Off The Beaten Path

Way Down We Go

His hands trailed over her skin.

She could feel him touching her everywhere. Soon those fingers grew large, thick, hot - so hot, too hot. The invasive caress becoming a crushing force as his hand encompassed her body. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. Her mouth opened with a wordless plea, but Mark just grinned stupidly on his too large body. She beat against his knuckle ineffectively, only stopping when she heard his laugh. It was large, booming, hissing. Bernell's eye snapped up. A red line traveled curiously across his neck in a sloppy, crooked path.

She squinted to better understand when the tissue suddenly began to pull apart, fiber by fiber. Blood began pouring out in a boiling flood. It leaked over her, around her. It pooled in the monsters grasp, burning her stomach - the heat settling and eating through her abdomen to the baby within.

Bernell shot up, hand to her chest, lungs heaving. The house was dark, soft snores greeted her. She wiped at the cold sweat along her brow when a curious pain shot across her stomach and up her back. She ground her teeth, clenching her body around the source of her pain; the baby. It subsided gradually. She stood and began gathering supplies. She had known labor would be soon, she didn't think it would happen at this ungodly hour.

She hurried to gather rags, put a large barrel of water on the stove top and stoked the flames. The heat was intense; nearly unbearable so close. Bernell took a seat beside the heat as she started breathing through another contraction. When she opened her eyes Phillip was beside her, his eyes curious and scared.

"My mom died in childbirth." He whispered.

Bernell attempted to smile, sure that it looked too tight and thin to be reassuring. "I've done this twice before." She doubled over her abdomen as another wave of pain rocked her. "It'll be hours yet." She assured him. "Try to sleep."

~*~*~*~

Lisa placed a hand on Bernell's sweat drenched forehead. She'd been in labor for the majority of the morning. Lisa was at a loss. She pushed Bernell's knees apart again, feeling her cervix.

"Well?" Bernell panted, grimacing from the pain.

Lisa shook her head. "Two fingers." She frowned, "you've hardly progressed since this morning and your waters still haven't broken."

Bernell chuckled softly, earning an odd look. "All my kids were stubborn." She fell back against the pillow, licking her lips. "My waters have never spilled of their own accord."

Lisa nodded though Bernell wasn't looking. "That's what you said." She bit her lip. "I'm not a doctor though." Her hands trembled, clutching the sewing needle. "What if I hurt you?"

Bernell closed her eyes as another wave of pain hurled through her. This was different, no matter what she told the others. She'd never had this pain with so little progress. Weren't they supposed to come faster the more kids you had? Part of her wondered, feared, that it was in part with how she had conceived the child. Maybe she'd succeeded in hurting the baby somehow in those early months. She squeezed her eyes closed as another wave of pain rushed up her back. When the flood of pain relented to the calm consistent ache she looked at Lisa, grabbing her arm.

"What if the baby is deformed or... or worse?" Her face paled as dread knotted her heart.

Lisa shook her head as Gabriel ran in, little Jennifer in his arms. "You can't think like that." She admonished, before turning to the children.

Ezra trailed in after his big brother, his eyes wide and concerned. "Mom, are you okay?"

Bernell tried to smile. "Yes, sweetheart. This baby is just as stubborn as its older brothers. That's all sweetheart." She pushed herself up onto her elbows, one eye closed from pain. "Now go back outside to play. Lisa and I need quiet. If anything happens you come right back in here. Understand?"