Here it is, the final chapter. First, let me answer a few questions that were PMed to me. Yes, people actually have there babies at home. No, they aren't crazy. No, it's not dangerous. LOL Anyways, here it is... the last chapter! Enjoy!
Gabriella threw herself on her bed and began to sob. It was late Tuesday afternoon, two days before Thanksgiving, and she and Troy had just arrived home from a midwife appointment. She begged Miranda to do a cervical exam and was devastated when it showed no changes. She was a week and a half overdue. If she didn't deliver in the next two days, she would have to transfer to an obstetrician and deliver in the hospital via induction on Friday morning.
Troy placed a gentle hand on her arm to comfort her. "Bri, it's okay," he said softly. "Please don't be upset. The baby will be here before you know it."
"Troy, we're running out of time!" she exclaimed through her tears. "I'm going to have to go to the hospital, I know it!"
"You don't know that. We still have a couple days. That's plenty of time. You don't know what will happen between now and then."
"Nothing, Troy! Nothing will happen, because nothing has been happening!"
"Of course things are happening. You've been having contractions."
"That's my point. I've been having contractions on and off for days and they haven't done any good!"
"Bri, you heard what Miranda said before she checked you. Dilation isn't a good judge of when labor will start. You can walk around five centimeters dilated for weeks or you can go into labor tonight without being dilated at all." He leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder. "We could always have a little 'fun' to try and jump start things," he added with a grin and a wink.
She rolled her eyes with a weak smile. "Ugh," she groaned. "Is that all you ever think about?"
"I can't help it. I've never seen anything sexier than the woman I love carrying our baby."
"Well, I certainly don't feel sexy."
"Well then, you're just going to have to trust me on this one." He began placing sweet kisses on her neck and along her jaw. Just as she was about to surrender herself to herself to him, the doorbell rang causing Troy to groan. "Just ignore it," he said as he resumed kissing her.
"It's Chad and Taylor," she said trying to get up.
"So?"
"Baby,youare the one that told them to come over."
"Yeah, well, I didn't realize I'd have something better to do at the time. This could be our last chance for a while." The doorbell rang again.
"I doubt it."
"Bri," he whined.
"Troy," she mimicked.
He let out a sigh and threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine."
The doorbell rang a third time just as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "You have terrible timing," Troy muttered as he opened the door.
"You're still pregnant?" Chad joked ignoring him.
"Don't remind me," Gabriella said, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Chad," Taylor scolded as she hit him on the shoulder. "You are so insensitive!" She rushed inside and put an arm around Gabriella's shoulders leading her into the living room. The boys exchanged glances and shrugs before following them.
"So have you decided what you're going to do about school after the baby is born?" she asked once she had Gabriella calmed down.
Gabriella let out a heavy sigh. "No, I still have no idea," she said. "I have so much to think about. How I'm going to finish high school, how to make it through college, how Troy will make it through college, what I even want to go to college for. I have so much on my mind, it's ridiculous. Not to mention I'm only days away from losing my dream birth to a stupid hospital."
"No more contractions or anything?" Taylor asked.
"Oh, there are plenty of contractions. They've been on and off for about a week now. I've been having minor ones every fifteen minutes or so for the last day and a half. They just aren't getting any more frequent, any longer or anymore intense. They aren't doing anything. I'm so over this shit. I'm done being pregnant. I hate it and I want it over with!"
"Bri, it will be over before you know it," Troy reassured her. "One way or another that baby is coming out within the next few days."
"I know, but there is still so much we haven't figured out."
"Like what?"
"Whether or not to vaccinate, a pediatrician, a religion, a name."
"We have time to figure all that out. We don't have to decide it all right now."
"I know. It's just a lot on my mind and it's stressing me out," she said with another sigh. "So what do you guys want for dinner? I don't really feel like cooking."
"But, baby, that's where you belong. Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen," Troy joked.
"Troy Bolton! I cannot believe you just said that!" Gabriella exclaimed with a laugh as she hit him with a pillow from the couch.
"Hey!" he said holding his arms up to try and block her swings. After she stopped a moment later he asked, "You guys just want to order some pizza?"
Everyone nodded in agreement so Gabriella got up and walked into the kitchen to call their usual order in. When she returned to the living room Taylor had moved to the other couch with Chad, who looked very antsy about something. "Thirty to forty five minutes," she said sitting down next to Troy.
It was quiet for a moment before Chad spoke up. "Do you have your midwife's phone number?" he asked.
"Yeah, I have it saved in my phone," she answered as she picked her cell phone up from the coffee table. "Why?"
"Because we might need her services," Taylor said with a small smile.
"Oh my gosh!" Gabriella exclaimed standing up and hurrying over to her to give her a hug. "Congratulations! When are you due?"
"Late July or early August, I think."
"Congrats, man," Troy said clapping his friend on the back.
"Thanks, I think," Chad replied nervously.
"Don't worry, you'll get used too the idea and get excited before you know it."
"So, you're planning on having a homebirth, too?" Gabriella asked excitedly.
"Yep!" Taylor said.
"Well, it hasn't been decided yet," Chad corrected. "We'll see how yours goes first." Chad hadn't made it any secret that he was very nervous about the idea of a homebirth. After all, his dad was an obstetrician who was convinced it was dangerous regardless of the numerous scientific studies and medical journals stating otherwise. He repeatedly lectured him on how irresponsible and reckless his friends were being by choosing to have their baby at home.
Taylor playfully rolled her eyes. "Yes, we are having a homebirth."
"Want to watch a movie?" Troy asked when they were done eating as they all leaned back with full bellies. Everyone shrugged so he put a movie in and hit play.
About thirty minutes into the movie, Gabriella tensed up and winced. When Troy looked over at her she had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply. When she opened her eyes he gave her a questioning glance, as if to ask 'are you okay'? She gave a small smile and a nod and pushed a button on her cell phone to make it light up so she could see the time.
Troy looked back at the TV. Suddenly everything was catching up to him. Any day now he was going to be a father. He would be responsible for a little tin person. He tried to concentrate on the movie, but Gabriella kept looking at her phone. It was getting more frequent as the movie went on and he was starting to get nervous.
After the movie was over, Gabriella grabbed her glass and went into the kitchen to refill it with water. Troy collected the plates from the coffee table and followed a few seconds behind her. He stopped short when he got walked into the kitchen and saw her leaning over with her hands on the counter and her head in her arms. Her eyes were closed and she was taking deep breaths as she lightly rocked. He rushed over to her and began to lightly rub her back while watching the clock. Fifty five seconds later, she took one last deep breath and exhaled slowly as she stood up to face him with a helpless expression on her face.
Hours later Gabriella stood facing Troy with her arms around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder. She leaned forward into him breathing deeply as he stroked her hair and hummed softly in her ear while they gently swayed back and forth. There was no doubt she was in labor. Troy was amazed at how well she was doing at staying relaxed through her contractions and how composed she seemed to be when he felt like he was going to die from anxiety and anticipation.
"Here, sweetie, take a drink," Taylor said quietly when the contraction ended. Gabriella took the cup and took a few sips of water. "Do you need anything?" Taylor asked her.
She shook her head. It was just past midnight. It had been four hours since the movie ended and she realized her labor was starting. Her contractions were coming about every six and a half minutes. Taylor and Chad had helped them make the birth bed and organize the supplies. Now all they had left to do was wait.
There was a light knock on the bedroom door. "Is it safe to come in?" Chad asked slowly opening the door with his eyes closed.
"Yes, Chad, it's safe. I'm not going to bite your head off," Gabriella said.
"Well, I don't want to see anything gross. There's no stuff anywhere, is there?" he asked.
"You mean like placenta?" she asked. She let out a tired laugh when Chad cringed at the word. "No, there's nothing gross." He heaved a sigh of relief and opened his eyes as he walked into the room. "You are such a dork, Chad."
Ignoring her comment, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "How are you?" he asked concerned.
"Tired," she replied.
"Do you want to try and get some sleep?" Troy asked her.
"Right, like I could sleep through this," she said sarcastically.
"Well then, rest? Who knows how long this will last and you'll need your energy for later."
She nodded and they made their way to the bed. Once she was situated on her side with pillows under her belly, between her legs and at her head Troy climbed in beside her and curled his body behind hers. They stayed that way for two hours with Troy humming in her ear and lightly rubbing everything he could reach during contractions.
Troy glanced at the clock. It read 2:45. "Bri, baby, you need to eat something," he said after he realized how long it had been.
"Okay," she agreed softly. He got out of bed and helped her up. They made their way downstairs to the kitchen where Chad and Taylor were sitting around the island drinking coffee.
"What do you want?" Troy asked her. He opened the cabinet reserved for labor foods and waited for her response.
She studied the contents of the shelves. "Soup, I guess." She looked at Taylor. "I suppose it's too late to tell you this sucks and you should never get pregnant."
"Just a little," Taylor answered with a smile.
Things moved slowly for Gabriella. She and Troy tried to rest as much as possible through the night. Chad and Taylor stayed the night in the guest room. Morning came, and still no change in her contractions. Every six minutes on the dot.
"So what am I supposed to do?" Gabriella asked into the phone. She had called Miranda to let her know what was going on and ask if there was anything she could do to help things move along. She listened to Miranda's response and sighed. "Ok, Miranda. Thanks. Bye."
"What did she say?" Troy asked anxiously when she hung up.
"She said she could come over and check on me, but there's not really anything she can do at this point. She suggested we go to the mall or the movies or shopping to keep us busy and make the time pass quicker. She said walking around might help speed things up."
"Do you feel up to that?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I'll do anything to get this show on the road."
"No baby yet?" Rusty asked as he and Renee walked through the front door later that night. "I thought for sure I'd come home to a screaming baby." He plopped their suitcases from their business trip on the ground.
"No," Gabriella sighed dejectedly. "No baby yet."
"But soon," Troy said trying to lift her spirits. "Actually, any time now."
"Are you in labor?" Renee asked. Gabriella nodded and leaned into Troy as another contraction started. "For how long now?" Renee asked once it was over.
Gabriella glanced at the clock. It was ten o'clock. More than one full day since her labor started. They spent the entire day walking around the mall and various shops with no change. After they came home and ate dinner the contractions had slowly started to get closer together. They were now just slightly over five minutes apart. "Too long," she said with a sigh.
"I have to pee," Gabriella stated. Troy slowly rolled out of bed and walked around to her side to help her out. It was just after six o'clock. Around three in the morning Gabriella's contractions completely stopped. Even though they were able to get a couple hours of some much needed sleep, they were both devastated. All their dreams of a beautiful peaceful homebirth had flown out the window. Gabriella resigned herself to accept that at that time the next day they would be packing for the hospital.
As she pulled her panties up and turned to flush the toilet, she felt a small pop and warm fluid gushed down her legs. She looked into the mirror like a deer in headlights at Troy who was standing behind her. Before either of them could say a word, a wave of contraction came crashing down upon her with intensity that threatened to make her legs give out beneath her. She quickly straddled the toilet and sat down folding her arms on the tank and laying her head on them. She moaned in pain.
"Oh, shit!" Troy exclaimed as he began to fumble around not knowing what to do. "TAYLOR!! CHAD!!" he screamed.
Taylor came running into the room. "What's going on?" she asked.
"I think her water broke! What the hell do I do?" he replied. He was drawing a total blank.
"Rub her back," she replied as she started pushing things on the counter out of the way.
DUH, he thought to himself. I knew there was a reason she came to classes with us.
A few seconds later Chad came running in and slipped on the wet floor, sliding right through the puddle of amniotic fluid. Taylor burst out laughing. He held his wet arms up with a worried look on his face. "Do I even want to know what I'm covered in?" he asked. She just shook her head and laughed.
Gabriella exhaled deeply as the contraction ended and lifted her head.
"So it started up again?" Chad asked, stating the obvious as he got up.
Gabriella ignored him and gave Troy a helpless look. "Oh, God," she said as another contraction started and she started moaning again, this time louder.
"Another one?" Troy asked starting to panic. "Already? That was like 10 seconds!"
"Transition," Taylor said with wide eyes.
Suddenly everything he learned in class came flooding back to him. Transition was the final, most intense stage of labor before she could push. And the shortest, he thought to himself as he remembered the teacher saying it could last anywhere from a few minutes to about forty five minutes.
"Shit," he swore again. "Chad, go get my phone off the nightstand." Chad disappeared and quickly returned with the phone, handing it to Troy.
With one hand still rubbing Gabriella's back he used the other to find the right number in his phone book and push call. "Come on, come on, come on," he said impatiently as he waited for an answer. "Miranda! It's Troy." Gabriella began to moan even louder as the contraction peaked. "You need to come now!" He hung up the phone and handed it back to Chad. Thankfully, Miranda only lived a few blocks away.
"Do you want to get in the tub?" Taylor asked Gabriella as the contraction came to an end. She barely had time to nod before another overcame her. Taylor started the water in the bath. Once it got to a comfortable temperature she closed the drain. She hurried to get the birth supplies the midwife would need and set the box on the counter. She placed a hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "Stand up, hun. Let's get you in the water."
Gabriella cried out as Taylor and Troy helped her stand up. The contractions were now constant. One didn't even finish before the next begun. "Let's get these off," Taylor said as she pulled Gabriella's panties down and tossed them across the room towards Chad who cringed and jumped out of the way.
"You getting in?" Taylor asked Troy as they helped Gabriella step into the tub.
"Yeah, let me just get my trunks," he said, starting to walk into the bedroom.
She placed a hand on his arm to stop him. She shook her head. "Just get in."
He nodded and stepped into the tub in his boxer briefs, helping Gabriella down into the water. He straddled her with his legs and pulled her to lean back into him. He used one hand to wash water over her belly and the other to stroke her face and hair.
"I have to push," Gabriella said only a few minutes later.
"WHAT?!" Troy exclaimed as full panic set in.
He didn't have time to think about it as she took a deep breath and began to bear down with the start of another contraction.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" he heard. He looked up to see Miranda push past Chad, who was standing in the doorway watching in shock, and quickly stroll into the room.
"Oh, thank God!" he said, relieved.
As Gabriella continued to push, Miranda grabbed a few supplies and knelt by the side of the tub. Troy wondered how she could be so calm at a time like that. She put on some gloves and reached into the water between Gabriella's legs to feel for the baby. Gabriella screamed at the burning sensation of the baby's head crowning. Her head fell back onto Troy's shoulder and she panted as the head was born.
"Great job, Gabriella. One more should do it," Miranda softly reassured her. "Give me your hands," she said to Troy as Gabriella took another deep breath to prepare for the final push.
"What?" He held his hands out to her.
"Reach down here and catch your baby," she replied with a grin as she positioned his hands.
Troy's eyes widened and filled with tears as he felt his baby slide out of his girlfriend and into his hands. Gabriella moaned and exhaled, letting her body relax into his. There wasn't a dry eye in the room as he lifted their baby out of the water and placed it on her chest.
Gabriella was overcome with euphoria as she looked down at the pink little baby in her arms. "A girl," she said breathily as her daughter began to cry. She looked up at Troy who had tears streaming down his face. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips.
"I love you, Bri," he said sweetly.
"I love you, too." The doubts, fears and unanswered questions that had previously consumed her were the farthest thing from her mind. All she could think about was her new little family and just how much she had to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
There you go! What did you think? Leave me some love and let me know! And before anyone asks, YES there is a sequel already in the works. It doesn't have a very happy beginning, but it was either start the sequel that way or end this story that way and not write a sequel at all. It's called "Following in Their Footsteps". I've posted the first chapter so go check it out. :)