Calix meets us near a vending machine after filling out the form. “Do you want to sit down?” He looks at the industrial plastic chairs and scowls.
“No, I think the contractions are slowing down. Maybe we’ll be able to go home.” I breathe a sigh of relief.
“We should just go. I’ll bring a doctor to you,” Grim offers.
“No, we need to be here, they have all the equipment,” Gunnar reminds Grim. We’ve actually had this conversation before.
“Where are they?” Calix looks back toward the front desk.
“It’s only been ninety seconds, calm down,” Gunnar replies.
“Stars, I think we’re in the twilight zone,” I mumble, surprised he’s being the voice of reason.
“Daniella,” a male nurse calls after stepping out from a set of double doors. “Daniella?” He looks right at me.
“Damiana,” I correct.
“Sorry about that.” He plasters a weak smile on his face. “Do you need a wheelchair?”
“No, I’d rather walk.” I head in his direction, and all three guys follow.
“Who’s the… father?” He glances at the three of them.
“We are,” Gunnar answers. I figured we would have to talk about this once we were in a room, not in the lobby. Not that I care.
“Ah… which one of you will be coming back with her?” The nurse hesitates.
“All of us.” Grim steps forward and looms over the guy. The nurse blinks several times and does a little shake of his head. If I had to bet, I’d say Grim just gave him the glowy glare.
“I’m afraid that’s against policy,” he mumbles.
“You’re not going to win this one,” I deadpan. “Make it easier on everyone here and just ignore them… please,” I add as an afterthought.
He must agree, because the double doors open again, and all of us follow him back to a little curtained-off cubical. I can hear other patients’ monitors beeping and the hushed sounds of people talking.
The nurse grabs a folded gown from the top of a pile and hands it to me. “Put this on so it opens in the front. Do you need a hand?”
Gunnar snatches Grim’s hand out of the air when he reaches for the nurse. “We got it.”
“I’ll be back in just a few.” The guy’s feet couldn’t carry him any faster unless he was running.
I face Grim, giving him a droll look, but it morphs into a grimace as a contraction hits me hard and fast. This one doesn’t have a lot of buildup. Scratch that: there’s plenty of buildup; this one is just twice as intense. “Holy shit demons.” I lean forward and plant my hands on the plastic-coated mattress and cheap white sheet.
Gunnar steps up behind me and spans his hands over my lower back. His thumbs are in the center above my tailbone, and he starts circling them while applying a lot of pressure. “You’ve got to breathe, Dami,” he mutters softly, while his fingers do some sort of magic on my back. I take a deep breath in through my nose and blow it out of my mouth. “Good, just keep breathing,” he encourages.
“What the hell is he doing?” Calix asks.
“Shut up, it’s working,” I snap. As soon as I stand, Gunnar steps back, giving me a little space. Calix is holding the gown up, his face slightly solemn. Grim helps me undress quickly. Thankfully, the robe-gown thingy is so big I can still close it over my belly. I start to shiver almost immediately. I don’t think it’s just because it’s chilly in here, but Grim pulls up a heavy woven white blanket from the end of the bed to cover me when I get situated.
I note a pair of shoes nearing from under the drapes. “All set?” a heavily accented male voice inquires, before he pulls back the curtain without waiting for a response.
He doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that there’s barely any standing room left in the tiny space. He shoulders his way through the group to stand at the end of my bed. “Good evening, Damiana.” He doesn’t pronounce my name perfectly, but it’s better than most. “And how are we doing?” The guy is young, fit, and good-looking. I couldn’t care less, but I don’t think the guys will feel the same. Great.
“That’s what I came here to find out.” I can already feel another contraction coming, so I close my eyes and breathe. Gunnar leans me forward and rubs my lower back as best as he can while I’m sitting in a hospital bed.
“Contraction?” His voice becomes high at the end. “Good, good, let’s see how things are going. Can you lie back for me?”
“She’s hurting, let her get through this,” Calix barks.
