“Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Chapter Fourteen
The snow swirled outside the classroom windows. Already a few inches were visible on each window ledge. Daniel had just handed out the quizzes and settled into his chair to grade some papers when he heard a knock at his door. He looked up and saw Christina peering through the glass panel. He stepped into the hallway. She reached behind him and pulled the door closed.
“What’s going on?” he asked. The look on her face alarmed him.
“I need you to stay calm,” she said, her voice steady.
Daniel searched her face, bracing for what she might say.
“Marienne called. She’s okay, but her water broke. She has a friend watching Ella and someone is taking her to the hospital, but you should head home.”
Daniel felt the blood drain out of his brain.
Christina put her hand on his arm. “I called the car service, and they can have someone here to pick you up within ten to fifteen minutes, but they said there are reports of heavy traffic backups due to the snow. You may be better off taking the train. The car service can take you to the train station if that’s what you decide.”
Daniel’s mind raced as he processed everything she said. “How bad are the roads?” He remembered the snow piling up on the windowsills.
“It’s coming down fast and they’re expecting the winds to increase, plus this storm is coming from the west, so it’s probably already worse in New Jersey.”
“Right.” He raked his fingers through his hair. The car took so long last time, even in good weather, because of a traffic back up….but how many times had he sat on the train for hours for some unknown delay. He just wanted to be home.
Her water broke. Jesus. I need to be there.
“Daniel.” Christina’s voice snapped him to attention.
“Yes.”
“Breathe,” she said.
He tried. “I don’t know which is faster.”
“It’s impossible to say. Just pick one.”
He checked his watch. “If they can get me to the station in time for the next train I’ll go with that, if not I can’t sit there for an hour and wait for the next one so then I’ll take the car.”
“That’s very rational thinking for a man who’s about to have a baby.”
“Oh God.” Breathing became difficult again.
“Go grab your coat. The car will meet you in front of Main Building. I’ll babysit your class ‘til they finish their quiz then I’ll let them go. They may actually cancel afternoon classes anyway.”
“It’s that bad out?”
She nodded. “Go. Don’t worry. You’ll get there in time. Marienne sounded fine on the phone. She’s more worried about you than she is about the baby.”
Daniel walked over to his desk and put on his coat. “Class, if I can have your attention for a moment. Sorry for the interruption, Professor Whipple is going to monitor you for the rest of your quiz. My wife has just gone into labor, and I need to go.”
The classroom erupted into applause, adding a new element of bizarre to the already surreal situation. Daniel waved at the room. “Thank you.” He touched Christina’s shoulder.
She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek, a gesture that both touched and startled him. She wasn’t at all a touchy-feely person—it made the gravity of the situation that much more obvious. “Good luck. Call and tell me how it goes.”
“Will do.” He grabbed his bag and swept out of the room.
****
It took forty-five minutes for the car to get from campus to the train station. The driver strongly encouraged Daniel to take the train. “These roads are really bad. Buddy of mine was trying to take a couple out to Newark, and it took them over three hours. Even if the train’s delayed, it’ll still get you there faster.”
Daniel knew he was probably right. He checked his watch. The train was due to leave in ten minutes. He looked at the street sign. They were still six blocks away.
I’m not going to make it.
“How much do I owe you? I’m going to try to make a run for it.”
“You’re all set. The woman who called had us bill her card.”
Thank you, Christina.
Daniel took a twenty out of his wallet and handed it up to the driver. “Thanks so much.” He opened the door causing a gust of snow to burst into the car.
“Hey thanks. Good luck.”
Daniel slammed the door and started to run. Every other person on the sidewalk seemed to be going in the opposite direction. He wove between them as fast as he could, trying not to slide on the slushy pavement. The inside of the train station was a mess, dirty melting puddles everywhere, travelers crowding around the ticket counters. Daniel glanced up at the board, scanning to see which track his train was departing from.
Track 17. On time. He had two minutes to make the train. He pushed past people as he ran down the escalator. “Excuse me, sorry.” He heard the dinging sound indicating that the doors were closing. “Hold the door. Hold the door.” The door moved closed before he could get to it, but at the last second he saw a briefcase stuck, holding it open. It magically re-opened. “Oh my God, thank you.” Daniel said to the man who had held his bag out.
“No problem.” The man said, with a nod.
Daniel leaned against the wall of the crowded train, breathing heavily. Now if the train can just stay on time….
****
Marienne felt another contraction coming. “Oh God.” She gripped the edge of the hospital mattress.
“Another one?” the nurse asked her.
Marienne nodded, struggling to catch her breath. Her stomach turned rock hard, the pain shooting all the way down her legs.
“Breathe.” The nurse squeezed her hand. “Come on now. Breathe with me. It helps.” She hissed her breath in short bursts.
Marienne tried to copy her, but the contraction was already passing. “How many minutes was that?” she asked.
“About three.” The nurse adjusted the monitor. The baby’s heartbeat filled the room. “Everything looks good here, but if the contractions get any closer they’re going to have to start the C-section.”
“We can’t.” Marienne kept her voice as firm as possible. “My husband’s not here yet. Can you check and see if there’s any word from him. I know he’s on his way. He can’t miss this.”
The nurse patted her arm. “I’ll go check again. You press the call button if you get into trouble.”
Marienne watched as the nurse strolled out of the room. She was all alone. She looked out the window. The snow appeared to be coming down even harder than it had all morning.
Oh God. What if he doesn’t make it in time? I can’t do this by myself again.
She remembered Ella’s birth. She’d been so frightened, waking up bleeding, being rushed to the hospital, emergency surgery—and Frank had refused to come in with her. She’d been awake and alone for the entire procedure, terrified that she’d lose the baby or die or both.
He has to get here in time.
Another contraction started to take hold. “Oh no.”
Was that less than three minutes?
She cringed as the pain traveled through her.
Please get here, please get here
. She knew she should be breathing but she couldn’t. She tried to picture Daniel, to imagine his strong hands holding hers, to see the look in his eyes. He always helped her stay calm, but now the thought of him was making her even tenser. This baby meant the world to him. It would kill him if he missed the birth.
Please let us be able to wait.
The pain subsided but moments later it returned. She felt her stomach hardening again. “Oh God.” She bent forward, trying to brace herself against it, but it had a hold of her. She cried out.
The nurse came back into the room and took her hand. “Okay, sweetie. We need to get you prepped, this baby wants to meet you.” She rubbed Marienne’s back until the contraction passed.
Marienne collapsed against the bed. “No word from my husband?”
“Not yet, but don’t worry, he still has a little time.” She held up the paper from the monitor, looking at the peaks from each contraction. “The anesthesiologist will be in a minute to do your epidural.”
“Thank you.”
The baby gave two solid kicks, just below her ribs.
“I know. You want to come out.” She rubbed her hand against her belly, feeling a thumping reply. “I’ll see you really soon. And hopefully your daddy will be here too….”
Chapter Fifteen
Although the ride seemed to take forever, it was only delayed by about a half hour. Daniel drummed his fingers against the railing by the door, willing the train to get to the station faster. He dialed the house phone to see if Lynn had an update.
“No,” she said. “I haven’t heard from her since the last time you called. “Hey, do you think you’ll be able to get a cab at the train station? I could come pick you up.”
“I’d rather you didn’t have to drive with the girls in the car if the roads are so bad. Hopefully I can find a taxi. If not, I’ll call you.”
“Keep me posted.”
“I will. Is Ella all right? Is she worried?”
“Not at all, she and Marienne were baking cookies when it happened. I finished making them while Marienne headed to the hospital. Ella didn’t skip a beat. She’s watching a movie now. Don’t worry.”
“Thanks.”
The train made its slow motion crawl into the station and chugged to a halt. Daniel’s hand tapped against the door.
Open already.
The air from outside the train was freezing. It seemed to be blowing from every direction at once. Daniel made his way down the stairs and out onto the street. Snow was piling up in huge drifts along the building and around the base of the steps. There were hardly any cars on the road at all, let alone any taxis. He looked up Easton Avenue and down Route 27. Nothing was moving.
Bugger.
He trudged through the snow making his way toward the newsstand. Icicles were already hanging down from the overpass.
“Excuse me,” he said to the bearded student behind the counter. “Do you have a number for one of the local taxi companies?”
“Yeah, just a sec.” He leaned over and pulled a card off the bulletin board next to the coffee maker. “Try this one.”
“Thanks.” Daniel took his cell phone out and dialed the number. His fingers felt numb. The phone rang four times before someone finally answered.
“A-1 Taxi,” the nasal voice said.
“Hi, I need a taxi from the New Brunswick train station to St. Peter’s Hospital.”
“Just a moment,” she said. He could hear her radioing to see who was in the area. “I can have someone there in about forty-five minutes.”
“Forty-five minutes? You don’t have anyone who can get here faster?”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
I can walk there quicker than that
. “Never mind.” He hung up and handed the cashier back the card.
“You visiting someone at the hospital?” he asked.
“Not exactly. My wife is there having our baby, and I’m trying not to miss it.”
“Shit. No way. Hey, I can shut down for a little while and drive you.”
Daniel’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, we’re real slow, and besides, dude, you’re having a baby.” The guy came around the tiny counter and opened the jingly door. “Let’s go.” He flipped the sign to
Be back in ten minutes
. And they headed back out into the snow.
****
It was snowing so hard Daniel could barely see the road but they managed to make it to the hospital. “I can’t thank you enough,” Daniel said as the car pulled into the circular drive.
“No worries, man, good luck.”
Daniel ran into the hospital, nearly slipping on the watery floors. He went straight to the elevator, clicking the button repeatedly until the doors parted.
Come on, come on
. He watched the floors pass in slow motion.
As soon as the doors opened, he strode to the nurses’ station. “My wife, Marienne Gardner, was brought in a few hours ago….”
“Did you say Gardner?” a nurse walking by asked.
“Yes.”
“Oh, you’re just in time—they wheeled her into the surgical area a minute ago. Come on, let’s get you dressed so you can join her.”
“Is she all right?” Daniel hurried after the nurse.
“She’s doing fine. She’s been asking for you. I’ll send someone in to tell her you’re here while we get you dressed.” They entered a small room, and she grabbed a pair of blue scrubs off the stack. “Let’s get you out of that coat. Is it still snowing like crazy?”
“Yes.”
The nurses helped Daniel into sterile scrubs and stretched a puffy cap over his head. His heart raced at a frightening speed. They ushered him into the operating room. Marienne was already on the table. There was activity all around her. Trays of shiny instruments. Beeping machines. A huge round mirror suspended from a metal pole. Marienne was covered in blankets but she was still shaking. He walked straight toward her and took her hand.
A nurse shoved a round stool toward him. “Here you go, Dad. Take a seat.”
He moved it closer to Marienne and sat down, his eyes not leaving hers. She looked scared and her hand was ice cold. He puffed his breath into it and rubbed it between his palms. “You okay?”