One Day

Chapter 12: Baby Time

Chapter Twelve:

It would be just my luck to have my best friends water break while I was with her on my own.
"Right lets go" I panicked looking at the cashier.
"No we need to buy my stuff first!" Claire hissed waddling to the counters.
"Right you do that and I'll call an ambulance" my mind had gone completely blank. I didn't know what to do in the situation.
"No we drive!".

Claire and I quickly left Penneys as I tried to carry most of her weight on myself.
"Oh no Isabelle the baby wants to come out" Claire cried laying across the back seats of my car.
In the time it took us to get to the hospital I had broken speed limits, over taken cars on a non broken line and nearly crashed.

Finally after what had felt like hours we pulled up outside the emergency room.
The nice emergency man helped me get Claire out of the car and onto a gurney bringing her into the labour ward.
I pulled out my phone and rang Paul.
"Paul , Claire has gone into labour!" I shouted down the phone as soon as he picked up.
"What! We're on our way!" Paul snapped urgently and hung up the phone.
"Ms Devereux, Claire is looking for you" a much older midwife by the name of Liz began tapping my shoulder.

I followed Liz down the hall and into the room where Claire was getting ready to push.
"Where is Paul?" she let out a scream of pain.
"There on the way, how you holding up?" I asked looking at her my eyes wide at what I was seeing.
"Her contractions are beginning to speed up" Liz mumbled.
"Meaning?" I asked dumbfounded.
"She's ready to push" she smiled.
Just as the words fell out of her mouth Paul ran through the door saving me.
"Is she okay?" He asked looking at Claire.
"Yeah she's great goodbye now" I smiled running out of the room.
I loved Claire I really did but I was in no way ready to see a baby popping out of her vaginal area.

Josh and I sat in the waiting room patiently for thirteen hours.
Paul walked out a look of pure happiness on his face.
"10pounds 2ounces" he announced.
"Can we see her?" I asked standing up from the chair.
"Of course" Paul smiled.
I'd never seen him so happy before. He was going to be a daddy and he was so grateful for that.

Josh and I walked down the hall and into the room that Claire and baby Aiblinn were in.
"She's beautiful" I cooed.
"Do you want to hold her?" Claire asked weakly handing her to me.
"Shouldn't Paul hold her first?" I asked not wanting to intrude.
"I cut the umbilical cord and I've already held her" Paul announced proudly.
"Well in that case.. Hello" I smiled holding Aiblinn in my arms carefully and sitting down.
She was tiny. Her eyes were still closed and she had a small bit of brown hair on the top of her head. Her little hand reached up to touch mine and I couldn't help but cry with joy.

"Can I hold her?" Josh asked sitting down beside me.
"Obviously" I smiled rolling my eyes and handing her to him.
"She's beautiful" he smiled holding her close to him.

It was nice to have everyone close together. The doctor said that Claire could go home the next day if she wanted. It was obvious she couldn't wait to leave she hated hospitals.
"I can't wait to go home" Claire groaned drinking her soup.
"There's a surprise waiting for you" Josh smiled holding my hand tight.
"Is there?" She asked her eyes shining bright.

I knew what the surprise was. While Claire and I had been out shopping the men had been at home setting up the bedroom for Aibhlinn. Josh and I had to run over to Claire's and set up the cot for her.
"Hurry on and help me drag it up the stairs!".
Josh and I were not the people to try and set up a cot together.
"Calm your knickers will you I'm trying to unlock the door!" Josh barked from upstairs.
Josh came running down the stairs and grabbed the other end of the cot box.
"Why couldn't you just let the delivery man carry it upstairs mr we can do it ourselves?" I whined trying to carry the ton heavy box up four flights of stairs.
"I didn't think you were such a baby" Josh laughed.

When we finally got to the apartment I sat on the floor delighted to have accomplished it.
"Up you get we've got work to do" Josh picked me up off the floor and threw me on the sofa.

When we got back to the hospital Claire was sleeping with Aibhlinn sleeping in the incubator beside her.
"How's she doing?" I whispered walking in the door.
"They're great" Paul smiled sitting in the chair beside Aibhlinn.
Claire opened her eyes slowly and looked around the room to us.
"Hey guys" she smiled "did you get the cot up?" she asked me.
"Yeah it took forever" I complained.
"Thank you, for everything" Claire smiled holding Pauls hand.
"How does it feel to be parents?" Josh chuckled looking at them.
"Scary. I just hope I can be a good father" Paul smiled nervously.
"Of course you'll be a good father" I smiled supportively.

A knock on the hospital door startled us all. I looked at Claire oddly. Jessica had already came to visit. Her aunts and uncles had come to see her too. The hospital door creaked open, I turned around quickly to see a face I hadn't seen in three years.
Claire's mum.

Flashback:
"I don't ever want to see you again! Get out of my house!" Sheila screamed at Claire grabbing her by the hair and throwing her towards the stairs.
"I hate you! You were never a good mother. Ever since dad left you've blamed me!" Claire shouted through her tears.. Claire ran upstairs and grabbed her things. I stood in the door not daring to lift my head to meet her gaze. Claire moved in with us after that night.
Flashback ends.