Page 108 of Jackson
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Jackson
The nursery was finished, Summer’s parents and Perri had arrived, all we were waiting on was the appearance of labour. That was when I started to panic. I tried my hardest to not let how anxious I was getting show. Every wince or furrow of her brow had me jumping from my seat and asking Summer if she was okay. I knew I was frustrating her no end, but I couldn’t helpit.
I’d spoken for hours about what happened to my mother. I’d consulted books and the doctors to be told Summer was fit and healthy, the chances of her developing pre-eclampsia were low. But I wouldn’t rest easy until that baby was in my arms and Summer was home, safe andsound.
* * *
“Jack, wake up,”I heard. Summer nudged me hard in theribs.
“Huh? What’swrong?”
“I think I’m inlabour.”
“What do you mean, youthinkyou’re inlabour?”
I jumped from the bed, tripping over the pile of clothes I’d been leaving handy for thatmoment.
“Fuck, right, calm down. Breathe,okay?”
She chuckled before sucking in a deepbreath.
“Okay, let me think. The bag’s packed, where are your clothes? I told you to leave a pile of clothes,” I said, rushing around, trying to do up my jeans and find her clothes at the sametime.
“Jack,youneed to breathe and calm down. Go get my mum,” she said, wincing through acontraction.
I rushed from the room and upstairs to where her parents were sleeping. I knocked on the door, and then shouted for Perri aswell.
“Is it time?” Katie said as she answered the bedroom door. She was tying a robe around herwaist.
“Yes, you need to get dressed, we need to go. I need to call the hospital, oh, fuck. What else do I need todo?”
“You need to calm down,” shereplied.
I rushed back down the stairs and to the bedroom. Summer had made it off the bed and was holding onto the frame. She smiled and panted a little when she sawme.
“Oh, baby, what do I do?” Iasked.
“You’ve practiced this for a month now. Get my bags in the car, call the hospital…Aww!”
Her cries tore through me. I hated to see her in pain, knowing there was nothing I could do. I rubbed her lower back as her mum came into the bedroom, closely followed byPerri.
“Mum’s here, take a deep breath, darling. You’re doing fine,” Katiesaid.
“Oh shit, Jack, what do we do?” Perri asked. Her face displayed the same level of panic that I imagined minedid.
Neither of us had been around babies or pregnant women before, we wereclueless.
“Take my bag to the car, for fuck’s sake!” Summershouted.
Perri grabbed the bags and rushed from the room, colliding with Richard on theway.
“I’ll start the car,” I said, followingher.
The journey took half the time but then I had practiced the route many times. Summer had thought it funny at first, but looking over at her doubled in pain, with tears on her cheeks, I was glad I knew every shortcut. Perri was following closely behind with the in-laws, and we screeched to a halt outside the hospital at the sametime.
I ran through the revolving doors, leaving Summer in thecar.
