We Met At The Eye Doctor

I wake up in the middle of the night, in late August with really bad pain coming from my lower stomach.
"Mmm," I let out a slight moan of pain as I remove myself from Mike grasp to curl up.
"Cass, Cass, Cassie are you okay?" he asks in a state somewhere in between wake and sleep.
"My stomach's hurting," I say as I hiss with pain, and suddenly Mike bursts awake.
"Are you okay? The baby! Is he okay?"
"I don't know," I whine as I put my hands over my stomach. "I just keep getting sharp pains."
"Sharp pains? Cass, you could be having the baby."
"Baby is only due in two and a half weeks," I moan.
"Cass, I think we should go to the hospital either way."
"Mmm, okay," I mumble. Mike helps me up and I go to put on some clothes. Mike goes to put on a pair of jeans and a man tank. I look out the window to see it's raining. I go to my closet and grab a zip up sweater, that thanks to my belly I can't zip up.
"Ready?" Mike asks as I manage to slip on my flip flops.
"Yeah, I guess so."

Mike carefully leads me out to the garage where we get into the car. As we pull out of the garage the rain seems to get even stronger. I let out another moan and Mike glances at me nervously.
"Mike don't drive so fast," I say nervously as flashbacks of the day I lost my baby come to me.
"Alright," He says slowing down to the speed limit, "I'm just a little on edge."

We arrive at the hospital and Mike runs around to my door to help me out. Suddenly I feel a sharp pain. I look down and my capris are wet.
"Mike."
"Yeah Cass."
"I think you were right."
"About what?"
"About having the baby now," I say looking into his eyes, "My water just broke." His eyes bulge and he hurries me into the hospital.

I go and lean against the wall to ease the pain as Mike goes off to talk to some hospital worker. A nurse comes up to me with a wheel chair and pushes me toward the elevator and Mike hurries along side. We get up to a room and I change into a hospital gown and lie on the bed.
"Mike, we left Stella home alone," I say randomly.
"Oh shit," Mike says smacking his forehead. He claws at his pocket in search of his cell phone, "Left my phone at home too."
"You can't use cell phones in here," A nurse says rolling her eyes, "There's a phone down the hall."
Mike glances at me, "Don't worry your baby won't be born in the next five minutes," Mike leaves the room.

"The doctor will be in to see you in about five minutes."
"Alright," I say as I hold onto my stomach as I hiss in pain.
"I can't give you any pain killers until the doctor comes," The nurse says sympathetically.

"Everything all right?" Mike asks as comes back into the room.
"Uhh I guess," I say not quite sure myself, "What about Stella?"
"Billie Joe is going over now, he has a spare key."
"Oh okay," I say calming down a bit.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Shrine," A middle aged woman says shaking Mike's hand, holding a clipboard in one arm, "Now let's have a look." I put my feet up on the stirrups and she 'investigates' my lower half. "Well Ms. Marquin, you're only a couple of centimeters, so you'll be here a couple of hours."
"Wow," I say laying my head back, a couple of hours of sharp pains didn't seem too inviting.
"Well looking over your history, I can give you some mild pain killers and well ice chips of coarse."
"Ice chips?" I question.
"Yeah to put up your-well," Mike says as he takes a seat on the chair right next to the bed.
"Oh!" I say as the term comes back to me.
"Resident Finch will attend to you," Dr. Shrine says motioning to an intern at the doorway. The intern reads over my profile then goes off out the door.

"How are you doing?" Mike asks as he smoothes my hair out of my face.
"I'm not really sure, considering I'm a couple of hours from giving birth I guess I'm okay," Mike laughs lightly.
"Are you nervous?"
"Uhh, well sort of but then I look at you and Stella and realize that even if I have no idea what to do you will."
"Oh so it's all resting on me?" Mike asks amused.
"Yeah well I took care of the first nine months, well actually eight and half."
"Oh well okay," Mike says laughing, "But you'll be a great mom," He kisses my forehead.

"Well here's painkillers and a cup of ice chips," The intern states. She puts down the two cups on the night stand and leaves the room.
"Do you want any of these?" Mike asks.
"Not yet."
"Alright," He says going back to holding my hand.

After about half an hour of holding up with the pain with only ice chips I turn to Mike.
"Drug me baby," He chuckles as he hands me the Dixie cup with two tablets in them. "Thanks." I pop them in my mouth and he passes me the glass of water which I chug. The doctor comes in yet again to check up on me. I put my legs up on the stirrups.
"Oh wow."
"What?" Mike asks worriedly.
"You're at nine and a half."
"Nine and a half?" I manage to stutter as I look up at Mike, this baby was actually coming.
"Nurse! We're going to need an epidural!" she calls down the hallway. "We're going to have to take you to delivery now."
"Mike, I'm scared," I say looking into his eyes.
"It's okay, you'll be fine," His voice so steady, I believe him.

I'm rolled onto my side by two nurses.
"She has a tattoo." The younger one says, as she pokes at my lower back.
"Yeah, so?"
"We can't give you injections on inked skin." The younger one says, her voice quivering.
"What?!" Mike exclaims as I wince in pain.
"If you put it at an angle we can still give her the epidural, but Cassandra, it's important that you stay perfectly still," I inhale deeply and I feel a stinging on my lower back and then numb.
"Well now we're going to take you to delivery." The older one says as they move me to a gurney.

*
"What do you want to name him?" Mike asks as he kisses my forehead.
"Do you like the name Travis?"
"He looks like a Travis," Mike chuckles as he strokes our new born son's forehead.
"Daddy!" Stella squeals as she runs into the room.
"Stella, I want you to meet your brother Travis," Mike says clearly as Billie casually walks into the room. Stella climbs up on the side of the bed and looks at her little brother.
"He's cute," She says and then kisses his forehead. "Can I hold him?"
"Sure," I say carefully putting him in her arms, "Be careful," Travis starts to whine.
"Oh no, he's crying," Stella says worriedly.
"Here, I'll take him," Mike says laughing as he picks Travis up and rocks him in his arms.
"Congratulations," Billie says from the doorway.
"Thanks Billie," I say as Mike sits himself next to me.
"I'll be back later," Billie says leaving the room.