John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 136 - The Wages Of Sin

"Dammit!" Dr. Buchanan looked up at the monitor.

"What?" Kristen glanced at the green and orange lights that were dancing arrythmically and then looked back at the doctor. "What is it?"

"The baby. It's in distress. We need to get it out which means we're going to have to work extra hard okay?" He used the back of his wrist to sweep across his forehead. He'd checked with the surgery team before they had gone into the delivery room and at the moment, the theatres were full, with urgent cases waiting. Which meant in the event they needed to do a caesar, they were in trouble. He only prayed it didn't come to that. "I'm going to need you to push even between contractions."

"I don't...." she shook her head with fearful eyes. She was so exhausted she didn't think she could do this.

"Kristen, listen to me." The doctor's face was stern but held a modicum of encouragement. "It seems that the placenta is detaching and that means the baby isn't getting enough oxygen. We need to get this baby born as quickly as possible or it will suffer oxygen deprivation. That could mean possible brain damage, or in a worst case scenario, even death." He paused to let the consequences sink in and then smiled gently to reassure her. "Now that's not going to happen because we have a great team working with us here. But it's really important that you do everything you can to help me all right?"

Kristen looked at him with huge eyes as, without warning, she sank back into her delirium. John's baby. Marlena's baby. And it was in trouble. How ironic. After all this time, it came down to this one small moment. A few short minutes that could mean the difference between a healthy baby, and a tiny coffin on its way to the cemetery. A perfect life and a perfect family snatched away by the want of a few minutes.

Her mind wondered at the thought. A couple of hours ago, at Marlena's apartment, this would have seemed like the ideal solution. Take from Marlena as she had taken from Kristen. And all she would have to do would be to endure this pain a little longer, to just not push as hard as maybe she could...

"Okay Kristen," Buchanan looked up and nodded, his eyes intense. "You need to push as *hard* as you can." The nurse beside her helped her into a semi-sitting position and she began to push.

"Ggggggg....aaaaaaaaahhhhh." The urge to push was unbelievable and she found herself almost unwilling in her participation in the labor. And then the need passed, and she sagged against the pillows.

"C'mon Kristen, push!" She shook her head wearily at the desperate exhortation from the doctor.

"I can't," she croaked.

"You have to Kristen," he fixed her with stern eyes. "For your child's sake."

She stared at him, her eyes cold and bitter. Not *my* child Doctor. No, not mine. You want me to tear myself apart for the bastard child of a woman I loathe. The woman that stole the man that I love.

Why should she be the one to give them the one thing that would make their lives together perfect? Why, when with one final, vengeful act, she could at least take this from them? The child that they had cheated her of, she would in turn take from them. It was perfect.

"Kristen!" He seemed surprised at her lack of concern for the child's well-being, and she wanted to laugh. Why *should* she care anyway? When had they *ever* cared about her? When had they ever spared one thought for what she needed, what she deserved? No, Marlena had been too busy thinking selfishly about her own *perfect* family and her own perfect life.

And anyway, what was there to stop her? It wasn't as if she was squeamish. She had already taken one life today, the power over life and death was not a new experience any longer. She had that power, and she could use it. John's threats were just meaningless anyway. He hated her and that wouldn't change. So, he would hate her a little more if his precious brat died, but at least they would be almost as miserable as Kristen was and that would be some small measure of comfort.