In The Long Run

In The Long Run (26, Part 1)

"Aahh!" I yelled at the ceiling. "Get this kid out of me!"

Curly was startled, but rushed over and took one of my hands. "Just hold on. The doctor will be here any minute and Wayne and your parents are on their way. Just breathe."

"Easy for you to say." I hissed at her through clenched teeth. "You're not the one who's experiencing a clinical amount of hooha discomfort! And you're also not the one who has to pop out a watermelon later."

Curly frowned and scrunched up her nose. "You make me not want to have kids."

"At this point I really wouldn't recommend it. Shit!"

Another contraction wracked my body and I nearly ripped the sheets I was holding onto so tightly. Curly ran over and offered me her hand, but I turned it down. I really didn't want to be responsible for any injuries that might occur between now and the actual birth. She stood by me the whole time. It was a little while later that I saw another familiar face. Dr. Gustavo walked into the room clad in his normal doctor's coat and he was also wearing rubber gloves. I shuddered at what was about to come.

"Hello Jamie." he smiled politely. "How are you doing so far?"

"Well, considering I haven't hurt anyone yet, I would say pretty good." I told him jokingly, hoping it would take my mind off the unease.

He chuckled and called for a nurse to come in. "Well then, let's see how far you're dilated."

A nurse came over, told me to lift my legs and then draped a sheet over my knees so I couldn't see what was going on down there. Dr, Gustavo moved closer and I cringed. I tried hard not to be uncomfortable with him looking around between my legs. He was a doctor after all, so I shouldn't feel too weird.

"Well..." I heard him speak. "You're almost four centimeters. Nearly at the halfway mark."

"What does that mean?" I asked nervously.

"It means you only have six centimeters left to go before you can have this baby."

He smiled at me, but it didn't help me feel any better about the current situation. I was in the process of giving birth, almost halfway through it actually, and neither my parents nor the father of this child is here. All I wanted right now was for everyone to just leave, all the nurses, the doctor, even Curly and for Wayne to just show up and hold my hand.

"Has the shot they've given you started to take affect yet?" the doctor asked.

"A little. The contractions aren't as bad as they were earlier."

"Good. We'll give you another shot when you're around eight centimeters, only that shot will be a little stronger. I'm sure you know why."

I laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I have a pretty good idea."

"Well, if you need anything just ask one of the nurses. I'll be back later to check on you."

I nodded and he left the room. Like the second he left the room, all the tension of the day came flooding back to me and I turned to Curly who was standing on the other side of my bed and was staring into space. She was probably traumatized a little. I was about to tell her she could leave when two figures stepped into the room and I turned to look at them.

"Mom! Dad!" I exclaimed in relief and turned to look back at the door, expecting to see a third figure coming in, but no one followed. I looked back at my parents with what probably looked like disappointment on my face. "Where's Wayne?"

My mom hurried over, sat down and too hold of my hand. "He's on his way honey. Don't worry. He was at his friend Don's house when we called him."

I felt my heart drop into my shoes. Don's house was at least forty-five minutes away from the hospital, almost on the other side of town. I turned and looked out a window. In a moment of pure delusion, I expected to see Wayne flying in through the window, but I shook it off and blamed the pain meds for starting to set in. When I looked out the window and saw the rain pouring down, I started to worry that Wayne might drive to fast. He would make it to the hospital if he did, but not in the way I wanted him too. I suddenly felt like crying and considering how I was lying on a bed with my legs spread wide enough for the entire world to see, I decided to throw my dignity out the door and let the tears fall.

My mother and Curly rushed over and started cooing sweet words to me, but it only made me cry more. My dad wasn't in my line of sight anymore, so I assumed he'd left the room as soon as he saw the position I was in.

I sobbed and hiccuped, ignoring the soft touches of mom and Curly as they tried to calm me down. The only person I wanted touching me right now was Wayne and the idiot was halfway across town.

I was so going to break his fingers when he he got here.