Page 67 of Alexander's Heart

Dad walks into the living room and notices me breathing through the contraction and the realization hits and his face registers shock then serious concern.

“Sweetheart, are you in labor?”

“Bwaxton Hiccups, Pa.” Alexa answers for me all serious in her delivery.

Betty walks in just as the contraction eases and is in her commanding mode.

“Cupcake, how strong are the contractions and how many have you had?”

“Two just now, and they were quite strong, the first one woke me up.”

Betty nods but her questions keep coming, “Elizabeth, does it feel like a band tightening or just a pressure? How long is the contraction holding on for? Can you talk through your contraction?”

My eyes go wide and I start to feel a little panic creeping in.

“Breathe, Lily, and woman, will you stop scaring my sweetheart,” Dad says looking at Betty.

“Shut it Ol’ man, these questions need to be answered, to determined Braxton Hicks or real labor contractions.”

Dad takes his scolding, nods in acquiescence and steps back, “Sorry, Betty.”

“You can however see if you can get a hold of Doc, if the team’s gone dark call Dr Sarah Langley At LHH, she was in surgery with Doc when he worked on Lily and she knows of Lily’s medical history.”

Dad nods just as another contraction takes hold, “Will do.”

I notice Betty look at her watch, then asks me a question, “How strong is this one, Cupcake?”

I’m gritting my teeth with this one, “S-Stronger, ow, sugar, ow.”

“Breathe, Elizabeth, slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth.”

I nod, I don’t want to talk, this is quite painful and the pressure intense, I feel my eyes tearing up, it’s too soon I’m only thirty-two weeks, I know I’ll go into labor earlier than normal but this is too soon.

Dad walks back over and informs us that the team is dark and he’s left a message will LHH for Dr Langley to call us. This can’t be happening, not now, Alexander’s not here and I can’t have these babies without him.

“Okay, now listen to me and try not to work yourself up, Davies here is going to go get the vehicle ready, Alexa can you go put on your shoes and grab your book bag sweetheart, while I help Mommy up.”

My eyes close in resignation, This. Can’t. Be. Happening.

“On it,” Dad says and hauls ass to the elevator and disappears inside.

“You got it, Gwanny Mae,” Alexa says running to her bedroom to do as she’s asked and put her shoes on and grab her book bad.

I see the surprise on Betty’s face and manage a giggle.

“Did my darlin’ just call me Granny Mae?” Betty sounds bewildered.

“She sure did, is this serious Betty?” I ask while I have a moment where I can speak.

When she turns back to me, I see her seriousness before she answers and I start trying to sit up.

“Let me take your weight, you need to not exert yourself, do you hear me, I want the less pressure on your stomach as you can manage relax your tummy muscles and let me do the heavy lifting and we’re going to move slowly to a standing position so you don’t put sudden pressure on your cervix, got me?”

I nod, “Okay, but Betty I’m scared, it’s too soon and Alexander’s not here.”

Betty takes all my weight to sit me upright and then tucks her arms under my armpits to slowly raise me to standing.

“I know, but babies don’t wait for a perfect time to make their entrance. Davies will do everything he can to get a hold of the boys. It’s a good sign that your water didn’t break just now when we moved you to standing but we need to move slowly with the least amount of pressure downstairs as possible, I want you to walk with your legs spread a little wider apart okay.”

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