Anna was pacing the room when we got there, rubbing her back and exhaling loudly. Sweat beaded her brow as she glanced at the door. The pain in her face eased to relief when she saw Griffin. “Griff? This is starting to really fucking hurt.”
Griffin ran his hands back through his hair. “Okay, no problem. We’ll get you to a hospital, and they’ll knock you out.” He rushed over to her and supported her arm as he helped her from the room.
I didn’t want to burst Anna’s bubble that it was probably too late for drugs, but I did feel like I should mention one tiny little detail that they both seemed to be forgetting about. “What about tonight’s show?”
Griffin immediately remembered where he was. “Fuck!” His eyes bored into mine. “You know our songs. You play for me.”
“I can barely strum a guitar!”
Griffin patted me on the back as he walked past me. “You’ll do fine. Good luck!”
I watched him walk away, wondering if I’d really just become the replacement bassist for the D-Bags. Shaking my head, I ran after Griffin. “No, I’m coming to the hospital with you guys. I’d probably get egged on stage anyway.”
Griffin was beyond caring about his band’s fate as he rubbed Anna’s back. “Matt will handle it. He handles everything.” I silently prayed Matt didn’t have an aneurism tonight.
As we opened the rear exit, I wondered if I should call a cab or an ambulance. But it turned out that I didn’t need to call either. A car from the label pulled up as Anna huffed and puffed her way down the stairs. The young driver looked startled at the sight before him, but swiftly opened the door for Anna and Griffin. As I climbed in, I remembered Kellan turning to talk to Sienna before they were mobbed. He must have asked for her to get a car here. I made a mental note to thank Sienna later.
As the driver hurried us along the streets of Philadelphia, the phone still clutched in my hand rang. It was Kellan. Grateful that he hadn’t been crushed to death, I answered, “Hey, you’re okay.”
Kellan let out a long exhale. “I was going to say the same thing. I can’t believe that bitch hit you.”
“I’m fine.” My cheek was still warm from the slap, and it wouldn’t surprise me if I had finger marks on my skin, but I was doing considerably better than my sister. She was breathing hard, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she clenched her jaw and struggled to contain the pain.
“How’s Anna?” Kellan asked while I watched her from the front seat.
“She’s . . . okay.” Anna closed her eyes as a pained noise escaped her. More tenderly than I ever would have thought possible, Griffin held her in his arms and whispered words of encouragement in her ear. They were a heartwarming sight, and suddenly the idea of Griffin beside my family on Christmas morning didn’t sound quite so odd.
In my ear, Kellan told me, “I wish I could be there with you, but Matt’s freaking out about the show. David is going to fill in for Griffin, and we’re having an emergency practice session to get him up to speed. But I’ll tell Sienna I’m skipping the encore tonight and come after our set. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
I wasn’t sure if she would, but I also knew she’d have to chain Kellan up if she wanted him to stay put. “Okay, I’ll see you then. Good luck.”
“Yeah, you too.” He laughed dryly.
When we pulled up to the emergency room of one the many hospitals in the city, I quickly texted Denny. We had a plethora of friends back home who would want to know Anna was having her baby tonight, so I asked him to relay the message. Griffin was helping Anna out of the car so I hopped out and ran around to help him. Between the two of us, we got her to the emergency room doors. She kept trying to squat, like she had to pee. Hoping she wasn’t doing what I think she was doing, I urgently told her, “Don’t push yet, Anna, we’re almost there.”
Her eyes flashed over to mine. “It’s not exactly something I can control. You have no idea what this feels like!”
“I know, just try,” I nodded.
Heads looked up when the three of us entered the peaceful room; thankfully it was a slow night. Griffin met eyes with a nurse at the desk. “We need help! My wife’s about to pop.”
A small bit of relief washed through me that Griffin had managed to state what he needed without cursing. The nurse hopped up and grabbed a wheelchair for Anna. She handed Griffin a clipboard of paperwork. “I’ll need you to fill out these while I admit her.”
Griffin looked at the stack of papers like they were written in a foreign language. “I’m not filling out fucking forms while my wife gives birth. Are you fucking crazy, lady?”
Exhaling in exasperation, I snatched the clipboard from Griffin. So much for him not swearing. “I’ll fill them out. You go with Anna.” To the nurse, I added, “We think her water already broke.”