Chapter 56: Emergency
Charlie P.O.V
I tugged on the corner of the swag trying to get it to fall down from the cupboard but I just couldn't get enough leverage. I reached up onto my tippy toes and gave another hard pull and it came crashing down, knocking over a bowl of pencil, causing the swag and the bowl to crash to the ground and the pencils scattering over the floor.
"Charlie!" I heard Brax yelled before he ran into the room.
"Babe what are you doing?" He questioned, after he realised that it wasn't me that made the noise.
"I was just getting your swag down; it will need to be cleaned before you go camping with the boys..." I said as I leant down to pick up the pencils.
"Oh no you don't, why don't you go sit down while I clean this up. I can't have my 8 month pregnant wife straining herself, please Charlie just relax." He stressed as he took my hand and led me into to the living room.
"Just sit down and relax place Charlie." He said as he kissed my forehead and walked back up the stairs to clean the mess I had made.
I sighed, I it's getting close and I know that all the doctors, and all the baby books state that a mother that is 3 weeks away from childbirth should sit down and relax but that's just not me, I feel so unless and most of all I get so bored. Brax and I are back on track, he spent the majority of the time in hospital with me, waiting patiently until they allowed me to be released, and as soon as I was I went back home with him, and things were back to normal.
"You know Charlie I really don't have to go! I would much rather stay home and look after you!" He yelled from up the stairs.
"Brax you're going to your brother's birthday, no questions asked." I demanded. Brax and his two other brothers have this tradition, as soon as Brax had his licence the boys decided that 3 times a year, (When they each had a birthday), that instead of having a party they'd go camping instead, fishing, drinking and mucking around. Well it was Heath's birthday tomorrow and the boys were to leave this afternoon, but Brax, as usual didn't want to leave me home while he went out and had fun.
"Charlie you are 3 weeks away from having a baby I really don't feel comfortable in leaving you here at home, alone." He said as he walked down the stairs.
"Well she can come to." I looked over to see Heath standing at the door.
"No she can't." Brax answered back.
"Um, yes I can." I said back.
"See! Perfect, everyone's happy." Heath smiled as he grabbed one of Brax's bags near the door and threw it over his shoulder.
"Uh no I'm not? she's not coming Heath 8 months and 1 week pregnant if you need to be reminded." He stressed.
"Brax I'm pregnant not physically impaired." I laughed as I got up.
"I'm going to pack my bags." I stated.
"Yeah Buckton!" Heath laughed clapping his hands; I smiled at Brax while I walked up the stairs.
Brax P.O.V
"Brax you coming!?" I heard Casey yell from the boat.
"Nah I'll stay here!" I yelled back, I was sitting on the chair next to the fire with Charlie on my lap and a beer in my hand.
"What!? Since we have been here you have only been fishing off the bank, come on the fish aren't near the bank they're near the mangroves!" Heath yelled.
"Heath I'm not coming and you would already be out there if you were to stop your sooking!" I yelled back, to have Charlie stand up.
"Wait up Heath!" Charlie yelled.
"What, wait what are you doing?" I questioned.
"Brax just go please, I'll be fine. The boys are right we have been here 3 days and you haven't caught one thing yet, just go out on the river and go have some fun, I can guarantee I'll be here when you get back. Just take your phone, and if something happens I'll call you I promise." She begged, grabbing my hands a pulling me up, I sighed.
"Okay fine, but if anything happens, anything at all I want you to call me immediately." I stressed, she nodded.
"Shit yeah Buckton! Gone up 3 steps in my books!" Heath cooed.
"Please babe, call me. I mean if anything at all happens." I said as I kissed her.
"I will baby, trust me. Me and the bub will be fine." She smiled as she kissed me.
Charlie P.O.V
The boys had been gone 1 hour and I was already getting lonely being by myself, the fire was only smouldering now so I decided to go for a walk to find some more small pieces of fire wood just to keep it going until they get back. Seeing the fire wood pile consisted of huge chunks of wood, stuff that was too heavy for me to pick up.
I put my shoes on and grabbed my water bottle before heading down a well worn out walking track in hope so find a small piece of fire wood. After about 5 minutes I found nothing but large branches and small sticks and twigs which all were useless in my situation. I felt a quick kick so my belly, which was stronger than usual, it kind of hurt, my hand flew to my belly.
"Ah bub you are getting strong aren't you, just like your dad, I think I might sit down for a while huh?" I said, looking around for somewhere to sit. I sat down on a large rock, before grabbing my water bottle and about to take a sip, only for me to drop it and have to roll out in front of me.
"Great..." I sighed as I leant forward trying to get it, as I stretched out a hot piercing pain shot threw my body causing me to scream.
"Ah bub what are you doing to me?" I whimpered, as I went to stand up, only to fall back to the ground after another sharp pain rocketed threw my body. I waited here for a while, but when I started to feel better again I got to me feet only for the pain to start again, I felt a warm liquid gush down my legs, I looked down to realise my water had broken.
"Oh no, oh god no, no, no..." I started to say frantically, not sure of what to do anymore.
"No bub, not now please, this isn't a good time." I begged as I went to walk forward, before dropping to the ground in pain as a contraction began to start. I was breathing heavily now, and sweat was starting to form on my forehead as I clutched my baby.
I then remembered the phone Brax wanted me to carry in case of emergencies and I was pretty sure this counted. I leant back only to cry out in pain as I slide out the phone from my pocket, I tapped the screen only to see a cross where the signal bars usually are, no service, fuck. It was then I started to hyperventilate, and started to panic, what am I meant to do? The contractions were getting stronger now, but I knew I would still be in labour for a while if this birth was going to be the same as Ruby's, but I knew I couldn't just wait around for Brax to find me, and I couldn't wait around for this baby to decide it's sick of waiting.
"Help!" I screamed out, in hope someone would hear me.
"Please somebody help me! Help!" I screamed.
Heath P.O.V
I have been watching Brax bob his rod up and down for the past 30 minutes as we anchored in the middle of all the mangroves, he was clearly distracted and I knew why.
"Geez mate we've been gone 1 hour and you are already worrying, don't worry. She's a cop Brax she'll be fine." I said as I cracked open a beer.
"Yeah I know but..." I cut him off.
"No! No buts! Take this, and drink it." I said throwing him a can.
"Something just doesn't feel right..." He dragged off.
"Yeah the fact that we haven't caught anything yet." I said.
Charlie P.O.V
"Help, please someone help me! Please." I cried out as I tried to suck in a breath.
"Please, someone!" I cried out again, my hair was now sticking to my face from the sweat that was running down my forehead, I was really starting to get worried. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as the pain seared through my body, I heard leaves rustling and sticks cracking under the foot of something I opened my eyes quickly to see a small boy standing in front of me, who must have been about 7-8 years old and must be on a hiking trip seeing he was wearing all the gear. I went to open my mouth and say something but the pain got worse and only a whimper escaped.
"Dad I found her!" The kid yelled.
"Where are you?" I heard a male's voice shout.
"Down here!" He yelled back, I was starting to wonder if I was seeing things but then a man, a woman and a teenage girl ran over the top of the hill.
"Oh dear lord." The woman said as she saw him and realised what I was yelling about.
"Please you've got to help me." I cried out, she ran closer to me and kneeled beside me.
"Are you okay?" She questioned, as she checked me over, I could only manage to nod.
"Darl I think your baby is on the way." She smiled.
"No, no, no not now. No please not now." I cried.
"Honey, what god wants god will get." She laughed, I looked up at her, she had such a kind face so immediately some of my worries disappeared. She had grey curly hair which was surprising because she didn't look that old, she was dressed like the little boy they had obviously been on a hiking trip when they heard my cries for help.
"What's your name?" Asked the man, probably her husband.
"Charlie, Charlie Braxton." I panted out, he lent down beside me and supported my back as they gave me something to drink.
"Well my name is Peter, and this is my wife Trudy, and my beautiful children Demmi and Jack." He smiled, I looked up at the kids then back at the woman, I noticed a small golden cross hanging from her neck, then I looked back at her children and her husband noticing the same cross was around all 4 of their necks, they were religious, another worry off my mind, now I know they won't hurt me.
"I need to find my husband." I begged as I tried to get up.
"No honey, Peter will do that. You're baby is on the way we need to get you to the hospital." Trudy stressed as she held my hand.
"Mum there is no phone service out here, we can't call an ambulance." Said the teenage girl, I just sighed how come nothing is going my way.
"Well I guess we could carry her back to our camp and take her to the holiday using the landie." Said Peter.
"Honey that's 5 km, she's pregnant and in labour we can't carry her that far." Trudy said calmly as I screamed through another contraction.
"My camp is only 10 minutes away and we can take my husband's Ute." I said through gritted teeth.
"Okay that's a good idea, where is your husband at?" Trudy questioned.
"He's out in the mangroves with his brothers fishing." I said as the pain of this contraction faded.
"The pain isn't as bad now." I sighed as i closed my eyes.
"Okay that's our cue to get moving." Peter said. Him and his wife carefully lifted me, and began carrying me back to camp with my directions. It wasn't comfortable, it was painful and rocky and by the time we reached the camp I was drenched in sweat again.
"Okay you get going to the closet hospital, Jack, Demmi and I will run back and grab the boat and go looking for your husband. Before I forget what is his name?" He questioned.
"Darryl Braxton." I said as they slide me into the ute and Trudy quickly made her way to the other side of the vehicle.
"Drive safe, and we will see you soon." Peter said as Trudy slide into the driving seat and turned the key and the Ute purred to life.
Brax P.O.V
I still had this weird feeling that something wasn't quite right and I had managed to con the boys into ½ hour more out here then we'll head back so I can check on Charlie. We were in the middle of the mangroves so it was dark, humid and cool as the mangroves thick canopy wouldn't allow the sun to enter, but the fish liked it we had caught 40 in the past 3 hours but only 22 of the were of a decent size.
The boys had been drinking the whole time and now they were pretty charged and on the verge of being drunk so I decided I'd leave early anyway. I put the boat in a low gear and with the help of Casey managed to manoeuvre the boat out of the thick trees and back onto the river.
"She'll be fine Brax don't worry about it." Casey said as he took a seat beside me.
"Yeah I know mate, something just doesn't feel right." I said, in the distance I could hear the hum of another boat and I looked around behind me to see a small boat about the size of ours powering towards us with someone on board waving their arms back and forth.
"Brax look at that." Casey said, I turned the boat around and powered towards them, and when we were within a couple meters I let the boat coast in towards the other boat with 3 on board, all looking pretty stressed.
"Woah where's the fire?" Heath questioned.
"Darryl Braxton? Is there a Darryl Braxton here?" Questioned the man, my throat tightened where would he get information like that, there was only one way, Charlie.
