...
"Can you go any faster," I asked as I tried to breathe through the pain.
"Baby. I'm going as fast as I can."
"And so is the baby."
"Alyssa I just need you to hang tight, alright. We're less than ten minutes away."
I managed to whisper a shakey, "Okay."
Six minutes later we pulled into the hospital parking lot. Kevin rushed out of the car and I got out as quickly as my body would allow. Kevin grabbed my hand and guided me inside.
I swiftly approached the front desk with Kevin right behind me. "Hi. My name is Alyssa James. I'm here because I'm four months pregnant and I'm---" I took a painful pause, "I'm experiencing a lot of back and abdominal pain. Can you please page my doctor, Doctor Mackey? She's expecting me."
"Yes ma'am. Right away."
"Thank you."
A few seconds later I heard a nurse call out my name. "Alyssa James!" Me and Kevin stood up quickly. It was the nurse I had met yesterday. "Hi Alyssa," she smiled as she instructed me to sit in the wheelchair she had brought down for me.
"Hi. Makeda right?"
"That's right," she grinned as she pushed me down the hall. Kevin introduced himself. "Hi. I'm Kevin. Alyssa's fiancé."
"Oh okay," she said cheerfully, "Nice to meet you Kevin." She pushed me into my designated room. Room 420. "Here we are." Her and Kevin helped me out of the wheelchair and into the bed. "Dr. Mackey will be in to see you in just a moment, okay." She pointed to me. "Alyssa don't hesitate to page me if you need to."
"Okay," I said trying to offer her a smile.
"Okay girl! I'll be back to check on you shortly," she said as she headed out.
I tried to get comfortable in the bed.
I looked down at my stomach and was instantly brought to tears. "Kevin," I sniffed. He quickly snapped out of his own thoughts. "Yeah babe? You alright?"
"What if I lose our baby? What if my mom was right?"
"Hey. Don't talk like that," he said looking me over. "We're gonna make it through this, okay?"
I nodded my head as he wiped my tears away. He kissed my forehead and held me close.
"Alyssa. Kevin. Hello," Dr. Mackey said as she entered into the room. She looked over my chart and got right to it. "Alyssa the last time we met there were no complications with the pregnancy. Everything looked good. You and the baby had a perfect bill of health. How do you feel right now? Is the pain still persistent?"
"Yeah. I still have pain in my lower back, abdomen, and pelvic area."
"Alyssa those are contractions. I'm afraid you're going into preterm labor," Dr. Mackey said as calmly as possible.
"What," I gasped.
"Now. Try not to panic. Stay calm."
I looked at Kevin, who encouraged me to take deep breaths and exhale slowly.
"How far apart were your contractions before you got here?"
"Eight minutes apart."
"Okay. I'm going to get my nurses in here. We have to prepare you for labor. That baby is coming today." Dr. Mackey paged the nurses and thirty seconds later they were in my room attaching me to machines and pulling me in one direction after another.
I looked around the room frantically. Kevin grabbed my hand. "I'm scared," I said to him fighting back tears. "I know, but I'm right here with you."
..
Two hours later I was pushing out a baby that would never see their first birthday. Our baby didn't make it. We were devastated. Kevin tried his best to console me.
