A Perfect Mistake

Chapter 18

"You can't be in labor!" Eva yells, jumping up.

"I am, Eva, my water just broke." I say, shaking with fear.

Eva grabs my hand and pulls me up. "I'll tell my mom and dad, and they'll take us to the hospital."

"O...o...okay," I say breathlessly.

Eva looks around the beach, trying to find Dylan and Gina. Finally, she spots them wading in the ocean.

Eva runs over to them and explains to them about what's happening.

"Cassie, honey, we'll drive you to the hospital," Gina says, taking immediate action.

"Just relax, honey," Dylan tells me, patting me on the back. "Breath in and out."

"Okay," I say.

I start breathing rhythmically. In and out. Out and in. In and out. Out and in. 

Dylan and Gina and Eva and Mitchell and I hop in the rental car.

"I'll be there with you the whole time," Mitchell assures to me, gripping my hand tightly.

"Thanks, Mitch," I whisper as I grip his hand tightly.

Eva glances at us and our hands, looking a bit jealous.

We arrive at Golden General Hospital. We hop out of the car. Mitchell holds my hand and wraps his arm around my back protectively as all of us rush into the hospital.

My contractions are 10 minutes apart now...

I'm in a lot of pain. I can feel the baby slowly trying to push out of me. My crotch feels wet due to the water breaking. My stomach feels tight and cramped.

"Oww!" I yelp, letting go of Mitchell's hand so that I can clutch my painful stomach.

"It's okay, Cassie." Eva tries to assure me.

"Calm down please, Cassie." Mitchell pleads, alarmed.

"How the fuck can I calm down?!" I yell at them. "I'm in fucking labor at fucking 23 weeks, goddamn it! DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"

Everyone in the hospital stares at me.

"Stop staring at me and mind your own damn business!" I snap at them.

They turn away and ignore me, but I hear them whisper among themselves.

Dylan and Gina are talking to someone at a check-in desk.

"A doctor will come any minute, okay?" The woman informs us.

"They better hurry up," I say crabbily.

Nobody responds to me. I guess they're scared that they'd make me madder than I already am.

A doctor shows up.

"I'm Dr. Graham," She introduces herself.

"I don't care what your name is, just assist me right now." I retort.

"All righty," Dr. Graham says calmly and rationally.

I sit in a wheelchair and she pushes me to a private room.

Before I lie in the bed, I change into one of those ugly gowns hospitals provide.

"Just try to relax, okay?" Dr. Graham says to me with a soothing voice that I can't possibly be mad at. "I know it's hard, but the childbirth process will go a lot more smoothly if you're more relaxed and not as tense."

I nod my head and take a deep breath. "Okay, Doctor. I'll try to calm down."

Dr. Graham and Mitchell and Eva supports me and encourages me as I struggle to give birth to the baby. (Dylan and Gina goes out to the waiting room, not wanting to see me give birth, which is quite understandable.)

"1 last push and the baby will be out," Dr. Graham announces. 

"You can do it, babe." Mitchell convinces me.

Babe. 

I smile when he calls me that.

"You're 1 push away from being a mommy of a beautiful baby girl," Eva tells me, smiling.

"Okay," I say.

I push hard.

At 11:00 AM, a graceful and elegant baby girl with reddish-brown, wavy hair and blue-green eyes and fair skin, is born.