Consigned

Part 20

Enzo

I rushed and tried to get Erin to the hospital as quickly as possible. The amount of blood loss couldn't have been normal. I silently prayed as she gripped the handle in the truck, gritting her teeth, and I asked God to make sure that her and the baby were okay.

I tried to focus, and I couldn't get through the traffic quick enough. I was only five minutes from the hospital. My eyes were watering, Erin was screaming. Everything was a blur to me.

We roll into the ER and I rush out the truck and run around to her side, opening the door and screaming for someone to help.

A few nurses and the security guy run over and help her into a wheelchair.

"Her water broke!" I yell.

"Okay sir, it's going to be okay. Calm down. How long ago, how far apart are your contractions ma'am?" The nurse looks over at Erin who is red, and sweaty, her hair sticking to her face.

Erin looks over at me and I speak up. " It broke about 30 minutes ago, her contractions are about 2 minutes apart."

She nods "Okay, that's good news. Let's roll you into triage and get you a bed, and roll you upstairs to the maternity ward."

I lean over when they began to wheel her away and tell the nurse that there was more than a lot of blood everywhere.

She looks at me concerned, nods, and says to meet us on the 3rd floor immediately.

I park the truck and grab her bags. I run through the waiting room, and hit the elevator button getting up to the floor.

As soon as the doors open, I see Erin being rolled onto the floor as well.

"Baby! I'm here!" I run over to her and hold her hand.

"Don't leave me. Please."

"Never."

They roll her into a delivery room, and begin to check her vitals, the baby's heartbeat. They insert an IV into her hand, and she leans back screaming again.

"Can I please get some meds?" She yells loudly.

"Ok Erin, we need the doctor to come in and examine you first and see how far dilated you are."

As soon as she gets done speaking, the doctor walks in and announces his presence.

"Hey there, I'm Dr. Rogers, I'll be your delivery doctor this evening. Let's get this show on the road, huh? I'm going to put your legs in the stirrups, and then I'll be checking you to check dilation. Now if you're not too far dilated you can get something to relax in your IV, and then maybe epidural. Your pain relief is all up to you. Now if you're too far dilated, you won't be able to, but we will try and keep you comfortable. Also, the machine beside you with all those lines, that is monitoring your contractions. You are in full blown labor it seems, and you are high risk considering you've been in labor before. So give me just a minute and we'll give you a decision."

The doctor leaned down, and began examining her. After a few moments, he stood back up and removed his gloves.

"Okay well it seems you are about 4 centimeters dilated currently. Do you want the epidural?"

"YES!" Erin screamed at him.

"Alright, well I'll send the anesthesiologist in, and you'll be relaxed in no time."

He walked out leaving us alone.

I continued holding her hand, pushing her hair out of her face, kissing her forehead.

"I love you baby. Everything is going to be okay."

"I love you to Enz."

She laid there, trying to breathe through another contraction. My heart hurt that she was in so much pain and I couldn't do anything about it.

The anesthesiologist came into the room, and explained to us about the epidural.

She sat up and leaned over the bed, I held her from the front, and kept her steady.

She waited until the contraction was over where she knew she could be the most still.

I watched her pull out a long needle and I felt a little wobbly.

"Alright dad, I need you to hold mom very still for me, she can't move at all. Are you going to be able to do it or do you want a nurse to?"

"I got it."

She pushed the needle into the skin, and I saw Erin's face cringe at it the pressure building in her back, silently letting go tears.

This woman is so tough at handling everything life throws her way. I am so in awe of her every day I live.

A nurse walked over and explained what happens now.

"So I gave Erin some pain meds as well into her IV. Nothing that'll hurt the baby, and Erin, all it will do is help you relax some, calm your heart rate down, which will in turn calm the baby down. You might get a little sleepy and doze off which is fine, this is a waiting game sometimes. Your epidural seems to be kicking in as well, you won't feel or, shouldn't feel, I should say any bad contractions anymore. You might feel a little pressure, but if you begin to feel everything again, let us know and they can probably bump up your dosage. I'll be back in every 20 minutes or so to check on you, and see how we're doing. I suggest get some rest, dad, you can either stay with mom, but I suggest once she dozes off you lay on the recliner, and relax too. Because once the time comes to push I will need to very awake and rested parents there."

She smiles at us, and leaves.

I look down at Erin and she is already comfortable, dozing off, the pressure on my hand slowly falls, and she's knocked out.

I smile down at my angel, kiss her head, and dim the lights. I go lay in the recliner and prepare myself for my daughter's arrival.