Hold My Girl

Chapter 19

"It's happening again" Allison murmured in warning, but my eyes were already glued to the screen. I watched as, for the third time in less than 40 minutes, the numbers on the screen dropped, the heartbeat slowed for a few seconds before it kicked back into rhythm, chugging away as if everything was normal.

"I think you should buzz for the nurse, somethings not right" Allison's voice was stern as she sat in a big leather recliner beside my bed. Time seemed to be passing so slowly. We'd now been in the hospital for 2 hours and I'd spent the last 40 minutes staring at the computer screen or out the window, with my phone clutched tightly to my chest.

The only reprieve I'd had from staring was when I phoned my mum to update her on what was going. Immediately there had been tears. Tears from her because there was nothing she could do to help me right now. Tears from me because I felt so helpless and lacked control over anything that was about to happen.

I took a deep breath before turning to face Allison "I know somethings wrong Allison but the quicker I buzz the quicker someone's going to come in here and confirm somethings wrong and seeing as I still haven't got a hold of Harry, I'm not ready for someone to tell me that somethings wrong"

Allison eyed me sternly knowing when the tough love was needed, "Melodramatics won't get you anywhere Nora. Press the button or I'll press it for you"

I looked away as my thumb hovered over the red button. I refused to apologise for my bad attitude as I ran my thumb around the plastic remote. I didn't want to apologise for my outburst. My emotions were all to shot, Allison knew this. She also know I couldn't handle the added emotion of apologising right now. So for right now she would just need accept that I was being a dick. I let a sigh escape before pressing the button.

Only a few moments later I heard the bustle at the door before Nurse Okafor burst into the room, followed swiftly by Dr Robbins.

"Everything ok, Lovely?" Nurse Okafor smiled as she reached into a basket underneath the laptop screen to fetch out a blood pressure monitor. She smiled in question, her eyes darting to my arm which I lifted dutifully allowing her to wrap the thick cuff around my bicep.

"The numbers have dropped for the third time now" I watched as, subtly, Dr Robbins and the nurse exchanged a glance before Dr Robbins started fingering the graph paper and Nurse Okafor busied herself checking my blood pressure.

"Blood pressure is climbing" The nurse noted aloud as she wrote the numbers on my chart.

Dr Robbins simply nodded before she turned to face me. "Ok, we have a couple of options Nora, but the main thing is: I don't want to leave this baby in there for very much longer"

I felt like my lungs collapsed as soon as I processed her words. I struggled to pull any air into my lungs. It was too soon. I still had 5 weeks to go. Would the baby be ok if it came out just now?

"But it's too early?" Allison became my voice as I stared blankly at the doctor.

"It is earlier than we would prefer" Dr Robbins admitted as she clasped her hands in front of her chest, facing me. "But that doesn't guarantee complications. The baby is fully grown from 32 weeks so that's not so much of a concern, there are other factors though. Lung maturity being the biggest at this stage but we have ways around that. It might mean the baby needs a little extra oxygen when they come out, which may mean a little stay in the NICU but that's not anything to worry about. We have all the facilities here to assist baby on delivery"

"How would you deliver if she's not ready to go in to labour yet?" Allison asked sensibly. Right now I was so glad she was here because my brain couldn't function properly.