Small Town Hero

Chapter 52

"Hey baby, what's up?" Gemma asked.

"Something happened. I...I think I peed myself and then this super sharp pain hit me." Noelle sniffed.

"Oh baby, it sounds like your water broke. You've gone into labor. I'll come pick you up and get you to St Thomas." Gemma told her, "Have your hospital bag ready."

"Ok." Noelle said before they hung up.

Her hospital bag had long since been packed and had been sitting by her door for months. She grabbed her phone, purse, and keys and headed outside to await Gemma. Making sure the house was locked, she walked to the end of the driveway to wait her ride. She felt gross and embarrassed about what happened. Gemma arrived a few minutes later and opened the door for her. She set her bag in the floorboard and slid into the seat. Gemma promised things were going to be fine. Noelle was internally panicking about everything.

Once they parked, Gemma helped Noelle waddle into the hospital's ER department. After talking to a nurse, Noelle was put in a wheelchair and led upstairs to the maternity ward. The nurse checked her in, Noelle and Happy having already decided this was where their baby was to be born, and settled in a room. She'd have to wait for a doctor to come in and do an exam to see how far along she was. Noelle didn't have a clue what that meant so she asked Gemma when the older woman was allowed in the room with her. Gemma explained everything making Noelle nod in understanding. She grabbed her phone out of her bag.

Noelle: baby, it's happened. I'm at the hospital. Waiting on doc to do an exam on me now. Will let you know more as I know more.

Happy looked at his phone and felt his world drop out from under him. This was exactly what he was afraid was going to happen. He told Jax that Noelle had gone into labor and he wanted to head back to Charming. Clay was totally against it. Happy threatened Clay making Bobby and Jax step in between the pair so nothing could happen. Jax was quick to state that having one less man wasn't going to affect their mission, especially with the entire Tacoma charter helping. Clay and Happy had a few more words before Clay huffed and waved Happy off.

The Tacoma Killah rushed to his bike and sped off for the highway. He silently prayed to whatever god would listen to him that he wouldn't miss the birth of his son. He wanted to be there to support Noelle and to see his first-born child be born. The speed limit meant shit to Happy as he zoomed over one hundred miles per hour down the highway to get back to Charming. He zig-zagged through traffic when he had to. All that mattered was getting to his wife at the hospital.

The doctor finally came in half an hour after Noelle texted her husband. Gemma stepped out so she could change into one of those awful hospital gowns and so he could do his exam. He told her she had only dilated to one yet and advised her to walk around the ward to help speed things along. When Gemma entered the room after he left, she explained what the doctor told her. Gemma helped her off the bed so they could walk the ward together. Noelle was incredibly nervous her husband was going to miss everything. It brought tears to her eyes thinking about it.

"Hey, daddy's little ass kicker! Just hang out until Daddy can get here. He doesn't want to miss you coming into the world." Noelle told her belly as she rubbed it making Gemma smile at her.

They walked around the ward several times before Noelle began to tire out. Noelle was worried they were going to send her home to suffer childbirth there since she wasn't dilating like they thought she should. Gemma put her foot down about her staying scaring one of the nurses. It eased Noelle's mind that she had someone to help her through everything since Happy wasn't there yet. The doctor kept urging her to walk around the ward since that supposedly helped speed up the dilation but Noelle didn't want to speed it up for fear of her husband missing everything. Contractions were coming at a semi-regular basis which freaked Noelle out. Gemma always reassured her that things were going to be fine and that Happy would make it on time.