hospital.”
She moaned. “Oh, I don’t think we’re going to make it to the hospital. I feel so much pressure
down there and I have the urge to push. I think I may have been in labor for a few days.”
“The book cal ed it back labor, damn it. Damn, I should’ve remembered that!” Zack said. He
could hear the panic in his own voice.
“Oh, it hurts,” she whimpered.
He lifted her up and took her back to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. “It’s okay, baby, it’s
okay. I’m cal ing the ambulance and Dr. Patel.” Just as he snagged both of their phones off the
bedside table, the lights flickered and went out. “Wel , this is absolutely great.”
“Contraction!” Jordyn gasped and began to pant. “I need to push.”
“No, don’t do that, honey. Breathe, breathe.” He imitated the breathing pattern for her to fol ow
as he dialed nine-one-one on his cel and pressed the speed dial button for Dr. Patel on hers. “Hel o,
we need an ambulance at seventeen forty-two Grove Lane. My wife is in labor.” He switched phones,
putting her phone to his hear. “Dr. Patel, yes, Zack Hennessey here. Jordyn is in labor. She said she
feels like pushing.” He switched phones again. “What do you mean no ambulance can get to us right
now? A bad accident where?” His mind was spinning as he tried to listen to both phones at the
same time now, one phone at each ear. “You want me to check her what?”
“Zack, give me Dr. Patel. You deal with emergency services.” Jordyn plucked the phone from his
hand. “Hel o, Dr. Patel. Zack is on the phone trying to get an ambulance out here.”
Zack focused on listening to the dispatcher. “How long before you can get us an ambulance out
here? Jesus, half an hour may be way too long. I mean, she is ready to push!”
His mind reeled. The pleasant thought of being in a nice hospital room, holding her hand while
she was completely numbed and then feeding her ice chips and being an encouraging husband was
flying out the window. Hel , it jumped and took the rope with it, leaving him stranded.
“Fine, just hurry out here. My neighbor is a registered nurse. I’m going to go get her to help. Just
fucking hurry!” Zack snapped. He threw the phone on the bed and looked at Jordyn. “What’s he
saying?”
“He said to check my dilation.” Jordyn began to pant again. “Here comes another one! Oh,
God!”
“I need to find a damn flashlight!” Zack ran off to the kitchen where he kept the LED lanterns
under the sink al the while cursing the Oahu power company. He was back in minutes and helping
her shimmy out of her undies. Put the phone on speaker so I can talk to the doctor. “What does it
mean when you can almost see the top of the head with hair?”
“It means the baby is coming now. She’s crowning.” Dr. Patel’s voice came through the phone
loud and clear. “How long have you been tired and your back aching, Jordyn?”
“The last two days have been awful,” she admitted. Then cast a sorry, tear-fil ed look at Zack. “I
didn’t want to worry you.”
He was by her side instantly and kissed her. “Don’t cry, honey. But next time worry me, please
worry me.”
“Zack, is there anyone you can cal to come over and help you, at least until the ambulance
arrives?” Dr. Patel said.
“My neighbor Mrs. Pond is a retired nurse. Wil that do?” Zack asked.
“She wil be fine. Go get her and be quick about it. This child is not waiting,” Dr. Patel said.
“Okay.” He kissed Jordyn. “I’l be back in a flash, honey. Keep doing your breathing. I love you.”
“I love you too. Oh, here’s another one. Hurry!” She began to pant in earnest and Zack almost
said fuck it to running for Mrs. Pond. But if Jordyn or the baby had problems he wouldn’t know what
to do, so with one last look in her direction he was rushing down the hal and out the front door to the
pouring rain outside. His sneakers were soaked and muddy as he ran
She moaned. “Oh, I don’t think we’re going to make it to the hospital. I feel so much pressure
down there and I have the urge to push. I think I may have been in labor for a few days.”
“The book cal ed it back labor, damn it. Damn, I should’ve remembered that!” Zack said. He
could hear the panic in his own voice.
“Oh, it hurts,” she whimpered.
He lifted her up and took her back to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. “It’s okay, baby, it’s
okay. I’m cal ing the ambulance and Dr. Patel.” Just as he snagged both of their phones off the
bedside table, the lights flickered and went out. “Wel , this is absolutely great.”
“Contraction!” Jordyn gasped and began to pant. “I need to push.”
“No, don’t do that, honey. Breathe, breathe.” He imitated the breathing pattern for her to fol ow
as he dialed nine-one-one on his cel and pressed the speed dial button for Dr. Patel on hers. “Hel o,
we need an ambulance at seventeen forty-two Grove Lane. My wife is in labor.” He switched phones,
putting her phone to his hear. “Dr. Patel, yes, Zack Hennessey here. Jordyn is in labor. She said she
feels like pushing.” He switched phones again. “What do you mean no ambulance can get to us right
now? A bad accident where?” His mind was spinning as he tried to listen to both phones at the
same time now, one phone at each ear. “You want me to check her what?”
“Zack, give me Dr. Patel. You deal with emergency services.” Jordyn plucked the phone from his
hand. “Hel o, Dr. Patel. Zack is on the phone trying to get an ambulance out here.”
Zack focused on listening to the dispatcher. “How long before you can get us an ambulance out
here? Jesus, half an hour may be way too long. I mean, she is ready to push!”
His mind reeled. The pleasant thought of being in a nice hospital room, holding her hand while
she was completely numbed and then feeding her ice chips and being an encouraging husband was
flying out the window. Hel , it jumped and took the rope with it, leaving him stranded.
“Fine, just hurry out here. My neighbor is a registered nurse. I’m going to go get her to help. Just
fucking hurry!” Zack snapped. He threw the phone on the bed and looked at Jordyn. “What’s he
saying?”
“He said to check my dilation.” Jordyn began to pant again. “Here comes another one! Oh,
God!”
“I need to find a damn flashlight!” Zack ran off to the kitchen where he kept the LED lanterns
under the sink al the while cursing the Oahu power company. He was back in minutes and helping
her shimmy out of her undies. Put the phone on speaker so I can talk to the doctor. “What does it
mean when you can almost see the top of the head with hair?”
“It means the baby is coming now. She’s crowning.” Dr. Patel’s voice came through the phone
loud and clear. “How long have you been tired and your back aching, Jordyn?”
“The last two days have been awful,” she admitted. Then cast a sorry, tear-fil ed look at Zack. “I
didn’t want to worry you.”
He was by her side instantly and kissed her. “Don’t cry, honey. But next time worry me, please
worry me.”
“Zack, is there anyone you can cal to come over and help you, at least until the ambulance
arrives?” Dr. Patel said.
“My neighbor Mrs. Pond is a retired nurse. Wil that do?” Zack asked.
“She wil be fine. Go get her and be quick about it. This child is not waiting,” Dr. Patel said.
“Okay.” He kissed Jordyn. “I’l be back in a flash, honey. Keep doing your breathing. I love you.”
“I love you too. Oh, here’s another one. Hurry!” She began to pant in earnest and Zack almost
said fuck it to running for Mrs. Pond. But if Jordyn or the baby had problems he wouldn’t know what
to do, so with one last look in her direction he was rushing down the hal and out the front door to the
pouring rain outside. His sneakers were soaked and muddy as he ran
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