Chapter 70

Malachai pulled into the driveway still burning rubber.  He was sure to obey the speed limit through town as he drove, but he got there as quickly as he could.  Nothing was going to keep him away from his woman while she gave birth to his children.  There was no way in hell.

He ran into the house at full speed, barely remembering to turn off the engine to his car because he wanted to get into see how his woman was doing.  When he ran into the door, she was just relaxing from a contraction.  His father looked up at him.  “Thank GOD you’re here finally.  I can go ice my hand now.  I swear that girl has the strength of ten thousand men in those tiny hands.”

Malachai ran to his girlfriend’s side.  “Hey, have you been giving Dad trouble?”  He brushed a strand of hair from her sweat covered face.

“No, I’ve been holding his hand and screaming in pain from the contractions though”, she said in all seriousness.

Malachai smiled.  “From what he says you’ve been crushing his hand.”

She looked at her father in law.  “You know, Dad, I was barely squeezing.”

David laughed out loud.  “If you were barely squeezing, then I should still have feeling in my hand.    I can’t even move it let alone feel it.  But, don’t feel bad.  Your mother in law did the same thing with the two pregnancies she carried.  Hell, with Maddie she damn near ripped my hand off.”

“And you wonder why?”

All David could do was laugh.  “You’re funny, Amanda.  Even sitting on my couch all covered in sweat, you’re funny as hell.  But, you have to remember, my bones aren’t as young as yours and Malachai’s are anymore.  You’ve got to take it easy on my hand.  Malachai’s, however, just try not to break it, but crank down as hard as you want.”  He turned and walked into the kitchen.

When the next contraction hit, Amanda did just that.  She grabbed Malachai’s hand and made sure that he felt her pain.  “Just breathe, Mandy.  Just breathe”, was Malachai’s mantra to her.

“You suffer this kind of pain and let me tell YOU to breathe, fucker”, she cursed.

“I’m sure it hurts, honey, but you need to breathe and not hyperventilate.  Just take it easy.  I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

When the contraction ended, she looked at Malachai.  “When is it time to go to the hospital?” she asked.

“I don’t know, honey.”  He called to his parents.  “Mom, Dad, when is it time to go to hospital?”

“Time her next contraction and the time between.  If they’re lasting about half a minute and about five minutes apart, let us know and we’ll help you get her moved out to the car”, Brie came in and said.

“Are you not going with me?”

“No, not our place to be in the delivery room, unless you want one us there.  And that has to be Amanda’s choice, not yours.”

“If Mom will go, I’d like for her to be there with me”, she said to Malachai.

He nodded.  “I’ll go talk to her about it and I’ll be right back.”  He stood and headed into the kitchen to speak with his mother.  “Mandy asked that you come with to the hospital, Mom.”

“Let me talk to your father about it and I’ll get back to you.  Now, get your ass back out there and time her contractions so that we’ll know if it’s time to take her to the hospital or not.”  She shoved a wet wash cloth toward her son.  “Wipe her face with this and keep her cool.”

Malachai ran back out to Amanda’s side just in time to see her relax from another contraction.    “That one must have started as I walked out of the room”, he said.

“Sure did.  And it didn’t feel good at all.”

When the next one comes on, I’ll time it, ok?  The sooner we can get you to the hospital, the happier I think both of us will be.”  He took her hand and mopped the sweat from her brow with the wash cloth his mother had given in.  “It’s ok, Mandy.  I know it hurts.”

“You have NO IDEA”, she growled at him.  “You will never know this pain, Malachai Aaron Draiman.”

“I’ve heard that passing a kidney stone is close to this pain you’re experiencing and I’ve passed a few of those.”

“Somehow, I doubt they hurt as bad as a contraction does.” 

She started trying to breathe deep and steady as she cranked down on his hand.  He noted the time from the clock on the satellite receiver and started counting in his head.  When the contraction ended, he noted the amount of time it took mentally and noted the time from the receiver again.  He held her as close as he could and gave what comfort her could, but it wasn’t helping.  The next contraction came on and he let her crank down on his hand while he wiped the sweat from her face with the cloth.  He noted the time again.  “I’ll be right back, baby.  I’m going to go talk to Mom and Dad real fast.”

“Ok.  Be quick, please.”

“As quick as I can, honey.”  He stood and ran into the kitchen.  “Her contractions are about 35 seconds long and four minutes apart.”

“Then it’s time to get her to the hospital”, Brie told her son, then looked at her husband.  “Help our son get his pregnant fiancée out to his car?”

“Of course.”

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After Malachai had come in the first time, Brie looked at David.  “What do you think, honey?”

“If having you there will put her more at ease, then by all means; go.  What kind of an asshole would I be if I denied a pregnant woman the ability to be at ease in the delivery room?”

“A big one that would probably never be forgiven by his son and daughter in law”, Brie said is a laugh.

A few minutes later, Malachai came in and told his parents about the length and time between Amanda’s contractions.  “Then it time to get her to the hospital”, Brie said.  She looked to David.  “help our son get his pregnant fiancée out to his car?”

“Of course”, David said with a smile.  He and Malachai walked out to the living room and carefully lifted Amanda to her feet.  “Move as slowly as you need to, Amanda.  We’re here to support you as you move.”

Amanda started walking and the contractions intensified.  She howled in pain, clinging to her father in law.  “GOD, IT FUCKING HURTS!” she screamed.

“Shh, Amanda, it’s ok.  I know it hurts.  Remember, I have nine besides Malachai”, he whispered calmly in her ear.  After the contraction ended, he looked at Malachai.  “Go start your car and make it fast.  The only way this poor girl is getting out of this house is being carried.  Drive as fast as you can to the hospital.  Fuck the speed limit.  All you have to do is tell the cop your fiancée is in labor and they won’t give a shit.  Hell, they’ll give you a police escort.”

“Yes, sir”, Malachai said and ran out to start his car.

“Ok, Amanda, you can be as mad at me as you want, but I’m going to carry you out to the car so that Malachai can take you to the hospital.  You’re mother in law will be right out.  If she’s not in the car, she’ll follow in one of ours.”

“Just get me to the hospital.  I don’t care how.”

David chuckled and lifted the young woman in his arms.  Fuck, she’s heavy, he thought as he lifted.  He started walking carefully but quickly out to the car and got her into the passenger seat.  “Go, Malachai.  You’re mother will be right behind you.”  He pointed to the garage where Brie sat in the front seat of a classic Chevy car that David had owned for years.

“I’m outta here.  You might wanna step back so that I don’t run over your toes, Dad.”

David stepped back and watched as his son peeled off out of his driveway.  Brie pulled forward and stopped.  “I’ll call as soon as the babies are born.  Have the kids ready to go meet their niece and nephew.  If Amanda’s up to it, then we’ll take them up there.”

“You got it, baby.  I look forward to hearing from you soon.”  He leaned into the open window and gave her a kiss.  “Love you”.

She smiled.  “Love you too, honey.  Now back up or get your toes crushed.”

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“I’ve got to push”, Amanda said.  Malachai moved to go get the doctor and she cranked down on his hand. 
“You’re not going anywhere, Mister.”

Brie smiled.  “I’ll poke my head out and get someone.”  She jogged to the door of the private room and looked at the nursing staff.  “I have a young lady in here who’s feeling like she needs to push.  Can we get some people in here to deliver my grandchildren or do I need to call my friend the Chief of Medicine?”

No words were spoken, but everyone at the nurse’s station jumped into action.  Three of them came into the room and started fussing over Amanda.  Brie stood there with a  satisfied smile on her face.  “That’s what I thought, bitches”, she said under her breath and made her way back over to the bedside to help her daughter in law in whatever way she could.

Dr. Jefferies came sliding into the room and spotted Brie right away.  “Well, hello Mrs. Draiman.  I didn’t expect to see you here.  Where is Mr. Draiman?”

“Home with our other children.  Our daughter in law here asked me to be here with her when she had her babies.”

“Amanda’s your daughter in law?”

“Not technically.  She and Malachai aren’t married yet, but she’s family anyway.  Now, Dr. Jefferies, can she have some babies or not?  Get your late, lazy ass over here and deliver these children before I cross this room and plant a foot in your ass.”

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“Push Amanda.  Your daughter is almost here”, Dr. Jefferies said.  Little Miranda was giving Mama a little bit of hell coming.  Isaiah had already arrived.  He decided he wanted to be first.  With the next contraction, Brie and Malachai lifted her feet into the air and she pushed with everything she had.  She could feel her daughter sliding out with every moment.  “We’ve got a head, and what do you know it’s full of brown curls.”  He looked at Brie.  “Do all of your kids have brown curls?”

“Malachai doesn’t.  I lucked out in that he got her birth father’s straight hair.”

“But curls are a dominant trait, I got it.”  He looked at Amanda.  “One more should do it, Amanda.  One more and you and Malachai will have your daughter.”  Amanda pushed with everything she had, screaming as she did.  She felt the shoulders of her daughter slip out and the doctor pulled little Miranda from her mother birth canal and cleared out her air ways.  The moment she heard her daughter cry, tears of joy streamed down her face.  She was handed her messy bundle of joy. 

“So, what’s her name?” one nurse asked.

“Miranda Jadye Draiman”, Amanda said with tears in her voice.  She looked up and Malachai who had moved to the head of the bed.  “We have a daughter now, too”, she said.

“And she’s the most precious thing I’ve ever laid eyes on”, Malachai said, his voice full of pure joy.

“After they bring the babies back into you, would you be up to having some company?  I know nine other Draiman children who would like to meet their niece and nephew as well as a Draiman adult that would like to meet his grandchildren.”

“Bring up the whole family”, Amanda said with a smile.  “I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and I can’t wait to introduce Isaiah and Miranda to them all.”