That was until my stomach got so big that nothing was comfortable anymore. My feet hurt, my back hurt, and the heartburn was keeping me from wanting to eat anything. My blood pressure had been up and down with every doctor visit and that left Doc always lurking close behind me to make sure I was ok. But through thick and thin, Jameson stood by me and did everything he could to try and make me feel better. We bought a small flat a few blocks from the club house, something about not wanting to raise a baby around a bunch of gobshites. But those gobshites were there whenever Jameson couldn’t be and they always made sure that I wanted for nothing. William spent the afternoons with me and he became as close to me as a father. I could tell that he was excited about the baby, one of the first to be born in years for a club member.
William had dropped Johanna and me off at the clubhouse, since I could no longer ride on the motorcycle with Jameson, so that we could get the last couple of boxes of baby clothes that the members and their old ladies had bought for our new arrival. William had wandered off to the garage to see the guys as we made our way up the stairs. I made my way to the fridge to grab a drink and Johanna took off toward her room to gather a few things, when I heard a knock on the door. I didn’t think to look, only opened it to see a large dark man on the other side with a black duffle bag.
“Can I help you?” I asked, looking down at the yard below to see no one in sight. I didn’t have a clue who this man was.
“Give this to William.” He shoved the bag at me and I grabbed it, dropping it to the floor from its weight.
“Who are you?” I called out to him as he quickly made his way back down the stairs and disappeared. “Johanna!” I yelled toward the back, looking one more time for the man, but he was gone.
“Aye? What you need, love?” Johanna appeared with a box in her hand full of baby clothes. “What’s that?” She eyed down at the duffle bag that was resting on the floor at my feet.
“I don’t know. Some guy just showed up and said to give it to William. It’s too heavy. Help me get it up on the table.” She set down the box and made her way to me, eyeing the bag suspiciously as we lifted it onto the table.
“Do you think it’s some tools or something he’s been waiting for…” I unzipped one end of the bag and then let out a blood curdling scream. From the hole in the bag I could see Mulligan’s eyes staring up at me from his disembodied head. I grabbed for the counter and missed, collapsing onto the floor as Johanna rushed over to me. I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath as I gagged and wretched onto the floor.
“What the fuck?” Johanna looked around, “Are you ok?” She stared at me waiting for an answer, but I couldn’t speak. Slowly she made her way to the duffle bag and opened the hole that I had unzipped. She jumped back away from the bag as if something had bit her and then ran to the door and screamed for William.
My heart was pounding in my chest as I gasped for breath, but with each breath I took in I could smell the sweet putrid smell of Mulligan’s decaying flesh. I felt like I was being smothered and then suddenly something felt wrong. I could feel my back and stomach tightening and the pain that was now washing over me was worse than anything I had ever felt before. I was a little over two months away from my due date, but I had the strange sense to start pushing. I tried to stand from the floor, to get out, away from the body parts in the bag on the table in front of my, but I collapsed back down in pain.
I could feel something wet under my dress and started screaming. The pain shot up my back and down into my legs. I looked down and below me was now a puddle of blood. “Johanna! Come help me! Johanna!” I screamed into the now vacant doorway. Something was wrong and I didn’t know what was happening to me or to our baby.
I heard the familiar rumble of the pack of motorcycles pulling into the yard and then heavy boots running up the wooden stairs outside. William came into the door, his face covered in panic as he ran to me. Johanna came in the door behind him and then Charon, Knox, and Jameson was last. “Johanna, call Doc in here!” William shouted up to her as she stood frozen, staring down at the blood that was pooling around me. “Now, Johanna!” And she disappeared out the door once more.
Jameson made his way to my other side, “Baby, its ok. Just breathe. Just breathe, baby.”
I choked on a breath as the pain shot back through me and I let out another scream. “Something’s wrong,” I cried out, grasping Jameson’s hand as the tears started rolling down his face.
“Doc’s on his way, emergency is coming. Just try and take a deep breath. It’s gonna be ok,” he said, trying his best to keep his composure.
“It hurts so bad!” I screamed out, trying my hardest not to move.
“I know, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere,” he reassured me as Doc came running through the door, his medical bag in hand.
He made his way over to me and knelt between my legs. “Everyone out,” he said, looking up at Knox, Rage, and Johanna. “And get that fucking bag out of this fucking room!” I could hear the scrambling of feet as the room began to spin. “She’s lost a lot of blood,” he said to William and Jameson “Starla, you gotta stay awake, love. I know it hurts. But you gotta stay awake.” I could feel Doc’s hands at my knees. “Jameson, she’s going to have to deliver today. She’s in labor.”