Part 3
Archie woke up, yawned, but didn't open his eyes. He was stiff and tired and his body ached all over. He longed for a cuppa and one of Lexie's cooked breakfasts to wake him up. He leaned over for a hug but instead of rolling over he fell with a THUD onto the ground.
"Ouch!" he whispered to himself,
"Lex, what time is it?" he asked aloud still lying where he was. After a silence he said, " Lex are you listening or is it really that late?" He groped for his watch and opened his eyes a crack, wincing at the bright daylight-streaming in. 10 o'clock!!! why hadn't Lexie woken him? Opening his eyes and sitting up it all came back to him.
He was sitting on the floor in the back of the Jeep in a lay by just outside Glasgow. All around him the ground was thick with newly laid snow and he shivered at the sight. He remembered how he had been caught in the blizzard last night and how he had to stop driving because there was no way he would have got home safely.
His first thought was Lexie. She must be wondering where he was, he had tried to phone last night but the phone line was dead, most probably brought down in the blizzard. He shivered again and pulled the blanket from the back seat over him. Yawning he started to stretch and get up, when his phone started ringing. He answered.
"Hello?" he said in a half-asleep voice
"Arch! Thank goodness! Where are you?" came the familiar voice from the other end
"Lexie, sweetheart, I'm so sorry! I was caught in the blizzard last night coming back from Glasgow, and I gave up driving and stopped at a Lay-by. I slept in the car, I tried to phone you, but the phone lines were down, and I'm so sorry......"
"Archie" Lexie cut in, "It's fine, I'm just glad you're ok, I was beginning to worry!"
"I'm fine, just missing you, but I'm coming home right now. How are you, and Katie and the baby?"
"We're fine, well that's what I was just about to come on to...."
"Why? What's wrong?" Archie said worried
"Its fine don't panic, nothing to worry about, its just..... well, my water has broken"
"NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!!!!" Archie said panicking
"Archie, calm down its fine!"
"But Lex, you'll be going into labor soon, giving birth, and you need to go to the hospital, and you'll need me there!"
"Archie its fine, all taken care of, Duncan's taking me to the hospital now and you can meet us there once you get up here"
"But you'll have given birth by then!!"
"Not necessarily! Just don't worry make sure you're safe, I don't want you in an accident just because you're racing to get here"
"Ok, well I better go then" Archie said reluctantly "Love you"
"Bye Arch, and take care!! Love you, bye!"
And the phone went dead. Archie sat there dazed for a few seconds, and then he climbed into the front seat and started the engine.
TO BE CONTINUED.............................