"We have good news and bad news," Kendall said entering his mom's hospital room with his sister.
"Bad news first," Logan said from the black chair James had slept in. James was currently curled up snoring softly in the green foldout and Carlos lay awake in Mrs. Knight's bed.
"It's a boy!" Katie cried sitting on the bed near Carlos's feet.
"Well, if that's the bad news the good news must be out of this world," Carlos said.
"That's not the bad news." Kendall gave his sister a look. "That's the good news. The bad news is…well…" he stepped closer to the guys. Carlos sat up. James slept on. "Mom's still talking to her doctor. She sent us here so she could have some private words with him. She's definitely in labor and she's dilated four centimeters, whatever that means."
"The cervix has to open to let the baby out. Once it gets to ten centimeters the mother can start pushing and the baby can be born," Logan explained.
"We don't want the baby to be born yet," Katie said. She went on to explain what the nurse had told her about the baby being engaged.
"Hey, boys, Katie." Mrs. Knight entered the room being pushed in a wheelchair by Dr. Carter. Carlos and Katie immediately jumped off the bed.
"Well, it appears your mom will have to be on bed rest for a while," Dr. Carter said as Kendall helped his mom into the bed. "We'll keep her here for a few days and if all goes well we'll possibly be able to send her home. Her contractions have lessened from six an hour to five. Hopefully, we're on the right track with this thing. We just need to keep the baby from engaging and your cervix from dilating."
"Why don't you boys go on home?" Mrs. Knight said once the doctor left the room.
"I don't want to leave you here alone," Kendall said. He stood on one side of the bed with his arms around Katie.
"You all can't possibly have gotten any rest in this place and all you would do is watch me sleep. Go home, get some rest, and come back later. You're not doing me any good if you're dead tired."
"I would like to sleep in a real bed," Logan yawned.
"What if something happens while I'm gone?"
"Honey, I know you're concerned but there's nothing you can do even if you do stay. You're my son; I care about you, and I want you to get some rest. I'll feel better knowing you feel better." She patted his hand. "You're first on my emergency contact list so if anything does happen they'll call you right away."
"Ow!" James exclaimed. He rubbed his shin where Katie had just kicked him.
"We're going home," Katie said.
"Mama Knight's been discharged?" He looked curiously at his pseudo-mother in the hospital bed.
"Not yet. I've been placed on bed rest. They want to watch me and make sure the baby stays right where he needs to be. But, I'm sending you all home to get some real sleep in your own beds."
"K," James yawned, laid his head back, and closed his eyes. "KATIE!" He yelled when she kicked him again.
"I'll bring you your phone charger, a few books, some magazines, and Mitch," Kendall offered.
"Yeah…what?"
Kendall lay in his bed with his eyes wide open. The blinds were drawn shut to make it as dark as possible with the sun shining outside the window, but he could not go to sleep. His roommate, Logan, had no problem with that. He fell asleep once his head hit the pillow not even bothering to change his clothes. He still had his shoes on. Not able to take it anymore Kendall climbed out of bed and headed to the living room.
He found Katie sitting on the couch staring like a zombie at the blank TV screen.
"She's going to be okay, isn't she?"
"Mom?" Kendall sat down next to her and patted her leg. "She's already doing better."
"I sent Mitch the picture." Katie looked at Kendall. "The ultrasound." The nurse had sent the picture to Mrs. Knight's phone and she sent it to her two kids. "He deserves to know. It's his kid, too. I've been talking to him."
"You have?"
"He wants to apologize to Mom but she hasn't talked to him since that day. I think he really loves her. I'm doing the right thing, right?"
"Yes, Baby Sis." Kendall flipped on the TV and the two fell asleep to the sounds of The Fairy Odd Parents in the background.
The sound of Katie's phone beeping woke Kendall. Katie's shifting meant it woke her, too, but she wasn't going to answer it. Groping blindly, he pulled the phone off the coffee table and peered at it with one eye open. It was a text message from Mitch.
Thanks. I have a son! Or will have. I need to see your mom. What room is she staying in?
"Um, Katie?"
"Tell Mom we'll visit her later," she muttered.
"It's not Mom. It's Mitch." Kendall shoved the phone in his sister's face. Katie sat up reading the text.
"He wants to see Mom. I hadn't planned on this."
"Well, we do want Mom to talk to him."
"She'll kill us."
"No strenuous activity."
"She'll kill us."
"She's on bed rest."
"She'll kill us later."
"By then she'll be back with Mitch and have forgiven us." Kendall took the phone from Katie and began typing. "Done."
"Done?"
"Done."