What the fuck! Was that Max? No! I had to be seeing things. I fumbled for the remote and turned up the sounds.
‘The men were apprehended this morning. They are allegedly part of a drug smuggling syndicate. A DEA agent was injured and is in critical condition. We’ll have more on this story later.’
A sudden cramp forced me upright. What was happening? Was I entering labor? It couldn’t be. It wasn’t time yet!
“Ouch. Fuck!”
A sudden gush of water flowing from my vagina told me I was in for a whole lot of trouble. I got off the couch, leaving behind a large puddle.
“S.H.I.T…”
I breathed through the pain and called out as soon as I could walk upright.
“Inessa!” I called. “Inessa!”
“Angel? What is it? Are you okay?”
Max’s sister was in her PJs, and it looked as if she’d awoken from a deep sleep. Her hair was disheveled, and she rubbed her eyes as she walked toward me.
“I think I’m in labor,” I said out of breath.
“Oh, shit!”
By then, two agents had joined us in the living room. One of them dialed a number on his cell phone.
“We need an ambulance,” he said into the receiver.
I didn’t hear what else he said as I was doubled over in the throes of another contraction.
“Uhhh,” I said when it had passed. “I have to get to the hospital. This baby doesn’t care that he’s early. Ouch! Hurry!”
Inessa looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Max was arrested, Inessa. I saw him on TV.”
“What?”
“Yeah, on the news.”
“I’ll find out what’s going on, Angel. You focus on the baby,” she said and helped me walk to the front door.
“Call me, please, Inessa. I need to know if he’s okay.”
“Of course. Breathe, Angel, breathe.”
An ambulance arrived shortly after the agent’s call. I got in and lay down on the gurney.
“Hello, darling,” the medic said. “You lie back and relax. Looks like your little baby is in a rush.”
“It’s too early. I’m not ready!” I said in a panic.
“Don’t worry. I’m hooking you up to the monitor. We’ll know what’s happening with your baby in a minute.”
The medic’s voice was calm and steady. He had a comforting bedside manner–thank God.
“Call ahead and tell them to prep the OR, Jim,” he called to the driver of the ambulance.
“Why? What’s wrong?” I asked in a panic.