Slick.

My Friends Call Me Slick- Part 15

 

 

That one life changing moment

It was nearly time for Maxi to take the stand. She didn’t allow me home that night so I went back to Maggie’s. She was just hormonal, it happens. Lilly was happy to see me and I her. I slept restlessly and when I woke up the morning of Maxi’s turn I was dreading having to get up. I was so tired and was ready to stay in bed the whole day but then I remembered what was happening that day. Maxi needed me, even if she was still angry at me.

I guess it was a mixture of tiredness and worry that lead time to pass so fast. I got off the bus I made my way to the court house, and was glad I’d left so early because the bus was really late. I snuck into the back just in time to see Maxi take to the stand. She looked so worried. I wanted to go over to her and pick her up in my arms but this had to be done, she had to go through this just once and then Rob would be gone.

I started thinking about how I could show her I loved her after the trial was all over. How I could make her feel safe in her own home, and ensure her that our child would never be exposed to cruelty that Rob showed Maxi. I snapped out of my trance when the defence started to shout at Maxi. She looked terrible, tears were in her eyes and she was shaking.

“Miss Williams! Miss Williams! Please FOCUS! This is very important for my client’s case.” I didn’t understand why he was saying this, no-one in the room cared about the bloody bastard! “Now try to remember correctly, did Rob ever try anything on you?” Of course he bloody did, I thought, otherwise we wouldn’t be here.  Yet Maxi still didn’t say anything. No sound came from her until she screamed. I stood up. Oh Jesus what’s wrong with her? The baby?

My thoughts turned to Rob what had he done to her? When I looked over to him he was sitting there completely emotionless. I looked around the room to see Julie with a sickly expression on her face, Josh just beside her with an extremely confused look plastered over his. Julie gasped and my eyes shot back to Maxi who was now using the banister as support.

Our eyes met across the silenced court room and her face was lifted for only the briefest moment before she let out another yell of agony.

“Court has gone to recess!” the judge yelled before making his way down to where Maxi had now collapsed. He shouted for the bailiff to call an ambulance and that was my cue to run to her.

By the time I had reached her Julie was already there with Josh right by her as usual. I got as close as I could to her “Maxi, everything will be okay. I promise. Nothing is going to happen.” I was not only telling her this but was also trying to reassure myself.

“Slick, I’m so scared. I can feel it, it’s the baby.” A single tear ran down her cheek I wiped it away with my thumb. She yelled once again.

I went to hold the hand with which she held her stomach, and I felt something warm and sticky. I gasped – Blood!

My mind raced - What should I do? Do I let Maxi see- surely that just panic her even more? Too late for thinking now-

“Slick? Slick? Is that blood? Is that blood from m-m-me?” Her voice broke. All I could think was this isn’t how having a baby should be. It should be a happy time when two people in love complete their happiness with something that will bond them together forever. Okay, maybe we hadn’t been too happy together recently but come on, everyone has a rough patch.

She screamed again. It was getting worse. She grabbed my hand. Again the screech of agony rang from her mouth. This can’t go on. Just as I thought that, two paramedics rushed through.

“Step aside! Move out of our way- this is an EMERGANCY!” Yes it was, it bloody well was! Everyone needed to move. “You too son...” The male paramedic had a relaxing voice but nothing could calm me, not when Maxi was in such a state. “Really, you need to move if you want me to help your girlfriend.” Okay, yeah I did want to help her but I couldn’t leave her side. But she needed me to move, so I moved.

“Slick! Where did you go? I ne-nee-need you.” She broke down into tears.

“I’m right here. I haven’t gone anywhere, just stay calm-” I was interrupted when she screamed for what seemed like the millionth time.  The female paramedic looked at her compassionately and then almost regretfully as she looked at her ‘down bellow area.’ Don’t worry nobody saw it, they had made a modest screen.

“It’s time lass, you gotsta push” Her northern accent rang strong. Maxi just looked as if someone told her she was going to die. Well I suppose she could. No! Why was I thinking like that?

“But I’m not due for like two months!” She was right this couldn’t be good. Wasn’t this too early for a healthy baby?

“Look, I can’t do anything about that but right now all we care about is getting you and your child out of this place healthy and alive. So this is what we are going to do- you will listen to me, you will push when I tell you, you will breath when I tell you to and you will have a beautiful baby at the end of it. Okay? Okay.” Maxi seemed to have calmed down considerably now and was doing as she was told. Pushing and pushing and pushing some more. Then just when I thought all of her effort was in vain I heard the most beautiful sound that I had ever heard. My baby. My baby boy. He had (even if they were smaller than a full term baby) perfect little hands with ten perfect little fingers and perfect little feet with ten perfect little toes. What hair he had on his head was dark brown which could easily become curly when he grew up. His eyes were just like his mother’s and his uncle’s- blue-ish green but he shared my button nose, although his was so much cuter. I was bursting with pride, love, happiness. I told you the day it happened was the most important day of my life. That one beautiful, life changing moment.

Maxi didn’t look so fine. I was so happy to see and hold my son that I didn’t notice Maxi was in a bad state. The two paramedics where frantically trying to stop the blood, and she had fainted. Julie was crying and holding Josh as tight as she could. Josh looked completely bemused. Whilst keeping my son in my arms I tried to get closer.

“Listen son, she will be okay as long as we get her in to the theatre soon. Now step back so that we can get her into the ambulance. Bring your son along to. He needs to go to the special care unit.” Right, I thought, I will have to listen to every word he tells me.

In the back of the ambulance the northern woman took my son from me and looked him over. Everything was normal for a premature baby.

“We’ll need a name. It’s just precaution for early babies. Just in case...” A precaution? A precaution? What, in case he dies?! Well thanks for the reassurance. A name, so they need a name. Any name. Should it be Watson or Williams? Well I was going to ask Maxi to marry me before the baby was born so then we would all be one happy family. So something Watson. I would have liked Maxi to have some input into the name but she couldn’t so it was up to me.

I didn’t believe in giving kids stupid names. Who would ever punish their child by naming them after a fruit- ‘Come here Apple, oh and could you bring your sister Pear?’ No somehow I just don’t think I could imagine Maxi or me saying that, could you?

“Sam.” The name reached my mouth before it had fabricated in my mind. But as soon as I had said it I knew it was the one. Maxi’s grandfather had been called Sam, and although I never knew him I could tell from Maxi’s home videos that she loved him very much, and we would have got on well. My son had ‘Sam’ written all over him, and as I said the name allowed again, a tiny hiccough sound of approval came from the bundle of blankets.

Awww BABY SAM! If you liked this chapter please VOTE and COMMENT  :)