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A few minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. As promised, a nurse met them in the ambulance bay. Jim jumped out of his seat and ran to the passenger door as the nurse walked toward the car with a wheelchair.
"Mr. and Mrs. Halpert?"
"Yeah," Jim said as he opened Pam's door.
"Hi, I'm Mindi." She put her hand gently on Pam's arm. "So you're having contractions?"
Pam nodded.
"Okay, we'll get you taken care of," she said, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. "Mr. Halpert, why don't you go park the car, and we'll get your wife checked into the ER. Just let them know who you are at the front desk, and they'll let you back."
"Okay." Jim helped Pam sit in the wheelchair, then kissed her forehead and knelt down in front of her.
"Hey... It's going to be okay. I'll be right back."
Pam nodded again.
Mindi wheeled Pam inside, and Jim raced back around to the driver's side and drove into the parking garage. He quickly found a spot, parked, and rushed back into the ER and strode to the front desk.
"I'm Jim Halpert, I need to go--"
"Fill out a form, and take a seat," the woman behind the desk said, shoving a clipboard at him.
"No, I'm not sick, it's my wife, she--"
"Then have her fill out the form."
"HEY!" Jim shouted, pounding his fist on the desk. The receptionist jumped and looked at him, wide-eyed. As patient a man as he usually was, he wasn't going to put up with anyone's shit. Not today.
"My wife is in premature labor," he said slowly, through clenched teeth. "The nurse met us at the entrance and brought her in so I could park the car, and if you don't let me back there right now, I'm going to lose it. Do you understand me?"
"Okay... what's her name?"
"Pamela Halpert."
The receptionist typed something into the computer. "Exam 4. Down the hall, to the left."
"Thanks," Jim called as he went back.
"Jeez... point taken," he heard her mutter.
He found Exam 4, and walked in to find Pam already in a hospital gown, sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching Mindi's hands.
"Okay, Pam, just breathe... you're fine... it's almost over," she murmured soothingly. The contraction ended, and Pam looked up to meet Jim's eyes.
"Hey."
"Hi... sorry that took so long. The receptionist wouldn't let me back at first."
"Yeah... sorry about that," Mindi said. "Angela gets a little snarky early in the morning." Jim let out a small chuckle.
"Her name's Angela?"
"Yeah..."
"Hmm... how fitting," he said, shooting a grin at Pam, who, in spite of everything that was happening, smiled back.
"Okay, Pam, why don't you lie back, and I'll get you hooked up to a fetal monitor," Mindi said, fiddling with a contraption that kind of looked like the maternity support Pam had bought a few weeks before.
Once the band was around Pam's belly, Mindi hooked it up to the small monitor on a cart by the bed. The sound of their baby's heart beat began to echo through the small room. Jim smiled as he sat next to Pam on the tiny bed.
"I love that sound," he murmured softly.
Mindi smiled. "So, are you having a boy or a girl?"
"A boy," they replied simultaneously.
"So far, it looks like he's doing well. His heart rate is at 160, which is perfect. I'm going to start an IV and start you on some fluids." She wheeled over a cart with the IV supplies. "Who's your OB?" she asked, tying the tourniquet around Pam's arm.
"Kristine McNulty."
"Oh, you're in luck. She's on call tonight. Okay, little pinch," she said as she swiftly inserted the IV into Pam's vein, and secured it to her arm.
"Alright, you're all hooked up," she said, pushing some buttons on the IV machine, starting the saline drip. "I'll page Dr. McNulty and get her down here, and then we'll see which medication she wants to start you on. Hang in there, okay?" She walked out the door.
Pam nodded. She sighed and looked at Jim.
"Jim... what if she can't stop it? What if..." Her eyes filled with tears.
"Hey," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "It's going to be okay."
"You don't know that."
"No... I don't," he answered honestly. "But Dr. McNulty's great. I don't know, but I really do think it's going to be okay."
Pam sighed, and then suddenly gripped her stomach and gasped.
"Jim!" she whimpered. He pressed his forehead against hers as she clutched his hand.
"Breathe, Pam... just breathe."
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Summary - Pam & Jim arrive at the hospital.
I had a really hard time with this chapter. It's kind of... I don't know. Clunky and awkward.
I had a really hard time with this chapter. It's kind of... I don't know. Clunky and awkward.
Chapter End Notes:
See? Clunky.
All the doctors in the rest of this story are the names of the actual doctors at Moses Taylor Hospital. I don't know the names of the nurses, with the exception of Mindi. Mindi Spear is the ER's nurse manager. Angela is also completely made up. I figured I needed to add some drama (uh, because there isn't enough in here... /sarcasm)
