Different Circles

Jake did not bother taxiing to the hangar. Instead, he simply parked in the general aviation area and shut down the engines. He quickly tied down the plane while Celia unloaded the luggage from the cargo compartment. Jake jogged over to the hangar and opened it up. Inside was Laura’s Lexus that usually stayed in Granada Hills but that had been driven to SLO just for this mission. It was hooked up to its own trickle charger and fully fueled. He pulled the electrodes off the battery and got inside. The keys were in the glove box. He started up the engine and pulled out. After closing the hangar door and securing it, he jumped back in the car and drove quickly back to the terminal.

“All right,” he said as he got out and started picking up their bags. “How we doing?”

“I just had another one,” Laura said. “A little stronger this time.”

“What’s the timing?” Jake asked Celia.

“Still at nine minutes,” she reported.

“Cool,” Jake said relieved. “Let’s get our asses to the hospital.”

They loaded the trunk and climbed in, Laura in the front next to Jake, Celia in the back seat. Jake drove them quickly through the nearly empty streets and arrived at the entrance to the women’s and children’s center at Baptist Hospital of San Luis Obispo at 5:45 AM.

“I’ll go grab a wheelchair,” Celia said when Jake brought them to a stop in the circular entryway.

“I don’t need a fucking wheelchair,” Laura said testily. “I can walk.”

“Well ... yeah,” Celia said, “but I thought you were supposed to bring pregnant women in that way.”

“I can walk,” Laura repeated, stepping out and putting her feet on the pavement. “If someone would just grab my bag for me.”

“I’ll get it,” Jake said. “C, you stay with her. I’m going to go park.”

It took him the better part of five minutes to find a parking space and then jog back to the entrance. Once he was there, the three of them went through the sliding door and into the labor and delivery building. They were in a foyer with a few chairs scattered about and a large semi-circular desk staffed by a female registration clerk in scrubs and a male hospital security guard. There was nobody currently sitting in the chairs. The three of them walked up to the desk.

“Hello,” the female greeted. “Checking in?”

Jake looked at his two companions for a moment and then back at the clerk, irritation plainly visible on his face. A man and two women, one of whom was quite obviously in late pregnancy and holding her belly in a painful manner, come strolling into the labor and delivery department at 5:50 AM and she wants to know if they are checking in. He did not say what was on his mind, however. “Uh ... yes, we’re checking in,” he told her. “My wife seems to be in labor.”

“Okay,” the woman said brightly. “You’ve come to the right place then. Are you pre-registered here at Baptist?”

“Yes, I am,” Laura said. “Dr. Niven is my OB.”

“Okay,” she said. “Your name?”

“Laura Kingsley,” she said.

That caught the woman’s attention. The security guard’s too. They both stared at her for a moment, recognition showing in their eyes.

“Oh ... Mrs. Kingsley, of course,” she said. “How exciting for you!”

“It doesn’t feel all that exciting at the moment,” Laura said sourly.

“I’m sorry,” she said with seemingly sincere sympathy. “If I could just have your date of birth to look you up in the computer?”

“April 11, 1965,” Laura said.

She tapped on her computer keyboard for a moment and then looked at her screen. “Okay,” she said. “There you are. I see you’re already overdue.”

“Yes,” Laura said, “I...” she winced and grabbed her belly. “Oh God, here comes another one.”

“Let me just call the nurse to get you back into the triage room,” the woman said. She picked up a phone and dialed a number. After a moment, she spoke to someone on the other end. “Laura Kingsley is here checking in.” A pause. “That right ... Laura Kingsley. Jake Kingsley and a visitor are with her. She is reporting contractions.” Another pause. “Okay, will do.” She hung up the phone. “The nurse will be right out.”

“Very good,” Laura grunted, breathing a little heavily as the contraction faded.

While they were waiting, she took Jake’s name for the record and then asked who the visitor was.

“I’m Celia Valdez,” Celia told her.

The woman’s eyes got even bigger upon hearing this. She looked at Celia in awe for a moment. “Oh my God,” she said. “It is you! I thought you looked like you, but I didn’t think it really could be you. Wow! This is so amazing!”

“Thank you,” Celia said. “Laura and I are very good friends. She plays saxophone for me, you know.”

“I’ve heard that,” the woman said.

“It’s true,” Jake said. “Now, is there some visitor badge or something you’re supposed to be making for us?”