Chapter 28
Noah
“I got the baby!” I yell, overwhelmed with emotions as I hold the tiny newborn securely against my chest.
Emma begins sobbing at the same time the baby’s wails pierce through the room, and I myself choke back my tears.
“Noah!” Emma gasps, her voice breaking through my daze as her eyes dart between my face and the small bundle in my hands. “Is he okay? What’s wrong?”
I pull the baby back to take a better look. The rush of emotions I feel looking down at the tiny figure in my arms is unreal. “It’s a girl, Emma!” I say in surprise.
“A girl?” she asks confused and surprised.
“The doctor got it all wrong. She’s a girl,” I say as I stare down at the tiny little thing that already carries traces of the woman I adore. “She’s so beautiful, so perfect.” I gently lay her on Emma’s chest, careful not to let go of her as Emma looks too exhausted to keep herself up.
“Hey baby girl,” Emma whispers. “Welcome to the world.”
The operator’s voice crackles through the phone, “Sir, are you with me?”
“Yes, I’m here,” I respond, my voice steadier now that it’s over. “The baby is out. She looks healthy. We need assistance for Emma.”
“Okay, keep her calm. Help should be there soon,” she reassures me before disconnecting.
I look at Emma, her forehead beaded with sweat, the fight slowly ebbing from her eyes as she gazes at her newborn daughter. “I am so proud of you,” I whisper.
I kiss Emma’s damp forehead and close my eyes, overcome with emotion. I never imagined I would feel a connection to the baby like I do, an instant bond that feels both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I open my eyes and silently watch Emma cradle the baby. My heart swells with unexpected love for both of them.
“Noah. Thank you,” Emma looks up at me with tears trailing down her cheeks. “I couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you for being here.”
The moment is interrupted by a sudden pounding at the door. I quickly let the paramedics inside and lead them to the bathroom. They rush inside, duffle bags in hand full of supplies. I stand to the side as they do a quick assessment of Emma and the baby. My heart swells with pride when they hand me shears and allow me to cut the umbilical cord.
I keep my focus on Emma as they lift her and the baby up onto the stretcher and wrap them with blankets. She’s wheeled through the house and loaded up into the back of the ambulance. I step inside while they finish loading up their supplies and hook her up to an IV.
“I’ll be right behind y’all,” I tell her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
“Okay,” she leans into my touch and kisses my palm. I don’t want to leave them, the urge to stay has never been so strong. Reluctantly, I give her one last kiss on the lips before getting into my own car.
I follow closely behind the ambulance, ensuring no other cars slip between us. Although I know they’re fine, they’re in good hands, the flashing lights and sirens on the ambulance heighten my anxiety.
When we’re around ten minutes away from the hospital, I watch in horror as the ambulance suddenly floors it in front of me. The sirens begin blaring louder than before.
“What the hell?” I mutter, pressing down on the gas to stay with them. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up; something is definitely wrong. I can see the paramedics moving around through the tiny windows on the back of the truck.
“Go faster!” I yell in the silence of my car.
Time slows down the rest of the way to the hospital. I run every stop sign and red light along with the ambulance. When we finally get to the emergency bay, I pull up right behind the ambulance and jump out.
“Sir, you can’t park here!” A nurse shouts as she rushes towards me, snapping gloves on. “This is for emergency vehicles only.” She attempts to lecture me, but I brush past her when I see the driver jump out of the truck and run to the back of the ambulance, throwing both doors open in a rush.
“What happened?” I shout, desperation filling me.
But the paramedics ignore me. They pull out the stretcher, shouting out numbers and vitals to the nurse. I barely catch a glimpse of Emma between all the people. She’s laying flat on her back now, her body limp, and her face as white as a sheet. The last paramedic steps out after them, clutching the baby to his chest. I chase after them, running inside the ER and not bothering to move my car. They can tow it for all I care.
The room is a crazy storm of people. The nurses are shouting medical jargon as they transfer her to the bed. Their movements are rushed and not at all gentle. I want to scream at them to be careful with her fragile body.
“Sir, what’s her blood type?” The nurse demands without looking up from Emma.
“Um,” I stammer. “I have no idea.”
“We need you to go wait in the waiting room! There’s not enough space in here,” she snaps.
But I refuse to move from my spot. Panic freezes me and my feet are cemented to the floor, I’m unable to move even if I wanted to.
“Someone get him out of here!” the nurse screams.
Next thing I know, I’m being pushed to a private waiting room by a security guard. I’m left alone in the sterile room for over two hours before the doctor finally comes in to update me.
“Mr. Sterling?” he asks, pulling off his scrub cap to reveal a smooth, bald head.
I stand immediately, not bothering to correct him on my last name. “That’s me. How is she? What even happened to her? She was fine when the ambulance showed up! She was fine!” I can’t stop the panic.
“Let’s sit down,” he suggests, leading us to a pair of chairs by the windows, his hand clasped on my shoulder. “Emma lost a lot of blood during birth,” he begins, his tone serious. “She struggled with high blood pressure during her pregnancy which caused her to hemorrhage at birth. Due to the blood loss, her blood pressure dropped dangerously low and her body went into shock.”
“Oh my God.” My breath catches in my throat and I bury my head in my hands, my elbows resting on my knees. I can’t stand to see the look on his face. Is he about to tell me what I think he is?
“We’ve given her a blood transfusion and managed to stabilize her blood pressure,” he continues. “But, she hasn’t woken up yet. Now, this isn’t uncommon in a situation like this. I have high hopes she will wake up, probably within a few days.” My heart begins to beat again. She’s alive. She’s stable.
“ She’s in the ICU on the second floor. You should be able to come see her in about an hour.” He rests his palm on my back, his touch not at all comforting in this moment.
“And the baby?” I ask, the sound of my voice is rough and laced with despair.
“The baby is in the nursery on the third floor. I hear she is doing great,” he reassures me, squeezing my shoulder before standing up. “You did everything right, Mr. Sterling. There’s nothing you could have done to prevent this. Feel free to go up to the nursery whenever you’re ready.”
“Thanks doc,” I say absentmindedly, staring at the floor.