OTHERS: Five elements

CHAPTER 3.2: LIGHTNING

2 August 2021, 09:30 PM

The hospital lights were too bright. The beeping of machines too loud. I felt like I was suffocating, drowning in the chaos around me. Evelyn was in labor. I clutched her hand, my fingers interwoven with hers. She was sweating, her breath coming in ragged gasps, but even now, she was beautiful.

- "Richard... I swear... this baby is trying to kill me.", she let out a strained laugh. 

- "Nah, she's just stubborn like her mom.", I forced a smile, though my heart was pounding. 

Evelyn smirked weakly, but then her face contorted with pain. Another contraction. Her grip on my hand tightened, almost crushing. 

- "You're doing great, Evelyn," the doctor said. "We're almost there."

I felt my stomach knot. I wanted this to be over—I wanted Evelyn safe. I wanted to hold our daughter and go home. But then... Something changed. A nurse's expression shifted. I noticed it immediately. 

- "What? What's wrong?"

The doctor hesitated, then spoke, her voice carefully controlled. 

- "Evelyn, you're losing too much blood. Your placenta is detaching too soon."

My grip on Evelyn's hand tightened.

"What does that mean?" Evelyn asked, her voice shaky.

The doctor met their eyes, her expression grave. 

- "It means if we don't get the baby out now, both of you are at risk. But Evelyn... If you continue giving birth naturally, the blood loss could—"

The doctor didn't finish. But I understood. My whole body went cold.

- "No," I said immediately. "No. There has to be another way."

- "Richard!"

- "No," I repeated, my voice breaking. "I can't... I can't lose you Eve, listen to me. You're everything to me. You... You can't go."

She touched my face with her trembling fingers. 

- "If something happens..."

- "Don't."

- "Listen to me." 

She gritted her teeth as another contraction hit. Then, she breathed through it and forced herself to look at me. 

- "If something happens to me... take care of her."

- "Evelyn, don't talk like that."

- "Promise me." her voice was so soft, but it shattered me.

- "No, because you're going to be here. You're going to hold her. You're going to..." 

My voice broke completely.

- "You have to be strong, Richard. For her!" she said with a tear slipped down her cheek.

- "Eve...", was the only thing I could say.

- "I love you, Richie!"

- "I love you too!"

Tears spilled down my face. I pressed my forehead against hers, my breath shuddering. Our lips touched. The doctor's voice cut through the moment. 

- "Evelyn, one more push."

Evelyn let out a strangled cry, gripping my hand like a lifeline. She pushed with everything she had left. And then... A cry. A small, piercing, perfect cry. The doctor lifted a tiny, wriggling baby into the air. 

- "It's a girl!"

Evelyn let out a weak, breathy laugh, tears slipping down her cheeks. I could barely breathe as the doctor placed our daughter on Evelyn's chest. Evelyn's fingers trembled as she touched the baby's tiny hand. 

- "She's so small," she whispered.

I let out a shaky exhale. 

- "She's beautiful."

Evelyn's lips quivered as she smiled. 

- "Ruby," she murmured. "Her name is Ruby!"