Someone Like You | Toni Kroos

Chapter 20 - Complete

Gabi's POV

"Where is he?" I panted, gripping my mum's arm for dear life as another wave of contractions swept through my lower body. "Where's Toni?"

"Shhh, honey, he'll be here soon," she soothed, sweeping my sweaty hair out of my face.

"Now," I whispered, just as the nurse asked me to push harder. "I need him now."

Just then, the door to the room swung open and in barged a panting Toni, still wearing his white formal shirt under the scrubs that the hospital provided him. Prying my fingers off her arm, my mum stood up, gave me a kiss on the head, and walked out of the room, stopping to give Toni a kiss on his cheek.

"Toni," I whimpered, barely able to gather enough energy anymore.

"Baby," he rushed over and planted his lips on my head. "How are you?"

"It hurts," I whispered, grabbing on tightly to his arm.

"Is there anything I can do?" Toni asked the nurses.

"I'm afraid not," one of them said apologetically. "Mrs. Kroos. You have to push harder. Ready?"

I yelled out loud as the next contraction arrived, rocking my entire body. My nails were clawing deep into Toni's arm, but he didn't seem to care. Instead, he wiped the dripping sweat off my face and whispered to me that everything was going to be alright.

"You can do this, okay baby?" he whispered, although he was evidently also scared and confused. "You can do this. I love you so much."

"I LOVE YOU!" I screamed as the next contraction arrived and I pushed as hard as I could.

"Shhh, baby," he kissed me again, on the lips this time. Tears were streaming down my face and mixing with the sweat, but he used his palm to wipe it all away. "It'll be alright."

"Anything?" I asked the nurses and the doctor, who were looking intently at my nether regions.

The nurses immediately turned to the doctor, who looked a little resigned.

"Mr. Kroos, Mrs. Kroos," he cleared his throat. The first twin is breech. We have to do a C-section."

Toni's POV

"What does that mean?" I asked loudly, on the verge of losing my cool.

"He's legs-first," he explained. "He looked like he was turning back, but he's too far out now. It's dangerous to do a vaginal delivery if he's legs-first."

Gabi almost clawed my arm off as the next wave hit her. "Is it dangerous if you do a C-section?" I asked.

"It's slightly more dangerous for the mother than it is for the babies."

I turned to Gabi. Dangerous for her. "How much more?"

"Just a little. It's much safer than if we allow this to continue."

I turned to Gabi again. She was pale. Her face was almost completely drained of colour, and she lay back on the pillow, utterly exhausted. Her hand, though, was still gripping tightly onto my arm.

"C-section?" I whispered to her. Her eyes were closed.

"Anything," she panted. "Just...get them out. I want to see them...I want to hold them."

"We have to do it right now," the doctor said. "And I'm sorry, Mr. Kroos, but you have to leave the room."

"No," Gabi whispered, and I thought it was impossible for her grip to tighten, but it did. "Don't leave. Toni...don't leave."