CHAPTER 210: PUSH, DAMMIT, PUSH!

Zack walked around to the front and approached Madison. "You want to stop by and check on Benjamin on our way across the ranch? We’ll be outback for a while."

"Yes, Mr. Zack, that would be nice in case he’s not okay but doesn’t realize it yet." Madison’s concern was evident in his voice. "The twins called me three times saying that he’s been hell on wheels for the last week, but today he’s baked three cakes and cleaned the house twice."

Zack chuckled at the familiar signs. "Well, young man, I think we need to go to your place, pick up Benjamin, and take him directly to the clinic because he’s about to go into full-blown labor at any time."

"Mr. Zack, he can’t, not yet!" Madison protested. "Mama Celeste is supposed to be here to help him bring this one into the world. He said he can’t do it without her, and no matter what, he’s not going to do it without her."

"Well, I need to make a call and find out where Carter is in the city." Zack pulled out his phone. "Have him stop by Little Sicily and pick up a special guest to get her out here. It’s not going to be long for Benjamin."

Zack made the phone call, and Carter definitely understood what Mr. Zack was talking about. He told him he was going to drop everything and head home with Celeste in tow.

Forty-five minutes later, Carter pulled up to the doors of the clinic. He stepped out, walked around to the passenger side, and helped Celeste out of the runner. Celeste made her way into the clinic and headed straight to the labor and delivery section.

Celeste walked into delivery room three only to find Benjamin pacing around. He wasn’t in the chair where he belonged, and he was clearly in labor. He looked up and saw her.

"I’m so glad you’re here," Benjamin said with relief washing over his face. "I wouldn’t have this baby without you. It’s starting to get a little painful."

In her characteristically spicy way, Celeste popped Benjamin on his arm. "Get your ass in the birthing chair! A big boy like you, and you’re afraid to push out a little baby? Shame on you. You could hurt the baby being such a big crybaby yourself."

"I’m sorry, but my dad’s not here to help me, and you weren’t here yet, so I decided not to have him," Benjamin explained sheepishly.

"Well, I’m here, Madison is here waiting beside you, Lex is here." Celeste’s tone brooked no argument. "Now get your ass in the delivery station and sit down. We’re going to have us a baby."

Benjamin had just taken a seat in the delivery station when his first major contraction hit him and his water ruptured. He came wide awake and started moaning and groaning.

"It hurts! I change my mind—I can’t do this! I can’t do this!" He tried to get up from the chair. "I have to get out of this chair. I’m not gonna do this."

"Wrong, young Benjamin, you are doing this," Celeste declared firmly. "So keep your ass in that seat right here with your man holding your hand, and you pay attention to Madison. He will help you breathe through the pains."

After about thirty minutes of crying and moaning and claiming he couldn’t do it, Celeste had had enough and popped him upside his head.

"A big, strong young man like you not pushing that baby out? My last one weighed nineteen pounds. Look at me—I weigh ninety-eight pounds soaking wet. You think that did my coonie any good? Vincent was so big he wrecked me, but I still pushed him out." Her eyes flashed with determination. "Now the next time you have a pain, you push, and you push hard, or I’ll pop you upside your head again."

The next contraction started coming on, and Celeste yelled, "Push hard! Push, dammit, push!"

Benjamin bore down and pushed as hard as he could. As the baby’s head began to emerge, he started hyperventilating. Celeste quieted him down and made him take deep breaths.

"Look at the monitor, look at your baby’s head," she instructed gently. "It’s come almost halfway out. That’s why you feel funny back there. You are having your baby. Now the next time you have a pain, you push and bear down again. And if you keep it up, he will be here before you know it, and it’s all over—no more pain."

Lex was taking care of everything as the baby slowly began to emerge, the natural rhythms of the body expelling the child.

"Now, Benjamin, one more push and Cole will be here," Celeste encouraged. "Next pain, push. I want to see my godson."

Benjamin grunted as Cole slowly slid from his body. Lex was very quick about cleaning the baby up and tying off his cord. Celeste was standing by to take the baby from him so that she could hand him off to his father and then to his dad.

"He’s a big boy," Celeste made a comment with a knowing smile. "Going to make many gentlemen happy, he will. Just give him time."

Madison was speechless as he looked into the face of his newborn son. Gently, he placed him upon Benjamin’s chest so he could nurse. Benjamin was overcome with emotion and gently embraced his son.

Lex was all smiles. "Well, Benjamin, you did wonderful. Cole is perfect—he’s a little bit larger than normal at twenty-nine point two pounds. Almost a record."

Benjamin was speechless for a moment. "How much did you say he weighed?"

Celeste smiled and touched his face. "Twenty-nine point two pounds, young man, and you did wonderful. Now you might be a little tender for a couple of days, but believe me, everything goes back to what it was before."

Lex came in and checked on him and Cole. "I need to take Madison and Cole to the other area so that I can run a blood test, take Cole’s prints, and his photo."

"Okay, he’s finished nursing, so yes, you can take them and do what you need to." Benjamin nodded tiredly. "Then just bring him back. I’m sure the grandparents will get here eventually."

Celeste and Zack said they would stay with Benjamin.

After about ten minutes, Benjamin was resting comfortably when the door flew open and in walked Ben and Earl. Ben checked on his son, who was lying on his side covered with a blanket.

"Are you okay? We just got the messages that we need to come here, that you’ve been brought to the clinic," Ben said with concern.

Benjamin smiled and told his father he was okay. He was about to say something else when Ben cut him off.

"Boy, I’m talking to you right now." Ben’s voice was stern but worried. "You think you can scare me like this? When you get ready to have this baby, you need to let us know the first time you have a pain. Please get in contact with us. Earl and I were at the other site looking over the housing areas, looking over the new clinics over there for an outreach program for the humans. We’ve been very busy, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to talk to you or Madison. Everybody’s busy, so you need to let us know when you’re going to have this baby."

About that time, Madison came waltzing through the front door holding their son.

"Well, would you look at that," Madison said with mock surprise. "Your grandparents finally decided to show up after everything is finished. Isn’t that a great welcome to the world by your own grandparents?"

Madison wasn’t going to let anyone live this down. Earl and Ben both stood there with their mouths open, not uttering a word.

Benjamin straightened up with renewed energy. "Father and Granddad and Grandfather, I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family: Madison Cole O’Malley. We are going to call him Cole." He started to laugh. "So it looks like you two are the ones that missed out on everything, but don’t worry—Lex made sure that you have a video to watch."

Earl walked up to his son. "Can I hold my first grandson?"

Madison handed the baby over to his dad as Ben looked on, waiting for his own chance to hold the boy.

Zack and Celeste were giggling and snickering when Zack blurted out, "Yes, snooze, you lose in this business!"

But even Zack’s witty comment couldn’t keep the two from enjoying their grandson. Earl made a comment that the baby weighed a lot.

"It was my joy to bring this twenty-nine pounds, two ounces young man into the world along with Lex, Zack, and Madison," Celeste smiled proudly. "Benjamin hit a couple of rough spots, but we talked him through it, and he delivered like the champion that he is. Must be something in his bloodlines."

Celeste’s comment made Ben even prouder of his son. He was going to make sure that there was one heck of a celebration.

Lex cleared his throat. "We may need to take this somewhere else because we have a little situation here. There are a lot of people wanting to see this young man. Seems like he has a whole lot of uncles and a future aunt that are just biting at the bit to say hello."

Zack walked over and opened the curtain on the viewing window, and Lex was right—the whole hallway was full. For some reason, Cole had a full audience, as did Madison and Benjamin. Talk about two very proud parents; these kids were going to be okay.