Their Reign (The Rite Trilogy 3)

28

JUDGE

Mercedes goes into labor two weeks and a day before her due date.

“We should go,” I tell her. I wanted to leave for the hospital hours ago, but she refused. She wanted to stay home as long as possible.

“Okay,” she finally says, dragging herself out of bed. “Call Solana,” she tells me as she walks toward the closet tugging at her nightie as she does. “She’ll tell Georgie,” she continues, having to pause to lean against the dresser when another contraction hits. “They’ll meet us at the hospital. If you—” She stops speaking, squeezing her eyes shut as I wrap my arms around her. She leans into me.

“Mercedes.” I hold her tight as her knees wobble with the pain that must be excruciating. I wish I could take it over from her.

“I need… my clothes.” She points, taking a deep breath in. The contraction has passed. I check my watch.

“You’re not putting on clothes. There’s no time.” I wrap one of my sweaters over her shoulders and turn her to the door where the bag we packed waits, organized and ready for just this. “We need to get to the hospital.”

“My shoes at least.” She’s wearing fluffy socks.

“You don’t need them,” I say and sweep her up in my arms. She doesn’t fight me only because another contraction has her full attention.

Lois, who moved into the house a few weeks ago, opens her bedroom door. She’s ready too.

“It’s time?” she asks excitedly.

Mercedes makes a fist in my shirt, tugging hard enough to pull out some chest hair.

“It’s time,” I say. “Call the doctor and let him know we’re coming.”

“Wait, Judge, the suitcase,” Lois says, rushing to grab it. How did I forget to take it? I literally just looked at it. But I’m a little out of sorts, I guess. Perhaps more than I realize.

“Don’t forget to call Solana!” Mercedes demands as she manages the pain of the contraction.

“Yes, and let Solana know it’s time,” I repeat to Lois although I’m sure she heard. “Raul!” I call out on our way down the stairs. Raul is tugging on his jacket, keys in hand. He, too, has moved into the house for just this event.

“Fuck, it hurts,” Mercedes manages when she gets a breath. I’ve been watching her for hours, keeping track of the time between contractions. Hating that I can’t do anything to help her. But if I thought it was bad before, I was mistaken.

“It’s going to be okay,” I try to reassure calmly as I get her into the car and slide in beside her. Raul rushes us down the lane of oaks and out the gates toward the hospital as Mercedes curls into me again, moaning in pain as I rub her back, feeling pathetically helpless and completely powerless.

“Jesus. I’m going to die,” she says.

“No. I won’t let you.”

“Fuck!”

“We’re supposed to breathe,” I tell her, remembering what I’d read, what the woman at the birthing classes said. Or is it count? Are we supposed to fucking count? Fuck. I can’t remember.

Her body relaxes a little as the contraction passes, and when she looks up at me, I see how her hair is sticking to her forehead. I wipe tears from her eyes.

“Breathe. It’s supposed to help. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Do it with me, Mercedes. Breathe with me.”

“I am breathing.” Her face contorts with the next wave of pain.

“Do it with me. I’ll count—”

She fists my shirt again, and I lean toward her to alleviate some of the pain. “I am fucking breathing, you asshole!”

“She said it would relax you.”

“She’s a fucking liar!”

“Raul?” I call out without looking away from her.

“I’m going as fast as I can.” He swerves around a street sweeper who honks his horn at us.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!”

“What? What is it?” I ask as Mercedes sits up a little and looks down at the little bit of water on the leather seat that grows before my eyes. Oh fuck.

“Shit!”

“It’s okay. Your water broke. That’s all,” I say in a tone intended to calm and reassure her.

“That’s all?” She starts to grow angry, but her pain mutes her.

“Raul, are we fucking there?” I snap at him before turning more gently to her. “It’s fine, sweetheart. It’s fine.”

Raul takes a sharp turn into the parking lot as Mercedes lets out an ear-piercing cry and doubles over.

“They’re going to fucking kill me.”

“We’re here, honey. We’re here. We’ll get that epidural first thing.”

“No! I said no epidural!” She turns feral eyes to me. “Do you ever fucking listen?”

“That’s right. I’m sorry. I forgot. I was just trying to help. I—”