Her eyes lift to mine and she gives me a worried smile as she pulls out her cell phone app. “Let’s time it.”
“For real?” I give her a stupid grin and squat next to her, watching and waiting for the next pain.
“Whoa, we have another.”
I look at the clock. It can’t be right. “The two contractions were only three minutes apart. Didn’t the doctor say this could take hours?”
“Tell it to your daughter. And we’re using a midwife, not a doctor.”
I lift her up off the chair, wrap her in the couch’s afghan, and run with her to the car.
“Put me down Loch, I can walk.”
“Hell no. With one hand, I open the door to our SUV, set her gently in, and latch the seatbelt.
After checking for traffic, I run every red light from our apartment to Georgetown. I kind of wish a cop would stop me so he can help me deliver the baby because we are cutting it close.
I try to make light of it as I break another law. “I swear, if we have another, we’re renting an apartment next door to the damn hospital.”
“Oww… Another? If you think I’m going through this again, you are out… owwww…”
“Breathe luv, and don’t push. We’re almost there.”
Three months ago, I parked in this same spot under very different circumstances. I run around to the passenger side, lift her, and bring her into the emergency room.
I recognize a few of the staff and smile. “Oi. My wife is having my baby. Where do I put her?”
A wheel chair is brought around and I set her in and kiss the top of Callie’s head.
“I can walk. I’m okay now. Nooo…” She leans back, closes her eyes, and pales.
The nurse jumps to take control of the chair and rushes her down the hall. Without slowing she glances over a shoulder and says, “Don’t worry. We got her. Go park your car, get her things, then come right back in. We’ll have her settled in a moment.”
I forgot I left the car running with the keys in the ignition. “Oi. Be right back.”
I look to where they wheel her, suddenly not sure in which direction I should go. What if she needs me?
There’s a cop standing by the door so I come up to him and point. “Could you move my car, mate? My baby is having a wife. Reverse that. Oh yeah, her preggo bag is in the back seat. Bring it?”
He chuckles. “I got this. Go on.”
“Thank you. Appreciate it.” Turning, I run down the hall until I find the birthing room.
She’s already in a hospital gown but instead of open in the back, they have it tied at the neck. Her legs are in stirrups and a nurse is checking her opening with some kind of gauge.
“Almost time to push.” She smiles at me but I can’t return it. Holy fuck. We’re going to have a baby.
“What about Joyce?” Callie’s eyes go wide, frightened, so I hold her hand. “The doc is on her way. If not, the hospital is full of doctors, eh?”
“Midwife. She’s a god-damned midwife. And no, we wait for her.”
This is probably not a good time to tell her she’s being irrational, instead I grab her bag. Want your own nightgown?”
“No! Ow. Why would you ask me such a stupid question?”
I look to the nurse and she smiles reassuringly at me and whispers, “Perfectly normal.”
Hell no, it’s not. I’ve never seen my wife in such a tizzy. Frustrated, I dial a number Jenna Jones gave to me in case of emergencies.
