she said. The nurse didn’t seem to notice her. “Hello?”
Another wave of pain flooded through her as another contraction started up. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the arms of the wheelchair, waiting for it to pass. They were getting worse—more intense, more painful. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Certainly not hours ; she wasn’t even sure she could last another five minutes.
The elevator doors opened with another ding , and Juliet came striding out, her long hair streaming behind her, looking like she was ready to take on the world. Chloe had never been so happy to see anyone in her life.
“What’s going on? Where did James go?” Juliet asked, rattling off questions Chloe didn’t have a chance to answer. “Why are you just sitting here? Hasn’t anyone helped you? Excuse me, there’s a woman in labor here. Could somebody please help us?”
Chloe was breathless as the contraction passed.
“I’ll be with you in a minute,” the nurse behind the counter said without looking up.
“I don’t know if you heard me, but this woman is in labor,” Juliet said, raising her voice.
“I did hear you. And I’ll be with you in a minute,” the nurse said in an artificially sweet voice.
“Oh, okay. We’ll just wait,” Juliet said. “And if my client ends up giving birth right here at the nurses’ station, I guess you can be the one to explain all about how you were too busy with your file there to give her the medical attention she is so clearly in need of.”
“Your client?” the nurse asked, frowning now.
“That’s right. I’m her lawyer,” Juliet said crisply.
Chloe looked up admiringly at Juliet. Usually, she despised conflict in any form, but now she was just grateful to have someone with her who was willing to take control of the situation. And Juliet, standing with her hands on her hips and looking like she was ready to wrestle the nurse to the ground if necessary, was incredibly comforting.
The nurse sighed and, rolling her eyes, asked pointedly, “May I help you?”
“Hello? Woman. In labor,” Juliet said, pointing to Chloe.
“I preregistered,” Chloe offered.
“What’s your name?” the nurse asked.
“Chloe Truman.”
The nurse began to type, pausing every few moments to stare at the computer screen. Juliet tapped her foot impatiently, still bristling with irritation at the delay.
“Right, here you are. Have you started having contractions?”
“Yes. And my water broke, about forty minutes ago,” Chloe said.
Oh, my God, I’m going to have a baby , she thought, with a fresh wave of terror. It was all so…surreal. That was the only word for it. When she left the hospital again, she was going to be a mother. A mother .
The elevator doors opened again, and Anna hurried out, her heels tap-tapping against the hard floor.
“Juliet! Chloe! I’m here,” Anna said unnecessarily, as she hurried up to them. “Oh, good. The baby’s still in there. I’m not late, then.”
“That’s a first,” Juliet said dryly.
But Chloe hardly registered Anna’s arrival. I’ve changed my mind. I’m not ready for this. Chloe looked around, hoping to find an escape route. A bright exit sign was lit up at the end of the corridor, and she wondered if she could make a break for it.
“I’m going to put you back in one of the exam rooms, where the on-call nurse will take your stats and get some information from you,” the nurse said. She came out from behind the counter and began to push Chloe’s chair firmly down the hall, in the opposite direction from the exit she’d considered dashing for. Not that she’d have gotten very far. Pregnant women aren’t exactly built for speed.
I want my mother , Chloe suddenly thought, the need pinching at her so sharply, tears began to sting in her eyes.
“Can someone tell my husband where I’ve gone? He’s in the restroom back there,” Chloe said, nodding toward the men’s room James had disappeared
Another wave of pain flooded through her as another contraction started up. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the arms of the wheelchair, waiting for it to pass. They were getting worse—more intense, more painful. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Certainly not hours ; she wasn’t even sure she could last another five minutes.
The elevator doors opened with another ding , and Juliet came striding out, her long hair streaming behind her, looking like she was ready to take on the world. Chloe had never been so happy to see anyone in her life.
“What’s going on? Where did James go?” Juliet asked, rattling off questions Chloe didn’t have a chance to answer. “Why are you just sitting here? Hasn’t anyone helped you? Excuse me, there’s a woman in labor here. Could somebody please help us?”
Chloe was breathless as the contraction passed.
“I’ll be with you in a minute,” the nurse behind the counter said without looking up.
“I don’t know if you heard me, but this woman is in labor,” Juliet said, raising her voice.
“I did hear you. And I’ll be with you in a minute,” the nurse said in an artificially sweet voice.
“Oh, okay. We’ll just wait,” Juliet said. “And if my client ends up giving birth right here at the nurses’ station, I guess you can be the one to explain all about how you were too busy with your file there to give her the medical attention she is so clearly in need of.”
“Your client?” the nurse asked, frowning now.
“That’s right. I’m her lawyer,” Juliet said crisply.
Chloe looked up admiringly at Juliet. Usually, she despised conflict in any form, but now she was just grateful to have someone with her who was willing to take control of the situation. And Juliet, standing with her hands on her hips and looking like she was ready to wrestle the nurse to the ground if necessary, was incredibly comforting.
The nurse sighed and, rolling her eyes, asked pointedly, “May I help you?”
“Hello? Woman. In labor,” Juliet said, pointing to Chloe.
“I preregistered,” Chloe offered.
“What’s your name?” the nurse asked.
“Chloe Truman.”
The nurse began to type, pausing every few moments to stare at the computer screen. Juliet tapped her foot impatiently, still bristling with irritation at the delay.
“Right, here you are. Have you started having contractions?”
“Yes. And my water broke, about forty minutes ago,” Chloe said.
Oh, my God, I’m going to have a baby , she thought, with a fresh wave of terror. It was all so…surreal. That was the only word for it. When she left the hospital again, she was going to be a mother. A mother .
The elevator doors opened again, and Anna hurried out, her heels tap-tapping against the hard floor.
“Juliet! Chloe! I’m here,” Anna said unnecessarily, as she hurried up to them. “Oh, good. The baby’s still in there. I’m not late, then.”
“That’s a first,” Juliet said dryly.
But Chloe hardly registered Anna’s arrival. I’ve changed my mind. I’m not ready for this. Chloe looked around, hoping to find an escape route. A bright exit sign was lit up at the end of the corridor, and she wondered if she could make a break for it.
“I’m going to put you back in one of the exam rooms, where the on-call nurse will take your stats and get some information from you,” the nurse said. She came out from behind the counter and began to push Chloe’s chair firmly down the hall, in the opposite direction from the exit she’d considered dashing for. Not that she’d have gotten very far. Pregnant women aren’t exactly built for speed.
I want my mother , Chloe suddenly thought, the need pinching at her so sharply, tears began to sting in her eyes.
“Can someone tell my husband where I’ve gone? He’s in the restroom back there,” Chloe said, nodding toward the men’s room James had disappeared
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