Chapter 41

Last Call

Even though we had napped earlier, I was feeling really tired and thought I needed to relax and get a shower. Back in the room, we went to sleep spooning with Greg's right hand hanging over my breasts. He cracks me up, he just has to feel my breasts if they are anywhere in proximity of his hands. Even when we don't have sex, he has to touch my body. I just ignore it when I don't feel like sex and he gets the hint, usually. He did tonight because he started snoring with his hand still cupped around my breast. Men, what is it with them? I slept well and we got up six hours later to continue the trek home. After showering, we ate a big breakfast at the Denny's next door, got gas and took off for the last leg of the trip. We would be home before five p.m. if we didn't stop too often. I went to the bathroom in the AM/PM and then walked back to the car.

"What took you so long in the bathroom?" He asked suspiciously.

"Excuse me? I don't think I want to share that information. For God's sake Greg, stop being so nosey."

He laughed as we climbed in the car, driving for four hours before we stopped to stretch, get more gas and grab a snack. "Do you want to drive for a few hours and then I can take us the rest of the way into Princeton?" he asked.

"Uh, do you really need for me to drive?"

He shook his head. "No, I can do it, why?"

"Well, when I went to the bathroom this morning I had the "show.'"

He went white; as if he just saw his life flash before him. "You're in labor and you didn't tell me?"

"The contractions are light and spaced far apart; I'm not having the baby today, probably tomorrow." I tried to sound convincing although I wasn't so sure.

He looked at me like I was making fun of him. "Do you think I'm a moron? Your contractions could pick up at any time. You will tell me if we need to get you to a hospital, right?"

I nodded.

He huffed and puffed. "Christ, our kid will probably be born in Hershey or Philadelphia."

"It won't, I promise." But I wasn't sure I could hold to that promise. The contractions soon became so hard and heavy that I was grabbing the dashboard just outside of Philly, screaming with each contraction. Greg was getting more and more upset with me. Using the hands free console, he called the obstetrician and told her what was going on. She calmed Greg down and assured him that he could get me to PPTH in time, just keep driving.

"Kenna, I refuse to forgive you for this. If I have to deliver this baby in a Ford Escape I'll never let you live it down. You'll be cooking my favorite meals for the rest of your life."

I wanted to tell him that he should never talk trash to a woman in labor but I was right in the middle of a contraction, "Fuck you...ahhggggg. Fuck you Gregory House...ahhhggg."

He was incredibly happy when he saw the PPTH sign and knew we had made it. Pulling up in front of the emergency room, Wilson met us with the wheelchair. Greg rolled me in while Wilson parked our car. I was met by dozens of people who were congratulating us. I was trying not to scream as we went through the corridors to the elevator, but the occasional moan would slip out. On the elevator I looked up at Greg and saw how worried he was. It melted my heart. When we got into the delivery room our obstetrician told him I was fully effaced and dilated.

The obstetrician looked up and said, "You two like cutting it close don't you? We have a head here."

Greg jerked his head back in disbelief and then ran to the other end of the bed. "Jesus H. Christ Kenna, I can see the crown of the baby's head."

I was screaming and didn't hear him. It was so painful I felt like my pelvis was being torn apart. "Can't I have drugs? Any drugs?"

Dr. Canepa said, "Nope, too late, this is going to be over in a few minutes."

Greg went over and washed his hands and face. He came back when the next contraction hit. I screamed bloody murder and everyone gave each other big smiles. Greg was beaming.

"His head just popped out...one more push Kenna and we have a kid and the rest of our lives are cemented. Honey, it's not too late, just suck it up and stop pushing? "He reached up and took my hand. The contraction came but it didn't hurt as much as the others. I'm not sure what happened, but all of a sudden Greg was holding our baby in his hands and the obstetrician was tying off the cord. Greg cut the cord and it was taken to be frozen just in case the baby ever needed stem cells. My husband held up a screaming boy and gave him to the nurse to conduct the APGAR scoring; clear his nose and mouth; and, swaddle him in a blanket.

It seemed to go slowly, but within a few minutes I heard the doctor say, "A lusty ten," meaning that Mycroft was healthy, very healthy.

Greg took the baby and brought him over to me. The first photo of us with our son was taken and I nuzzled Mycroft who was trying to focus on this blur of a mother. I don't know if Greg felt the same, but I had forgotten all about me, Kenna, being swallowed up in other titles and focused on this tiny, helpless creature who was looking up to us for all of his needs. I think Greg was feeling it too because his eyes were glassy. I think he was a little overwhelmed by it all.

Our son made the newspapers across the country as well as the entertainment magazines like People. I didn't find giving birth that entertaining, but Greg did, he told everyone stories about it, most of which were exaggerated. When we eventually left the hospital there were several newspaper journalists and television cameras, including Entertainment Tonight (which I found absurd) waiting for us.

"Dr. House, can you describe your son for us?"

"He has a very large penis for a child his size."

They went silent and I got into the car while Greg put Myke in his car-seat in the back. We drove home and started our life as parents, but then that's a whole other story.

The End