Taxi Driver Ejects Woman in Labor, Later Receives Notice from Maternity Ward

Taxi driver Patrick, burdened by his son’s leukemia diagnosis, faces financial struggles. When an opportunity arises to assist a laboring woman, he makes a decision he soon regrets.

Patrick slumped into his kitchen chair, emotionally spent from a conversation with Mikey’s oncologist.

“Your son requires more treatment,” the doctor had informed him. Considering the exorbitant cost, the task felt as impossible as reaching the moon. Patrick’s earnings as a security guard couldn’t cover the expenses of Mikey’s chemotherapy or their basic living needs.

“Dad, will you color with me?” Mikey walked into the kitchen holding coloring book pages and crayons. He stopped upon seeing Patrick’s tear-streaked face. “Are you okay, Dad? You’re crying.”

Patrick hastily wiped his eyes and forced a smile. “Just got pepper in my eye while cooking.”

“Alright.” Mikey grinned, placing his coloring book on the table. “You color the dragon, and I’ll do the daffodils.”

Patrick accepted the crayon Mikey handed him. The sight of the blood-red hue sparked fresh despair. He wished he could physically wrestle the leukemia out of his son. He wished Mikey didn’t have to suffer so much.

“Come on, Dad!” Mikey nudged him playfully.

A few days later, Patrick landed a part-time job as a cab driver. Though on probation initially, he was ecstatic—this could help fund Mikey’s treatment.

“Here’s a list of chores,” Patrick told his older kids, Stacey and Vincent, as he taped a list to the fridge. “Text me if necessary, but only call in an emergency, okay?”

Stacey and Vincent nodded. They often watched over their younger siblings but now knew Mikey required extra attention.

“Don’t worry, Dad. We got this.” Stacey gave him a thumbs up.

Patrick spent his shifts patrolling the streets for customers. Over the next several days, he spread word among colleagues and friends to call him if they needed a ride.

By the end of the week, Patrick’s boss called him into the office.

“Well done!” His boss extended a hand. “You set a new company record in your first week! We’d like you to stay on and here’s a bonus for your diligence.”

Just as Patrick began to hope for a brighter future, life thwarted him again. While driving a client to the airport, his cab started making disturbing noises.

Patrick took the car to a mechanic and called his boss. Shockingly, he learned he’d have to cover the repair costs himself.

“Just my luck,” Patrick muttered as he pocketed his phone. “Get a bonus one day, get the short end of the stick the next.”

Focused on his own family’s needs, Patrick thought he couldn’t afford to help strangers. Mikey’s treatment had to remain his top priority.
The mechanic then informed him of the hefty cost to replace the faulty parts.

“What are these parts made of, gold?” Patrick shook his head in disbelief. Nevertheless, he knew delaying repairs meant delaying his return to work, reducing his income.

“Just fix it,” Patrick told the mechanic curtly.

“There’s no need to be rude.”

Patrick shot him a glare. Of course, he had to be rude—his expenses were soaring! As if he didn’t have better uses for that money.

After shelling out for the costly repairs, Patrick was more desperate than ever to earn money. Unlike his colleagues who took breaks to chat, Patrick stayed focused on maximizing his earnings.

While waiting for a pre-arranged client pickup, Patrick grew increasingly impatient. Eventually, he called the woman to ask where she was.

“I’m on my way, just…” she trailed off with a gasp.

“I’m having trouble…walking.”

Patrick drummed his fingers on the wheel. Eventually, a heavily pregnant woman hobbled to the car. Once inside, he noticed her labored breathing and pallor.

“Are you okay?” Patrick inquired.

“I just need to rest,” she replied, sounding pained.

Though worried, Patrick didn’t have time to worry about strangers. With the rain making roads slippery, it also meant more people needed cabs. Suddenly, the woman exclaimed:

“I think my water just broke!”

Panic set in for Patrick. He instantly thought about the cleanup cost and wasted time.

“You need to get out,” Patrick said, scanning his surroundings. “I’m sorry, but I can’t handle this.”

The woman cried out in pain. “Oh no, the baby’s coming!”

Patrick pulled over at a bus stop. He half-carried the woman to a bench and turned to leave, but she gripped his sleeve.

“Please, don’t go.” She looked at him with pleading eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I have to.” Patrick withdrew his sleeve from her grasp. “I’ll call an ambulance for you. You’ll be okay.”

Patrick ran back through the rain to his cab. He called 911 and sped away, convincing himself he’d done all he could for the woman.

The next day, Patrick spent his day off taking Mikey for treatment at the hospital. He was exhausted from non-stop calls overnight from unknown numbers, which he didn’t answer, assuming they were telemarketers.

Returning from a quick grocery run, Patrick found a surprising letter marked ‘priority express’ in his mailbox.

“What’s this?” he wondered, turning the envelope over. Expecting it might be a bill, he found something entirely unexpected inside.

The letter was from a local birthing center, urgently requesting he contact them about Ms. Jenna Reid. Patrick didn’t know anyone by that name. He left the letter on the table and unpacked the groceries.

When he took Mikey to the hospital later, he noticed the birthing center a block away.

“It’s probably a mistake, but it can’t hurt to check.”

Patrick visited the center and gave his name to the receptionist.

“Thank goodness!” She set her tablet aside. “Mr. Murphy, we’ve been trying to reach you! Ms. Jenna Reid had complications during delivery and was transferred to the hospital.”

“She’s now in intensive care,” she finished. “All this could’ve been avoided if she’d arrived sooner. Your number was the last dialed on her phone, so we contacted you first. Would you note your relationship with the patient for our records?”

Patrick suddenly realized Jenna was the pregnant woman from his cab.

“Wasn’t there anyone else to call?” he asked. “A husband or family?”

The woman frowned. “We don’t have any emergency contacts for her.”

Patrick walked away, guilt gnawing at him. He rushed to the hospital to inquire about Jenna in ICU.

“I’m sorry, she’s unconscious and not allowed visitors at this time,” the nurse informed him. “Are you family?”

“Uh…I’m a friend,” he lied. “When can I visit?”

A few days later, Patrick sat by Jenna’s bed, head in hands, unable to bear seeing the woman and her baby. Listening to the rhythmic beep of machines, he grappled with his guilt.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I wish I could turn back time. I never imagined it would come to this…”

Having endured losing his wife and seeing Mikey fight leukemia, Patrick was no stranger to suffering. However, he felt immense shame for adding to Jenna and her baby’s pain.

Patrick visited Jenna daily, sitting silently by her bed. When a nurse brought in her daughter during a visit, she smiled at Patrick.

“It’s good to see you here. Families visiting coma patients help in their recovery. Many patients report hearing everything around them while unconscious.”

Patrick just nodded. He watched Jenna’s baby in the crib as she gurgled and kicked the air.

“Busy little one, aren’t you?” Patrick smiled.

“Who are…you!” Jenna suddenly spoke, looking bewildered between Patrick and her baby.

“No, wait,” Patrick raised his hands. “Your baby is safe. I’m not here to harm you. I came to apologize.”

At that moment, the nurse rushed in. “What’s happening?”

“She’s awake!” Patrick pointed at Jenna, smiling.

As doctors and nurses rushed in, Patrick stepped out, tears of relief streaming down his face.

The next day, Patrick returned and explained why he’d evicted Jenna from his cab.

“All I saw was the cost—cleaning, time loss, and money.” He hung his head in shame. “It’s a sad world when helping a stranger comes with a price.”

“I understand,” Jenna sighed. “I know what it’s like to feel alone without support.”

Patrick’s regular visits earned Jenna’s forgiveness. Her daughter even called him grandpa. Patrick raised enough for Mikey’s treatments, and he went into remission.

Years later, surrounded by this newfound family at Thanksgiving, Patrick’s heart overflowed with gratitude for the amazing people in his life.

Lessons from This Story

Unity is Strength: While it’s easy to become engrossed in personal problems, it’s crucial to support one another in tough times.

The Value of Kindness: The cost of helping someone might seem high, but for the person in need, that assistance is priceless.

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