A Bump in the Road -- Watty Awards 2011 --

Chapter 18: Running Out

“Mmmmmmhhh” – Nicole flopped back against the wall breathing raggedly. Her hair clung limply to her face damp with sweat and tears. She had been like this for hours by now, sitting against the wall on the blankets, clutching the scratchy and faded peach wool in her hands as each contraction caught her in its hold, and viselike held her in its fearful grasp. She held back a cry and gurgling scream as the next contraction took hold of her midsection and threatened to tear her apart. This time however as it passed, Nicole looked down to see the dry peach wool turn glistening wet crimson as tangible proof of the goings on in her belly.

Her arms shook as she propped herself up once more, looking for any sign that her pains served some purpose in progressing the birth of her baby. Not that she wanted it born into these conditions, here and now, without medical supervision or Joseph here to hold her through the storm. She knew that now that her water had broken – the longer it took this baby to be born now put herself and the baby in even more danger. “Aargh” another spasm tocked her core and she grabbed at her sheets and her belly, drawing her knees up against the pain.

The high, tight roundness of her belly mocked her as each torturous contraction passed. In all the childbirth books she had read during her time on bedrest had clearly stated that a sure sign of imminent birth was a drop of the baby in her belly as it descended through her pelvis. And although her contractions were strong and quickly becoming stronger, she saw no other telling change that would lead her to believe she was anywhere close to delivering – making her anxious that the birth would be more difficult than expected, and likely fraught with complications. Her muscles bunched again and she cried out thinking, ‘if they have to rip me apart at least please let them save my baby, please God just save this baby’.

She didn’t hold back her scream this time, hoping that someone, anyone would come and relieve the endless pain and the relentless pressure that squeezed her womb lifeless and clamped down on her spine. She let its agony echo off the walls, past caring if the guards found out or heard her. She grit her teeth and struggled into a crouched down position, holding into the bedpost as if for dear life, while the rest of her body dangled and rocked from heel to heel.

She was going to deliver this baby alone, there was no one to help her in this, she thought agonizingly, not knowing her love was only metres away. She un-tensed again as the contraction subsided and she slumped down on the floor again.

 Experimentally and fruitlessly she lay back and tried firmly but gently pressing down with her hands her grossly stretched stomach, willing her little girl to drop further, and hoping the kneading motion would get things rolling so to speak. Her grip tightened until her nails left indentations on the distended skin as another pain came.

Joseph impatiently brushed back the dark locks of hair that had flopped sweatily into his eyes. He stood barechested, having used his shirt as a bandage already. Sweat glistened off of his broad tanned shoulders and down the heaving muscles of his chest, stinging as it mingled with the blood of his wounds.

Breathing heavily from the fight, Joseph crept into the decrepit building – using long careful steps so as not to disturb the old newspapers lining the floor that would crinkle beneath his feet and alert Dominic, giving him away. Now that he was inside the walls he heard a distant agonized and choked scream.

All the blood that wasn’t flowing out of his injuries rushed to his head, and putting aside any caution began to run. What was that snake Dominic doing to Nicole? Without pausing for breath Joseph kicked in one of the steel doors that lined the hallway like jail cells to see a large array of modern computers and radio transmitters that must have been how Dominic had sent out the ransom messages. Hearing the terrified shriek again he blindly ran towards it, heart in his mouth.