Taking A Chance

It's Time

A week later, Keith was sitting on the edge of the bed when Lance came in.

'Baby, mama and I are heading to the shop. You want to come?'

'No, I was going to go and have a both,' Keith said.

'We'll take Molly and Enya with us then, that way you can have a long soak,' Lance said. He kissed Keith. 'We'll be back in a couple of hours.'

'No need to hurry,' Keith replied.

Lance and Maria bundled the kids into the car and headed into town.

When they returned a few hours later, Lance put Molly in the play pen and took Enya upstairs to put down in her cot because she'd fallen asleep.

On the way post their room, he noticed Keith wasn't in there, and the bathroom door was closed.

After putting Enya down, he went and knocked on the door.

'We're back,' he called out. 'Sorry we took so long.'

He got no response.

'Baby?'

The door clicked open when he tried the handle and he went in.

Keith lay in the tub, blood and fluid dripped down the plughole, and there was a tiny shivering kit in his arms.

'MAMA,' yelled Lance. He knelt next to the tub and grabbed a towel from the sink to put over the kit. 'Baby, look at me.'

Keith's eyes blinked open, then he groaned.

'Contraction?' asked Lance.

Keith nodded.

'Why are you yelling?' asked Maria. She came in, took one look at the situation and hurried downstairs for her phone.

In a flurry of activity, the bathroom filled with people as Michaels and Jo rushed in.

'Oh, lovely, you poor thing,' said Jo, kneeling beside the tub, with Michael to her left. 'How long have you been here?'

'About three hours,' said Lance. 'Mama and I went to the shop about 10am.'

As she spoke, Jo clamped, cut the umbilical cord, and wrapped the kit in the towel Lance had put over it.

'Here you are, dad, this is your little girl,' she said, handing her to Lance.

'Oh, Keith, she's beautiful,' said Lance. His eyes filled with tears at the sight of her. 'She looks like you.'

'She looks Galran,' Keith said.

'Yes, perfect in every way, and look, she has normal eyes the same colour purple as yours.'

Keith's right hand tightened around the top of the tub, the only indication he gave that another contraction started.

'Push my lovely,' said Jo. 'Let's meet your next kit.'

'That's it, Keith, keep pushing, I can see the head,' Michaels said.

Unable to help herself, Jo craned her neck for a better view of what was going on, fascinated by the process of a man giving birth.

Outside the door they could hear Jorge, Maria, Shiro and Adam.

'Keep going, Keith, almost there,' said Michaels. 'That's it, excellent, relax now.' He grabbed another towel off the sink and wrapped the kit while Jo looked after Keith.

'You're doing so well, lovely,' she said, gently.

'Lance, here's your son,' Michaels said, handing him to Lance.