Page 68 of The MC's Surprise
“Saw it on your face. Besides, I figured you were feelin’ the same way I was. But son, even when we feel helpless, we gotta stay strong for them. They’re the ones sufferin’ right now. You can cry once she’s no longer scared out of her mind.”
I fought back a smile. He wasn’t saying not to cry. Just to wait so I wasn’t adding to Sierra’s burden. Good dad advice, as far as I was concerned.
“I’ll do better. I promise.”
He clapped my shoulder, squeezing it tightly. “I know you will, son.”
Damn. I’d forgotten what it was like to have a dad. It meant more than I’d admit having him call me son.
39
Sierra
The nurses must have been used to my reaction because they worked around me and my mom, setting up an IV and getting everything ready. No one made me talk or make any decisions until Nurse Nora came back and asked, “So who is going in with her?”
Lifting my head, I looked at her. Her smile was soft and full of understanding as she pressed. “It’s your choice, hun. You get a support person to be there with you if you want one. Who’ll it be?”
My chest tightened and I turned to look at my mom, then at Justin, who had returned in time to hear the question. He smiled reassuringly.
“Whoever you want, sweetheart. I won’t be hurt if you’d rather go in with your mom.”
A part of me wanted to. My mom had been my support my whole life. But this was Justin’s baby too. I didn’t want him to miss those first few moments. And I did trust him. I glanced up at my mom, worried I’d hurt her by choosing someone else. Shesmiled like she could read my mind, brushing my hair out of my face.
“I’ll be right here when you’re through. It’s okay.”
Letting out a slow, shaky breath, I nodded, then turned to Nurse Nora. “Justin.”
She patted my foot genially. “Okay. In that case, I’m going to steal him away just for a little bit. He needs to change into some scrubs.”
After they took him away, the doctor came back to explain what was going to happen. Mom took a few minutes to braid my hair to keep it out of the way, and then they put a cap over it. When the anesthesiologist came in with his giant needle, I nearly outright refused. It took coaxing from both Mom and Mel to get me to do it, and I wished I’d asked for Justin to wait so he could hold my hand.
“Now, you’re going to feel my touch. It’s important you don’t move,” the doctor said in a soothing baritone that seemed more appropriate for a phone sex operator than a doctor.
The numbing stuff burned, but once it was in, I didn’t feel anything more than pressure with the bigger needle, which was a relief. And then I couldn’t feel much of anything at all from the waist down.
“Okay, we’re going to do a little test, make sure it worked,” he smiled as he came back to my side. He showed me a small piece of ice before rubbing it on my arm. “Feel that?”
I nodded. “Am I not supposed to?”
“Nope, you’re supposed to feel that one. It was just a test to show you how it’d feel. Now we’ll try here next.” He rubbed it on my leg, and when I didn’t feel anything, he moved to my belly. “How about here?”
“No, nothing.” I sucked in a shuddering breath. “I’m really not going to feel it?”
“You won’t feel any pain,” he corrected. “You might feel some pressure or pulling, but I’ll be there keeping an eye on things. I promise, it won’t hurt.”
That was reassuring, though the pressure/pulling thing was a little daunting. Was I going to feel them moving my organs? The thought made me a little queasy. I wasn’t normally squeamish, but I’d never thought about my own organs before.
Once he was finished, Mel took his place with a bright smile that did a lot to reassure me. “Time to get this show on the road. We’re going to go for a little ride. You just relax and enjoy. Mom and Dad, the waiting room is just down the hall on the right. Nurse Nora will come get you when Sierra is moved to her final room.”
“We’re not coming back here?” I asked as she set to raising the side rails on the bed.
“Nope. This is just where you give birth. I’ve got something way better for your recovery. All my friends get royal treatment when they let me be a part of their journey.” She winked at me, making me chuckle for the first time since they told me I was going to have to have surgery.
“You’re lying. Even if they didn't want you there, you’d still get them preferential treatment.”
She put a finger to her lips, her eyes twinkling as she shushed me. “Don’t share all my secrets.”
My parents followed us into the hall as Mel and another nurse wheeled me out of the room. We stopped outside the waiting room and I hugged my parents tightly before I had to go.
