Chapter 14: Babies

~~ Delta - Aug/02 - (Earth - Feb /2095) ~~

Stella was woken at five in the morning by a beeping sound, “Yes?”

“She’s having the baby; she’s having the baby.”

‘Click’

Stella took a moment to collect her thoughts. When ‘who’ was having the baby finally registered.

“Who was that?” Stanley mumbled.

Stella grinned at him, “I believe it was a very excited man called Sean Watson, it appears Lee is in labour.”

“Oh God, I bet he is panicking, I had better come with you,” Stanley said.

Stella lent over and kissed him, “Thank you, I think your calming influence may be required.”

They both got up and got dressed. Stella commed Doc Von, “Von I just got a call from a very excited Sean. I’m going to see if Lee needs moving to the surgery.”

“‘K’, I actually checked the delivery room was all set before I left yesterday, do you want me to head there?”

“Yes, I think that will be best, you won’t be far if I need you and I can’t shift her that way.”

“No worries, I’m on my way.”

Stella commed Sean, “Dr Maine here, Sean. How is she?” She and her husband were already entering their apartment building.

“Oh um, she’s breathing heavy and had another couple of contractions, since I rang you.”

“I’ll be there in a minute, we’re in the lift, Sean,” Stella told him.

“Oh, great, great. Um I, oh, I had better open the door for you,” Sean said, and the connection clicked out.

The Mains got out of the lift. They didn’t have to be told which was Sean’s room as the door was wide open, and Kyle waved them towards him.

“Kyle, why are you here?” Stella asked.

“Lee, we have this connection, and I knew she was distressed, I got up to find Sean in a panic and told him I’d keep an eye out for you. He is in a right tizz,” Kyle said grinning at the doctor.

He followed them in. While Stanley and Kyle tried to get Sean settled down, she went and examined Lee. “Well, you’re already 8cm dilated. Feel like a walk?”

Lee looked at her in disbelief, “A walk?”

Stella smiled, “Yes, I suggest we walk over to the surgery. Many women find walking at this stage actually helps, it’s not very far.”

Lee nodded, and Stella helped her off the bed. She helped her into a dressing gown and steered her to the door. “We are going to the surgery,” she told the men.

“I’ll carry her,” Sean said.

“No. By all means, give her support, but she will be better off walking,” Stella told him.

They almost made it to the door when Sean’s Dad came out of his room, “What’s going on?”

“She’s having the baby,” Sean said excitedly, only just remembering his parents were in the unit.

“Calm down, son, we will follow you over after we get dressed,” Robert told Sean.

“Okay dad,” Sean replied and put his arm around Lee to help her to the door.

As they entered the hall the door to Kyle’s room opened, and Tony appeared, “Hang on Doc, I’ve got another one for you.”

They all turned to watch Tony escort Debora out of the room. She was huge. Kyle rushed back to her other side, “Gods Deb, I felt Lee, but you were asleep.”

She nodded, “I only woke about two minutes ago due to the contraction and Tony said Lee was having them too.”

“What up?” said Antonio as he put his head out his room’s doorway.

“They are in labour, we’re taking them to the surgery dad,” Kyle told him.

“Okay son, we will meet you there,” he said and disappeared back into his room. They heard him banging on the wall and calling out to Pete.

Stella and the four men escorted the women into the lift and then across the road to the dome. Stella and Von had commandeered the four spare bunkrooms in the dome and turned them into a two-bed maternity room, a baby monitoring room and a delivery room.

Thanks to the items, that Robert had scanned into the replicator for Sean, it now looked little different to any modern maternity wing in a good hospital back on Earth. Their new hospital was still under construction.

They got Lee up in one bed and Debora on the other. Stella did a quick examination of Debora and determined that Lee would probably deliver first.

So, Von stayed with Debora while Stella concentrated on Lee. The three worried husbands held their wives’ hands. Stella was surprised to find Lee was already fully dilated. “Lee, you’re too far along, for me to give you any drugs, other than oxygen.”

“It’s okay, I think this will be quick. She is already pushing to get out,” Lee told her. Stella looked again, and the head was already proud.

“She sure is in a hurry,” agreed Stella.

Sean gripped Lee’s hand as she took in a big breath “A ... R ... H... , “ she screamed as she bore down hard.

Stella had a small redhaired head in her hands and wiped the babies face. “Again, Lee,” she said.

Lee took in another big breath “A ... R ... H... , “ she screamed as she bore down hard again. She pushed longer this time and was panting hard, at the end of it.

Six pairs of eyes watched as Stella lifted the little girl up by her ankles and taped her back. They all smiled at the indignant howl, which came from Helen.

Von had already grabbed a sheet, and as Stella lifted Helen’s head back up, she wrapped the cloth around the little girl and examined her, while Stella clamped off the umbilical cord.

Lee grunted again, and the placenta slid from her body. Stella cut the cord and Von finished wrapped the little girl up and then handed her to her father. “All fingers and toes accounted for,” she happily told him.

Sean found he had to sit on the edge of the bed when he stared into the eyes of his little girl. Lee had to grin at the stupefied look on his face.

Tony and Kyle had to come over for a look. Kyle cracked everyone up when he said, “Damn Lee, she’s even uglier than you are.”

Sean reassured his daughter, “Don’t you listen to Uncle Kyle, you are the prettiest baby I’ve ever seen.”

They were all distracted by the loud groan that came from Debora. Kyle and Tony quickly returned to her side and grabbed her hands. “It’s alright, my love, we are here to help with the pain,” Kyle said. Tony kissed her hand.

Debora smiled weakly as she panted and got ready for the next contraction. When Stella examined her, she too had a baby crowning.

“Unbelievable you girls don’t muck about do you? Von, get ready for the next one, it won’t be long in coming.”

Von grabbed another sheet and two packets containing the clamps and scissors. Stella got ready to help the baby out of its mother.

Deb took in another big breath, “A ... R ... H...” She screamed as she bore down hard. Stella had the head in her hands and waited for the next contraction. It wasn’t long in coming. Debora screamed again, and Stella twisted the shoulders and gently pulled the little boy from his mother.