Page 8 of Falling for Autumn
I waited while he went to retrieve the car seat. October didn’t bother to buckle it in.
“I’ll strap it in later. Right now, let’s get you ladies to where you need to be,” he stated, starting the engine and taking off.
Within six minutes, we were at the hospital. Though I held on tightly because the man drove like a speed demon in his Porsche, he was extremely safe at the same time. He maneuvered through the streets as if they belonged to him.
I had two more major contractions on the way, and another one as we arrived at the hospital. He rushed inside to grab a wheelchair and returned with it and a male nurse. They helped me out of the car and into the wheelchair just as I felt major pressure in my bottom.
Chapter 4
October
No sooner than we arrived at the hospital, everything seemed to happen at lightning speed. Someone announced that her water had broken as she was sitting there getting checked in. Another contraction hit, and she screamed that it was time to push.
Just as I was preparing to back away and head for the exit, she gripped my hand again and squeezed. It felt like she was crushing every bone in my body, but I stood and took it. She looked up at me with a plea in her eyes. “Don’t leave me, October. I’m scared. I don’t want to be alone.”
I didn’t mind. When my sister was in labor, I was devastated to find out that she’d gone through that shit alone. My father was away on a business trip, my brother was somewhere lying up getting high as a kite, her baby daddy was nowhere to be found, and I was in prison.
That was the reason that I couldn’t stand by and ignore what Autumn was going through. I needed to be here for her, although it wouldn’t take away from what my sister had gone through. It was important that if I could spare another woman from going through that, I would.
“We’ve got to get her to Labor and Delivery,” a nurse behind me calmly stated.
I tried pulling my hand from her grip, but she held on tighter and said, “October?—”
Another pain assailed her, and she looked up at me with those doe-shaped eyes with a plea that her mouth could not utter. As much as I wanted to be there for her, I also didn’t want to get in the way. I had no place or right to be here any longer. But then I thought back to my sister, and I couldn’t leave her.
I was certain that perhaps her boyfriend or someone would show up soon, so I would stay by her side until then. I hadn’t seen a man around her place, and I recalled she had broken up with him months ago, but then again, they could have made up by now. It wasn’t like she was obligated to tell me that, although we did kick it while sitting on our patios from time to time. I was always on the go, not returning home until the wee hours of the night, if I was in town.
I nodded and replied, “I’m here.”
They rushed us onto an elevator and took us to the fifth floor. I stood idly by as the doctors and nurses rushed around getting her hooked up to monitors and preparing the room for the baby. She answered their questions as they were asked, and a very bossy, older black nurse looked at me and demanded, “Dad, get up there with mom and hold her hand.”
“But I?—”
“Child, if you don’t get over there now.”
I looked at Autumn, whose eyes were squeezed tight, and I moved into position to hold her hand once more. By the time she was finished with me, my career might be done. I needed these hands to do the work that I did.
On the other hand, if I valued my life, I would not continue to argue with that nurse.
“Dr. Callaway is on her way in. When she gets here, sweetie, it’ll be time to push, okay?” Nurse Meanie declared.
Her nametag read Melanie, but I was determined to call her meanie. She didn’t give a shit about me or what I had to say.
“Okay,” Autumn murmured.
“But we’re going to do some practice pushes now,” Nurse Meanie stated.
I stood back and watched as they told her what to expect and what would happen. Time seemed to fly by. After a little more than two and a half hours, the doctor came in, washed up, introduced herself to me, and immediately began to start the process of delivering the baby. I had never seen a live birth before, and my heart broke for Autumn. The girl was in so much pain.
“Aye, can someone get her an episiotomy or something?”
Everyone looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“Boy, what?” Nurse Meanie asked.
“You know. That shit, . . . uhm, what they give her for the pain.”
“An epidural,” Dr. Callaway stated, focusing her gaze between Autumn’s legs. “That would be relevant in the event the baby wasn’t already on the way. The anesthesiologist won’t make it in time.”
