Chapter 71…

I have never raced so fast in my entire lifetime.

It was as if nothing could obstruct me or stand in my way.

I needed to be there, if I miss even a single moment of this then I would never forgive myself.

I'm such a fucking idiot!

I cannot believe I forgot about my answerphone message, leaving it on from being in the meetings all day.

I could have missed it all, but luckily I made it just in time.

I hurried through the hospital doors.

"Miss Steele, where is she? Please…" Questioning every single person possible as I hasten down the hall.

Being told 'I'll find out for you sir, two minutes'.

I don't have two minutes!

I need to be by Ana's side right now!

I move through the hallways continuing to seek out my fiance.

"Mr. Grey!" I hear a familiar voice and Sawyer is signaling towards a room.

Finally!

"Where is she?"

"Right inside sir" He nods at me.

Thank fuck for my security, I don't know what I'd do without them.

I nod towards his direction and when I enter into the room, I'm greeted by a wincing Ana, and her work companion, Hannah, perched at her side.

The distress and panic rushing through my entire body. The adrenaline pumping through every single vein.

Hannah gives me a petite smile but it doesn't concern me right now, all my anxieties are for Ana and our baby.

I give Hannah a simple nod before racing to Ana's side and taking her hand in mine.

Kissing against her skin.

"Ana…."

I don't even notice Hannah's exit.

I gaze up into her eyes.

My eyes examining her entire body to ensure that she's okay.

"What happened? I'm so so sorry Ana. My phone died, then after receiving a phone call from Andrea I realized I left my automated voicemail on my office phone. Fuck I'm such an idiot. Ana, I'm so sorry"

She stretches out to cup my cheek with the humblest of smiles.

She looks pale.

Way too pale.

She looks weakened already.

As soon as I entered the room I watched her grimace in pain.

And so it begins.

"Hey….Hey….it's okay….you're here now, everything is fine"

I could see in her face that everything was most definitely not fine.

I held her hand through it all.

I consoled her through the discomfort.

Working my hand through her hair, stroking my fingertips against her knuckles, massaging against her shoulders. But the pain she was going through, nothing could ease it.

Nothing.

The seconds turn to minutes that turn to hours.

She's so strong, so brave, but hearing her cries of pain dug deep into my heart.

I couldn't concentrate on anything but her.

"You're doing so well baby" I lift her knuckles to my lips.

"It hurts" She whimpers.

Her eyes are closed in exhaustion.

Sweat glistening on her forehead.

Doctors and midwives paying visits every so often to check her over.

"Is the baby doing okay? Should it becoming this early?"

The question asked like its been floating in the air since Ana arrived here. But with no answer as of yet.

"Although 9 months is ideal, babies wanting to come into the world a little sooner than we expected is very common"

"So the baby is okay?"

"We're monitoring them, you're at 6cm dilation right now, a little more to go and you'll be needing to push"

I have no idea what that means, but Ana nods reassuringly.

There's a long winding transparent tube attached to the side of the bed that leads up to a mouthpiece for Ana to suck on to try to ease the pain.

But still, it doesn't seem to be doing much.

"I love you….so so much" I press a kiss against her temple.

How did I ever get so lucky to have her in my life?

"I love you too"

How did I get so lucky to have someone like her fall in love with someone like me?

I beam down her, things starting to look a little more hopeful.

Soon we'll have a new little addition to our family, our little blip.

I still can't believe it.

I'm excited and nervous both at the same time.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Both of our heads shoot towards the monitor.

Something isn't right.

Ana clasps my hand vigorously, not even with a contraction, but instead with apprehension and dread.

Our midwife's head shoots up too and even I can see the panic on her face too.

Fuck.

Fuck.

What's happening?!

She grabs her pager and within seconds a Doctor is hurrying into our room, scrubbing his hands before proceeding his way over to Ana's bedside.

"The heart rate has decreased dramatically," The midwife informs the doctor who nods in understanding.

Seconds start to feel like minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days. It's like time has suddenly stood still and there's no way of escaping it.

Something is wrong.

Something is so very wrong.

I look at Ana. She has tears cascading down her cheeks.

Then I realize my own eyes are watering with the salty liquid too.

No.

No.

Fuck this can't be happening.

If anything happens to this baby I will never forgive myself.

Everything is my fault.

All of this was my fault.

"Miss Steele, I know it's very hard to do so right now but we need you to remain calm, take deep breaths okay? I believe the umbilical cord is wrapped around the bay's neck. You're not fully dilated yet and I'd be worried about your safety and the baby's if we tried to push it out now. We are going to need to take you down for an emergency section to ensure you and the baby survive"

As the Doctor talks, Ana clutches my hand even harder.

"Do it….do it now" Ana demands.

An emergency section?

There are so many risks.

So many risks for Ana and the baby, but to save our little blip she knows it needs to be done.

I didn't realize my tears were cascading down my cheeks until a droplet lands onto the pale blue bed sheet in front of me.

I quickly wipe them away.

I need to be strong now, I need to be strong for her.

They start to wheel her out of the room and I go to follow but the midwife stops me.

"Mr. Grey, for safety reasons I'll have to ask you to come with me to suit up first"

"I'm not leaving her, I want to be there! I have to be there!"

I hear Ana cry out with another rush of pain.

"You will be sir, I just need you to put scrubs on for safety and hygiene reasons. You'll be in the room with her in no time" The midwife smiles reassuringly and I nod.

Following her, she gives me the blue scrubs that I instantly hurry to put on over my clothing.

"Ana, we're going to have to act quickly okay?"

I listen as the midwife opens the door for me and I speed to her side.

"Ana…" I kiss her forehead she knows I'm here.

Her cheeks are tainted with rivers of tears.

Her face is pale, so so pale. But her eyes are burning red from the worrying and crying.

"I'm scared Christian….I'm so scared" She weeps with sorrow. Her eyes closing once again, allowing even more tears to roll down her cheeks.

"Hey…" I cup her cheeks in an attempt to make her look up at me.

It takes her a while, she tries to prevent her tears from falling, but finally, she looks at me.

"You're going to be fine, I promise. You're so strong Ana, I've never met anyone like it. And our baby is half of you. If it has even half the amount of strength that you do then it'll fight to survive okay? Stay calm baby. I'm right here"

I'm not sure if Ana can hear them talking, but they're close.

They're so close to bringing the baby out of her.

I peer over the top of the blue sheet that's blocking her view between her and the birth of her baby.

This must be torture for her.

She had such visions of how she wanted all of this to go.

But our little blip wanted to come into the world sooner than expected.

They're going to be a handle full, I can already tell.

I just hope, I trust and pray that they're both going to be okay.

I watch them delve into Ana's stomach, it looks horrific.

The way they've cut into her and continue to cut lower to reach our little blip. I can't see everything, but I witness enough before I have to turn away. It's the bullet all over again. The last time we were at this hospital, it was just after Ana got shot.

Seeing her blood again, seeing her skin scarred. Takes me back to that moment.

But I have to be strong for her. This is about our baby, not about the past. This is a great moment in our lives, not like the last time we were here.

I lean down beside Ana so I'm level height with her. I gently run my fingers through her hair and finally, she turns to look at me.

So tired and so exhausted she can barely move.

Her eyes are becoming more hidden with exhaustion.

"You're doing so well baby" I murmur.

She smiles at my words and before we know it, tiny little cries are echoing around the room.

She immediately looks down but is still met with the blue sheet covering her body.

"Where….where is it…." She whispers, eagerly wanting to see her baby.

I stand.

I can see them. I can see our baby.

Squirming and wriggling in the midwife's hands.

The midwife cleans them off and checks them over.

That's our baby.

Our baby is okay.

My eyes filled with heartfelt tears.

Happy ones.

The only other time I felt this way was when Teddy was born.

Now, now our little family is complete.

I let out a small little laugh at the sight of our newborn baby.

A laugh of pride, a laugh of contentment.

"Congratulations Mr. Grey, Miss Steele….you have a beautiful and healthy…"

The Doctor's voice starts to be overtaken by the beeping of Ana's monitor.

"Ana?"

"Ana…."

"Ana baby…"

"Miss Steele…."

"Ana?! Ana!"

Her eyes rolling to the back of her head before fully closing.

Her body becoming limp.

"What's happening?! What's going on?"

The doctor starts work on her. Checking her pulse, her blood pressure.

Everything on the monitor.

I'm torn between staying at her side or taking our little blip into my arms.

What do I do?!

Ana!

Fuck!

Ana!

An hour later, we're back in the original hospital room.

Ana laying on the bed, while I sit in the comfortable chair next to her bed holding our newborn baby girl.

After all the panic and the worry.

Ana and our daughter are both alive and well.

Our little blip wrapped in a small pink blanket and curled up into my arms.

She's tiny.

So so small I'm afraid I might break her.

Her little button nose is just the cutest little thing.

The way her small body wriggles slightly within her blanket is something that has made me giggle at for the last hour.

I keep welling up with tears just at the sight of her.

She's so beautiful, so perfect.

My eyes have darted between Ana and the baby the entire time I've been sat here.

Ana hasn't seen her yet. The exhaustion took over her body. But I know, I just know when she wakes and sees our little girl, she'll fall in love immediately.

I gaze at Ana who is still fast asleep laying on the hospital bed, before gazing back down and my beautiful little girl.

It takes me back to when Teddy came into this world.

I smoothly stroke her little cheek which causes her to stir slightly but she remains asleep.

She cried when she came into this world but as soon as she was cleaned up and placed into her little blanket, her cries turned into whimpers.

"Would you like to hold your daughter Mr. Grey?" I reminisce over the last 2 hours.

"Is Ana going to be okay?"

"She's going to be fine, her blood pressure dropped and it's what's commonly known as blacking out, or fainting. She just needs some rest Mr. Grey" She smiles at me.

I looked towards before looking back at my little baby girl in the midwife's arms.

I nodded towards the midwife and she willingly placed my baby into my arms.

Her whimpers stopped immediately.

It's like she knew me right from the start.

She knew I was her daddy and she curled into my arms.

I haven't put her down since.

I look back towards to Ana and then back to our little blip.

Her skin feels and looks so soft.

Her tiny little fingers clutching the top of her blanket and as my fingertip gently grazes over the back of her tiny little knuckles, her fingers lock around my pinky.

It makes my heart skip a beat.

I feel such pride.

Such happiness.

Everything I have ever dreamed of, everything I never imagined I could have.

My heart and head are overwhelmed with emotions.

With her delicate body, she feels so light, like I'm barely holding anything.

She's so peaceful, so quiet, so content. She looks so perfect.

My little girl.

Our little blip.

I am her protector for as long as I live and my love for her will last a lifetime. Same with Teddy and with Ana.

They are my life now. Nothing else can compare.

My dreams became a reality and I never ever thought they would.

I can feel another tear roll down my cheek as I gaze over at Ana who is still fast asleep on the bed.

During the procedure, she lost a lot of blood which I was told is normal and her blood pressure dropped causing her to blackout.

She's so strong and such a fighter.

The doctor, nurses, and midwives have been amazing with her.

They fixed her, they healed her, and now she's here laying beside me with the faint beep of her monitor to keep a check on her blood pressure.

But I've been assured that they're both completely fine and healthy.

The Doctor has been to check on Ana and our baby twice since the operation and the midwives every 20 minutes.

My two strong girls.

I notice a movement out of the corner of my eye and when I look up Ana's body is stirring awake.

Her eyelids gradually flickering before fully opening.

She looks around as if searching for me.

Confused by the events of the last two hours, her brows furrow. Until she must finally realize where she is and what's happened.

Finally, she locks eyes with me, then her gaze trails down to the little bundle in my arms.

"Ana…." I smile lovingly at her and she starts to sob.

"Is….I…." She sobs over her words.

"Our daughter" I smile more, carefully standing and I move to sit at the side of the bed, right beside her.

"A girl?" Ana whimpers as she lifts up a little more to get a better look.

"Take it easy" I kiss the top of her head whispering.

Carefully, I place our little girl into Ana's arms.

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