Taking Chances
Title: Taking Chances (22/?)
Author:
appassionata1
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 3,202
Pairings: Noah/Reid
Warnings: Mpreg, Strong Language, Graphic SexSummary: A handsome, middle aged doctor named Reid Oliver and a hot, young culinary student named Noah Mayer meet by chance at a Chicago bakery on a frigid January morning. As their attraction for one another grows, will they be bold enough to take a chance at falling in love?
Disclaimer: Noah and Reid are characters which are property of CBS and Telenext Media. No copyright infringement is intended.
Poor Reid was exhausted and looked worse for wear. His appearance was barely recognizable. His sweat soaked hair was plastered to his head and his skin looked unusually pallid. His contractions were about a half hour apart, but he wasn’t nearly dilated enough to start pushing. This concerned him, although he wouldn’t allow himself to imagine that something could be wrong. He knew that first babies were usually overdue and the labor could last as long as 24 hours so he resigned himself to waiting. He wondered how on earth how he could make it through this because even now he barely had enough strength to keep his droopy eyelids open.
To Noah as well, it seemed like it was taking forever for his baby girl to come into the world. He had been sitting at Reid’s bedside for nearly three hours, holding his hand, swabbing the perspiration from his forehead, feeding him ice chips, and doing whatever else he could to ease the agony of labor for him. Every time Reid was assaulted by another painful contraction Noah’s heart broke a little. It was extremely difficult for him to see his companion so broken down and so vulnerable; however he chose to disguise his own suffering by putting on a brave face and diligently remaining at his post.
Jessica and Deb were also there ready and willing to do whatever was necessary to aid and comfort their dear friends. Jessica rose from her chair at the back of the room and walked over to where Noah sat. She placed her hands on each of his shoulders and kneaded them gently. She could feel the knots and tenseness in his muscles. He moaned his approval and thanked her as he sensed some of the anxiety leaving his body.
She saw that Reid’s heavy eyelids were closing and bent down to Noah’s ear and whispered, “Sweetheart have you called your mom and dad yet?”
Noah jumped, realizing he had completely forgotten to tell them that Reid had gone into labor. “Oh God Jess, I totally forgot,” he softly replied.
Patting him on the shoulder she told him, “You can go do that now. I’ll stay with Reid until you get back.”
Noah, not wanting to leave his boyfriend’s side for a second, paused for a moment and then nodded his response. He knew it was imperative to let his parents know about the arrival of their first grandchild. He also knew as soon as he gave them the good news they’d be on the first plane out of Miami to welcome her into the world with all the fanfare common to first time grandparents. A small smile crossed his lips when he thought about it. He gently let go of Reid’s hand and quietly rising from his chair said, “Thanks Jess, I’ll be right back.”
Noah slipped from the room and swiftly went to the waiting room down the hall. He was surprised to see Dr. Wolf still sitting there. He jumped from his seat like an excited schoolboy and shouted, “Do we have a baby yet?”
Noah chuckled and answered, “No, not yet. Looks like it’s gonna be a while.” He sat back down and Noah sat beside him. “Dr. Wolf thanks so much for helping out and we really appreciate you being here, but there’s no telling how long Reid’s labor will last. If you want to go home now, it’s alright. I’ll call you when the baby comes.”
He looked at Noah and with an expression of true sincerity he began speaking, “I don’t mind waiting Noah. I know it might not seem like it, but I care a hell of a lot about that guy in there. I don’t know if he’s told you this, but a few years ago we were colleagues at Dallas General. As fate would have it, I was hit with a nasty malpractice suit that cost the hospital millions. I nearly lost my license to practice medicine because of it. Needless to say the hospital gave me the boot. I was persona non grata to every medical institution from New York to LA, but that didn’t matter a damn to Reid. He’d call me every now and then just to see how I was doing.
Of course I was too proud and too stubborn to tell him how bad off I was or heaven forbid, ask him for a job. I didn’t have to. Right after he moved here to Chicago he told me he was hard up for a partner for his new practice and he couldn’t think of anyone else more qualified than me. He gave me a chance when nobody else would, so you can say I pretty much owe my life to him. He’s good people, kid. And for somebody who’s been that good to you, well you’d better damn well show them how much you appreciate them. So I’m staying right here ‘til his baby’s born; however long it takes. Besides, there are some pretty hot looking chicks at the nurse’s station out there. The longer I stay here the better the odds are for me to get lucky.” He nudged Noah with his elbow and winked then they both laughed.
Noah laid his hand on his shoulder and replied, “Dr. Wolf you’re good people too, thanks.”
He grinned and answered, “No problem kid.”
Noah left the room and found a quiet spot in the stairway to ring his parents. His mother answered with, “Noah, you’ve called to tell me I’m a grandmother!”
Noah laughed, “Not yet, but very soon, we hope. Reid’s been in labor for a few hours and he’s miserable mom. I feel like crap because I can’t do anything to ease his pain.”
“Oh sweetheart, I can’t imagine what you’re going through. Childbirth is a painful experience. There’s no getting around it, but it can be a wondrous experience as well. When your child is placed in your arms and you look into their little eyes, so full of love and bewilderment the pain no longer matters. That’s what Reid will experience and it will be just as remarkable for you too. There are no words to describe the feeling, you’ll see.”
“I can’t wait to see her mom and to see Reid holding her. Sometimes I can’t believe something so amazing is happening to us. I’m going to be a dad! Can you believe it?!”
“Yes I can, and you’re going to be a wonderful dad.”
“Thanks mom. You and dad are going to be awesome grandparents.”
“We’ll do our best sweetheart. And we’ll start by getting there as soon as possible.”
“Mom, you guys were just here a couple of months ago and…”
Charlene snorted, “Do you actually think anything in the world will keep us from coming? We may not be able to witness the birth, but we will definitely get there as soon as we can to welcome our little granddaughter into the world.”
“And we’d love to have you. Well I’d better get back to Reid. Jessica’s sitting with him now. Bye mom, see you soon.”
“Goodbye sweetheart, let us know the minute she arrives and don’t forget all the details, like how much she weighs, how long she is, eye color, hair color…”
Noah laughed, “Will do mom.”
“Oh and don’t forget her name. You must tell us what you’ve named her.”
“Of course I won’t forget. That’s the most important detail of all. Bye mom, I love you.”
With tears of joy welling in her eyes she said with a trembling voice, “Take good care of Reid and the baby. I love you too. Goodbye hun.”
When Noah was returning to Reid’s room he saw Jessica and Deb standing outside in the corridor and his heart seized a little. He dashed over to where they stood and with a panic stricken expression exclaimed, “What’s happened to Reid? Is something wrong with the baby?!”
Jessica answered, “Everything’s fine sweetheart. Dr. Hunt is examining him now and we wanted to give him some privacy, that’s all.”
Noah expelled a deep sigh of relief and carded his fingers through his hair. He smiled at them and said, “I suppose if I don’t calm down I’ll have to be admitted too.” They all laughed.
“It’s alright Noah. First time daddies are allowed to go a little crazy during labor,” Deb teased.
Soon afterwards, Dr. Hunt emerged from the room and before she could say anything Noah blurted out, “How is he Dr. Hunt?”
She addressed the three of them, ““He’s doing fine. I’ve administered an epidural and he should be ready to start pushing very soon.”
With a furrowed brow Noah inquired, “An epidural? Is that because he was in so much pain?”
“Yes, it’s very routine and I assure you it won’t harm the baby or Reid. I’ll be back to check on him in a half hour. At the rate his labor is progressing he should be able to deliver very soon.”
Noah’s face lit up with a huge grin, “Really?! That’s awesome, thanks so much doctor. Is there anything I can do to help him?”
She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and with a warm smile she replied, “Just keep doing what you’re doing for now and when the time comes I’ll instruct you further.”
He thanked her and she patted his shoulder and walked away. Noah turned to his dear friends and said, “You guys look whipped. Why don’t you go to the lounge and get something to drink and maybe put your feet up and rest for a while.”
They looked at each other and Deb replied, “Well I guess we should do that. So we can be rested and ready when the time comes.”
Jessica added, “Alright, we’ll get out of your hair for now, but we’ll be right back here in a little while. Just remember we’re available if you need us for anything.”
“Alright then, go keep Dr. Wolf company and keep him from hitting on those poor unsuspecting nurses,” Noah joked. They looked at each other and laughed. Then the two women went down the corridor.
Reid called out, “Noah!” He hurried inside his room and over to him. “What’s all that laughing about?”
“I’m sorry babe. Were we disturbing you?”
Reid sighed, “Not a chance. I’m wide awake now and too damn ready to get this over with!”
Noah sat in the chair next to his bed asking, “How are you feeling?”
Reid let out another frustrated sigh and quipped, “Like a very large object is forcing its way out of a very small orifice.”
Noah chuckled, “Dr. Hunt said you should be able to start pushing very soon.”
Reid looked up at him, rolled his eyes, and spat, “And that’s when all the fun starts.” As soon as he finished speaking he was hit by an intense contraction and screeched, “Oh dear God!” He immediately starting breathing through it, while Noah rubbed his shoulders and whispered encouraging words to him. When it was over Reid sniped, “Tell me again, whose idea was it not to use a condom about nine and a half months ago?!”
Noah laughed at his sarcasm, but Reid wasn’t amused. He only scowled at him - his not so subtle way of reminding him that he wasn’t exactly in a jovial mood. Noah’s smile quickly faded as he realized this and correctly surmised that the worst was yet to come.
*****
It was nearly ten PM when the moment arrived. Reid was now adequately dilated and ready to begin pushing. By then Reid had screamed and shouted and called Noah every curse word he could think of. Noah had grown weary from all the verbal abuse, but he took it like a champ, fully understanding that the situation called for it and completely letting Reid off the hook. He was bringing their precious baby girl into the world. How could he hold Reid responsible for a few off the cuff insults when he was performing a miracle? Noah felt like he owed him everything and the least he could do was to dutifully remain at his side and be ready to assist him in any way he could.
Reid now was positioned with his legs spread wide apart and with his feet planted firmly in the stirrups at the end of the bed as Dr. Hunt was attentively sitting on her stool in front of him, poised to catch his baby. Now Reid’s contractions were two minutes apart and each one was more debilitating then the last. Suddenly, he was hit by the worst pain of his entire life. He felt as if it stopped his heart and constricted his breathing, its intensity nearly causing him to lose consciousness. Through his dulled sense of hearing he could make out a female voice shouting at him to push.
And Reid did, with all his might. He didn’t know he had any strength left to do it, but somehow he did. He was finally pushing the baby out and it felt like the bottom half of his body was splitting in two! When he stopped pushing and the pain subsided a bit, he instinctively looked at Noah. He had to see his eyes, to assure him that everything was alright. Noah was speaking to him, but in his confusion he couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. However his heart was content by knowing his beloved boyfriend was right there beside him, with his undying love and support. When his mind began to clear he realized what Noah was saying to him; something about the baby being halfway out.
Reid was mortified that the hardest task of his life wasn’t over yet. He bellowed, “Halfway out?! It’s not over yet?! Are you telling me I have to do this again?!”
Then when he completely regained his senses he saw Noah with tears in his eyes, grinning like a loon. Then like a bolt of lightning the enormity of the situation hit him.
I’m actually having our baby! In a few minutes I’ll be able to see her! All of those months of speculating and wondering what she’ll look like will be over. I’ll be holding this brand new little person in my arms and she’ll be mine and Noah’s. Giving birth to her is the most incredible thing that’s ever happened to me. Maybe I should stop being an ass and appreciate what’s taking place.
Noah noticed Reid’s dazed expression and asked, “Are you alright babe?”
Reid just panted and nodded. He was far from alright, but he had decided to stop complaining and lashing out at Noah. He was doing all he could to help him and he didn’t deserve to be treated so harshly. Jessica handed Noah a cool towel and he applied it to Reid’s forehead then dabbed his face with it. Reid closed his eyes and relished the feeling of the cool wet fabric on his overheated flesh. All of a sudden his serene face became a contorted grimace as he was gripped by another excruciating contraction.
Dr. Hunt shouted, “It’s time to push again,” and Noah repeated her order.
Reid desperately wanted to yell, “Tell me something I don’t already know.” Instead he bore down and pushed with all his might. So hard in fact that the baby came slipping right out! He was determined he wasn’t going to have to push again.
A loud cheer went up from everyone in the room. It was all over. Reid had delivered their baby girl. He felt an enormous sense of relief as he lay back down. Then he closed his eyes and held his breath as he waited for signs of life. Seconds later he heard her cry, loud and strong as if she was annoyed by all the rude adults who dared to wake her from her sleep. Emotions he had never felt before washed over him like the tide and he began weeping uncontrollably. His loving boyfriend, with his own tears streaming down his cheeks carefully gathered him in his arms and held him close.
He softly whispered, “You did it. You’ve given us our beautiful baby girl.” Then he gently pulled away, dried his tears, and then leaned in and tenderly pressed his lips to his.
Dr. Hunt allowed the proud father to cut the umbilical cord. Beaming and overflowing with emotion Noah gladly accepted his duty. The doctor clamped off two sections of her umbilical cord for him to cut in between. His hands were shaking so much when he was handed the surgical scissors he had to stop and take a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. Then he concentrated on the important task at hand and quickly snipped it.
Then her cut was bandaged. His heart melted when he saw his child’s little red scrunched up face. She had grown tired of wailing and squirming, and had begun to settle down a bit, still not ready to open her eyes. He watched the nurse clean up his baby girl to make her presentable for her new parents. Afterwards the nurse weighed her and measured her. She weighted seven pounds and nine ounces and was eighteen and a half inches long.
A diaper was placed on her tiny bottom and a cap on her little head. The nurse then carefully wrapped her in a blanket and gently scooped her up into her arms to formally present to her beaming parents. Noah had rejoined Reid at his bedside and they both waited for that magic moment when their precious child would be placed in Reid’s arms. Reid was sitting up now. Still very sore from the ordeal his body had just endured, but completely ignoring the residual pain.
He was determined to remember every single detail about what was happening. It felt like slow motion when the nurse glided over to him carrying his sweet little angel. At the moment she placed her in his arms, she opened her little eyes and looked up at him. His heart soared, and grew to a size that couldn’t be contained in his chest. His mind couldn’t comprehend the level of emotion he was feeling.
He didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or shout, and felt like doing all three. She reached her tiny hand up towards his face and he kissed it. He had never felt skin so soft touching his lips. His doctor’s instincts took over and he removed her blanket to casually examine her tiny fingers and toes. He turned to his loving boyfriend who was now sitting next to him with his arm draped around him as he was gazing adoringly at their baby girl.
Reid said past the lump in his throat, “Look at her Noah, she’s perfect. Can you believe how beautiful she is?”
Noah tenderly kissed Reid’s forehead and replied, “Of course I can. She looks exactly like you.” With a smile as bright as the sun and with a wave of his hand he invited his dear friends to join them saying, “Come on over here guys. We’d like you to meet somebody.”
(Chapter 23)