“She’s in active labor,” the nurse says, pressing the button at the door. Another nurse comes in. “This is Karrie Cooney.”
“Grant,” I say from beside Karrie. “Her last name is Grant. We just haven’t gotten the paper yet.” I rub her back while she moves from side to side.
“Okay, my name is Sherry. Mr. and Mrs. Grant, how about we get her on the bed and see how we are doing?” the second nurse who came in says, walking to the other side of Karrie, helping her stand up.
Karrie sits on the bed and throws her legs up. “I need drugs,” she says to Sherry. “It’s on my birth plan. I want drugs about now.”
“Babe,” I say quietly beside her, “you said you didn’t want it.”
“Really, Matthew, my vagina feels like it’s being lit on fire with a blow torch, because of you and that big ass head of yours.” She looks at the nurse. “Drugs?”
“Okay,” she says, putting on gloves. “I’m going to go in and see how far along you are, okay?”
Karrie opens her legs while the nurse checks her.
“Five centimeters, almost six.”
“So when do the drugs get here?” Karrie asks, stopping when a contraction rips through her. Out is the sweet girl who was taking a shower. In is someone I have never seen. I’m pretty sure her voice has been replaced by the woman from the Exorcist. “I hate you,” she hisses out. “You and that big head of yours.”
Sherry comes over to me. “Just remember she loves you, just not right now.” She smiles, looking back at Karrie. “I’m going to attach you to the monitor to make sure the baby is okay.”
That makes Karrie sit up. “What do you mean make sure the baby is okay? What’s wrong with the baby, Matthew?” She starts crying. “The baby.”
I walk to the side of her bed. “Nothing, they just want to check and see if the baby is doing okay.” I rub her head while the nurse asks her to lift up to put the elastic thing around her waist while she squeezes the gel on it, tying it around her waist. The sound of our baby fills the room.
“Now this machine will tell us exactly when you have a contraction as well as your baby’s heart rate while you have the contraction. Okay?” Sherry asks while Karrie nods her head, watching the numbers on the machine.
“Another one is coming,” she says, this time her moan louder and longer than before. “Are the drugs on their way?” she asks when she can finally breathe normal again.
“We just have to monitor you for a bit to see how fast you are dilating.”
“I don’t want to do that. I want drugs,” she hisses out but doesn’t say anything else because her moaning starts again. This time she grabs my hand, squeezing it. For a small girl, I’m pretty sure some fingers will be out of place when she’s done.
“That wasn’t even a minute apart,” Sherry says. “Okay, you know what, honey, I’m going to check you again.” She puts on another pair of gloves, checking her. “Okay, Karrie, I need to call the doctor. You’re about nine centimeters. We are having this baby any second.”
“Wait, I didn’t get drugs yet,” Karrie keeps saying.
Sherry presses a button behind Karrie while Karrie has another contraction.
“I have so much pressure,” she says when she can finally talk.
“Totally normal.” We hear from the door when Karrie’s Dr. Noelle finally comes in. “Hey there, Karrie, how are you doing?”
“How am I doing? I need drugs, Dr. Noelle. Please.”
She smiles at Karrie, holding out her hands to put the gown on that Sherry is holding out for her. She puts gloves on, sitting on a stool in front of Karrie’s bed. A baby bed comes in while she puts the stirrups up, telling Karrie to put her feet in them.
She lifts the gown and I try not to gasp out loud, but I can’t help it. I see hair. “Okay, Karrie. This little one really wants to meet his mom. I’m going to have you push a bit, okay? When the next contraction comes, I want you to bear down and push out.”
“I can’t do this,” she says, shaking her head. “I want a cesarean. I changed my mind.”
I grab her hand, scooting down beside her. “Babe, look at me.” Her head turns to me, tears in her eyes. “You can do this.” One arm goes over her head. “You can do this. I know you can.” Her head shakes from side to side. “Come on, baby, push.”
Sherry stands on her other side, counting to ten.
“That was great,” Dr. Noelle says. “Let’s do it again, okay?”
“It burns. It burns so much,” Karrie cries out. “It hurts.”
“I know it does, baby, and I’m so sorry,” I tell her. “You have to do this for the baby.” Because if I say for me I will probably never have another child.