Saved By The Firefighter
Chapter 134

Ben's Point of View.

I sit behind my desk, as I work out the rota for cooking duties. I have been running Marley Pots station for just under six months now, and I have a good team of guys working with me at this station. Do I miss my days at Farringdon and Red Watch? Yes, I cannot deny that I do, but life goes on, and that watch has almost completely changed now. Cal is full time, Davey is running the station. Twinkle and headache are the only two originals left, as Josie left to start her fire investigation training not long after she returned from her wedding, which was a good job, as within a month of coming back she was already pregnant. We all make sure we meet up at least once every off shift, and the girls are as thick as thieves.

Weddings, now there is a sore subject. Lucy has, as promised, made me wait, not even wanting to get engaged until after our baby is born. My girl is large with child, already a week overdue, and is getting more and more uncomfortable as the days go by. However, I have a plan, and I check my trouser pocket, feeling the box I carry inside it, ready for when she gives birth, which could be any day now, but if not, she is booked in to be induced in three days.

I cannot wait to meet our little one. Find out if we are having a boy or girl. Lucy and I decided we did not want to know what we were having, both of us liking the idea of a surprise. The mother was a little disappointed, as she wanted to buy the shops out of little outfits she had seen, but could only buy neutral colours and babygrows. However, her mind was happily taken up on planning her own nuptials. Who would have thought it? The mother being married before I was. Even Davey is engaged, his wedding is next month. Seriously, it is doing my head in, being the last man to make the woman of my dreams, and mother of my baby say I do!

I let out a sigh, as a knock on my office door disturbed me from my thoughts about marrying Lucy.

"Come in." I shout, as the door opens, Josie enters my office with a tin of what I hope are her cakes in her hands.

"I have left a tin in your common room, but these are ginger cakes, for you and Lucy, given she is still craving ginger." Josie smiles, placing the tin down on my desk before sitting in the seat before me, placing her hand over her small bump. "Talking of Lucy, still no sign yet?" Josie asked.

I shook my head at her.

"Not yet, she is booked in to be induced though, so not much longer to wait." I sighed.

"Oh, I just wanted to let you know, Anders and I are having a boy. We are not having a gender reveal party or anything, as Lucy is too close to her date to come, so I am just doing the rounds and telling everyone." Josie grins.

"Oh wow, congratulations." I said, standing up and rounding my desk to give this girl who is like my sister a big Ben hug, as Lucy calls them now.

"I know, Anders is totally excited." She grins, then bends down to her bag and pulls out a file, placing it on my desk.

"Well, I am here for work, not just for a chat. Here are the details of that suspicious fire you guys attended last week. It wasn't arson after all. Looks like it started with a dodgy phone charger plugged in and left on a sofa that the occupant's forgot about." She shrugs. "Okay, I thought they were safer now, with the regulations on them." I say, taking hold of the file.

"Yes, but these guys had bought a cheap one off the internet, so its speck didn't reach the required regulations." Josie sighs.

I shake my head, there is nothing you can do about cheap electrical s**t, but I wish people would just spend the extra cash on the stuff that is regulated. A saving of a few quid is not worth your life.

"Thanks for this, Josie." I smiled at her.

"Oh, and I am not sure if you know, but Twinkles Mrs and Anders' s***m doner, they have a date for the trial. It starts in a couple of months," Josie informs me.

I sigh, my mind instantly going to Wayne. That fire was a s**t show from start to finish. A trap set to kill Twinkle and Kev, stupid decisions taken by Shallow Fallow, and it was all for nothing. The guys we were looking for were not even in the factory, they had f****d off to the pub, after evacuating the building, not checking in with anyone. My personal thoughts are they should be damned well charged with some sort of crime themselves, but no, they get to live their lives, leaving the rest of us to live with the consequences. Wankers!

"We will be there." I nodded at her, wanting to lend Anders and Twinkle and Anne, his girlfriend who never lets him sleep on the sofa, my support, it is not going to be easy for any of us.

"So, what do I have to do to get a cup of tea around here?" Josie quips at me.

I laugh, ginger cakes are Lucy's craving. However, Josie is obsessed with cups of tea. Guess her son is going to be a proper English gentleman.

I buzzed through to my secretary, asking her to bring a pot of tea in for Josie. I don't want a cup, but I know she will drink the whole pot before she leaves.

"You do know s*x is a great way to get labour started?" Josie smiled at me with a giggle.

"Oh, we do know that. Lucy demanded I do my part and get the baby out last night, and again this morning." I laughed.

Josie giggled at me, shaking her head.

"It's a tough job Ben, but I am sure you are the man for the task." She giggled at me.

Hey, she is not wrong, I am not complaining, I love making love to my girl.

My secretary walks into my office, minus the tea, her eyes wide.

"Boss, your mother just called, she is with your girlfriend on the beach. Apparently her waters have gone, and they are on their way to the hospital now." She tells me.

I sat momentarily stunned and blinked my eyes, looking at Josie.

"Guess you did your job well. Come on, get out of here." Josie laughs.

"LOFTY!" I shouted through to the common room, as my lead firefighter, who is only 5 foot 4, hence his piss-take nickname, walked in.

"You are up!" I told him, as I grabbed my coat, checking my pocket for the square box I carry around with me, and rushed out of the door. Lucy's point of view.

I try to relax my body, as another contraction rips through my body, halting in the street. Joanne is beside me, as we attempt to walk back to my home, leaving a small trail of amniotic fluid that runs from the beach up the steps along the promenade past the best fish and chip shop in the world. To where I am stood, resting against the railings of the TA centre, waiting for this contraction to stop before crossing the road and getting into the house.

"The taxi is on its way." Joanne informs me, as the contraction passes, and I make slow but steady progress towards my home.

I make it across the road and a little way up the street, before my stomach grips like a vice once more, almost taking my breath away. I had this great idea that I would do this naturally, without any pain relief. Let's just say I have changed my mind. I WANT DRUGS! NOW!

I breathe through the contraction as best I can. This one is lasting longer than the last, and they are coming a lot quicker.

Ben, I really want Ben. I wish he was here. But Joanne sent him straight to the hospital.

I threw my keys at her, as I scrunch up my face, determined not to cry out in pain. Joanne looks at me, clearly not wanting to leave me here, but I need her to grab my 'go' bag and load it into the taxi, because if she waits with me, it will make this whole process longer. I need to get to the hospital ASAP, as fear I will give birth in the taxi begins to rattle my already fractured nerves.

"Get my bag." I hiss out at her, as I navigate breathing, and the urge to scream out in pain.

Joanne nods her head and runs to the house, it is only four doors away now, and as soon as the contraction becomes manageable, I waddle as fast as I can towards my home, seeing the white taxi pulling up outside the house. Finally, I reach my destination, as the taxi driver looks at me, huffs slightly, then grabs a plastic bag for me to sit on. Joanne rushes round and climbs in beside me, as we set off for the hospital.

This journey feels like it is taking hours instead of just twenty minutes, as yet another contraction begins to grip at me, but this time with unbearable pressure down below, and I fear I am going to poop myself. I must have let out a groan as the taxi driver asks Joanne if I was okay.

I look at Ben's mother and try to whisper, only it comes out in a shot.

"I need a poo." I say far too loudly.

"It's okay Lucy, you don't, it is the baby." Joanne sooths, then looks at the driver and tells him to put his foot down.

Finally, we pull up outside the maternity unit, as Ben is stood nervously waiting outside for me with a wheelchair. I think Joanne must have dropped him a text.

Oh God, right now I don't care what she did and when, because I really need to push!

Ben opens the door and attempts to get hold of me, but I am, midst contraction and I bat his hand away then cry out.

"This is all your fault!" whist trying to breathe through the pain like I was taught in my anti-natal classes.

Ben looks at his mother, worry swirling round his grey eyes. Those damned eyes and big muscles are what got me into this mess!

"It's okay, but we need to get her to delivery now." Joanne tried to say calmly, but even in this state I could hear the slight panic in her voice.

The contraction passes, and quickly, Ben lifts me out of the taxi, placing me into the chair, and I swear he runs like hell to the lift. I mean whoever thought about putting the labour ward up a flight of stairs was clearly a man, and needs a damned good slap! Another contraction begins, only this time the urge to push is too hard to resist and I begin to bare down. As the lift doors open, I am pushing with all my might. Ben runs with the wheelchair through the double swing doors, as Joanne shouts for a midwife, telling anyone who will listen that I am pushing and about to birth.

A midwife comes over, smiling at me, and I am not a violent person, but seriously, I want to swipe that smile off her face right now. My lady parts feel like they are being ripped in half, and my stomach hurts like hell.

The contraction passes, but the feeling my bits are tearing doesn't and I let out a small squeal, just as they get me into a delivery room. Ben lifts me onto the bed, the midwife tells me she will just take a quick look, then get me into the gown. "Drugs." is my only response, as her head dips between my legs, and I feel my soaked elephant pregnancy underwear being removed.

"No time Lucy, your baby is crowning." She tells me.

"But I want drugs." I weakly protested, as Ben held onto my hand.

"You can do this babe. The baby is nearly here." He tells me, then strokes my hair.

"I don't want to do this today." I told him, tears streaming down my face.

Another wave of pain begins, and all I can hear is the midwife shouting at me to push, then pant, then push a little bit more. Everything is in a crazy blur as Ben shouts his praise, which I would like to say helps but honestly, it doesn't. Suddenly, the pain ceases, at the same time as loud cries fill the room, and a small, pink baby is placed on my chest.

"Congratulations, it is a girl." The midwife smiles at me.

"Would daddy like to cut the cord?" she asks.

Ben nods his head, as his eyes fill with tears, as he looks down at our beautiful daughter. Well, beautiful, if you ignore the gunk she is surrounded by at the moment, then he cuts the cord.

She is perfect, absolutely perfect. My daughter, our baby. She has a mop of dark hair, steely grey eyes, like her father, but with my shaped face, lips and nose.

The midwife takes her from me, and I mourn the loss of my precious girl from my arms.

Ben is full on sobbing now, kissing my head and face, telling me over and over how much he loves me, as I look up at him, tears streaming down my own face. "Go see if she is okay" I tell him.

Ben nods his head, then walks beside the midwife.

"Wow, I shouldn't be surprised given the size of your daddy, but you are just under 10 pounds little girl." The midwife laughs.

Ben turns and says something to Joanne, who smiles and tells him "It is in there." Then she goes to my 'go bag' and passes it to Ben and the midwife.

I wish they would hurry up. I want to hold my baby again. However, I do not have to wait for long, as Ben brings her over, safe in his big arms. Then, with a wide expectant smile, passed me my baby girl.

"Hey Emilia, nice to meet you." I smiled down at my daughter, then paused as I read the slogan on her cute little white baby grown with grey writing on the front, that I don't remember buying. The words make me gasp, then smile.

NOW WILL YOU MARRY MY DADDY?

I turned around to see Ben on one knee, an engagement ring in a box, and I began to sob once more.

"Yes, Emilia, I will marry your Daddy now, but only if you are my bridesmaid." I smile, as Ben gets up, kissing me full on the lips, and places the ring that fits perfectly on my finger.

"I love you Lucy, and I love you Emilia." He grins with pride as Joanne stands taking picture after picture of us on her phone.

My life is perfect, so damned perfect.