Last Bandit: Book 1 in The Bandits Series

Teach Your Children Well

Chapter 21: Teach Your Children Well ~

Alexandra hands us our schedule as we gather in the kitchen. As I grip the professional looking paper in my hand, I realize that it's oddly quiet, most likely because Nick and Russell are out playing a gig, Bunny and Athena are working down at the strip club, and Mary Ann is in Russell's bed sleeping, even though it's only 8:30.

Russell has been kind enough to allow Mary Ann and I to use his room while she's pregnant. She needed a proper bed, not an old couch. This way, I get to sleep with her every night, and hold her and say I love you before we fall unconscious. It's been nice. Maybe Russell won't ask for his bedroom back once Magdalaine comes along. He never complains about being in the basement. Who knows what he does down there alone.

"So I got you booked at the Rainbow this Wednesday. Am I at least gonna get a thank you?"

I cherish Alexandra's enthusiasm for The Bandits and her role as our manager or agent or whatever she is. She really loves doing it, and she's good at it. She calls up certain people and clubs and works her black magic to seal the deal and land us a decent gig. Wednesday night at the Rainbow is a nice slot at a rad venue.

The boys and I tell her thank you, and in return, she smiles brightly. "We're getting close to a Friday night. You'll make it. I've talked to people who like you guys a lot. I think it's safe to say you've got a nice cult following coming along. You have fans."

That sounds nice. It sounds promising. Perhaps we will make it. Maybe we will get a Friday night slot somewhere and maybe record executives will be out that night. Maybe they'll stumble over us and find us intriguing and give us a contract. That's a thought.

"Oh, and I sent a few videos of your shows at the Troubadour and Cathouse to some companies, but I haven't heard anything back," Alexandra says, almost reading my mind. "I'm telling you, if you play a few weekend gigs, they'll pick you up."

"Did you book us with any well-known bands?" Davey asks.

"Well-known Strip bands. No really big acts. Your buddies snatched up that opening slot for Skid Row a month ago, and I haven't seen a chance to open for any other big band since."

"Isn't L.A. Guns playing the Whisky in two weeks?" Rex asks.

"Yeah, but I think they have an opening act touring with them. I'll double check, though. Faster Pussycat always plays the Cathouse, so I'll see if I can get you guys in there one day they're playing."

"Sounds good," my brother says, looking down once more at our schedule. It almost looks like a work schedule with hours and everything.

I tell Alexandra thank you. Before anyone can say anything else, I hear Mary Ann yell my name from the bedroom, so I rush in to see what's wrong.

She looks at me, half sitting up with wide eyes. "I think my water broke."

"But it's only September seventh."

"They don't always come on the due date, Johnny," she says as if I should know this. Well, I suppose I should.

I round the bed to see that a puddle of liquid has formed on the sheets under her bum. She looks at me with the same huge eyes as before. And for the first time in all her pregnancy, Mary Ann looks scared. So I have to be strong for her.

We walk out of the bedroom slowly as my arms support her and help her move with her large stomach. As we pass the kitchen, I announce, "She's going into labor."

"I'll drive," my brother says frantically, grabs his keys and runs to the door.

I think all my brother does for me now is to make up for all the things he didn't do for me back then. God, he and Athena do so much things for me and Mary Ann. It's very nice to have someone to help out. It's very kind of them to care. But he doesn't have to feel sorry.

Brian and Rex assist me in leading Mary Ann down the steps and walking her to the car. And Alexandra is trying to calm everyone down, mainly Magdalaine's parents. Mary Ann has suddenly become frightened at the thought of actually giving birth, and my nervousness is breaking through my attempted words to relax her.

I take one quick deep breath to blow away my anxiety. It helps slightly, allowing me to calm Mary Ann in a better way and relaxing tone. The two of us enter into the backseat, and my brother sits at the wheel.

Alexandra calls from the yard, "Call us when she's born!"

And with that, Davey begins down the road, slowly gathering speed as he does so. I warn him to slow down and get us to the hospital safely. He obeys, but stills keeps at a pace above the posted speed limit.

Mary Ann is breathing heavily. She's scared. Hell, I would be too being a seventeen year old girl who is just about to give birth to a child. I tell her everything is going to be alright and to breath nice and slowly, take deep breaths. She does this and doesn't say one word until we get to the hospital.

Davey and I help her into the emergency room, where nurses run to us, already knowing what is happening to Mary Ann. They ask who Davey is and who I am. When I tell them I'm the father, they allow me to go with them to a special room for Mary Ann. Davey stays behind.

They take her out of her pajamas quickly and put a hospital gown on her. I'm instructed by one of the nurses to put on a bunch of blue clothing; the kind that doctors wear when they're performing surgery. So I quickly slip the pants over my jeans, take off my hat, pull my shirt over my head and replace it with the new one, all while the nurses prepare Mary Ann. Dr. Manko comes in as I'm slipping blue things over my boots under one of the nurses commands. I put the gloves on and realize I've got one more of these blue thingies.

"That goes on your head," the female nurse instructs.

I use one of my many bracelets to tie back my hair, and after I've got the thing on my head, the same nurse tells me to remove the rest of my bracelets. So I listen and watch as she takes my clothes and accessories out of the room. Little does she know, I've still got a few necklaces and the rosary Mary Ann gave me still around my neck and hidden by this coarse, blue medical shirt.

And once the mother of my child looks at me, she laughs. She laughs. Out of all the pain she's experiencing, Mary Ann laughs because I look ridiculous. But I'm glad she feels a trickle of joy to help her forget about the agony for a split second. However, she quickly goes back to groaning and squeezing her eyes shut. The labor is hurting the hell out of her and it's quite noticeable.

I try to comfort her once again as I lean over her side. Dr. Manko works between her legs, tells her a breathing technique, and yells for her to push. This continues for eight hours.

During the ninth hour, a nurse pushes me aside and takes my spot near Mary Ann. Now I can see everything that's happening down south. Oh, there's the baby's head!

"Mary Ann, keep pushing!" Dr. Manko hollers, somehow sounding calm. "We can see the head!"

She grunts with a push and more of Magdalaine can be seen. And now even more, to the point where it's almost safe to say she's fully born. In a matter of minutes, or maybe even seconds, my daughter is crying and squirming in the same air I breathe. The doctor hands me scissors.

I'm frozen until he says, "Go on. Cut the umbilical cord right here."

After the deed is done, they carry Magdalaine off, and I look at Mary Ann, who is already smiling at me. She did it. It took nine painful hours, but she successfully gave birth to our child. I go over and kiss her.

"Well, she looks very healthy," Dr. Manko says to us with a smile upon his face also. "You both did absolutely great."