Chapter Eleven: Doubts...
“Mrs. Potter! How wonderful!” Healer Peeker greeted Ginny and her entourage at the door of St. Mungo's. A nurse stood smiling next to her with a folder.
“I admit, I wasn’t expecting you but it is a good surprise!”
“Well, I’m just glad you are soo happy,” Ginny said through her teeth. The pain gripping her was almost unbearable while standing.
Obviously unfazed by this remark, the Healer just smiled and grabbed the folder from the nurse. In her years of caring for women, she had heard (and been called) much worse. She knew that the women didn’t mean it, so she didn’t let it affect her.
“This is your nurse for the night, Miss Elizabeth. If you need anything while you’re here, she’s your girl.”
The young nurse stepped forward and took Ginny’s hand. “Call me Lizzy,” she said offering a comforting smile. Ginny tried to return it, but she just groaned.
“Come on, let’s get you settled,” Lizzy said, leading Ginny down the hallway. Healer Peeker and the rest of the Weasleys followed.
“Excuse me, Healer.” Mrs. Weasley stopped the Healer in the middle of the hallway.
“Yes?”
“Is everything alright? ” Molly asked, trying to keep a calm tone in her voice.
Peeker placed her hand on the concerned, older woman’s shoulder. “As soon as your daughter is settled into her room and I do a quick exam, I’ll come and update you all. For now, just have a seat in the waiting room and relax,” Peeker said slowly and calmly.
“Oh, no! I think I will be staying with Ginny,” Molly said, stepping away from the Healer. “Arthur, you and everyone else can go wait in the waiting room and I’ll be out later. Maybe,” she glared at the Healer.
Ginny’s room was large and bright and decorated modestly with a few chairs, some artificial flowers and a small dresser.
Ginny was sitting on the edge of her bed, her legs swinging over the side. She had been undressed and changed into a soft hospital gown for at least ten minutes now, breathing and groaning. Lizzy was busying herself with taking Ginny’s vital statistics, and preparing for the birth.
“All right, Ginny. Everything looks great for you and the babies. You can lie back now,”
Ginny did as she was told. Lizzy covered her up to her waist with a light blanket. It had been about fifteen minutes since her last contraction and Ginny knew the next one wouldn’t be for a while.
This gave her time to consider her situation. Not only had she been jolted into labor a whole entire day before she was prepared, she would be coming home with twins. Twins. Every once in a while, this thought would hit her smack in the face and she would have a meltdown. She couldn’t handle this! She tried to remember the thought that had crossed her mind when she and Harry had decided to try to have a baby. What had they been thinking?
She threw her blanket off and sat bolt upright. Harry, who was sitting in the chair next to her bed, rushed to her side.
“What’s wrong?”
“Harry, I can’t do this! I’m not ready for one baby, let alone two!” she panted.
“Ginny, relax. Please. I’m scared too, but that’s not going to help either one of us. Lay back and I’ll go get Lizzy.” He left the room.
He was back in a minute with the nurse.
“Ginny, would you like me to speak with your Healer about some medication?” She asked, concern clouding her face. She knew added stress on the mother was added stress on the babies.
“I…I don’t know,” Ginny whispered. She had relaxed on her pillows; she swiped her hand across her forehead.
“I’ll be right back,” Lizzy said, and left the room.
Healer Peeker and Lizzy returned quickly, Lizzy carrying a vial of blue liquid.
“Mrs. Potter, you need to relax. This is a normal thing to go through, and I believe you and Harry are more than capable to handle this situation. Lizzy has some medication that will relax you and relieve any pain you are having. Unfortunately, it will slow the labor process considerably. Nevertheless, by you being stressed, it stresses the babies and the more stress on them, the more likely there will be complications with the birth. Just take this-“
“Ginny! Are you all right? There was running and medicine and…what is going on?” Molly had burst through the door, and now stood frozen in place. The scene before her of Lizzy handing Ginny a vial of blue medication was what she had feared. Ginny and the babies were in trouble!
“Molly, please. Ginny is just having some doubts, and the Healer is giving her some medicine to help her relax so she doesn’t hurt the babies,” Harry said, placing his arm around Molly’s shoulder.
“Oh, dear. Ginevra, why do you doubt? I wouldn’t be surprised if you were a better mother than I was!” She moved to her daughter’s side. After a few moments of consolation and whispers from Molly, Ginny took the vial and swallowed the potion inside. A warm, calm feeling spread through her quickly, and she felt the pain, which had been building, slowly disappear.
Ginny relaxed against her stack of pillows as another contraction ebbed away slowly. She let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her sweat-dampened, tangled red hair. Her medicine had worn off about two hours ago, and she felt renewed and anxious to get the process moving again. And, oh, how quickly it had gone! Healer Peeker had instructed her to walk around her room a bit when her medication wore off, but it didn’t last long. The pain returned full force and Ginny couldn’t bear to stand.
Her family could only see (and hear) her reactions to the pain. With each contraction, Ginny would scrunch up her face and breathe in deep breaths. The pain she had felt earlier had only intensified with the passing hours. By the time she had hit the six-hour mark, she was groaning with each contraction, now four to five minutes apart.
Ginny looked at the people who surrounded her bed and lined the walls of her room. Everyone here loved her and wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. She smiled as she realized the love her children would be surrounded with.
Her thoughts were broken as a strong contraction gripped her again, about three minutes sooner than she had expected.
“Ginny? What’s wrong?” Harry asked, grasping her hands.
“Contraction,” she groaned.
“Already?” Hermione asked disbelievingly.
“No, Hermione. April Fools!” Ginny yelled. At this outburst, Fred and George howled with laughter.
“Ginny, don’t you know it’s October?” Ron said honestly.
“Get OUT!” Ginny screeched. They hung their heads to hide their laughter and exited quickly.
“We’d better go and get Peeker,” Hermione said, and she started to walk out. Ron followed with Danielle, and Bill and Fleur with Nicole.
Mrs. Weasley patted Harry’s back as he tried to comfort Ginny.
“Good luck you two,” she said, her eyes teary.
“We are very proud of you, and we love you,” Mr. Weasley said, stepping forward.
“Thanks, Dad,” Ginny whispered. Reluctantly, they left.
The door clicked shut only to be opened a few seconds later.
Healer Peeker came smiling into the room.
“How are you feeling, Mrs. Potter?” she asked, picking up Ginny’s medical chart from the bedside table.
Ginny tried to control her sarcasm, but failed miserably.
“I’m fantastic,” she grumbled.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Peeker said. She pulled the curtains around Ginny’s bed.
”We’re going to set up for the babies, all right? You just breathe easy and in a few more minutes, we are going to have a baby! Or babies I should say,”
The attempted humor was lost on Ginny as she struggled through her contractions. Peeker asked Harry to put on a paper gown.
Three nurses, including Lizzy, entered the room next, pushing small rolling tables and carrying blankets. Peeker was next to gown up, adding gloves and a silly paper hat to her getup.
“Okay, Mum. We have about a minute before the next contraction. When it comes, take a deep breath and push, push, push! The nurses are going to help you by holding your feet up and counting backwards from ten. When she reaches one, deep breath again and push.” Ginny nodded. She reached for Harry’s hand and met his eyes. They were filled with excitement and unease.
Probably afraid of what he’s going to see, Ginny thought. She rubbed her thumb on his hands and smiled at him.
“Harry, just hold Ginny’s hand and talk to her, okay?” Peeker instructed.
Ginny remembered a passage in the book her Mum had given her. She had taught herself during her bed rest to enter a place of concentration. All that mattered was the Healer’s orders. She grasped Harry’s hand, and closed her eyes. She felt the nurses lift her feet, and Harry talked softly to her. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven…”