He Looks Just Like You
IIII
Crowning. He didn’t know exactly what that meant, he had an idea of course, but what ever it actually was, it sounded nasty. His palms were bleeding, Jeduthun’s long finger nails cutting into his palms as she squeezed his hands. His shirt was soaked through, his short hair matted with sweat even though he was hardly doing much. He had no idea what possessed him, but he found himself wanting to watch, wanting to see everything the redheaded doctor was seeing. He didn’t even realise he’d spoken his wishes until he noticed the doctor grinning at him, Jeduthun screaming at him.
“Don’t you even think about moving!” Jed shouted against the pain, her hands clamping tighter around his as if to hold him in place.
“Can you film it?” Dean asked, the idea not sounding as weird as the thought did in his head.
“You’re not filming me like this! Look at me!” Jed paused to cry out, giving another deep push at the doctor’s orders.
“Good girl Jed, come on hun, you can do it. The head’s nearly completely out. Just another push, come on.”
“Make it stop!” She cried, her breaths leaving in gasps. Dean perked up, trying to shift to see over the blanket over her legs but not being able to see anything. Seeing him wiggling around trying to watch, the doctor laughed and muttered to one of the nurses. A moment later, she returned with a large round mirror that she angled so that Dean could see. His eyes were wide as he looked at himself, Jed pressed up against his chest. Smiling, he changed his view and his grin widened.
“Out standing.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say that could describe the sight of his child coming into the world. Beautiful. Amazing. Natural. Gorgeous. Interesting. They all worked but not as well as he thought out standing did. It truly was something he’d never thought he’d ever get to see. Something he knew he’d never forget.
“Alright now.” The doctor cleared the baby’s nostrils, its mouth while supporting its head, giving Jed a moment to catch her breath before the next event. “Okay Jed, your baby’s head is out; you need to be ready for the shoulders now. Once they’re out, the rest is simple. You can do it.”
“No I can’t.” She was exhausted, her head resting back against Dean’s shoulder as she gasped in air she couldn’t seem to get enough of.
“Yes you can Jed. You’ve only got a couple more pushes and it’s over. Now come on.”
“I can’t do it.” She began crying, her body shaking as she sobbed. The doctor stared at Dean, her eyes insistent. He didn’t know what she was thinking, didn’t know what she wanted him to do exactly. So he did the only thing he thought could help. He sang to her. Maybe that would help. He tapped his index fingers against her hands, his mouth pressed to her ear in a kiss before he mumbled the intro words to ‘Enter Sandman’. He knew she loved that song, knew she loved his voice so maybe it would do the trick.
“’I tuck you in, warm within. Keep you free from sin, ‘til the sandman he comes.’” She calmed slowly, her breaths quick and short before she caught on to his voice, her eyes fluttering shut as she listened to his words. Her lips trembled as she tried to hum along. Dean had just sung, ‘gripping your pillow tight,’ when she breathed out and pushed hard. The doctor was nodding, her smile wide as she watched Dean singing, his foot bouncing to the beat.
“’Dreams of war, dreams of lies, dreams of dragon flies. And of things that will bite, yeah.’” She pushed hard again, holding it as Dean leaned forward with her. He kept his song going as she pushed, his lips pressed to her ears. She gasped, exhausted and fell back into him. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek with a smile. A moment passed before the room filled with the sounds of a baby’s cry. Though weak and fatigued, Jeduthun smiled as Dean lightly swayed her side to side, his excitement growing rapidly as one of the nurses wrapped the small child in a quick blanket and walked around towards them.
“Congratulations, it’s a baby boy.” She placed the newborn against Jed’s chest. They both looked down at him, Dean’s heart swelling at the realization that the little baby was his. Jeduthun cried, tears of joy this time as she gently stroked the back of her finger up his chubby cheek.
“He’s so beautiful.” She muttered tiredly.
“He is.” The nurse smiled before stepping closer. “I’m sorry, I have to take him to be cleaned up and weighed.”
“How long will that take?” Dean demanded.
“It shouldn’t take long. This is procedure. We have to do it with every baby that’s born.” Reluctantly, Jeduthun let the nurse take her little boy from her before she collapsed against Dean and breathed shallowly, her face pale. Her skin was clammy as Dean held her, his eyes trained on their reflection in the mirror. It was only then he noticed all the blood.
“Don’t you even think about moving!” Jed shouted against the pain, her hands clamping tighter around his as if to hold him in place.
“Can you film it?” Dean asked, the idea not sounding as weird as the thought did in his head.
“You’re not filming me like this! Look at me!” Jed paused to cry out, giving another deep push at the doctor’s orders.
“Good girl Jed, come on hun, you can do it. The head’s nearly completely out. Just another push, come on.”
“Make it stop!” She cried, her breaths leaving in gasps. Dean perked up, trying to shift to see over the blanket over her legs but not being able to see anything. Seeing him wiggling around trying to watch, the doctor laughed and muttered to one of the nurses. A moment later, she returned with a large round mirror that she angled so that Dean could see. His eyes were wide as he looked at himself, Jed pressed up against his chest. Smiling, he changed his view and his grin widened.
“Out standing.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say that could describe the sight of his child coming into the world. Beautiful. Amazing. Natural. Gorgeous. Interesting. They all worked but not as well as he thought out standing did. It truly was something he’d never thought he’d ever get to see. Something he knew he’d never forget.
“Alright now.” The doctor cleared the baby’s nostrils, its mouth while supporting its head, giving Jed a moment to catch her breath before the next event. “Okay Jed, your baby’s head is out; you need to be ready for the shoulders now. Once they’re out, the rest is simple. You can do it.”
“No I can’t.” She was exhausted, her head resting back against Dean’s shoulder as she gasped in air she couldn’t seem to get enough of.
“Yes you can Jed. You’ve only got a couple more pushes and it’s over. Now come on.”
“I can’t do it.” She began crying, her body shaking as she sobbed. The doctor stared at Dean, her eyes insistent. He didn’t know what she was thinking, didn’t know what she wanted him to do exactly. So he did the only thing he thought could help. He sang to her. Maybe that would help. He tapped his index fingers against her hands, his mouth pressed to her ear in a kiss before he mumbled the intro words to ‘Enter Sandman’. He knew she loved that song, knew she loved his voice so maybe it would do the trick.
“’I tuck you in, warm within. Keep you free from sin, ‘til the sandman he comes.’” She calmed slowly, her breaths quick and short before she caught on to his voice, her eyes fluttering shut as she listened to his words. Her lips trembled as she tried to hum along. Dean had just sung, ‘gripping your pillow tight,’ when she breathed out and pushed hard. The doctor was nodding, her smile wide as she watched Dean singing, his foot bouncing to the beat.
“’Dreams of war, dreams of lies, dreams of dragon flies. And of things that will bite, yeah.’” She pushed hard again, holding it as Dean leaned forward with her. He kept his song going as she pushed, his lips pressed to her ears. She gasped, exhausted and fell back into him. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek with a smile. A moment passed before the room filled with the sounds of a baby’s cry. Though weak and fatigued, Jeduthun smiled as Dean lightly swayed her side to side, his excitement growing rapidly as one of the nurses wrapped the small child in a quick blanket and walked around towards them.
“Congratulations, it’s a baby boy.” She placed the newborn against Jed’s chest. They both looked down at him, Dean’s heart swelling at the realization that the little baby was his. Jeduthun cried, tears of joy this time as she gently stroked the back of her finger up his chubby cheek.
“He’s so beautiful.” She muttered tiredly.
“He is.” The nurse smiled before stepping closer. “I’m sorry, I have to take him to be cleaned up and weighed.”
“How long will that take?” Dean demanded.
“It shouldn’t take long. This is procedure. We have to do it with every baby that’s born.” Reluctantly, Jeduthun let the nurse take her little boy from her before she collapsed against Dean and breathed shallowly, her face pale. Her skin was clammy as Dean held her, his eyes trained on their reflection in the mirror. It was only then he noticed all the blood.