Hustle. (Book 2)

Chapter 19: About Time

Chris P.O.V.

When the nurse took me to the room where Melody was, tears fell immediately. She was beautiful and super tiny.

"She was born at 4 pounds, 5 ounces and is considered a premature infant sir. Until she is healthy enough, she will have to remain in this incubator." I wasn't even paying attention to her words. Instead, I placed my hand up to the incubator and observed her.

She had light honey colored skin and a head full of light brown hair. Her finger was as tiny as my thumbnail. Her tiny chest beat up and down as the machines respirated for her and her eyes fluttered yer did not open. Her body was covered with tubes and wires. I wanted to do everything I could to just be able to hold her in my arms. That was my baby girl.

After spending two hours watching her and observing what the nurses did to her, I walked out the NICU and decided it was time for me to go home. I had to see Lauryn. I'm sure I scared her half to death.

"Chris?" I heard a familiar voice behind me.

I turned around to see one of Lauryn's friends carrying a pitcher of crushed ice but I couldn't remember her name.

"Yes, ummm..." I pondered on her name.

"Gigi," she stated harshly. "Where the hell have you been?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You just fell off the face of the earth! Meanwhile, your girlfriend or whatever you wanna call her, winded up in the fucking emergency room and you're nowhere to be found?" she screamed and pushed me back into the wall. "How dare you?"

"Ma'am," a nurse said, approaching us. "You need to take this outside," she requested, eyeing the waiting room full of people.

"No, I'm good. I'm done talking to this scumbag anyway." She began walking down to the end of the corridor.

I thought to myself. How could she possibly know about Paris? Or maybe she wasn't talking about Paris...

"Wait!" I called after her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "What are you talking about?"

She looked just about ready to slap me. "Chris," she said through gritted teeth.

"Just tell me what happened!" I shouted.

"Lauryn is upstairs right now in a hospital bed and damn near went into labor!" she whispered. "But you wouldn't know that because your a no-good, deadbeat father!"

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Oh hell no. You're not about to go up there and stress her out. You can just forget about that. Stay away from her!" she said, storming off.

No one was going to stop me from seeing my child and the love of my life. I was going to find Lauryn.

I hurried to a desk and asked the nurse to search the system. "She's two floors up in room 3407, sir." She winked and twisted a strand of hair but I didn't follow up on this innuendo either. I only wanted to see Lauryn. I had to see her.