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I shake my head. “I don’t know. I was going to call the midwife when I got home for advice. I thought it was just bad backache.”
“I said I’d help,” whines Lily. “Please, Sky.”
“Get her out of this house, Jem!” I say through gritted teeth. “I don’t care about calling the police. I want her gone. Now.”
Jem drags her to the door and grapples with the handle. She kicks out again like a wild animal as he opens and pushes her through into the corridor. Her yells echo as she hammers on the door, shouting my name.
“Reckon security will call the police if she doesn’t stop the noise,” mutters Jem. “I’m gonna call the police too and an ambulance, you don’t look good. Then I’m going out there and...” He drags a hand through his hair. “I don’t fucking know what to do here, Sky.”
I slump back to the floor, losing my fight against the pain hardening my stomach. “Call Dylan.”
Jem waits for my breathing to slow and watches me warily. “He’s in France.”
“I know, and I don’t fucking care,” I yell as the contraction passes. “Just get him.”
Jem squats down and sits back on his heels as he makes the call. “You are definitely in labour.”
“How the fuck would you know?”
“Because I watched someone go through it recently.” He leans over to touch my head and I swat him away. “And she swore at me as much as you are.”
I cough a laugh at his words, the horror of the situation building hysteria. “I’m okay for now, but I do need to get to hospital.” The pressure against my back shifts, pressing down on my pelvis and my denial from the last couple of days slips. I’ve ignored signs I shouldn’t.
Jem kneels back again and rubs a palm across his mouth. “You’re not gonna... have it now, are you? Did Lily cause this?”
The pressure builds in my back again and I close my eyes against the pain. “No,” I say through clenched teeth. “I think it started earlier today.”
“Why the fuck did you come home, then? You should’ve gone to hospital.”
I glare at him. “Because I didn’t know!”
“But you’re in labour.”
“Jem? Are you an expert?” My brow covers with perspiration as my stomach contracts.No. This isn’t happening. “Just shut the hell up and call an ambulance.”
I close my eyes as Jem makes the call and breathe through the dizzying pain. I have four weeks to go. The midwife said I’d be okay. In my stupid Sky way, I run through my rational explanations to allow myself the answers that suit me.
My waters haven’t broken: that doesn’t mean the baby will come today. This is my first baby: if I am in labour, it won’t happen quickly. Ruby was in labour for twelve hours. Cerys told me her horror stories about prolonged birth too.
But a girl I knew from work, her first labour took an hour.An hour.
No.
I am not in labour. This isn’t labour.
“Help me up, Jem,” I say and drag myself up the wall. “I need the bathroom.”
Jem holds me under the arms and pulls me upright. The movement brings us closer together than we ever have been. I’ve never allowed Jem to touch me, never expected to rest against him for support like this. I place my hands on his shoulders and dip my head, breathless, and his shirt brushes my cheek.
“You okay?” he asks.
Oh god, I’m going to puke.The pressure between my legs hurts so fucking much. “Uh. Yeah, great Jem. Fucking awesome.”
“Jesus, you are so like Ruby, it’s bloody scary.”
“I don’t think I am.” I dig my fingers into his shoulders and bite down on my sleeve. “This. Is. Bullshit,” I pant out. “Help me to the bathroom.”
“Hurry up. The ambulance said ten minutes.”
