[hockeypreg2]

"I'm right here," Zach said as he hurried after the orderly and wheelchair. "Right behind you. Just relax, Caleb."

They were put into a small room and Zach and the orderly got Caleb into the bed, a nurse joining them right after. "I'm right here," Zach reassured Caleb, making sure he could see him. Another contraction had started and Caleb was panicking from being separated from Zach and the pain. "Caleb! Listen to me. I'm right here. You have to breathe through the contraction and stop panicking. Look at me."

[Sam260]

Caleb's eyes, wide and panicked, snapped over to where Zach was standing beside him and he desperately reached to his husband, sobbing and trying hard to breathe through the pain - being flat on his back, he finally understood what Zach had been screaming about when he had given birth to Savannah. It was excruciating and all he wanted to do was stand up again.

"Zach... Za... I .... My back... I can't... It hurts... please... please..." Caleb begged through the sobs and moans of pain, head shaking rapidly against Zach's chest as he clung to his husband, having pulled him down practically on top of him.

[hockeypreg2]

The nurse was on Caleb's other side, trying to help calm him. "Let's get him on all fours," she instructed Zach, reaching for Caleb's legs. Zach nodded and helped her move Caleb so he was on his hands and knees, panting heavily as the contraction ended.

Zach rubbed his back and hips. "Tell us what you need. We'll get you into a good position and the the nurse can start get the monitors on you."

[Sam260]

Caleb shook his head rapidly, bowing it down against his chest "No... No... Can't... It's coming, Zach..." Caleb cried out, fingers tugging hard at the sheets beneath him "I have to push... I have too." Caleb pleaded, tears staining his red face as he groaned loudly.

The nurse had a slightly alarmed look on her face, pressing the call button rapidly on the wall above the bed "Honey, we can't have you pushing yet... Please, we need to get the monitors on." The nurse tried to keep a calm voice, but it was obvious that she was kind of new, especially to delivering a child.

At that time Dr. Evans and the on-call OB came running in "Okay, what do we have?" Dr. Evans said, already starting to move around so she could see what exactly was going on with Caleb, carefully pulling his soaked sweats down to around his kneecaps. Her own eyes widened as she looked up at Zach "How long has he been in active labor?! I thought I told you guys to come in at seven minutes apart? He's already crowning!"

[hockeypreg2]

"We left when his water broke," Zach said defensively. "And his contractions were ten minutes then. I swear we didn't wait too long. Things happened fast!"

Dr. Evans, the other OB, and the nurse rushed around as Caleb groaned and rocked on the bed. Zach stroked his face and stayed close. "Just hold on a few more minutes until they're ready. Then you can push. You're almost done, baby. Our little one is almost here."

[Sam260]

Caleb sobbed and shook his head against his forearms, hips squirming with each contraction that seemed to be endlessly coming one after the other "Please... Please, Zach... I'll do anything, just please... I have to push... I have to get it out." Caleb cried, lifting his head up just enough to look at Zach - his eyes were red and cheeks puffy from the crying.

The other OB, a middle eastern man with a kind smile turned to Zach and Caleb "We only need a few more seconds and then you may push, Mr. Martin. Dr. Evans is currently just getting a clean area for the baby to be born in, as the Emergency Department Room is not exactly the place to be having a baby!" he said, voice far to chipper for a man in his late fifties and in an obviously extremely stressful situation.

[hockeypreg2]

Zach leaned close, rubbing Caleb's arms. "I know, baby. I know how bad you need to push. I've been right where you are. Just pant through the contraction and Dr. Evans will let you push before you know it."

Dr. Evans finished and got her hands between Caleb's legs, the bed as good as possible. "Okay Caleb, on the next contraction you can push. Let's get this baby out."

Zach moved close and leaned against the bed to hold Caleb's hand, squeezing it. "Deep breath and then push for us."

[Sam260]

Caleb nodded and bore down, with a deep breath he started pushing as hard as he could, screaming out loudly. His hand clenching tight around Zach's hand "Oh godddd!" he cried, tucking his head against his chest as he kept pushing "You asshole! You are *never* fucking me again!" Caleb screamed, loudly - the entire emergency department could probably hear him.

Dr. Evans, the other OB, and the nurse all looked mildly amused by Caleb's outburst but otherwise said nothing except for words of encouragement to help Caleb get through the delivery as quickly as possible.

Dr. Evans grinned brightly "We're almost there! The baby's head is pushing now... Good good, okay, we have a head, Caleb I need you to stop pushing for a few minutes!"

Caleb groaned and collapsed his chest against the mattress, panting heavily and tiredly, tears glossing his eyes "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you... No more sex, no more... You're *done* touching me, Zachary Martin!" Caleb growled, fingers untangling from Zach's hand and clenching around the sheets.

Dr. Evan's couldn't contain her laugh this time "You'll change your tune, soon, Caleb... No worries. It's just because you're currently having a completely natural child birth, without a single drop of drugs... You should be so proud right now that you're bringing this little one into the world completely drug free."

[hockeypreg2]

Zach turned bright red as Caleb shouted about their sex life and cursed loud enough for everyone to hear. He didn't remember saying this stuff when he gave birth but things were kind of hazy around the ending. He rubbed Caleb's back and tried not to meet Dr. Evans' eye.

Instead, he took a look at the baby's head sticking out of Caleb. "Oh. Wow. Caleb, the baby has no hair. This is the first one without a full head of hair."

[Sam260]

"Great..." Caleb huffed and squirmed. It felt extremely awkward having half a baby sticking out his body and the other half still inside "Now we're going to have to buy caps... We don't have any... Never needed any with Noah or Savannah." Caleb said, rolling his forehead back and forth on the mattress "Can we move this along? I'm going to end up missing my shows if you don't get this one out, soon, Dr. Evans."

Dr. Evans rolled her eyes and glanced at Zach "Has he been *this* irritable for the entire pregnancy, or is this just a now thing?" she asked Zach before turning her focus back onto Caleb "You can start pushing again on the next contraction, I was just making sure that the babies shoulders were going to collapse and that the cord wasn't wrapped around its neck. You've an awful quiet one - usually that first breath of air for a baby and their screaming their lungs out."

Caleb turned his head and looked at Dr. Evans with alarmingly wide eyes "Silence is *NOT* a good thing, Dr. Evans... You tell me if my baby is alright, right now, or I will fire your ass!" Caleb shouted, trying to sound threatening but the tears that were immediately welling and spilling down his cheeks did nothing to help aide in his anger.

[hockeypreg2]

"Caleb!" Zach said immediately. "The baby is breathing and its eyes are open. It's just not crying. Stop yelling at Dr. Evans!" Zach looked flustered. "It's been a long pregnancy, sorry." He rubbed Caleb's back, feeling awkward now.

Dr. Evans waved a hand, the other one supporting the baby's head. "I've heard much worse, trust me. Okay, Caleb. Let's get the baby the rest of the way out and see if you've got a little girl or a little boy."

[Sam260]

Caleb nodded and groaned, another contraction starting up just in time for him to start pushing again. He bit down against the mattress to muffle his scream as the babies shoulders made their way out.

After that it seemed like everything happened at once; The rest of the baby's body popped out, the infant started screaming upon being completely removed from its warm cocoon inside of Caleb's body, filling the ER department with healthy and loud cries. Caleb started sobbing in both relief and utter exhaustion, Zach was kissing him and crying next to him.

The other OB and nurse were cleaning up and swaddling the newborn as efficiently as possible in the small and cramped room that really did not allow for five adults and a newborn. Dr. Evans was working on cutting the umbilical cord and getting the after-birth taken care of as quickly as possible, requesting one last push from Caleb.

When all was said and done, they got Caleb back onto his back, comfortable as possible on the soiled bed but away from the blood and other bodily fluids at the end of it, and Dr. Evans had a smile on her face as she turned, completely clean, with a newborn baby in her arms "I'd like for you both to meet your son..." Dr. Evan's said softly, settling the newborn into Caleb's tired arms.

[hockeypreg2]

Zach laughed happily, tears streaming down his face as the baby continued to cry about how he had been evicted from his warm, comfortable womb. He stroked a finger over his cheek, cradling Caleb close. "Oh look at you. You look just like your brother just without any hair."

The baby boy was the spitting image of Noah, almost like they had made a copy of him. It was amazing. He was so chubby too. His extra time in the womb had obviously been spent putting on weight which was wonderful.

"He's so chubby. He's already got little rolls on his arms," Zach said to Caleb softly. "We made a fat little baby. You did such a good job with this one."

[Sam260]

Caleb laughed and laid his head on Zach's head, sniffling and reaching up to wipe away his tears; it was useless, they kept coming. "Our chubby little Milo Martin..." Caleb said softly, gently playing with the little chubby hand that was settled outside of the swaddled blanket "You are such a handsome little boy."

Caleb tilted his head back and kissed Zach lightly "We did a good job, babe. You helped create him, even if you didn't know you were." Caleb said softly "But he is *totally* being weaned before he hits a year old, because I am *not* going through another episode like we had with Noah, nursing at two and three years old..." Caleb shook his head and sighed tiredly.

His head once again fell against Zach's and he yawned tiredly, eyes drooping shut "I think he's hungry, but... I am so tired... I didn't know natural child birth was so exhausting..." Caleb said quietly.

[hockeypreg2]

"It's so exhausting. Remember how long I slept after I had Savannah? I only woke up when she needed to eat," Zach said as he moved Caleb gently and got everything situated so that he could help hold the baby in position to nurse.

Once the baby latched, after rooting around and getting frustrated first, Zach looked at Caleb curiously. "I don't remember talking about Milo. Was that even on our list? I like it. It suits him so it's a keeper, I'm just drawing a blank on when we talked about it. I thought we were going with Ethan for a boy."

[Sam260]

Caleb nodded tiredly, rubbing his head back and forth on the pillow - he missed his pillow already, this was definitely not comfortable "You were half asleep when I asked about it..." Caleb admitted shamelessly; clearly not a care in the world that he had tricked his husband into naming their son "I asked and you said sure. So, I took it as a win... Even though you were hardly conscious."

Caleb smiled and cracked an eye open to look up at Zach "Milo Ethan Martin... Unless you don't think it flows right?"

[hockeypreg2]

Zach laughed and leaned over to kiss him softly, his hands still keeping their son steady as the nurse put an IV in Caleb's
arm. They were doing all of this backwards but they were finally getting Caleb's vitals as well.

"I'm good with his name. I just think it's funny that you basically tricked me into picking his name. I'm glad it wasn't something awful."

"We're going to get you moved to a room a soon as possible," Dr. Evans said as she put clean blankets over the end of the bed. "How are you feeling, Caleb? Want some pain medication now?"

[Sam260]

Caleb stuck his tongue out at Zach and smiled "How else do you think I get my way? I have to ask you questions when you're unconscious."

Caleb turned to look up at Dr. Evans and shook his head slowly "I'm good without them... Maybe later after all of the anxiety, stress, and adrenaline dies off - I'll probably need something then... but for now..." Caleb shrugged his shoulders lightly and looked down at their nursing newborn son "for now, he's keeping me pretty pain-free and happy." Caleb said softly, rubbing a gently thumb back and forth across Milo's back and sighing happily.

[hockeypreg2]

"I've got you packed with ice down below so that will help with the pain. The IV is just going to give you fluids. Your uterus is contracting just fine so I don't think we need the pitocin. You did well, kiddo." Dr. Evans grinned at him. "And I really hope I don't deliver any more babies for either of you. Schedule vasectomies both of you."

Zach leaned against Caleb and laughed at that. "Yeah that's the plan. No more pregnancies for either of us. Milo is it."

[Sam260]

Caleb nodded and smiled as he gently pulled Milo away from his chest and shifted the newborn up to his shoulder so he could gently burp him "Definitely it. We still have plans on fostering and eventual adoption... So no more little mini-me's or mini-Zach's running around." Caleb said quietly, kissing the back of Milo's head as the newborn burped only on the forth pat to his back "No matter how adorably cute our little ones come out, we have to save room in our house... Or think about buying a new one."

Caleb looked up at Zach and licked his lips lightly "We really should think about buying a new house... We are definitely running out of room, and the kids are going to need a bigger play room."

Dr. Evans shook her head and laughed "A few orderlies will be by soon to move you... Enjoy your conversation about possibly moving to a new house, just make sure I'm invited to the house-warming party." She said before moving out the room, giving Caleb's foot a comforting squeeze on the way out.