More Than I Bargained For

The Three Z's

Fifty-two weeks.

The time was finally here.  At least it should've been.  Fifty-two soon turned into fifty-three. 

In between when I had last seen Neal I had had my seventeenth birthday.   

I was beyond huge at this point.  It was getting difficult to walk but I needed to.  Emma and Jo were concerned whenever I stood but sitting for too long or being in bed for too long was uncomfortable.  Everything was at this point but considering I hadn't really walked around that much it was something I needed.  They feared me taking a walk in the woods towards the river in our yard.  I reassured them that I would be fine.  I needed to stretch my legs I told them, I needed some fresh air.  

They wanted to come with me but I needed some time alone.  I rarely had any privacy and I thought the walk in the woods would do me good.  

The river being fifteen yards away was no easy feat.  I could hardly see my feet but I'd walked the woods hundreds of times so I knew where to go and where to step.  As I walked I began to feel a little bit of pressure.  I ignored it thinking one of the babies was simply moving to get comfortable himself.

Making it to the river I let the silence wash me.  Well not really silence at all, the birds were chirping and the river was swashing in a calm manner.

I felt another bout of pressure.  This time I leaned against a tree to get my bearings.  The pressure got harder and more intense and I suddenly knew what was happening.  Contractions.  I took a deep breath and continued to enjoy my spot at the river but then the contractions got harder.  I doubled over and began to breath and moan.  There was no way I'd be able to Standing back up I reached for the phone in my green dress pocket only to realize it wasn't there or in my other pocket.

"Uh, ah," were some of the moaning sounds I made.  "Not yet, not yet, not yet."  I took another breath and did the only thing I could do.  "Jo!" I yelled.  

I continued to yell for help for what seemed like over fifteen minutes but was only ten, still long enough for me to be in pain.

Jo and Emma came as quickly as they could.  They saw me leaning over, one hand resting on the tree and another resting on my belly.

"Contractions," I said in between breaths.  

"Okay, okay, okay," Jo said getting in serious mode.  He stood close and placed a hand on my back.  "Do you think you can move?" he said as he helped me back into a full standing position.

The pain hit again.  Jo laughed, "Well it's not like you can have these babies out in the woods unless you want to stay out here for a week."

I laughed as well though it was painful.  "No thanks."

Jo took me from one side and Emma from the other.  Fifteen yards might as well have been one hundred.  I had to stop every few seconds as the contractions hit but we finally made it to the house.

Given the amount of bedrooms we had turned one of them into a make shift labor and delivery room.

The pain of the labor didn't feel like it would last seven days.  That seemed nearly impossible by the way I was feeling.  It felt like the babies would arrive any moment even though I knew they wouldn't.  I felt such a strong desire to push and yet when I tried nothing happened.

"Call Andrew," I said to Emma as I sat on the couch.

Jo was already gone, not wanting to have been in the room as I went through this.  

"Jo is already calling, he'll be here soon."

I nodded as another contraction hit.  

"What can I do," Emma said as she sat beside me and rubbed my back.