Chapter 14
Fourteen
NOVA
I’m having a day. My beta mom-to-be is going into labor early.
“It’s okay,” I say soothingly. “Deep breath for me. We’re going to take a trip to the hospital for observation, Katee. You’ve had too much stress, and this is the baby making herself known. I’ll be with you the entire time.”
She’s having a girl, and she’s now thirty-eight weeks pregnant.
That wouldn’t typically be an issue to deliver at home at this point, but she’s bleeding more than I’m comfortable with when she’s only two centimeters dilated.
Katee’s husband left her two weeks ago, saying that he couldn’t handle being a father, and she’s cried for days about it.
Michael is a little bitch, and frankly, I think she can do better. I’m really pissed off for her. Unfortunately, I’m worried the baby is suffering some distress because movements have decreased over the past two hours.
It’s time to go.
“Okay,” Katee says. “I did this to my baby, didn’t I, Nova? What if…she doesn’t make it?”
“We’re not going to think about that,” I say calmly, grabbing her go bag. I have every one of my clients pack one at thirty two weeks pregnant, just in case. “Tell me your affirmations. It’ll help with that prodromal labor.”
The issue at this point is that her contractions aren’t properly progressing her toward dilation. Instead, the chaos in her mind is keeping her from it.
“As soon as they manage to figure out the bleeding, we’ll strap you into a diaper and start walking,” I promise. Her giggle helps me relax more, and I lock up her cottage before we head toward Bertha.
Her bottom half is wrapped in a towel, so I’m not worried about blood stains on my passenger seat.
“Ow,” she groans as she gets situated.
“Let’s hear them!” I call out as I drop the bag behind me and start the van.
“I…can do anything for thirty seconds,” she rasps.
“Good job, mama. Now count for me,” I insist.
I drive as quickly as I can to the hospital, run inside to get a wheelchair and a nurse, and explain the situation.
“We’ll check her out, monitor, and see where we land,” the nurse says with a nod as she helps Katee into the chair. “Go park your vehicle and the front desk will let you know where she is so you can join her.”
“Thank you,” I say gratefully.
A longer groan accentuates the confirmation, and I grin.
“That sounds better,” I tell Katee. There’s no panic in her voice, just working through the pain. “Hold onto that, and keep the self talk positive.”
The nurse wheels her away as Katee nods, and I jump back into the car to park. As I walk through the lobby and waiting room, I hear voices that I know. Twisting, I see Felix, Brice, and Remy looking sad and worried.
A part of me wants to know why, but I need to go make sure Katee is settled. I also don’t think that I should pry. They’re my landlords, and I’m their tenant. We aren’t friends.
Sighing, I turn back and walk to the front desk.
“Hi, I’m Nova Roberts, and I’m Katee Miller’s midwife. She was just brought back by a nurse,” I explain.
“Yes! Give me just a minute, and I’ll have someone bring you to her. She’s in a room now and being checked by a doctor,” the nurse says.
The ER is really busy so when she turns back to speak to someone else abruptly, I can’t even fault her. I have both my and Katee’s bags with me, and they’re heavy as I step away to awkwardly wait. I’m really hoping they let me in before Pack Ledger notices me.
My hair is up in a messy bun, my multicolored dress is covered by a heavy patchwork coat that is really warm, and my brown combat boots are worn. I look like a midwife who's been working, basically.
Bouncing on my toes, I wonder if they’ll call the cops on me if I just go back and look for Katee. I feel really antsy being here, as if I’m missing something.
What could it be?
“Nova?”
Shit on a stick.
Turning, I see Brice stand and walk over to me.
“Are you okay? I mean, you don’t look hurt. Why are you here?” he asks.
“I have a client who is having some distress,” I explain. “I’m basically going to be living at the hospital until she gives birth.”
“Oh good,” he says, looking relieved. “Not that she and the baby are in distress, but that you’re okay.”
“Brice?” I ask. “Why are you here?”
I wasn’t going to ask, but he looks miserable. They’ve always been so kind to me, I want to try to help if possible.
“Someone really special to us was beaten at an event we were at today,” he says. “Malcolm is with her now. We’re waiting to see how bad it is. There’s definitely broken ribs, and she was covered in blood.”
My jaw drops and I look back at the swinging doors as if I can see her. I just…wow.
“Oh my God,” I whisper. “What happened to the people who did that to her?”
“Dead,” Brice grunts. “They didn’t make it more than a few steps from my understanding before they were shot on sight.”
He says it without emotion, and I don’t know if he’s saying that a police officer did it or someone else.
“I’m so sorry,” I breathe. “I really do believe in the power of positive thoughts. It sounds dumb, but I promise it helps. Think of her well. She sounds really special.”
“She is. Somehow she was able to still speak right up until she passed out,” he says.
“Ready, Nova? I can take you back now,” the nurse says.
Torn, I look between them and Brice reaches out and squeezes my hand.
“Duty calls. Go do your thing,” he says. “It looks like we’ll be here for a while too.”
Nodding, I say goodbye and follow the nurse.
“Okay, you’re going to stay in emergency for a bit until she’s cleared to go up to maternity,” the nurse explains. “We just have to monitor her.”
“Of course,” I say, nodding.
I expect all of that, and as long as the bleeding is controlled and the baby and Katee are safe, I’ll advocate for her to be able to move around. She’s not a fall risk currently, so I’ll just play it by ear to see what the hospital will allow.
I honestly feel better being here just in case we need emergent care.
The nurse shows me to the “room” which is a cordoned off area and I smile reassuringly at Katee as I step inside.
“How are we?” I ask, coming to put the bags down and sitting beside her.
“Trying to breathe,” she says. “It feels like the pain is on top of each other.”
“Let’s time them,” I suggest, pulling out my phone to use my contraction app. “Tell me when it starts?”
My other hand moves to her stomach, because I can feel how it relaxes and tenses. Katee manages a deep breath as her stomach releases its tension and then moans as it almost immediately goes rock hard.
Umm. Okay then. The timer says that they’re forty-five seconds long and in fact on top of each other.
I once had a client this happened to, and it was because nothing in her life felt right.
Everything was chaos, I was the back up travel midwife so she didn’t know me, and she informed me that I was to not enter the room without permission.
So, I sat outside and listened to her labor, and watched her pack take damn good care of her. As soon as I was gone and things began to feel a bit more stable, the contractions began to show progression. Mom swayed, labored on the toilet, and then finally tried to nap when things got really rough.
By the time I was asked to check on her, she was fully dilated and ready to get up and push.
I’m just here as the catch-fail sometimes. I love when I’m not needed outside of small checks.
I have a feeling I’m going to need to find a way to help Katee block out the noise and stress in her head so she can have this baby.
“We’re doing fine,” I murmur. “Your brain and your body just need to align so you can feel safe enough to dilate, Katee. Keep breathing, and I’ll be here.”
“Hello,” a deep voice says, making me twist around to look at him.
The doctor’s scent hits me in the face and makes me inhale sharply. He has red floppy hair, hazel eyes, and has a pleasant face. Except, his raspberry chocolate scent is going to be a problem.
Mine.
Breathing deeper, I find that he’s still staring at me as if he’s waiting for me to say something. There’s not a hint that says he’s experiencing anything that I am. Huh. A part of me feels rejected, but I force it away.
I’m not here for long, I’m not interested in settling down because my parents are terrible humans, and I have a damn job to do.
“Am I in your way?” I ask bluntly.
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “I have a feeling you shouldn’t move if Katee is this calm with you.
Her blood pressure was through the roof while I was speaking with her.
I’m Dr. Tyde Stewart, and it appears that she’s bleeding heavily due to her contractions.
However, I’m glad she’s here because it’ll allow for more support if she needs it. ”
Nodding slowly, I make myself focus on his nose instead of his eyes. I’m a professional, I will not moon over how much taller he is than me, or that fact that the area we’re in feels so much smaller just by his presence.
“Will we be able to move to a room?” I ask.
“Yes. You and your partner will move in the next few minutes,” he says, misunderstanding everything.
That’s cute. Whatever, as long as he gets things moving.
“What?” Katee asks. “Ohhhh.”
Giving the doctor my back, I talk her through the contraction. I continue to ignore him until he leaves and we’re moved a few minutes later. I tell myself it’s for the best. Dr. Stewart thinks I’m gay, and doesn’t recognize that I’m his scent match.
So, I’m going to ignore him back and tell myself that I don’t need him at all. Maybe I’ll even believe it.
HOLLIS
My lashes feel like they’re stuck together and I can’t open my eyes. Whimpering, I try to rub my eyes, but something is wrong. There’s something pulling at my hand.
“Hollis,” Malcolm says, gently taking my hand. “Your lashes are all crusty. Hold on, baby. Let me clear them for you. I’m right here.”