Drive Me Crazy

Mila

His heart dropped when he entered the room to find her lying on the bed, eyes closed, pale skin, machines everywhere.

"Hi I'm Dr. Bennett, it seems that Millicent is in labor. Unfortunately, it's a bit too soon for the baby to come. We aren't even sure that her lungs are fully develop—"

"Did you say her?" Howie didn't even notice that he'd cut off the doctor.

Dr. Bennett gave him a smile and a pat on the back. "Yes, it's a girl. We are just waiting on some test results...if everything is ok then we can go ahead and deliver. The only thing we are dealing with is that her doctor is not here and it seems that he knows how to deal with Millicent's condition. We gave her some medication to stop the labor, but sometimes it doesn't work."

Howie let out a sigh of relief, but he was more than sure that the doctor wasn't done. "So you are saying that she's fine. That the baby can be delivered and they will both be fine?"

The doctor frowned and shook his head, "Unfortunately, Mr. Dorough...Millicent keeps going into distress when she has a contraction."

"All women do right?"

"Yes...actually labor can put stress on any woman. However, the difference is that their hearts don't stop beating. That's why if the baby's lungs are fully developed we are going to try everything we can Mr. Dorough to take care of your wife and child. I just...I want you to be aware that things can go very bad and we could lose one or the other...possibly both."

That was definitely not what he wanted to hear. He felt the tears flood his eyes; there was no way he could live without Millie. He'd choose her over the baby anytime. Sadly it wasn't his decision to make. "Is she conscious now?"

"Yes! We are monitoring her...I'll be back in a bit."

Howie watched the doctor walk out the room and close the door. He walked over to the bed and took Millie's hand in his. "You have to be strong...I need you to get through this."

Her eyes opened slowly and she gave him a weak smile. "Howie! How is the baby? Did they tell you we are having a girl? We need to pick a name..." she tried sitting up, but he gently pushed her back down. "We need to talk about all this...just in case I'm not around to see her. I don't want you naming our child Apple...or Plum."

He smiled. "Alright...we can talk about it, just lie down and relax please."

Almost half an hour of talking had passed and Howie was happy to know that Millie was looking good and hopefully clear of any harm. "So it's decided...her name is Mila Dorough."

"Well glad that is settled."

"Howie you have to promise that you aren't going to stay mad at AJ. It's not his fault, I kinda pressured him to go. I just wanted to know what it was like...to shop for a baby."

She forced herself to giggle, which made him join her. Millie's hand reached out to her belly and she let out a groan. "Their back..." she said as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body began to convulse.

The monitors began to beep, people and commotion flooded him and before he knew it, he was being pushed out of the room.

Howie hadn't been standing against the wall in the hallway for too long, but it felt like an eternity. The anxiety was getting to him, especially, since they hadn't given him a lick of information ever since they'd kicked him out. He'd looked back to see all kinds of nurses crowding Millie; her eyes closed the whole time.

What the hell was happening? Were they ok?

He was thankful that all his friends were in the waiting room with him, even if he was too spaced out to greet them.