This Wasn't Suppose to Happen

“Are you fucking me? I’m getting ready for a game Janelle, I don’t have time for this, the baby isn’t even due yet”, I heard the sounds of something familiar and when I glanced at the clock I realized that he was getting his 5 pm peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Fuck off; do you think I planned it this way? Your child is coming whether you like it or not. Go play your little game and forget I called you”. I opened a drawer and started throwing stuff into a suitcase.

“Little game? This little game is what is paying for your doctor appointments and your pregnancy needs in case you’ve forgotten”, he snapped at me.

“I didn’t ask for anything in case you’ve forgotten”, I spat back as a wave of pain overtook me. Stupid contractions. This was not the time to argue with Sid, this was time to get to the hospital. I threw some more clothes into my suitcase and zipped it shut.

“Don’t you think you can just hold it until the game is over?” Was he for real? Sometimes I seriously wondered about that kid.

“Sid, it’s not a fucking bowel movement. It’s coming out and I can’t just hold it”. I doubled over in pain and couldn’t help the cry that escaped my lips. “I’m going to the hospital and you can just do whatever”, I told him as I hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed.

Waddling down the hall with my suitcase in tow, I ran smack into Nate. “Shit Janelle, we gotta stop meeting like this. Your hall is hazardous to my health”, he said as he picked up the suitcase I had dropped when I ran into him.

“Nate, for once in your life, you need to shut up”, I told him, grabbing his arm in pain as another contraction ripped through me.

“Jesus J, you know how easily I bruise”, Nate said as soon as I released his arm. He rubbed the spot I had grabbed and I ignored him as I made my way towards the door. “In the words of Rihanna, shut up and drive”, I hissed as I slammed the door behind us.

“God Janelle, you are so bossy, I mean, come on, where’s the girl I use to know?” Nate asked as we climbed into his car. “She ran away, just put this thing in drive and go”, through clinched teeth I managed to get the words out as I tried to concentrate on my breathing like my Lamaze instructor showed me.

“Go, go, go”, I yelled as Nate slowed to a stop at a yellow light. “Janelle, it’s a yellow light, well technically it looks almost orange or a very unflattering yellow, but the point being is that it means slow down. It doesn’t mean drive like you’re being chased by a swarm of girls”, I glared at him for a moment before I slapped him on the back of the head.

“I suggest that at the next yellow/orange light, you think about flooring the gas or I’m going to be having this baby in your front seat. What do you think about that?”

In the darkened car, I couldn’t see his expression, but I knew that it was one of sheer terror and he confirmed that theory when he put his emergency lights on and sped through lights while making sure I wasn’t giving birth on his leather interior.

We screeched to a stop at the Emergency Room entrance of the hospital, Nate didn’t even bother to turn off the car before he hopped out and ran over to passenger side. I sighed and reached over to turn off the car. Nate threw opened the back door and grabbed my suitcase from the backseat, putting it in his arms he ran inside the hospital. I sat motionless for a moment and tried to figure out what he was doing, just as I put my hand on the handle to open the door, he came racing back out pushing a wheelchair.

“Forget something?” I asked as he threw opened the door and started to yank on my arm. “There’s no time for chit chat”, he yelled as I stood up and he pushed me into the wheelchair. Kicking the door with his foot, he started running while I covered my eyes with my hands. “Nate, I want to be alive when the baby comes”, I said as he took a turn and I could swear that only 2 wheels of the wheelchair actually came in contact with the floor.

“Woman having a baby, make way”, he yelled as he continued to run down the hall towards the labor and delivery department. I could see the shocked look on the faces of nurses and doctors as he raced towards the reception desk and I don’t know who was more relieved when he finally screeched to a stop; me or the staff.

“Dear Jesus, I feel like I’ve already gone through labor”, I muttered as I tried to catch my breath. Nate was leaning against the wall, hands on his knees and breathing heavily. “I feel like I’m having a heart attack”, he muttered as he sank onto the floor.

A nurse came around the desk and bent over to talk to me. “I’m Olivia and I’ll be your nurse for tonight, how far apart are your contractions?”

“It was about 5 minutes, but that dork over there took me on a death ride in a wheelchair and for some reason, the contractions have stopped”, I told her and Nate’s head snapped up.

“Janelle, so help me, if I just did all that James Bond shit for nothing; I will be seriously pissed off”

Olivia glanced in Nate’s direction, “Ignore him”, I told her and another wave of pain hit me. “Don’t worry Nate, they’re back. I think you just scared the hell out of the baby and made it forget what it was doing”. Olivia laughed and started to push me down the hall.

“Just give us a few minutes to get settled and to catch your breath and then you can come in”, she said to Nate as we passed him.

“Nervous is he?” she asked and I couldn’t help but laugh. “You have no idea”, I told her as we entered the room and she helped me get out of the wheelchair.