Unmissable: Haven Falls (Novella 7.5)

by Sheridan Anne

  “Are you sure?” I ask, not wanting to allow myself to get excited in case he changes his mind.

  "I’m sure, kid. The danger is gone. You got the people out safely, and all of our men have lived to tell the tale. You’ve done your job. Now go and be with your wife.”

  I nod my head and within the blink of an eye, I’m running.

  I throw my gear into the fire truck, knowing the boys will take it back to the station and get it sorted for me. I’m covered in black ash and I doubt anyone is going to let me anywhere near my wife or a newborn baby for that matter, but I’m going to try.

  I get myself an Uber and dive through its door before finally giving myself a second to breathe.

  I’m about to be a father and I couldn’t be more excited. I feel as though I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. You know, there was that one moment in high school where I thought it was going to happen and that terrified me, but now? This is the real fucking deal and I couldn’t be more ready.

  The driver pulls up at the hospital and get my ass through the doors as though my life depends on it, and really, it probably does. After attending to so many pregnant women over my time as a fireman, I don’t bother for directions and race to the maternity ward, desperate to be with my girl.

  I find a long hallway with closed doors and wonder which she’d be behind, but I don’t have to wonder long as I find Rivers sitting halfway down the hall. I race towards him and the closer I get, the clearer his facial expression becomes.

  Rivers hears me coming and looks up. “About fucking time, man,” he grumbles.

  I glance down at my phone. “It’s only been four hours.”

  “Yeah, four hours of your wife sounding as though she’s about to murder my fiancé.”

  My brows furrow. “What?” I say as an ear-shattering scream comes tearing from the door I stand before.

  “WHERE THE HELL IS HE?” Henley roars, loud enough for the people over in Broken Hill to hear.

  My eyes widen like saucers as I look down at my best friend. “Yeah,” he grunts in a knowing tone. “It’s that fucking bad. You better get your ass in there before she comes looking for you.”

  Well, shit.

  With that, I do my best to clean myself up and get my ass through the door.

  Chapter 2

  Henley

  Another contraction tears through me and I scream out as the pain becomes intolerable. This must be what death feels like. Surely this is me burning in hell for the stupid shit I’ve done during my short life.

  How are all those women out there saying that having a baby is the most natural and beautiful thing known to man? Are they insane? This shit is torturous, and trust me, one look at what’s been going on down in my lady business, and I’m sure everyone will agree that this shit ain’t natural or beautiful.

  It’s horrendous. Downright, terrifyingly horrendous.

  I dig my nails into Tully’s hand, trying to relieve the agony that tears through me as she does her best not to curse me out. I don’t doubt that I’ve left five little semi-circles on her skin. Hell I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve even drawn blood, but she stands tall, giving me all the support I need despite how much I’ve been hating on her stupid, twin brother.

  How could he get me into this position? He loves me with everything he’s got so I’m sure if he knew exactly how much this shit hurt that he’d never have wanted this for me.

  Damn it. What am I saying?

  Having a child is going to be the best thing to happen to us. I’m sure once the pain is gone and I have my child resting peacefully in my arms, I’m going to magically forget that this midwife is trying to perform some sort of demonic exorcism on my vagina.

  Where the hell is he? It’s been hours.

  “He’ll be here soon,” Tully promises, making me realize that I said that out loud.

  Shit. I hope I haven’t been saying other things out loud, otherwise I’m going to come across as a real fucking bitch.

  Fuck it. I’m in labor; I can say whatever the fuck I want to say and it’ll be perfectly acceptable. “How long can it take to put out a stupid fire?”

  “Seriously?” Tully grumbles, shaking out her hand before rubbing over the marks left by my nails. “He’ll be here soon. Besides, would you rather deal with me a little longer or have him rush the job and put himself in danger.”

  “Honestly,” I groan, glancing away with a pout. “You don’t want to know my answer right now.”

  “Well, damn,” she says, grabbing the ice chips and offering some to me.

  I take it greedily and put it in my mouth while Tully refreshes my wash cloth with nice cool water and places it over my forehead. “This bullshit seriously sucks,” I tell her.

  “I know,” she laughs, propping herself on the side of my bed. “Do you forget that I did it only ten months ago?”

  I shake my head while rolling my eyes. “You practically sneezed and Lily came flying out. I swear, you must have a wicked loose vagina.”

  Tully narrows her eyes and shoots a filthy glare at me while lowering her voice. “If you weren’t so knocked up and about ready to push, I’d kick your ass for that comment.”

  “Try all you’d like. Your loose flaps would just get tangled in your legs and you’ll end up tripping and eating dirt.”

  Tully laughs. “You’re a real bitch while you’re in labor. Remind me to tell Noah never to knock your skank ass up again.”

  “If you were capable of dragging your brother’s ass here on time then you would never have had to deal with my skank ass in the first place,” I point out.

  Tully groans as she throws herself off my bed and starts heading for the door. “I think it’s time I tag teamed with Rivers.”

  My eyes bulge out of my head as fear rushes through me. “No, no, no,” I beg in a panic as tears spring from my eyes all of a sudden feeling guilty about keeping her here. After all, both her and Rivers have been away from their baby just to be here helping me through this bullshit. “Don’t go. I need you to stay. Don’t give me Rivers. He’s going to be all nice and supportive and reminding me how to breathe and I,” sob, “I can’t handle that kind of shit right now,” sob. “Please.”

  Tully spins on her heels while crossing her arms over her chest. She shoots me a sharp glare. “Fine, but one more comment about me having loose flaps…”

  Another contraction rips through me and I fist my hands into the sheets of the hospital bed. “FUCK,” I yell, clenching my eyes as the earlier tears seem to double. I look back up at Tully. “I can’t do this,” I cry. “Make it stop.”

  Sympathy replaces the scowl on Tully’s face and she starts rushing back towards me. “You’re going to get through this,” she promises. “Only a little while longer and it’ll all be worth it. You’ll see.”

  The contraction seems to go on forever and all sense of human decency flies out the window. “WHERE THE HELL IS HE?”

  “I…” Tully cringes, not wanting to tell me for the hundredth time that he’ll be here soon when the door is thrown open and my husband finally presents us with his handsome face. The very handsome face that I want to tear to shreds.

  “Spitfire,” he gasps, taking me in. “Are you okay? What’s happening?”

  Anger pulses through me at seeing his carefree expression and without even thinking, I grab the half-empty water bottle beside me and launch it at his head. “YOU! I HATE YOU.”

  Noah comes to an abrupt standstill, gaping as he takes in the room around him. “Me?” he questions. “What did I do?”

  Tully gawks at him as I try to ride out the rest of my contraction. “Where the fuck have you been?” Tully demands. “Do you have any idea what kind of shit she’s been putting me through?”

  The tears stream down my face and as though he hasn’t heard a single word, he stares down his sister. “What the hell did you do to her?”

  “Me?” Tully gapes. “You’re the fucker who put her in this situation, remember? It’s got nothin
g to do with me.”

  Noah looks back at me before finally catching his bearings and rushing toward me. He scoops my hand into his and the touch of his skin upon mine does wonders. I look up at him, wanting nothing more than to call it quits.

  I see relief overtake Tully behind Noah’s shoulder and I try to make a mental note that once all this shit is over, I’m going to owe her a major apology. She lets out a breath before mouthing ‘thank God,’ and discreetly backing out the open door to where Rivers sits in the hallway. She drops down onto his lap while shaking her hand and showing him the nailmarks left on her skin.

  The door slowly closes them out and then finally, it’s just me and Noah.

  The room falls into silence with the click of the door blocking out all the outside noise. Noah sits on the edge of my bed and pulls me into his arms before leaning down and pressing a kiss to my temple. “Are you doing alright? How do you feel?”

  I turn in his arms and look up at him as though he’s lost his fucking mind. “How do you think I’ve been doing? My body feels like it’s being torn apart from the inside out and I feel like someone has taken a serrated knife to my vagina.”

  “Is it really that bad?”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Why don’t you bend over and I’ll tear you from your asshole to your ballsack and then we can compare notes?”

  Noah’s eyes bulge before a shudder takes over him. “Fair call,” he says, “but for the record, I’m not letting you anywhere near my asshole for the foreseeable future.”

  I roll my eyes and snuggle back into his side. “And after the foreseeable future?”

  “Still no chance.”

  I let out a deep sigh and focus on my breathing as Noah’s hand slips into mine, lacing our fingers together. “I was worried that I was going to miss it.”

  “I wasn’t,” I murmur. “I knew you wouldn’t miss this for anything. I’ve just really needed you here for these damn contractions. You keep me calm so hopefully it’s a little more manageable from now.”

  “Words can’t express how sorry I am that I’ve been gone these last few hours.”

  “I know,” I tell him, closing my eyes as I try to prepare for the next contraction. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I know what your job means to you. It’s life or death, and truth be told, had you left your team to come and stand by my side while innocent lives were at risk, I would have been disappointed with you. Your need to protect and put others first is one of the reasons why I love you so much. Besides, as I remember it, I was the idiot who first suggested you look into a career as a fireman, so really, all this bullshit is on me.”

  “And don’t you forget it,” he teases, reaching for some ice chips and pushing the hair back off my sweaty face. “You know I love you, right? You’re going to make an incredible mother. You’re so strong, compassionate, loving, and kind. You’re going to have rows upon rows of ‘Best Mother in the World’ mugs and t-shirts.”

  “You really think?” I ask, tilting my chin to look up into his eyes.

  Noah’s lips press ever so gently down on mine. “I know, Henley. You and me, we were made for this. Tully and Rivers are incredible parents and nine months ago we made a promise that we were going to kick their asses at this gig, so really, we have no other choice. You know I don’t like to lose.”

  I shake my head as I feel my body preparing for another contraction. “You’re such an idiot.”

  Noah goes to make some smart ass comment when my phone chimes on the bed beside me. He goes to reach for it, but the contraction comes up and takes over me like never before. I squeeze down hard on his hand, clenching my teeth and trying to refocus the pain. “Holy shit,” I pant.

  “What do I do?” Noah panics. “How can I help?”

  I shake my head, trying to squeeze his hand tighter. “There’s nothing,” I say with tears springing to my eyes once again. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s too much.”

  Noah uses his other hand to run through my hair, trying to comfort me as best he can. “You can. You can do this, and afterward, you’ll have the bragging rights to hold over my head for the rest of our lives.”

  I shake my head against his chest. “No. I want the drugs. Get me the drugs. The gas or an epidural. I don’t care, just get it. I’m done.”

  “Babe,” he says with a cringe. “Are you sure? You specifically told me last week that even when you were begging for the drugs, not to give in.”

  “Yeah, well I was stupid last week and didn’t realize what the fuck I was getting myself into.”

  Noah helps me to roll onto my side and the second his arm comes around to spoon me, the pain slowly begins to fade. Maybe I can do this without drugs.

  Noah begins slowly rubbing my back and it brings all sorts of comfort washing over me as I close my eyes and focus on slowly breathing in and out.

  My phone chimes again and Noah reaches around my massive stomach to grab it. He pulls up a text message and shows me the screen.

  Aria – Have you pushed yet?

  I choke back a laugh. I’d love to sit here and entertain my little sister’s text message, but I simply don’t have the will. In fact, I haven’t responded to any of the thirty texts that have come through so far. I guess that’s what Noah is for.

  As if reading my mind, Noah starts shooting off replies to all the unread texts and before I know it, Dr. Branson is pushing through the door with a welcoming smile.

  “How are you feeling, Henley?” she asks, walking over and checking the monitors while pulling on a pair of gloves.

  “I’m ready to get the show on the road,” I tell her.

  Dr. Branson lets out a groan and shakes her head. She’s used to my bullshit by now. “I’ll be the judge of that,” she says before asking Noah to help me roll onto my back so she can take a look at the mess going on between my legs.

  Her head emerges a few moments later. “Sorry to break the bad news, but you’re going to have to wait just a little while longer. You’re at eight centimeters so maybe another hour, possibly two.”

  I’ve never felt so disappointed in my life.

  Dr. Branson leaves with a promise to come and check on me in a little while and I somehow convince the midwife to let me take a cool shower.

  I don’t know how it happened, but one minute, I’m standing under the cool spray of the shower with Noah standing fully clothed in the water, shivering while making sure I’m safe, and the next thing I know, nearly two hours have passed and Dr. Branson is insisting that I get my ass in bed and put my legs up in the stirrups.

  From there on, time seems to blur. A towel is thrown around me, arms are sliding around my back, a midwife is doing something to my bed and clicking stirrups into place, while I begin freaking out over the torture I’m about to willingly endure.

  What was I thinking? I should have taken the drugs when I had the chance.

  Stupid Noah and his ability to make me forget my own damn name.

  I’ll never forgive him for this.

  Chapter 3

  Noah

  “No, no, no, no, no,” Henley says, standing before the bed and gaping at it as though it’s her personalized road to hell. She starts backing up, shaking her head in fear. “I can’t do this. What were we thinking? We can just adopt instead.”

  “Sorry, Spitfire,” I say, trying to hide a grin. “It’s a little too late to back out now. You have no choice, but to push. All you have to do is get up on the bed, put your legs in the stirrups, and push.”

  I’ve never seen such a terrifying glare. “If it sounds so fucking easy, then why don’t you get up on the fucking bed and tear your vagina in half?”

  “Come on,” Dr. Branson says, patting the bed. “You’re ready to go. Your body knows what to do and right now, it’s telling you that it’s ready to push. What happened to the girl who was ready to get the show on the road less than two hours ago?”

  “She died along with my willpower.”

  I squeeze Henley’s hand
. ”You’ve got this and to be honest, the sooner you get it over and done with, the sooner you’ll have your baby in your arms and the sooner the pain will go away. Like a Band-Aid, Spitfire. Let’s do this.”

  She nods her head, but the fear behind her eyes is nearly enough to cripple me. I’d do anything to take her pain away. I hate that she’s going through this and there’s nothing I can do to help. I’ve never felt so fucking useless in my life.

  I’m used to being the guy who swoops in and saves the fucking day, and saving Henley has always been my favorite thing to do, but in this very moment, all I can do is hold her hand and watch as she goes through this terrifying thing.

  She’s going to be okay, though. I just know it. She has to be.

  I’ve heard horror stories over the years of things that go wrong while giving birth and you always think ‘that’ll never happen to me’ yet for some poor bastards, it does.

  That’s not going to be us.

  Henley is a fucking machine. She’s got this.

  A midwife comes in on Henley’s other side and together we help get her up in the bed. A pillow is jammed behind her back before a second and a third, while her legs are placed up in the stirrups. Midwives rush around the room, making sure everything is right where it needs to be and as they finish preparing, I take a second to take a breath.

  I’m going to be a father.

  No, I’m going to be a fucking incredible father.

  Shit. I shouldn’t be thinking about that. I should be concentrating on the woman who has my hand in a death grip. The second she’s finished pushing, then I can think about what an incredible dad I’ll be.

  Actually, come to think of it, I know her hand is currently clutched in mine, but maybe I should be putting a pillow between us or turning my hips away as something tells me that at some point during all of this, she’s going to grab my balls and attempt to castrate me for getting her pregnant. Who knows, maybe she’ll attempt a vasectomy with her bare hands while she’s at it.