Damien dared to look offended when she told him to stop ‘hee-hooing’, “What, I can’t be supportive?” He kept his eyes trained on the road, though his tone was light he was concentrated purely on the one thing- getting them to the hospital.
Fast, and in one piece preferably.
Was he okay?? He nodded at the ridiculous question and bounced it right back to the mother-to-be. “Are you?? Those contractions comin’ in pretty close..”
He commented, pulling them onto the expressway.
Where the traffic was bumper-to-bumper.
Oh.. no. “Must be an accident up ahead..” A glance over to the nurse, giving her knee a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll get past it fast, I bet. Always clears up quick right around here..”
The car in front of him scooted forward a foot. So did Damien. Great.
“Uh- water? Here.” He did what he could, reaching into their packed bag to grab Claire a water bottle.
There was a difference between being supportive and- "Yeah.." the annoyance forgotten and she breathed out, worry settling in as they were both faced with the traffic up ahead.
Her hand quickly settled on his, catching it before it disappeared from her knee.
Claire looked over at her man, watching him dig out the water bottle, wondering what was going through his mind. With the bottle in her hand, she took a couple of sips to feel proactive but all she really wanted to do was run to the hospital.
"It's really happening.." like these babies were really ready to come out now. "This- Yeah, this is it. This is us.. About to become parents."
Swallowing, Claire let out a chuckle, watching Damien closely.
"You still want to do this?" a little late to back out now, maybe. She didn't know. Or, she did. She would still love him, but guess it would be complica—
"Ohhhhhhhhh," she steeled herself for the next wave, but she could feel it now. This was it.
"Damien." she breathed. "They're coming. Now.
You need to deliver our babies."
His hand tight on hers, scanning the traffic to find them still stuck at a hopeless standstill.
“Really happening.” He agreed, throwing her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. This was it. Him and Claire. Two babies.
Two more kids.
Not to mess up. Not to let down, like he had—
“What?!” He whirled aside to look at Claire in alarm, hand automatically flying to throw on the hazard lights.
“Now??”
Oh fuck— what— but they were in the car! “-Okay. Okay, don’t panic!” To him or to her? He climbed out of the driver’s side to run to Claire’s, throwing open her door he somehow had the presence of mind to call 91.1
“—Yes, we’re on Van Wyck,” He pushed back Claire’s hair, strong arm trying to help her turn toward him, he gave them their license plate number.
“She’s giving birth now. Right now.”
Holy shit.
He put the phone on speaker, set it aside so he could help Claire more fully, to kneel and see what was going on—
Just in time to catch their impatient first twin.
Her hands grabbing fist full of anything she could, she braced for the next contraction, aware of how bad the timing was. But she couldn't think about how they were stuck in between cars with no quick way for the ambulance to get here,
or how the father of her children, alone, would be the one to welcome them into the world. you can do it
Claire heard Damien's panicked yet firm voice guiding the first responder on the phone, suddenly losing sight of him as he moved,
his voice that almost got drowned by her war cry as she pushed out their first baby--
Its cry, piercing and real, made her hold her breath until she drew in a shuddering one, trying to focus through the blur and dizziness.
"...you got him?" in his strong arms, loved and protected - always there to catch them.
"-okay wrap- wrap him up," nurse instincts kicking in, she needed to keep talking or she felt like she would pass out. "..leave the cord."
As if delivering one baby alone wasn't enough.
"one more- one more, you ready?" was she talking to herself or Damien?
