Page 34 of Pieces into Place (Moonflower Cove Romance #16)

Blake

S omething wasn’t right.

Blake had been trying to convince herself otherwise all night and had hoped the extra few hours of sleep she’d gotten after breakfast would make her feel better.

Instead, it had made her feel worse. The headache she’d had since the day before hadn’t gone away, only intensified.

And it brought with it blurry vision that was starting to freak Blake out even more.

And her swollen ankles and legs weren’t doing anything to ease her mind, either.

As Blake sat on the edge of the bed, she closed her eyes tightly as she rubbed her belly.

She was thirty-eight weeks and three days, which meant the baby had made it to full term.

Blake hadn’t been having any consistent contractions, nor felt she was close to going into labor.

Dr. Jacobs had told them a few days ago it would probably be closer to her due date when the baby was born. That had eased Blake’s mind until now.

Now she worried what the hell was going on with her body.

“Lex!” Blake called out, giving Alexis a moment to respond before calling for her again. “Alexis! ”

She could hear hurried footsteps running toward the bedroom as Alexis opened the door. Instantly Blake saw the worry on her face and in her eyes and it dawned on Blake that she wasn’t the only one noticing her new symptoms.

“I don’t know what’s happening,” Blake cried as Alexis rushed over to her. “My head is pounding and my eyes are blurry and my ankles are so swollen.”

Alexis didn’t say a word as she grabbed Blake’s phone off the nightstand. She kept one hand on Blake’s thigh as she dialed a number Blake couldn’t see clearly with the other. Vera answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Blake.”

“Are you home?” Alexis quickly asked.

“No, we’re downtown. What’s wrong, Lex?”

Blake could hear the concern not only in Alexis’s voice, but in Vera’s as well.

“She still has a pounding headache and says her eyes are blurry and her ankles are really swollen. What do we need to do?”

“Get to the hospital. Now.” Vera’s voice was as firm as Blake had ever heard it before. “Isla is calling Ellie to run over and stay with the kids.”

“Okay.” Alexis sounded as scared as Blake felt.

“I’m going to call Avery. Isla and I will meet you there.”

“Okay.”

“Go straight to the ER, Lex.”

“I will.”

Without saying goodbye, Alexis dropped the phone to the floor as she helped Blake to her feet.

“Lex,” Blake’s voice quivered and Alexis instantly pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I know, baby. I’m scared too. But it’s going to be okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or our baby.”

“I’m so scared.”

“I’ve got you.” Alexis firmly nodded. “Now, let’s go. ”

They didn’t grab anything as they left the bedroom.

Not their phones, not the hospital bag they’d packed weeks ago.

Nothing. Blake was trying to follow Alexis’s lead of being calm in front of Archer and Reese until Ellie came running over.

It was a blessing she wasn’t in school or working and could watch the kids for them.

She helped Blake get into the van before Alexis sped through every stop sign to get to the hospital.

The entire time, they held tightly onto each other’s hands as Blake tried to remain as calm as she could.

It’s going to be okay, Blake kept repeating to herself until Alexis pulled up to the emergency room entrance.

Isla and Vera were already there waiting with Dr. Jacobs and Melanie.

All four of them had worried looks on their faces which didn’t help ease Blake’s worries at all.

Melanie had a wheelchair ready as Vera and Dr. Jacobs helped Blake into it.

Blake felt like she was on a television drama with how quickly everything happened.

She was wheeling up to labor and delivery, bypassing the emergency room at Dr. Jacobs’s call.

Dr. Jacobs immediately asked for a urine sample, which Alexis had to help Blake with.

Outside the door, Blake could hear the flurry of commotion going on in the room as everything was getting ready.

Her anxiety skyrocketed as Melanie helped her out of her comfy clothes and into a sterile hospital gown before helping her into the bed.

Melanie and Vera were quickly working to put more monitors on Blake than she could count as another nurse took her blood.

Alexis held tightly onto her hand as Isla stood by her bed, gently stroking her hair.

The tears were filling her eyes, but Isla hadn’t let them fall yet.

“Mom,” Blake tried not to sob as she looked up at Isla, “what’s happening? I’m so scared.”

“I know, baby.” Isla leaned down and held Blake tightly. “It’s going to be okay. We all have you, Blake. It’s going to be okay. ”

“Okay,” Dr. Jacobs cleaned her throat, taking control of the room, “so, all the tests we have back so far are indicating preeclampsia. We still have a few more tests we’re waiting on, but I’m very confident that’s the path we’re on.

Since you’re full term, I’m strongly recommending that we induce you today.

We’ll treat your symptoms through the induction process, but I feel right now the best bet for you and baby is to get her out today. ”

Blake’s head began to spin as she tried to pick a spot in the room to focus on.

Preeclampsia? I’ve never known anyone that has that. And have the baby? Today? But we don’t have any of our stuff here. And this hospital gown is so scratchy. I want my own gown. I’m so scared.

Suddenly, her eyes locked with Vera’s.

“Mama,” Blake sobbed as she held her hand out to Vera. Vera quickly walked over to it, taking hold of Blake’s hand as if her life depended on it. “What do you think?”

“Dr. Jacobs is right.” She nodded firmly. “I think induction is the best bet for you and the baby.”

Blake turned her head to Alexis. “Lex?”

“I agree with whatever keeps you and our baby girl safe.” Leaning down, Alexis kissed Blake’s forehead. “You’ve got this, Blake. We’re going to get through this together.”

Despite her fears, Blake chose to believe Alexis.

The induction process happened just as quickly as the intake process had.

Melanie hooked up Blake’s IV to a bag that contained Pitocin, which was to help induce contractions.

She rattled off other medicines they were giving Blake, but all Blake could focus on was Dr. Jacobs inserting a Foley bulb into her cervix.

It was the most uncomfortable pain Blake had ever felt.

Thankfully, Vera must have noticed the pained look on Blake’s face as she stepped to the side of her bed and put a hand on her arm .

“I know this part sucks, but it’s the best way to get your cervix dilated. It works by putting pressure on your cervix to help thin it out.”

Although Dr. Jacobs had already explained the process, it had a more clinical feel to it than Vera’s explanation.

“And you’re already two centimeters, and this usually helps get you to three or four.” Dr. Jacobs chimed in from between Blake’s legs. “So, hopefully, this and the Pitocin will work quickly to get your dilation going.”

Quickly had turned out not to be in the cards for Blake. After an insanely hectic intake and induction process, the wait for her contractions to start seemed to take forever. Blake tried to rest before they started, but the uncomfortable hospital bed and gown were making it impossible.

Thankfully, Mason arrived after they had been there for a couple of hours with Blake’s hospital bag and their phones.

All of which they’d forgotten at home. As Alexis caught up on all the texts and calls they’d missed, Mason and Isla helped Blake into her birthing gown.

After hearing Emily’s rave reviews, Blake had purchased two of them.

One for labor and one for postpartum. She didn’t care about anyone seeing her without any clothes on as Isla carefully held her arms as Mason adjusted the gown on her body.

“How does that feel?”

“Good,” Blake nodded. “Thanks, Mace.”

“You’re welcome.” Mason smiled at her. “So, Chase called Charlie and Delaney and they’re going to pick up Harper from school, then spend the night at your house with the kids.

Ellie said if you think about anything that you need from home to let her know and she’ll bring it.

But otherwise, just focus on yourself and this baby. We got you, sis.”

For the first time all day, Blake felt herself relax at Mason’s words.

Although Blake knew the next few hours were going to be long and hard, she could feel her body starting to relax, knowing that her kids were being taken care of.

They hadn’t told them where they were going, only that Mama had an appointment at the hospital.

Blake tried not to think about how worried Harper would be when she found out Blake was in the hospital after school.

An hour later, Melanie came into the room with a chipper smile and peanut-shaped ball under her arm. She sat the ball on the bed as she motioned to the hallway with her thumb.

“Let’s do some laps to get these contractions going, okay?”

Blake was nowhere near as chipper about the situation as Melanie was, but she agreed nonetheless.

Isla and Vera had gone home to get some rest before the real labor started for Blake.

They’d been reluctant to leave at first, but Melanie had gotten stern with them and told them they’d be needed more later than right now. So they’d gone home to nap.

Must be nice, she grumbled to herself on the fourth lap of the labor and delivery floor. Melanie was walking on one side of her, pulling the IV pole behind her. On the other side was Alexis, who had her hands tucked into the pocket of the hoodie Mason had brought her from home.

“So,” Melanie’s smile was wide as she spoke, “I have the sign finished.”

“You do?” Alexis and Blake both stopped in their tracks as they looked at Melanie. She had on the same green scrubs as everyone else, with the pink shirt underneath and matching hair tie the best way to distinguish her from the other nurses.

They had entrusted Melanie with creating the sign they were going to use to announce not only the baby’s name, but that they had changed their name to Mackenzie as well. Blake hadn’t seen the finished product and she couldn’t wait to see it, along with everyone’s reactions .

“Yup. I finished it early, which now is a good thing. Also, I’ll have the defibrillator ready when you tell Isla and Vera. Because you know they’re both going to freak out just like I did when you told me.”

Deciding to have Melanie be the one to trust with the name had been an easy decision. Not only was she close friends with the Mackenzie family, she also worked at the hospital, so sneaking in the sign so no one noticed would be easier for her.

“Oh, totally.”

“We have bets on who cries first,” Alexis teased.

“I want in!” Melanie laughed. “My bet’s on Vera.”

Blake laughed. “ All of our bets are on Vera.”

“Do you have the sign with you so we can see it?”

“It’s at home, but I’ll have Cameron bring it by tomorrow morning if that’s okay. I’m fairly sure we won’t have a baby tonight.”

“Gee, thanks,” Blake laughed, trying to remain positive. “Don’t you have any secrets for getting a baby out faster?”

Melanie smirked. “I have plenty of tricks. We’ll just have to see what works best for your body and the baby.”

“Don’t be hitting on my wife, now, Mel,” Alexis teased as they all laughed.

After what seemed like more hours than it probably was, Blake’s contractions finally started just before five p.m. They were more intense than Blake had been fully prepared for, but she trusted her body could handle it.

She’d so far found the birthing ball to be her best friend as she moved her hips in circles with each contraction.

Isla and Vera brought dinner with them, not only for Alexis, but for Melanie and Dr. Jacobs as well.

Blake wasn’t allowed to eat, much to her protest, so everyone had eaten outside of the room in shifts.

It was Melanie who was currently keeping Blake company as she lay on her side with the peanut ball between her legs .

“Okay, are you good if I run out and grab something really quick?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“I’ll be right back.” Melanie patted her arm before leaving the room. There was something so calming, so reassuring about Melanie that Blake trusted her completely. And totally understood why she and Emily had become fast friends.

Alone for the first time all day, Blake took a few moments to focus on her breathing and the baby. She rubbed her belly, which helped to calm her down as well.

“I know this isn’t exactly what we planned, but I’m so happy I get to meet you soon. Emphasis on the soon part, okay? Mama is right here, baby. Always.”

Now that she was in labor, Blake had to admit that her scared feeling from earlier had dissipated ever so slightly.

She’d made it to four centimeters, so they’d taken the bulb out a half hour ago.

While Blake was still nervous about all the unknown left to come, she knew she had an entire support system behind her.

And that helped her remain slightly more positive than she was when she first arrived.

Well, that and the fact her symptoms had started to slowly resolve.

Her blood pressure was no longer through the roof, which had eased her headache.

Blake’s vision also wasn’t as blurry as before which helped her more than anything.

While her legs were still slightly swollen, Melanie had told her that would go down after the baby was born.

Blake just needed the last part to come quickly and with ease.

Melanie came back into the room humming a Shania Twain song with a popsicle in her hand. She unwrapped it, handing it out to Blake.

“Don’t tell anyone I smuggled this in here for you.”

“Bless you.” Blake took the popsicle as if it were a million dollars. It had a very bland taste to it, but Blake didn’t care. In that moment, it tasted like the best damn thing she’d ever had .

I can do this.