Delicacy

THIRTY EIGHT

     "We're here!" Ryder announces. The car comes to a halt and everyone gets out. Jake pulls me out by my underarms and carries my bridal style. I'm not sure how he isn't complaining that he's practically carrying a whale.

     "We need some help!"

     Nurses rush over to me, one with a gurney. Jake places me down on it gently before I'm wheeled down the hallways. Everyone stays close to me and Holly's hand stays latches on mine.

     "You guys need to stay there," a nurse informs my people.

     "What? No! They're coming with me!" I yell.

     "Miss, I can't have them—"

     "Listen here! I have to push out a fucking baby, my fiancé isn't here and I'm not doing it on my own! I don't give a shit what the rules are, they come in or I'm having this baby in the hallway!" I bark at the nurse and her face pales.

     "O-Okay," she proceeds down the hallway and we turn into a delivery room. The nurse hooked me up to IVs and other medical instruments before scurrying out of the room.

     "Badass Mere!" Luis pounds our fists together in praise. I laugh as I look back at the memory. Heck, if I was her I'd be scared shitless too.

     "She messed with the wrong prego lady," I mumble.

     "No shit," Jake muttered.

     Yet another contraction washes over me. I squeeze the frame of the bed and whimper.

     "Mere!" I look over to Luis, he hands me his cellphone and I hold it to my ear.

     "Baby? Hey, are you okay?"  Oh my god, Reid.

     "Reid! Where are you? I need you!"

     "Shh, shh babygirl. I'm on my way right now," I hear him yell, 'step on it' to the Ryan. "We're 5 minutes away, honey. I'm so sorry I'm not there with you."

     "I need—it hurts, I-I need you!" I whimper and salty tears touch my lips.

     "I'm coming, baby! Okay?"

     I nod, but remember that he can't see me. "Okay!"

     "I love you, angel."

     "I love you too!"

     I reluctantly hand the phone back to Luis and attempt to even out my breathes. The doctor, I assume, enters the room. She looks vaguely familiar . . . I just can't put my finger on it. She snaps her glove against her wrist and stands next to my bed.

     "Meredith, I'm Dr. Beverly, remember?" I think before realization dawns me. She's the doctor that aided me after I was raped.  "I'm going to do a quick dilation check, okay?" I nod and she moves to the foot of the bed. Everyone that stands near there shifts closer to me, giving me some sort of privacy.

     "I need to push!" I exclaim through gritted teeth. The urge is immense and out of my control.

     "No, not yet! You'll tear the tissue. As soon as you get to 10, we can begin pushing. Now, on a scale of 1-10, how is your pain?"

     "7 or 8," I say through the lump in my throat.

     "Okay . . . you're at 5 centimeters." She takes off her gloves as she stands and tosses them into the waste bin. "I'm going to get a couple nurses to come in here and prep you."

     "Where is he!" I scream through my contraction. I'm beyond irritated because he said he'd be here in 5 minutes. It's been at least an hour. Maybe he hit traffic?