Finally Getting Love Right (22 page)

“Sure. I think I am tan enough now.” Sam answered as she laughed at her halfhearted joke.

“Ok. I will get the keys, meet you out front in five minutes.”

They drove fifteen minutes to a hidden cove. George obviously knew where all the amazing hidden gems around were. George taught Sam what he knew of snorkeling. They spent the rest of the afternoon observing all the hidden wonders that the cove held. In a way, this cove reminded her of her cave back home. They finished their afternoon off by sitting on a log and watching the sunset. When they arrived back at the house, George was standoffish.

“Dinner will be ready in half hour.” He said immediately walking toward the kitchen.

“Ok.” Sam said having a feeling that he wasn’t even listening.

Sam freshened up and sat down at the piano. She felt a sense of calm wash over her. It was the same feeling she got when she stood on a stage. She started to play a song that she had been working on. The notes came out sounding better than she could have imagined. She continued to play until George appeared in the doorway.

“Sounds good.” He said with a smile.

“It is a work in progress.” Sam said shyly. She had never been one to play her songs for people before they were finished.

“Dinner is ready.” He said walking back toward the kitchen.

Sam followed him into the kitchen. She was greeted by a candlelit dining room. The table was grand. It was made of oak with an intricate design carved into it. The table was set for two. George had made chicken picante, one of Sam’s old favorites. Sam tried to eat it but she was tired from the long day she had.

“I think I am going to go for a walk.” Sam said getting up from the table.

“May I join you?” He asked.

“Sure.” She answered walking out the door.

“What is wrong?” He asked.

“I just feel like this is all happening so fast.”

“I know how you are feeling. I kind of feel the same way. I guess it just comes down to the fact that we have already made one mistake, do we really want to lose out on the opportunity to be together?”

“Well no, I just think maybe we are moving too fast.”

“Sam, it has been almost 6 months. To some people we would be tortoises.”

“I know. I guess it’s just me second guessing myself as usual. I love you and I want to be with you, it is just a lot to think about right now.”

“I get your point.” George said taking her hand.

“Can we get it right this time?” She asked wanting to know what he thought.

“I know we can.” He said sure of himself and his answer.

“I am glad that you are so confident.” Sam started but was interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

“Hello?” Sam said answering the phone.

“Sam, Its Charlee.” Charlee said in a panicked voice.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked hurriedly sensing the urgency in her friend’s voice.

“I am in labor and no one is home or answering their phones. I don’t know what to do.” Charlee said starting to obviously panic.

“I will get ahold of someone to come get you. I will be there as soon as I can.”

“No. Don’t leave your vacation early, you have not even been there 24 hours.”

“I would not miss this for anything. I will call you back in five minutes.” Sam said hanging up and quickly dialing Liz’s number.

“Hello?” Liz said obviously out of breath.

“Why didn’t you answer when Charlee called!” Sam all but yelled at Liz.

“I am kind of in the middle of something here.” Liz said.

“Well you just became un-busy. She is in labor!”

“Oh!” Liz said obviously stopping what she was doing.

“You need to go get her and take her to the hospital. I will try to get ahold of Max.” Sam said.

“Ok. I am going right now.” Liz said hanging up. Sam then called Max.

“Hey Sam, Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?” He answered the phone.

“Yes, Aren’t you supposed to be taking your wife, who is in labor mind you, to the hospital? Where are you?” Sam asked.

“What? She didn’t call me.”

“Are you sure? Check your missed calls.” Sam said waiting for him to look.

“Your right. My phone never rang. Thank you Sam, I owe you big time.” He answered her hanging up.

“What is wrong?” George asked seeing the worry on her face.

“Charlee is in labor. I am sorry, I have to go home now.” She said frantic.

“I am going with you.”

It took them only ten minutes to repack what had been unpacked and be on the road. The jet was ready to go when they got to the airport. Sam slept on the flight, being drained from the day she had. When they arrived back home, George directed the driver to go straight to the hospital. It had been 7 hours since she had heard anything. Sam was getting worried. When they arrived at the hospital, Sam almost jumped out of a still moving limo. She ran upstairs to the maternity ward.

“Can I help you miss?” A nurse asked as Sam walked through the maternity doors.

“I am looking for Charlee Hughes please.” Sam said out of breath.

“Room 116. It is right after the waiting room on your right.”

“Thank you.” Sam said walking fast toward the room.

“Sam, what are you doing here?” Max said standing up as she was passing the waiting room.

“I wouldn’t miss this.” She said smiling. “Why are you out here?”

“Charlee is mad at me. Her contractions have been terrible.” He said losing his smile.

“I am going to see her.”

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Kylee said.

“Why is that?” Sam asked noticing that everyone else was already here.

“She is very mean today.” Kylee answered.

“Yea, she is almost worse than you were to all of us.” Liz added.

“Somehow I doubt that. I can take it.” Sam said walking away from the waiting room toward room 116.

Sam neared the door of room 116 and slowed trying to catch her breath. She did not want Charlee to see that she had literally been running since last night. She hadn’t even noticed that George wasn’t behind her until she heard him say hello to everyone in the waiting room. When Sam had finally caught her breath, she walked in.

“Hey Charlee, how are you feeling?” Sam said cautiously.

“Sam! You came.” Charlee said sounding a lot happier than everyone in the waiting room were giving her credit for.

“I am here. What do you need?” Sam asked.

“I don’t need anything right now.” Charlee answered bracing herself for another contraction.

“Are you sure?”

“I am just glad that you are here.”

“Why?” Sam asked confused.

“You are the only one who knows what I am going through.”

.

CHAPTER 16: CHARLEE’S DELIVERY

Sam cringed at the words her labored friend had just spoken. Charlee had been right though, Sam was the only one who could possibly know what she was going through. When Sam was 16 she had gotten pregnant. She was completely against ending a life and gave the child up for adoption. It was one topic not even George knew about. Sam had tried her hardest to forget the torture she had put herself through giving up that child. It had always haunted her soul.

“How did you know about that?” Sam asked wanting to know how she had found out.

“I am a good listener?” Charlee said trying to avoid answering the question.

“I am serious. I have never told anyone about that.” Sam said being serious.

“She would be 16 today.” Charlee answered slowly.

“How did you know that? Please tell me.” Sam begged her friend.

“I met her. She is actually a part of your life now.” Charlee said slowly.

“What are you talking about? Are they giving you too many pain killers?” Sam was serious.

“Did you honestly think that she wouldn’t get some of your talent?”

“Are you saying she is one of my students?” Sam asked baffled.

“Yes. She is in your advanced class.”

“Who?” Sam asked a solemn look falling across her face.

“Erica Burnett.” Charlee said slowly.

Sam knew exactly who she was talking about. Erica was her star student. Sam now knew why. She was stunned that she had not noticed before this. The girl had initially reminded her of herself when they had first met.

“Thank you for telling me that.” Sam said.

“Are you going to talk to her?” Charlee wondered.

“No. I don’t think that her parents would like that too much. I am going to leave it alone.” Sam said making a split second decision that she was sure she would regret in ten years.

“Ok. I won’t tell her that you know.”

“Thank you.” Sam said smiling.

“How did you do this?” Charlee asked after another obviously painful contraction.

“I had iv drugs.” Sam said confident in her answer.

“Why didn’t you do it naturally?”

“I was 16 and I did not want to be in the pain that you are in right now.”

“Were there any side effects?” Charlee asked as she entertained the idea.

“Not for me.” Sam answered as she thought back to 16 years ago.

“Oh. I can’t take this pain anymore.” Charlee said cringing.

“Do you want me to get the nurse?” Sam asked.

“They won’t give it to me. Max is extremely against it.”

“I will talk to Max and then get you something for the pain.” Sam said walking out of the room toward the waiting room. Max was standing down the hall passed the waiting room, staring into space.

“Hey Sam, How is she?” He asked concerned.

“To tell you the truth, She is in a lot of pain.”

“She is strong, she can handle it.” Max said with confidence.

“She may not be as strong as you want her to be.” Sam said slowly.

“What do you mean?”

“She has been in pain for over 12 hours. It is taking its toll. She has tried to do it your way, it just hasn’t worked.”

“She has to do this naturally, she just has to.” Max said getting mad.

“Why? Give me one good reason why.” Sam said sharply.

“That is the way it has been done for centuries. My mom did it, Charlee can do it too.”

“That is not good enough.”

“It is good enough.”

“Do you not realize that you are causing your wife pain? Pain that in this day and age is not necessary to endure?”

“I guess I never thought of it that way.”

“Can you please get your wife some pain medication?” Sam begged of him.

“I don’t want to, but I will.” Max said defeated. He walked over to the nurses’ station and asked them for the pain medication.

Sam walked down to the window that overlooked the parking lot. Her mind was still racing about the information that Charlee had told her. The only person that may have had an idea about what had happened was Liz. Sam decided that sometime today she would talk to her about it. Sams thought process was interrupted by the shrill screams coming from room 116. She ran down the hallway to see what was wrong.

“Charlee? What is wrong?” Sam said out of breath.

“Get… the…. Doctor.” Charlee struggled to get out. She pointed at the water dripping onto the floor.

“Nurse!” Sam ran to the door and yelled as loud as she could. “Nurse!”

“What is wrong?” The nurse asked trying to figure out what the hysteria was about.

“Her water broke.”

“I can’t hold this baby in!” Charlee screeched.

“You were just 4 centimeters twenty minutes ago.” The nurse said rushing over to check Charlee again.

“I am going to get Max.” Sam said walking to the waiting room.

“What is wrong with her?” Pepper asked.

“Where is Max? It is time.” Sam said not bothering to answer Peppers question.

“I don’t know.” Liz said looking around.

“We have to find him.” Jeffrey said.

“You guys find him, I will be with Charlee.” Sam said rushing back to her friend’s side.

“Do not let her push.” The nurse ordered Sam. “I have to go call the doctor.”

The nurse rushed out of the room, leaving Sam to try to calm Charlee. Nothing seemed to work, not even lamas techniques. Charlee grabbed Sams hand and squeezed as hard as she could, turning Sams hand white and then blue. Kylee appeared in the doorway motioning for Sam to come talk to her.

“I will be right back Charlee, Kylee will sit with you until I return. Breathe and try to relax.” Sam said trying to sound supportive.

“Ok.” Charlee said.

“Still no Max?” Sam asked Kylee assuming that is what she was going to say.

“We can’t find him anywhere.” Kylee said worry creeping across her face.

“I will find him. Sit with her please.” Sam said as she left Kylee to console Charlee.

Sam ran all over the maternity ward looking for Max. She checked every empty room. When she turned up empty, she knew she had to get back to Charlee. She was about to head back toward the room, when she heard a sob coming from behind the stairwell door.

“Max, What is wrong?” Sam asked as she opened the door.

“I feel like a failure.” Max said.

“You don’t have time to feel that way. They did not even have time to give her medication. She is getting ready to push right now. You will have it your way this time.”

“She is going to hate me!”

“She is not! Now get your butt over there before you miss your baby’s birth.” Sam said sternly.

“Ok.” Max said realizing what she was saying and running out of the stairwell.

Sam was left sitting on the stairwell. She could see why Max had picked this spot to sulk. It was quiet. Sam pulled out her cell phone and texted Liz to come sit with her, and to come alone. Sam was surprised to see that Liz had not listened when she had said to come alone. Liz had brought Kylee with her.

“What is going on with you?” Liz asked cheerfully.

“I need to tell you something. Mainly because I don’t know how to handle it and I need your opinions. I should have told you this a long time ago.” Sam started to say but was interrupted by the look they gave each other. “You already know don’t you?”

“Guilty.” They said in unison.

“How?” Sam said. She could feel herself getting mad.

“Erica. She sought us out when you were in the hospital.” Kylee answered for the both of them.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We didn’t want to put a damper on your recovery.” Liz said slowly.