(no subject)
"Mum, watch your language!" said Alex as he always did whenever his mother swore. He stood at the top of the stairs, wondering what was going on and why everyone was downstairs on the couch. "Mum? What's going on?" He hurried down the stairs only to see his mother who seemed to be in terrible pain, his father trying to comfort her and his uncle setting up candles. The young boy dropped by his mother's side. "What is it, what's the problem?"
Evie cried out as she faced the worst contraction yet and she swore loudly, angry that she had to go through this, but biting her tongue after swearing in front of her son. "Alex, go to bed," she groaned. Rick looked up to see Alex and he panicked. 'God, he can't see this!' he thought frantically. "Jonathan, change of plan! Take Alex!"
"But I thought you wanted candles?" asked Jonathan, confused and then he saw his nephew. He dropped the candles and the box of matches on the floor and took Alex, pulling him away from the living room. He remembered all the times Rick and Evie had told him that Alex was not to be there during the birth and he tugged the young boy toward the stairs. "Come on Alex, your mum says we have to go upstairs," he said, ushering the boy back to his room.
"But, but I don't want to go back upstairs, I want to help dad and mum," Alex protested as he was led away by his uncle. He sighed. At least he didn't have to go back to bed. "Fine then..." he mumbled unhappily as he followed his uncle to the other side of the O'Connell manor.
*******
"Alex is upstairs with Jonathan now sweetheart," said Rick wiping her brow. "They'll be okay together. Now, how are you doing?" The contractions seemed to have passed for the moment and he was relieved at this small break she was having from the pain.
"Rick, can you get me some sort of washcloth to wipe my forehead?" she asked weakly. She felt sticky and covered with sweat and she didn't care how she looked right now with tendrils of hair stuck to her face, her eyes dazed with pain. She just needed to be soothed and cooled off, to be told how much he loved her, especially when she heard another crack of thunder.
"Sure honey," he said, kicking himself for not having thought of it sooner. "I'll be right back, I promise. Hold on for me." He released her reluctantly and then ran toward the kitchen, cursing as he crashed into a chair on the way.
He dug around frantically under the sink and guided by the lightning; he found a couple of washcloths. He grabbed a pair of scissors from the drawer and ran a bowlful of cold water. On his way back out, he snagged a few clean towels, figuring they might come in handy later and he returned to the living room, his hands full as he knelt back down beside her. He dipped one of the washcloths in the water and wrung it out, gently wiping it over her forehead. "That better?" he murmured, brushing her hair back from her face and kissing her head.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I think the contractions are over for now." She was relieved that the pain was over for now. "I hope Alex is safe and taken care of," she said, ever the caring and nurturing mother. Even through her pain, she still put everybody else before herself. The cloth on her forehead was soft and cool and she closed her eyes, feeling drowsy even though she knew she wouldn't fall asleep. "Can I have some hot tea?" she asked in a child-like voice.
Rick turned the washcloth over and dabbed her forehead. "I don't think I should get you anything to drink right now Evie, you're not supposed to be having any liquids now. I'm sorry honey." And he was. He felt terrible for denying her anything, but this time he had to.
She sighed at the word 'no' and she did something that she hadn't done since she was a little girl being told 'no' at the doll store. She whimpered and began crying softly, tears falling from her eyes. She was in so much pain and tea always helped calm her. She knew that she wasn't supposed to have it, but she couldn't help crying anyway.
"Oh God Evie, I'm so sorry," he said, wanting to cry himself. He reached out to brush away the tears, kissing her cheek and telling her, "everything will work out honey, you'll see." The words sounded hollow to his own ears though. He was useless in situations like this, but he had to be strong for her, he had to help get her through this. "It's going to be okay because I love you and together, we can survive anything."
Her whimpering quieted and she pressed her face into his chest, sighing deeply and hiccupped as one usually did after crying their heart out. She was so terribly frightened and no one was around because of the storm. Still, she could feel his heartbeat and she knew she had his love to get her through this, even as she felt another contraction tearing at her belly. She cried out in pain, her voice carrying over the crash of the storm outside.
He held her close, squeezing her hand as another contraction tore through her. "You're doing great Evie," he said reassuringly. Her pain cries upset him terribly, but he had to focus on helping her now. "You're doing just fine honey. Just keep it up and this kid will be out in no time."
She groaned in pain. "Tell me *why* I decided to have another baby with you." She sounded almost angry by that as she breathed through a painful contraction. She dug her nails into his back, holding onto him tight as she tried to get through the pain. "Why did I let you do this to me?" she sobbed.
He winced as her nails gouged into his back, but he still kept his hold on her. Even though her words were angry and accusing, he knew she didn't really mean them, that it was just the pain talking. Plus, she wouldn't let go of him and he figured that if her using him as a scratching board helped, then so be it. Looked like he was going to walk away from this with scars when it was all over, but it didn't bother him a bit. He wanted to take away her pain so badly, wanted to help her. "Don't think about the pain right now, honey, just concentrate on getting our baby into the world," he said, wiping her brow again.
She pulled away from him and lay back on the couch, clutching her belly. She knew she wasn't ready to give birth just yet and she wailed her way through the rest of the contraction, tossing her head from side to side.
"Get it out of me, get it out!" she shrieked, bending her knees beneath her robe, knowing she would have to get rid of it. It took a while for her to register, but she could feel stickiness around her thighs and her fear grew. "RICK, RICK! I'm bleeding!" she sobbed, reaching out for him in the darkness.
He could feel her fear as if it were a tangible thing and he began to panic, finding her hand in the darkness and squeezing it gently. "Okay Evie, I'm gonna have to take the robe off so that I can see what's going on," he said soothingly, tugging the garment off of her. Still keeping a hold of her hand, he moved down her body down between her legs. God dammit, he couldn't see anything clearly and he fumbled for one of Jonathan’s abandoned candles, lighting the damn thing and finally getting a proper look at her. He gasped when he realised she had been right; she was bleeding. "Oh my God!" he cried, grabbing one of the towels, trying to mop up the blood. "Evie, you're bleeding! What am I supposed to do?"
She could sense his panic and she knew that she had to stay calm. She knew that her body wasn't going to get her through this if she freaked out and although she was in incredible pain, she bit down another wail and looked at him. "Calm down Rick, I need you to calm down for me...it can't be *that* bad," she said, trying to reassure both of them. She closed her eyes, feeling the cold air of the house upon her naked flesh and she sighed. This was crazy she thought, whispering a prayer to whatever god was listening to help her get through this safely. "Please, Rick, just stay calm."
He breathed deeply, calming himself just like she had asked. Then he felt ashamed. It was supposed to be his job to comfort her, but she was the one doing all the comforting while he had lost his head like an idiot. Seeing the blood had been the thing that had set him off though and he bit his lip, trying to focus. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, sounding like a little boy. "I'm so sorry Evie."
She nodded. "It's okay darling, just love me." She grabbed his hand, pulling him closer so that she could look deep into his eyes. "I love you, I love you so much," she said, pulling his mouth to hers to share a momentary kiss with her husband in between bouts of pain. For a few seconds, the blood and the pain left her mind. "Just stay strong darling," she whispered against his lips, still taking on the role of comforting her husband even in *her* time of need, but she couldn't help it.
"With you by my side I always feel strong," he told her as a single tear slipped down his cheek. "I love you Evie." He kissed her briefly before giving her a determined smile. "We'll get through this. We always do." And with that, he kissed her hand, making his way back down her body. He cleared the blood away so that he could get a closer look to see how she was doing.
She gasped out and nodded at him. "I'm sorry for yelling earlier," she said as he checked between her legs. "I am happy to be having this baby with you. We're making life together." She sobbed softly as another contraction hit. By now, she was about six centimeters dilated and the blood was not coming out as fast. She gripped her hands to her naked belly, but then she heard the sound of her darling boy at the top of the stairs.
"Mum!" cried Alex. "I heard you scream and I just had to come and help you, please dad, please let me help you." Tears were streaming down his cheeks, feeling so scared at the sight of his mum trying to give birth to a baby. He'd managed to sneak out when Jonathan had decided to take a nap.
"Jesus, Alex!" said Rick. "I thought I told you to stay upstairs. You’re not supposed to be here, go back to bed!" He cursed himself for sounding so harsh. "Please Alex, if I ever needed you to do something for me, it's this. Just promise me you'll stay upstairs until this is over. I swear everything will be okay."
"JOHNATHAN!" Evie screamed loud enough to wake the dead and when he appeared, she yelled at him. "TAKE CARE OF MY BABY BOY!" It was easy to yell things when she was in so much pain and it actually felt like a relief to have this opportunity to scream out loud.
"Mum! Mum!" Alex felt like he was back at the temple watching her die and he was terrified, running down the stairs two at a time to get to her.
Jonathan cringed at the tone of his sister's voice, but did as she said, scooping Alex up before he could get any further. He had only dozed off for a moment. "Alex, we have to go," he said firmly, carrying the squirming boy back upstairs. "Trust me, you really don't want to see this."
"Mum!" Alex yelled, struggling in his uncle's arms. "Mum, don't die again," he cried, burying his face against Jonathan’s chest.
Evie sobbed out, her heart breaking, not wanting to have her son see this, yet she felt so distraught. She was full of pain and anguish that her son would be so afraid and she struggled to stand up, forgetting her need to give birth as she took two steps before collapsing on her knees. "Alex, I love you," she called.
Rick's air of calm rapidly disintegrated at the chaos going on around him. "God Evie, get back on the couch!" he cried, lifting her up from the floor and placing her back to where she had once been. "Jonathan!" he yelled. "Get Alex upstairs now!" He turned back to Evie. "Settle down honey, we'll get through this you'll see."
She felt her husband's arms close around her settling her back onto the couch. She sighed, trying to keep calm, but the panic around her wasn't helping one bit. "Rick, go take care of Alex. Get him settled and then come back to me. I promise I'll be fine, Alex needs you now more than I do." She needed him badly, but was in no way going to allow her son to be so scared.
He was crying now, tears running freely down his cheeks. "Evie, I can't leave you," he sobbed, holding her close. "What if something happens to you while I'm gone? I'd never be able to forgive myself."
"Rick, I've given birth before, just take ten minutes to take care of our son. If you don't, I will," she told him, cradling his head in her hands and looking him right in the eyes. Her own hazel orbs were bright with pain and fear, but she offered him a smile, always the brave girl.
He sighed, wiping his tears away roughly with the back of his hand. "I'll go see to him," he said, loosening his grip on her. He gazed at her, his brow creased in worry and he kissed her hard for a moment before releasing her and getting up from his place on the floor. "I'll be right back," he promised, running up the stairs after his son. "Alex?" he called.
"Dad!" Alex threw himself into his father's arms, crying so hard. "Tell me mum isn't going to die, please dad, please..." he cried into his shoulder. "Why was she bleeding from her legs?" he asked bluntly, scared and confused as he held tightly onto his father.
Rick clung to Alex, rocking him gently. "Alex, listen to me," he said softly. "I promise you your mother isn't going to die. She won't, she just...won't. I won't let her." He leaned back slightly to brush away the tears from his son's face. "It'll be alright," he murmured, feeling Alex hiccupping a little, but he could tell he was calming down somewhat. "She's bleeding like that because that's where the baby is going to come out, okay?"
Alex hiccupped again, making tiny little whimpering noises as he looked at his father with teary red eyes, nodding his head. "I got scared dad, I'm afraid I'll lose mum again." He wrapped his arms around his father's neck, holding him close. "I need mum." He was also curious as to why mum brought life into the world like that. Little Alex was already as intelligent and as keen on knowledge as some high schoolers.
"I know you do," said Rick, holding him tight. "But believe me, you won't lose her again. She's just giving birth and she's going to be in a lot of pain, but she'll get through it, she will. We both know how strong your mother is." He continued rocking his child gently. He was glad now that Evie had demanded he take care of their son, it had made him much more focused and had also succeeded in calming both of them down. He smiled. His wife always knew best. "Come on Alex, let's get you back to your room."
He nodded slowly and released his father, taking his hand and following him into his bedroom. He felt so much better now as he jumped into his bed where Uncle John had been waiting for him.
"Uncle John, will you stay with me tonight?" he asked in a voice that could not hide his exhaustion. He gave his father another hug before resting against Jonathan’s chest. The two of them would be safe here and finally, some quiet was allowed.
Rick watched as his son nestled in bed with Jonathan. "Get some sleep son," he said to Alex, turning off the light. "Everything's going to be fine." Then he spoke to his brother-in-law. "Look after him, alright?" he said before closing the door.
"Come on partner, you heard what your dad said so let's get some sleep," said Jonathan, holding the boy close. He smiled, hoping that his nephew would sleep well and praying to God that his sister would be all right.
*******
After closing the door behind him, Rick fairly bolted down the stairs to his wife. "Evie? Evie, I'm back!" he called, rushing to her side.
Having things calm down a bit had allowed Evie to drift off to sleep during a break from one of her contractions, but her head moved to the side a little, showing that she wasn't in that deep a sleep. Her stomach moved up and down with every breath she took, the child inside of her taking its time coming into the world.
He smiled when he found her asleep and relief washed over him. She was free from pain, for the moment anyway. He contemplated taking her in his arms, but decided against it, not wanting to wake her. Instead, he just sat very close to her, kissing her forehead gently and taking one of her hands in his.
She awoke about half an hour later with another strong contraction battling her system and she leaned forward to breathe in deeply. She knew she wasn't ready yet, but God, she wanted to push. "Rick! I want to push...I want to get this baby out of me." She leaned back against the pillow again, doing her breathing exercises and feeling the stickiness around her thighs once more.
"Not yet sweetheart, not yet," he told her soothingly. "It isn't time yet, just try to take deep even breaths and stay calm okay? I'm here for you, just hold onto me." He reached for another towel, cleaning the blood on her thighs. At least that gave him something to do other than hold her hand and offer reassurances.
She nodded and clung to him. "Rick, is there a lot of blood?" she asked, worried as she couldn't see all that well. Her contraction had gone away again and she looked at her husband anxiously, trying to stay calm. She was curious as to how dilated she was, knowing she had to be at least nine centimetres so that she could begin to push. It felt tight.
"Not as much as before," he told her, wiping the blood from her thighs. "You're doing good Evie, just don't start pushing yet, okay? You're doing just fine sweetheart." He kissed her forehead gently. "How are you feeling?"
"Just great," she moaned as she leaned her head back against the pillow riding out another contraction. "*You* try pushing a bowling ball out of you and see how that feels." She was sorry for snapping at him, but it just hurt so much and the pain clouded her thoughts.
He bit his lip, knowing she didn't really mean it. She was just hurting and he was an outlet for her pain. Still, at least she wasn't yelling at him. Yet. He dipped the washcloth in the water once more, wiping her brow and trying to cool her down.
"I'm sorry darling, I am. I don't mean those things, it just hurts so badly," she said as she calmed down a little for a brief moment. The contractions were now coming within a few minutes of each other and she knew it wouldn't be long now. Her mouth was dry and she swallowed hard."I know honey, I know," he assured her. Her contractions were coming faster and more regularly now which had to be a good sign. He smoothed her hair back from her face and gently dabbed her hot cheeks with the washcloth.
She whimpered, trying to pull her knees a little higher. "Darling, I'm going to need some blankets, some warm water for the baby and something to cut the baby free," she panted, feeling the pain against her pelvic muscles. "I have a feeling you and I will have another child before the hour is over."
He hovered for a moment, unwilling to leave her, but he knew he had to go get the things that she needed. He had already brought in scissors from his first trip to the kitchen, but he would have to go upstairs to fetch the blankets. He kissed her quickly and with a muttered, "be right back," he dashed upstairs to fetch some blankets from their bedroom, flinging them over his shoulder before racing off to the kitchen. He ran the warm water faucet, waiting until the water got hot enough before getting a bowlful of the stuff and then hurried back into the living room and over to the couch, trying not to spill any of it.
She looked up at him when he came back. "Thank you darling. Have I told you how much I love you?" she whispered, rubbing her belly and feeling another push on her pelvis. She wanted to scream out in pain again, but she swallowed and held back as she waited for him to get settled by her side.
"You tell me every day," he said softly, arranging everything before sitting back down beside her again. He kissed the top of her head, frowning at the pained expression on her face. "You're so strong Evie, far stronger than I'll ever be. I love you so much sweetheart."
"I love you." She reached out to take his hands in both of hers, holding on tightly as she felt a push against her. "Rick...Rick, something feels wrong," she muttered in fear. Her heart was pounding non-stop in her breast and she clung to him, holding him closer to her.
He stared at her worriedly, holding her tight against him. "What feels wrong?" he asked. "What is it Evie?" He held her close, trying to soothe her, but also fighting his own urge to panic. "Just tell me what's wrong and I'll do my best to help you."
She swallowed hard, leaning her head back. "Rick, am I fully dilated?" she asked, keeping her grip tight on him. "I need to get this baby out of me." She whimpered and tears fell from her eyes. "Please Rick, take care of me. Don't let anything bad happen."
He could sense her fear and he had to calm hr down. He cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. "Evie listen to me," he said solemnly. "I promise you I will never let anything bad happen to you. I'm here for you, baby and I'll always be here. Now, you need to let go of me for a second while I take a look."
She nodded and loosened her hold on him while she pulled back and cried through another contraction, feeling it take her hostage for a few moments deep into pain. She gasped and she felt it release, taking tiny quickened breaths as she waited for him. "Rick....Rick!" she cried out.
"I'm here honey, I'm here," he said quickly, moving back up her body to take her in his arms again. "I checked and it looks to me like you're fully dilated, maybe about four inches, so I guess that means the baby is on its way sweetheart."
She nodded and when the next contraction struck, she did her best to push, but only lay back, gasping for breath. "Rick, I can't push, the baby won't move!" she cried out in fear as she tried again. Nothing happened. "RICK!" she screamed out in complete pain.
He winced at the way she shrieked his name and tried not to show his fear. She was ready to push now, why the hell wasn't it working? He was totally at a loss for what to do, but he didn't want to frighten her even more. "Evie, it's going to be alright," he said desperately, fighting the urge to cry along with her. "Try again sweetheart."
She tried once more to push the baby free from her, but only ended up falling back against the couch once more, sobbing freely. "I can't do it Rick, I can't get the baby out..." She tossed her head, gripping his arms in fear and pain, trying to keep calm.
'Think Evelyn, think'. She knew she had to get the child out of her, but it was dead set on not budging and it was like one continuous stream of pain for her. "Rick, help me get the baby out...I'm scared, I'm scared..."
"Just stay calm honey, it'll be okay," he told her, holding onto her tight. "Now you have to help me help you Evie. Tell me what it is I have to do." He had promised her he would do everything in his power to get her through this, but first he had to know what to do. If he just had something to focus on, some way to help her, everything would be fine. "Don't be scared honey, we're going to get through this."
She nodded, holding him tight as she thought back to what the doctor had told her, trying to bite back the pain she was feeling. "I think...I think you have to move the baby a little...Doctor Trevor said that if ever the baby has a hard time moving, just adjust it a bit. That's all I remember." She held his shoulders in a death grip, crying through it, trying to get up to see what was going on.
"Settle down Evie, you need to lie back now," he said, gently easing her down. "Right, so we have to adjust the baby so that it can move. Sounds like a plan." And then it hit him what he'd just said. "*I* have to...to...." basically, he had to reach up inside of her to move the baby a little so that she could push it on out. He bit his lip in panic. 'I can't do it!' he thought in horror. Jesus, he'd hurt her! He had to do this though, otherwise it could end up a lot worse.
Evie closed her eyes. "I'm so thirsty Rick, please...please may I have a drink." She just wanted to quench her thirst before she went through this with him. "One drink...one sip." She turned her head and cried out, knowing that if she pushed again, she could hurt the baby, but holding back hurt worse than anything.
"Okay, but just a little drink alright?" he said. He knew her throat had to be sore from all the screaming and panting she'd been doing and he let go of her. "Hold on for me honey, I'm just going to fetch some water. I won't be a moment." And with that, he ran back into the kitchen for a glass of water, returning to her side once again and holding the glass to her lips so that she could take a couple of swallows.
She drank greedily, hating it when he took it back saying she'd had enough. She hiccupped and felt the urge to push again. It came harder and more desperate each time. "Help me Rick, please help." Her fingers gripped the hand he was going to need to help her, finally letting it go so that he could do what she needed him to and prepared herself for the worst. He attempted to smile at her reassuringly, but got the feeling he didn't quite pull it off. His hands were trembling and he blinked his eyes rapidly to stop the tears from falling. He had to do this, he just had to. His hands rested on her thighs for a second and he breathed in deeply, tying to stay cool before slowly and gradually easing his right hand inside of her.
She cried out loudly. It was almost too much for her, but she bit back another wail as she knew he had to do this, that he was helping her to bring this little life into the world. She clenched her teeth, trying to fight the pain. She didn't want him to know how much this hurt her, how much she just wanted it to be over. "It's okay, Rick," she said once again, being the comforter even through all of her pain. "It's okay..." The tears ran down her cheeks and she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.
"Oh God," he said, tears now falling freely down his face. He was hurting her, he could tell and he wanted nothing more than to yank his hand out, but he knew he couldn't. "Stay with me, Evie," he murmured, wincing when she gasped out in pain as his hand moved up higher, feeling for the baby. His free hand wiped the tears roughly from his eyes so that his vision wasn't so blurry and he settled it back on her thigh, stroking it comfortingly. His searching fingers moved around inside of her and he gasped when he touched something...it was the baby! "I've got it Evie, I've found her!" he cried.
She nodded, looking up at him. "Is she alright? Is she alright?" she cried out over and over again. "Let me get her out, let me push her out." She felt the baby move inside of her and she couldn't help but try and push a little.
"Rick...I think I can push her free now." She tightened her hands in the couch beneath her, closing her eyes tight. "RIIIICK!" she screamed out, needing his help.
His job done now, Rick told himself everything would be fine. He gently withdrew his hand from her and spoke to her encouragingly. "Alright Evie, I've moved her so now I need you to push for me alright? I need you to push now sweetheart."
She leaned forward and pushed with every amount of energy she had left, her face tight with pain. She reached for his hands, sticky with amniotic fluid and gripped his hands tightly.
"Keep pushing honey, you're doing great," he said, squeezing her hands. "You can do it sweetheart, you're going to be just fine. You're so brave Evie."
She finally pushed the baby free and she dropped back against the couch, panting heavily. She heard the cries of her child, but was unaware that the cord had gotten twisted around the tiny body. "Rick...do we have a daughter or a son?" she asked, eager to know.
"Hold on a second, Evie," he said, eyes widening when he saw the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck. He panicked for a second before realising all he had to do was gently and quickly unhook the cord, supporting the baby's chest as it slipped free from its mothers' body. "It's a girl, Evie!" he all but yelled in his excitement.
"A girl? I have a daughter?" She tried to get up so that she could take a look, but ended up falling back onto the couch again. She realised that the thunder and lightning were not bothering her anymore, nor how was how sore her body felt and she half-laughed, half-cried as she felt everything leave her body. She felt almost sad, the typical woes of a pregnant mother losing her baby from the womb.
Rick laughed along with her, quickly tying the cord and cutting it then wrapping his baby daughter in one of the blankets. He was so happy he felt like he would burst and that was when the tears started again, but this time he didn't brush them away. "We've got a little daughter," he grinned, handing the baby over to her. "Say hello sweetheart."
"Hi," she whispered and hugged her ever so carefully. The little infant looked up at her with big blue eyes, trying to figure out what was going on and then her tiny mouth searched out Evie's breast, beginning to suckle softly. "What a grip," she said softly, reaching out for her husband's hand. "We did it." This time, tears of happiness fell from her eyes.
"Yeah we did," he sighed happily, wrapping his arm around her and nuzzling her cheek. "You were amazing honey," he told her. "I love you Evie."
"Oh Rick, she's beautiful...absolutely lovely." She brought her fingers up to wipe the tears from his eyes, kissing him deeply. She was just trembling with love for this little child.
He smiled at her gently and looked down at his tiny daughter still suckling and his smile widened into a grin. "You're right," he agreed. "She's absolutely perfect."
"Rick, let's go to bed," she murmured. "This couch isn't the most comfortable...I suppose that's what I get for buying authentic Egyptian furniture." She laughed at herself and slowly sat up, aching something awful.
He helped her sit up, aware that she was still rather sore. "You just wait here for a moment while I go get Jonathan okay?" he said, knowing that he'd need some help getting both his wife and his daughter up the stairs.
"Alright," she nodded, reaching over for her robe with her free hand to tug it around her shoulders. She curled the baby closer to her heart, staring down at her completely transfixed. She heard the soft cries coming from her and she shushed her softly, humming gentle lullabies she hadn't uttered since Alex was little.
He smiled down at them both, his heart swelling with pride and love and then he reluctantly left, dashing up the stairs and into Alex's room. He opened the door quietly and he could see that Alex was still asleep, hugging the edge of the bed while Jonathan slept beside him, snoring away obliviously. How Alex managed to sleep through that he'd never know. He shook his brother-in-law gently. "Hey, Jonathan."
Jonathan grunted in his sleep, wishing that whoever was shaking him would just go away. When the shaking started getting a little more violent, his eyes opened to see Rick leaning over him. "Rick?" he asked groggily. "Something wrong old boy?"
"Nope, nothing's wrong," Rick told him happily. He glanced over at his son who was still sleeping and he put a finger to his lips. "I just need some help getting Evie and the baby upstairs."
Alex snorted in his sleep. He thought he could hear his dad saying something, but he was too tired out to pay any attention.
That woke Jonathan up fast. "The baby?" he asked in disbelief. "She's had it? Jolly good show!" He sprang out of bed and followed Rick down the stairs to where Evie was sitting on the couch, holding the baby close to her. "Hello, old mum," he said happily. "So what have we got Evie, another nephew or is it a niece this time?"
"A niece." She smiled up at her brother and tilted the baby in her arms so that he could get a closer look. She then turned her head to look at her husband and her eyes shone with love and adoration. 'I love you,' she mouthed as Jonathan took a good look at the newest O'Connell. Suddenly she heard another meek little cry and she turned to the baby, whispering gently. "Sshh now, none of that. Mummy is here with you."
Rick smiled as he sat beside his wife, kissing the top of her head while Jonathan cooed over the baby, marveling over how tiny she was. "I love you so much," he murmured, gently wrapping an arm around her. "You were amazing tonight."
Evie leaned close to him, sighing with happiness and letting him see their baby. "Can you believe we made her, Rick?" she asked, brushing a tear from her eye. She didn't really care what words she used in front of Jonathan, she and her husband had created life together and she couldn't be happier.
"I know honey," he said softly, holding her close. "She's so wonderful and...perfect. Just like her mother," he added, kissing away her tears. He grinned again. In spite of all what they had been through, it had been one of the most rewarding nights of his life. "Wow, I can't believe I actually helped deliver her."
"You probably saved her life," she said, nuzzling closer to him. "Let's relocate upstairs so that I can get comfortable." She leaned against Rick, trying to stand up, but just ended up wincing with pain and went back down on the couch. "Guess I'm going to need some help up the stairs."
"Just hang on a minute, honey," he said, settling her back down. "Jonathan can take the baby so that I can carry you upstairs, will you be okay with that?"
She slowly handed her newborn daughter over to her brother. "Take care of her, hold her head just so..." She heard the baby cry a little as she felt her husband's strong arms around her body, lifting her up. "Rick, she needs me," she mumbled, upset at the sound of her little one crying.
"Sshh, Evie, she'll be okay," he said soothingly, carrying her carefully up the stairs and into their bedroom, Jonathan close behind them. He could hear his daughter whimpering softly as he got his wife settled into bed.
Jonathan held the baby very gently as he waited for Rick to get his sister settled before handing his niece over to her. "So, do you have a name for this little one?" he asked.
"I was thinking perhaps Charlotte Evelyn O'Connell," she said, smiling at Rick. Since her son had taken the middle name Richard, they had thought it was a good idea for a daughter to bear her mother's name. "So, little Charlotte." She took the child to her breast, the warm flow of mother's milk soon soothing the little girl and Evie looked around the room and then back at her. "Welcome to the world."
Alex had heard voices so he went into his parents' room to find out what was going on. "What's happening?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. His gaze fell upon his new sister and he smiled. "Is that...is she mine?" he asked, pulling himself up on bed.
"Say hello to your little sister Charlotte, Alex," Rick told him, sitting down next to his son and smiling at the awed expression on the boy's face. "I'm sure she's very happy to meet you." His face hurt from all the smiling and grinning he'd been doing, but he was too thrilled to care.
"Hi, Charlotte," said Alex, touching her tiny hand. She paid him no attention, too intent on suckling her mother's breast, her eyes closed. "Mum, why is she doing that?" he asked, ever the curious one.
"She's a baby, that's how she gets her food. I used to feed you this way," Evie said, ruffling his hair.
"Mum!" he complained softly, not liking the idea much. But he got over it quick and snuggled up against her. "Hey Charlotte, you can't keep mum all to yourself you know."
"She won't darling, she won't." Evie smiled at the slight jealousy in her son's voice, but she knew that he was just as happy as the rest of them were. She smiled at her husband as she held her two children close.
Rick grinned as he watched Alex interact with his little baby Charlotte and he rubbed his son's back reassuringly. "I'm sure the two of you will get to spend plenty of time with your mother," he said, just picturing the two of them in a few year's time, arguing, laughing and playing together, each as headstrong as the other. He looked over Alex's head to smile softly at his wife.
She smiled back at him. She was in seventh heaven and she had everything she could ever need in this bed. She looked over at Jonathan, staring in tired awe at his niece and nephew. She had her husband, the very part of herself and their two children. "I guess it doesn't get any better than this," she said, a yawn about her lips.
"Guess it doesn't," he said softly. He could see that she was growing tired and he lifted his son onto his knee. "Okay Alex, time to go back to bed," he told the boy, tickling his ribs teasingly. "Your mother really needs some sleep right now and so do you."
"Aww, dad," he said, but he really was quite tired so he gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and jumped off the bed.
"Goodnight sweetheart," Evie told him as she felt Charlotte finally let go of her breast, her eyes closed in sleep, tiny little bubbles on her lips from the milk. She gently dabbed her lips clean with a soft cloth.
Jonathan took his nephew's hand, leading him out of the bedroom. "Night Evie, Rick, Charlotte," he said, blowing the baby a kiss as he shut the door behind him. "Well Alex, that was rather fun wasn't it? Time to get some shut-eye now though." He ushered the yawning boy into his room, tucking him in his bed.
"Yeah it was quite exciting. Now I'll have someone to torture just like you had mum," Alex grinned as he curled beneath the blankets, watching the expression on his uncle's face turn to one affecting guilt.
"Now I don't know what your mother has told you Alex, but I never actually tortured her when we were children, I merely...manipulated her. She was the first person I perfected the art of pick-pocketing on you know, but I suggest you don't try that with your sister." Jonathan smiled. "Now then partner, would you like me to stay with you or will you be alright on your own?"
"You can stay if you want, Uncle John," Alex said, already half-asleep. His heart was full of relief after worrying so much about his mum and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.
The boy had barely been able to finish his sentence before falling asleep and Jonathan rose from the bed, knowing that Alex would be okay on his own for the rest of the night. He closed the door softly behind him, looking forward to getting some sleep himself as he headed off to his own bedroom.
*******
Evie yawned. The night's events were finally over and she was content to simply watch her husband and daughter. She knew Charlotte would be sleeping for a long while, as would she. "You want to hold her?"
Rick nodded eagerly, taking the baby from his wife to hold her gently against his chest. She stirred slightly, but didn't wake and he smiled down at her, stroking a finger over her head. "Hey Charlotte," he whispered, completely awed at the tiny miracle he held in his arms.
Once he had Charlotte, Evie scooted down to find an acceptable laying position, but she couldn't seem to get comfortable on the pillow so she lay her head in her husband's lap, curling close to him. She kissed his leg, half-asleep. "Thank you, Rick, for giving me this perfect life," she whispered.
"It was my pleasure," he said, choking up again at the joy of being with his two girls. He smiled at his wife who was almost asleep. "I love you," he murmured as her eyes closed.
"I love you too," she whispered.
END
Evie cried out as she faced the worst contraction yet and she swore loudly, angry that she had to go through this, but biting her tongue after swearing in front of her son. "Alex, go to bed," she groaned. Rick looked up to see Alex and he panicked. 'God, he can't see this!' he thought frantically. "Jonathan, change of plan! Take Alex!"
"But I thought you wanted candles?" asked Jonathan, confused and then he saw his nephew. He dropped the candles and the box of matches on the floor and took Alex, pulling him away from the living room. He remembered all the times Rick and Evie had told him that Alex was not to be there during the birth and he tugged the young boy toward the stairs. "Come on Alex, your mum says we have to go upstairs," he said, ushering the boy back to his room.
"But, but I don't want to go back upstairs, I want to help dad and mum," Alex protested as he was led away by his uncle. He sighed. At least he didn't have to go back to bed. "Fine then..." he mumbled unhappily as he followed his uncle to the other side of the O'Connell manor.
*******
"Alex is upstairs with Jonathan now sweetheart," said Rick wiping her brow. "They'll be okay together. Now, how are you doing?" The contractions seemed to have passed for the moment and he was relieved at this small break she was having from the pain.
"Rick, can you get me some sort of washcloth to wipe my forehead?" she asked weakly. She felt sticky and covered with sweat and she didn't care how she looked right now with tendrils of hair stuck to her face, her eyes dazed with pain. She just needed to be soothed and cooled off, to be told how much he loved her, especially when she heard another crack of thunder.
"Sure honey," he said, kicking himself for not having thought of it sooner. "I'll be right back, I promise. Hold on for me." He released her reluctantly and then ran toward the kitchen, cursing as he crashed into a chair on the way.
He dug around frantically under the sink and guided by the lightning; he found a couple of washcloths. He grabbed a pair of scissors from the drawer and ran a bowlful of cold water. On his way back out, he snagged a few clean towels, figuring they might come in handy later and he returned to the living room, his hands full as he knelt back down beside her. He dipped one of the washcloths in the water and wrung it out, gently wiping it over her forehead. "That better?" he murmured, brushing her hair back from her face and kissing her head.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I think the contractions are over for now." She was relieved that the pain was over for now. "I hope Alex is safe and taken care of," she said, ever the caring and nurturing mother. Even through her pain, she still put everybody else before herself. The cloth on her forehead was soft and cool and she closed her eyes, feeling drowsy even though she knew she wouldn't fall asleep. "Can I have some hot tea?" she asked in a child-like voice.
Rick turned the washcloth over and dabbed her forehead. "I don't think I should get you anything to drink right now Evie, you're not supposed to be having any liquids now. I'm sorry honey." And he was. He felt terrible for denying her anything, but this time he had to.
She sighed at the word 'no' and she did something that she hadn't done since she was a little girl being told 'no' at the doll store. She whimpered and began crying softly, tears falling from her eyes. She was in so much pain and tea always helped calm her. She knew that she wasn't supposed to have it, but she couldn't help crying anyway.
"Oh God Evie, I'm so sorry," he said, wanting to cry himself. He reached out to brush away the tears, kissing her cheek and telling her, "everything will work out honey, you'll see." The words sounded hollow to his own ears though. He was useless in situations like this, but he had to be strong for her, he had to help get her through this. "It's going to be okay because I love you and together, we can survive anything."
Her whimpering quieted and she pressed her face into his chest, sighing deeply and hiccupped as one usually did after crying their heart out. She was so terribly frightened and no one was around because of the storm. Still, she could feel his heartbeat and she knew she had his love to get her through this, even as she felt another contraction tearing at her belly. She cried out in pain, her voice carrying over the crash of the storm outside.
He held her close, squeezing her hand as another contraction tore through her. "You're doing great Evie," he said reassuringly. Her pain cries upset him terribly, but he had to focus on helping her now. "You're doing just fine honey. Just keep it up and this kid will be out in no time."
She groaned in pain. "Tell me *why* I decided to have another baby with you." She sounded almost angry by that as she breathed through a painful contraction. She dug her nails into his back, holding onto him tight as she tried to get through the pain. "Why did I let you do this to me?" she sobbed.
He winced as her nails gouged into his back, but he still kept his hold on her. Even though her words were angry and accusing, he knew she didn't really mean them, that it was just the pain talking. Plus, she wouldn't let go of him and he figured that if her using him as a scratching board helped, then so be it. Looked like he was going to walk away from this with scars when it was all over, but it didn't bother him a bit. He wanted to take away her pain so badly, wanted to help her. "Don't think about the pain right now, honey, just concentrate on getting our baby into the world," he said, wiping her brow again.
She pulled away from him and lay back on the couch, clutching her belly. She knew she wasn't ready to give birth just yet and she wailed her way through the rest of the contraction, tossing her head from side to side.
"Get it out of me, get it out!" she shrieked, bending her knees beneath her robe, knowing she would have to get rid of it. It took a while for her to register, but she could feel stickiness around her thighs and her fear grew. "RICK, RICK! I'm bleeding!" she sobbed, reaching out for him in the darkness.
He could feel her fear as if it were a tangible thing and he began to panic, finding her hand in the darkness and squeezing it gently. "Okay Evie, I'm gonna have to take the robe off so that I can see what's going on," he said soothingly, tugging the garment off of her. Still keeping a hold of her hand, he moved down her body down between her legs. God dammit, he couldn't see anything clearly and he fumbled for one of Jonathan’s abandoned candles, lighting the damn thing and finally getting a proper look at her. He gasped when he realised she had been right; she was bleeding. "Oh my God!" he cried, grabbing one of the towels, trying to mop up the blood. "Evie, you're bleeding! What am I supposed to do?"
She could sense his panic and she knew that she had to stay calm. She knew that her body wasn't going to get her through this if she freaked out and although she was in incredible pain, she bit down another wail and looked at him. "Calm down Rick, I need you to calm down for me...it can't be *that* bad," she said, trying to reassure both of them. She closed her eyes, feeling the cold air of the house upon her naked flesh and she sighed. This was crazy she thought, whispering a prayer to whatever god was listening to help her get through this safely. "Please, Rick, just stay calm."
He breathed deeply, calming himself just like she had asked. Then he felt ashamed. It was supposed to be his job to comfort her, but she was the one doing all the comforting while he had lost his head like an idiot. Seeing the blood had been the thing that had set him off though and he bit his lip, trying to focus. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, sounding like a little boy. "I'm so sorry Evie."
She nodded. "It's okay darling, just love me." She grabbed his hand, pulling him closer so that she could look deep into his eyes. "I love you, I love you so much," she said, pulling his mouth to hers to share a momentary kiss with her husband in between bouts of pain. For a few seconds, the blood and the pain left her mind. "Just stay strong darling," she whispered against his lips, still taking on the role of comforting her husband even in *her* time of need, but she couldn't help it.
"With you by my side I always feel strong," he told her as a single tear slipped down his cheek. "I love you Evie." He kissed her briefly before giving her a determined smile. "We'll get through this. We always do." And with that, he kissed her hand, making his way back down her body. He cleared the blood away so that he could get a closer look to see how she was doing.
She gasped out and nodded at him. "I'm sorry for yelling earlier," she said as he checked between her legs. "I am happy to be having this baby with you. We're making life together." She sobbed softly as another contraction hit. By now, she was about six centimeters dilated and the blood was not coming out as fast. She gripped her hands to her naked belly, but then she heard the sound of her darling boy at the top of the stairs.
"Mum!" cried Alex. "I heard you scream and I just had to come and help you, please dad, please let me help you." Tears were streaming down his cheeks, feeling so scared at the sight of his mum trying to give birth to a baby. He'd managed to sneak out when Jonathan had decided to take a nap.
"Jesus, Alex!" said Rick. "I thought I told you to stay upstairs. You’re not supposed to be here, go back to bed!" He cursed himself for sounding so harsh. "Please Alex, if I ever needed you to do something for me, it's this. Just promise me you'll stay upstairs until this is over. I swear everything will be okay."
"JOHNATHAN!" Evie screamed loud enough to wake the dead and when he appeared, she yelled at him. "TAKE CARE OF MY BABY BOY!" It was easy to yell things when she was in so much pain and it actually felt like a relief to have this opportunity to scream out loud.
"Mum! Mum!" Alex felt like he was back at the temple watching her die and he was terrified, running down the stairs two at a time to get to her.
Jonathan cringed at the tone of his sister's voice, but did as she said, scooping Alex up before he could get any further. He had only dozed off for a moment. "Alex, we have to go," he said firmly, carrying the squirming boy back upstairs. "Trust me, you really don't want to see this."
"Mum!" Alex yelled, struggling in his uncle's arms. "Mum, don't die again," he cried, burying his face against Jonathan’s chest.
Evie sobbed out, her heart breaking, not wanting to have her son see this, yet she felt so distraught. She was full of pain and anguish that her son would be so afraid and she struggled to stand up, forgetting her need to give birth as she took two steps before collapsing on her knees. "Alex, I love you," she called.
Rick's air of calm rapidly disintegrated at the chaos going on around him. "God Evie, get back on the couch!" he cried, lifting her up from the floor and placing her back to where she had once been. "Jonathan!" he yelled. "Get Alex upstairs now!" He turned back to Evie. "Settle down honey, we'll get through this you'll see."
She felt her husband's arms close around her settling her back onto the couch. She sighed, trying to keep calm, but the panic around her wasn't helping one bit. "Rick, go take care of Alex. Get him settled and then come back to me. I promise I'll be fine, Alex needs you now more than I do." She needed him badly, but was in no way going to allow her son to be so scared.
He was crying now, tears running freely down his cheeks. "Evie, I can't leave you," he sobbed, holding her close. "What if something happens to you while I'm gone? I'd never be able to forgive myself."
"Rick, I've given birth before, just take ten minutes to take care of our son. If you don't, I will," she told him, cradling his head in her hands and looking him right in the eyes. Her own hazel orbs were bright with pain and fear, but she offered him a smile, always the brave girl.
He sighed, wiping his tears away roughly with the back of his hand. "I'll go see to him," he said, loosening his grip on her. He gazed at her, his brow creased in worry and he kissed her hard for a moment before releasing her and getting up from his place on the floor. "I'll be right back," he promised, running up the stairs after his son. "Alex?" he called.
"Dad!" Alex threw himself into his father's arms, crying so hard. "Tell me mum isn't going to die, please dad, please..." he cried into his shoulder. "Why was she bleeding from her legs?" he asked bluntly, scared and confused as he held tightly onto his father.
Rick clung to Alex, rocking him gently. "Alex, listen to me," he said softly. "I promise you your mother isn't going to die. She won't, she just...won't. I won't let her." He leaned back slightly to brush away the tears from his son's face. "It'll be alright," he murmured, feeling Alex hiccupping a little, but he could tell he was calming down somewhat. "She's bleeding like that because that's where the baby is going to come out, okay?"
Alex hiccupped again, making tiny little whimpering noises as he looked at his father with teary red eyes, nodding his head. "I got scared dad, I'm afraid I'll lose mum again." He wrapped his arms around his father's neck, holding him close. "I need mum." He was also curious as to why mum brought life into the world like that. Little Alex was already as intelligent and as keen on knowledge as some high schoolers.
"I know you do," said Rick, holding him tight. "But believe me, you won't lose her again. She's just giving birth and she's going to be in a lot of pain, but she'll get through it, she will. We both know how strong your mother is." He continued rocking his child gently. He was glad now that Evie had demanded he take care of their son, it had made him much more focused and had also succeeded in calming both of them down. He smiled. His wife always knew best. "Come on Alex, let's get you back to your room."
He nodded slowly and released his father, taking his hand and following him into his bedroom. He felt so much better now as he jumped into his bed where Uncle John had been waiting for him.
"Uncle John, will you stay with me tonight?" he asked in a voice that could not hide his exhaustion. He gave his father another hug before resting against Jonathan’s chest. The two of them would be safe here and finally, some quiet was allowed.
Rick watched as his son nestled in bed with Jonathan. "Get some sleep son," he said to Alex, turning off the light. "Everything's going to be fine." Then he spoke to his brother-in-law. "Look after him, alright?" he said before closing the door.
"Come on partner, you heard what your dad said so let's get some sleep," said Jonathan, holding the boy close. He smiled, hoping that his nephew would sleep well and praying to God that his sister would be all right.
*******
After closing the door behind him, Rick fairly bolted down the stairs to his wife. "Evie? Evie, I'm back!" he called, rushing to her side.
Having things calm down a bit had allowed Evie to drift off to sleep during a break from one of her contractions, but her head moved to the side a little, showing that she wasn't in that deep a sleep. Her stomach moved up and down with every breath she took, the child inside of her taking its time coming into the world.
He smiled when he found her asleep and relief washed over him. She was free from pain, for the moment anyway. He contemplated taking her in his arms, but decided against it, not wanting to wake her. Instead, he just sat very close to her, kissing her forehead gently and taking one of her hands in his.
She awoke about half an hour later with another strong contraction battling her system and she leaned forward to breathe in deeply. She knew she wasn't ready yet, but God, she wanted to push. "Rick! I want to push...I want to get this baby out of me." She leaned back against the pillow again, doing her breathing exercises and feeling the stickiness around her thighs once more.
"Not yet sweetheart, not yet," he told her soothingly. "It isn't time yet, just try to take deep even breaths and stay calm okay? I'm here for you, just hold onto me." He reached for another towel, cleaning the blood on her thighs. At least that gave him something to do other than hold her hand and offer reassurances.
She nodded and clung to him. "Rick, is there a lot of blood?" she asked, worried as she couldn't see all that well. Her contraction had gone away again and she looked at her husband anxiously, trying to stay calm. She was curious as to how dilated she was, knowing she had to be at least nine centimetres so that she could begin to push. It felt tight.
"Not as much as before," he told her, wiping the blood from her thighs. "You're doing good Evie, just don't start pushing yet, okay? You're doing just fine sweetheart." He kissed her forehead gently. "How are you feeling?"
"Just great," she moaned as she leaned her head back against the pillow riding out another contraction. "*You* try pushing a bowling ball out of you and see how that feels." She was sorry for snapping at him, but it just hurt so much and the pain clouded her thoughts.
He bit his lip, knowing she didn't really mean it. She was just hurting and he was an outlet for her pain. Still, at least she wasn't yelling at him. Yet. He dipped the washcloth in the water once more, wiping her brow and trying to cool her down.
"I'm sorry darling, I am. I don't mean those things, it just hurts so badly," she said as she calmed down a little for a brief moment. The contractions were now coming within a few minutes of each other and she knew it wouldn't be long now. Her mouth was dry and she swallowed hard."I know honey, I know," he assured her. Her contractions were coming faster and more regularly now which had to be a good sign. He smoothed her hair back from her face and gently dabbed her hot cheeks with the washcloth.
She whimpered, trying to pull her knees a little higher. "Darling, I'm going to need some blankets, some warm water for the baby and something to cut the baby free," she panted, feeling the pain against her pelvic muscles. "I have a feeling you and I will have another child before the hour is over."
He hovered for a moment, unwilling to leave her, but he knew he had to go get the things that she needed. He had already brought in scissors from his first trip to the kitchen, but he would have to go upstairs to fetch the blankets. He kissed her quickly and with a muttered, "be right back," he dashed upstairs to fetch some blankets from their bedroom, flinging them over his shoulder before racing off to the kitchen. He ran the warm water faucet, waiting until the water got hot enough before getting a bowlful of the stuff and then hurried back into the living room and over to the couch, trying not to spill any of it.
She looked up at him when he came back. "Thank you darling. Have I told you how much I love you?" she whispered, rubbing her belly and feeling another push on her pelvis. She wanted to scream out in pain again, but she swallowed and held back as she waited for him to get settled by her side.
"You tell me every day," he said softly, arranging everything before sitting back down beside her again. He kissed the top of her head, frowning at the pained expression on her face. "You're so strong Evie, far stronger than I'll ever be. I love you so much sweetheart."
"I love you." She reached out to take his hands in both of hers, holding on tightly as she felt a push against her. "Rick...Rick, something feels wrong," she muttered in fear. Her heart was pounding non-stop in her breast and she clung to him, holding him closer to her.
He stared at her worriedly, holding her tight against him. "What feels wrong?" he asked. "What is it Evie?" He held her close, trying to soothe her, but also fighting his own urge to panic. "Just tell me what's wrong and I'll do my best to help you."
She swallowed hard, leaning her head back. "Rick, am I fully dilated?" she asked, keeping her grip tight on him. "I need to get this baby out of me." She whimpered and tears fell from her eyes. "Please Rick, take care of me. Don't let anything bad happen."
He could sense her fear and he had to calm hr down. He cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. "Evie listen to me," he said solemnly. "I promise you I will never let anything bad happen to you. I'm here for you, baby and I'll always be here. Now, you need to let go of me for a second while I take a look."
She nodded and loosened her hold on him while she pulled back and cried through another contraction, feeling it take her hostage for a few moments deep into pain. She gasped and she felt it release, taking tiny quickened breaths as she waited for him. "Rick....Rick!" she cried out.
"I'm here honey, I'm here," he said quickly, moving back up her body to take her in his arms again. "I checked and it looks to me like you're fully dilated, maybe about four inches, so I guess that means the baby is on its way sweetheart."
She nodded and when the next contraction struck, she did her best to push, but only lay back, gasping for breath. "Rick, I can't push, the baby won't move!" she cried out in fear as she tried again. Nothing happened. "RICK!" she screamed out in complete pain.
He winced at the way she shrieked his name and tried not to show his fear. She was ready to push now, why the hell wasn't it working? He was totally at a loss for what to do, but he didn't want to frighten her even more. "Evie, it's going to be alright," he said desperately, fighting the urge to cry along with her. "Try again sweetheart."
She tried once more to push the baby free from her, but only ended up falling back against the couch once more, sobbing freely. "I can't do it Rick, I can't get the baby out..." She tossed her head, gripping his arms in fear and pain, trying to keep calm.
'Think Evelyn, think'. She knew she had to get the child out of her, but it was dead set on not budging and it was like one continuous stream of pain for her. "Rick, help me get the baby out...I'm scared, I'm scared..."
"Just stay calm honey, it'll be okay," he told her, holding onto her tight. "Now you have to help me help you Evie. Tell me what it is I have to do." He had promised her he would do everything in his power to get her through this, but first he had to know what to do. If he just had something to focus on, some way to help her, everything would be fine. "Don't be scared honey, we're going to get through this."
She nodded, holding him tight as she thought back to what the doctor had told her, trying to bite back the pain she was feeling. "I think...I think you have to move the baby a little...Doctor Trevor said that if ever the baby has a hard time moving, just adjust it a bit. That's all I remember." She held his shoulders in a death grip, crying through it, trying to get up to see what was going on.
"Settle down Evie, you need to lie back now," he said, gently easing her down. "Right, so we have to adjust the baby so that it can move. Sounds like a plan." And then it hit him what he'd just said. "*I* have to...to...." basically, he had to reach up inside of her to move the baby a little so that she could push it on out. He bit his lip in panic. 'I can't do it!' he thought in horror. Jesus, he'd hurt her! He had to do this though, otherwise it could end up a lot worse.
Evie closed her eyes. "I'm so thirsty Rick, please...please may I have a drink." She just wanted to quench her thirst before she went through this with him. "One drink...one sip." She turned her head and cried out, knowing that if she pushed again, she could hurt the baby, but holding back hurt worse than anything.
"Okay, but just a little drink alright?" he said. He knew her throat had to be sore from all the screaming and panting she'd been doing and he let go of her. "Hold on for me honey, I'm just going to fetch some water. I won't be a moment." And with that, he ran back into the kitchen for a glass of water, returning to her side once again and holding the glass to her lips so that she could take a couple of swallows.
She drank greedily, hating it when he took it back saying she'd had enough. She hiccupped and felt the urge to push again. It came harder and more desperate each time. "Help me Rick, please help." Her fingers gripped the hand he was going to need to help her, finally letting it go so that he could do what she needed him to and prepared herself for the worst. He attempted to smile at her reassuringly, but got the feeling he didn't quite pull it off. His hands were trembling and he blinked his eyes rapidly to stop the tears from falling. He had to do this, he just had to. His hands rested on her thighs for a second and he breathed in deeply, tying to stay cool before slowly and gradually easing his right hand inside of her.
She cried out loudly. It was almost too much for her, but she bit back another wail as she knew he had to do this, that he was helping her to bring this little life into the world. She clenched her teeth, trying to fight the pain. She didn't want him to know how much this hurt her, how much she just wanted it to be over. "It's okay, Rick," she said once again, being the comforter even through all of her pain. "It's okay..." The tears ran down her cheeks and she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.
"Oh God," he said, tears now falling freely down his face. He was hurting her, he could tell and he wanted nothing more than to yank his hand out, but he knew he couldn't. "Stay with me, Evie," he murmured, wincing when she gasped out in pain as his hand moved up higher, feeling for the baby. His free hand wiped the tears roughly from his eyes so that his vision wasn't so blurry and he settled it back on her thigh, stroking it comfortingly. His searching fingers moved around inside of her and he gasped when he touched something...it was the baby! "I've got it Evie, I've found her!" he cried.
She nodded, looking up at him. "Is she alright? Is she alright?" she cried out over and over again. "Let me get her out, let me push her out." She felt the baby move inside of her and she couldn't help but try and push a little.
"Rick...I think I can push her free now." She tightened her hands in the couch beneath her, closing her eyes tight. "RIIIICK!" she screamed out, needing his help.
His job done now, Rick told himself everything would be fine. He gently withdrew his hand from her and spoke to her encouragingly. "Alright Evie, I've moved her so now I need you to push for me alright? I need you to push now sweetheart."
She leaned forward and pushed with every amount of energy she had left, her face tight with pain. She reached for his hands, sticky with amniotic fluid and gripped his hands tightly.
"Keep pushing honey, you're doing great," he said, squeezing her hands. "You can do it sweetheart, you're going to be just fine. You're so brave Evie."
She finally pushed the baby free and she dropped back against the couch, panting heavily. She heard the cries of her child, but was unaware that the cord had gotten twisted around the tiny body. "Rick...do we have a daughter or a son?" she asked, eager to know.
"Hold on a second, Evie," he said, eyes widening when he saw the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck. He panicked for a second before realising all he had to do was gently and quickly unhook the cord, supporting the baby's chest as it slipped free from its mothers' body. "It's a girl, Evie!" he all but yelled in his excitement.
"A girl? I have a daughter?" She tried to get up so that she could take a look, but ended up falling back onto the couch again. She realised that the thunder and lightning were not bothering her anymore, nor how was how sore her body felt and she half-laughed, half-cried as she felt everything leave her body. She felt almost sad, the typical woes of a pregnant mother losing her baby from the womb.
Rick laughed along with her, quickly tying the cord and cutting it then wrapping his baby daughter in one of the blankets. He was so happy he felt like he would burst and that was when the tears started again, but this time he didn't brush them away. "We've got a little daughter," he grinned, handing the baby over to her. "Say hello sweetheart."
"Hi," she whispered and hugged her ever so carefully. The little infant looked up at her with big blue eyes, trying to figure out what was going on and then her tiny mouth searched out Evie's breast, beginning to suckle softly. "What a grip," she said softly, reaching out for her husband's hand. "We did it." This time, tears of happiness fell from her eyes.
"Yeah we did," he sighed happily, wrapping his arm around her and nuzzling her cheek. "You were amazing honey," he told her. "I love you Evie."
"Oh Rick, she's beautiful...absolutely lovely." She brought her fingers up to wipe the tears from his eyes, kissing him deeply. She was just trembling with love for this little child.
He smiled at her gently and looked down at his tiny daughter still suckling and his smile widened into a grin. "You're right," he agreed. "She's absolutely perfect."
"Rick, let's go to bed," she murmured. "This couch isn't the most comfortable...I suppose that's what I get for buying authentic Egyptian furniture." She laughed at herself and slowly sat up, aching something awful.
He helped her sit up, aware that she was still rather sore. "You just wait here for a moment while I go get Jonathan okay?" he said, knowing that he'd need some help getting both his wife and his daughter up the stairs.
"Alright," she nodded, reaching over for her robe with her free hand to tug it around her shoulders. She curled the baby closer to her heart, staring down at her completely transfixed. She heard the soft cries coming from her and she shushed her softly, humming gentle lullabies she hadn't uttered since Alex was little.
He smiled down at them both, his heart swelling with pride and love and then he reluctantly left, dashing up the stairs and into Alex's room. He opened the door quietly and he could see that Alex was still asleep, hugging the edge of the bed while Jonathan slept beside him, snoring away obliviously. How Alex managed to sleep through that he'd never know. He shook his brother-in-law gently. "Hey, Jonathan."
Jonathan grunted in his sleep, wishing that whoever was shaking him would just go away. When the shaking started getting a little more violent, his eyes opened to see Rick leaning over him. "Rick?" he asked groggily. "Something wrong old boy?"
"Nope, nothing's wrong," Rick told him happily. He glanced over at his son who was still sleeping and he put a finger to his lips. "I just need some help getting Evie and the baby upstairs."
Alex snorted in his sleep. He thought he could hear his dad saying something, but he was too tired out to pay any attention.
That woke Jonathan up fast. "The baby?" he asked in disbelief. "She's had it? Jolly good show!" He sprang out of bed and followed Rick down the stairs to where Evie was sitting on the couch, holding the baby close to her. "Hello, old mum," he said happily. "So what have we got Evie, another nephew or is it a niece this time?"
"A niece." She smiled up at her brother and tilted the baby in her arms so that he could get a closer look. She then turned her head to look at her husband and her eyes shone with love and adoration. 'I love you,' she mouthed as Jonathan took a good look at the newest O'Connell. Suddenly she heard another meek little cry and she turned to the baby, whispering gently. "Sshh now, none of that. Mummy is here with you."
Rick smiled as he sat beside his wife, kissing the top of her head while Jonathan cooed over the baby, marveling over how tiny she was. "I love you so much," he murmured, gently wrapping an arm around her. "You were amazing tonight."
Evie leaned close to him, sighing with happiness and letting him see their baby. "Can you believe we made her, Rick?" she asked, brushing a tear from her eye. She didn't really care what words she used in front of Jonathan, she and her husband had created life together and she couldn't be happier.
"I know honey," he said softly, holding her close. "She's so wonderful and...perfect. Just like her mother," he added, kissing away her tears. He grinned again. In spite of all what they had been through, it had been one of the most rewarding nights of his life. "Wow, I can't believe I actually helped deliver her."
"You probably saved her life," she said, nuzzling closer to him. "Let's relocate upstairs so that I can get comfortable." She leaned against Rick, trying to stand up, but just ended up wincing with pain and went back down on the couch. "Guess I'm going to need some help up the stairs."
"Just hang on a minute, honey," he said, settling her back down. "Jonathan can take the baby so that I can carry you upstairs, will you be okay with that?"
She slowly handed her newborn daughter over to her brother. "Take care of her, hold her head just so..." She heard the baby cry a little as she felt her husband's strong arms around her body, lifting her up. "Rick, she needs me," she mumbled, upset at the sound of her little one crying.
"Sshh, Evie, she'll be okay," he said soothingly, carrying her carefully up the stairs and into their bedroom, Jonathan close behind them. He could hear his daughter whimpering softly as he got his wife settled into bed.
Jonathan held the baby very gently as he waited for Rick to get his sister settled before handing his niece over to her. "So, do you have a name for this little one?" he asked.
"I was thinking perhaps Charlotte Evelyn O'Connell," she said, smiling at Rick. Since her son had taken the middle name Richard, they had thought it was a good idea for a daughter to bear her mother's name. "So, little Charlotte." She took the child to her breast, the warm flow of mother's milk soon soothing the little girl and Evie looked around the room and then back at her. "Welcome to the world."
Alex had heard voices so he went into his parents' room to find out what was going on. "What's happening?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. His gaze fell upon his new sister and he smiled. "Is that...is she mine?" he asked, pulling himself up on bed.
"Say hello to your little sister Charlotte, Alex," Rick told him, sitting down next to his son and smiling at the awed expression on the boy's face. "I'm sure she's very happy to meet you." His face hurt from all the smiling and grinning he'd been doing, but he was too thrilled to care.
"Hi, Charlotte," said Alex, touching her tiny hand. She paid him no attention, too intent on suckling her mother's breast, her eyes closed. "Mum, why is she doing that?" he asked, ever the curious one.
"She's a baby, that's how she gets her food. I used to feed you this way," Evie said, ruffling his hair.
"Mum!" he complained softly, not liking the idea much. But he got over it quick and snuggled up against her. "Hey Charlotte, you can't keep mum all to yourself you know."
"She won't darling, she won't." Evie smiled at the slight jealousy in her son's voice, but she knew that he was just as happy as the rest of them were. She smiled at her husband as she held her two children close.
Rick grinned as he watched Alex interact with his little baby Charlotte and he rubbed his son's back reassuringly. "I'm sure the two of you will get to spend plenty of time with your mother," he said, just picturing the two of them in a few year's time, arguing, laughing and playing together, each as headstrong as the other. He looked over Alex's head to smile softly at his wife.
She smiled back at him. She was in seventh heaven and she had everything she could ever need in this bed. She looked over at Jonathan, staring in tired awe at his niece and nephew. She had her husband, the very part of herself and their two children. "I guess it doesn't get any better than this," she said, a yawn about her lips.
"Guess it doesn't," he said softly. He could see that she was growing tired and he lifted his son onto his knee. "Okay Alex, time to go back to bed," he told the boy, tickling his ribs teasingly. "Your mother really needs some sleep right now and so do you."
"Aww, dad," he said, but he really was quite tired so he gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and jumped off the bed.
"Goodnight sweetheart," Evie told him as she felt Charlotte finally let go of her breast, her eyes closed in sleep, tiny little bubbles on her lips from the milk. She gently dabbed her lips clean with a soft cloth.
Jonathan took his nephew's hand, leading him out of the bedroom. "Night Evie, Rick, Charlotte," he said, blowing the baby a kiss as he shut the door behind him. "Well Alex, that was rather fun wasn't it? Time to get some shut-eye now though." He ushered the yawning boy into his room, tucking him in his bed.
"Yeah it was quite exciting. Now I'll have someone to torture just like you had mum," Alex grinned as he curled beneath the blankets, watching the expression on his uncle's face turn to one affecting guilt.
"Now I don't know what your mother has told you Alex, but I never actually tortured her when we were children, I merely...manipulated her. She was the first person I perfected the art of pick-pocketing on you know, but I suggest you don't try that with your sister." Jonathan smiled. "Now then partner, would you like me to stay with you or will you be alright on your own?"
"You can stay if you want, Uncle John," Alex said, already half-asleep. His heart was full of relief after worrying so much about his mum and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.
The boy had barely been able to finish his sentence before falling asleep and Jonathan rose from the bed, knowing that Alex would be okay on his own for the rest of the night. He closed the door softly behind him, looking forward to getting some sleep himself as he headed off to his own bedroom.
*******
Evie yawned. The night's events were finally over and she was content to simply watch her husband and daughter. She knew Charlotte would be sleeping for a long while, as would she. "You want to hold her?"
Rick nodded eagerly, taking the baby from his wife to hold her gently against his chest. She stirred slightly, but didn't wake and he smiled down at her, stroking a finger over her head. "Hey Charlotte," he whispered, completely awed at the tiny miracle he held in his arms.
Once he had Charlotte, Evie scooted down to find an acceptable laying position, but she couldn't seem to get comfortable on the pillow so she lay her head in her husband's lap, curling close to him. She kissed his leg, half-asleep. "Thank you, Rick, for giving me this perfect life," she whispered.
"It was my pleasure," he said, choking up again at the joy of being with his two girls. He smiled at his wife who was almost asleep. "I love you," he murmured as her eyes closed.
"I love you too," she whispered.
END