Chapter 19

The first two nights in the hospital were uncomfortable. The contractions were bad; the kid really wanted out.

     Since it was ten minutes away from home, Edward would stay with me throughout all of the visiting hours, and then he would have to leave. I slept a lot, for reasons unknown, and I often grew restless, getting up and walking around my room when I wasn't supposed to. The baby was kicking a lot, which took a long time to get used to. Sometimes, it felt like it was pummeling my stomach.

     Then came the moment of truth, when my water broke.

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Edward had just entered the room when it happened.

     "Ed..." I said, my eyes wide.

     "What's the matter?" he asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.

     "Either I just pissed myself, or..." I didn't need to finish the sentence. Edward immediately stood up and ran out of the room looking for Dr. Marcoh. My heart started hammering, my mind darting in and out of thousands of places at once.

     The baby's coming.

     It's going to hurt.

     Asher, my baby, is here!

     It's going to hurt like HELL!

     The baby's coming!

     DAMN THIS IS GOING TO HURT!

     I tried to take deep breaths, but then yet another contraction started. It surprised me, and it seemed even worse than they had been, but I stopped myself from screaming. I was trying to sit up as I gripped the bed sheets, and then it ended.

     Edward and Dr. Marcoh were taking a really long time. Another contraction began just as they entered the room.

     That one, I screamed for.

     "Calm down," Edward said loudly as he took my hands. "Just calm down."

     "This hurts, Edward," I sobbed. "It HURTS!"

     "I know it does, just calm down," he said. The contraction seemed to be getting worse and worse, and finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

     I lose all sense of the room around me and passed into a cold faint to escape the pain.

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Screaming.

     That's how I became conscious again. It took me a minute to realize what was happening, and then I realized the pain and pressure I felt in that one area I never thought would hurt so bad.

     There was a bright light above my head. My legs were being held up, and I felt extremely uncomfortable.

     And then I noticed Edward standing next to me, squeezing my hand, keeping his eyes locked on my face.

     "Just a little more," I heard him say faintly. "You can do this, Lucy!"

     I can, I thought to myself. I can do this. I can't be scared right now.

     I heard Dr. Marcoh telling me to push. I did, even though it made me want to scream even more. I pushed and pushed, screaming and screaming, sweating and crying. Edward was above me, looking like he had tears in his eyes as well.

     "You can do this," he was still saying. "you can do this."

     I pushed as hard as I could, more screams and sobs rippping from my throat. I had never endured pain like that before.

     "It hurts," I sobbed again, squeezing my eyes shut, sure my face must have been beat red. "It's hurts so bad!"

     Edward brought his face closer to mine and said, "I know it hurts. But, just think of the beautiful baby boy you'll get to see when this is all over, Lucy. Asher Aden Elric."

     I closed my eyes, still trying to push, and I thought about Asher. I imagined him, a bald little baby with bright eyes and a smile on his face, happy to see mommy and daddy.

     That was enough motivation for me.

     I pushed as hard as I could. I had no idea how long it went on for, but after one long and painful push, I heard the sound of a baby screaming.

     "A little more!" Dr. Marcoh shouted over my screaming. I pushed with all my might and squeezed my eyes shut, a death grip on Edward's hand.

     Finally, I felt all the pressure gone from that area, and the only sound that filled the room was the sound of my baby crying.

     In the end, all I did was yawn.

     "Lucy, he's here," Edward said to me, his eyes looking at the baby Dr. Marcoh was giving to a nurse. Probably to get cleaned up.

     "Asher..." I whispered. "Asher's here..."

     "Yeah, he's here," Edward whispered, kissing my forehead. I smiled and started to see spots swimming in my vision.

     My baby was no longer inside of me, but out in the world, ready to take on life. And that was all my mind registered before my head rolled to one side and I fell asleep, a smile on my face.

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It looked to be about sunset when I woke up. I was back in my hospital room, laying in bed with an IV drip in my arm.

     "Ed," I croaked, surprised a bit at how hoarse my voice had become.

     "Right here," I heard him say. I rolled my head to the right, and saw Edward sitting in a chair, Asher wrapped in a white blanket in his arms.

     "Having fun over there?" I asked with a smile.

     "I'm actually having a mini panic attack," he admitted, smiling as well. "I don't know what to do."

     I chuckled and sat up, still sore, and stacked my pillows so I would have something to lean my back on.

     "Um, Edward," I said, looking at him. He grinned at me and said, "Wanna hold him?"

     I nodded, sure I was blushing, and Edward stood up carefully, as to not hurt Asher in some way.

     "He's your baby," Edward said quietly, handing Asher off to me. "you don't have to ask."

     I cradeled the baby in my arms, looking down at his face. I couldn't tell who he looked like more, me or Evan. He had a little bit of light brown hair, but I figured that would darken as he got older. He skin was still a bit pink, and his eyes were closed. He moved his arms around and was a bit squirmy, probably annoyed he got moved from one person to another, and I laughed.

     "What is it?" Edward asked.

     "He's going to be just like me," I said, a permanent smile seeming to be plastered onto my face. "Look at how annoyed he is that he got passed on to another person."

     Edward laughed at that.

     I rocked Asher, smoothing down his hair with my free hand and just looking down on his face.

     "Hello, Asher," I said quietly, holding out my finger, which he took ahold of. "I'm your mommy. Daddy's here, too." He made a little irritated sound.

     I made him, I thought. He grew inside of me, and I gave him life.

     He was going to be the perfect little boy. I knew that for a fact.

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The next morning, when visiting hours began, we got a surprise visit from Winry and Pinako.

     "I had to see this with my own eyes," Pinako said, eyeing me over. I never actually told her in person about the pregnancy. I blushed, and Winry seemed speechless and/or unable to form full sentences.

     "Boy?" she asked. I nodded.

     "What's his name?" Pinako asked.

     "Asher," Edward and I said together. Pinako smiled.

     "You both have really grown up," I heard her say. "Winry still has to gain that level of maturity."

     "G-Grandma!" she said loudly, her face red. She apparently said it a little too loudly, for Asher made a face, squirmed, and started crying.

     "No, no, no," I whispered, rocking him and smoothing down his hair. "Don't cry, mama's here. Shhh."

     Asher quickly stopped crying, yawned, and went back to sleep.

     "A natural mother," Pinako said quietly. I smiled down at Asher, and kissed his forehead.

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The next time we got visitors, I had just woken up from a nap. Lieutenant Hawkeye was the first one in the room, dragging Colonel Mustang in with her. They were both dressed in casual clothing instead of their military uniforms. Edward was sitting in a chair with Asher in his arms. He looked very tired.

     "Edward, pass him to me," I said as I sat up. "You can go home and get some rest, Dr. Marcoh said I'll be able to leave soon."

     "Alright," he said, standing up and carefully putting Asher in my arms. "Call when you can go and I'll come pick you two up."

     "Okay," I said quickly squeezing his hand before he stood upright and nodded to Riza and Colonel Mustang as he left.

     "This is Asher?" Riza asked as she sat on the edge of my bed. I nodded and said, "Asher Aden Elric."

     "He's beautiful," she said with a smile on her face. Asher opened his mouth and yawned, making a small noise as he did so.

     "He looks like you," Colonel Mustang said. I looked up and him and smiled.

     "So," I said. "are you two going on a date or something?"

     "Don't be ridiculous," Colonel Mustang said a little too quickly as Riza laughed. "We both took leave time to come see you and your, um, son."

     "Do you want to hold him, Colonel?" I asked him,

     "No," he said with finality, like he wasn't going to change his answer for anything.

     "Your loss," I said. "Do you, Riza?"

     "Sure," she said. I carefully handed Asher off to her, and she took him, looking more like a mother than I did when I held him.

     "You look perfect for the role of a mother," I found myself saying. She just smiled and chuckled it off, not taking her eyes off of Asher.

     "He really is a beautiful boy," she said, looking from Asher to me. I couldn't have agreed more.

Author's Note

Da babeh's finally born!

Reviews

[Anonymous]

I'm so happy that I want to CRY. IT'S SO DANG CUTE!!!! GAAAAAAH!!!! XD

[dachildofevil]

awwww!!!
i was wondering when she was going to spit him out :/ lol
Mustang and Riza are totally going out
dont even try to lie XD