Are You Happy Now? - Part 1 (COMPLETED)

Chapter 14: "Lost Without Each Other"

I stood there, staring at her, frozen. I suddenly remembered we had packed a bag. I racked my brain, trying to remember where we had put it.

"Do you remember where the bag is?" I asked Natalie, helping her to a chair. She sat down gingerly and looked up at me with big scared eyes.

"It's under the bed I think."

"Right," I said. I bent down and looked under the bed. It was there, as she said it would be. I let out a sigh of relief, grabbed it and stood up. I forced a smile and said...

"OK! Are you ready to go? Where's your purse?"

"It's on the dresser," she said, getting up to get it, but I rushed to get it for her.

"So should I like call a cab or should we drive? Like, how in labor are you?"

"We can drive, I think." Natalie said. "My water only just broke. I think we have time."

I nodded, wondering how she could be so calm. Must be some new mother coping mechanism.

"Okay, well let's go," I said, hauling the bag over my left shoulder, then her purse over that, and grabbing my phone and keys with the other.

We hurried out to the car and drove to the hospital. I'm sure I drove like a bat out of hell, but I didn't care. We got there in record time and I rushed Natalie in. She was immediately taken in and I was asked to wait in the waiting room.

Natalie and I had discussed this in advance, and I had decided I didn't want to be in the operating room during the birth. I honestly didn't think I had the stomach for it, and in all honestly, I think Natalie was relieved I'd made that decision. She had, however, asked that her mother be there.

I sat down on a bench in the waiting room and called her mother right away.

"Hello? Taylor?"

"Hey, Pam. Natalie's in labor. We just got to the hospital."

"I'm on the way," Pam said in one breath, and then the line went dead.

I made a few more calls - Dad, Zac - then sat back down. But I immediately got up again. I was too nervous to sit down, so I just paced around the room. I really wanted a cigarette, but didn't want to go outside in case the doctor came out to talk to me.

After a while, a smiling doctor made his way towards me. I rushed over to him.

"Yes?" I asked nervously.

I must have looked like a total basket case, because the doctor laughed and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Take a deep breath son, your wife is fine. She is resting comfortably. She is in the early stages of labor. She's asking about her mother though. She wanted me to ask you if you called her? And she wants her purse."

I looked down on the chair and realized I still had Natalie's purse and her overnight bag.

"Oh, right," I said, handing them to the doctor. "Thank you,"

"Of course," he said, smiling again. "I'll come back out and give you an update once anything happens, okay?"

I nodded. "Thanks, doc."

I watched him walk away and disappear behind the double revolving doors.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly answered it.

"Tay?"

"Zac! Can you come to the hospital? I'm freaking out," I admitted.

"Ike and I are on the way," he said, hanging up.