Tell Me, Will It All Be Okay?

Chapter Thirty-Seven: “Lifelong Wait For A Hospital Stay.”

“Mikey!” I shouted from my room.

“What?” he asked, appearing in the doorway.

“I’m having contractions,” I said. “They’re about thirty minutes apart.”

“Come on. We should go to the hospital.”

“Is everyone else here?”

“They went out. I’ll call them later. You come on, we gotta get you to the hospital.” He grabbed the bag.

I climbed out of bed and got ready to go. We drove to the hospital, but we had to wait. I wasn’t completely ready, and there were a lot of people coming in. A big fire had broken out, and they were bringing injured people in. I was doing fine, for about an hour. Then they started getting closer and closer, and a bit more painful. I grabbed Mikey’s arm.

“Honey, I think it’s happening faster than it’s supposed to,” I said.

He took a look at me, then ran right for the desk. I overheard him talking to the receptionist.

“Can she get a room now? She’s starting to breathe heavily, and her contractions are getting closer.”

“I’m working as fast as I can to get a room. We’re still full, but I’m trying my hardest. Do you want me to call a nurse down here?”

“Yes, if you can.” He came back to me. “They’re still full. Sorry, baby.”

“It’s…ok.”

“She’s calling a nurse to come here.”

“Ok.”

Another forty-five minutes passed, and there was no sign of the nurse, or a room for us. I was almost drenched in sweat. I had random people in the waiting room coming over and trying to help me. Mikey got up and ran to the desk again. I listened.

“Do you see this? She’s gonna have her baby right here in the waiting room. We need a room, now!” he was almost pleading with the receptionist. “And we’re still waiting for that nurse.”

“Damn,” she said, furiously typing on her computer.

She picked up the phone, and was calling around. I listened to her talking to other doctors.

“I’ve got a patient and her husband in the waiting room. She’s in labor, and she’s almost ready to have her baby. We need a delivery room! Her labor’s progressing quickly!” She paused. “How much longer!? A half hour!? I don’t think she’ll make it. Doctor! She’s gonna have this baby in the waiting room!” She hung up the phone. “Damn. Mr. Way, I’m trying my hardest here.”

“I know, I know. You didn’t make it busy here.”

She picked up the phone again. “I need a doctor to the waiting room! There’s a patient in labor, and she’s ready to have her baby.” She glanced at me. “They appear to be about a minute apart. Please hurry. They told me about another half hour for a delivery room. I told you we needed a couple more.” She hung up. “Ok, there’s a doctor on the way right now.”

“Thanks.” He came back to me. “There’s a doctor coming.”

“Ok,” I said, panting. “Oh…God…come…on…doctor.” I resisted yet another urge to push. “I can’t…believe…we…have to…wait.”

“Over here!” someone shouted.

I looked up and saw a doctor.

“Lisa? How are we feeling?”

“I…want it…to come…now,” I said.

“We’re gonna have to do this right here. We’ve only got five delivery rooms, and they’re being used to treat some of those fire victims. Lisa? I’m gonna need you to lie down.”

I did exactly what he told me to. I grabbed Mikey’s hand and squeezed it.

“Ok. Push on the next one.”

When it came, I pushed as hard as I could. I had to do it about five more times, and then I was done. It was over. Mikey moved so I could rest my head in his lap. I heard crying, and some cheering and clapping from the surrounding crowd.

“Your baby is perfectly healthy, but we want to get him to the nursery, since it’s warmer in there. We’ll bring you to see him in a bit. You just relax. It’s all over now. Congratulations, Lisa.”

I nodded and tried to relax. I held Mikey’s hand loosely now. He used the sleeve
of his hoodie to wipe the sweat off my forehead. I was still panting, and breathing heavily. A nurse came in to help me finish up, and get cleaned up. They also rolled in a gurney and Mikey helped me get on it and lay down.

“Can you push up the back. I don’t need to lay flat,” I said.

“Lis? You feeling better?” Mikey asked.

“Yes.”

They rolled me around the hospital a bit, and we stopped somewhere. I was looking in the nursery. I looked at the nurse working in there, and she pointed. I looked at my little boy. I was greeted with big brown eyes.

“Mikey, he looks like you, a little,” I said.

“Oh, no,” he said.

“Shush.”

They brought him out and I got to hold him. They slowly wheeled us into a regular room and left us all alone. I held my son close. Mikey rubbed Tyler’s little hands. I just rested my head back and relaxed. A couple hours later, they sent us on our way, and we headed home.