The Timeline

29

October 31st, 2015:

"What do you mean you can't stop it?!" - Claire's hands flew in the air as the words flew from her mouth.

The nurse, standing on the other side of the reception desk in the hospital's hallway looked at her, mouth wide open, eyes almost popping out of her sockets.

"Young lady... we can't just stop labor!" - she said, her voice trying to hold onto some thread of sanity, as she looked at the very panicked, very agitated 19 year old standing in front of her, baby bump so protruding it looked like it might explode, wet paths on her thighs and hands planted firmly on her hips.

"No, you don't understand!" - Claire said for what felt like the hundredth time. - "I can't be in labor right now! Everything's wrong!" - she looked around herself, a little crowd having formed around her and the nurse she was fighting with.

It had been barely an hour since the hotel's receptionist had gasped, seeing the pool of water at her feet, immediately putting two and two together, called an ambulance for her (tad bit dramatic, if you asked Claire) and had her transported to the Northern General Hospital. There, the paramedics had brought her inside onto a wheelchair and had alerted the nurses of her presence, saying her water had broken a mere 30 minutes prior. And then, Claire had gotten into an argument with the nurses, when she had simply asked if they could block the labor until the following day. They had said no. But they simply didn't understand!

"I've got places to be tonight! I promised I'd be at the concert, it's the last one, I can't miss it!" - she tried to give them a pretty big reason, but the nurse simply shook her head.

"Young lady, you shouldn't even be pondering the idea of attending a concert in your conditions!" - she huffed out. - "If you're upset about the money, simply ask for a refund! Now, if you will kindly cooperate, we are going to get you inside of a room and visit you!"

"It's not about the money-" - Claire started to say, but she stopped, understanding that the nurse wouldn't have gotten what she was trying to say. - "It's too early! I'm not supposed to give birth right now!"

"When's your due date?" - the nurse inquired, motioning for someone at the reception to give her a medical record to start filling out.

"Middle of November! It's too early! I'm not ready!"

"So you're around your 35th, week, correct?" - the nurse asked, writing down on the clipboard, without looking up at the nurse.

"I don't... I don't know, I don't do the math!" - Claire said, her voice suddenly going very quiet, because she hadn't bothered to keep count, she had simply waited for the doctor to tell her it was time to go to the hospital. She had told her that she might've given birth sooner than expected, but that was too soon. Claire wasn't ready. She was alone. She had absolutely nothing with her. No one!

The nurse let out a loud huff, clearly irritated by Claire's answer. She rolled her eyes discreetly, thinking that it was best if children refrained from having children themselves, but it was clearly too late for this agitated blonde lady to not have her kid.

"Why don't you sit down on your wheelchair and we bring you inside one of our rooms so we can visit you and see how far along you are?" - the nurse asked, trying to keep her voice more gentle.

Claire, who had been a bit lost inside of her head, was startled back to reality. - "No! I already told you! I can't possibly give birth tonight! It's all wrong! I'm not even having contractions yet! I probably just peed myself!"

Right at that moment, however, Claire's body decided to prove her wrong, the baby inside of her clearly pissed that their mother thought they were not ready to come out yet. Her abdomen's insides twisted, making her gasp right as the air was sucked out of her lungs, producing a really weird sound. Claire doubled over - as much as she could with a belly as big as hers - and her hand went to it immediately, her breath getting ragged as she panted. The pain was short, only lasting for a couple of seconds, but when she looked up at the nurse, whose training had kicked in when she had placed her hand on Claire's back to help her breathe through the first contraction, her eyes were filled with tears. And fear, mostly.