Filed to story: Sorry Alpha I Am Wolfless Novel
Moments later, nurses came into the room to help me strip the clothes off of my body and get me hooked up to the machines. It’s funny, people were stripping me, but Joaquin wasn’t upset about it at all. That was just not like him at all.
In a matter of moments, I was in nothing but a hospital gown with several nurses putting sensors on my belly at once.
“Triplets are not that common here at the hospital. It happens from time to time but it’s still rare. And it is definitely exciting.” I could tell that the nurse that spoke was giddy with excitement.
“Well, it’s my first set of triplets too.” I laughed with her. “So, it’s rare for me too.” That made them all laugh.
“You have identical boys coming right? That’s what the doctor said.
“Yes, Dr. White said that you were a high priority case and that you were to be well taken care of.” They were all acting like they were taking care of the most important person in the world, and it was all Griffin’s fault. I noticed that Joaquin was nodding like he agreed completely. Ugh. I hope this stay isn’t going to be overly bad.
It took the ladies a while to get those uncomfortable bands wrapped around my belly, partly because my belly was so big. Once they found the position of all the hearts that they were looking for, it was time for me to get my IVs and other lovely little party favors. They were going to make sure that this was a full service affair. No stone, or in this case, body part, was left undisturbed here.
I swear that it took nearly an hour to get me fully set into the hospital. The entire time that the nurses were getting me ready, I could see Joaquin and Griffin talking in the back of the private room. Those two conspiratorial little buttheads. They were the ones that were putting me through this unnecessary torture. The boys weren’t even coming today. I knew that. They weren’t coming for a few more days at the very least.
“Hello, Riviana.” Griffin said the moment that the nurses left me alone. Now it was time for him to examine me and make sure that everything was doing OK.
“Hello torturer.. Oh, I mean, hello Griffin.” I smiled at him sweetly as I joked playfully with him.
“This isn’t torture, this is concern. Your husband and I are worried about you and the babies. Let us do what we need to do.”
“Oh, yes Master Griffin Sir. I am so sorry that I thought I was more than a baby machine.” That made us all laugh, I just couldn’t keep a straight face through it.
“You’re having triplets, Riviana. That is definitely a baby machine.” Yeah, Griffin was full of jokes too I see.
“Come on, let me check you out and make sure that there is nothing that we need to be concerned about.”
“Go right ahead. I already know that there is nothing. The boys aren’t coming yet. It was only a Braxton Hicks contraction and nothing more. I know how it feels, third time here, remember?”
“Yes, Riviana, I remember. But Joaquin and I are still worried about you. We don’t want to risk you going into labor at home when I am not there.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” I really did. They were just a couple of worrywarts that were paranoid about everything to do with me. I couldn’t fault them for loving and caring about me. I really couldn’t.
However, I can jokingly show my annoyance because this was a big pain in my ass. They were running my Christmas. They’re lucky that I said goodbye to the kids and that the day was almost over. If they had done this at the start of the day, then I would have been very angry with them both. I was not going to miss Christmas with my children. I would murder them for that. No one was going to make me miss that with them.
“Alright Riviana, just relax now.” Griffin told me as he started to feel my belly for any changes. He was checking the read out on the monitor that told him what my contractions were like. The frequency and the duration, things like that. They were sporadic and only in the belly, so I knew that they weren’t the real thing. And I knew that Griffin was seeing the same thing at this very moment.
After he confirmed the contractions, he checked my cervix. That was something that Joaquin has had to get used to over the years. I needed to be checked before I could deliver the babies. Even if Griffin was planning on these boys being delivered through a cesarean section because they were all facing different directions. He still needed to know how far along my supposed labor really was.
The only thing is, Griffin was finding that I wasn’t in labor at all. And soon, he would be admitting that to me. I was even watching his face to the best of my ability, which wasn’t easy with such a big pregnant belly stuck up in the way. Still, I did my best and I was able to see the moment of realization.
“Well, the good news, Riviana, is that you are not in active labor. The contractions are weak and sporadic, most likely just Braxton’s like you said. Your cervix is at a three, but with how close you are and the fact that you are having triplets, that is to be expected. Still, with even that slight amount of progression it is best that we go ahead and keep you here until you deliver. Which in truth, that could be as soon as tomorrow. This is necessary for us all.” I know that he was just doing what he thought was best for me. That was why I did my best to refrain from sticking my tongue out at him and then going 鈥榟a ha I told you so’. That wouldn’t have been very nice for the man that was a really good friend of mine and was just trying to help.
“I know, Griffin. It’s getting so close to their due date. Just eleven more days and I have reached the actual day they were due. Did you ever think that I could keep them inside this long?” I made the joke and instantly regretted it.
“With your track record, hell no. I expected them to be born so early that it wasn’t even funny. Then again, it wouldn’t have been funny at all. But you know what I mean.” He laughed off his bad joke and I just pouted.
“You all act like these things have been intentional or that they’re my fault. That isn’t fair.”
“Yeah, I know, Little Bunny.” Joaquin leaned in to kiss my forehead. “Don’t worry, I don’t blame you. But I am going to make you listen to all the doctor’s orders.” He grinned and then went to pull a chair closer.
****
Riviana
****
Joaquin was staying with me in the hospital of course. He wasn’t going to leave me at all. He had them bring him in a second bed, since this room was big enough for it. That was where he was going to sleep for the duration that we were here. He also had Noah bring him another bag of clothes from the house.
The first thing that he did the night that we got to the hospital was take a shower and change his clothes. He knew that I would want to be cleaned too, so he took advantage of the situation and gave me a sponge bath. I should have known that was coming. He was still my Joaquin even if I was massively pregnant and we were at the hospital. He would do what he could to bathe me like he did all the time at home. I loved him for it too.
The day after Christmas started a new routine for us. We would get breakfast delivered from a restaurant because Joaquin didn’t want to eat hospital food. We would read, talk, play cards, or just about anything that we wanted to. There were the interruptions of the nurse as they checked on me of course, but that was it. Later, in the afternoon, Mom or Lila would bring the kids to see me and we would have lunch together. They would, of course, bring the food that Joaquin ordered for us.
The kids would feel my belly and talk to the boys. I would read them a story and they would give me drawings that they made for me. It was fun, for the kids at least. I was bored and would rather be at home.
…..
I knew that I was going to be in here, at the hospital, during the start of the new year. I would miss all of the celebrations with the kids at home, so they wanted to come here and see me at the hospital and stay as late as they could. They wanted to make sure that we didn’t miss anything at all. And they were going to call me at midnight, if they were still up.
I wanted to have something special for the kids when they came over, so I had Joaquin decorate the room with some things from the closest store. That was as far as he was willing to get from me so that he could buy them. Also, I had one of the nurses pick up a few stuffed animals from the gift shop for me so that I could give them to the kids when they got here.
After the decorations were hung and the food for the night was delivered, it was time for the kids to come. Oh, and the food that we had with us was pizza, bread, wings, salad, cake and pasta. It was all delivered and being kept warm while the kids hurried up from the lobby with Mom and Lila.
“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Are the babies here yet?” Talia called out when she came in.
