Let's not dwell on Susan's family drama—every household's got its own mess to sort through, right?
Time flies.
In the blink of an eye, a week zipped by.
Rachel's due date rolled around. Thanks to Adam's connection with Leonard, she didn't have to scramble to the hospital last-minute or squeeze into a shared double room with another mom-to-be. Nope—Adam had already pulled some strings and booked her the swankiest VIP delivery suite. 😎 He even lined up the hottest, most skilled neonatal chief, Dr. Montgomery, to handle the delivery.
"Rachel, this is Dr. Liz Stevenson—Dr. Shepter's star assistant. If you need anything, you can call her. Or me, of course," Adam said with a smile. "Liz, this is my good friend Rachel. Appreciate you looking out for her."
He introduced the two.
Dr. Montgomery was a busy woman. She popped in for a quick check, then bounced—only planning to return when labor actually kicked in.
"Hi!"
"Hi!"
Rachel and Liz exchanged hellos.
"You're gorgeous," Rachel said.
"Thanks! You too," Liz replied.
"…"
After some small talk, Adam and Liz stepped out of the room.
"She didn't need to come this early," Liz said, shaking her head. "Most pregnancies go past the due date, and she's not showing any signs yet."
"I know," Adam chuckled. "But coming early lets her get comfy with the place. Honestly, she's so over it—she'd pop that baby out right now if she could. Say one wrong word, and she'll lose it."
"Pregnant ladies, am I right?" Liz grinned knowingly. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."
"Thanks, I owe you one," Adam said. "I'll swing by a lot too. Honestly, if it weren't awkward, I'd be her attending doc myself."
"What's so awkward about it?" Liz teased, smirking. "Aren't you 'good friends'?"
Clearly, she'd heard about Adam's whole "good friends" spiel.
"It's not what you're thinking," Adam said, shaking his head. "The baby's dad is also my good friend. That's why it's weird."
Being an attending doc for a pregnant woman means checking things like how dilated she is. If Adam weren't so strict about keeping things professional—and if he'd ever given in to Rachel's past flirty vibes—it might not be a big deal. After all, once you cross that line, it's just another day at the office. One's a lot different from zero, you know? 😉 Adam could handle it like a pro, and Rachel probably wouldn't care much either. But Ross? Oh, he'd throw a fit—whining and grumbling about how "inappropriate" it is.
Not that he's got any right to complain. But you know he'd still yap about it. That's Ross for ya. 🙄
After briefing Liz, Adam headed back to the delivery room.
"When am I gonna pop this kid out?" Rachel asked, rubbing her belly.
"No clue," Adam said with a laugh. "Just take it slow."
"I don't want to take it slow," Rachel groaned, leaning her head back in frustration. "I want Emma out now. Aren't you a surgeon? Just give me a C-section already—I'm done waiting!"
"Quit joking around," Adam said, walking over to calm her down. "Natural birth is the way to go if you can manage it."
"But natural hurts like hell!" Rachel snapped, half-crazed. "Phoebe showed me a video of it—it's freaking terrifying! C-section's way better. Slice me open, and I'm free!"
"Want me to call Leonard?" Adam teased, pretending to pull out his phone. "He's in surgery right now, but I bet he could multitask—operate and lecture you at the same time."
"No!" Rachel yelped. She was terrified of her dad's yelling and instantly dialed back the freakout.
"You seriously don't know the difference between natural birth and a C-section?" Adam asked, getting serious.
A C-section means cutting you open. Any surgery's got risks—anesthesia, infection, life-or-death stuff. Plus, it leaves a scar and takes a huge toll on your body. It's not just rough on the mom; it's not great for the baby either.
With natural birth, those regular contractions prep the kiddo. Getting squeezed through the birth canal kickstarts their heart and lungs. It also squishes out the amniotic fluid and gunk from their mouth, cutting down infection risks. Those babies tend to be tougher than C-section kids, who often end up weaker and at the hospital every other day as newborns.
This is basic stuff every pregnant woman should know. But in the wild, wild West, with some of these tough-as-nails moms? They either don't care or genuinely have no idea. Rachel only started obsessing over delivery when her due date hit and her company gave her maternity leave. She just wanted it over with so she could get back to work.
Her job was a hot commodity—super competitive. You could tell how much it mattered by how obsessed her sister Amy was with Rachel's Ralph Lauren 50%-off discount card. Perks like that come with status. Sure, the law protects your spot, but who knows what those scheming coworkers might pull to steal it?
Think Big Bang Theory—Bernadette once spread a rumor that her rival was pregnant just because she'd gained a little weight. Boom, project snatched. After Bernadette had her own kid, karma hit. A "sweet" coworker told her to "take it easy" and rest up—then swooped in to grab her spot. Lucky for Bernadette, she wasn't your average pushover. Short, baby-faced, and a total drama queen, she'd learned young how to turn her "weaknesses" into weapons. She hit her boss with a soul-piercing question: "If this goes to court, who's the jury gonna believe—me or you?" The boss caved—how could this adorable "kid" possibly lie? Her spot stayed safe through maternity leave.
Rachel, though? She didn't have Bernadette's cunning. She was more like Penny—sweet, but clueless. The difference between a sharp operator like Bernadette and a naïve sweetie like Rachel or Penny? Easy example: growing up small, Bernadette mastered aiming for a guy's weak spot—literal bullseye, leaving them quaking. Penny? She aimed for the same spot but learned a whole different kind of "punch." 😏
"I know, I know," Rachel groaned, annoyed. "I've been pregnant forever. Sure, I told everyone I loved being pampered and cared for, but this has to end now!"
"No C-section for you," Adam said with a grin. "But there are some tricks to speed things up."
"Like what?" Rachel's eyes lit up.
"You could sip some herbal tea, try castor oil, eat spicy food, or take long walks," Adam said, smirking. "But the best method? That's where the baby's dad comes in."
"Baby's dad?" Rachel blinked. "You mean Ross? What's he gonna do?"
"Heh," Adam chuckled. "Trust me, Rachel, he's your MVP here. Science backs it up."
"Spill it already! I'll make him come do it now," she demanded.
"Ahem," Adam coughed lightly. "It's broad daylight, so maybe wait 'til tonight. I'll tweak the nurse schedule to give you some privacy…"
Then he leaned in and whispered the scientific trick.
"What?!" Rachel gasped, staring at him. "You're sure it has to be Ross?"
Adam: "…"
Patreon:belamy20—slipped it right in there for ya! `