by Andromeda
Boris and Eugene look at me and Boris steps forward. "Would you like some water?" he asks me.
"Y...yeah," I say, softly grunting again. "Go ahead."
He nods and leaves me with Eugene; after several minutes, he still hasn't come back and he frowns.
"I'm going to go and find Boris," Eugene says. "You promise to stay here?"
I nod. "I promise."
Nodding, he leaves but as the clock ticks by, I see that almost 20 minutes have passed. Where the hell have they gone?
Unable to hold back my curiosity anymore, I open the door and begin to roam the halls. I know it's stupid, but I have no choice and my curiosity is getting the best of me.
I roam the halls looking for any signs of my guards...and then I find them. Their heads are bloody and they are slumped over next to each other. Rushing over, I check for a heartbeats and find it, but it's very weak.
"Don't worry," the voice of my nightmares says behind me. "I didn't hit them hard enough to kill them."
Slowly, I stand to my feet and turn to face the man I've been running from: Derrick.
"What do you want?" I choke, my eyes darting for a place of escape.
"You, of course," he says. "You and my daughter."
"She's not your daughter," I spit at him.
"YES SHE IS!" he roars, making me flinch. He sees the terror in my eyes and sighs. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm even willing to overlook those bastards inside you...if you come willingly." My temper flares at him calling my babies bastards.
"If there are any bastards in the world, it's you," I snap. "And I'm not going anywhere with you!"
He grits his teeth and takes a step toward me; turning on my heel, I run as fast as I can—well, as fast as an almost 9-month pregnant woman can run. He's right behind me, his footsteps heavy, but I know this hospital and I know how to lose him in the halls. Ducking into a room, I hold my breath until I hear him run past, and I poke my head out. I have to find Giovanni, I have to!
"Oh no you don't, bitch!" an annoying voice suddenly says behind me.
Slowly turning around, I see Brittany pointing a gun at me with a shaky hand. I raise my hands and she slowly walks over.
"Derrick, I got her," she says into a cellphone. I'll hold her until you get here."
She turns to me, her face triumphant. "Soon you'll be gone...and Giovanni will be all mine!"
"He doesn’t love you, you psychotic bitch!" I snap at her.
"He'll learn!" she cries, her hand shaking. "He'll learn to love me, and I'll get my daughter back! He took her from me!"
"It's not like you made mother of the year," I say, rolling my eyes and putting my hands on my hips. I'm not afraid of her; cautious yes, but not afraid. "And Gio won't let you have her back."
BANG!
I jump as a shot rings out and my temper flares. This bitch tried to shoot me! I think. While I'm pregnant! Oh, she is so going down!
"You're not worthy to say his name like that!" she screams at me. "N...now don't move or else I'll shoot again."
I hold still, and time seems to stretch out for eternity. Movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention. Giovanni with several security guards. He gestures to the guards to stand back, and clears his throat to get Brittany's attention.
She turns around, tears welling in her eyes. "G...Giovanni," she chokes.
"Britt..." he says soothingly. "Britt, put the gun down."
"She stole you from me," she whispers.
Giovanni walks over slowly, his hands out to her. "Britt, put the gun down."
"You were supposed to love me," Brittany whispers. "We were supposed to get married...and have children."
She continues to ramble on about their wanna-be life when I realize something. Her attention is on him, not me. I shoot Giovanni a look and he knows what I'm going to do. Before he can tell me to not do it, I lunge at Brittany, knocking the gun from her hands.
I turn her around, "In the words of one of my favorite actors growing up: hasta la vista, baby."
I slam my forehead into hers. She yelps and crumbles to the ground. Giovanni runs over and wraps his arms around me.
"Mala, that was the most bad ass dangerous thing you've ever done!" he says. "I couldn't be more proud!"
I laugh and bury my face into his neck, breathing in his scent when suddenly he's snatched from me. Derrick throws him to the ground and begins to punch at his face, bellowing with rage.
Giovanni fights back, not holding back this time as he throws Derrick off him and slams him into a wall. It's terrible to watch as they burst through a pair of doors leading towards the stairs. The guards and I run after them as Giovanni grabs his throat and pulls his fist back.
"This is for my wife!" he yells, socking him hard in the jaw.
Derrick goes flying over and he grabs Giovanni, taking him with him.
"GIOVANNI!!" I scream, running to the railing as they fall.
They crash down three flights of stars, falling in a heap at the bottom.
"GIO!" I scream again, looking at their bodies.
Please no, I plead. please be alive!
Movement catches my eye and Giovanni slowly begins to stir. Tears of joy stream down my cheeks as he slowly stands to his feet.
"I'm fine, mia angela!" he calls up. "But your ex will never harm you again!"
I smile, and then a sudden pain stabs me in a gut. I grunt as water pours from my womb and crash to the ground.
Merde!
Chapter Twenty-Sven: How to Save a Life
Giovanni
I'm not afraid of anything. A man pointing a gun at me? Please. Swimming a shark tank? Won't sweat. Jumping over a balcony with a crazy ex to save the mother of my children? I'd do that in a heartbeat; but seeing my wife panting, sweating, screaming, and cursing me at the top of her lungs? The scariest thing I've ever seen.
"Modi ou kote mò yo ye Giovanni ak dick mons ou!" she screams at me.
I look to her sister, who is looking at her with wide eyes. "What did she say?" I ask.
"She just damned you to hell," Grace says.
I scratch my chin. "I heard something about my dick in there..."
"You don't want to know," Grace says with a chuckle.
After my little fight with Derrick, the police got Brittany and his body. The fall broke his neck, and Brittany has a goose egg on her forehead from Malaika. How bad ass she was is a major turn on.
Pearl bursts into the room and grasps Malaika's hands. "How long has she been like this?" she asks.
"A couple hours," I say nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. "Maybe longer."
"Mala honey, what do you want?" she asks.
"I want ice chips," Malaika pants.
"She wants ice chips," Pearl parrots.
"And for him to leave!" Malaika cries, pointing to me. "He did this to me!"
I chuckle at that. "If you really want to point fingers mia angela, you were begging for it a couple weeks ago..."
"Finish that sentence Giovanni, and I'll castrate you!" she cries out.
I laugh. "Yeah right, and give up what you love so much?"
She rolls her eyes, gripping Pearl's hands as another contraction rips through her. I frown.
"Where is the OB-GYN? And why didn't you get an epidural?" I ask.
"She's helping other mothers," Malaika pants. "And like hell I'll have a needle poking my spine!"
"I don't care about those other mothers," I say firmly. "I care about you! I'll go see if I can find her."
I don't have to look long. A couple hours later, the OB-GYN comes in as I'm helping Malaika in the bed.
"Thank God!" I snap. "What the hell took you so long? You needed to be here like hours ago."
"Shut the hell up, Giovanni," Malaika groans. "Leave the poor woman alone."
She must be in a lot of pain, because Malaika normally has a tame tongue. Well...tamer than most.
"Can I push?" she asks the OB-GYN.
"Spread your legs and let me check," s
he says,
Malaika does as commanded, and after a couple moments the OB nods. "Alright, let’s deliver some babies."
Two nurses grip Malaika's legs, and I grip her right hand while Pearl grips the left. Slowly, the OB begins to count as Malaika pushes.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7....8...9...10...
Malaika falls back to catch her breath and the OB nods. "I can see the head Mala, you're almost there. Begin."
"Come on baby," I whisper, holding her tightly as she begins to push again.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7....8...9...10...
Time seems to slow down as I peek over, and a miracle begins to play out before my eyes. First, I see a head of dark hair and then a face, and then shoulders, and a stomach and then the legs.
An ear-piercing cry shatters the silence as my son throws his head back to scream, making his presence known in the world.
"A boy," the OB says, cutting the cord and handing him to a nurse.
"One down, two to go," I say to Malaika.
"Say one more word and I'll knee you in the balls," she says, panting heavily.
"Come on Mala, let's begin again," the OB says. She begins to count again.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7....8...9...10...
1...2...3...4...5...6...7....8...9...10...
A second crop of black hair begins to crown and then a face, and the rest of the body. Another boy. My grin is so wide that I know my face will split if I don't stop.
"Two boys down," the OB says as she cuts the cord. "Looks like your little girl wants to come out last."
Malaika smiles lazily as she pants heavily, looking with tear-filled eyes at our two howling sons as the nurses begin to weigh them.
"They sound like you," she says.
"Well they are my sons," I say proudly.
"Let's get this done," the OB says. "Alright Mala, begin to push in 3...2...wait, stop—don't push."
Her worried tone catches my attention and I look up. "What's wrong?"
"The little girl is breech," the OB says, turning to the nurses. "Prep an OR, we have to have a C-section."
"Gio..." Mala whispers in worry.
"Wait," I say, knowing her hidden fear of being cut open. "C...can you just turn the girl?"
"It's too risky," the OB says as the nurses get Mala ready. "Not only can I not really see what I'm turning, but it will be extremely painful for both the baby and the mother. We'll have to do a C-section."
I look to Malaika, her face pale with fear and bend down to kiss her sweaty forehead. "Don't worry, mia angela," I whisper. "I'll be right by your side."
********************************
"Clamp."
"Clamp, doctor."
"Sponge."
"Sponge, doctor."
The soft beeps of the heart monitor machine and gentle whispers of the doctor and nurses are the only sounds in the room. My palms are sweaty behind my gloves, my breathing shallow behind my mask.
A while ago, I secretly promised her that she'd never go under the knife and yet here she is, undergoing surgery to bring our little girl into the world.
"I see the baby," the OB says excitedly, but then her voice dies down. "The cord is wrapped around her neck. Nurses, be on standby."
"Yes doctor," they say together.
I watch as her hands dip inside Malaika's body and bring out a small, seemingly lifeless bundle. Her skin, while stained red with blood, is blotchy and she cuts the cord, giving her to a nurse who quickly works to unwrap the cord around her neck.
"W...why isn't she crying?" Malaika asks weakly. "Why isn't my baby girl crying?"
"She'll cry," I promise her, watching as the nurses' huddle around the newborn. "I know she will..."
They pull the leftover cord that was around her neck away and begin to gently shake her, slapping her chest. Soft mewing sounds begin to rise from her, and then a full-blown scream.
"She's alive," I whisper in shock. "Mala, she's..."
The words die on my lips as I look at my wife. She looks...pale. The OB curses under her breath and begins to shout orders to the nurses.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
No answer.
"SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!!!" I roar.
"Get him out of here!" she snaps to a nurse. "I can't work with him watching me."
"Like hell you'll throw me out!" I roar at her. "TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH MY WIFE!!"
"She's bleeding, ok!" the OB yells. "She's bleeding and I can't find the source. Listen Giovanni, I can sit here and yell at you but every second I do, she slips closer and closer to death! Now go upstairs in the viewing room and let me do my job!"
Two nurses grab each of my arms and pull me out. I don't want to leave her, I promised that I'd never leave her, but the OB was right. Me hovering won't help her.
I march to the viewing room and am surprised to find almost all the staff there. Has Malaika really touched all their lives like she's touched mine? I glance at Remy and Pearl, who lean against the glass watching down below with sharp eyes.
I can't lose her, I think to myself. I can't lose her! I've spent my whole life looking for a woman like her, and now that I've found her I refuse to let her go!
I'm suddenly distracted from my thoughts by the sound of a soft voice whispering, turning my head I see that it's Pearl....and she's singing!
“Love doesn't discriminate
between the sinners
and the saints,
it takes and it takes and it takes
and we keep loving anyway.
We laugh and we cry
and we break
and we make our mistakes.
And if there's a reason I'm by her side
when so many have tried
then I'm willing to wait for it.
I'm willing to wait for it…”
She’s singing the lyrics to the song Wait for It, by the Broadway stage play Hamilton. I know that play; it’s one of Malaika’s favorites as we’ve gone to see it several times. I had to pull a lot of string though, as there is a 50-year waiting list. The lyrics strike a chord in my heart as they are true; love doesn’t discriminate who you are, and you never know when it will strike you. Pearl raises her eyes to mine, tears swimming in her dark-brown orbs.
Beep! Beep!
We almost jump out of our skins as the intercom beeps and when I press it, the OB's voice rings out loud and clear.
"Keep it up," she says.
"Keep what up?" I ask.
"That singing," she says. "Her body is reacting to it for the good. I don't know why, but keep it up please."
"Mia angela," I whisper, pressing my palm to the glass. She can hear us. I look to everyone and they know what I want, what we have to do and we join in together, singing into the intercom with the rest of the song Wait For It, by the Broadway play Hamilton.
"Love doesn't discriminate
between the sinners
and the saints,
it takes and it takes and it takes
and we keep loving anyway.
We laugh and we cry
and we break
and we make our mistakes.
And if there's a reason I'm by her side
when so many have tried
then I'm willing to wait for it.
I'm willing to wait for it.
Death doesn't discriminate
Between the sinners and the saints,
it takes and it takes and it takes
and we keep living anyway.
We rise and we fall
and we break
and we make our mistakes.
And if there's a reason I'm still alive
when everyone who loves me has died
I'm willing to wait for it.
I'm willing to wait for it.
Wait for it.
Life doesn't discriminate
between the sinners and the saints
it takes and it takes and it takes
and we ke
ep living anyway,
we rise and we fall and we break
and we make our mistakes
and if there's a reason
I'm still alive
when so many have died,
then I'm willing' to-
I'm willing to wait for it.
I'm willing to wait for it.
Wait for it…”
Tears are sliding down my cheeks as I sing the lyrics, my eyes glued to the table that my wife lies on. She has been through so much, been through abuse, near death, me breaking her heart, and so much more and yet…she’s come through it all. She is going to make it through this, I know she is going to make it through this.
As we finish the song, we all hold our breath; at first, we hear nothing…but then the sound of a strong heartbeat thunders through the intercom and we all cheer with joy. The OB smiles as me as they get Malaika ready to be put back into her room. A mile-wide grin splits my face as I realize what this means; she's safe. My wife is safe.
Epilogue
Malaika
"Wake up! Wake up! It's Christmas!"
Three bouncy bodies jump on my bed, waking Giovanni and I up. I quickly move to cover myself, seeing as under the sheets I have no clothes on, and neither does he. Well, at least he can cover himself better.
"Alright, you three," Giovanni says, trying to sound stern. "We're coming we're coming!"
The three bodies giggle as they run out of the room and Giovanni looks to me. "Are you alright, mia angela?" he asks.
I smile and move the sheets out of the way, revealing my 5-month rounded belly. "I'm fine," I say, rubbing it.
He smiles and kisses me gently, though as he pushes closer I can tell he wants more than just a good morning kiss.
"Go take a cold shower, love," I say. "The kids are waiting for us."
"Mamman!" Robyn yells outside the door. "Aunt Rosalinda, Aunt Zuleikha, and their husbands are here!"
I laugh and slide from the bed, pulling on a pair of leggings and off the shoulder t-shirt with furry slippers.
"Alright," I call down. "I'm coming."
Giovanni pouts as I move toward the door. "But I wanted you here with me..." he pretends to whimper.