* * *
“Can you reach her husband?” The intake woman at Coral Beach Medical Center watched Alicia nervously shifting her weight back and forth. Thrown off by the question, Alicia eyes flashed to Kristen, huddled in the wheelchair, hyperventilating in between loud groans and moans.
“We don't know! Please, just get her in there, forget about him!” Alicia cried out.
The intake woman frowned. Several minutes later, an attendant wheeled Kristen to a maternity ward examining room.
“Where is he?” Kristen sobbed while Alicia helped her undress.
“Don't worry about him now, sweetie. Please, just calm down.”
They performed all of the examinations and drew more blood. The baby didn't appear distressed, but she hadn’t dilated enough, and the contractions needed to be more frequent. Since she was considered high risk, they wanted her to stay at least overnight. They moved her to the private room Logan reserved for her. Totally depressed and miserable, Kristen was beyond consolation and couldn't stop crying.
“It's all his fault, and now, now, I can't even... reach him,” she spurted out between shudders.
Alicia felt helpless. Desperate to get Kristen to stop crying, she massaged her shoulders, hugged her, held her hands, offered encouraging words. Nothing worked. It was almost midnight. With a weary sigh, she collapsed onto a chair, preparing for the long night ahead.
MONDAY
LOGAN
He stumbled into the apartment around 2 a.m., his head and body on fire, the evening a dull, distorted memory. Only the automatic lock on the door was fastened, which was odd. She always barricaded herself inside, especially when she was alone. The place was pitch black, the darkness made it difficult to avoid tripping. Something lay on the floor in front of him. Trying to maneuver unsuccessfully around it, he toppled over, catching his balance just before hitting the floor.
“Shit!” Why the fuck didn't she leave a light on? She always does, she hates the dark. I’m not thrilled about it now either. She must be sleeping, probably didn't even notice I was gone. A sudden dizzy spell hit him, but he succeeded in staying on his feet. He staggered to the shadowy image of the couch, tumbling onto it. The room spiraled wildly around him, turning it into a wild roller coaster ride. He always hated roller coasters. Closing his eyes, he fought back the powerful urge to puke.
His phone beeped again—somewhere in his pocket. The damn thing never stopped. The constant vibration and noise wouldn't allow him to drift into a deep sleep. After yanking it out of his pocket, he squinted at the screen. It slowly came into view. Tons of missed calls from Kristen and Coral Beach Medical Center. A sudden stab of fear hit his gut. Bolting upright, he ignored the onslaught of nausea to concentrate on the voicemails. It was useless. He was too disoriented and wound up.
“Kristen!” he called out, hoping she'd answer.
Maybe she was back by now. Back from where so late?
His voice echoed through the empty apartment.
With a loud moan, he wobbled to the bedroom, collapsing on the empty bed, his hands blindly stretching out before him. She definitely wasn't there; he didn't have to be sober for that to sink in. He could feel clothes strewn around, the bed sheets and blanket tangled in a pile, hanging limply off the side. With no choice left, he switched on the lamp and peered around. The closet door wide open, a couple of unzipped overnight bags stacked next to it —too strange!
Now his curiosity piqued. Something had definitely happened. His nerves were on edge. He had to focus. Trying to build up his strength and pull himself together, he rushed to the bathroom and doused his face with cold water. His pulse still raced. Hopefully he could remember how to get to the hospital. Feeling for his keys, he searched for the phone. Did he drop it? It took longer than he wanted to find it, but eventually he stumbled back out to the elevator.
* * *
She still hadn't progressed to active labor. With no energy left, her eyes kept shutting, but every time she drifted off a sharp contraction jolted her awake again.
Five stressful hours with no end in sight. Alicia continued nodding off in the chair, jerking awake every time a nurse arrived or the intercom blasted. When she heard someone approaching, she sprang up, shocked to see Logan bounding through the door.
Ignoring Alicia, he flopped down on the bed next to Kristen. It took a few seconds before he caught his breath. But he was still flushed from the overload of liquor in his system and running up the stairs.
“Kristen? What happened?” He took her hands, leaning in. Her eyes fluttered open fixing on his face, holding steady until it registered.
“Logan, where were you? Why weren't you there with me?” She moaned, her eyes huge and filled with pain.
“I'm sorry, sweetie, really. Are you having the baby?”
Alicia snorted, twisting away from view. Even if she wanted to, there was no way she could hide the crippling hate she felt for him at that moment.
Logan continued to ignore her, concentrating on Kristen. “Hey, talk to me, I'm here now.” He gently pushed wet strands of hair out of her sweaty face.
“I can't Logan, it hurts,” Kristen whimpered, squeezing his hand with such force, he grimaced. At every renewed contraction she gripped harder, easing up as it subsided. Alicia grinned for the first time in hours at the sight of his face reddening in pain.
“Holy shit, Kristen, you're gonna break my hand! Where's the doctor?” he yelled, panicking.
Alicia smirked and didn't respond. She rolled her eyes when he broke out of Kristen’s grasp and fled down the hall to the nurses' station. “He should've been taking care of you. Now he's freaking out,” she mumbled horrified and enraged. Kristen’s red, swollen eyes begged for her help.
“I don't get it? How long is she gonna be suffering like this? Can't you just take it out?” Logan rambled on, trailing a nurse back into the room.
“Calm down, Mr. Holder. You're not helping by overreacting. This is perfectly normal. Labor can go on for hours.”
What the hell? How can she be so calm?
On the nurse’s heels, Logan stopped short when she lifted the blanket from Kristen’s trembling body. “Let's check how dilated you are now, honey. Hopefully we can start an epidural soon.”
“What's that?” Logan sprang over to them. He clutched Kristen’s arm, his eyes crazed.
“Mr. Holder, please! I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you don't relax! I have to examine your wife. Why don't you wait outside?”
Logan sighed deeply, retreating.
“No! I need him here!” Kristen burst out.
Alicia's head popped up, a stunned expression covering her face. “Kristen, I'm here with you!”
“Miss, please. I need some space here to do my job!”
Alicia backed off. For a second her eyes met Logan's. They both smirked, turning away.
He was the first to break the icy silence. “You can leave if you want now. I'm here with her.”
Alicia glared at him, her eyes blazing. “Fuck off! Where were you five hours ago?”
“Who the fuck are you? You just met her!”
“She's ready,” the nurse called out.