Cruel World (The Tribe Book 1)

4. Baby Girl

I hurry up the stairs, skipping a few steps and assist Bray in helping Trudy to a room with a bigger bed, taking the spare double in the kids room.

"Are you having contractions?" I ask hurriedly. She nods, "They're fast and painful," she claims, my face going pale.

"We need to check how dilated you are, and get you something for the pain, cos by the sound of it the baby won't take long to be born," I say, "Bray do you know how to check?" I ask, knowing he used to help out his dad at his doctors office. He nods in response.

"Ok, can you check her while I run for supplies?" I ask, not waiting for an answer.

"Jack I need you to grab old sheets and towels, make sure they're clean! Ryan can you grab a bowl of hot water, it'll cool down enough for once the baby has arrived! Patsy can you and your brother please go down to the old news store and grab a box of rubber bands? They're on the second shelf from the bottom near the door! Amber please help with Trudy! Salene with me please, I need to grab her painkillers and baby supplies! Lex keep an eye on everything, keep the kids in line please!" I shout rushing out of the room and out into the main area.

Everyone moves quickly to do their jobs, knowing not to argue right now. Salene follows me into the storage bay filled with boxes, where I grab the basket of medicine and pull out some Endone for Trudy and a first aid kit with everything for once she's had the baby to clean her up. I point Salene to a box with baby supplies and we rush back to the kid's room.

"How dilated is she?" I ask, placing things down on a table and moving to Trudy's side, people coming in and out quickly to place down items. "She's at a 7, we need to keep an eye on her," Bray responds, going into professional mode. I nod and see Jack run in with towels and sheets.

"Ok Bray grab her other leg, Sal and Amber grab her arms, Jack as we lift her place a few sheets under her and the towels under her lower back and bottom." Everyone nods and moves into place. "Ok on my count, 1, 2, 3!"

We lift and Jack quickly places them down under her, we place her back gently to keep her as comfortable as possible. Once she's down we move the sheets out at the corners so they aren't all tangled together.

"Amber can you grab a glass of water?" I ask. "On it," she replies rushing out, as I pull the box of painkillers out and hand two to Trudy, Amber coming back with the water.

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I check her again after about 20 minutes, her pain lessened from the Endone.

[Warning: potentially graphic for some people, skip to the end of the birth if you want.]

"She's at 10. Ok Trudy, next contraction you gotta push. Sal can you come her and you and Bray hold her legs, Amber squeeze her hands," I say, moving down between her legs.

Trudy tells us she feels a contraction and begins to push, moaning and crying in pain. I count to 10, and once I reach 10 she stops.

"Great job Trude, next contraction we're gonna do the same thing ok?" I say calmly, to soothe her and she nods. Amber wipes her off with towels to help keep her cool.

This continues for another 10 minutes before I see a head.

"Alright, I see a some hair, the next ones gonna hurt more but once the head is out it's easier. Ready, push!" I tell her, and she pushes as much as she can, crying out in pain.

The four of us whisper words of encouragement and she pushes the head out. She takes a quick breather and pushes once more and I pull the baby out. After a moment of quiet, a cry breaks the air. We all sigh and smile in relief, and Bray takes the baby to clean her off as Trudy pushes again to deliver the afterbirth. Once that's done, we cut the cord and swaddle the baby in towels and a blanket, and pass the baby to Trudy.