Chapter 242: Becoming Parents
It had been two hours since Faye and Princess arrived at the hospital after her water broke. None of them were expecting it would be on a Sunday, early in the morning at 3 a.m., that her water would break. The clock on the wall was ticking past 5 a.m. now. According to the maternity teacher, they were supposed to expect it next week.
But I guess fate had other plans. The pups were clearly running on their own schedule, completely ignoring the calendar dates they had spent weeks staring at.
They were inside the VIP room waiting for the delivery moment... well, waiting for the delivery. The room was quiet, except for the low hum of the heart monitor and the soft rustle of the hospital sheets every time Faye shifted her weight.
Faye’s water may have broken, but she still needed to be 10 centimeters dilated before the birthing could begin. Right now, her body was just taking its time, starting the slow process while the two of them tried to keep their nerves under control.
"Okay, I just texted MG to get the things needed. He will be here soon," Princess said, setting her phone aside. She dropped the device onto the bedside table with a small clack, her chest rising and falling with a deep, grounding breath.
"Did you tell him to bring me donuts and orange soda?" Faye asked, her voice cracking slightly as she looked over.
"Yes. Pizza, donuts, chips, and the variety of sodas you listed," Princess replied. She offered a reassuring smile, moving a little closer to the edge of the mattress to show she had everything completely covered.
Faye was busy eating crackers, still not understanding why she was craving food. The dry biscuits crunched loudly in the quiet room, but she was glad she hadn’t started her tantrums yet. She was still calm, sitting up on the hospital bed. Her back was propped up by three flat pillows, her small hands brushing a few stray crumbs off the white blanket.
"So how are you feeling now?" Princess said, adjusting the girl’s hair. She leaned forward, her fingers gently sweeping through the brown strands. She was going to pack Faye’s hair into a ponytail because it had been falling all over her face. She pulled a black elastic band from her own wrist, working carefully so she wouldn’t pull.
"Let me see... my tummy is moving in a way I don’t understand, but it’s normal because the pups move all the time, so I am assuming they are either preparing or fighting over who wants to be the first one out. And also, my vagina is having an unending leakage of fluids. That’s how I am feeling," Faye said in a calm tone, trying not to sound annoying in the best way possible. She sighed, letting her hands rest heavily over the high peak of her belly as another soft ripple moved under her skin.
"Okay, it’s all going to be over sooner than you expect." Princess murmured, smoothing down the edges of the ponytail and securing it tight.
"It’s what you said 30 minutes ago, and no doctor or nurse has said anything about when they will be coming out." Faye grumbled, pouting her lip just a tiny bit as she leaned her head back against the pillows.
"Because your cervix needs to be fully open for the pups to come out." Princess explained patiently, her thumb rubbing a soothing line across Faye’s forehead.
"I’m not complaining as long as it’s not that painful. Will it be painful when it starts?" Faye asked. She looked up, her eyes suddenly looking very wide and vulnerable as she stared into Princess’s face.
"I don’t know, but I will call a nurse to guide you and answer your questions. You can ask her everything you need to." Princess said. She pressed her lips to Faye’s forehead, her own heart doing a nervous little dance against her ribs.
Princess finished Faye’s hair and walked over to the door. She pushed one of the buttons, requesting a nurse. The little plastic square lit up green, signaling the staff up front.
Princess didn’t know how labor pain felt, but she had read and watched educational videos about labor. Still, she was scared to explain to her girlfriend how it was going to happen. The medical terms and the descriptions of the intense waves made her stomach twist into knots, and she didn’t want to freak Faye out before the real work even started.
A nurse entered the room. Her name was Lela Ma. She had a kind face and walked in with a smooth, unhurried stride that immediately lowered the tension in the room.
Princess sat beside Faye as the nurse politely answered every question Faye asked.
The necessary ones and the unnecessary ones. Faye just kept asking, and the nurse did her job well. She explained the dilation process, what the monitors were reading, and even answered questions about whether the babies could hear the hospital machines from inside the womb.
She didn’t lose her patience to Faye’s annoyance or wild questions. She simply put on a smile and replied. Her voice stayed level and warm, breaking down the medical stuff into simple words that made sense.
She was about to leave, checking the charts on her small tablet, but Faye asked her to stay a little longer and keep her company. Faye wasn’t ready to be left alone with just her thoughts and the ticking clock again. And her girlfriend doesn’t want to answer her questions..
As the two discussed, Malo arrived, and he and Princess helped decorate the room in a funny but good-looking way. Princess wanted to make the room feel more lively for her girlfriend, wanting to erase the sterile, scary look of the medical equipment.
They used Patrick Star decorations and funny emojis for the girl to laugh at while looking around. Princess taped a bright pink cutout of the cartoon character right next to the heart monitor, while Malo hung up silly smiling faces along the privacy curtain.
Making a bikini bottom world.
Malo looked like one of the walking dead because he had been sleeping when he got Princess’s text. His hair was messy, and his eyelids were drooping heavily as he reached up to tape another decoration to the wall. Malo had made a special ringtone, not just a beep sound, so he would always be aware of Princess’s calls or messages because his boss hated it when she didn’t get a response once she texted. It was a loud, blaring alarm that could cut through solid rock.
Even if Malo was deep in the Pacific Ocean, that boy would still hear the ringtone. It was the only way he managed to keep his job and stay on Princess’s good side.
He had dressed himself up like SpongeBob. That was his own idea so he could entertain his friends during it all.
Through her earbud, the nurse got a message that she needed to attend to another patient. A tiny electronic beep sounded, and she gave a quick, apologetic nod. She had to leave, and Faye couldn’t do a thing about it, even though she wanted the nurse to continue telling the stories that had made her laugh and cry. The nurse gathered her clipboard and tab, stepping back toward the doorway.
"Nurse Lela," Faye called out. Her voice was soft, her fingers releasing the hospital blanket.
"Yes, Ms. Grande." The nurse stopped, turning back around with a warm look.
"Thank you for your company." Faye said, offering a genuine, tired smile.
The nurse nodded and waved to her patient before leaving.
Faye smiled back, resting her head on her pillow. She let out a long breath, her body relaxing into the mattress as she finally noticed her environment. She looked at the bright pink cutouts on the wall, the silly yellow shirt Malo was wearing, and the funny emojis dangling from the ceiling.
"Wow, feels like I’m inside Bikini Bottom."
