The Truth of Ace

Twenty Nine

Madeline Rossi

I stared at the ceiling above me. It was popcorn and for a hospital I was surprised. Usually it's typically a ceiling tile that you'd probably see in a school or an office. But not here, here it was popcorn ceiling and that was what I was focusing on

I was 6 centimeters dilated but hadn't progressed a lot since they last checked. It had been four hours. But my water broke as we entered through the hospital doors. It was probably one of the embarrassing things I'd experienced, but I couldn't fully care. Because he still wasn't here and I'm scared he won't be

"Lila" I looked to Sloan who held a cup of ice chips. I missed breakfast and honestly if I could eat an entire buffet right now, I would "Lila" Sloan repeated and I nodded

Her eyes shifted to the doctor. She had a warm smile for someone who had to look at my vagina for the next few hours and see it do things nobody should have to see "You've progressed Mrs.Rossi" she said it with such cheer

"Can you stop it?" She laughed until she saw how serious my face was "um... well no"

"How much?" I didn't even truly want to know

"9 centimeters, you'll be able to begin pushing soon" I looked at Sloan shaking my head

"No" she took my hand squeezing it "No Sloan I can't, I can't" she let go of my hand "Move forward" I did as told and she sat behind me on the bed "now lay back" I laid back into her chest

"Relax Lila, birth can take hours"

"Or sometimes it could actually be very fast, so don't worry... I know it's scary but-" I felt Sloans head rapidly shaking behind me confusing the doctor

It wasn't Doctor Brown, she was on her way as well from her summer home in Vermont "My husband, I need my husband" my hair was combed back from Sloan

"Mrs.Rossi, birth for some woman can take hours... even days sometimes. Stressing during this time will only make things harder, so try your best to relax. Your husband is on his way here right now, if he makes it, then he makes it" she shined a soft smile at me and handed me a tissue

"Baby's come when they want to come, there's no stopping or preventing it. Unless you hold it off and we do an emergency c-section. But that's not something we won't be doing, because that puts you and your baby at risk" she rose a stern brow at me and I nodded

"I just" I began to blubber again "He just can't- he can't" she nodded "and he might not, but we can't focus on if he does, we need to focus on you" she let go of my hand and sat back down in her chair again

"We are going to have you sit up in preparation to push okay" I nodded "It's just a step in the direction, doesn't mean we are going in that direction immediately" but we were close and I knew it, we all knew it, they already administered me an epidural

"Sloan, I'm scared" she pulled my hair back into a bun "Don't be" she whispered "you got this, if you can survive Professors Cals Philosophy class, you can do this"

"God he was awful" a knock at the door came

"Hello?"

"Mommy?" My moms face poked through the door "oh Madeline" she tossed her purse aside onto an arm chair and quickly came beside me