[cashewmanz]

"Oh don't sell yourself short, I'm not that much younger..." Will said humbly. "And this pregnancy's not exactly a breeze either. Though at least my little guy is sleeping right now."

[shooshoo]

Ben shifted on the bed so he was lying down on his side, a pillow under his belly. "I'm just going to close my eyes for a little bit before I call. I just need a nap."

He patted the bed. "Nap with me?"

[cashewmanz]

"Okay..." Will sighed, a little frustrated that Ben wasn't taking more immediate action. "It's been a long day," he said as he curled up beside Ben. They'd never really been able to spoon, and it disappointed Will most of all now, when he felt like Ben could use the most comfort.

[shooshoo]

Ben already felt better now that he was resting, the dizziness starting to fade. He reached out blindly for Will's hand, squeezing it tightly as he drifted off to sleep.

[cashewmanz]

Will rested his eyes for a bit. He never really fell asleep, as he still wanted to keep an eye on Ben. He simply stroked his hair and fell into something of a trance while he waited for Ben to wake up. 

[shooshoo]

Ben woke up to a sharp pain in his back. He let out a whimper and tried to stretch it out but it just got worse. Will looked like he was sleeping and he didn't want to wake him so Ben got out of bed, trying not to make any noise. He began to pave around the bedroom, rubbing at the small of his back as he walked. The cat nuzzled briefly against his leg before jumping up onto the windowsill and curling up in her bed.

Ben rubbed under her chin for a moment before he resumed pacing. The pain was starting to fade but the ache seemed to settle into his lower back and hips.

[cashewmanz]

Will groaned as he awoke. He was surprised that he'd actually managed to fall asleep--he'd considered he was more vigilant than that. He moved his hand and soon noticed Ben was no longer beside him. He rolled over to find him pacing around the room.

"Ben...? You alright?"

[cashewmanz]

Will groaned as he awoke. He was surprised that he'd actually managed to fall asleep--he'd considered he was more vigilant than that. He moved his hand and soon noticed Ben was no longer beside him. He rolled over to find him pacing around the room.

"Ben...? You alright?"

[shooshoo]

Ben bit his lip and looked over at Will. "Uh no. I don't think I am."

Ben walked back towards the bed, wincing as another pain shot up his back. He stopped and breathed slowly, trying to wait until the pain passed. He rubbed his belly, trying to calm himself down by feeling her move slowly inside him.

"Do you know where I put my phone?"

[cashewmanz]

"Uhhh..." Will stalled nervously. "I think it's over on the kitchen table? I can go check for you, you just stay here and relax," he said, quickly leaping from the sheets and bustling to the next room.

"It's not in here!" he called from the kitchen. He checked the living room, the bathroom, everywhere frantically before he considered their coats hanging in the front closet. "Got it!" he shouted as he ran (well, as fast as he could) back to Ben.

[shooshoo]

Ben had his eyes closed as he breathed through a contraction - because he was positive that's what they were now. He opened his eyes to look at Will who looked pretty scared. Unfortunately he really needed Will to keep it together right now because it was way too early for him to be in labor.

"My midwife is named Sandy. Call her for me. She's probably going to tell us to go right to the hospital, but I want her there."

[cashewmanz]

"Alright," Will said, taking the phone and searching through the contacts until he found her. He dialed her up and awaited a response nervously.  
  
"Hi Sandy? .... no, this isn't Ben, I'm his partner, Will....no, that's fine, I know I'm calling from his phone...Ben thinks he may be in labor, and needed to talk to you...okay? Yeah, I'll ask him," he said, turning to Ben. "She wants to know how regularly you've been feeling contractions, and for how long."

[shooshoo]

"All day," Ben mumbled, rubbing his belly. "Not really regular most of the day. Not sure how close they are now. Since I woke up, I've had two."

His hands were shaking and he felt really nauseous. He barely made it into the bathroom before he was throwing up everything he'd eaten recently.

[cashewmanz]

"Said they were irregular most of today, but frequent in the past half hour or so...oh God, now he's throwing up like you wouldn't believe, what should we do!?...he said you'd suggest the hospital, but he really doesn't want to go, you know that...is it possible for you to join us here? I'm not sure I can convince him to go to the hospital..."  
  
Will waddled over to the bathroom where he found Ben hugging the toilet seat. "Babe, she says you really should go to the hospital. But you should talk to her, if you can," he added, extending the phone to him.

[shooshoo]

Ben took the phone, still leaning against the toilet. "Sandy," he managed to gasp out. He heard her talking to him, her voice calming. He felt another contraction start and he shoved the phone back to Will and tried to remember how to breath through the contraction to help ease the pain. Everything they had practiced had flown out of his mind and instead he was trying to hold his breath and grit his teeth through it.

[cashewmanz]

"Come on, Ben, breathe!" Will cried. "If you're going to be doing this, you should at least be doing it right. What did we take all those classes for if you're just gonna crouch over the toilet and turn yourself blue?"

[shooshoo]

Ben let out the breath he was holding as the contraction passed. "Hospital," he managed to get out. "She'll meet us there. Might be able to stop labor if it's still early enough."

Will held the phone to his ear and confirmed with Sandy where they were going. Ben kind of drifted until Will helped him back to his feet. He moved his arms the way Will told him to as he got him in a shirt and then a pair of slippers. Will got him out of the house and back into the car before Ben had another contraction. Will pulled the car over and coached him through breathing this time and he managed to get through it easier. He really, really didn't want to be in labor yet.

[cashewmanz]

Once Ben's breathing was under control, Will got the car moving. The hospital wasn't too far, and they'd each talked about practicing routes when the other inevitably went into labor. Because of his size, Will always figured it would be him. They stopped just once more before the hospital to get Ben through another tough contraction. Once they parked, he got him into a wheelchair and pushed him into the ER as quickly as his pregnant body would allow.

[shooshoo]

Sandy was waiting for them and it took almost no work to get Ben checked in and upstairs in a hospital room. Ben clung to Will's hand as a nurse and a doctor came in, conversing with Sandy who made it clear that she was going to be the one to do all the relevant checks. There goal was to stop Ben's labor if they could.

Ben was so unhappy to find himself in this position, an IV in his hand, a contraction monitor around his belly, and in the hospital in general. Sandy's voice was calm as she checked to see if he was dilating.

"Good," Sandy said as she withdrew her fingers and fixed the blanket back over Ben's legs. "Good news is that you're only at a two and barely effaced. Definitely in labor but very early labor."

The doctor stepped in then. "We're going to give you shots to help the baby's lungs just in case we can't stop the labor, but hopefully we can."

There was a lot of moving around and the nurse got Will settled into a comfortable chair close to Ben's bed.

[cashewmanz]

Will never let go of Ben's hand as they got him set up, save for the moment they needed it to insert the IV. His other hand went to rubbing his own belly, where his baby kicked about after all the commotion in getting here.

"That sounds good," he said to Sandy, and looked to Ben for some confidence. But Ben looked rather tired, and not at all in the state of mind or being to have a baby. "I'm sure they'll be able to stop it, Ben," he said, rubbing his arm.