here we are

"You're really sure? The pains that bad?" Lon looked over at Ellie in the waiting room at the doctor's office which was in the hospital. They'd taken her blood pressure already and it was fine. "Why aren't we in an exam room or something?" Lon looked around, Ellie took his hand.

"Its OK." She just smiled as if it was OK if the pain was so bad. Yes, it was sharp in her lower back, and she thought she might break in to, but still, she knew the baby was a long way from happening this instant.

"OH MY GOD." He jumped up. His eyes bulging as if he were the one ill. He was sweating. He looked like he could have burst out in a dance number.

"Are you all right?" She looked up at him.

"Nurse! I need a nurse!" He said rather profound. Of course, everyone looked at him in the waiting room as if he might be an idiot.

"Just sit down." But a spasm came over her. She gritted hard. OK, maybe this was bad. Finally. She held her stomach and bit her upper lip hard. She kept her eyes shut tight as if that alone could get her to another place and time. It didn't.

"Why aren't they doing anything?" He couldn't keep still. Finally some nurse came over and looked at Ellie.

"Can you walk?" The nurse asked.

"I think so." But when she got up her water broke, and she was in a huge puddle of water that flushed to her feet. She looked down, trying not to be freaked. How was that possible?

"Well, I guess you aren't going home." The nurse just glared at her. Soon enough they were wheeling her to a room and starting the process.

"See, I told them. I told them, this was serious!" Lon told Ellie on the way. She wasn't really listening to him because she felt herself possibly cracking. Somewhere. She hated to say something pathetic like, "I don't know whats happening to me?"

But it was happening. They got her in a gown and so much equipment attached to her belly and even inside her, or so it seemed. How in the world would the baby every get here? She looked over at the monitor. The baby was moving. It was so strange and baffling. She wasn't suppose to deliver for another 3 weeks.

She said a little prayer then. She was so afraid. She just needed to get through this. She wasn't even sure of a name. But she stayed calm. She wasn't going anywhere. Not just yet. There was Lon walking around as if he just might deliver it himself, if people didn't start answering his questions.

Ellie winced again. All this pain. It felt so raw and antagonizing. She heard them talking about centimeters. She didn't know if it were good or bad. Finally, she dozed off, after while. Someone kept saying it would be soon. But she looked at a clock. It didn't seem soon. She had been here a good 4 hours, already. She looked over at the monitor. The baby wasn't moving, but its heart was beating. Wasn't it? Or was that her heartbeat?

Someone was in a mask. Told her they'd need to give her spinal. "Just turn to your side." It felt impossible to do with so much equipment to deal with. But Ellie couldn't keep still.

"Just look at me. OK." Lon touched Ellie's face. But it hurt. The needle really did hurt. She thought someone was putting a sword in her lower back and not taking it out. Something had to be wrong. Something had to be wrong.