first_in_time | This Can Hardly Wait

Barbara glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. Ian's break time had just started. She knew because he sometimes called her instead of going into the staff room and eating with everyone else. Today, however, she wasn't going to give him the chance to eat for the moment, not with such important news.

The dial tone ws loud and clear as Barbara picked up their telephone, and each number she punched in had it's own sound to make. When she heard the ringing on the other end, her heart sped up and almost leapt from her mouth when a secretary answered.

"Yes, hello. I'd like to speak to Ian Chesterton please. This is his wife."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

first_in_time

Barbara giggled but another contraction cut her off and she groaned. They was getting more painful but at least they were still short. She sat back panting a little when it finished.

"How far away are we?" she asked and looked out the windows trying to get a feel for where they were.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian gripped the wheel tightly. It wasn't getting any easier watching her in pain.

"It's just down the road and round the corner." At least at this time of morning there wasn't much traffic about. He would have sped up, but there were traffic lights and roundabouts in their path and he didn't think Barbara would appreciate being thrown about. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara nodded and breathed deeply. She knew that she was only at the start of things and that was not a comforting thought. Instead she tried to think about cuddling her baby or sitting with him in their lounge.

"Tell me about what you were going to teach today."

From:

splendid_roman

"Not much. It is only the first day of school and the kids will have had six weeks of getting used to not getting up early and going to school." He'd be looking forward to that himself, if it wasn't for the baby. Who knew how long it might be before he got a lie in again.

"I thought I'd do some fun, simple experiments that won't seem too much like work, but will still teach them something."

From:

first_in_time

"I'm sad that your students won't get a chance to have that lesson," she told him apologetically. "Your such an amazing husband. I know this wasn't my choice but I am sorry that you won't get to start your new job today."

From:

splendid_roman

He put a hand on Barbara's knee, briefly. "Maybe I'll just move my lesson plans on a day and give them today's lesson tomorrow." Assuming the baby came early enough for him to go to work tomorrow. For some reason people were keen to tell them horror stories of women spending 24 hours or more in labour.

He swung into the hospital car park. It was fortunately not too busy and he drove round to park as close to the hospital entrance as he could.

From:

first_in_time

"I'm certain that your students won't mind too much," Barbara continued once she'd hauled herself out of the car, "or the other teachers for that matter. Just make sure that you tell me...or rather, us, all about it when you get home each afternoon."

From:

splendid_roman

He smiled, looking forward to being able to see the baby when he talked to it. "I will," he promised. He put an arm round her to support her. "I'll probably have things I'll need your advice on. You've had more experience of teaching teenagers than I have."

From:

first_in_time

"I'll help you with anything you need. You know that."

Inside, the hospital was unchanged. Lots of people waited for attention, nurses and doctors rushed about, telephones sang, people were called of over a paging system. Barbara put a hand over her stomach and watched everything as she walked with Ian to the reception.

A nurse looked up at them, dark circles sitting under her eyes. "Yes?"

"My contractions have started," Barbara ventured and glanced up at Ian, not sure if she was saying the right things. "I woke up to one at about two thirty this morning and they've been growing stronger since."

"How far apart are they, roughly speaking?"

"Um, twenty minutes or so..."

The Chestertons gave their names and were directed to wait for the moment since Barbara didn't appear to be anywhere near any stage of urgency, not that she thought that of course. Contractions were very painful indeed! She experienced another one as they sat down and leaned against Ian since the seats were so oddly shaped that she couldn't find a comfortable position.

"Hopefully we won't be here for too long," she said to Ian once her muscles had calmed themselves again.

From:

splendid_roman

"I'm sure we won't be," he assured her, rubbing her back. "They didn't seem worried that the baby was imminently about to be born, and I'm sure they know what they're doing."

From:

first_in_time

"I'm sure they do," Barbara agreed and sat up a little straighter, reaching for Ian's hand. "And I suppose that if anything goes wrong, there are lots of people around who know what to do."

From:

splendid_roman

"That's why we're here." He squeezed her hand. "I'm sure nothing will go wrong."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara bit her lip. "Yes. Yes I'm sure."

She sat by her husband through two more contractions when a nurse finally came to see them both with a wheelchair.

"We've a bed prepared for you now, Mrs. Chesterton. We'll take you there now."

Barbara looked down at the wheelchair. "I can walk."

"We would rather you used the wheelchair." The nurse didn't sound impressed to be having an argument over whether or not a woman in labour should be in a wheelchair.

From:

splendid_roman

Often Ian would just let Barbara do whatever she wanted, for the sake of a quiet life. But this wasn't the best time for an argument with a nurse. "Maybe it's best just to do what they say," he said quietly to Barbara.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara looked to Ian and sat in the wheelchair without further argument. The nurse picked up her suitcase and put it in her lap. Barbara frowned.

"Ian is coming with us, isn't he?" she knew that men weren't allowed in the actual birth but surely he could come for the moment.

"Mrs Chesterton it isn't proper for a man to be present."

"But the baby isn't coming right this moment."

"We do not allow men-"

"Please, I'm frightened."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian put a hand on Barbara's shoulder, not sure if she was really scared or just saying that to make the nurse let him in.

"Can't I just come and see her settled in?" he asked the nurse. "Then I'll leave."

The nurse pursed her lips. "All right. But you have to leave straight away."

Ian smiled at her. "I will," he promised.

From:

first_in_time

"Thank you," Barbara said to the nurse, leaning back to look up at her. The nurse merely pursed her lips and pushed the wheelchair down the corridor. A few doctors gave Ian strange looks but no one said anything.

Barbara's bed had been neatly made and stood waiting at the back of a new mothers' room. The other beds all had their curtains drawn.There wasn't any sound except for their shoes clicking on the linoleum floor and the occasional cough or snore from one of the other beds.

The nurse took Barbara's suitcase and put it beside the bed then helped her up and handed her a surgical gown.

"Until the baby is born you'll need to wear this I'm afraid but I promise that in another hour or so you'll hardly notice what you're wearing. A doctor will be around to evaluate your progress in about five minutes." She gave Ian a final stern look then drew the curtain, leaving them in peace while Ian saw Barbara settled.

Barbara put her arms around Ian and whispered: "I love you."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian hugged her back. He was looking forward to being able to hug her without the baby bump in the way. "I love you too," he whispered back.

"I'll help you with the gown," he said, letting go and taking it from her. At least that was something he could do.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara nodded and stripped off. She wished they were somewhere more private than a hospital rooms but figured that any mothers in the room with them were probably too tired to care about what they were doing behind a curtain. She pushed her arms through the sleeves then turned so Ian could lace up the strings.

"I hope I won't be here for long. I don't want one of those awful labours which last for hours and hours. I'm already sick of it."

From:

splendid_roman

"You'll be fine," he said, tying the strings into neat bows. "You just have to remember that you're doing all this so you can hold the baby. And it won't be kicking you from the inside any more."

He grinned at her as he finished and came round to face her. "Don't give Mummy any trouble," he said, leaning down to speak to her bump. "We're very keen to meet you."

From:

first_in_time

In her head, terrible scenarios were being played out but Ian was quite good at distracting her from such things and she grinned. But then Barbara groaned as yet another contraction took hold and she grabbed hold of the bed for something to simply squeeze in her hands. When she was able to stand straight again, she leaned upwards on her toes to kiss Ian briefly just before the curtains to her bed were opened.

"Mrs Chesterton I'm -- what are you doing here?" the doctor said as he spied Ian and frowned. "I'm going to assume that you're Mr Chesterton and therefore will tell you that the fathers' room is just outside the unit and to your left. Follow the signs."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian didn't bother trying to object. He squeezed Barbara's hand. "I'll see you both later." He left, with the doctor glaring after him. After Ian had gone the doctor asked Barbara questions about her contractions and her pregnancy.

From:

first_in_time

The fathers' room had newspapers, vending machines and a television. A few fathers came and went as they were sent in then called back by the nurse. At one point, fresh newspapers were dropped off and the news of the day before taken away.

It was almost lunchtime by the time a nurse came to the door and asked for Ian. She had started her shift only a few hours ago so didn't purse her lips quite as much.

"Mr Chesterton? Your wife and son are ready to see you."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian had actually just been thinking about going to the canteen for lunch when the nurse arrived. He stood up, looking amazed. "I have a son!"

The nurses here were used to new father, so she just waited for Ian to follow her, and led him back to curtained off area where Barbara and the baby were.

Edited Date: 2014-03-15 02:30 pm (UTC)

From:

first_in_time

It was quiet in the room, and dim despite being the middle of the day. Barbara's bed had been curtained off but the nurse opened it a little to let Ian in then closed it behind him.

Barbara lay in the bed which was bent slightly so it looked as though she were sitting up a little. Her hair looked as though it was drying after a shower. She was pale and exhausted but there was a wide smile on her face as she looked up at Ian.

"Come and say hello," she croaked softly and looked back down at the little baby in her arms. He wore a tiny hat to keep his head warm and was wrapped tightly in a blue blanket.