Page 103 of The Closed Off Captain

“Are you sure?” Stephanie asks.

“Oh boy,” Amber says as she walks in with Riley on her hip. “Congrats, Sis. You’re in labor.”

Brielle’s wide eyes jump to each of us right before she bends over. “Oh man,” she gasps. Amber pushes past us, handing Riley to Stephanie as she does. She puts a hand on Bri’s back. “Breathe through it.” She runs a hand up and down Bri’s spine. “It’s okay. Good job.”

Bri blows out a breath and stands up. “I thought I was just having cramps from the pizza, but then I stood up and...well, you can see what happened next.” Her eyes find mine. “I’ll clean it up.”

I wave her off. “You will do no such thing; I’ll take care of it. Um, at the cost of stating the obvious here, shouldn’t we be heading to the hospital?”

Amber looks at Bri and then back to me. “She’ll have to call her doctor and see if they want her to come right in or wait a little for the contractions to get closer.”

“Oh boy,” Stephanie says, echoing my own thoughts.

I take the lead to address the elephant in the room. “And Aiden?”

Brielle’s head snaps up. “Nobody tells him.”

“That’s ridiculous. He’s going to want to know, Bri,” Amber says.

“I know, but not yet. Let’s at least see what the doctor says. If they don’t want me coming in for a while, then there’s no reason to alarm him.” Her eyes widen. “Can you imagine if he knows I’m in labor, and he still has to play his game?”

“God rest the souls of the other players he murders,” Stephanie mutters under her breath.

“Exactly. Nobody tells him,” Bri says with authority. She meets each of our eyes. I nod. For now, I won’t say anything; but if it escalates... “All right. Let’s clean up this mess and go watch our boys play some hockey.” Her face falls suddenly.

“What is it?” I ask.

“I just remembered I can’t eat anything. How can I watch hockey without snacks?”

Amber shakes her head and takes Riley back from Stephanie. “Believe me, you would regret it if you did. All right, Bri, call your doctor.”

“I’ll clean up in here,” I tell her and wave Bri away when she wants to help. She walks out of the door but stops midway. “You okay?” I ask. She nods but doesn’t say anything. “Can I do anything?” I hate feeling helpless. Soon, she’s able to stand up again.

“I’m good. I’m going to call my doctor.”

“Good plan.” I finish cleaning the floor the best I can and then head back out. “What’s the prognosis?” I ask Brielle, who’s finished with her call.

“They want me to come in.” She takes a deep breath, trying to be calm; but I can see the panic in her eyes.

“Okay. What do you need to do before you go in?” I ask, taking charge.

“I need to go home and get my hospital bag and the baby bag. Oh, and the car seat.” Her eyes get wider and wider. “I’m not ready.”

“Whoa, chill,” Amber says. “Take a breath. You’re going to be fine, Sis.” She looks Bri in the eye. “You’re going to meet your little boy or girl, and I’m going to get to meet my niece or nephew in the next few hours. It’s going to be a great day.”

Bri smiles a teary smile. “I know. Okay, I need to go home.”

“I’ll take you,” Stephanie says. “And then I’ll take you to the hospital. Do we have that much time?”

Bri nods. “Yes. My doctor said to take my time but keep an eye on my contractions. If they start to go less than two minutes apart, I need to get to the hospital.”

Stephanie nods. “Okay. Let’s get you home and get your stuff.”

Bri nods and then bends over again in pain and starts breathing deeply. I meet Amber’s eyes, and she gives me a wary look. “Bri, I don’t think you should take the time to go home. I think you should go and let them check your progress; see how far along you are.”

Bri finishes with her contraction, and I see the panic in her eyes. “I need everything.”

“I’ll go to your house,” I find myself saying. “I’ll go get everything you need. Make me a list, and I’ll meet you at the hospital.”

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