Silent Resilience

The Red-Haired Volcano

(CW: Lots of swearing in this chapter, also some violence)

"Holy shiiiit!" Mila screamed, squeezing the steel handles of the white hospital bed. "Can this thing go any faster?!"

"Ssshhh, calm down..." Asher whispered, sweating profoundly.

"Calm down?!"

"Uh oh..."

"I'm shitting out a fucking human, do not tell me to be calm!" she snapped at him. Asher nodded nervously with a shaky smile, opting to sit back down on the white bench.

The ambulance car suddenly jerked forward, causing the nearby nurse to drop her clipboard. Picking it back up, she quickly composed herself before standing next to the bed Mila was in.

"Ma'am, deep breaths, alright? We're almost there, just try to breath"

"I'm trying, okay?!" Mila groaned. With another contraction, she suddenly went quiet, desperately trying to suck in her breath. Asher placed the back of his hand on her forehead, wiping away the sweat that had gathered there.

"You're doing perfect. Just keep breathing" he whispered, gazing down at his wife with a gentle smile. "Think about what our son's going to look like. Imagine how handsome he'll be-"

"Covered in blood and crying" Mila groaned, panting heavily. She scowled at the ceiling, glaring painfully.

"...nevermind, bad choice of words"

"Ya think?"

"Well, if he takes after his mother, he'll be the most beautiful baby in the world" Asher smiled sheepishly. He ran his hand over Mila's arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"..."

"Mila?"

"..."

"Are you hurt?!"

"...no...just trying to breathe..." Mila whispered out between gasps. Sweat poured down her face, hair sticking to her forehead. Her wide eyes stared unmoving at the ceiling, glazing over in pure agony.

Asher sweat dropped as he kept caressing her hand. He didn't know how to respond, so he just kept whispering sweet nothings during her suffering.

---------------------------------------

"Ma'am, Sir, here he is"

The nurse gently placed the towel into Mila's awaiting arms, before walking off. A tired coo filtered out of the new mother's lips as the little boy babbled. Asher leaned over the bars of the bed, placing a hand on her shoulder warmly. Carefully, she unwrapped the towel to reveal the baby's face.

In the warm light of the hospital room, the boy's eyes slowly opened. First the left, then the right, exposing his dark brown pupils. He took from his mother in many ways; soft, tan skin, button nose, a small patch of reddish pair on his little head...

"He's so tiny," Mila mumbled, blinking her drooping eyes. "What the hell? Why couldn't he be this light earlier?"

"He looks a lot like you, don't you think?" Asher chuckled, reaching over to boop the baby's nose. The boy only stared back up in confusion, tilting his head.

"Are you seriously pulling the short jokes now?"

"What, nono!"

"Geez, way to make a mother feel sentimental" Mila giggled tiredly. Glancing down, she ran a finger over the boy's face. He continued to stare up, humming in puzzlement. A thin smile reached the mother's lips.