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“Now what?” Steve cried.
“Another contraction,” Lauren said, trying for a calm voice. She glanced back down at her phone. This contraction was exactly two minutes from the last one. Yikes. It seemed like the contractions were getting closer at a much faster rate than she’d expected.
“As I was saying,” Nate continued, “there’s really no telling what your cervix might be dilated now, but if you’re planning on an epidural—”
“Yes! I definitely want one of those,” Kitty said. “Do you think we can call the hospital so they can have one on standby?” She clutched her abdomen and began to rock. “I think more of my water just came out.”
“But, babe, I thought you had a birth plan,” Steve said. “You told me under pain of death I wasn’t allowed to let you get an epidural.”
Kitty winced. “I said that? Obviously, I was delusional.”
“But, you said that—”
“Screw the birth plan, Steve! I’ve changed my mind!”
“Sure, okay, yeah, yeah, whatever you want.” He wiped some sweat off his brow. “Do you think we can do that?” he asked Nate. “Call the hospital, I mean, to have the epidural ready for her?”
Nate cleared his throat. “That’s not usually how it works, but it’s certainly not a bad idea to call her doctor and let him or her know what’s going on.”
Steve tossed Nate his cell phone. “Can you call for me? The number is under Dr. Joan Becket.”
Nate dialed and after a few rings someone picked up. “Hello? Yes, this is Dr. Nate Miller, I’m a GP over in Whispering Bay and I’m with your patient, Kitty Pappas.” There was a pause. “Her water broke and she’s having strong contractions. I just wanted to advise you she’s on her way to the hospital now.” There was another pause, then Nate said, “All right. Thank you.” He hung up. “She’s on her way to the hospital so she’ll be there when we arrive.”
“Okay, yeah, good to know,” Steve said.
“But we’re still stopping by the house, right?” Kitty said. “I need my labor bag.”
Steve looked to Nate for guidance. “What do you think? Do we have time to go by the house?”
Nate turned to talk to Kitty. “I’m sure we have plenty of time to stop by the house and get your things,” he said calmly, “but, just to be on the safe side, why don’t we get to the hospital first and check you in? Lauren and I can get your house keys from Steve and bring you the bag.”
“Oh, but I need my special pillow. It’s going to help when I have to push the baby out,” Kitty said. “I saw it on the Baby Channel.”
“Pushing is the last phase of labor. We’ll have plenty of time to get your pillow,” Nate said.
Steve frowned. “Don’t they have pillows at the hospital?”
“Not the special ones,” Kitty said. “Not the ones you can wrap around your legs to help open up your pelvis.”
“Open up your pelvis?” Steve shook his head. “What the hell does that mean? Forget it, babe, Nate’s right. We should get to the hospital and worry about the bag later.” He got in the left lane to pass a car that Lauren could swear was already speeding.
“All right,” Kitty conceded. “I guess I don’t need my labor bag right now. It’s in the foyer, right by the front door,” she said to Nate. “You can’t miss it.”
“Don’t worry,” Lauren said, trying to reassure her. “Like Nate said, we’ll just check you in and he and I will go back and get you the bag.”
She nodded. Then she reached out and grabbed Lauren’s hand. “Now!” she cried again.
Lauren tried to look down at the cell phone to time the contraction, but Kitty had her hand in a death grip. “Just breathe, that’s it,” she said, trying to keep Kitty calm. Lauren glanced out the window. They were still on highway 98, on a lone stretch of road between Panama City and Whispering Bay, at least thirty more minutes from the hospital. Kitty seemed to be more uncomfortable with each contraction, making Lauren wonder if they were to going to get to the hospital in time for Kitty to get an epidural. Best to keep that thought to herself, though.
“I think I need to go the bathroom,” Kitty said weakly.
“Again?” Steve said. “Didn’t you just go before we left Shea’s house?”
“That was…you know, number one. This is the other.”
Nate turned in his seat. “Do you feel like you need to push?” he asked her.
Kitty nodded frantically. “Now!”
