Joel thinks about protesting, about telling her they're here right now to do whatever it is she needs of them, but then he suddenly realizes the excitement and anxiety of the last half hour seem to be catching up with him and there's nothing more his knees want to do right now than unhinge and send him into a sitting position whether he wants it or not. So once he has the cup of coffee in his hands, he lets himself sink into one of the chairs, although he does drag it closer, wincing only a little at the sound it makes as the legs scrape over the floor.
"Sorry," he says, looking faintly embarrassed. "Sorry, I just wanted to be close." And he feels a little silly, but no one seems to be looking at him like he's done something wrong, least of all Spencer, whose opinion is always the one that matters the most. He tugs gently on the other chair, bringing it closer as well, pulling it into place right beside his and then he nods at it, gesturing for Spencer to sit down with him.
Because it really does take a few hours before anything begins to happen. Jason leaves with a promise to return as soon as Erin thinks she needs him and Joel promises to be the one to call him, since he thinks Erin might be a little distracted once the labour actually begins. The nurses are in and out of the room, checking on Erin, noting her vitals, checking how much she's dilated, and it isn't until nearly four hours have gone by that a doctor arrives to administer some painkillers. By this time Joel has asked Erin three times if she's sure she doesn't want him to call Jason just yet and although she'd smiled at him and gently shaken her head the first two times, the third time she'd silenced him with a look that makes it very clear who's in charge and so he shuts up and waits.
He drinks half the coffee, but the rest goes cold as he alternates between checking his phone -- they've called his parents by now and Ellie has promised they're on their way -- and checking on Spencer, though he doesn't know what for. He just walks over to him, touches his shoulder, then makes another circuit of the room, pacing in a way he's sure has to be irritating to both Erin and Spencer, but neither of them ask him to stop, which he appreciates. Right now he isn't sure he could stop. He's too full of anxious energy to sit still for longer than a few minutes.
And it's six hours before Erin finally tells Joel to call Jason, before the nurses call for the doctor, and after Joel makes the call, he looks at Spencer, his eyes going wide. He knows they're going to have a baby, he's known it for nine months and earlier in the evening he'd felt like nothing could make it more real, but suddenly it is. Suddenly it's much more real and he reaches for Spencer's hand as the doctor begins to prepare Erin to push.
"The baby is coming," he whispers, wetting his suddenly very dry lips with the tip of his tongue. "The baby is really coming now, Spencer."
They're going to be fathers. Once she starts pushing, it likely won't take very long at all and it's only they're asked to put on gowns and masks that he realizes it's finally really happening.
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"Sorry," he says, looking faintly embarrassed. "Sorry, I just wanted to be close." And he feels a little silly, but no one seems to be looking at him like he's done something wrong, least of all Spencer, whose opinion is always the one that matters the most. He tugs gently on the other chair, bringing it closer as well, pulling it into place right beside his and then he nods at it, gesturing for Spencer to sit down with him.
Because it really does take a few hours before anything begins to happen. Jason leaves with a promise to return as soon as Erin thinks she needs him and Joel promises to be the one to call him, since he thinks Erin might be a little distracted once the labour actually begins. The nurses are in and out of the room, checking on Erin, noting her vitals, checking how much she's dilated, and it isn't until nearly four hours have gone by that a doctor arrives to administer some painkillers. By this time Joel has asked Erin three times if she's sure she doesn't want him to call Jason just yet and although she'd smiled at him and gently shaken her head the first two times, the third time she'd silenced him with a look that makes it very clear who's in charge and so he shuts up and waits.
He drinks half the coffee, but the rest goes cold as he alternates between checking his phone -- they've called his parents by now and Ellie has promised they're on their way -- and checking on Spencer, though he doesn't know what for. He just walks over to him, touches his shoulder, then makes another circuit of the room, pacing in a way he's sure has to be irritating to both Erin and Spencer, but neither of them ask him to stop, which he appreciates. Right now he isn't sure he could stop. He's too full of anxious energy to sit still for longer than a few minutes.
And it's six hours before Erin finally tells Joel to call Jason, before the nurses call for the doctor, and after Joel makes the call, he looks at Spencer, his eyes going wide. He knows they're going to have a baby, he's known it for nine months and earlier in the evening he'd felt like nothing could make it more real, but suddenly it is. Suddenly it's much more real and he reaches for Spencer's hand as the doctor begins to prepare Erin to push.
"The baby is coming," he whispers, wetting his suddenly very dry lips with the tip of his tongue. "The baby is really coming now, Spencer."
They're going to be fathers. Once she starts pushing, it likely won't take very long at all and it's only they're asked to put on gowns and masks that he realizes it's finally really happening.