Jersey

eighteen

As each day passed, Ellie was in more and more pain, and more miserable than ever. She was supposed to give birth in three weeks, but she felt like she was dying. She couldn't move because it hurt too bad, and she found herself being too hot or too cold. Her feet continuously cramped up and she was always eating. She couldn't go five minutes without screaming, and she was always crying.
"I think we need to go to the hospital." Lisa said, sitting by Ellie's side as she was wrapped up in her covers, "You look awful."
"Yeah and I feel even worse." Ellie snapped.
Lisa didn't think much of it. She knew Ellie didn't mean any harm.
"Come on, we're going to the hospital."
One of the hardest struggles was getting Ellie into the car, but it was done. They had to call Ethan for help. As they hauled her into the car, she nearly fell down but Ethan caught her.
Her contractions came back, this time harder. All at once, Ellie felt a kick, and then heard a splash. Ellie screamed.
Lisa gasped, "Oh my god."
"No." Ellie said, "No. No, no, no, no, no, she's not supposed to be born for another few weeks."
"Okay, calm down." Lisa said, "We've gotta go, now."
"No." Ellie hesitated, "Grayson's not here."
"I'll call him, he can get on a flight and be here really soon, okay."
Ellie began to cry, now really nervous, "Okay."
She was panting heavily in the backseat while Lisa accompanied her with breathing exercises. Ethan tried driving as fast as he could, but Ellie's yells from the backseat weren't helping anybody. On the way, Ethan dialed Grayson who didn't answer. He tried another few times but still no answer.
Ellie was now panicking, "Why isn't he answering?"
"I don't know, Ellie." Ethan said, now beginning to freak out too.
He pulled to a stop outside of the hospital, before running in to gather some doctors.
"Everything's going to be okay, alright?"
Inside the car, Ethan's phone rang.
Lisa picked it up, seeing Grayson's caller ID, "Oh thank god. Grayson, Ellie's water broke."
"What?" Grayson nearly yelled from backstage, "Are you serious?"
"Yes." Lisa yelled, "And she's freaking out."
"Oh my god, okay, I'm- I'm on my way."
Yes, Grayson was in the middle of a show, but he told hisself he wouldn't miss her give birth.
He ran out, on his way bumping into Cyrus.
"Woah, where are you going?" He yelled after.
"I'm sorry." He yelled back, "But I cant miss my baby being born, I at least owe Ellie that."
"Grayson." He called out, "You can't leave again."
Grayson stopped. He heard the roars, he heard the cheers. His heart was beating at an unsteady pace.
"Just finish the show." Cyrus calmly said, "And then you can go."
He almost stayed. And then he thought about Ellie.
"She needs me." He choked out, "I'm sorry."
Lisa and Ethan helped Ellie into a chair as the doctors wheeled her out.
Pamela then caught up to them, "How long ago did the water break?"
"About twenty minutes ago." Lisa answered.
"Okay, lets get her to the pregnancy ward." Pam instructed.
Ellie yelled in pain, "I need Grayson."
"He's coming."
"I need him now." She shouted.
Ethan and Lisa looked to each other, not knowing what to say as she yelled again in pain, tears streaming down her face, "I can't do this without him, please I need him here I need him." She repeated.
Ethan then walked closely beside her, "Hey, he will be here, okay. Everything is going to be okay."
That didn't stop the tears from falling down her face, "I'm scared."
"Don't be." Ethan sympathized, "You got this."
Ellie was admitted into her respected room while Lisa and Ethan waited outside.
"He needs to get here and fast." Lisa said, nervously sweating, "If he doesn't show she's gonna be crushed."
Grayson ran into the airport, immediately stopping at a nearby hostess, "I need a flight to Jersey now."
"The next flight to Jersey doesn't go out until later tonight." She said, looking to him oddly as she watched the sweat drip down his face.
"No, I need to get Jersey now, my girlfriends giving birth." He yelled.
"Sir, I'm sorry but there are no ongoing flights to Jersey right now."
Grayson slammed his fist into the table, then running back out to his car. He put Jersey into his GPS, and then put his car into gear. As he started his route, the only words he could hear were, "You should arrive to your destination in approximately 18 hours."
Everything stopped.
"Shit." He whispered.
Back at the hospital, Pamela peaked her head out of the door at Lisa and Ethan, "She's ready to push."
"What?" Ethan asked, "Grayson isn't here."
"I'm sorry." Pamela said, "But this baby is being delivered now wether we like it or not."
Ethan quickly dialed Grayson.
He answered in the span of a second, "Gray, come on man she's about to start pushing."
"I can't make it." Grayson spoke, "There's no way I'm gonna be there in time."
"No." Ethan said, turning to Lisa is despair, "Man, she needs you."
He felt horrible because he knew she did.
"Just please go in there with her. I don't want her to be alone."
Ethan stared to Lisa in despair, "I'm so sorry, Grayson."
"Just make sure she's okay."
With that, Grayson ended the call.
Lisa then looked to Ethan, "What?"
He shook his head. Lisa's eyes then too became glossy, "Oh my god."

Ethan walked into the room, seeing Ellie in tears on the bed. She looked over to Ethan, "Where's Grayson?"
"Listen to me, okay." He started, "He's not going to make it, but you are going to have this baby right now, okay."
Ellie shook her head letting more tears fall.
"Yes." Ethan corrected, "You are one of the strongest people I know. You got this, Ellie."
"No." She cried.
"Ellie, we need you to start pushing now." Pamela said.
Ethan then grabbed her hand, "We got this, okay?"
Ellie then nodded, starting to push. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could. She pushed and screamed and cried out in help. Ethan took the pain. Lisa couldn't even bare to watch. Ellie was going through more than birth pain. She was hurt, and scared, and confused. She was still so young, what would she know?
"Just a few more, okay?" Pamela said, as she saw Ellie begin to give up.
"It hurts." Ellie yelled, face flooded with tears.
"I know baby, but just a few more." Pamela urged, "You're almost there."
"I can't." Ellie cried, "It hurts so bad."
Lisa then walked over with her phone in hand, before Grayson voice poured out.
"Ellie. You are doing great, okay. Just a few more pushes and it's over. Can you do that for me? Please."
Ellie heard his voice and cried out in pain.
"Baby. I said, can you do that for me?" Grayson repeated.
"Yes." She cried out.
"Good." He said, "I love you, okay?"
"I love you too." She said.
"Okay, on three, alright?" Pamela said, "Three, two, one."
Ellie gave it all she had. She pushed until she heard cries.
Everything in the room felt like it'd stopped.
Grayson sat in his car hearing the cries of his babygirl, "You did it, Ellie." He choked out, "I'm so proud of you."
Ellie sat there in tears. She let go of Ethan's hand. No more tears of pain, just tears of hurt.
For both Ellie and Grayson.
But soon, Ellie's vision got blurry. For a minute, she couldn't feel anything. Her eyes got heavy.
Ethan looked to her, and immediately called for Pamela. Everything else that she heard was muffled. Soon, it felt as if Ellie's soul had left her body.

Ellie opened her eyes.
The room was bright.
She remembered knocking out directly after she gave birth.
"Hey." She heard.
Turning to the side, she saw Grayson.
"Gray.." she silently whispered, "You're here."
"I'm here." He said in a raspy tone, his eyes drooping from tiredness.
"You missed the birth." She said sadly, "Grayson- you said you'd be here."
He then cleared his throat, sniffling a bit, "I tried."
Ellie just stared at him hopelessly.
"You missed everything."
He nodded, "I know I should've been here. And I will regret that for the rest of my life- but I'm here now."
"But you're just gonna leave again."
He shook his head, "No. I couldn't even if I wanted to."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"It's over, Ellie." He said, his heart beginning to ache, "No more pop star, no more fame. I'm done."
Ellie heard the sadness in his voice. She reached out to him but he just stood up, his eyes watered.
"You don't care." He said helplessly, "You stopped caring about me a long time ago."
"Grayson-" Ellie started, now sitting up to talk more thoroughly.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
Not saying another word, Grayson walked out. He let out a heavy breath, starting to walk towards the entrance. He needed some fresh air.
Then, in a turn of events, he saw a very familiar face walk through.
"Gabby?"
She lightly smiled walking towards him, "Hey, Gray."
"What're you doing here? To tell me I told you so?" He asked.
"No." She said, "I was gonna go with congratulations."
Grayson heavily sighed, "I'm sorry."
Gabby walked closer, "I heard. Cyrus announced this morning."
Grayson's entire state of mind was a wreck.
"What did I do wrong?" He asked hopelessly, "I tried Gabby, I really thought I could do it."
"And you did." She comforted, "But you also did other things, like get your girlfriend pregnant. And most singers don't plan a world tour in the midst of all that."
Grayson felt tears come to his eyes, his heart was quite literally broken as he spoke again, "I ruined everything- again. I let down everyone- again. I just keep screwing up and bringing everyone down with me. I've wanted this my whole life. To be famous, to make other people happy but all I've done is showed them that I don't care, and I'm some spoiled baby pop star who doesn't know how to handle fame."
Hobbling out of the room to find Grayson, still very weak, she saw he and Gabby talking. Without hesitation, she listened in.
"It's not your fault, Grayson." He said, "You did the right thing."
"Then why do I feel like such shit?" He asked, "I used to be okay. I never had to deal with anyone else. It was just me and you against the world. Everything was so much simpler there. I had the money, I had the fame, I had the girl, I had you. And then I let it all go for- for Ellie?"
Ellie's heart shattered.
"We all do stupid things for the people we love." Gabby said, "And I know you're broken right now, trust me I do. But it will get better. You have Ellie, and you have your babygirl."
"I'm 23 years old Gabby. I'm not done growing up yet."
Gabby too had tears in her eyes as she realized Grayson was scared.
"I don't want this Gabby." He cried.
Gabby then engulfed him into a huge hug. Ellie let a tear fall as she saw Grayson cry into her shoulder. She hobbled back to her hospital room and got back into bed. She laid restlessly, trying to stop the tears from falling down her face. Did she just ruin Grayson's life?