'Kristin'
Something New, Part 2
Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I only own the characters of Fabio, the baby (don’t wanna give anything away! hehe) and Kristin’s dad…and the story.

AN: This is a continuation of part 1 so if you haven’t read that I suggest you do. Please read and review :)

Tommy sat by the side of his wife’s hospital bed feeling completely helpless; he had never seen anybody in so much pain. For the first time he couldn’t give her a hug to make it go away and he couldn’t pay anybody any amount of money to make her feel better.

“Tommy,” Kristin said; she sounded almost delirious.

“I’m right here,” Tommy consoled her.

“Tommy,” Kristin said again. “Hold my hand.”

Tommy took her hand in his and held it close to his heart. He didn’t feel like he was doing much but if it would help Kristin he would do anything.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” Kristin said as she rolled onto her side and pulled her knees up close to her belly.

“Kristin,” Tommy told her. “I don’t care if you squeeze my hand right off of my arm.”

He didn’t mean she actually could squeeze his hand off of his arm but it felt like that was what she was about to do.

“Tommy?” Kristin asked as she opened her eyes and looked at him.

“What is it baby?” he replied.

“I want my Mama,” she said as tears ran down her cheeks. “Where’s Mama?”

“She’s out in the waiting room hunny,” Tommy told her.

“Go get her,” Kristin begged. “Please?”

“Of course I will,” Tommy told her. “Are you going to be ok for a minute?”

“I think so,” she told him as she attempted to smile at him.

“I’ll be right back,” Tommy told her as he kissed her forehead before quickly leaving the room to find Mrs. Yancey in the waiting room.

Tommy practically ran down the hall to tell his mother-in-law that Kristin needed her.

“Come quick,” he told her as he came within hearing distance.

“Is she ok?” Mrs. Yancey asked as she stood up and quickly followed Tommy back down the hall.

“She’s in so much pain,” Tommy told her. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Tommy,” she said as she stopped before they got to Kristin’s door. “All you need to do is be there beside her; that’s all she wants and that’s all she needs.”

“I just feel so helpless,” Tommy explained.

“I know,” Mrs. Yancey told him as she put her hand on his arm. “But trust me; everything is going to be ok. Kristin isn’t the first woman to have a baby and she certainly isn’t going to be the last.”

Tommy nodded his head and followed his mother-in-law into Kristin’s room.

“Mama?” Kristin asked as she tried to sit up to see who had walked into the room.

“I’m here baby,” her mother consoled her. “Lie down.”

“Mama it hurts,” she cried as her mother sat down on the side of the bed and gathered Kristin into her arms.

“I know baby,” her mother told her as she rocked her gently. “Just think about the beautiful little baby you’re going to cradle in your arms soon.”

Tommy watched as Kristin smiled and laid a hand across her belly.

“Do you need something to drink baby?” Mrs. Yancey asked her.

Kristin nodded her head weakly and Tommy walked over to the table and poured a half glass of water and brought it over to Kristin. Tommy waited as her mother propped Kristin up by putting pillows behind her back and then he carefully held the glass to her lips for her.

“Thanks,” Kristin said after she’d taken a couple mouthfuls, she seemed to relax a little.

“Do you need anything else?” Tommy asked her; desperate to do something that would make him feel useful.

“Not right now hunny,” Kristin told him. “Thanks, though.”

Tommy sat down beside her bed again and felt more helpless than ever as he watched her mother dab at her forehead with a damp washcloth.

“Mama, I want it to be over.” Kristin cried.

“I know baby,” Mrs. Yancey replied as she helped Kristin sit up straighter. “I know.”

Tommy was close to tears as he watched Kristin’s face contort with pain.

“I can’t take it anymore,” she cried again. “Make it go away. Make it stop, please!”

“Hunny,” her mother began. “I know you said you didn’t want any drugs but they’ll help you feel so much better.”

“I don’t want anything to hurt my baby,” Kristin told her mother.

“I’m not going to let anybody do anything to hurt you or your baby,” her mother assured her.

“No,” Kristin said firmly. “Not until after the baby is born.”

“Kristin, maybe your mom is—“ Tommy began before Kristin cut him off.

“No!” she yelled as anger flashed in her eyes. “Nobody is doing anything that could hurt my baby.”

“I’m sorry,” Tommy told her as he got out of his chair and sat beside her on the bed. “I just hate to see you in so much pain.”

“I know,” Kristin said as she took his hand in her own. “It’s ok. I’m sorry I yelled.”

Tommy watched as Kristin took one more deep breath before closing her eyes and relaxing a bit.

“MAMA!” She screamed suddenly as she grabbed her stomach with both her hands and a look of fear clouded her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Tommy asked as he jumped to his feet and stood over her.

“The baby’s coming now!” she gasped as she pushed her body back into the pillows.

He didn’t even wait for her mother to respond. Tommy ran from the room as fast as he could to find a nurse.

“Someone help!” he yelled as he rushed toward a nurse coming down the hall toward him. “Come quick!”

“What’s wrong Mr. Ballantine?” the nurse asked calmly as he skidded to a stop in front of her.

“My wife,” he told her as he pointed toward Kristin’s room. “The baby is coming.”

“Alright let’s see what’s going on,” the nurse said as she led the way back to Kristin’s room.

Tommy’s heart was pounding. Why couldn’t she walk faster?

“Ok Mrs. Ballantine,” the nurse said as she came into the room. “Let’s see how you’re doing.”

Tommy stood by the door and watched as the nurse checked the various machines Kristin was hooked up to and gave her a quick checkup.

“Is she ok?” Tommy asked as he came to sit beside Kristin and put his arm around her.

“She’s fine,” the nurse smiled; her smile calmed Tommy. “I think we’ll have a baby here in about an hour.”

“An hour?” Kristin asked in a shocked voice.

“Try to close your eyes for a few minutes and relax your body,” the nurse told Kristin before she left. “You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you. I’ll be back in about 10 minutes to get you ready.”

“Tommy?” Kristin asked after the nurse had left.

“What do you need love?” Tommy asked her as he rested his hand on her knee.

“I need you,” Kristin told him.

Her words brought him comfort and helped him realize that his presence alone really was a comfort to his wife. Kristin pushed herself up to a sitting position and Tommy moved most of the pillows to the chair beside the bed before climbing into the bed behind her. When he had his legs stretched out on either side of her she leaned back against his chest and let her hands fall limp beside her.

“Everything is going to be ok,” Tommy told her as he wrapped his arms around her and began massaging her belly. “Try to relax for a few minutes like the nurse told you.”

“I love you,” Kristin sighed as her body relaxed against his and she closed her eyes.

“I love you too,” Tommy told her. “With all my heart.”

“I’m going to leave you two alone,” Mrs. Yancey said as she kissed her daughter’s forehead. “I’ll be back to see my new grandbaby in a little while.”

“I love you Mama,” Kristin told her. “Thank you.”

“I love you too, baby girl,” she told her before turning and leaving the room.