Living on Love

twenty seven

"they're braxton hicks contractions," ariana's doctor said. "i'm gonna keep you over night to monitor them and if we have to we'll give you some medication to stop labor."

"i'm in labor? active labor?" ariana asked.

"because you're still getting the contractions yes but that's why we want to monitor you. you've been through contractions many times before so you know what it feels like when you really go into labor."

"what if my water breaks?"

"then we'll have no choice but to deliver the baby."

"i'm eight months along i can't deliver yet. i want a home birth not an induced one."

"that all depends on how these contractions do. if all goes well you'll go home tomorrow."

"i wanna go home now. we know they're fake."

"but they can easily turn into real contractions and if that happens we can stop labor."

"babe just let her do her job," mac said. "she knows what she's doing."

ariana sighed, rolling her eyes. "i'll be fine. i mean you can't make me stay right? i'm an adult and mentally stable enough to make my own decisions and i wanna go home."

"you had a contraction less than fifteen minutes ago and it had you sobbing. you are staying if i have to tie you to this bed."

"are you serious right now?"

"are there restraints on this bed?"

"restraints won't be necessary," the doctor said. "but because the baby is also my patient, i have to advise against going home for the sake of her. i know it's not what you want, but you want to deliver a healthy baby."

"she didn't want this baby to begin with, she was gonna get an abortion," mac muttered.

"that's nobody's business," ariana snapped. "it's my body. if i could have the abortion i would get it in a heartbeat."

"may i ask why you're so adamant about not having this baby?" the doctor asked.

"i have five kids. five. under the age of five, my body is tired of giving birth, i had triplets on a couch backstage at a concert with no meds or any medical team less than a year ago. my body needs a break. and i want a c-section done, because i want a hysterectomy."

"ariana," mac said.

"this is my choice. not yours."

"unfortunately miss grande, you don't qualify for a hysterectomy," the doctor said.

"i have five kids. i'm twenty four. that meets the requirements."

"in most states yes, but not here. not this hospital. we only give hysterectomies when it's medically necessary."

"it's necessary and it's medical. so medically necessary."

"i'm sorry miss grande."

"i'll get another doctor that will do it. i'm tired. my body is tired. i can't handle anymore kids. my body can't handle it."

"what about getting your tubes tied or using birth control?"

"i was on birth control will all of my kids. all five of them."

"yeah, she used to pop that pill every morning,"
mac said. "she was on top of it."

"my next suggestion would be condoms," the doctor said.

"our triplets were conceived through birth control and a condom."

"look, i just want a fucking hysterectomy," ariana said. "if you won't do it i'll find someone who will."

"that's gonna be hard around here. how about i let you think on it. when it's time for delivery if you still want it done then i'll do it."

"i'll still want it."

"you don't know that."

"now she's gonna want it just because you said that," mac said.