Having My Baby Read Online Free Page A

face. Dark shadows circled her eyes. She hardly resembled the woman he’d met earlier in the day.
    For a second Derrick wondered if he should go find a doctor or a nurse. How could Satan sleep when Jill was in so much pain? After a few moments passed, the two women stopped the weird breathing thing altogether and laughed instead.
    Their actions confirmed his earlier suspicions—they were all nuts.
    “What are you doing in here?”
    Damn. Satan was awake. “It’s been five hours since my last update,” he told her. “I thought I’d come in and check things out for myself.”
    “They never should have let you in here. I’m going to give them a piece of—”
    “Sandy,” Jill said, her voice hoarse. “It’s okay.”
    Sandy stood and stretched. “Have it your way. I’m going to the cafeteria for some coffee. Scream if you need me.”
    Derrick ignored her, relieved to see Satan head for the door.
    “Wait for me,” the other woman said. “I’m starved.” She came to where Derrick stood, took his hand in hers, and gave it a good firm shake. “Hi. My name is Chelsey.”
    He was glad to see that not all of Jill’s friends wanted to stick needles in his eyes. “Derrick Baylor,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”
    “You too. I’ll be back in five minutes,” she said, “but you should know that the last time the doctor was in, Jill’s cervix was dilated to five centimeters. She has a way to go and she seems to be having a contraction every ten or fifteen minutes.” She pointed to a styrofoam cup. “There are ice chips in there. Feel free to give her as many as she needs. She also likes to have her back rubbed.”
    “That won’t be necessary,” Jill said.
    “Don’t listen to her,” Chelsey whispered. “She doesn’t know what’s good for her. Never has. Never will.”
    The door shut behind Chelsey before Jill could protest further.
    “Sorry about that,” Jill said. “You don’t need to stay. It could be hours. There’s just no telling.”
    “I want to be here. Tell me if you want me to leave the room though.”
    “Okay,” she said, her gaze falling to her belly and then raising to his face again. “This is strange, don’t you think? We’ve known each other for less than a day and you know more about my cervix than anything else.”
    He laughed. “I also know that you have scary friends.”
    She chuckled, blushed, and then looked around the room.
    Suddenly he wondered what had possessed him to come into her room in the first place. Calling this an awkward moment would be putting it mildly. He looked toward the door, hoping somebody might enter and save them from themselves. “Parents stopping by later?”
    She shook her head. “They’re in New York. Busy people.”
    “Hmmm.”
    “They’re not too happy about the choices I’ve made,” she added.
    “I see. And what about Thomas? Will he be visiting any time soon?”
    She looked painfully self-conscious, making him wonder why he seemed so determined to make things more uncomfortable every time he opened his mouth. He was usually a man of few words and now he knew why.
    “Who told you about Thomas? I’m going to kill Chelsey when she returns—”
    “It was you,” he said. “You mentioned Thomas. You thought you were kissing Thomas when I set you in the back of my car.”
    She frowned. “I said his name?”
    He nodded.
    “I’ve heard of people talking in their sleep…but kissing in their sleep?” She sighed.
    “No worries. I would be lying if I pretended I didn’t thoroughly enjoy it—you know—the kiss.”
    The fluorescent lights reflected off her eyes and made them sparkle.
    They watched each other for a moment, sizing one another up before an irritating beep brought them back to the moment at hand.
    Jill squeezed her eyes shut and dug her fingers into the mattress.
    Moving to the side of the bed where Chelsey had been, Derrick reached over the side rail and took her hand in his. “It’s okay,” he said, although he