"Are you sure you don't need anything?" Thomas asks.
"Positive." You say, "I told you, if I need anything I'LL call YOU."
"Don't try moving anymore furniture." Thomas says, "I KNOW you moved the lounge chair yesterday. I don't want you getting hurt."
"Thomas, i am still a human being. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I can lift furniture." You say, starting to get testy.
"Iris-"
"I have officially stopped listening to anything else you have to say on this matter." You say, stubbornly.
Thomas sighs, "Iris, please, be careful."
"I will." You promise.
He takes a deep breath, "I've got to go. Keep me updated. If either of the babies even bloody kick, I want to know."
"Okay. I love you."
"I love you too. Bye." He says.
Both of you hang up and you sigh.
He's so gosh darn protective.
You stretch your aching back and send a quick text to Sidney -
You're getting in this evening right? I want you to be here with me when I go into labor. I just KNOW Thomas is going to freak out when the contractions start.
You walk into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. You grab a mug and pour some milk in it. You're about to stick it in the microwave when you get another text-
My flight gets in at eight o'clock. Just be glad it's May and I'm on summer break. Don't worry. Just sit tight. And tell your children to do the same.
You chuckle and look down at your stomache, "You hear that. Sit tight. Behave. Or as your Daddy would have said when he was younger - 'Beehive'."
You set your phone on the counter and open the microwave to set the mug in. Then you feel something wet drip down your legs.
Darn it. You spilled the milk.
Now you've got to bend over and clean it up.
You look down and don't find milk. Instead, you find a pool of clear liquid, that continues to drip down your legs.
Crap.
Your water broke.
You don't find an occasion, quite often, where you have the urge to swear, but you feel that right now is a good qualification, "Oh, sh*t."
You grab your phone off the counter and dial Thomas.
Someone picks up after a few rings, "Hello? Is this Iris?"
"Yes, it is! I need Thomas right now!" You say, your voice getting high pitched.
"Just a minute. Is everything okay?"
A wave of pain hits your midsection and you gasp, clutching your stomache.
"It would be a lot better if someone went and freaking got Thomas Brodie Sangster for me!" You almost shout it.
You hear Thomas in the background, "I've got it, I've got it."
He picks up the phone, "Everything okay, flower?"
"I need you to come home!"
"Babe, I can't just leave work without an applicable reason." He says.
More pain.
"MY WATER FREAKING BROKE! YOU ARE COMING HOME RIGHT NOW AND YOU ARE DRIVING ME TO THE HOSPITAL BEFORE I GO INTO FREAKING LABOR!"
Thomas pauses, "Oh." Then you hear him call, "Bye, guys! I need to go! Iris has gone into labor!"
You hear Dylan screech, "WHAT!? Iris is going to be a Momma!"
"And Thomas is going to be a Daddy!" Ki shouts.
"Tell her I said good luck!" Will calls.
Thomas mutters into the phone, "Will says good luck."
"Wait, no! I want to come!" Dylan says.
"Dylan, the last thing she needs is a bunch of distructive boys running around her hospital room while she's giving birth." Will says.
"But Iris NEEDS our support!"
"Become a mid wife. Then you can go support her."
"Haven't I ever told you? I AM mid wife! Graduated first in my class! They called me Baby Birthin' Dylan!" He says.
"Do you have any idea how incredibly stupid you just sounded?" They start to fade out.
You hear Thomas walk out the door, "I'll be there soon."
"Hurry." You plead.
"I will. You should start getting ready. Grab some towels to sit on. Some things that you'll want and need." He says.
"Okay."
"Okay. Bye."
- - - -
Thomas POV:
"Can't you run the red light?" Iris groans.
"No. There are cars going by. We'd be hit. And we'd die."
"We need lights to put on top of our car to show that this is an EMERGENCY."
The light turns green. I step on the gas and we pull forward.
"Faster. Faster. Faster. Faster." Iris mutters, "Yes, please little grandma car in front of us. Please go UNDER the speed limit. That makes so much scence when you're in the freaking FAST LANE."
Oh, boy.
This is going to be a fun day.
For both me and Iris.
- - - -
She took the epidural.
Thank goodness.
I found out today that Iris does not work well under pain.
She's already asked about five people if she could punch them.
Said it would make her feel better.
I almost let her.
However, i would like to keep my arm, so I didn't.
Right now, I'm trying to comfort her.
I don't think it's working.
"It'll be okay, babe. Don't worry, flower, I'm right here. It'll all be fine." I say.
She gives me a look somewhere in between, "Shut up, you idiot." And "IT WILL NOT BE OKAY!"
Sweat beads her forhead as she groans and pushes.
The doctor stands next to her, "Just keep pushing. You've got seven centimeters so far, you're almost done with the first."
She cries out, tears falling down her face, "Oh, gosh! I've got to do this again!"
She starts crying, which distresses the doctor greatly, "No, no, dont loose focus!"
She calms herself and looks at the ceiling, practicing her breathing exercises.
The doctor looks at her again and says, "Okay, Iris, I want you to give me one last BIG push! Can you do that? After this first one the second will be so much easier!"
She takes deep breaths and a look of determination sets on her face. She nods.
- - - -
Iris/Your POV:
Your vision blurs. You feel something rip the skin on your bottom half. You scream, loud and high pitched. You see the faint outline of Thomas. He let's go of your hand as you hear a small wail.
You take gasping breathes as you hear the doctor announce, "It's a boy!"
You rock back and forth, already feeling the other baby make it's way down, "Yay."
The doctor hands off the small blob that you can't make out. Thomas seems unsure of what to do. He watches as they wheel his son out of the room to clean him up. Then Thomas walks back out and holds your hand, "That wasn't so bad was it?"
You scowl, "Yes, it was!"
The doctor shouts. "Here comes the girl!"
You can feel her. You close your eyes and sqeeze Toms hand as she slips out, much faster than the boy did, just like the doctor said she would.
"It's a girl!" The doctor says.
You try to focus your eyes on the small thing he holds. But you can't. It's just a little outline. Just a little shadow.
"I...." You stutter, "I can't see anything. She's just a shadow. She's just....a shadow."
And then you black out.
- - - -
Thomas POV:
I keep my eyes closed.
But I can't sleep.
Iris rests on the bed in front of me.
She did so well. She was so strong.
I dont know how she did it.
I know I couldn't have done it.
I try to make myself comfortable. But even the cushioned hospital chairs are uncomfortable. I have to wonder how Iris did it for four months.
There's a small knock at the door.
I look over and a nurse pokes her head in. She smiles, "Would you like to see your babies?"
I sit up, "Now?"
She gives me a warm smile, "If you'd like."
I nod, "Sure."
She wheels in the first cart.
A pink piece of paper is taped to it.
"Baby Girl Sangster."
I smile.
That's my daughter.
I start to get up but the nurse stops me, "No, sweetheart. I'll get her."
I nod gratefully, "Thank you."
She scoops up the small bundle and carefully walks it over, "Here you are. There's your Daddy."
She places the child in my arms and I just stare at it.
It's so small. I look at it's little fat cheeks. It's big blue eyes. It's soft reddish blonde hair- just like mine.
The nurse rolls in the second one, "And here's the boy."
"T-thank you." I stutter, starting to feel terrified.
She smiles kindly as she walks out of the room, "Let us know if you need anything."
I look down at the small bundle in my arms, remembering Iris' words.
"She's just a shadow."
I hum, " Shadow. Seems a fitting name."
I stand up carefully, not wanting to drop or hurt the baby. I walk over to her little roller crib and set her in. Then I walk over the the crib next to her.
His brown hair sticks up in every direction. His big brown eyes seem alert and curious. I just have a feeling he's going to be a trouble maker.
I smile down at him, "Hi, Bradley."
He looks up at me, figeting and cooing. He sticks his tounge out, rolling it over his gums. I smile, "Your Mummy is going to be very fond of the two of you."
I look over at Shadow, "Especially you. She wanted a girl." I look back down at Bradley, "But that's okay. I'll be your friend Bradley. And We'll cause all kinds of trouble together."
Author:
YOU'RE WELCOME
:-)
Okay, guys, I need you to take things seriously now.
And realize....
That I am almost done with this book.
And I need you to be big brave little girls and not cry.
:-)
READ THE SEQUEAL - YESTERDAY! IT'S EVEN BETTER THAN THIS ONE - GO READ IT!
Anyway.
MERRY FRICKIN' CHRISTMAS!
-Sunny