The Fall (Karma Police Book 5) by Sean Platt & David Wright

Author:Sean Platt & David Wright [Platt, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sci-fi
Publisher: Collective Inkwell
Published: 2017-07-24T22:00:00+00:00

* * * *

CHAPTER 13

Ben Shepherd Age 21

“I can’t do it,” Willow cries, still pushing.

Her face is red. Sweat beads her brow. The light above her bed feels like a heat lamp.

She’s been in labor for nearly twelve hours. She’s exhausted, barely able to push.

I sit beside her bed in a chair, doing my best to be there for support without annoying her. She’s normally laid back and good-natured, quick with humor, but now she feels only pain and exhaustion. She’s already yelled at her parents to wait outside because her mom kept trying to “help out.”

Willow refused a C-section, but by the thirteenth hour, I wonder if she’s regretting her decision. I try to encourage her.

“You can do it! You’ve got this, honey.”

I give her my hand for support.

She grips it tight enough to turn my fingers all white.

I don’t pull away. If she needs to break every one of my fingers to get through childbirth, then so be it.

Willow’s doctor coaches her. “That’s it, Willow. Push.”

She screams, squeezing my hand even tighter.

“You’ve got it, baby. You’ve got it.”

She continues to push, her entire body now trembling.

I focus on her face. I can’t stand the thought of looking anywhere else.

“I can’t do it!” Willow screams, collapsing, her hand relenting its iron grip on my fingers.

I move closer, hoping my presence doesn’t annoy her.

Willow looks up at me, a wreck.

And here I sit, helpless to make this any better.

She’s the only one who can do this.

I lean over, kiss her on the forehead, and whisper, “You’ve got this, baby.”

She begins to push again, gritting her teeth against the pain.

Suddenly, a cry.

I turn to see the doctor pulling a baby from between my wife’s legs.

Willow is looking up, tears streaming down her cheeks, smiling as she stares.

Then the doctor hands our daughter to Willow, umbilical cord still attached.

She takes the tiny pink baby against her bosom, nuzzling her cheek against its little, fuzzy head.

Willow looks up at me, and for the first time, I understand what she meant: Having a baby completes our family.

And I will do anything to keep our family together.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.