Sebastian Knight

41 - Liliana

I made an effort to inhale as deeply as possible while awaiting the arrival of the doctor. I couldn't help but wonder what was causing such a delay. Suddenly, a rush of water spilled down my legs and my eyes widened in alarm as I tightly clutched my stomach, tears welling up.

"It seems that the babies are on their way," I managed to say.

Eduardo swiftly left the room to seek assistance. However, as nobody arrived immediately, I whimpered while attempting to stand, my body feeling weak.

"We are in a hospital, for heaven's sake! We are the medical professionals!" I cried out.

Once again, tears streamed down my face as the pain intensified. I tried to cope by focusing on my breathing, but it proved ineffective. Finally, the doctor burst into the room, his eyes widening before calling for a midwife.

"We must transfer you to the appropriate room," Dr Richards stated.

Shaking my head, I replied, "No, I need my husband by my side. I want to give birth here."

Dr Richards was about to speak when I interjected, "I'm confident that I can stand. Please allow my wife to remain here. This is our first pregnancy with twins."

Dr Richards sighed before giving his consent and arranging for another bed to be brought in. Nurse Chandler entered carrying a wheelchair, assisting Sebastian into it. Despite the pain, Sebastian gritted his teeth and ensured he stayed close to his wife.

Nurse Chandler helped me put on a different gown as we waited for the bed's arrival. Once it arrived with the midwives accompanying it, I laid down and took a deep breath once more. Sebastian moved closer to me, laying on the bed. The pain was evident on my face. Instantly, he took hold of my hand and pressed it to his lips.

"Continue to breathe," Sebastian reassured me.

I attempted to employ the breathing techniques suggested by the midwife in order to alleviate the discomfort caused by the continuing contractions. Despite my efforts, the contractions persisted and continued to weaken me. A small amount of water leaked from my body, prompting me to cry out in pain. I clung tightly to Sebastian's hand in search of some form of solace.

"Mrs Knight, I must examine your progress," Midwife Sasha stated professionally as she donned a pair of gloves.

She approached me, separating my legs which elicited a groan due to the pain of movement. Inserting her hand to evaluate the dilation of my cervix, she widened her eyes upon discovering that I was already fully dilated at 10 centimetres.

"Mrs Knight, you have reached 10 centimetres, indicating the need to commence pushing. During the next round of contractions, you should exert force," she advised.

I nodded in agreement and followed her instructions. As the next contraction emerged, my body convulsed and I emitted a harrowing scream while pushing with all my might. It took an agonizing hour for any progress to be made. Exhaustion consumed me as I relentlessly pushed. Sebastian offered some relief by gently wiping my forehead with a lukewarm towel, ensuring it was neither too cold nor too hot to avoid discomfort.

"I can see the baby's head. Keep pushing," Sasha directed.

Summoning all the strength I had left, I pushed once more, the unbearable pain coursing through me. If someone were to ask me to describe it, I would compare it to the sensation of having my insides forcibly extracted.

"This is concerning," Sasha exclaimed, her eyes widening. "There appears to be an issue with the baby. The umbilical cord is wrapped around her neck."

"Damn it!" Sebastian clutched his chest and began to gasp for air, struggling to maintain composure for the sake of his wife.

"What does that mean?!" I shouted amidst the throes of labour.

"If we fail to deliver the baby immediately, she will not survive."

"Perform a C-section," Tony, one of the nurses, suggested.

"It's too late. By the time I prepare for the procedure, the baby will have already perished. I apologize, but at this moment, our only option is to rely solely on faith," Sasha declared.

Sasha, a specialist who had been educated in scientific principles and steadfastly believed in empirical evidence, was now forced to surrender to the unknown, to circumstances that science alone could not rectify.

" I am experiencing extreme discomfort and a sense of nausea," I expressed.

My physical state was characterized by heightened temperature, heaviness, and pain. It seemed as if this nightmarish ordeal would never come to an end. I felt as though I had traversed the depths of hell, yet the torment continued unabated. This moment, although anticipated to be joyous and memorable, had turned out to be quite the opposite. I yearned for the excruciating ordeal to cease. Right here. Right now.

"I am unsure how much longer I can endure this pushing," I sobbed, desperately refusing to let go of my child.

"Would you like some water?" Sebastian inquired.

"Is the position sufficiently comfortable for you?" Sasha asked for the eightieth time. "Continue pushing, you are nearing the end."

Everyone in the room spoke simultaneously, making it difficult for me to concentrate on the proceedings. All I truly desired was for them to...

"Shut up!"

A hush fell upon the room, yet the exertions and steady pushing continued. They carried on in this manner for a while. Inhaling, chanting, and pushing. It was a cycle that repeated itself. My consciousness was beginning to fade, and I had no knowledge of how much longer I could endure this.

However, the baby seemed unwilling to emerge. Its head abruptly retreated into my body. Due to the slippery nature of the blood, Sasha struggled to gain a firm grip on the head. It was not until the subsequent strong push that the task was accomplished. Half of the baby emerged from my body, and Sasha was able to extract the rest of the body.

"It is a girl," the doctor declared, promptly severing the cord.

"A girl?" I double-checked to ensure I had heard correctly.

As soon as the baby girl let out a resounding cry, Sasha carefully placed her on my chest. Sebastian stood close by, tears cascading down his face. He was overwhelmed with joy.

"I love you," I whispered, peering into the baby's eyes. And with that, the baby fell silent. No more crying, just silence.

A minute elapsed, and the midwife promptly carried the infant away for cleaning and administering tests, the midwife carried out the tasks efficiently.

"What will be the name of the child?" Diego inquired with curiosity.

"We would rather wait until the birth of the other child before reaching a decision," responded Sebastian, expressing our preference for deferring the name selection until the arrival of the second child.

After 20 minutes, I experienced the urge to push once again, but this time it was considerably easier. Our baby girl had been gently placed in a crib. It felt like an endless period of agony and distress before our second child made its entrance into the world.

"It is a boy!" Sasha exclaimed, announcing the gender of the newborn.

"A boy?" Sebastian sought clarification, ensuring that he had heard correctly.

Sasha nodded and tenderly placed him on my chest, to which I instinctively embraced him, while Sebastian was entrusted with our baby girl.

"Well then, what will be their names?" Diego eagerly inquired.

Meanwhile, Eduardo stood in the corner, tears welling up in his eyes as he witnessed the birth of his first two grandchildren.

"For our beautiful baby girl, we have decided on the name Mía Isabel Knight," I declared, mentioning that I had chosen the name as soon as we discovered we were expecting twins.

"Our handsome son shall be named César Edgardo Knight," responded Sebastian, a small tear escaping his eye.