Night Owl || Rocky Lynch

CHAPTER 21

The laundry room light flickered slightly and I rolled my eyes as I pulled open the front loading dryer. With some struggle, I reached into the washing machine and grabbed a handful of soaking wet clothes. Then I leaned down with a groan, dropping the contents of my hands into the empty drum. I was so pregnant that even the most menial chores were a hassle. I was breaking a sweat doing the damn laundry.  The baby certainly wasn't having the extra exertion. I didn't pay much attention to the tightening feelings in my abdomen.

I wiped the drops off of my forehead and sighed before repeating the actions. Reached into the washer. Took a deep breath. Bent down and tossed it into the drier. Suddenly, I felt a pop and a weird sensation as liquid dripped down my legs. "What the...?" I mumbled and reached down to feel my pants. Did I just pee myself? I mean, I knew I was having some issues lately, but I thought I could at least make it to the bathroom...

And then another one of those tightening feelings came over me and I held onto my stomach. My eyes fluttered shut and I tried to take another deep breath. Then my eyes shot open. This was it. "Rocky?" I called out shakily and waited for his response. "Babe?"

"Yeah Tor?" he called back distantly, from the living room no doubt.

"I'm having our baby, I think...?" I laughed nervously in response.

That got him moving. Quick, heavy feet made their way towards me and he hung onto the doorframe. "Right now?" he asked, out of breath. I giggled and nodded, but was cut short by another attack, contractions I assumed. They weren't horribly bad, but enough to stop you in your tracks. I grabbed onto Rocky for support this time. "Do I need to call 911 or something?" He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"No, no, no," I shook my head at his urgency but couldn't help but smile. "I have a bag packed. I'll go get it, and you call the hospital and let them know we're coming?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" he checked in and I kissed his cheek. "Wow...  Oh shit, we're having a baby!" His eyes went wide and his jaw opened. "I'm going to be a dad. Holy shit!" His arms pulled me to him and he kissed me deeply, his hands cupping my cheeks.

"Hospital?" I reminded him and he nodded quickly.

The ride to the hospital was interesting to say the least. Rocky, who was usually a pretty laid back driver, was on edge. He called out to people going too slow or cutting him off with a string of colorful language. His hands gripped the wheel tightly and he chewed the inside of his lips. In an effort to calm him, I kept a hand on his thigh. It worked, too, except for when I got another contraction and then my grip on him tensed. That caused him to worry more, unable to help ease the pain I felt.

"So I need to call my mom and dad...and your mom and dad! And your brother, and my siblings... " Rocky listed off people as we stood in the elevator, making our way up to the OB ward of the hospital. "But they might not get here right away. It's early in the day, they might all be asleep still. No doubt they were partying all night. Idiots." Rambling was a sign that he was nervous. I leaned my forehead against his arm and breathed heavily with my contractions. "It'll be okay," he assured me. They were coming closer together now.

The elevator bell dinged and we stepped out. Rocky got me checked in and a nurse rolled up a wheelchair for me to sit in as they took us to our room. She took my vitals and got me set up before the doctor came in to do an exam. "Well, Victoria," she sighed and took off her glove. "Your cervix is only a little over two centimeters dilated right now. How are you feeling?"

"These contractions hurt like a bitch," I laughed and winced, but I wasn't joking even slightly. "How dilated is my cervix supposed to be, exactly?"

"Ten centimeters is when we'll have you start pushing," she smiled apologetically. I groaned and dug my head back into the fluffed pillow. "It all just moves along a little more slowly with your first child... The ball is already rolling, but the baby will come out when he's ready. Have you thought about pain management methods?"

"You mean drugs?" I asked and she nodded. "I can't..." I took a deep breath. "I think I'm good."

"Natural childbirth is perfectly acceptable," she smiled. "But I'm just warning you, there's a point where epidural just isn't an option anymore, and you can change your mind at any time before that." I returned her smile weakly as she wrote a few things down in my chart. "Okay, I'll be back in another hour to check on you. Hang in there, guys."

Rocky sat quietly in the chair next to the bed. "Can you believe that? Eight fucking centimeters left to go. And the pain is already...so much." I reached my hand out to him and wiggled my fingers so he would hold onto it. "You're quiet."

"I'm just thinking... we have everything done at home, right?" he asked and I hummed in affirmation. "Car seat is already strapped in... Oh, I still need to get ahold of everyone. I can't believe I forgot. Our parents are going to be so upset."

I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. "First of all, I'm sure they won't care seeing as nothing is even happening," I told him. "And second of all, I'd kind of prefer not being crowded right now... I mean, this room is so small and I look like shit. Like worse than coming down from a week-long bender." Another contraction. I gripped his hand and the blankets with my eyes squeezed shut as I tried to remember my lamaze breathing.

"Hey, steady breathing," Rocky said calmly. "Two quick breaths in and a long exhale." He breathed with me and I focused on the feeling of air in my lungs and his words instead of the pain. After a minute, the pain subsided. "I'm proud of you," he told me. "This is hard... you're so strong."

"Thanks baby," I sighed and he offered me a glass of water. "You can call everyone now I guess."

"I'll be right back," he pushed my hair back and kissed my forehead before getting up.

Not even an hour after he contacted everyone had they shown up one-by-one, stopping in to say hello and bringing flowers. My mom and stepdad were over the moon and asking a billion and one questions a second. Thankfully, Rocky's parents occupied them so that they would give us some peace.

The rest of the band made their visit together before heading out to the waiting room. Rydel was absolutely horrified by the amount of pain that I was going through, but I could see the light in her eyes every time she remembered what was at the end of the tunnel: a new baby, her little nephew. Ross wanted to know if we settled on a name yet, to which Rocky and I laughed nervously. Riker and Ellington were quiet but supportive. They all excused themselves with the doctor came in for another exam.

"Big family," she grinned as I went through the same tired routine I had been going through every hour on the hour. After an internal exam, she nodded as she jotted down more notes. "Congrats, mama. You're well into active labor. Six centimeters."

"Halfway there," Rocky said encouragingly.

"Everything should start moving more quickly now," she assured us before she left once again.

With the click of the door, the tightness returned. "Rocky it hurts so fucking bad," I almost cried. I felt the tears coming. "Owww, fuck," I squeezed his arm.

"Sit up and scoot forward," he instructed and after I did so, he squeezed behind me, his legs on either side of me. He untied the hospital gown slightly and ran his cool strong hands up and down my back firmly. It felt amazing. I moaned and sighed as he rubbed small circles along my sides. "I read that massages during labor help with pain," he said quietly into my ear and kissed my neck. "You're doing so good, Tori. I love you."

"I love you too," I mumbled as the contraction subsided and I was able to relax for a moment. I knew it was going to hurt, but this was nothing like I imagined. And if this baby would just come already, the worst of the pain was on the way.