Chapter
12
~Labor
Day~
Sami sat on the chair doing her breathing exercises.
The contractions were still pretty far apart, but when they came, they
were agonizing.
She had read up on everything she could about labor and the birth
process, but she realized now, that until you experienced it for yourself, you
couldn’t appreciate the full impact of it all.
She thought she could handle it.
“No problem, she kept thinking.
I’m a doctor, I’ve studied medicine, I’ve even helped with a few
deliveries, so I should know exactly what to expect.
Wrong!” she thought now.
“Dead wrong!
The pains she had started having earlier this morning weren’t that bad.
They were actually more like cramps.
She really thought that she just had eaten something that hadn’t agreed
with her.
She wasn’t due for another few weeks yet, but she also knew that first
pregnancies didn’t always go as scheduled.
Add that to the stress that carrying twins might have, and combine all of
it with her weakened physical condition, and anything could happen.
She hadn’t felt any worse a few hours later, so she decided not to
mention any of it to Daniel.
Why get him nervous over nothing, she thought.
He was too strung out to begin with.
She had suggested to Daniel that he call Jack and go over to the school
with him to help out Jameson and Grace.
She had spoken to Jessie yesterday and she knew that Jessie wasn’t
feeling well, and that only Jameson would be there with Grace today.
Jessie had been fighting the stomach flu for about a week now, and she
didn’t think she would be able to make it in.
Daniel all but refused to leave her side, and Sami was getting nervous
watching him pace around the house, so she took it upon herself to call Jack,
and begged him to get Daniel out of the house for a while.
She also then called Bill, and asked him to come over and stay with her
for a while, until Daniel got back.
When Jack had shown up at the house, Daniel looked almost relieved.
Sami could tell the stress of these last couple of weeks, had really
taken their toll on him.
He looked exhausted.
She knew he wasn’t sleeping well, and he had tried to hide it from her.
Even after their talk a few days ago when she had promised him that
everything was going well, he still had trouble sleeping.
She couldn’t really blame him though.
She wasn’t exactly getting much sleep herself lately.
Daniel had waited until Bill arrived, and then he and Jack left for the
school, but not before Daniel made Bill promise that if Sami even sneezed the
wrong way, he would get in touch with him immediately.
Bill assured him he would, and Sami kissed him goodbye.
That had been about two hours ago, and not more than ten minutes later,
was when Sami first realized that she was indeed in the early stages of labor.
Daniel and Jack had just about left the house, when the first
contractions hit.
She had been in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water, when it
happened.
She felt a stabbing pain suddenly, a sort of tightening feeling that left
her breathless, and barely able to stand.
She screamed for Bill, who came running in from the other room, and was
by her side in an instant.
At that moment, more than at any other time in her life, she realized
just how important this man was to her, and just how much she loved and
respected him.
Bill helped her through the pain, and calmed her fears, and then helped
her into the living room and onto a chair.
He sat with her and talked to her, and reassured her over and over again,
that he would be there for her, and make sure nothing happened to her precious
children.
After about an hour of timing her contractions, he decided to call the
hospital and alert Sami’s doctors to her situation.
He knew she could wait in the house for a while yet, because her
contractions were still only about fifteen minutes apart, but he wanted to be
ready to take her to the hospital at a moments notice.
Bill knew it wouldn’t be long now.
After speaking with one of Sami’s doctors, Bill called Sean and Anne,
who were at a friend’s house visiting, to let them know that he would be
taking Sami to the hospital shortly.
They were so excited, and wanted to come over to be with Sami now, but
Bill told them it would probably make more sense to just meet at the hospital,
when she was ready to leave.
Sami had insisted that Bill put off calling Daniel until the last
possible minute, but just as he was about to tell her that she should call him,
Daniel had called just to check up on her.
Bill had started to tell him, and then Sami grabbed the phone from him,
and asked Daniel how things were going at the school.
He had said that he was almost finished there, and that he would be
heading on home shortly, and Sami had told him to hurry home because she missed
him.
She didn’t want him to drive home like a crazy man if she had told him
she was in labor, so she tried to give him a little hint instead.
She knew he would understand.
She had been right.
Only a few minutes ago, Bill had called Jameson and found out that Jessie
was at the school too, and let them know that Sami was in labor and to meet them
at the hospital.
Sami knew that Daniel was on his way home, and she wanted Jessie to be at
the hospital when they got there.
She always had a calming influence over him.
Sami’s contractions had started getting stronger and closer together,
and she was in the middle of a very bad one, when Daniel came home.
When he walked into the house, and heard her screaming, and panting, and
saw Bill sitting next to her, trying to get her through the pain, he almost
collapsed from panic and fear.
He quickly got himself together for her though, and ran to her side, and
helped her concentrate on her breathing.
He held her hand and stroked her hair, and comforted her as much as he
could until she got through it.
After a few long minutes, Sami’s breathing returned to normal, and she
relaxed a little.
Daniel hugged, and kissed her.
“Angel,
are you okay?” Daniel asked, tears filling his eyes.
“I’m fine now that you’re here too,” she said, wiping away his
tears.
“Oh, Daniel, I knew you’d come right home.
I’m so glad you’re both here with me now,” she said, almost
whispering.
“Is it really bad honey?” Daniel asked.
“Oh, it’s a piece of cake,” Sami said, trying to smile. “Just sort of feels like my insides are being pulled out, but I can handle it. Really,” she said, “I’m all right now.”
Daniel looked over at Bill worried, and Bill just put his arm around
Daniel and rubbed his shoulders, to try to assure him.
“What do we do now?” Daniel asked.
“Shouldn’t we get her right to the hospital?
I mean, isn’t it too early for her to go into labor?
Did you call her doctors?
What did they say?
Is she going to be there in time?
What if her water breaks?
What happens if the babies start to come before we get her to the
hospital?” Daniel asked, in a rush, and started to panic again.
“Whoa! Slow down Daniel! Too much coffee this morning?” Bill asked, trying to joke around. “One question at a time. First of all, everyone’s been notified, including your family. Everything’s been taken care of. I even brought Destiny over to the neighbor’s house, so they could watch the little mutt until you get home. We were just waiting for you to get here. Everyone’s going to meet us over at the hospital. The doctors are standing by for when Sami arrives, so they’ll be able to monitor her from the moment she gets there. Everyone and everything is ready, whenever Sami is,” Bill said.
“Whoa!” Sami yelled, clutching her belly.
“I think I’m about ready now!”
Bill suddenly looked concerned.
He looked at his watch and noticed that it hadn’t been that long at all
since her last contraction, and they were coming much too close together now,
for comfort.
“All right!”, Bill said, firmly.
“Daniel, after she gets through this contraction, we’re taking her
right to the hospital, so go get her bag and put it in the car, while I help her
through this.”
Daniel was frozen with terror at the sight of the pain on Sami’s face,
and because he could see the panic now in Bill’s face, and also hear the near
panic in his voice.
“Now!” Bill yelled
“Move Daniel!”
Sami grabbed hold of Daniel’s hand and squeezed so hard that he thought
she was going to break his fingers.
“Jesus, Joseph, and Mary!” Daniel screamed.
Sami finally let go of his hand and said, “Well, that woke you up!”
“Ouch!” Daniel said, shaking his hand and trying to work out the
pain.
“All right!
I’m fine I’m fine!
I can do this.
It’s going to be okay Samantha.
I think I just freaked out a little for a minute,” he said.
“Honey, please just try to calm down now, and go get my bag for the
hospital,” Sami asked, through her pain.
Daniel looked around frantically, and found the bag by the front door,
where Bill had placed it about an hour ago.
Bill also told him to put his medical bag and some towels in the car.
Daniel didn’t even blink an eye, when Bill said that.
He just ran out to the car, threw her bag into the trunk, dumped Bill’s
things in the front seat, opened the doors, and ran back into the house.
Bill was trying to help Sami up off of the chair, and Daniel ran over and
gave them a hand.
“Give me your car keys,” Bill said to Daniel.
“I don’t want you to drive in the condition you’re in.”
“The condition I’m in?” Daniel asked.
“Yeah,” Sami said.
“You look like you’re in worse condition than I am.”
“Very funny, Samantha.
First you try to break every bone in my hand, and now you’re making fun
of me.
I’ll remember that lady!” Daniel said, and winked at her.
As
they were walking out of the house, Sami suddenly stopped, looked around at the
house, and turned to Daniel with the most beautiful smile on her face that he
had ever seen, and said, “This is it, Daniel.
The next time we come back here, we won’t be alone anymore.
We’ll never be alone again,” she said, tears flowing down her face.
Daniel held her in his arms, told her he loved her, and kissed her once
more.
Then he said, “Now, let’s get you to the hospital.
There are two wee ones in there that are just dying to get out and meet
their Mom and Dad.”
They
managed to get Sami into the back seat of the car, and then Daniel got in next
to her, while Bill drove.
The hospital was only about fifteen minutes away, but Bill wasn’t
taking any chances, leaving Sami in the back seat alone.
He had a feeling that baby number one, just might make an appearance
before they arrived at the hospital.
Sami’s contractions were suddenly coming once every few minutes now,
and that was a sure sign those babies were coming fast.
He hoped to God that he was wrong, but something told him he wasn’t.
Sami didn’t disappoint him about two minutes later when her water
broke.
“God, I hate when I’m right!” Bill said aloud, after he heard the
screams from the back seat.
CONTINUE
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