Bottom of the Blackest Hole

“No,” I said in calculation, “A little to the left…right…left…a little to the right…and there!”

Josh collapsed on the wooden floor in exhaustion. “Why do these have to be so heavy?” he whined. I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t be such a baby.”

“You’re not the one moving the furniture,” he said stubbornly.

“That’s because I have a baby.” I stuck my tongue out at him and observed the room in satisfaction. I couldn’t help but grin at the crib that was located in the center of the room. Just one more month, and my – our – baby would be sleeping there.

Josh pushed up and dusted himself. “So I was thinking,” he began, “About the names for our kid.” I froze momentarily when he said that. I had completely forgotten all about that.

“I want a Kyle,” he announced. I scrunched up my nose.

“That name is so overused. What about…Justin?”

He snorted, “Like Justin isn’t a common name?”

I crossed my arms and rested on my stomach, “Marina for a girl.”

“Marina,” he repeated, “What about Megan?” That’s how the rest of our conversation went. We would trade names and dismiss it. We tried and tried but didn’t get any names.

“Oh god! The baby kicked again!” I gasped from the couch. In an instant, Josh was kneeling in front of me. His hands automatically went to feel the soft pressures that hit against my skin.

“He is such a kicker,” he said in amazement.

“She. It could be a she.” I insisted.

He placed one of his ears on my stomach and the whole room was quiet.

“Hey kid,” he said to the ‘baby’ in front of him, “My name’s Josh. I’m gonna be your dad.” Another kick.

--

One Month Later…

I twisted and turned and came up for air again once another nightmare began. I was sitting and panting heavily, sweat covered my face. I tried to remember what I was dreaming but all was forgotten. I sighed painfully before settling on my back again.

Josh snored dreamily and quietly next to me. He had a serene smile on his face. And as usual, he was hogging my side of the bed.

I moved my hand from under the cover to a better situation. That is until I felt something wet. I began patting it strangely before a knowing look crossed my mind.

“Josh? Josh?!” I was in hysterics.

“Hmm? What?” he murmured sleepily.

“Either you peed or I did or,” I paused, my words stuck in my throat, “my water just broke.” I choked. That’s when hell broke loose. He threw off the covers, turned on the lights, and sure enough the water was coming from me. And it sure as hell didn’t smell like pee.

He jumped from the bed and was at my side in an instant. I was yelling him orders to call Courtney and get my stuff. We practiced in a class before on what to do when my water broke. The lessons kind of disappeared in my mind.

He was running everywhere at once. Fully awake, half clothed, with a very, very confused face on his face.

“Call Courtney!” I screeched. He swung the backpack behind him, grabbed his keys and cell phone, and began helping me out of the building. We were hurrying out of the hobby.

“Mister Anderson, your car is waiting for you outside. Have a safe trip!”

“Thanks Thomas,” Josh grunted as he pulled the car door open. Pain started hitting me in several places around my stomach.

“Call Courtney!” I screamed again. Josh said nothing except stumbling with the cell phone and calling her.

“Courtney!” I yelled when I heard her pick up. Josh and she talked for a couple of minutes, since I was in no form to talk. All I wanted was to scream. Pulling Josh’s disheveled hair right now even sounded freaking appealing.

We almost reached the hospital when a police car stopped us.

“Sir, you do know that you are going at…seventy miles per hour?” the police officer said slowly. He hadn’t noticed me until I screamed in pain.

“My wife is having a fucking baby!” Josh stuffed a couple of hundred dollars to the man’s arm before driving quickly away.

“Deep breaths, Bailey. Deep breaths.” I tried. I really did. But all that came out were gasps of pure pain I was in. I was sweating more than I usually do. Josh helped me get out of the car and into the wheelchair they offered once we were in front. I wouldn’t let go of his hand. I had a pretty tight grip on him.

I clutched my back as best as I could as another zing of pain went through me.

“Make it go away,” I whined to Josh. He looked panicked and hopeless when he realized that he could do nothing.

“Ma’am, those are contractions you are feeling. It won’t go away for awhile. It’s telling you that you’re in labor,” a nurse stated matter-of-factly.

“I know I’m going through labor!” I screeched.

“Sir, I am going to ask you to put some clothes on before going anywhere else.” That was when Josh realized that he was still in only his boxers. Redness crept to his face.

“I’ll be right back, alright? I’m just gonna go get my shirt in the car,” Josh carefully pried my claw-like fingers off his hand. He looked reluctant to leave me.

“Hurry up,” I moaned.

--

“Mrs. Anderson, keep pushing!” The doctor kept telling me. I wanted to smack his face so badly, but the pain was too much.

“I’M PUSHING!” I wailed. Josh had the whitest face in the room. He looked like a kid that just saw a ghost. Bastard. I don’t see him pushing a baby out of himself.

“I see the head! The baby’s crowning!” The doctor announced excitedly. I turned my full blast glare on Josh once the excruciating pain increased ten thousand times more, sweat drooled down my face, and tears began to fall.

“THIS IS ALL YOU FUCKING FAULT! YOU BASTARD! YOU DID THIS TO ME!” and some more cursing.

“You can do it Bailey!” Courtney cheered me on and I squeezed her hand harder.

“Mr. Anderson would you like to see the baby?” the doctor asked Josh happily. How the hell can he be happy when I am freaking giving birth?!

Josh shook his head from left to right furiously. “I wanna!” That was Courtney.

“Oh my god. It’s beautiful!” she said, “You are doing awesome, Bay-Bay!” Before long, after some more cursing that was directed at Josh, more screaming, Courtney’s compliments and updates, a lot more pushing, and a whole bunch of pain, I could distinctively hear the sound of a baby crying. The pain was gone and I was exhausted. Still, all I wanted to do was look at the baby. My baby.

I could see Josh taking a hold of something in blankets. “It’s a girl, Bailey! It’s a girl! Just what you wanted!” From being scared to death, Josh looked overly happy. He leaned over so I could see inside the heaps of blanket. Tears spilled my eyes when I saw this wonderful image.

“Look,” he said quietly, “she has your eyes.” The last things I remembered were Josh putting her in my arms, Courtney wiping my tears and sweat away, and Josh planting a soft kiss on my lips before darkness consumed me completely.