Page 92 of The Champion
Ten minutes passed and I wasn’t sure why they couldn’tjust transport me to the hospital. This seemed ridiculous but it might have hadsomething to do with the fact that every time they tried to move me from myspot on the floor of Jimi’s hauler, I screamed at them and told them to leaveme alone. I kicked everyone out except for Jimi.
Jimi looked incredibly nervous and completelyuncomfortable with the entire situation.
“This is horrible.” He voiced his completelyuncomfortable with this entire situation.
I think I stressed this before, but childbirth isdisgusting. Sure, it’s beautiful, the beginning of life and all. But mostly,it’s disgusting. I was almost positive Jimi felt the same.
Jameson, in not so many words told his dad he’d kill himif anything happened to me. Scaring Jimi, the only one here to help me, justdidn’t seem like a good idea to me. I could be wrong.
So there I was, legs spread, a tarp covering mycrankcase, a Hans device supporting my neck (it was all we had in the hauler),each one of my legs were propped up on the rear tires of Jimi’s car while twosafety officials assessed the situation.
“Mrs. Riley, we need to transport you but it seems it’sprogressing quickly. I think it’s best that we just stay here.”
I held up my hand. “Two things you need to know.” I toldthe man and woman safety official. “I do not want the wordcrowningsaid. And second...well I don’t knowwhat the second thing will be...” Ipointed at them. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“Yes Ma’am, we do.”
“This sucks.” Jimi said pacing the hauler biting hisfingernails. “Why do I have to be in here? Why can’t Ami?”
“She’s taking care of Axel.”
“I can do that, why can’t I do that?”
“The last time you were alone with Axel...you fed him dog biscuits.”
“So...those thingswere delicious.” He sat down next to me running his hands through his blackhair and tugging. “I can’t do this. I reallycan’t. You don’t seem tounderstand that.”
“You’ll be fine. Just calm down.” I told him. He wasreally starting to freak even me out. “You have to stop stressing me out.”
“I might not make it.” he shoved a wet rag at mehaphazardly only partially paying attention.
“Sit down and stop being a pussy.” I ordered.
“If I see blood, I may pass out. Where’s that no goodhusband of yours?” he once again glanced out the hauler once again where thatJustin and Tyler were standing guard outside to insure no one could comeinside. “I can’t do this.”
The track official checked me one last time and said Ineeded to push because I was completely effaced. As it was, I had my legsclamped again hoping Jameson magically made it across the United States in thelast few minutes.
“Where the fuck is Ami?” Jimi asked again when they movedto get everything ready for me to push. “She needs to get her ass in here.”
Tuning him out, I didn’t like the way they said effacingor dilating. Along with the word crowning, those words alone were enough tosend me into a panic attack.
Nothing changed from the time I progressed from a sevento a ten. Jimi was still freaking out and asking the medical staff if he couldhave an epidural.
“We don’t have the equipment for that sort of thing.”
“Well that’s stupid.” Jimi balked. “What the fuck are youguys good for anyway?”
“Sir,” the woman official looked up at him. “We are tracksafety officials, not a hospital or even an obstetrician.”
“Do you even know what you’re doing then?”
The man official looked up at Jimi. “I think we know morethan you do.”
“I highly doubt that. If you did, you’d have an epiduralon hand or even adrenaline.”
Jimi and the official continued to argue as I tried topush this kid out in the race car hauler surrounded by nothing sanitary. Itwasn’t lost on me or Jimi that we should have gone to the hospital but no, Idecided to stay put.
I screamed, as did Jimi and Tommy, who had accidentallywalked in when the baby started to come out.
