Chapter 30: Hospital.
"She leaked a small amount of amniotic fluid, but she's not in labor. There seems to be tear in the amniotic sack, but it's-" The doctor is interrupted by my mother.
"Is she going to have the baby right now?" My mother asks and I roll my eyes.
"I was getting there. The baby is fine for now, considering the fact that there's enough fluid in the amniotic sac to aid its growth. She'll be monitored for the next week to make sure that the sac is resealed. Naturally it should happen in twenty four to seventy two hours. When that happens, she'll be good to go." The doctor says and I groan.
"I have to stay in this hospital for a whole week?" I ask him and he nods.
"Ugh. I hate this." I complain.
"Well, you're doing this for the baby. You have no choice." My mother says.
"I'll have a nurse check up on you in two hours." The doctor says before he leaves.
"It's getting late, Marj. We need to get home." My father tells my mother.
"Yeah, mom. New York isn't safe at night and you know this. I have Zachary, I'll be fine." I assure her, rubbing her hand.
"I don't want to leave you." She says, tearing up.
"Nothing bad is going to happen. And besides it's a hospital. If something goes wrong they will fix it." I tell her.
"Alright." She says, kissing my forehead before she walks to my dad who is standing beside the door.
"Well, see you tomorrow." My dad says and I nod.
I wave them goodbye as they leave. Zachary gets in the hospital bed with me and he rubs my belly.
"It's gonna be okay." He whispers in my ear.
***
"I'm tired of this hospital food." I complain as Zachary feeds me.
"Just open your mouth, Vee." He says and I shake my head.
"I want a hamburger and fries. Oh, and a milkshake." I tell him.
"Fine, I'll get you what you want after you eat what's in this spoon." He says, holding the spoon filled with chicken noodle soup to my lips.
"Fine." I say, before I open my mouth. He feeds me and I swallow the disgusting soup.
"Good girl." He says, kissing my forehead.
The doctor walks into the room and I sit up right in the bed.
"There's good news, Miss Stone." He says and I anticipate his words.
"Apparently there isn't any tear in your amniotic sac. It was carelessness on our part. We read the signs wrong. My apologies. And since you haven't leaked any fluid since you got here, you are free to go. The baby is doing good and so are you." He says and I feel like getting out of this bed and giving him a big hug.
"Thank you." I say, letting out a sigh of relief. "Staying here was the worst. No offense." I tell him and he nods.
"When you're ready to go, you just head to the check in and sign some paperwork. The nurse will be here shortly to remove your catheter." He says before he walks out.
"This is the best. I'm so happy." I tell Zachary.
"Yeah, you look happy." Zachary tells her smiling.
The nurse comes in and starts removing the catheter. Once she is done I get out of the bed with Zachary's help and I change into my clothes. Zachary carries the bags as we walk towards the check in desk.
"Good evening, Miss Stone. You look like you're feeling better." The woman behind the desk says with a smile on her face.
"Yeah, I feel great. I'm here to check out." I tell her and she nods. She gives me a piece of paper to sign and I do that.
"We'll mail the hospital bill to you. Have a great night." The woman tells us before I start walking towards the elevator.
When Zachary and I get into the car, I play some music and I dance in my seat.
"Someone's in a good mood." Zachary says and I stare at him.
"You don't know what it was like for us in there." I tell him, touching my belly bump.
"What do you mean? I was with you the whole time." He says, chuckling.
"But you weren't in my position, so shut up and drive to McDonald's." I tell him and he nods.
"Yes ma'am." He says with a sober tone.
We get to the McDonald's drive thru and I order a chicken sandwich with fries and a Mcflurry. As soon as they give us the food, I start going ham. Zachary just stares at me in shock as I devour the food.
"Jesus, Vee. Calm down." He says, staring at me as he drives.
"It's your baby's fault not mine. He's making me eat like a whale." I say, wiping mayonnaise from my shirt. "You probably don't love me anymore." I say, staring at Zachary as tears fill my eyes.
"How can you say that? I'm the one responsible for making you look like this, so why wouldn't I love you?" He asks me and I shake my head.
"I don't know. All I know is that I'm getting fat and I look like a walrus." I tell him, taking a bite of my sandwich.
"You'll be my walrus then. My cute walrus." He says, touching my cheek as he stops at a red light.
"I love you." I say, pouting as I stare at him.
"I love you more." He says, pouting back at me.
This man.
"Are you gonna give me a foot rub when we get home?" I ask him and he nods.
"You know it." He says as he starts driving again.
I smile as I watch him drive. This whole thing feels like a fever dream. It's like I finally got my happy ending. I'm so grateful for our love and the people we've become.
***
"I will literally kill you." I yell at Zachary.
"You snooze, you lose." He says, laughing as he runs away with my plate in his hand.
"You're stressing me and Axel." I say, trying to guilt trip him into giving me my plate back.
He stops in his tracks and turns around.
"Who is Axel?" He asks, walking towards where I am lounging on the beach chair beside Zachary's pool.
"Our baby." I tell him.
"We are not naming him Axel." Zachary says before taking a bite of my avocado toast.
"Oh, we are now." I say in anger. I stand up from the chair and I chase Zachary.
"Valarie, I'm sorry." He says, still eating the toast.
"You'll be sorry when I get you, motherfucker." I tell him as I grab the back of his shirt. I hit him simultaneously and he folds. He hands me the plate and it's just half toast that's there now.
"I'll get you back." I tell him.
"I'm scared of you." Zachary says, holding his arm. Massaging where I had just hit him.
"As you should be." I quip.
"Did Hannah tell you she's coming to New York?" Zachary asks me and I shake my head.
"No, but it seems like she told you. You guys talk?" I ask him.
"Once in a while." He admits, shrugging.
"Since when?" I ask him, taken by surprise.
"We talk from time to time. We're friends." Zachary says and I chuckle.
"You guys are not friends." I tell him. "You just hooked up once when I moved away." I add.
Zachary scratches his head, looking away.
"It was more than once? What the fuck were two of you doing?" I ask him.
"We were horny teenagers, Vee. We had the whole summer and town to ourselves. Everyone we knew had travelled with their families for the holiday. So, it was just us. For like two months." He explains.
"I actually never knew about that. Hannah made it seem like a one time mistake." I tell him.
"It was a mistake no doubt, but we hooked up more than one time. When school began again we just acted like the other person didn't exist, it was easier to put our little rendezvous in the past, where it belonged. And then you came back a year after. And I knew I had to get you back." He says, caressing my cheeks.
"You're good with your words." I tell him before I punch him in the stomach. "That's for sleeping with my best friend."
"It was years ago, Vee." He says, following me inside the house.
"Doesn't change anything." I tell him as I enter the kitchen.
"Are you really mad at me right now?" He asks and I try my hardest not to smile or laugh.
"I am." I lie.
"That smirk on your face begs to differ." He says and I roll my eyes.
"Whatever." I say as I eat what's left of the avocado toast.