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“Relax, Pam… don’t tense up.”
“Oh, God, this hurts,” Pam whimpered, clinging to Jim as they swayed back and forth.
“I know, I know,” Jim murmured soothingly. “You’re doing great.” He rubbed her back. “Come on… in through your nose, out through your mouth.” He breathed with her.
Pam inhaled deeply and held her breath for a moment, then let it out slowly as the contraction ended. She loosened her grip from around Jim’s neck and gave him a shaky smile.
“You good?” he asked, kissing her forehead. Pam nodded.
“Okay, let’s keep going.” Jim clasped her hand as they continued to walk the halls of the Labor and Delivery ward of Moses Taylor Hospital.
A few minutes later, Pam had another contraction. They stopped walking and Pam put her arms around Jim’s neck as they rocked back and forth, Jim murmuring his encouragement.
“Ugh, my back really hurts,” Pam groaned.
“Do you want to try the tub?” Jim asked.
“Yeah.”
On their way back to Pam’s room, they passed by the nurses’ station.
“Hey, guys, how are you doing?” their nurse, Carrie, asked.
“Pam wants to try the tub,” Jim replied.
“Alright. I’ll meet you back in your room in a minute, check you, and get that bath started.”
Back in Pam’s room, she had another contraction. Jim immediately put his arms around her middle as she hung onto him, and they slow-danced through the contraction until it was over.
“God, and I thought J.D. was bad,” Pam muttered against Jim’s shoulder. He chuckled slightly.
“Here,” he said, turning her around. “Bend over the bed.” Pam looked back at him and narrowed her eyes quizzically.
“Excuse me?”
“Jeez, not that. Get your mind out of the gutter.” He pressed gently on her shoulders until she was resting her elbows on the bed. He stood behind her and pressed the heels of his hands into her lower back, just above her hips.
“How’s that?”
“Mmm… good. I want to sit, though.”
Jim brought a large rubber ball over and helped Pam sit down on it. She leaned over the bed again and rested her head on her arms as Jim continued to massage her back.
“Oh, God that feels so good,” she murmured. “You should quit Dunder-Mifflin and get a job at a spa or something. Seriously, you’ve been holding out on --” She gasped suddenly. “Oh, jeez…”
Jim instinctively went to her side to hold her hand, but she shook her head.
“Mm-mm…” she panted. “Keep going.” Jim pressed his hands into her back again as she breathed slowly, humming quietly each time she exhaled.
Carrie came in just as the contraction ended.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
“Okay…” Pam replied. “My back really hurts, though.”
“Alright, well, the bath should help with that.” She pulled on a latex glove. “Why don’t you get in the bed and I’ll see how far you’re dilated.”
Jim helped Pam onto the bed, and Carrie sat down on the edge and quickly checked her.
“You’re moving right along, Pam,” she said, smiling as she pulled off the glove. “You’re 4, almost 5 centimeters.” She patted her leg. “I’ll go get that bath started.” She went into the adjoining bathroom. Pam groaned as they heard the sudden sound of running water.
“You okay?” Jim asked, alarmed.
“That water’s making me have to pee,” Pam grumbled as she hauled herself off of the bed. She walked into the bathroom, holding her back. Jim followed her, but she stopped him as she went into the small room containing a toilet.
“Nuh-uh,” she said. “You’re not coming in here to watch me pee.” She patted his shoulder. “I’m sorry, but some things are still solo activities.” She flashed him a grin as she closed the door.
Jim shrugged as he looked at Carrie, who was trying not to laugh as she filled the large tub. He turned his attention back to the door when he heard Pam gasp.
“Jim?” she whimpered. He opened the door to find her sitting on the toilet, clutching her belly. “Contraction,” she moaned. He knelt down between her legs and she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.
A moment later, Carrie gently knocked on the door.
“The bath’s ready,” she called softly.
Pam heaved a big sigh as the contraction ended.
“Wow… that one was intense,” she whispered. Jim rubbed her back and stood up.
“Ready to get in the bath?”
“Definitely.”
“Do you want to keep your gown on?” Carrie asked as they approached the tub. Pam thought for a moment.
“You know what?” she said. “Screw modesty.” She untied her robe and gown and let them drop to the floor. Jim helped her into the tub.
“Ohhhhhh that feels so good,” she sighed as she sank into the water. Carrie laid a towel out on a chair next to the tub.
“I’ll be back in a bit to check on you. Call me back in if you need anything.”
Pam closed her eyes and leaned back. The warm water felt so good on her tense muscles, and being submerged up to her neck made her feel weightless. She smiled and chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Jim asked, sitting on the floor next to the tub.
“This must be what she feels like in there,” she said, rubbing her belly. “Just floating around in warm water.”
Jim smiled. “But now the water’s gone, and she’s being squeezed every few minutes. Poor kid.” Pam opened her eyes and flicked some water at him.
“Oh yeah, poor thing,” she said sarcastically. “I wouldn’t want to be in her position. It’s so much easier to be me right now.” Her face suddenly contorted from a smile into a grimace as the pain began to build again.
“Oh… oh God…” she moaned, screwing her eyes shut. Her hand flew from the water and fitfully groped at the air.
“I’ve got you,” Jim said, grabbing her hand. “I’ve got you…”
Pam squeezed his hand tightly as she took in deep, shaking breaths, whimpering every time she exhaled. A tear escaped out of the corner of her eye. She continued to squeeze his hand until the pain ebbed away, and she loosened her grip as her breathing returned to normal.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. Jim’s brow furrowed.
“For what?”
“For nearly breaking your hand,” she said, opening her eyes. “Seriously, I think I felt your bones shift.” Jim laughed and rubbed his hand.
“That’s okay.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. Pam frowned and shifted around uncomfortably. “You alright?” he asked.
“My back really hurt during that one. It didn’t hurt that much when I was leaning over the bed. Maybe we should just do that instead of the tub.” She looked defeated.
“Hang on. I have an idea.” He grabbed the towel from the chair, folded it over a few times, and draped it over the edge of the tub.
“Here,” he said, helping Pam sit up. “Turn over and put your arms up here.” With some maneuvering, he helped Pam to her knees, and she leaned over and rested her arms on the edge of the tub. She sank back down into the water and laid her head on her arms.
“Better?”
Pam nodded.
They remained quiet, allowing Pam to relax between contractions, and concentrate on breathing as each one came and went. At first the water soothed her, made each contraction more bearable. Floating on her stomach took away the pressure in her back.
Soon enough though, the contractions were coming closer together, her pain becoming more intense. Jim tried everything he could to help her cope: he rubbed her back, added more hot water when she got chilled, held cool washcloths to her forehead and neck, whispered words of encouragement in her ear. However, after an hour in the tub, the pain became unbearable as the contractions came one after another.
“I want an epidural,” she whimpered during a horribly short, but merciful break between contractions.
“Remember, you wanted a natural birth,” Jim reminded her. “You said you wanted this birth to be as different as possible from J.D.’s.”
“Fuck that!” she growled as another contraction began to build. “I can’t take it anymore!”
“Okay, hang on,” he said as she clutched his hand for dear life. Jim pressed the call button on the wall. Carrie came in a moment later.
“How’s it going?”
“I want an epidural,” Pam said, panting as the pain began to subside.
“Alright,” Carrie replied. “Let’s get you back in the bed, I’ll check your cervix, and then I’ll call the anesthesiologist.”
She and Jim helped Pam out of the tub, and Jim wrapped her robe around her. She had just gotten back into the bed when she had another intense contraction. She fought through it, and as the pain finally dissipated, she suddenly grabbed Jim’s arm.
“I’m going to throw up,” she groaned. Jim grabbed a basin from the table beside the bed and held it under her chin just in time for her to lurch forward and empty her stomach. Jim rubbed her back until she finished gagging, and he caught Carrie’s eye as Pam fell back in the bed, exhausted.
“Don’t worry,” she reassured them, almost as if she had read Jim’s mind. “It’s very common for women to get nauseated during labor.” She took the basin from him and went into the bathroom, and she came back with a clean basin and a wet washcloth. Jim took the cloth from her and wiped Pam’s face, and then picked up a cup of Gatorade from the table and held the straw to her lips.
“Here,” he said. “Take a few sips.” Carrie sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Is it alright if I check you, Pam?” she asked. Pam nodded. She flinched as Carrie examined her, and she couldn’t help but notice when her eyes suddenly widened.
“Alright, Pam, sorry to tell you this, but it’s too late for an epidural. You’re 10 centimeters.”
“What?!” Pam yelped. “An hour ago I was only at 4!”
“Some women progress really quickly,” Carrie said. “You just happen to be one of them. I’ll go page Dr. McNulty.” She left the room. Pam looked up at Jim, desperation in her eyes.
“Oh, God, no!” she whimpered, nearly hysterical at this point. “I can’t do this, Jim! I need an epidural! Tell them to give me an ep-- oh God!” She doubled over with another contraction. Dr. McNulty entered the room just as the contraction ended.
“Alright, Pam, it looks like we’re ready to go,” she said brightly as Carrie helped her into a gown and gloves. She pulled over a stool and sat at the foot of the bed. “On the next contraction, try a little push.”
“Uh-uh, uh-uh,” she said, shaking her head vehemently. “I can’t! I can’t do this!”
“Yes, you can,” Jim assured her, squeezing her hand. “You’re almost there. You’re doing so great.”
“No, I can’t! I ca--” Her words were cut off as another contraction came. Despite her protests, her body seemed to take on a mind of its own. She grunted as she began to push in earnest.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own The Office. Or Moses Taylor Hospital. Or Gatorade.
Chapter End Notes:
Reviews are almost as good as the return of Dwight's elf costume.
A Labor & Delivery room at Moses Taylor Hospital
A Labor & Delivery bathroom at Moses Taylor hospital. Fancy, huh?
