Indestructible: Reinforced

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

     September 2012

     Present Day                                  

     We were halfway through dinner when my cellphone rang. Josh was still sulky and silent, he was scowling down at his plate when I Gotta Feeling broke through the silence that had descended on our table.

     I glanced at the screen. It was Mom. I frowned, she knew I was out with Josh. She never called me during our dates. “Hello?”

     “Avy’s water broke.” Mom said frantically and I heard Dad cuss someone out and a few horns honked. And then Avy was cussing someone out as well. “We’re taking her to the hospital now.”

     “We’re on our way.”

     Josh looked up at me and frowned questioningly.

     “Alright, see you there.” Mom hung up.

     “Where the hell are we going?” Josh asked.

     “Avy’s water broke.” I reported back. “We need to go to the hospital. Now.”

     All the hostility and sulkiness disappeared as he got up and threw fifty euros down on the table. “Nice timing, Avy.”

     I suppressed a glare and just followed him quietly out the restaurant. We got into the car and Josh drove like a madman through the streets.

     Avy was having her baby. Shit!

     My sister was having a baby. I was going to become an aunt for the third time. But this time I was going to be an actual aunt, not an aunt who saw her niece and nephew a couple of times a year.

     “Just so you know.” Josh spoke and I looked at him. His brows were furrowed and he looked dangerous, back to being pissed off and sulky. “We’re not done. Not by a longshot.”

     “Don’t I know it?” I muttered sarcastically.

     “Don’t piss me off, Gabrielle.” He growled. “Just don’t.”

     “You’re the one who’s being irrationally angry.” I growled back. “My sister’s having her baby and her life is kind of messed-up at the moment. Can you give me a minute to deal with all of this, please? God!”

     Josh held back his reply and drove silently till we reached the hospital. Dad was waiting for us outside and the three of us headed to the room Avy and Mom were in.

     “Is he here?” I asked, referring to Drake, as we jogged down corridors.

     “No.” Dad answered. “I called him just before we left the house. He was out somewhere, but he left right away.”

     “The traffic’s horrible.” Josh said. “It’ll take him some time to get here.”

     “As long as he shows up.”

     I glared at Dad. “He’s going to show up, Dad. This is Drake we’re talking about here!”

     Dad glared back at me. “Don’t start with me, Gabrielle.”

     Josh put a restraining hand on my arm but I shrugged it off. “Just don’t tell her that. She’s stressed out and pissed off as it is.”

     “Shit!” Josh stopped in his tracks and his eyes were really wide. I spun around and looked at him.

     “What?” I asked.

     “Jake.” He looked at me. “I totally forgot! He’s coming in a few hours! He wanted to surprise everyone. Told me not to tell anyone, but I completely forgot that he was coming.”

     “Jesus.” Dad pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is just fucking outstanding!”

     “Calm down, Dad.” I said in a calm voice. “Josh, tell him not to come. We can’t have the three of them in the same room. This is a hospital and they will fight. And Avy’s dealing with a lot of things right now, we can’t add Jake to the mix.”

     “I’ll try to talk to him.” Josh nodded. “But he wants to see her and Drake. He didn’t tell me why, but he said he needed to see them. And he’s not staying for long. He has to go back Sunday night and it’s Friday.”

     “Shit.” I muttered. “This is not going to go well.”

     “You think?” Dad hissed. “It’ll be a miracle if someone doesn’t die this weekend.”

     “Let’s just go to Avy right now.” I said and started walking. Thankfully, they followed. “She needs us now. Come on.”

     The three of us reached Avy’s room and we busted in. Mom was holding her hand and Avy’s OBGYN was talking to her. The three of them looked at us as we came to a halt next to Avy’s bed.

     “I fucking hate men.” Avy growled. Her hair was a mess and she was in on those hospital gowns, her skin glowed with sweat. It was the first time I saw her and she didn’t look beautiful.

     “So do I, baby.” Dad crooned as he smoothed her hair away from her face. “Channel those feelings and deliver this baby safely, then.”

     “This is inhumane!” She shouted. Thankfully, she was in a private room. No one could hear her outbursts. “It’s barbaric!”

     She couldn’t have an epidural. Avy was allergic to all kinds painkillers. She was going to have that baby naturally and she was going to feel it. Shit.

     “I delivered you without an epidural.” Mom said.

     “Is that why you hate me?” Avy panted. “Because right now, I hate men and babies so much!”

     “I’ll go wait outside.” Josh said quietly and left.

     It was like she just noticed him then. She watched him leave then looked at me. “Hi, Gabs.”

     “Hey, Aves.” I gave her a small smile. “How are you?”

     “Having the time of my life.” She laughed humorlessly. “Go wait with your man outside. You don’t need to see this.”

     “Get it over and done with.”

     “That’s not going to happen.” The OBGYN said. “Her cervix isn’t wide enough. We’re going to have to wait.”

     “Oh, God, no!” Avy shook her head. “I want this thing out. Now!”

     “Avy, calm down.”

     “Don’t tell me to calm down!” She growled at Mom. “This is how I’m going to deal with this. Deal with it!”

     “I’m going to go check on Josh.” I said quietly and left as well. Not even five minutes in and this was already getting on my nerves.