The Broken Tale

Breech

Layla squeezed Brian's hand with all the strength she had in her. The pain was slightly tolerable but what was unbearable was the uncertainty. With every single painful, spine crushing push, another mind bending thought would pop into her head. Unwanted and unwelcomed but persistent.
What if something happened to her baby?
Who was to say Chanel could deliver the baby at all?
What if she died while giving birth?
Could Brian raise their baby on his own?
But...
...maybe it would be better if she died?
Brian, Chanel and everybody else could be free of the constant stress and worry?
But the panic in the air quickly distracted her. Something was wrong. Chanel had suddenly gone from the urging midwife to quiet and frozen. Brian did not even look at her anymore.
"Wh.what's wrong?" Layla asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Layla, keep pushing." Chanel answered quickly, seemingly eager to persuade her.
Before Layla could even say another word, another arrow of pain shot through her body. She screamed out in pain, having no choice except to keep pushing.
But something changed in Chanel. Suddenly, her calm demeanor turned into rush. Layla felt her warm hands brush against her legs shortly. She said nothing but Layla could tell something was wrong.
"The baby's breech, isn't it?" She asked Brian quietly, "Either me or our baby is going to die, right?"
Brian looked down at her. Sniffing and struggling to hide the tears rushing down his face.
"No. No, you won't."
"I will..."
"Don't ever say that."
"You won't die, Layla." Chanel cut in, "Neither will your baby but to do that, you'll have to keep pushing. Her leg and torso are out, just keep pushing."
How could she do that when her baby was going to die?
When the world was collapsing around her how could she do what she was told?
Even if she tried, her body would not listen.
But obedience was all Layla could give for her own sake, for the baby's and for Brian's. She tried to ignore her surroundings, to pretend as if she had not heard what was going on with her child and to just push. She held something turning inside her, Chanel's hands working on her and brushing against her leg every now and then, sending shivers down her legs.
"Almost there, Layla!" Chanel said, her voice showed how desperately she was trying to keep herself together.
Layla sat up, her salty tears running down into her mouth had created a taste she had become familiar with. She cried and cried. Grunting and grinning her teeth as she pushed with the last ounce of strength that had not been drained through the past year. With a gesture from Chanel, Brian pressed down on Layla's lower abdomen with his free hand, never breaking the other one from Layla's grasp.
Silence.
Nothing.