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“Come on, lass,” I said, reaching in and once more scooping Sadie into my arms. “Let’s do this.”
This time, she didn’t protest as I lifted her up. As I carried her, I noticed something strange. Her scent was familiar and more than a little intoxicating. I tried to place it as we crossed the threshold into the ER.
The nurse who’d run off emerged with the wheelchair as soon as we were inside the ER. I gently set Sadie down into it.
“Hey, Dad!” I turned to see Camilla approaching, a big duffel bag slung around her shoulders.
“Toss me that and catch these!” I held up my keys and tossed them to her. She neatly caught them, regarding the keys with an expression of mild confusion. Then she threw me the bag.
“My car is out front. Find a spot for it and come meet us inside.”
Camilla nodded, then hurried back in the direction she’d arrived. Sadie let out another cry of pain as another contraction hit. This time, however, there were plenty of nurses around to help her through it.
These contractions are getting closer together rather quickly, I thought as we gathered around Sadie and began down the long hallway.
We were off to the maternity ward. I left the information at the front desk, so Camilla knew where to find us, and then we hurried to one of the elevators and took it up to the fifth floor. I stayed closed to Sadie, keeping my hand on her shoulder as we made our way to one of the delivery rooms. The space was big and clean and modern – totally up to my standards. The big windows even allowed a sweeping view of the city.
I helped the nurses get her into the bed, as another contraction hit.
“This is happening, and it’s happening fast!” I called out.“I’m going to have to deliver. There’s no time to wait for an attending.”
“Yes, Dr. McMurray.”
One of the nurses quickly brought me over a gown and gloves, and the rest of the staff got Sadie into position. I was a professional, but all the same, it was strange as hell to see a woman I’d known since she was a girl there in stirrups in front of me. I put the oddness out of my mind as I turned my focus to the task at hand.
Once Sadie was situated, I moved in for a closer look.
She was almost fully dilated. The babies were coming soon. I gestured for a nurse to gather everything I would need to deliver. As she went, I stepped to Sadie and took her hand.
Sadie’s face was sheened with sweat, her blonde hair matted to her head. Despite it all, there was no ignoring her beauty. She turned her blue eyes to me, and I could see the concern etched all over her face.
“What’s going on?”
I smiled, taking her hand. “Got some good news – you’re not going to have to wait long to meet the little ones.”
“What? They’re coming already?”
One of the nurses spoke up. “We’re at eight centimeters!”
“Hear that?” I asked. “Eight centimeters means you’re getting ready to give birth – if the pain wasn’t already enough to know.”
“That fast?”
“That fast. Pretty soon we’re going to start the pushing process, so get ready.”
“Dad! Sadie!”
I looked over my shoulder to see that Camilla had arrived along with Sadie’s parents.
“I’ll go greet them,” I said to Sadie. “You focus on the task at hand, alright?”
She pursed her lips and nodded, taking in practiced, deep breaths. Camilla rushed over, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze before she attended to her friend, taking her hand and leading Sadie through the breathing exercises.
“Jack, Annette,” I said, shaking each one of their hands. “Charmed to see you both.”
“Same to you, Noah,” Jack said. It’d been years since I’d seen the two of them, and both seemed to be comfortably easing into their future roles as “mildly hippie grandparents.” Jack’s shoulder-length hair was graying, and a bit shaggy, his clothes close and comfortable, and his eyes behind a pair of round glasses. Annette was still the beauty she’d always been, and the obvious source of her daughter’s brilliant blue eyes and golden-blonde hair.
“So good to see you, Noah.” Annette pulled me into a warm hug.
