“Clearly, you’re not. I’m taking you in,” he asserted. “Maisha, could you grab the two bags I have packed under our bed?”
She nodded to AJ’s request and headed up to our second floor. She’d barely made it back to us when the strongest pain yet hit me and I whimpered. AJ came around in front of me and I placed both hands on his shoulders. I was just getting ready to agree that I needed to go to the hospital…when my water broke.
“Aww hell naw!” Terrell yelled out, followed by an immediate dry heave. Even with my eyes closed, I knew Maisha was trying to inflict bodily harm on him with whatever look she gave.
Deanna rushed over to help AJ get me to the garage where his car was parked. That short walk felt like the longest I’d ever taken in my life, but I eventually made it and was even able to lean against the car while AJ situated a towel on the seat like I’d asked him to. Once inside the car, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’ll have Terrell look up the address to the hospital so you guys can hurry up and get there. We’ll be right behind you,” Maisha said from the doorway. AJ nodded and thanked her.
“Wait! I need my purse,” I called out just before he climbed in beside me.
“Just go! I’ll grab it and bring it with me,” Maisha offered.
When another contraction rendered me speechless, I rested my head against the seat and didn’t protest.
AJ started the engine, showing clear signs of panic – his face was almost white as a ghost and it looked like he didn’t remember how to shift the car into reverse. I groaned in agony and that made him even more frazzled.
“Okay…I’m gonna get you there. Hold on,” he said, sounding surprisingly calm as we backed out of our driveway.
While we drove, I half-listened to AJ placing calls to our parents, Angel, Aunt Lisa and Uncle Todd, and to the hospital to give them a heads up that we were on our way. For that reason, there was already someone waiting at the entrance with a wheelchair, ready to escort us up. AJ handed his keys to the valet, and I sought after his hand as soon as I could reach him. Seeing the fear in my eyes, he worked to wrangle in his own. If ever there was a time that I needed him to be strong for me, it was now.
*****
AJ
She was in so much pain and there wasn’t anything I could do other than hold her hand. I felt completely useless. The contractions seemed to be getting stronger so the nurses were working to hook her up to the monitor to see what was going on. The last one that entered the room came in with a smile and an ultrasound machine.
“Hello, Samantha! How’re you feeling?”
Sam shook her head and replied, “Bad,” squeezing my hand with the strength that outmatched that of a large man. My fingers turned purple and throbbed in her grasp, but I wasn’t about to let go, though.
The woman gave a sympathetic nod. “I’m gonna check you to see how far you’ve dilated first, then we’re gonna do an ultrasound to check the baby’s position.”
I nodded, but it didn’t even seem like Sam heard a word the woman said. While the nurse did her thing, I pushed Sam’s hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. She took several deep breaths through her nose and seemed to relax a little.
I glanced down to the nurse at the foot of the bed and noted the look on her face. The smile had faded as she removed the latex glove from her hand, being replaced by a solemn look of concern that medical professionals turn on when something isn’t right.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” I asked in a panic. Trying my best not to alarm Sam, but…
“Calm down, sir,” the woman said, again trying to put on a happy face. “I’m gonna go get the doctor and he’ll explain everything, okay? Just have a seat.”
Quickly, she rushed out of the room with the other two nurses following closely behind. Within seconds, the doctor on call entered the room – a man I’d never met before a day in my life.