Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Nina scrambled to throw some of her things into the suitcase then said, “I’m gonna take a quick shower. It might be a while before I can do that again.”
“Yell if you need me. I’ll pack the rest of our shit in the meantime.”
About ten minutes later, when Nina returned from the bathroom, she was leaning back into her hands, grasping the bottom of her hips. “I think the contractions are starting now. They seem to be coming from the back. I never had them with A.J., so I don’t know what they even feel like, but I’m getting these sharp pains.”
Fuck.
“We’d better go.”
The loud click of the heavy suite door locking behind us echoed through the hallway. Our suitcase rolling along the carpet of the desolate hotel seemed like the only sign of life. It was still early and a Sunday. We were probably the only people awake in the entire building aside from the front desk staff downstairs. Our room was located on the tenth floor. I pushed the down button and prayed that the elevator came quickly. The busy floral pattern on the rug made me dizzy as I looked down in an attempt to calm myself. I couldn’t let Nina see how freaked out this situation was making me.
Rubbing her back, I tried to soothe her. “Don’t worry about anything. I’m with you. We’re gonna get through this. We’ll get to the hospital in no time.”
She nervously nodded and let out a long breath but said nothing.
The wait seemed to be taking forever. When the doors slid open, I placed my hand on the middle of her back and gently led her into the elevator.
Nina’s back was pressed against my chest as we started to descend. Using my palms to gently massage her belly, I whispered into ear, “Everything is gonna be fine.”
Almost as soon as the words came out of my mouth, the elevator made a jerking movement that caused us to lose balance before slamming against the wall. The car was no longer moving. The door was still shut tight.
What’s happening?
No.
No.
No.
“Jake! Are you kidding? Don’t pull this on me now, please!”
“It wasn’t me. I swear,” I said, frantically pushing all of the buttons repeatedly.
“My eyes were closed. I didn’t see. I assumed you pushed the stop button as a joke. Oh my God! Please…no. This can’t be happening!”
She had every reason to suspect that I’d made the elevator stop on purpose. In the past, I’d intentionally done that twice, first during our fear excursion way back when and then again when I proposed to her. But joking about something like that under these circumstances would have been pretty sick and not funny at all.
“I wouldn’t do that to you, baby. Unfortunately, this looks to be the first time we’ve actually ever gotten legitimately stuck in one.”
Inhaling and exhaling loudly, she said, “That’s a pretty horrible irony right about now.”
Pressing the emergency call button with one hand, I looked up the number for the front desk with the other, having to dial it several times because my nervous fingers kept screwing up the numbers.
The phone kept ringing and went to a general voice mailbox. No response from my pressing the button ad nauseum, either.
Are you fucking kidding me?
Slamming my hand against the wall, I yelled, “How the fuck could there be no response?”
Nina held onto her back with both hands as if they were keeping her from falling to the ground in pain. “Oh my God. This is so bad, so very bad.”
“Don’t panic, baby. What are you feeling right now?”
“The pains…they’re getting closer together.”
Banging on the door frantically, I yelled at the top of my lungs, “Can anyone hear us? We’re stuck. Help!”
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
After several minutes, it seemed useless.
“I’m calling 9-1-1,” I said.
Clutching her stomach and practicing her breathing, she slowly slid down onto the floor.
The emergency line picked up. “What’s the address caller?”
“Old Ridgewood Estates off Washington Highway.”
“Please confirm your telephone number.”
“617-596-9968.”
“And what is the nature of your emergency?”
“We need help. My wife is in labor, and we’re stuck in the hotel elevator. She’s feeling a lot of pressure.”
“Does building maintenance know?”
“No one is responding to our calls.”
“Okay, we’re sending a crew over right away, but if you think she’s having the baby, I’m gonna transfer you to someone who can help guide you through in case the paramedics don’t get there in time. Stay on the line.”
What was actually happening here was starting to sink in. “Jesus Christ.”
Kneeling down next to Nina, I let out a deep breath before rubbing her back as I waited on hold. “It’ll be okay, baby. We’re gonna get out of here.”
Then, came static followed by a woman’s voice. “Hello, sir. Can you tell me how old your wife is?”
“Thirty-one.”
“How many weeks pregnant?”
“Uh…thirty-seven.”
“What is she feeling right now?”