Page 115 of The English Queen

He meant trousers. Ah, the fun of American English. It gave Beth a chuckle at a time she could use it. They left for hospital in good spirits, knowing they would return home in several days with a brand new baby. Once at hospital, Beth was whisked to a private room and tended to by a bevy of nurses—most of which spoke good English. This would become important as things raged. The doctor arrived immediately. She had been on call for the past week almost exclusively for Beth’s benefit. Beth was sure she loved the early morning wakeup.

Louis appeared overwhelmed as Beth began screaming in pain with every contraction, demanding pain relief. An anaesthesiologist was there within what was probably five minutes. However, it felt like two hours of writhing in pain. Louis proceeded to feel faint while Beth got her epidural.

“Louis, for the love of God, suck it up. I’m the one about to push a child out!” Beth screamed through a contraction.

It did no good. She later apologised, as did Louis. Pain relief in hand, Beth decided she was bored. She placed calls home. She rang her father, knowing he would wake. He did. Keir was now over-the-moon and Maggie would be excited when she awoke. When dawn broke, she texted her cousin Rita. Rita was up feeding a baby, so Beth rang her. They talked for a while before Rita added Vanna to the call. Vanna was so excited she let out an excited scream before calming. Her excitement and shrieking surprised Louis.

Beth napped. All was well. Then, it was time. She woke with an urge to push. Louis ran into the hall so fast shouting for a nurse that he almost ran one over. The nurses came in and called the doctor. Beth was ready to push. Beth had seen enough movies to know she would scream, sweat, and push for a few minutes before her baby was out in the world. Unfortunately, movies were not reality.

Beth pushed in good spirits. The pressure was unforgettable, but Beth told herself this was productive. It meant her body worked hard to get the baby out.

She screamed, “Get him out! My back… it hurts so bad!”

She was convinced it was a boy, of course.

Louis looked concerned but he held her hand and put cool towels on her forehead all the while. Beth’s husband may have been a bit squeamish, but he was nothing if not loving. He was dedicated as ever while she writhed in excruciating pressure. It was painful and not anything Beth was promised.

“Ma’am, he may be coming sunny-side-up,” a nurse explained, “It’s not a problem but it can cause more pain and make it harder for the baby to descend.”

“So, I won’t die?”

“No, ma’am. You will feel pressure.”

“Fuck pressure!”

“You’re doing great,” Louis assured. “Beautifully. Just keep it up. You are strong. You can make it.”

It took so long. She realised she burned more energy swearing, screaming, and crying than breathing and holding on. She needed every ounce of energy to survive. After an hour of pushing, Beth was so knackered she could barely hold her head up.

“Baby is crowning. We need you to push a bit more, Beth,” the doctor said. “You are close.”

Beth nodded.

She visualised was their baby would soon be with them. Beth hoped she could manifest a baby on the outside. She bore down and pushed, holding onto her husband’s hand for dear life. Two pushes later, the pressure ceased. They heard the unmistakable sound of a baby crying. It was their baby.

The doctor held the baby up. “It’s a girl!”

The baby was laid on Beth’s lap, screaming. Her pink cheeks, tiny fingers, and chubby feet looked heavenly to Beth who had been desperately trying to rid herself of this tiny, painful bundle. Louis declined to cut the cord. Instead, he let the doctor do the honours and followed their unnamed daughter to the side as nurses checked her over.

“She’s a girl,” Beth remarked.

“She’s beautiful,” Louis stammered in excited Dutch. “She’s ours. That is all that matters.”

“She is, yes. I thought all this time she was a boy. She was a girl. We don’t have a name for a girl, Louis.”

“I think I have a name,” Louis said, overwhelmed. “I will tell you later. It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t dare take away from the moment right now with her.”

“She’s beautiful, Louis. We did well.” Beth sighed happily.

It was over, and their baby was here in the world.

?????

For Immediate Release-

Today at 9:30 AM, Her Majesty the Queen delivered a healthy baby girl. The birth was attended by doctors and nurses at the Erasmus Hospital as well as His Majesty the King. The baby and mother are both recovering well. They are expected to remain in the hospital for a few days to get rest and ensure they are ready to return home.

The baby was born weighting 3.9 kilograms and measuring 51 centimetres in length. The baby is named Margaux Elise Vanora Elisabeth after the Queen’s mother, The Duchess of Inverness, the Dowager Queen Elise, and Queen Vanora of the United Kingdom. The Queen and King will both remain on leave for several weeks with the King returning to work part-time in a few weeks and the Queen returning in a few months. The baby is styled as Her Royal Highness Princess Margaux Elise, Duchess of Brabant and is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne.

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