Bound in Love

Chapter 36

April 12th, 1992

The day was dreadful. They had been announcing since the day before a storm hitting Seattle area. Therefore, the rain that battered against the window was incredibly strong. The same could be said about the wind. It blew so strong, the cracks of the tress bending over could be heard. Though they advised the locals to stay home, they would go to Ellie's parents for lunch for it was quite near. Eddie was finally meeting Brooke's parents.

Due to the warnings of bad weather, and knowing that the ferry would probably stop, they arrived the night before, sleeping at Ellie's and Chris.

Awaken by the noise of a furious mother earth, Ellie slid out of the bed, leaving Chris sleeping. She had to take his arm away from her waist carefully and let it rest on the mattress. Escaping the leg that was over hers was more difficult though. Still, with her huge belly, she managed to slide from under his right leg without stirring him. When she got on her feet though, she felt a sharp pain on her lower back, starting on her kidneys and eradiating to her belly, which caused her to cringe and miss her breath. Ellie heaved a couple of times until she felt the pain subside.

"Jesus..." She gasped when the pain finally abandoned her.

Quietly, she went to the bathroom, and after peeing, she started her morning hygiene. As usual, Ellie started by brushing her teeth. When she was rising her mouth, the sharp pain attacked her again. This time, it made her clutch with both hands onto the basin's marble stone and she grunted to endure the pain.

"Oh fuck..." She cried out when a second stab initiated.

She doesn't know how loud she cried out, but a moment after, Chris opened the bathroom's door, showing up naked, his hair misaligned and his curls tangled, blinking his eyes.

"Ellie..." He approached her while she was still bending over the basin. "What's the matter?" He asked, a hand rubbing his sleepy eyes and the other patting her back.

"I have this pain in my kidneys..." Ellie complained, taking a deep breath.

"Is it strong?" He asked while he closed the water from the basin that she left running.

Ellie straightened up, feeling relived the pain had disappeared and looked at him.

"Stronger than anything I've ever felt." She told him.

"Do you want me to call your mother and cancel lunch?" He asked her then, pulling her hair back and placing a kiss on her forehead. "If you're not feeling good maybe we shouldn't go."

"Eddie will die if we don't go, Chris." Ellie forced a smile and then winced. "Fuck... here it comes again." Ellie bent over and clutched with her hands onto the basin again. "Oh... God..." She cried out with her eyes forcibly shut. "Oh my God..." She took deep breaths.

"That's it." Chris told her, going to the shower, and opening the water. "We're going to the hospital, Ellie." He looked at her. "Something is happening." Then, he put himself under the warm cascade of water.

"Chris..." She turned to him with her eyes wide opened. "I think I'm in labor." Elie dropped the bomb.

"You what?" He looked at her with the shower head above his head, drenching his hair.

"These are cramps..." Ellie told him. "I'm in labor...."

"Fuck, Ellie." Chris blurted, closing the water the next second and coming out of the shower without even washing himself. "Don't scare me, babe." He told her.

Ellie was not supposed to go in labor. She had all her procedures scheduled for the week after. Labor could be fatal to her. He felt his legs shaking that moment realizing what could be happening.