ASSENT

Finally we meet.

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GCR & Downey's

(Emma's POV)

So much seemed to be happening and Mark wasn't here. I looked questioningly at Lilly, my heart pulling at the thought of him missing this important moment. "He's on his way, he'll be here." She reassured me, rubbing my arm, no doubt more for want of something to do rather than as an actual comfort to me. We had discussed this over and over, he had promised me faithfully that wild horses wouldn't keep him from being here, yet the pains seemed to be more and more intense and more and more frequent. It felt very much as though he may be too late. I just couldn't do this alone, I needed my other half.

A moment later there was a knock at the door and for one moment I actually thought that Mark had arrived but a doctor, different this time from the one I usually consulted. He didn't bother to introduce himself, merely picked up my notes and muttered something to the midwife that I wasn't able to catch. I looked to Lilly to find the same expression written on her face aswell. Eventually, as though it had suddenly dawned on him to involve me in the conversation, he glanced over the top of the ring binder and addressed me in person. "Ah I understand you were seen earlier today in our Feto-Maternal Department. Did they explain to you that you were in the first stages of labour?" I struggled to push myself up on to my elbows so I could get a proper look at him.

My eyebrows knitted together with mixed emotions as to what he was and wasn't saying, "No. They told me that baby was low and head down but they examined me and said that nothing was happening then." He nodded, turning back to his file. "So what brings you here this evening, Ms Marron?" My answer to this, quite frankly bloody obvious, question chose that moment to rip through me once again. I cried out, flopping back onto the bed, Lillys hand instinctually grasping mine. The doctor frowned then turned back to the midwife. "Fine. Examine her, and given she is only.... 36 weeks and 5 days, I think it is probably wise to get her on a trace, say around 60 minutes. Feed back to me what is happening." At this point, Mark finally arrived, knocking then rushing in. "Emma. Thank God. What's happening, are you alright? How are you feeling?" I tried to explain to him about the pains, and that they seemed to have abandoned their pattern, coming and going at seemingly random intervals.

Frowning, Mark turned to the doctor. "Is this right? Should this be happening?" The doctor peered at Mark, a strange look crossing his face, then held out his hand in greeting. "Coroner Travis, so good to see you again, I trust you are well?" The expression on Mark's face clearly indicated that he had absolutely no idea who this man was, even after he proceeded to subtly hint at the case. "How reassuring." Mark muttered, staring at the doctor for a moment longer than could really be deemed polite, before turning back to me. "How's little Darth Vader doing, I think he is going to put in an appearance tonight, don't you Em?" He leaned over to stroke a stray hair out of my eyes, the feeling reassuring and gentle. "How are you feeling? Babe? Have they given you anything for the pain?" I shook my head. Mark glanced over his shoulder in shock at the doctors, surely unpleased by this as they murmered between themselves. He turned his attention back to me, resting his hand on my forehead, his thumb brushing smoothly against my skin. "Do you need water? Ice chips? Something to comfort you a bit more?" He asked, his brown eyes filled with concern. I shook my head once again, "Just having you here now is comfort enough." Mark shifted slightly, a bit of guilt in his eyes, "I'm sorry I didnt arrive sooner, god knows I wouldve been here the moment I got the call. I drove as fast as I could, honestly, dogding and diving between cars like a mad man-" I placed a finger to his lips, "You're here now and thats what matters." He smiled against my fingers with a quiet sigh of relief, my smile reflecting his own.

"Mr Travis, if I could ask you and the young lady..." He nodded towards Lilly, "to step outside for a moment whilst we take a look at Emma. We will only be a couple of minutes." He nodded, kissing my forehead and I found myself leaning into the breif loving contact. "We aren't going anywhere, we will only be outside the door, okay Baby? Everything is going to be alright." He looked as though he was convincing himself more than me, I just nodded, mute. Whilst Mark and Lilly waited outside, the doctor quickly established that the baby was in fact coming this time, issuing instructions to the midwife to inject me with steroids then progress the contractions on a trace. Moments later this was explained to Mark as he walked back into the room. He looked utterly terrified. However frightened he is, is nothing in comparison to how I was feeling at that point!

(Mark's POV)

The doctor confirmed that the baby was indeed on his way, and promptly felt the need to leave us in the (hopefully more than capable) hands of Lesley, our midwife for tonight. She introduced herself to us as though she was serving our table at TGI's. Immediately she began talking to us about our birthing plan. What birthing plan? We were expected to plan it? I looked at Emma in a mixture of confusion and panic. How was this going to work then as we had no plan? Lesley began to explain that new parents liked to have their environments set up in a certain comfortable manner, scented candles perhaps or maybe a cd of whale music. I actually laughed when she said this, I didn't think she was actually being serious. Whale music? Is this woman actually for real?

In addition to this, we could specify what pain relief we preferred. "Aren't you the best judge of that?" I asked, quiet seriously. She looked affronted. "Mothers must feel they have a degree of control over their labours, Mr Travis. We like to accommodate the mother's wishes whenever possible. " I stared at her as though she was completely mad. "Lesley. We have never done this before, we have no idea what we want..." I was beginning to feel quite righteous, until Emma cut me off mid-flow. "No. No drugs." Both Lilly and I looked at each other. "Emma. Are you serious? What are you talking about?" She shook her head frantically from side to side, whilst grabbing my hand and squeezing it so hard, I almost lost consciousness. "No. Drugs slow it down. I want my baby out." This was half gasped, half screamed directly at me. Flustered, I turned in time to be bustled out of the way by Lesley, who reiterated that it was entirely her decision and she was doing really, really well.

Four hours later, at 02:47am, my baby arrived in the world. But in keeping with Daddy's style, baby didn't just arrive but made a massive entrance, being a beautiful 6lb 3oz baby girl!! With the biggest, darkest, most beautiful eyes I have ever seen and a dusting of straight dark hair that was so soft was more like a sprinkling of feathers. I was completely and utterly 100% besotted with this tiny, perfect, wondrous little person. I knew than that I would portect her and love her fiercely. This was my little girl, sharing the same DNA as me and Em. This was my family. As I watched with adoring eyes, she was passed to her exhausted (and weeping) mummy, Emma completely astounded me by simply gazing down into her angelic little face and announcing "Sukie."

Sukie Travis. The whole name conversation had never been successfully concluded, and we had certainly never considered that the baby could possibly be a girl, ironically. But here she was, little Sukie Travis, and it felt as though I had known her all my life. I reached out my hand to softly touch Sukie's soft hair. Words cant describe the feelings that shot through my entire being at that moment. No question about it (at a risk of sounding melodramatic) suddenly everything made sense to me she was my reason for living.