Running With the Wave

Chapter 35

Era:

My eyes widen.

"Era!" Keara moans, gasping, "It hurts!"

"Hush, Keara." I murmer, acting quickly.

In seconds I'm on the floor beside her and she's lying down. Her cheerful manner is far gone and tears are runnng down ber face. Her green and brown eyes stare up at me, terrified.

"I'm scared." She says.

"It's going to be okay," I tell her, "it's going to be okay."

"My mother..." she cries.

"You're not going to die, Keara." I scold her.

She gasps, and I lift onto my lap, not caring that when the baby comes out I'm going to have blood all over me. Her body siezes and a blood curdling scream escapes her mouth.

"Help!" I shout, panicked.

I'm not ready for this, never mind Keara. Why does it have to happen now? I can't bear to see her in this pain.

"Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!" She sobs, shaking.

All the women are looking towards us now, but none come forward to help.

"HELP!" I yell again.

"ERA!" Keara screams at me.

No one comes.

"I can't make it stop, Keara." I tell her gently, "You just have to do this. You'll get through it, you just have to do this."

Her body racks, but she nods. Closing her eyes, she gasps.

It seems like forever that Keara is in child birth, crying and in so much pain. Every once in a while she screams my name and I remind her that I'm here. I remind her that she has to be strong. When the baby begins to come, it's almost too much for her to handle.

"I'm scared, Era." she sobs.

"Shhh," I assure her, "it's going to be okay."

Moa stands gingerly nearby to get the baby when it comes out because clearly Keara won't be in any shape to get it when this is all over. I know the men are watching us right now, to see wether the baby is one of us or one of them. Keara screams again.

"The baby's coming!" Moa announces to me, looking shocked and scared.

"You're doing a great job, Moa." I smile slightly at her.

For several long, long minutes Keara does nothing but scream and then the baby's out and in Moa's arms. Keara is breathing heavily, and blood pools around us.

"There." I smile at Keara, "It's done."

She doesn't answer. My smile melts away.

"Keara?"

Her breath is raspy and shallow.

"Era..." she says weakly.

I panic, seeing her pale face. The light in her eyes dimming. Suddenly I remember when Keara was born, her mother dying in front of my eyes while my mother desperately tried to save her.

"No." I whisper.

"Era..." Keara repeates.

I look around at the grave faces around me, panicked.

"She's dying! Somene help me!" I scream at them.

"There's nothing we can do." one of the women whispers, "She's lost too much blood."

"No... You're not going to die, Keara!" I scream, terrified.

"I'm going to see my mother." Keara whispers, the light in her eyes clouding.

"STAY WITH ME!"

"I'm... Not going.... To make it..." Keara manges.

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!"

"Era... Your stone..." she whispers, pressing it into my palm.

I realize she's been clutching at it the entire time.

"No, you're going to live. Keep it."

"Now it will be your memory of your mother and me..." Her voice is barely a whisper.

"Keara..." I plead, my voice choked by sobs.

"I'm going to a better place." She closes her eyes and smiles slightly, "Take care of my baby, Era."

"Stay with me, Keara. Please..."

"Be strong, Era. Be strong like you've always told me to be." She strokes my palm lightly.

"No..."

"I'll always be with you, no matter where I am. I love you, Era."

"I love you too, Keara." I whisper, crying, "I always will."

She smiles. With one last shuddering breath, I feel her body go limp. I bow my head over her empty body, sobbing uncontrollably as the girl who was like a sister to me dies in my arms.