I Swear It: Herophine

Chapter 1

I can't believe that I'm actually in this situation.

When my brother in law said he absolutely had to go on this business trip to Bristol, much to my sister's dismay, I was on his side. He was doing his job, and besides, what were the actual chances that she delivered the baby three weeks early, right? As if to punish Felix and myself, Mercy's water broke and I am now driving my screaming little sister to the hospital and praying to God I don't meet my little niece or nephew anytime soon.

"Felix man, I swear to God if you don't get your ass here before this baby is born Mercy will fucking kill me, cut your dick off, and then kill you" I hang up the phone after leaving my fifth message but not before Mercy screams he's a dead man either way.

They've been together for 7 years, since Mercy was 17 and Felix and I were 19. At first it was really weird, my little sister and best friend getting together but the more I saw the two of them together the more right it felt. And I definitely wasn't complaining when I had Felix at stupid family gatherings to help distract me from the constant questioning from my family of when I'd be bringing someone to meet the family. When Mercy brings home a hot friend was my usual response, getting a punch on the arm from Mercy, an embarrassed gasp from my mother, and a chuckle from Felix, my dad, and my brother. In reality I wasn't looking or particularly interested in any of the people who had expressed a desire to enter a relationship with me. Too much drama, especially after a particular girl took it upon herself to break every dish in my kitchen after I told her I didn't see her as someone I would want to be my girlfriend but if she just wanted to fuck around she had by number. Could I have said something a little bit less crass, sure, but why send mixed signals. So after that excitement I decided to take a break from hooking up and meeting girls at bars and opting to spend my time instead helping Mercy and Felix get their new home ready for a baby after just a year of being married.

So I suppose that's how I found myself on a Saturday night, eating pizza with a very pregnant Mercy when she let out a little yelp only to stand a see a small wet spot on her couch and her leggings. And now here we are, being guided to the third floor by an uninterested ER tech to labor and delivery.

As we make our way to our room I notice the nurses station sat to the side of the hallway. Women, ages ranging from mid twenties to early sixties sitting at computers, typing away, briefly looking up to see the new arrivals.

"Congratulations you guys!" They all say as we are being brought into our room and I am now acutely aware that we look like a young couple about to welcome our child into the world. Where the fuck is Felix.

While I help Mercy into the bed a nurse, comes in, closes the door and greets us. She seems young, blonde hair pulled into low bun, glasses sitting on her button nose and large blue eyes. Grey eyes? I notice I'm staring when Mercy grabs my hand screaming through a contraction. The nurse quickly makes her way to the other side of Mercy, whispering in her ear to breath and that it will be over soon. Good luck with that, when I told Mercy to breath I got screamed at. Luckily Mercy is actually comforted by her soft coos and does in fact begin to breath. When Mercy finally opens her eyes she looks at the nurse with a teary smile and quietly apologizes for the screaming. I, stupidly, snort at Mercy's newfound manners after screaming in my car for the 25-minute drive to the hospital and am rewarded with a quick thwack to my stomach.

"No need to apologize, trust me it is completely understandable. My name is Josephine and I'll be your nurse tonight and hopefully meet your baby soon! I just have a couple of questions to ask you and then we'll see how far dilated you are and go from there ok?" She smiles at me and Mercy and I try and think of how to casually tell this nurse that I am not the father of the baby and that Mercy is my sister. After about twenty minutes of us sitting there, Mercy answering questions about her pregnancy, when the contractions started, and so on Josephine leaves the room to get the doctor.