this way with us." Muttering, I look towards the door, patiently waiting for Dr. Surrey to rush into the room and announce whether I'm not having this baby or whether I'm going into labour. With the lack of nurses and doctors in the room, I'm assuring it's the former not the latter.
"Don't, they want to be here, especially Louis." Harry says chuckling to himself as he pushes some of my hair off my shoulders. "That man is demanding that he be present when she's born, but I'm not really sure I'm comfortable having him see my girlfriend's vagina and breasts."
"That makes two of us."
I know for sure that I want Harry in the room with me, and if I was on good terms with my mother I might consider her being in the room as well. But since we don't get along and there's no way in hell she's going to allowed near the baby, let alone in the room when she's born.
"Harry?" Harry, who's staring at the heart rate monitor on my stomach, cranes his neck in my direction, flashing me his beautiful emerald eyes. "This pretty much means we're going to be having her in the hospital, right? I know you kind of wanted to have her at the house-"
"It's whatever you feel more comfortable with, Shay. I don't want you to feel pressured with what I want, but after today I don't think I'll be calm enough to just wait it out at home anyways. Besides, you'll be the one giving birth, I'll just be there for moral support."
I lean up with a smile on my face, motioning for Harry to lean closer. Once he's close enough I give him a quick peck on the lips before lowering myself comfortable back down.
"How much longer do you think we'll be here?" I wonder, biting down on my lip.
"Have you had any other contractions since we got here?" With a heavy sigh and shake my head, resting my eyes for a moment.
"Not since I've been laying down and the nurse came and hooked me up." I open my eyes and look down at my pointer finger on my right hand, seeing the heart rate monitor there and then looking up to my upper arm where the blood pressure cuff still resides comfortably. "God, I'm so embarrassed. I know they're going to send us home and we'll be foot a bill for nothing."
"Don't worry about any of that. You're a first time mother and it's your body, what may feel like false contractions to one woman could feel like real one's to another. I'm positive you're not the only woman in the world to come to the hospital on suspicions that they're in labour. Relax, baby." He says, placing his hand on my head again and softly brushing the strands back. "Just shut your eyes and rest a little, it's after midnight."
With a heavy sigh I shut my eyes and take a deep breath.
"We missed midnight." I say softly. "You missed out on your New Year's kiss." I hear Harry chuckle and the motion of his hand on my head halt. Little seconds later, the feeling of Harry's soft, plump lips on mine makes me giggle lightly before pressing my own lips against him.
"Now I didn't, Snow White."
"Shush you, I'm trying to sleep."
Not even ten minutes later, as I'm on the verge of sleep, there's a knock upon the door causing me to open my eyes. I blink to adjust to the dim lighting in the room, focusing my attention on the woman entering the room with a soft smile on her lips.
"Hello Shay, Harry." Dr. Surrey greets sending us a little wave before making her way to the monitors at my side. I loud yawn leaves me lips as Dr. Surrey, moves the table to that I'm sitting up a little. "How are you feeling, Shay? I see you haven't anymore contractions."
"I'm feeling quite better now." I answer, stretching my arms out a little bit until my hand hits Harry's chest. "And no, I haven't any contractions since I laid down. I'm sorry I've wasted everybody's time." I say looking down my at my swollen stomach.
"Nonsense. I'm glad you came in." Dr. Surrey says, taking a seat on the rolling chair at my right side, near the monitors. "What you were experiencing tonight are called Braxton Hicks contractions, so you were in fact having contractions. They are mainly a way to prepare your body for labour, practice contractions if you will. They're perfectly normal into the third trimester, women even feel them in their second trimester on occasion." Dr. Surrey explains, handing me a pamphlet from her paperwork. "You can take this and read at home, as well as this one which delves more into actual labour and what you can expect. Whilst you're here I'm going to check your dilation and do a quick ultrasound then we can get you out of here."
"Okay." I say softly, glancing over at Harry.
Since getting into my third trimester, which began in October, I've been in and out of the hospital every two weeks, just getting my regular appointments done for ultrasounds and blood work. But coming with the approaching due date Dr. Surrey has been checking my dilation every appointment, which I've learned is a slightly painful procedure that every mother has to go through with.
"Hope you both weren't pulled away from anything this evening, seeing as it's New Year's." Dr. Surrey chats, untying the hospital gown to expose my swollen stomach. I settle further into the table and sigh tiredly.
"We were at a party."
"That must be why there's a group of well dressed adults half asleep in my waiting lounge." Dr. Surrey says with her lips quirked up in a smile. Harry and I both laugh lightly before he goes on to tell her something that I zone out. I just cannot believe our friends, and their lovely ladies would rather spend their New Year's in a hospital rather than still at the party.
"There she is, the babe of the hour." I shake from my thoughts and flit my eyes over to the screen turned towards Harry and I. Our daughter lies pretty still on the monitor, her heartbeat echoing loudly throughout the room. "She's perfect, looking very healthy!" Exhaling the breath I was holding, I squeeze Harry's hand and smile lightly up at him. "Would you like photos?"
"I suppose we should."
Minutes later we've finished with the ultrasound and the checking of my dilation, which is the most uncomfortable, slightly painful, and awkward test, we're ready to leave. Hours spent in the hospital, only to be tested for nearly twenty minutes.
Harry helps me clothe back into my dress and flats, with his suit jacket resting over my shoulders as we make our way to the lounge. Even just peeking around the corner I see our friends sitting tiredly in the uncomfortable chairs. Louis and Liam chat quietly whilst Cheryl rests her head against her boyfriend's shoulder with a sleepy look on her face, possibly mimicking my expression.
"There they are!" Louis loud voice carries throughout the barren area as he jumps to his feet. Cheryl and Liam both jump in their seats at the sudden volume in the nearly silent waiting area. Louis' eyes scan us both, seeing the sad smile upon my lips and the tired looks on both our faces, as well as no baby in either Harry's nor my arms.
"I'm so sorry." I say with a loud yawn as Harry rubs my lower back. Liam and Cheryl stand to their feet, Liam with his arm wrapped securely around his girlfriend. "You could've gone home, it's so late and you waited here for nothing."
"Nonsense," Liam pipes up, shaking his head with a soft smile upon his lips, "I know I've not known you, Shay, for very long, but I've been good friends with Harry for years. I consider you both dear friends and we'll be there for you, whether it be at this time or years down the road when you need someone to watch your little girl. Don't apologize!" He says, closing the space between us and wrapping his arms around my body.
Though I haven't known Liam for that long I take the hug graciously and hold him back, just wanting to be held for a bit. After Liam separates from me, Cheryl comes over in my direction and takes my hands.
"Don't worry about us." She says in a low voice with a kind smile adorned on her lips. "I honestly wasn't up for a party tonight anyways. I would have much rather sat on the sofa and watches films with Li." I chuckle lightly and lean forward; hugging the girl I've only known for some hours. "Is everything alright with the baby though?" She asks once she's pulled away.
"Yes, perfect actually." I mutter, reaching over towards Harry, who is deep in a conversation with Liam and Louis, taking the ultrasound photos from his breast pocket. He simply sends a sly grin my way before turning back to his conversation with the tired men.
"Oh my God, is that her?" Cheryl asks, leaning over my shoulder and pointing at one of the photos. I nod my head with a proud smile. "She is so precious." I hand over the photo to Cheryl and allow her to examine it a bit closer.
"This is her hand, and this is of her foot." I explain, pointing down to the photos in my hands. Cheryl glances at all of them, her hand resting over her heart with a smile on her perfectly sculpted lips.
"I bet you've heard this enough, but congratulations, truly. You both will be great parents, I just know it." I open my mouth to thank Cheryl, but Harry interrupts by wrapping his hands around my stomach and kissing my neck softly.
"You ready to go home and get into bed?" I tiredly nod and lean back into his embrace. The feel of the baby kicking against Harry's hands causes a chuckle to escape my lips.
"I am, but I'm afraid she isn't." I joke, feeling her beginning to move around and get comfortable. I look over to Cheryl who is leaning up against Liam, both of them sending us big smiles. "We just don't seem to have the same sleep schedules." I explain to everyone in the room.
"Maybe I can help." Before I can say anything to that, Louis is reaching over and batting Harry's hands out of the way before placing his hand near where Harry's had been. His eyes light up feeling her move for the first time. "Never mind, "He says with a sly grin, "I just wanted to feel her move." I roll my eyes and bat his hand out of the way.
"Anyone else want a feel before the tummy goes off limits again?" Both Cheryl and Liam slowly raise their hands and I motion for them to come over, all whilst Harry rests his chin on my shoulder and rests his hands extremely low on my stomach so not to get in the way.
"I thought I was the only one who had access to this?" Harry whispers in my ear.
Ever since I've really started to show it seems like every person wants a feel, even complete strangers. People round the office would come over to meet with Harry and go to cop a feel before either Harry or I stopped them.
"Only this one time." And with that Harry leaves a soft kiss behind my ear before standing straight.
"Alright, it's time for us to go. Mum and baby need their rest."
After a couple minutes of goodbyes, Harry and I make our way out to the vehicle. It seems that all the others wanted to grab taxi's or had called for their rides earlier. Once Harry and I were by ourselves it seems that all our thoughts were on tonight's events and how soon it'd be until she's born.