“What?” I looked around the room in a panic. I know for certain she was just standing right here.
“Slipped inside the room behind the women when you came out, knowing her she’s probably pestering the doctor lady. It is a lady right.”
“Of course.” Just then the elevator doors slid open and this reject from a Godfather movie stepped off. He didn’t stand out in a town like this or anything, what with the shades, the suit and the spit shine shoes.
“Ah Paulie you’re here.” He passed gift bags of stuff to my uncle and without a word turned and left again. “I got these for your boys, I didn’t have enough time to bring them with, I didn’t know this was gonna go down.” Inside the bag were a few boxes of very expensive illegal cigars that must’ve set him back a few grand.
“Now you go on inside, I’ma think about what I’ma tell Colt, and get Thorpe here soon as. I thought I told Colt to get with him when I sent you. Damn boy don’t listen for shit.” I walked away not quite understanding the conversation we just had. Was he warning me to keep an eye on Colt before he goes off on his own? Too late, I already know that shit. Dammit, Catalina.
She wasn’t in the room when I walked in, at least she wasn’t in plain view when I counted heads. The women made their excuses and left with promises to come back if she needed them. I was more than grateful.
While the doc was doing her thing I went to Cierra and leaned down so only she could hear. “I think Catalina’s in the room somewhere hiding, did you see her come in?” This one was loopy from the meds. “Nope!”
My only fear of having Catalina witness the actual birth was my worry that seeing her aunt in pain might scare her, scientifically, medically, I have no problem. With the way the kid’s mind works she’d probably look at the whole thing aesthetically, so whereas I wouldn’t want someone else watching my wife go through this, I didn’t mind her. That’s why I’d given Cierra the option since the first time the kid pestered me about it.
“I don’t mind if she stays as long as you check with her parents.” The whole time we were talking I was trying to find her. Before I could I heard Lyon calling to me from just outside the door. “Be right back.”
“What’s up?”
“My kid’s in there somewhere you seen her?”
“Was just about to nail her down.”
“Damn, sorry about that Hank, send her out here.”
“Not so fast. You know she wants to video a birth, I wasn’t planning on letting her, I was gonna do it and…”
“Uncle Hank, I’ve seen birthing videos before, it’s not the same, I have to be there.”
She jumped down from the window behind the curtain. “Were you standing in the window sill?”
“Yes daddy, that way he wouldn’t see my feet.” Even the doc looked shook. “So what do you think Lyon, will you let her stay?”
“Please daddy, please, please, please.”
“You sure about this Mancini?”
“Yeah, we’re cool with it.” He got down to her level.
“Why do you need to do this?”
“Because daddy, babies are the only thing that I don’t know how they’re made.” Colt cleared his throat and she rolled her eyes. “Not that daddy, I know about the egg and the sperm, but I don’t understand how that can become a human that grows and grows like a tree so I need to see. Then when I grow up and have my own babies I’ll know everything from beginning to end.”
She ran towards the bed and Cierra after hitting him with that one. “What the fuck did Kat birth?” Even at a time like this the guy could make me laugh. “We don’t have a progressive sibling policy in this hospital.”
I guess the doctor had overheard our conversation. “You do now! She stays.” She looked from Colt to me.
“Doc stop being a pain in the ass.”
“Thanks for bringing me another one.”
“You’re welcome!” He smirked at her and I got the feeling she wasn’t talking about the baby but me.
“Well, your father is on the board, you better get his okay to go against hospital policy.”
“No problem I’ll make that call.” Lyon offered before I could reach for my phone to call Wilson. I’ve never used my clearance in front of these guys and am not ready to yet, that’ll come later.
“Uncle Hank the contractions are about to start.” My eyes went immediately to the monitor and I saw nothing, but that didn’t stop me from moving across the room as Lyon left to go back to the others.
“How do you…”
Cierra moaned and squeezed the hand the kid had in hers. I pulled Catalina away before she got hurt and replaced her hand with mine as the monitor picked up the contraction. “Breathe baby, look at me.” She did what we’d practiced together and looked into my eyes as I coached her.