Bai Qian woke up with a start. Intense pain...pain that she had never experience in her life before hits her hard.
Her eyes shut tightly....her hands gripped the blanket as sweat broke out from her body.
Pain, pressure, a burning sensation slowly descends the cervical canal....took her breath away. She tried to focus on her breathing to calm herself down and to lessen the pain.
No matter what she tried the pain didn't go away.
The pain comes and goes in waves. Once it's settled, it gave Bai Qian enough time to slowly move towards the night bag that she'd packed and left in the corner.
She grabbed it and headed slowly towards her closet for a changed of clothes.
Mid way the contractions started up again. Her gripped on the bag loosen as it fell near her feet.
The pressure in her pelvic caused a dull ache in her back and lower abdomen. Bai Qian steady herself by leaning against the wall....one hand over her stomach while the other bracing the wall.....waiting for the contractions to pass.
Bai Qian look at her watch to time the contractions....eight minutes in between....
She reach for her phone....dial her friend Chou Xi, who live across the hall from Bai Qian.
"Hello, Qian Qian? Hello?"
"Chou Xi....I have contractions...."
Bai Qian's voice was breathless as she tried to speak.
"Oh my god....ok...alright....wait for me...."
Chou Xi hurriedly got dressed and ran across the hall. She used the spare key that Bai Qian gave her and open the door with shaky hands.
Her searching eyes frantically look around the apartment as she took off her shoes.
"Bai Qian, where are you?"
Chou Xi's mind was a mess as she open the bedroom door. Her eyes landed on Bai Qian leaning against the wall weakly.
She quickly ran over and supported her.
"Let's go."
Chou Xi grabbed the night bag and slowly help Bai Qian out the door.
The taxi came to a screeching halt in front of the emergency door. The driver took a moment to examine the two ladies in the back of the car. He stared at them nervously before he snapped out of it and rush out of the car. He open the door and help Bai Qian out.
Bai Qian caught a glimpse of the driver's face in the rear view mirror before he got out of the car. She couldn't see much in the semi darkness but she could see his body shuddered.
"Thank you." Bai Qian managed to whisper.
"No problem miss."
Another contraction hit as she got out of the car. She almost fell over if not for Chou Xi and the driver's hands of support.
Bai Qian clenched her fists tightly and her face were beaded with sweats.
"Breath....that's it....in and out....in and out...."
Chou Xi coaxed calmly and gently.
The taxi driver and Chou Xi stared at Bai Qian anxiously. The few minutes of contractions had them breathing deeply like Bai Qian.
The desperation and anxiety of the unexpected grew inside her. Time slowed down....every second of the contractions dragged on. The minute went by slowly....finally the short journey ended.
Chou Xi rush Bai Qian inside as quickly as she could.
Bai Qian sat in a wheelchair and being pushed into the elevator by the hospital's staff member and up to the Obstetrics floor.
The labor and delivery room was cold and sterile. Not one picture was up on the walls.
In the middle of the spacious room there's a bed. The nurses help Bai Qian settle comfortably on it.
The delivery bed can break down in the middle to become a birthing bed, stirrups were attached at the end of the bed, and to the sides there were birthing bars....to hold onto as you push.
To one side of the bed and above her bed. There's various medical equipments tucked away neatly and discreetly.
Above the paneled ceiling with a flip of a switch it can convert to reveal overhead lights.
The nurses quickly go about preparing for the birthing. In no time her arm was being poke and hook onto an IV fluid, her blood pressure and heart was being monitor, a round sticky patch was placed on her stomach to monitor the contractions and the baby's heart rate.
A man in white lab coat came in with a little cart. The nurses helped her sit up.
"Hello Ms. Bai, my name is Allen. I'm an anesthesiologist. I will be the one who will be administering your epidural."
He took out a long needle with a catheter attached to it.
Once the needle is pulled out, the thin flexible tube will administer fluids to numb her.
Bai Qian shuddered at the thought of the needle going into her back.
The anesthesiologist saw her nervousness and reservation, so he quickly reassure her.
"Nothing to worry about. It will be done before you know it. Trust me....you won't even feel a thing. This needle will be insert in between the spinous processes of the lumbar vertebrae, then it will be pull out and the catheter will stay in place to administer the analgesic.
Are you ready? Don't move."
He cleaned the area with tincture of iodine where he will insert the needle and then Bai Qian could feel the needle puncturing her skin. After that she didn't feel anything else.
"All done." He smile down at her.
"Done?"
He nodded his head. He handed her a wire.
"If it get painful, you can press this button and it will release the analgesia to help lessen the pain."
Chou Xi nervously sat on a chair on the other side of the bed. Her face contorted with every contractions that hit Bai Qian.
Bai Qian felt her inside twisted, pulled, and squeezed. If she fought the pain it became worse. Finally her energy waned and she surrendered and accepted the pain....it became more bearable afterwards.
The anesthesia slowly worked until she was a bit numb from her lower back down to the tip of her toes.
One of the nurse left the room while the other looked at the monitors.
"Ms. Bai, your contractions is getting closer. Once the doctor is here, you can start pushing."
Just then the nurse that left came back with another woman. This woman was in a white lab coat with her hair neatly tied. She look to be in her early fifties....she have a kind and pleasant face. A face that instantly put you at ease no matter what.
"Give me a Majestic glove size seven." The woman doctor asked one of the nurse.
The nurse quickly handed her the gloves as the doctor quickly puts it on.
"Ms. Bai, I'm doctor Kathy. I will be your birthing doctor today. With the next contraction I want you to push as hard as you can ok..."
Bai Qian nodded her head.
"Alright here it comes....push....that's it....you're doing very good....one more push for me....that's it....Alright stop."
Bai Qian took a deep breath. She could feel the baby stopped midway down her birthing canal. It made her feel uncomfortable and she felt like she was being stretched to the maximum without a way to stop it.
"Alright Ms. Bai, here it comes again."
"Nurse support her back and help her sit up a bit once the contraction hits."
The nurse move behind her as an intense contractions came.
"The baby head is out Ms. Bai...ok stop."
"Here it comes again....push....ok good....that's it...one more time."
A loud shrill voice of the baby can be heard in the room.
"Congratulations Ms. Bai. It's a boy."
Using a bulb syringe the doctor suck out the amniotic fluid from the baby's mouth.
The doctor then placed the baby on her chest as Bai Qian look down at her son.
It's as if he recognized his mother's heartbeats, he settled and quiet down.
"Ok Ms. Bai, be prepare to push again. That's it almost....the baby is coming....very well....push again....that's it...."
Another loud shrill voice filled the room.
"Congratulations again Ms. Bai....here is your other son.....identical twins."
The doctor placed the other boy on the other side of her chest.
Bai Qian looked down at her sons.
"They are beautiful." She whispered to herself.
Chou Xi came over. Her face lost all it's colors as she stood staring down at the trio.
"Bai Qian, identical twins. They are adorable. Have you thought of names for them yet?"
Bai Qian nodded her head.
"This one to my left will be call Mo Xiao-Ming and this one to my right will be Mo Yue-Ming."
"How will you be able to tell them apart? They look so much alike."
Bai Qian look at her sons. A smile broke out on her lips.
"This one to my left have a mole on his ear. So we will know he's Xiao-Ming. This one to my right have a mole on his toe, so he's Yue-Ming."
Chou Xi look closely and sure enough the mole was there where Bai Qian pointed out.
"Qian Qian....I will go home now to cook porridge for you. I will be back in an hour alright. Is there anything else you need at home besides what you already have packed?"
"No I have everything that I needed."
Chou Xi left the hospital as the sun rises. She pulled her phone out and dial a number. At the first ring the person on the other line picked up.
"Yes."
"Madame Mo, Ms. Bai gave birth to twin boys. One came out at 5.30am and the other 5.32am. They are healthy and Ms. Bai is doing well."
"I will be there in a day. Meanwhile take care of her."
"Yes, Madame Mo. I understand."
Chou Xi hung up and took a taxi back to the apartment building that Madame Mo had set her up with.
Chou Xi flashbacks....
Eight months ago Madame Mo was looking for a professional nanny. The agency that she work for had sent her on a secret interview with Madame Mo.
After two intense interviews and extensive background check, she got hired.
She thought the job she took on was in Beijing for a rich and reputable family. Well at least half of her guess was right.
Madame Mo is certainly rich and she's from a very reputable family in China.
The job was not in Beijing but in New York.
She was selected out of many candidates due to not only her knowledge of childcare, she was also a nutritionist, and could speak English.
Her mission was simple. To move into the building Ms. Bai live and befriend her. To look out for her safety and help her in anyways.
Madame Mo even lined up a part time job for her so that Ms. Bai wouldn't get suspicious.
She have seven months to get to know Ms. Bai. To develop a friendship and trust between them so she ultimately could care for the babies.
As she got to know Ms. Bai, she slowly view her as a friend more than a job she had to do.
Ms. Bai is kind hearted and she always put others before herself.
Chou Xi doesn't know much about their intricate relationship. She was hired by Madame Mo to look after Ms. Bai, although she's divorced with the young master Mo.
These past seven months she had learned here and there about Ms. Bai past with Madame Mo's grandson.
She can only come to the conclusion that...one...Ms. Bai still love the young master Mo. Two...Madame Mo care a lot for Ms. Bai. So what really happened between them?
"Ms....we have arrived at your destination."
The taxi driver's voice broke her out of her deep thoughts.
Chou Xi paid him and quickly made her way up to her apartment.
China.....In the middle of the night....
Madame Mo hung up the phone and a big smile broke out on her face.
She quickly pick up the phone and press a button.
Twin boys! That devil grandson of mine. The only thing he ever did right was getting Bai Qian pregnant by accident.
"Butler Zhen, please prepared the plane for my departure to New York within the hour."
"Yes Madame Mo. Do I need to notify young master Mo where you're heading?"
"Absolutely not. Tell him I am visiting a friend in America."
"Yes Madame."
Madame Mo hung up and dial another number.
A groggy voice answered.
"Hello."
"Secretary Wen, meet me at Beijing International airport within an hour. We are going to New York for a week."
Secretary Wen eyes quickly became alert as he answered.
"Yes, Madame. I will see you soon."
New York....at the hospital.....
Bai Qian look at her sons with awe.
They look just like their father....
Mo Yuan, how are you? Do you ever speak of me? Did you forget the joyous days we spent together? Am I the only one homesick not for the home but for a person?
Wistful tears fell down my cheeks
I kept myself together for the last seven months
Looking at our sons
Making me bleak and my heart aches
Aches for the father that they would not know
My tears start to overflow
Creating an emptiness inside
A longing....longing of what could've been....
As if the babies felt their mother's sadness. They started to fidgeted and two little mouths open to tiny little cries.
Bai Qian quickly wiped her tears away as she picked one up and then the other.
"Shhh, I'm sorry...mommy is here. It's alright. We have each other."