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“Where is my damn husband?” asks Sophie. Suddenly, she stops screaming, and her eyes roll back.
“What is happening?” asks Tyler.
“Oh my god, Kelly, wake up,” screams Sara. “Mary, what’s happening?”
“She fainted,” says Mary. From the look on her face, I'm not sure if she actually knows why, though.
“Ughhh—oh my god, is the baby coming?” groans Kelly or Sophie, I'm not sure at this moment.
“Kelly?” asks Sara.
“Yes—uggghh—it's me,” Kelly screams. I watch Tyler run over and kiss her forehead.
“Check to see if you can see the baby crowning,” Mary says from across the room.
“Come over here, Mary, please,” Kelly begs.
“No,” demands Tyler.
“Why?” Kelly groans.
“Because sh–”
“I don't care. Mary, please—ahhh—get over here!”
Mary stands to go over, and I glare at her with a death stare.
“This isn't over,” I say as Mary rushes past me to Kelly.
“Tyler, help me get her pants off,” says Mary. Tyler hesitates at first, then drops down and does what she says. “She isn't fully dilated, so the baby isn’t ready to come out yet, I can't do this with one hand. Sara, come help me.”
We watch Kelly labor for what feels like an eternity, doing everything possible to keep her comfortable. By nightfall, the fire on the top deck has grown so intense that the patio glows orange against the night sky, and the back wall of the medical center is beginning to collapse.
“We have to get out of here. We have to get off this ship,” I say.
“Where are we going to go? All the lifeboats are either taken or damaged beyond repair. We've tried everything. We have nothing,” shouts Xander.
“Wait!” screams Mary. “The raft Julie had—I’ve seen it before. I know where she got it. I think there might be another one.”
“Where?” asks Xander as the ceiling in the back of the medical center slowly collapses, letting in fire and smoke.
“The 1st floor in the crew area, where Captain Whitaker's body was—bring a flashlight because it's completely dark down there,” shouts Mary.
“I know exactly where that is. I'll go with you. Come on, Xander, let's go,” I say.
As we rush toward the door and head for the stairs, the sound of Mary’s voice echoes in the hallway.
“We’ll meet you at the fourth-floor balcony at the broken railing. Please hurry.”
51
TYLER
“Grab as many clothes as you can, all the sheets and blankets, too, and put them in a trash bag. Tie them securely so they don't get wet. We are going to need all the coverage we can get. Also, grab the baby formula and stuff as many bottles of water as you can into the medical bag,” Mary shouts to Karissa.
“What are we doing?” asks Sara. I look over and see Chris standing next to her, pale and looking like he is about to puke.
“We're getting off this ship,” says Mary.
