Page 53 of Hooking

The lights in the arena dim again, and the team’s theme song blares throughout. The crowd cheers loudly as they skate back on the ice. I check my phone again for a text and see nothing. What the hell is going on?

Cassidy: Anything?

I hit send and wait for a response, yet nothing comes. The second period begins and again, Channing is all over Vince. The moment Vince takes possession of the puck, Channing comes from behind and checks him, sending Vince down on the ice. The whistle blows as two of Carolina’s players advance and exchange some words with Channing, earning him two minutes in the box, leaving Carolina now on a power play.

The clock ticks away as I watch Channing in the box. He is laser focused on Vince. The penalty clock shows fifteen seconds left, and Channing is right there at the door, waiting to get back on the ice.

3-2-1, Channing skates on the ice, immediately ignoring Coach and heading straight for Vince, checking him into the boards, battling with him for the puck. Vince frees the puck from between them and sends it to one of his teammates but doesn’t leave Channing.

Channing holds Vince’s jersey in his solid grip as Vince tries to maneuver out of it. Before the refs can get to the two men to intervene, gloves are dropped to the ice. Both guys rain punch after punch on one another. Meanwhile, my stomach tightens and turns at what’s happening on the ice.

I’m shouting for the two to stop, but I know neither can hear me. The pain intensifies in my lower abdomen as the refs finally break the men apart. I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself, as I feel a gush of warm fluid drip down my legs.

“Mom!” I say, clutching my lower belly as my abdomen tenses again.

Either I just peed myself, or my water just broke. My mother rushes to my side as I grunt out in pain at my belly tightening again. No, this can’t be happening. It’s too early.

“Someone call 911,” my dad grits out as he runs to the other side.

“Ahh,” I grit out as I feel my stomach tighten again. The pain shooting down my back brings tears to my eyes. “There’s no time, Dad. Get me to the car now.”

It all becomes a blur as Lucas picks me up and carries me toward the freight elevators, while Mr. Richards instructs him to take me to the paramedics on standby. My parents follow as I yell for Sydney to call Hayley and have her tell Channing what happened.

Paramedics rush to my side as soon as we enter the underground parking garage. Directing Lucas to sit me down on the stretcher as they load me up into the back of the ambo. Mom gives them a quick run through as she takes a seat beside me, gripping my hand while reassuring me it will all be okay.

Yet deep down, I don’t know if everything will be okay. Channing seems mad at me and while I’m concerned about what shifted in him, the fear of giving birth ten weeks early weighs heavily on me.

We arrive at the hospital, and they quickly take me to the maternity wing. Everything is going so quickly, I’m not sure what’s going on. IVs are placed as they swab the fluid pooling between my legs to check and see if my water is in fact broken.

Newsflash, it is.

My doctor comes in and checks my cervix and notes that I’m now four centimeters dilated and fifty percent effaced. She’s coming, and there’s no way to stop her. The doctor advises the nurse to administer a steroid to help her lungs and an antibiotic to prevent infection.

Things settle down as my contractions space out and become more regular. I check my phone for messages from Channing but come up empty. I send a text to Hayley, asking if she could talk to Channing, but I get nothing but radio silence.

Every time there’s a knock on my door, I think it’s going to be him, but it never is. Hours pass, and I know the game has ended, yet I have yet to hear from either him or Hayley. My stomach flips and turns as realization that something terrible had to have happened. And the fear that I’m about to do this alone slowly creeps in.

“How are you feeling?” my doctor says, coming into the room.

I look to Mom, who smiles at me with love and support before responding, “I’m okay.”

“Well, your contractions are kind of spaced out, but I want to just check to see if maybe we need to start some Pitocin to help you along,” she says, as she grabs a pair of gloves from the cabinet.

I move to the edge of the bed as she asks for come gel. “If my contractions stop, does that mean I’ll be able to keep her in a little longer?” I ask as she begins her exam.

“She’s now six centimeters and seventy percent effaced,” she says to the nurse before looking back at me to answer my question. “I’m afraid that despite your contractions spacing, you’re still dilating. So, prepare to have this little girl today or tomorrow at some point.”

A tear streams down my face as I pull my phone out.

Cassidy: Channing, please call me.

I place my phone down on the bed as the nurse hooks some more medications up to my IV. A sudden knock sounds on the door before it abruptly opens. A tearful Hayley rushes over to my bed, pulling me into a hug as Brooks follows her.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t call or text or come sooner. A lot happened, and I think you have some explaining to do.” She rushes out as Mom stands to excuse herself from the room. Brooks stands off to the side of the room, his arms crossed and a scowl drawn on his face. “Don’t mind Brooks; he’s here to find out the truth as much as I am.”

Truth?! What in the God’s name is she talking about? I know she can tell I have no clue what she’s talking about as the look of confusion plays on my features.

“Is this baby Vincent’s?” she says, cutting straight to the chase.

---