Raging Love (35 page)

Once we hit the main roads, they were worse than we suspected. Ty did a good job going slow, but even in four wheel drive we were sliding all over the road. The snow was really coming down again and visibility was
almost non-
existent
.  We were finally having to drive so slow that we ended up getting stuck. Luckily, I had just bought a brand new pair of chains for my tires.  While Ty and I went out into the freezing weather to get them hooked to the tires, Miranda went ahead and called my
mother to let her know that Conn
er would have to come get them and drive them in another truck capable of having chains. I knew they were somewhere behind us, but my main concern was making it to the hospital before Savanna delivered another Mitchell baby in the back of a vehicle.

It took us a good thirty minutes to get the chains out, untangle them, and get them on all four tires. When we climbed back into the truck
, Savanna was really having a tough contraction. The winter storm made everything so quiet outside of the truck, but it was sure a different story as we climbed back in.

Miranda was hanging over the front sea
t, trying to sooth
e
Savanna through
her contraction.
We hopped in the truck
and started moving slowly again. The hospital was a good fifteen minutes during normal weather and being that it was so hard to see, I wasn’t really sure how close we actually were.

Savanna laid down on my lap. I
stroked
her hair and watched her suffering through the pain.

“Okay, that last one was only three minutes apart. They are getting’ closer Van.” Miranda restarted the timer on her phone. She sat back facing forward in the seat.

“How far apart do they need to get before we start to worry?” I asked.

Savanna shook her head and tried not to cry. I could tell she was in a lot of pain still. She was holding onto her stomach. I reached down to feel it and it was as hard as a rock. “Darlin’ tell me what to do?”

“Make it stop hurting,” she cried.

“Sugar, I wish I could.” I rubbed the sweat off of her face. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.

We passed a car that had slid off the side of the road. They were stuck in a culvert and trying to wave us down. It didn’t help that I had a big old wench on the front of the truck. “Keep goin’”

Ty looked at me in the rear view mirror as he pulled over to the side. “Dude, at least let me tell them why we can’t help. Miranda can tell Conner to stop and pull them out.”

“Fine, make it quick. I don’t know how to deliver a baby.” I was really starting to get scared now. It wasn’t something that I knew how to handle.
My wife was in
excruciating
pain and there was nothing I could do to make it better.  We didn’t have the tim
e to be stopping for people, no
matter how rude it was. We had our own emergency situation.

Ty jumped out and came back in the truck a
few
seconds later. “They were cool about it. They said
congratulations
.”

We arrived at the hospital a good
twenty
minutes later. Miranda had actually climbed over the seat and helped Savanna get through a couple hard contractions. When Savanna claimed she felt like pushing, Miranda ripped down her pants to make sure there wasn’t a baby coming out. I think she was shocked at what it looked like down there, from the look on her face, but she finally regained composure and said she wasn’t
crowning and didn’t
need to push.

We pulled up at the hospital and a security officer came running outside to us. He flew back in and came out with a wheelchair. Within seconds, we were whisking Savanna upstairs to the maternity ward, while Miranda and Ty parked the truck.

By the time they made it up to the room, Savanna was already being changed into a hospital gown. They were prepping her for an I.V. and she was still trying to focus on her breathing.

The nurses were very responsive to what she was going through. They told her a few other relaxation
techniques
to help her through her contractions. Due to the weather, it took her doctor even longer to get to the hospital.

He walked into the room applying his gloves. In a brief
moment
he was already putting her legs up in the stirrups and giving her
an
ex
amination. Part of me wanted to
watch, but the other part
of me didn’t want to go anywhere near down there.
I think most
of it was Ty scaring the shit out of me. There were parts of my wife that I treasured and that was one of my favorite
s
.

The doctor removed his gloves and scooted his stool away from my wife. “
I’m
going to go ahead and order the epidural. She’s is at about nine centimeters. It won’t be long now.” He walked out of the room
and left us
.

I rushed to her side, kissing her on the mouth. “I love you, Darlin’. Our baby is comin’.”

She opened her eyes as wide as they could get. “This fucking hurts, Colt. I changed my mind.” Her face scrunched up as another
contrac
tion
hit her again. I grabbed her hand and felt the power of the pain, through her nails ripping my skin open. I wanted to pull away, but knew doing so would
only piss her off worse. I was at her mercy. She was in excruciating pain and I would do anything to take that away from her.

“You changed your mind about what, Darlin’?”

“Having eleven children. I don’t want to do this ten more time
s
. JESUS SHITBALLS
,
it hurts so bad.” I shouldn’t have laughed, but I couldn’t help myself. Savanna’s face was blood red as she focused on the pain.

Miranda came around and stood at the other side of Savanna’s head while Ty sat in the chair behind me. He was being awfully quiet, probably reliving his first delivery experience.

Her contraction subsided and the death grip she had on my hand finally released. Miranda gave her an ice chip and rubbed her head. “Just breathe Van. Just keep breathing. It will all be over soon, I promise.”

Through the doors came the
anesthesiologist
, who in turn made us wait outside, where we were met with the rest of our family. Miranda explained everything to them while I began pacing. After ten minutes we were allowed back into the room. Luckily
,
they let Savanna’s mother and my mother come in with us. We all stayed
out of the
nurse’s
way as they go
t everything prepped. I noticed Savanna wasn’t screaming out in pain anymore, she was just tightening up
as
her body contracted. “Is the pain better now?”

“Just a bunch of pressure. It still hurts, but it is much better. I’m sorry I screamed.”

I kissed her dry mouth. “Savanna, I love you. You can scream as much as you want. Just deliver that little baby so you can see that it was all worth it.”

The doctor
and nurses came into the room, wearing
surgical robe
s
. They
positioned
themselves between Savanna’s legs and got them into the stirrups. Ty went over to stand with Miranda, while I never moved from her side. The nurse brought over a mirror and positioned it so Savanna could see what was happening. “Oh my God! Why does it look like that?” She closed her eyes and refused to look. Out of pure curiosity I glanced down.

Don’t pass out. Jesus Christ don’t you dare pass out!

Ty was right. I don’t know why but I looked up at him and watched him mouth the words ‘told you’. I shook my head and gave Savanna a smile. “
Focus on the baby, Darlin’. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Savanna, always being so modest, shocked everyone in the room. “My vagina is huge!”

We all just stood there, with nothing to say, until Ty leaned over and whispered in her ear. He kissed her
forehead
and she smiled as he pulled away.

Thank you God! I have no idea what just happened, but Ty was a freaking genius.

The doctor caught our attention. “She is ready to start pushing. Dad, you are going to need to hold this knee.” Miranda
stepped
forward and grabbed her other knee and the doctor nodded.

“Okay, Savanna. I need you to give me some pushes.
I’m
going to count and I want you to hold it until I am done. We are going to repeat it until we get the baby out.”

She nodded.

The pushing began. The first three times nothing happened. The fourth time I realized I couldn’t stop myself from watching. A little head of black hair was starting to come out. The doctor looked over to me and smiled. “Looks like someone has their father’s hair.”

A few things happened.

I felt dizzy. My heart raced like it was running out of my chest. My eyes never left that little babies head.

I smiled back and listened for him to count again. Savanna didn’t take long breaks in between pushes and the more she did it, the more exhausted she was becoming. During one push the head came almost all the way out and then went right back in. Finally, when she seemed like she couldn’t push anymore, Savanna let out a scream as she gave it all of her might. The head and one shoulder came sliding out. The docto
r grabbed the baby and it slid
right out with ease. A little cry could be heard as the nurses took the baby and started cleaning it
off
.

“It’s a girl!” He announced.

A girl? A girl? I have a daughter. I have a son and a daughter!

I hadn’t realized I was crying until I felt the hot tears on my cheeks. I rushed to Savanna
’s
side, stroking her tired face. “We have a daughter, Darlin’.” I kissed her on the lips. “We have a daughter.”

The nurses brought our little girl over to us, wrapped in a blanket. Her fuzzy head of black hair
was covered
in
a
little cap to keep her head warm. Little eyes were open and looking out at us. Savanna held out her arms and
looked to me when she was placed there with us. I couldn’t stop the tears and honestly I didn’t want to.

Our family was all just standing there taking us in, most with
teared
eyes themselves.

“She’s beautiful,” I said as I leaned down to kiss my baby girl.

“
She’s perfect. Thank you, Colt Mitchell. Thank you so much for this life.” I stood there with my two girls, accepting the slew of pictures being taken. The doctor finally finished with Savanna and left the room.

I looked up at my family and then back down to my little girl. “Meet Christian Michelle Mitchell!”

The family began filling the room with
excitement
. The middle name was after a c
ousin of Savanna’s that had passed away
. They were very close and it was important to her
to
have that. Christian was a name that Savanna and I had picked out that was both for a girl or boy. We both loved it and loved the nickname Chris for both a boy and a girl.
To make our decision easier, Noah had finally requested the name Chris. Being that it was the only normal name he suggested, it all worked out.

After a few hours the room cleared out and just Savanna and I were there with our little girl. Savanna had already breast fed her once and she was sleeping so peacefully.
While Savanna fell asleep herself, I held my little baby and just watched her sleep. A nurse came in and insisted I get some rest, so even though I didn’t want to, I laid her down in her little hospital crib and slept in the recliner next to my wife.

“When can I see Noah?”
I woke up to Savanna nursing Christian. She was playing with her full head of hair as she talked.

Of all the things, she already missed our boy. “My mom said she was goin’ to wait until the roads were more clear before bringin’ him out.”

Just as I finished talking the door swung open. My mother came in first, followed by Conner with Noah on his shoulders. “Man, this kid was itchin’ somethin’ fierce to see ya’ll.”

Noah came running to me and I pointed to his sleeping sister. “She’s sleeping, so you have to be extra quiet.”

Noah crept up on my lap and looked at his sister for the
first
time. “She
’s so little,” h
e whispered.

“She is only seven pounds and three ounces. That is pretty tiny for sure.” Noah smiled when I explained her size. He didn’t know much about weight, but he knew she
was
the smallest little baby he had ever seen.

“When can she play with me?”

“Not until she is older, Sweetie. She is still too little to play. We have to teach her to eat, and crawl and walk first.” Savanna gave him a pat on the head after she explained.