“Dad it's me, Philip, on Tasha's phone,” he said, clearly stressing again. “She thinks she's in labour, she keeps making strange noises and blowing and panting.”
“Okay, son, I need you to stay calm and time the contractions, can you do that?” he asked while talking to Marc at the other end, “I have to go, Marc, Tasha's in labour.” He then appeared to speak to the others present. “You'll have to finish up with Marc, my wife has just gone into labour so I have somewhere else I really need to be.”
“Dad can you hurry, I really don't know what to do, she looks weird again, oh shit!” cried Philip sending panic through Jim. “Tasha's just pee'd herself.”
“I have not!” she screeched at her stepson. “Give me the fucking phone,” she cried with an outstretched hand snatching the phone. “I have not pee'd myself,” she insisted once she had the phone. “I think my waters just broke,” Tasha explained and was ready to cry.
“Honey, you need to get to the hospital and I will meet you there,” he told her calmly, sounding as though he was running as he spoke.
“No, I'll wait for you here,” she protested.
“Tasha, you need to get to the hospital if your waters have broken. If Philip is unable to drive you, then tell him to get Mike.”
“Where are you? I can't do this without you?” She was actually crying real tears now.
“You won’t have to do it without me. I am getting into my car right now.”
She heard the closing of his car door, reassuring her that he was on his way. “Sara said you almost missed Philip's birth but I'm not like Sara. I can't do this on my own. I'm not a nurse and I’m scared,” she explained as another contraction hit her causing her to muffle a cry.
“Natasha, you need to do exactly as I say, tell Philip to go and find Mike, now,” he told her, knowing Mike would be calm and get Tasha to the hospital safely. He waited for her to repeat his instruction which she did to a relieved looking Philip who ran for the door calling for Mike.
It was at that second when Sandra reappeared with a call of, “Oh bugger me, Tasha.”
“Baby, I need you to put Sandra on the phone and get your ass to the hospital and I will meet you there. You're gonna be a mommy and I love you,” he said as she passed the phone to Sandra who nodded and offered a series of yes, okay and of course when Mike appeared.
“Mike's here, so Tasha is leaving now,” Sandra said, listening intently to Jim before hugging Tasha as she led her out to the car that was waiting and handed her phone back. “Good luck and when I next see you your womb will have been vacated,” she said with a smile, repeating Tasha's own words from breakfast.
Jim had already called the hospital from the car to advise them that Tasha was on her way and by the time he arrived she was already there, at the desk refusing to be admitted.
“No, I need to wait for my husband. We're doing this together,” she protested as she doubled over in pain.
“Mrs Maybury, your baby may not be prepared to wait for Daddy to arrive and we really need to get you checked over,” said the nurse who was trying to coax her into a wheelchair.
“I'll wait. Philip, phone him again,” she snapped while an almost dumbstruck Philip dropped her bags and reached into his pocket for his own phone as the stern looking nurse eyed Tasha with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief at her refusal to comply with her request and her behaviour that the nurse was probably interpreting as Tasha being a bit of a princess about giving birth. “Look,” started Tasha, returning the other woman's feeling of irritation. “You may have people coming in here every day and shelling out kids, but they are not me and I am not them. This is the first time I've done this and I am shit scared. The only person who I trust completely to get me through this is my husband so if he isn't here I am going nowhere.”
The nurse threw her eyebrows towards the ceiling as another wave of pain passed across Tasha's body.
“If he doesn't get here soon, you'll have to come in with me,” Tasha almost threatened Philip who looked positively green now.
“What? I...” he started as the nurse made a loud tut sound earning her Tasha's full attention again.
“Look, lady, you are really beginning to piss me off with the looks, the tutting and the bad fucking attitude.”
A tightening Tasha had previously felt seemed to soften, allowing her to relax slightly before Jim interrupted, “You're off the hook, son.” He hugged his oldest child before turning to Tasha. “And you, Mrs Maybury, are going to get your ass kicked if you don't sit in the chair and do as you're told and stop swearing at the staff who are trying to do their job. Sorry,” he said with a smile in the nurse’s direction before looking down at his wife again. “I told you I'd be here, didn't I?”
“Sorry,” cried Tasha as she finally sat in the wheelchair and was rushed down a corridor followed by Jim and Philip who was being given a list of instructions as they went; who to call, in what order and what to tell them, although Tasha's grandparents and siblings were booked on a flight that evening so they would be unable to get to L.A. any sooner, but hopefully they’d have their first great-grandchild and niece or nephew waiting to greet them when they did arrive.
Chapter 15
“Four centimetres,” announced the doctor, Dr Marshall, Mitch, after examining a disappointed looking Tasha. “You're gonna be a while yet so we'll leave you two for a short time, but if you need anything hit the buzzer,” he told her with a smile as he left taking a nurse with him.
“This is it, baby.” Jim smiled, taking her hand in his.
“Mmm. I still find this shocking, a baby.”
“I know that feeling, but it's kinda cool too, a baby, mine and yours.”
“I guess so, although I thought I’d be further along than four centimetres. Is Philip okay?” she asked with genuine concern.
