“Just a precaution. Angel, is it?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, Angel. I want you to place this mask over your face and breathe nice and deep for me. Okay? Slow and deep.”
I took the mask and held it over my nose and mouth. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I felt every bump in the road, every turn the ambulance took–my senses were firing rapidly. The medic placed his hand over mine.
“You’re okay, Angel. What are you having?”
“A boy,” I wheezed.
“Oh, wonderful. Does he have a name yet?”
“Uh-huh,” I breathed again, “Dasha.”
“That’s Russian, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“My wife’s family is Russian.”
“So is my baby’s father.”
“Well. Nothing to worry about then. They make ‘em strong in Mother Russia,” he chuckled.
“I hope so,” I smiled, then grimaced as another contraction wiped the floor with my ass.
“We’re here,” he said and got up to open the double doors.
Oh, please, Dasha. Hang in there, my boy. Wait for Daddy.
The gurney was speeding down the passage and suddenly I was in an elevator. A nurse was talking to me.
“Hello, Angelica. I’m sister Veronica. I’m going to take good care of you. Nothing to worry about.”
“Where’s my doctor?”
“She’s waiting for you.”
Thank Heavens for that, I thought. I stared at the lights as the gurney whizzed down another passage. Then I heard a familiar voice. It was that of my doctor.
“Hello, Angel. Looks like your little guy is in a rush.”
“Hi, Doc, Ugh, it seems so.”
“I’m going to give you something to stop the contractions, Angel. Sister, get the monitor on her, please.”
Veronica placed a band across my belly and before long the doctor was reading the monitor. She spoke to the sister and then injected a liquid into the drip the medic had started in the ambulance.
“There you go. I’ll check in on you in a few minutes. I know this is hard, but, please, try to relax.”
I nodded and closed my eyes.
Not now, Dasha. Wait for Daddy, darling.
I must have dozed off for a second because my doctor’s voice startled me.
“Angel,” she said softly and touched my shoulder.