FicWad

We got to the hospital a little while later and hurried into the emergency entrance.
"Can I help you?" the nurse at the desk asked boredly not looking up.
"Um yeah." Patrick said annoyed. "My girlfriend's in labor."
"Sir please, I just work here." She answered snottily, handing him a pack of papers. "Miss, can you walk?"
I nodded and Patrick sat me down on the ground. The nurse nodded to me and gently pulled me down the long hallway.
She led me into a medium sized examination room and sat me down on the bed.
"First time being here right?" She looked at me sympathetically while I panted lightly and nodded.
She handed me a hospital gown and turned to leave.
"I'm going to get the doctor, if you need anything.....scream." She laughed and closed the door behind her.
I slowly got dressed and laid back on the bed. Another contraction shot through me making me groan and turn on my side. The doctor came in and quickly checked everything.
"Well, you're partially dilated so we'll get you situated and get you something to put you in less pain." He said writing on his clipboard.
"Ok." I breathed out felling another contraction.
They got me situated and let the guys come in.
"Hey Sugar." Patrick said quietly, grabbing my hand and stroking my forehead.
"Hey Tricks." I answered and looked over at the others. "What should we name the baby?"
"How about...hm...Zoe?" Andy said looked out the window.
"No, how about, Josh?" Pete said.
"Pete we already know it's gonna be a girl." I said.
"Oh, I don't know, I'm only good with boy names."
"Obviously." Sabrina scoffed.
A hard contraction shot through me and I screamed loudly. The doctor ran in a checked me again.
"Wow, we're moving ahead quickly, you're fully dilated." He said "We'd better get started."
The nurse gave me a shot and led the others out of the room.
"Doctor, can Patrick stay with me?" I asked nervously.
"I don't know, you're not married."
"Please, I don't think I'll be able to do this without him." I pleaded feeling lightly woozy.
"Hm, I guess put on this smock." He said tossing Patrick a delivering garment.
He obeyed and pulled it on, then joined my side and grabbed my hand.
"Now, on the count of ten I want you to push as hard as you can." The midwife instructed. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten push!"
I did, I pushed until I couldn't anymore. The doctor nodded and told me to rest.
"Ok, rest that was a good first push."
I leaned back on the bed and sighed. Patrick kissed my forehead and smiled at me.
"We're gonna be parents soon." He said I smiled back.
"Ok, Alex, push, push, push, push." She ordered.
I did again; the pressure in my area was growing unbearable. But I pushed anyway. No one ever said giving birth was easy.
Several pushes and screams and cries later the baby was almost here.
"I can see the head!" The doctor announced and allowed me to rest. "You're doing great; two more pushes and she'll be out."
I nodded and pushed all that I had. The baby came out and immediately started crying. I started crying with it while the doctor started to clean it up.
"Patrick would you like to cut the umbilical?" The doctor asked handing him the scissors.
"Um, sure." He said taking them and carefully cutting the cord.
The baby was free and now I could rest while they put on the little pink beanie and cleaned her off.
They set her on my chest and backed off a little so I could say hello to the baby I had to put up with for nine months.
"Welcome, to the world." I whispered wiping some of the thick, red brown hair away for her face.
"I've got it...Chloe." Patrick said looking at her.
"Welcome, my little Chloe." I cooed at her while she slowly opened her eyes to the sharp hospital lights.
Her eyes were the clearest blue green I had ever seen in anyone. Those little oceans staring back at mine and Patrick's. Her eyes were a mix of both of ours, Patrick's pale blue chameleon eyes and my grey green eyes.
"Ok, let's get her to the warmer." A nurse said gently taking Chloe and wrapping her in a pink flannel blanket and taking her off down the hall to the room with almost forty babies in waiting for their mom's to get situated and for everyone else to see them.
"I'm gonna go tell the guys." Patrick said quietly as the meds they had given me to dull the pain were making me tired.
I nodded and the doctor got most of the monitors and wires out of the room and left me to sleep.
"You did so well." My midwife said touching my knee. "Now both you and her need some rest."
I closed my eyes and rested my head back on the pillow. This was so surreal. I had just given birth to a healthy little girl and was waiting for my family to come in and say congratulations.
Just as I thought that the door swung open and everyone walked in quietly.
"So?" Pete asked sitting down beside me. "What is it and how is it?"
" AS you already know, it's a girl, her name is Chloe." I answered. "And you can go and see her in a few minutes."
"Oh, I can't wait!" Sabrina said anxiously, jumping in her seat.
"What does she look like?" Andy asked.
"She has red brown hair, and a set of sea green eyes that would make an eye model jealous."
Everyone was smiling, they were all so happy. Why were they happy? Having a baby meant late night feedings and crying nonstop, didn't it?
The nurse came in a smiled.
"Ok, let mom have some sleep and you can go and see Chloe, she's in the third row second bassinette."
Everyone left except for Patrick. He stayed by my side the whole time I slept off the meds, singing songs every once in a while, but just making me feel calm.
A few hours later Patrick gently shook me awake. I smiled at him and stretched as mush as the wires in my arms would allow me.
"Sugar, the doctor said we can probably take her home tomorrow." He had a huge grin on his face.
"Really?" I asked sitting up. "Where are the others?"
"They left for the night, but they're gonna be back."
"How is she?" I yawned, still feeling tired.
"They say she's the healthiest baby they had seen in years." He quickly added. "You did good."
I nodded again and closed my eyes. I drifted to sleep in a hospital, with the man I love and a baby that is so healthy they aren't going to keep her very long. I couldn't wait for tomorrow.
~~~
I could easily walk the next morning, but they insisted I rode in a wheelchair. I hated feeling helpless, and this was hitting an all-time low. Chloe stared up in wonder at me in the elevator. I made baby faces and memorized my little baby.
As we went through the lobby there was a great serenade of "Congratulations" and "Good Luck". It almost made me sick.
Sometime while I was sleeping Patrick came out and put in a baby car seat. I strapped the baby in and sat down beside her.
"We're going home, Chloe." I said to her, loving the way her name rolled off my tongue.
Patrick smiled form the rear view mirror and drove home.
Once we got home I carefully carried her up all the stairs and Patrick opened the door for me. I walked in and dropped my over night bag on the kitchen floor.
And like so long ago I uttered the famous lines. "Home sweet home."
Patrick came up behind me and kissed my neck, then looked at Chloe.
Suddenly that word meant so much to me, more than just a word that fell off your lips when you needed a place to call that. I had a home, a family, and more importantly a baby.