“You need to call him,” the two of them say simultaneously. I know they’re serious because neither makes a remark to the other about stealing their thoughts.
“And I will. When there is something of note, or anything to worry about, I’ll alert the Emergency Maddox System. But we’re not going to need to do that. We’re going to go to the hospital, they’re going to check me out, and then they’re going to send me right back home.”
3:05 p.m. CT / 1:05 p.m. PT
“Gabi, your doctor wants us to admit you.”
I look to the emergency room nurse, who I clearly heard wrong. “Excuse me? I think you said the wrong words.”
The nurse clicks a bunch of buttons on her rolling computer. “Nope. Getting you ready now. There’s a bed upstairs and you’re even getting the VIP treatment as one of the nurses from labor and delivery is going to personally escort you there.”
The only relief right now is that I know that nurse has to be Ainsley. Thank God she’s working today.
“I’m in labor?”
“I don’t want to say for sure. It’s better for your doctor to answer those questions, who’s on the way.”
When I reluctantly look to Shelby and Beau, they’re sending me the same look. It reads “we told you so.” They’re even standing the same way—arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
“All it took for you two to get along was for me to be wrong?”
“No, all it took was for you to be an idiot,” Shelby says. “Now can I call Maddox? Please.”
I look up at a television from my bed in the emergency department. The Fury’s defense is running on the field, and like the world is sending me a signal, the camera zooms onto number thirty-five.
I’m not going to hold back on him. I want him here. I’m going to need him here. But, I want to make certain.
“You said the doctor is on her way?”
“Talked to her myself,” she says. “By the time you get to your room, she should be there waiting for you.”
“Then we wait,” I say to Shelby and Beau. “It’s not going to be much longer. At this point, what’s the difference of twenty minutes?”
3:35 p.m. CT / 1:35 p.m. PT
“Bad news, you’re in labor. Good news, at least for you, is that I'm contributing to your child’s college fund.”
“Fucking told you!” Shelby yells.
“Not now,” I scold her before looking back at my doctor. “I’m really in labor?”
She nods and makes a few notes as Ainsley gets me situated. “You are. Now, the second piece of good news is that it’s early. But it is active. Ainsley here is going to be doing checks for me every hour, and you call her if you need anything.”
“And I’m not leaving until this little one makes his entrance,” she says. “I don’t care if it takes all night.”
“Shit!” I yell out, looking panicked to Beau and Shelby. “I didn’t bring anything. I thought I was going home. My bag. The baby stuff. It’s?—”
“I’ve got it,” Beau says. “Tell me everything you need.”
“Already taken care of,” Shelby interrupts, stepping a little bit ahead of Beau. “I put it in my car hours before you agreed to come. That way it was ready.”
“Look at you, Bell. Planning ahead.” Beau says.
Shelby glares at Beau. “Don’t call me that.”
“What? You did a good thing. That’s a good name. I was trying to be nice!”
“Enough you two,” I say as I take a few deep breaths, the weight of the situation suddenly crashing in on me. I’m so overwhelmed I don’t even take a second to truly process that Beau used the nickname he used to call Shelby when we were kids. “How much time do you think I have, Doc?”
