Teenagers, Love and Pregnancy

Chapter 26

Kelly drove hard and fast to the hospital as I called Mom at work, hoping I wouldn't be struck by a contraction while I was on the phone.

"Hey honey," Mom said when she answered the phone. "What's up? Are you at the memorial?"

"Mom, the baby's coming right now," I said, trying to keep panic out of my voice.

"Now?! Are you sure?"

"My water broke and I'm having contractions. I'm sure."

"Honey, this is so exciting!" Mom said, sounding nothing short of enthusiastic and happy. "I'll be at the hospital as soon as possible. Are you alone?"

"No, Kelly's with me," I said. "Driving REALLY FAST." I gave Kelly the look to indicate that she needed to slow down. I didn't want another run-in with Officer Twitchy Stache, especially not today.

"Well you're in labor, jeez!" Kelly hissed as she slowed down.

"Mom, can you call John for me? We're almost at the hospital and I don't know if I'm going to be able to call again."

"No problem, Honey," Mom said. "Stay calm. I'll be over in about twenty minutes. I love you."

"Love you, Mom," I said. "Bye."

Kelly wheeled sharply into a parking spot like something out of a James Bond movie.

"Any more contractions yet?"

I opened my mouth to say no when a sharp pain ran through my back and then made its way forward and into my abdomen. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for it to pass, unable to speak.

"That's an answer, too," Kelly said as she got out and walked around the front of the car. She opened my door and stood beside me while waiting for the contraction to pass. When it was gone, I gingerly stepped out of the car and went inside, arm-in-arm with Kelly.

We found our way to the registration desk, where a nurse with blonde hair in a tight bun smacked her gum with hot pink lips.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a nasally voice without even glancing away from her computer, looking nothing short of bored.

"Hi," Kelly said smoothly, stepping in front of me automatically doing all the talking. God bless her. "My friend here's water broke about twenty minutes ago, and she's been having contractions."

"Alright," the nurse said. "One second." She picked up a phone and cradled it to her ear, speaking in a low tone as I looked around the hospital I'd only been out of a week. I was entertaining myself (and attempted to calm down) by trying to count the spotted ceiling panels when, out of nowhere, two male nurses in scrubs came forward, one rolling a wheelchair and another with his arm out to me.

"Right this way, ma'am," he said, helping me into the wheelchair. "We'll get you up to maternity while your friend gets you registered."

The nurses pushed me down the hallway while doctors, other nurses, and even a few patients walked by either side of me. Even though it was dizzying (and a little fun) being pushed so fast and being half the height of everyone around me, I couldn't take my mind of the butterflies in my stomach. . .or was that the baby moving? Sure enough, I felt a heavy stirring inside my belly that wasn't caused by my nervous excitement about finally getting to give birth.

"I'll meet you soon enough," I mumbled to my belly as I gave it a gentle pat.

After an elevator ride and a quick wheel down a long hallway, the nurses turned my wheelchair into a room that looked like a standard hospital room, with a bed in the middle and a wide array of machines splayed around the room. Though I hadn't gotten to look very closely, I assumed this is what the room I stayed in after Joey's death looked like.