Baby Love(145)

"Don't worry about anything here Tylar," Jean assured me, "We are doing just fine. You stay with Gina and help her through this. I've got everything under control here. Just take care of yourself okay?"

"I will. Thanks Jean."

I got Gina's ice chips and hurried back to her room. She was likely to bitch at me for taking so long to get back. When I got there her nurse was examining her under the sheet tent.

She pushed back from Gina's bent legs, peeling off her Latex gloves and announced that she was at five centimeters.

"Did she say Lucky 5?" Gina asked.

"Yep, you are there."

"Thank God. Give me my f*cking epidural now."

The nurse scurried away to do Gina's bidding. She was not what one would consider a model patient. But then, I never figured that she would have been.

"Did you bring my ice chips?" she demanded.

"Yes Gina, they are right here," I replied setting them on the tray table next to her hospital bed. She immediately grabbed a handful and started shoveling them into her mouth.

"Oh that is better," she breathed.

"Really?" I asked.

"Those ice chips never did that much for me."

"It's like they make my teeth hurt so much that I forget about the f*cking pain between my legs," she gasped crunching on the ice.

That had to be a 'Ginaism'. That is what I had started calling her particular quotes and sayings that she seemed to always be coming up with. I got a damp washcloth and wiped her forehead with it.

"Ty," she said, "I just want to thank you for being here with me. Who else would come to my rescue like you have?"

"Really Gina? I know of one person that would."

"Who?"

"You," I laughed. "You have always been there for me girlfriend," I said imitating her New Jersey accent.

"Hey I called your Aunt Becky while I was out getting your ice chips. She said your mom is trying like crazy to rearrange her work schedule to fly down. She wasn't expecting an early arrival. No one was apparently," I laughed.

"That's me," she conceded, "Never a dull moment I guess."

"That is what makes you special Gina," I said to her, taking her hand.

"Listen to me. I want to tell you something that you told me awhile back. You are my best friend and you are like my sister. I am here for you always. Got it?"

"I got it girlfriend," she said smiling.

The nurse came in just then bringing the long needle that would administer Gina's epidural. I was about as relieved as Gina was that she was finally getting it. My one ear had gone slightly deaf with the screaming and cussing. The nurse gave her the shot and Gina relaxed back against her pillows.

I watched as she laid back and totally relaxed. Hopefully she would be able to dose off until it was time to push which shouldn't be all that far off. It seemed as if we had been going at this for hours.

I felt the baby kick inside of me. It felt like he or she was doing somersaults inside my belly. This baby was quite a bit more active than Preston had been in the womb. My due date was October 17th; Tess's due date was November 15th. I didn’t know the sex of this baby. I wanted to be surprised just as I had been with Preston.

I rubbed my rounded belly with the palm of my hand. This pregnancy had been so much different than my pregnancy with Preston. I had suffered bouts of morning sickness for months. The thought of sex had repulsed me. My only hope was that I delivered a boy. Somehow that would make it all worth it. I didn't want any more children after this baby. A girl and a boy would make this family complete. I hadn't shared my decision with Trey yet. I needed to get back to my plan for the future. The plan that had dissipated once I had become pregnant with Preston.

Just then Gina woke from her momentary doze. Something was wrong. I saw the look of alarm in her eyes. I immediately went closer to her bed.

The epidural should have kicked in; she should have been feeling no pain. She writhed in agony. It was then that I looked down and saw the blood stain spreading across her bottom sheet. Her body started convulsing. I pressed the buzzer for the nurse. I heard the screams then; they were coming from me not Gina.

"Somebody get down here freaking stat!"