Following the Stars

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven

"Why is this taking so long??!" Lexie threw her head back in exasperation. Her hand had rarely left the baby bump and she was stroking it gently, her hair was stuck to her face and she was growing more and more frustrated. It was the middle of the night and way over 24 hours since Lexie's waters had broken. Johnny was growing more and more concerned as it seemed their baby was quiet happy tucked up but the mother's body wanted a swift evacuation. "Ok Mrs Depp. Let's just give you a quick examination and see how far you've progressed." Lexie scrunched her face, she had been part of many intrusive examinations in recent hours and was definitely not getting used to it, if anything they were getting worse. The midwife did what she needed to do and removed her glove. "Ah good.. you're at 5cm, half way and now in active labour!" She said cheerfully, "Half way?" Lexie's eyes widened in shock. "Just half way?" "Darling keep calm." Johnny said standing and stroking his wife's hair. "You calm down Johnny! Why doesn't our baby want to be born??" She said closing her eyes as another contraction took over her body making her tense and grit her jaw. "I don't know darling, maybe you provided such a good home that they are thinking nope we don't want to go anywhere." "Johnny.." she said quietly. "Yes my love.." "Make the pain stop." She said almost in tears. She was exhausted and still no where near finished. "I wish I could my darling. God I wish I could take it all away and do it for you." She smiled knowing he meant every word before she adjusted on the bed and another contraction hit her. "For the love of fucking god...." She gritted through the pain.

Forty Five minutes later, things had intensified more and Lexie was having full on contractions that were enough to take her breath away, she remained calm through the majority of them with Johnny lovingly by her side, but the odd one got the better of her and she screamed out a profanity or two. "Ok.. Mrs Depp.." "Please call me Lexie... I honestly don't expect anyone to call me Mrs Depp." "Ok Lexie.. things are moving quite nicely now.. this will be your last chance to take some pain relief. On a scale of one to ten how bad do you think you need it?" Her eyes went wide at the complicated question and she turned to Johnny who shrugged. "Do what you need to do darling..." "No I'll be fine. The gas and air is working ok." "Ok well let's get you laying down and resting between contractions, you'll need to savour your energy." Lexie nodded and slipped back onto the pillows supporting her. She closed her eyes for a few moments before another contraction hit. Johnny grabbed her hand and she held it ridiculously tight. She could feel him bracing and realised her grip may be hurting him. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Sorry." She said sheepishly looking emotional. "For what?" He chuckled struggling to believe she was apologising for something in this state. "I'm no better than her, hurting you." "My god don't say that. You carry on, what you're doing for me, I can never ever repay you. You squeeze my hand, yell at me, say whatever you want darling. You're well within your right to... and besides I did this to you, I got you in this state." Lexie smiled as he lent down to kiss her head brushing some hair out her face. "I love you my darling." "I love you more Johnny."

Two hours later.... Lexie finally heard the words she had been waiting for. "Ok we are going to need you to start pushing now Lexie..." The woman did the best she could for as long as possible before falling back on the bed. Johnny wiped her face before kissing her forehead once more. "And again Lexie.. go." The midwife said making the woman sigh loudly. She was past the point of exhaustion now. They were nearing on 36 hours since her waters broke and with no sleep both her and Johnny were fading. "And push!!" Lexie heard the midwife say once more, so she followed instructions once again before squeezing Johnny's hand. "My darling you've got this, you so can do this, in minutes we'll have our baby, and they'll have your beautiful eyes, and your button nose...." "And it's clearly inherited your tardiness..." Lexie smirked before pushing again.

"Prepare for emergency C section Statt." The midwife announced to the room. "This baby is stuck and will be in distress before long." "Lexie I need you to keep very very calm, we won't be able to perform the C section if you're blood pressure spikes again." "C section?" Johnny asked nervously. "That was never part of the plan." He said concerned. "No but it might be vital for mother and baby if we can't get baby out in the next few minutes.... Lexie can you give me one last big push ok? We need to get this little pickle out." Lexie nodded, with tears threatening to fall she gave it her all and squeezed Johnny's hand so tight, that he was left wondering where that strength had come from.

The room fell silent for what felt a long time. Johnny stood up straight and looked over at the messy bundle in the midwife's arms. She quickly undertook some manoeuvre and all of a sudden the deathly silence was disturbed by the loudest cry him or his wife had ever heard. It was like a screeching scream, and sounded as if the baby was in pain, however as soon as the little one was placed on their mother's chest, it soon settled. Johnny let go of a large breath he didn't know he was holding, his lungs ached for oxygen, but at the sound of his baby crying and therefore signalling it was ok, the relief flooded him and he shed a few tears. Lexie was a complete mess, sobbing with happiness, exhaustion and relief as the midwife softly spoke "Lexie, Johnny, you have a son."

Lexie's fingertip traced her baby boy's little face, as she held him close to her, she managed to tear her eyes away from her child for long enough to look at Johnny who had tears gently rolling down his cheeks. "A boy." He whispered. "Who so clearly takes after his father already." Lexie said proudly before Johnny lent in and kissed her passionately. He gently kissed his son's head before pulling back. "Hey little guy.. way to keep us waiting. You decide to show up three weeks early and then hang around in there hey? Well let me tell you, you'll be nagged at for the rest of your life if you keep that up. Try and take after your mother." Johnny said kissing the baby's head once more.

A while later the family had been moved to a private room with a small crib and all the essentials. "We'll leave you be for now. Somebody will be around soon to help with feeding and to run a few more tests, other than that he's a solid little baby and should be ready to go home tomorrow I would imagine." The midwife smiled and left the room. Lexie shuffled in the bed trying to get comfortable. "Are you ok?" Johnny asked. "I will be.. everything hurts right now though. And they told me to shower as soon as I feel able to, but I don't want to leave him." Johnny smiles as she looked down at their son in her arms. "You won't be leaving him, I'll take him and come in there with you." "You can't do that. I probably look like a crime scene." "Darling.. you just delivered me of one of the greatest gifts, I don't care what you look like and I can't believe you would think that I would." Lexie looked down, and bit her lip. "Trust me darling, you'll need my help over the next few days, I can handle it ok? I'm not gonna run." Lexie took a deep breath. "So.. what are we going to call him?" "Well none of the names we had match him do they?" "No not really... I like the idea of staying traditional still though.." "Me too." "So...." Johnny thought for a moment before sitting on the bed and brushing his fingertip down his son's cheek. "I've got it..." he whispered.