Oxford Boys

52. waking up

2:43am

Feeling restless I wake up looking at the alarm clock, that's when I notice dampness between my legs.

Oh my god, this is it. A sharp pain takes hold of me and I squeeze Jake's arm. It was only a short contraction, but obviously my water broke so this must be it, right? And that was a contraction, right? I mean how the hell am I supposed to know how contractions feel like, all I know about it, I read on the internet as there is no one around me who could tell me. About five minutes later there's another one of those pains.

"Jake?" I squeeze his arm again.

"Hmmm?", he hardly replies.

"Jake my water broke and I think I have contractions."

In an instant Jake is wide awake, sits up and switches the light on his night table on.

"You sure?", I hear the panic in his voice.

"The beds wet and I sure didn't pee in it. And aahhh damn", I squeeze his hand. "Yep I'm quite sure."

Jake is about to freak out and jumps out of bed. "Then let's get going", he tells me in a rush.

"How about getting dressed first?", I chuckle in response.

"Ehhhm, sure. Do we have time for that?" The look on his face telling me, this question was meant absolutely serious.

"Gosh Jake, you've already forgotten everything they taught us? It's the first birth, this is going to take ages. I am sure we are able to get dressed. Ohhhhhh shit", I yell as the next contraction hits me.

Ok, this was like two minutes, this isn't quite what they taught us. The time in between is going down fast, but perhaps it was just a coincidence. I ask Jake to throw me my clothes. While I am getting dressed the next labour pain hits me. A little less than two minutes. Shit!

Jake comes rushing to me, holding my hand. "Babe, you know they told us about these seldom cases, when the birth comes suddenly?" I nod while I am breathing away the pain. "Babe I don't think we are going to make this by car. I'm calling an ambulance."

I see the panic written all over Jake's face and yet he is trying to act calm. He's throwing a t-shirt over himself while explaining the situation on the phone. The moment he hangs up, the next one hits me.

"Get in your pants Jake, and help me down those stairs otherwise I don't know if I can make it down them anymore." Ok, even if I felt ok at first, now I am starting to panic myself. These contractions have come so suddenly and are getting more intense very fast. Nothing like they told us in the course we took.

Jake rushes and helps me into my pants too. When we reach the middle of the stairs the next one hits me and this time it's different. Fuck I feel like pressing, no, no, no. This can't be right.

Holy shit this isn't what they told us, like twenty-four hours perhaps and more. "Jake put me down", I groan and he does.

"Sam, tell me what to do! How can I help you?"

"Just don't go away", I manage to scream out.

Once the pain is over, Jake carries me down the stairs and lays me on our couch. Another two labour pains hit me, before the ambulance arrives. Jake had already opened the door while carrying me down. He's not letting go of my hand and is caressing my forehead with the other, whispering soothing words at the same time. The paramedics come rushing in with the stretcher as the next wave hits me. I swear I can already feel the head coming.

"Miss, how long have the labour pains been going?", an elderly woman asks me.

"Don't know maybe half an hour, perhaps a little less."