RP/G: 1 Year, 4 Months and 17 Days Later...

[SPI]

"You caused yourself as much pain as I did," Harry protested meekly. "But it has to be worth any amount of pain to hold our child in our arms at the end of it all." He looked at her hopefully, wanting to know she was as enthused as himself when it came to the birth of their first child.

[Nicky]

"All this coming from the person who doesn't have anything left to do," Holly joked before she stopped laughing. "I'd go through anything to have our child even though I am scared as hell of the whole thing. It's kinda funny that I am this woman who runs around being a secret agent and I am scared of going through childbirth."

[SPI]

"There's not much more I can do," Harry said, laughing along with Holly. "Other than holding your hand and being here for you. And making sure you're calm and don't panic! Remember what the doctor said though - there's nothing to be scared of and it will come naturally to you. Vicky will be here in a minute and then you will have an expert on hand."

[Nicky]

"Come naturally very painfully," Holly retorted with a smile as she took a deep breath as another contraction began. "Owwww," she moaned quietly as she tried to keep breathing during all of it. "This hurts quite a bit." When it was finished she relaxed back against the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. "This is really it for us."

[SPI]

» Six hours later
Harry held Holly's hand as she screamed out in pain as she had another contraction. They were coming faster and stronger now and he was seeing that it was wearing his fiancée out. He stroked her damp hair out of the way of her face and whispered reassuringly to her.

[Nicky]

Holly could add a sore throat to her numerous aches and pains at that exact moment as she screamed through her contraction. She just wanted their baby out now and was regretting her decision to just do this on gas in air. She flopped backwards as she ran out of energy.

[SPI]

"It's ok, you're doing great, Holls, " Vicky said, cheering the girl on. "Just keep pushing, keep pushing."
"So, have you thought what you are going to name it yet if it's a boy or a girl?" She asked, both out of curiosity and wanting to draw Holly's attention away from the pain.

[Nicky]

Holly had to wait a few seconds before she could lift her head up properly. "We have ideas but nothing concrete. No point in deciding firmly on a name when the baby isn't even here yet," she said hoarsely. "And if you are trying to distract me it still isn't working. It is really hurting at the moment." She moved her head so that she could rest it on Harry's shoulders. She squeezed his hand tight and closed her eyes.

[SPI]

"Well, there is still plenty of time left to decide," Vicky replied. "I think it's definitely easier once you know the child's gender - and then their personality begins to emerge soon after birth."
"I think we know what we are not gonna name the baby though," Harry said, several coming to mind. "I think we will decide soon after he or she is born."
"There are still the painkillers if you want them, Hols," Vicky pointed out. "I don't know why you're hesitant to take them. They're safe and make it a little more bearable."

[Nicky]

"But I don't want to be out of it," Holly murmured before she began to moan again. She followed Vicky's directions and pushed through her contraction. She screwed her face up as she pushed and tried to ignore the pain it was caused. She screamed until it finished. "Why when I was born was it really easy for my mother?" she questioned. "Surely I should be close now. It feels like it."

[SPI]

"It won't knock you out, hon, I promise. All Entonox will do is dull the pain slightly - you'll still feel it, but it won't hurt quite as much as it does at the moment. It's basically laughing gas like you might be given at the dentists. I've had a lot of moms hesitant to take it at first and then when they finally do, they wish they had taken the anaesthesia right from the start! The choice is yours though, Hol." She placed her hand on Holly's shoulder reassuringly as she spoke.
"Hey, hey," Harry lulled to Holly softly. "Just keep pushing and relax," he said, his body feeling drained of most of its energy just sitting aside Holly with his arm wrapped round her. Privately, he had no idea how Holly had gone on for this long already. He just hoped Holly hadn't remember what they had been warned about expecting an eight to ten hour pregnancy for this first-born.

[Nicky]

Holly looked from Vicky to Harry before she returned to looking at her friend. She took a few deep breaths before she began to speak. "I'll take it," she whispered quietly. "As long as it takes the edge off that is all I need. I trust you Vicky." While she hadn't planned it, in the situation now it seemed like she would have to take something to cope with the pain. She found it kinda ironic that she couldn't handle child birth yet she could cope with being a secret agent.

[SPI]

» Quite a few pushes later...
Vicky shoved Harry awake, shaking his shoulder firmly. "Wake up, Fiancé, Hols is about to give birth to your babby!"
She dashed to the other side of Holly and knelt down beside her. "That's it Holly. Keep pushing. You're breathing well. We're almost there. Just push with your abdomen; squeeze your muscles as much as you can." She moved again, this time to kneel before Holly's vagina. "You should be able to feel your baby slowly moving through your birth canal," she explained. "I can see its head beginning to crown. This will all be over in a minute and you'll be able to hold your newborn in your arms. Trust me, it'll be worth the hours."
Harry jerked awake with Vicky's stimulus and the help of Holly who rang his hand sharply as she pushed with all her might to expel the young one from her womb. He'd be glad once their baby was born to be able to drink caffeinated coffee again to keep awake. He looked up at Holly and smiled before squirming to sit up beside her. "You're doing great," he said groggily. He crouched up and shuffled forward a little, learning over to stare at her vagina as their baby began to make its first foray into the real world.

[Nicky]

"That is all you have been able to say," Holly groaned before she moaned as she pushed again. The contractions were coming really hard and quick. She could feel the baby and it was one of the most alien sensations. "Just get out!" She screamed before she used up all of her remaining energy and pushed as hard as she could.
It felt all worth it when she could hear another being screaming at the same time to match hers. She just felt like she could collapse and never get up again now but she had just brought their child into the world.

[SPI]

Vicky cupped her hands by Holly's vagina to channel the baby as it was born. She shifted her hand to support its head and back as the baby flowed out of the birthing canal. She looked up at mother and father as she held the newborn in her hands. She slowly revolved the baby to face both its parents. "A boy," she said happily. "Like Fiancé."
Harry slipped his hand round Holly as they craned forward together to stare at their baby. He pecked her on the cheek and drew her in closer to him.
"I've got to cut the umbilical cord in a moment, but you probably want to hold him after all that," she said to Holly. "You know the last stage is going to come right after that and then you're done." She leant forward to deliver the baby to its mother. "Here you are," she said as she transferred the warm, wet form over to Holly's arms.