Page 49 of Billionaire Hunt

He nodded. “Yes, she’s fine. It’s just that she’s two weeks early. That concerns me.”

“Me too,” I confessed, feeling a little breathless. It wasn’t until then that I realized that I had been holding my breath. I felt a little shaky. I think it was from all the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

“Where is she now? Is she waiting for a room?”

Oliver laughed, showing a hint of his usual self. “She has her own wing. I made sure of it.”

“God, just when I forget you’re a billionaire and think you’re a normal person, you make comments like that.”

He smiled and escorted me to the wing where Lacey was being taken. We passed through the general maternity ward area that was open to the public and turned down another hall where two security guards stood. They let us pass upon seeing Oliver and that’s when I saw her. Jude held her hand as she walked up and down the hall, holding on to the wall, as if she were trying to claw through it.

When she saw me her face lit up and then her expression was marred in pain, as she collapsed against the wall and Jude rubbed her back looking helpless.

I ran up to her and rubbed her back too, not sure what else to do. “Are you okay? Can’t they give you any meds?”

“Meds! No meds! I don’t want to slow down my labor.”

“But you’re already two weeks early, I think you’re ahead of schedule as it is.”

“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr” was the response I got as she bent down into a deep squat and Jude rushed to hold her hands.

“Squatting makes the contractions feel better,” he told me in explanation.

I looked at Lacey who was still grimacing in pain. Her teeth were clamped together and her eyes were closed. The squats didn’t seem to be working.

“Breathe, hon. One, two, three. Breath. One, two, three. Breath.”

She tried and then shook her head and said, “I think your rhythm is wrong. It’s supposed to be one, two---”

She never got to three as she groaned in pain. When the contraction ended she began to talk again.

“Forget this. I can’t do this. I’m leaving.” She started wobbling with purposeful strides toward the exit; Jude walked helplessly next to her looking unsure, but not daring to stop her. And of course, I wasn’t being very helpful. I just stood there and watched the whole scene play out in front of me. Oliver and I looked at each other unsure of what to do. Lacey made it as far as the elevator before having another contraction that stopped her in her tracks.

Another mom in labor was stepping out of the elevator at that very moment. She looked calm and in charge until she spotted Lacey.

“Ohhhhhhh Goddddddddd, I feel like she’s going to rip out my soul,” Lacey groaned, then collapsed to all fours between the elevator doors and the other mom nervously stepped over her. Jude quickly stood between the doors to make sure they didn’t close on Lacey’s now prone body as she rolled over on her back and spread out like a starfish, staring at the ceiling with a stubborn expression on her face.

“If this baby wants to come out then it’ll have to rip through my belly like that scene from Alien. I want no part in this.”

The startled woman’s husband excused himself and stepped over Lacey too. He looked back at us and gave a small unsure smile.

“She’ll be fine,” I found myself saying, not knowing what else to do. “And umm…good luck with the whole birthing thing!” I called after them.

I felt so stupid, but apparently my words were appreciated. “Thanks,” said the woman. “This is number five,” said the man, smiling broadly.

“Five,” I heard Lacey say from the ground. “She did this five times? Is she insane?”

We heaved her up and I tried to find something comforting to say. I found nothing and so I said, “I think you should stay in the unit and not try to escape.”

“I think that’s a reasonable plan too,” Jude added. I realized then that he was sweating. The hospital was freezing so apparently he was stress sweating. Poor guy. Then I looked at Lacey; of the two, I think she deserved more of my sympathy.

“No, no, no. I don’t want to do this. I can’t handle this...ggggrrrrrrr,” she said again, leaning up against the wall as another contraction hit her.

I heard the elevator open again and hoped it was a nurse or a doctor. Someone with medical training, because I just wanted to run away screaming. This was way too much for me.

But we got something even better.

“Hey, kiddo. Are you terrorizing everyone in the maternity ward?”