Page 60 of Tank

This has me scared shitless.

Olly and Stone flank me on either side, and I’m the tip of the spear as we haul ass to the hospital.

The minute I pull up to the hospital, a strange calm settles over me. Like in battle, I take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and prepare for the next greatest challenge of my life.Fatherhood.

The nurse looks up with a wide-eyed, worried expression as I stalk to the round desk between us. “How may I help you?”

“I’m looking for Sophie Harmon. She’s in labor.” I tap my fingertips on the desk nervously, and her expression immediately softens.

“Ms. Harmon arrived nearly an hour ago,” she says as her fingers fly over the keyboard. “She’s in room five-twelve. If you hurry, it’s sayslabor in progress.”

I stare dumbfounded at the woman.

“Go,” she says with a smile. “Now.”

“Right. Thank you.” I turn right and then left in confusion.

“Just follow the blue lines. They’ll take you to the fifth floor and right to five-twelve.”

“Right. Thank you. Again.” I move through the halls of the hospital, following the damn blue lines onto the elevator and then off. The fifth floor is a hub of activity, moans, cries, and wails from various rooms. The sound of new babies crying mixed in with encouraging words from nurses, boyfriends, and husbands soothe me until I’m standing in front of room five-twelve.

“You’re doing great, Soph. Just a few more pushes.”

Few more pushes.That means she’s close. The baby is almost here. I open the door and see Sophie lying on the bed with her legs in the air, a blue sheet protecting her modesty while Josie grips one hand.

“Tank,” she sighs. “You’re here.”

“Yeah, sorry I’m late.” I run a hand through my hair and smile at her. “Room for one more?”

“Absolutely,” says the masked doctor parked between her legs. “Get him dressed,” she orders one of the nurses. “We have a few more pushes before you get your baby, Dad.”

Before I know what the fuck is happening, I’m being wrapped in some thin tissue paper type of robe that a nurse ties behind me, and she shoves me to the side of Sophie’s bed.

“Hey,” I whisper to her, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “You all right?”

She nods, sucking in a deep breath, releasing a loud groan of pain as another contraction hits her. She reaches for my hand, gripping it tight as fuck until her contraction fades. “Fuck. It hurts, Tank.”

I look at Josie and then the nurse. “Is that, uhm, normal?”

“Perfectly,” the doctor assures me with a kind smile. “Okay, Sophie. We’re going to give it a good long push, take a break, and then your little girl will be here.”

“Girl?”

Sophie nods, squeezing my hand with a smile. “We’re having a baby girl, Tank.”

“Holy shit, a little girl.” My legs nearly buckle at the news, and I grip her hand. “A baby girl?”

“Okay, Mama. One big push.”

The next few minutes pass in a blur of colors and sounds. I stand beside my woman, letting her crush the bones in my hand while she brings our daughter into the world. I feel useless as fuck while Josie whispers encouraging words.

A loud cry rips through the room, bringing me back to the here and now. The first sound my daughter makes is a loud announcement of her entry into the world.

“Tank!” Sophie is near tears from the bed. “That’s her, our little girl.”

My throat tightens, trying to swallow the emotion down as the doc lays our little miracle on Sophie’s chest.

“Want to cut the cord, Dad?” the doc asks with a smile, knowing she’s handing over a life-changing moment.

---