Fall To Pieces(56)

Muttering to himself, Kyle started the engine, tearing off with a speed that on any other day I would have complained about.

But now, right now, all I wanted was a doctor, a clean bed and a truck load of drugs.





*****





Kyle





I watched Lee pour the entire contents of a bottle of water over her face. Her face was so red, that I wasn’t sure what she needed to be treated for, first; labor or dehydration.

“Don’t waste this one, baby, drink it up,” I ordered, passing her another bottle of water.

I’d been driving an hour since she told me was in labor and fuck, if I knew where I was.

I must have taken the wrong turn off somewhere back along the interstate, because the only thing around us now, was wide grassy fields.

“Don’t tell me what to do, you son of a bitch,” she growled, as she panted breathlessly. “This is your entire, freaking fault.”

I knew that, and right now, I was a little afraid of her temper.

She was scaring the shit of me, if I was being honest.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m just trying to help you. You’re burning up.”

I patted her knee, which, turned out to be a bad move on my part.

Lee grabbed my hand, squeezing it with a strength she’d never had before. Her finger nails dug into my palm.

“Of course I’m burning up. There’s a human being trying to crawl its way out of my VAGINA, Kyle Carter, and you put him there.”

I tried to pull my hand back, but she held onto it, with a vice like grip.

Holy fuck.

I concentrated on the road ahead, as I silently practiced my own breathing techniques, to cope with the pain she was inflicting on me.

“Shut the hell up, guys, I’m trying to nap here,” Derek grumbled from the back seat, which was a dangerous move for him.

Lee swung around faster than I’d seen her move in months, and lunged for his shirt.

Dragging him into the space between our two seats, she glared at him.

“Don’t you dare fuck with me, Derek Porter.”

I slipped my hand away quickly, while her focus was elsewhere.

Jesus Christ, I couldn’t feel my fingers.

Lee whimpered and released Derek’s shirt, as she began to pant again.

“It hurts, Kyle. It really hurts,” she cried, clutching her bump with one hand, and holding her other hand up for me.

I braced myself for the pain and held her hand through another contraction.

They were coming so fast now, I’d lost track of the time in between them.

“Dude, is she having the kid now?” Derek shouted, shaking Cam awake.

“Where the hell are we?” he continued, swinging his head around to look out the car window. “Oh great, we’re lost. Nice one, Kyle. We’re fucking miles away from civilization.”

“Not helping, dude,” I growled, trying to concentrate on driving with one hand.

It should have been easy, but Lee was yanking on my hand so hard I was struggling to keep the car straight.

Derek was right though. We were lost. “Check your phone, Derek, see if you have a signal.”

“Shit, man,” Derek muttered from behind me. “I must have forgotten it at home.”

Oh, that was just fucking marvelous.

I went to pass him mine, but the battery was under my feet, and the fucking screen was cracked.

Goddammit.

Cam, who was now wide awake, leaned forward and started rubbing Lee’s shoulders. “It’s okay, Lee, you’re doing great, babe. How far apart are the contractions?”

“I don’t know any more,” Lee sobbed. “Less than a minute, I think.”

Lee grunted again, and hissed.

“Oh god,” she cried, squeezing my hand tighter.

“What?” we all shouted at the same time.

I glanced over at her red, puffy face. She was biting on her lip, her brows furrowed.

“I think my water just broke. That, or I’ve just peed my pants,” she panted.

I glanced down at her crotch, grateful for the empty road; if it was busy, I’d have crashed into something by now.

Lee’s dress, and the seat, was drenched in a pool of clear fluid.

Jesus fucking Christ.

This was really happening, right here on a country road, in the middle of no man’s land.

I’m gonna have to deliver my own kid.

The thought fucking terrified me, the images flashing in my head were much worse.

We shouldn’t have gone this far out of Boulder, not with two weeks to her due date.

I’d known it was a bad idea.

Shit, I should have put my foot down.

I’d been so careful, and now, here we were.

Lee was about to give birth, and all she had instead of a medical team; was me, Cam and fucking Derek.

“Kyle, pull over the car,” Cam instructed in a quiet, but assertive tone.