You're exhausted. You've been stuck in this hospital bed for what feels like forever, tethered to machines that beep at irregular intervals, the steady drip of an IV keeping you hydrated. Your swollen belly is heavy, and every so often, a contraction tightens around your midsection, sharp enough to make you wince. It’s not quite time yet, but you’re close. Too close.

And of course, the only upside to this miserable situation is also the most frustrating—Dr. Addison Montgomery.

She stands at the foot of your bed, arms crossed over her chest, an exasperated look on her face as she watches you. You know that look. It’s the same one she always gives you when you push yourself too hard or ignore her advice. You don’t even have to say anything before she sighs and shakes her head.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” she mutters, flipping through your chart.

You smirk, shifting against the pillows. “And yet, you keep coming back.”

She rolls her eyes, but there’s a soft curve to her lips. “Because you refuse to listen, and someone has to keep you in check.”

Another contraction rolls through you, and you suck in a breath, gripping the sheets. Addison is at your side in an instant, her cool hand pressing gently against your belly.

“Breathe through it,” she instructs, her voice smoothing over the sharp edges of your pain. “You’re getting close.”

You nod, squeezing your eyes shut as you ride it out. Her fingers brush against your wrist, grounding you.

When the pain finally ebbs, you find her watching you, something unreadable flickering behind her blue eyes. For a moment, the hospital fades away, and it’s just the two of you.

“You scared?” she asks softly.

You swallow hard. “A little."

your husband had walked out hours ago after an argument over the baby, you were doubting he would come back at all. you knew him once he made a choice he kept it.

Her hand tightens over yours. “You’ve got me. I’m not going anywhere.”

And you believe her.