GUILT

Chapter 27

Two months later...

     Chantelle moaned in pain throughout the night. She began to hold her stomach as she attempted to ease from the bed. She went in the bathroom and leaned over the counter. Chantelle had contractions often but never like this. As she walked back into the bedroom, water gushed between her legs. 

     "Trae, grab the bag! My water broke, grab the bag," she yelled, waking him up.

      Trae hurried across the room to gather everything she needed. He panicked but was thrilled at the same time because he was so impatient for the arrival of their baby girl. Chantelle tried to walk through the pain to get downstairs to the car. Trae packed his bag and threw it into the trunk along with Chantelle's bag. Chantelle breathed heavily as Trae drove her to the hospital.

     "Trae, don't leave me," she whined as he went to ask the nurse for a wheelchair.

     "Bae, I have to go. I'll be back."

     Trae walked into the hospital swiftly to tell the nurse that she was in labor. The nurse called for someone to bring the wheelchair out to the car. Chantelle sat in the wheelchair and Trae got the bags from the trunk and followed them to the room. The nurse told Chantelle to lie in the bed so that they can connect her to the machine.

     "On a scale of 1-10, how much pain are you currently feeling," the nurse asked her.

    "You're really going to ask me that?!" Chantelle snapped.

    "Aye, calm down ma. She's just doing her job," Trae said. "I'm sorry miss, she's just in a lot of pain right now."

    "Thank you," the nurse shook her head.

     Chantelle rolled over and cried as the contractions became stronger. The nurse hooked her up to an IV and gave her an Epidural shot for pain. Trae had no experience in watching a female give birth, but he knew that he had to be there to comfort her. He rolled one of the chairs next to the bed and stroked her cheek. Her eyes filled with water as she stared at him. Trae couldn't stand to see her in pain so he teared up as well.

     "Do you want me to start making calls," he asked.

     "Call my mama and Shay. I don't want everybody up here."

     "What about Dev?"

    "Do whatever Trae," she said, turning back over.

     "Shay?" 

     "Trae? Why are you calling me at three in the morning," Shay awoke, answering his call.

     "We're at the hospital," he rolled his eyes.

     "What's wrong?! Is she in labor?!"

     "Yes, Shay."

    "Oh my gosh! I'm on my way," she shrieked and ended the call.

    Trae dialed Devin's number and Chantelle's mom but didn't get an answer, so he called his uncle.

   "Unc?" 

   Trae's uncle cleared his voice, "Nephew? What's the problem?"

   "Chantelle's in labor and we're up here at the hospital."

   "Okay, Um, I'll be there."

    Trae walked back over to the bed and saw Chantelle's face scrunched up. He sat back into the chair and held her hand.