Ruby's Heart, A Blue Moon Coven Chronicle

1. Nativitate Vita Morte ~ {Birth Life Death}

Flashes of blinding light shocked the room through large windows. Rumbling thunder followed, permeating the building. The hospital room fell to darkness again. All of the monitors and machines had lost their purpose when power was taken by the storm. 

The sound of a woman in labor was unmistakeable. Her grunts and soft crys muffled by her efforts to manage her pain. The fear that came with the loss of modern science was forgotten as her body willed her to bear down.

"Good work Marny. I think just a few more pushes and we will have your first pup." Susan had been the pack midwife for only five years. It was intimidating at first to think that she was helping to deliver the Luna's pups, but it affected nothing once her training kicked in. She cooed gently to Marny as she coached her.

"Is Greg checking on the generators?" Marny panted out softly. She didn't care about the power, she wanted her mate with her. She could feel her body tighten again. This pain felt different, harder and tighter than before. She could not stop the cry that came from her lips.

"Susan, check the heart rate of the pup in the birth canal, quick quick." Dr. Joe tried not to hold alarm in his voice but he could hear that something wasn't right. He placed his hand on Marny's abdomen feeling how tight her body was.

Lightning flashed again giving Dr. Joe a brief moment to see the crowning head. His hands moved quickly to try and assist the birth further while Marny cried out from his efforts.

"On it, doctor." Susan leaned down quickly to listen to Marny's low abdomen. "Heartbeat is depressed and faint doctor. He's in distress!"

"What? What's happening Dr. Joe?" Marny whimpered just before her head fell back. She started to grunt involuntarily, her breathing falling in panicked gasps as her body pushed without her thought or intent.

"Good Marny, good job, just like that. Keep pushing, keep pushing come on. Okay, okay, slow down a little for this part. Just a little push now." Susan rubbed Marny's forehead gently while she coached her through the contraction and getting the pup through her birth canal.

"Okay, I've got him, get him on Marny's belly and cover him until we can get a warmer up." Dr. Joe gasped as he was hit with a splash of amniotic fluid from Marny.

"The second pup is descending too fast." Dr. Joe grunted as he moved his large hand to Marny's abdomen, trying to slow the pup's hurry. 

"Don't push Marny, just breathe. I need you to pant ok? Pant." Dr. Joe couldn't keep the worry from his voice as he pressed gently on the head of the second pup. He tried to keep her from barreling out of her mother. 

"Not so fast little pup, you don't want to hurt your mama now do you?" Dr. Joe mumbled. The second pup was delivered quickly as Susan's worried voice raised.

"Doctor? The first pup, his respiration has decreased, my goddess! He's not breathing, Joe! I'm rubbing him but he's not rousing." Susan was panicked as she looked to Dr. Joe for help.

A loud cry filled the room. The second pup had lifted her voice to exclaim her worries into the world. After her cry sounded, thunder crashed about them once more. 

The lights began to flicker on. Several monitors and machines began to beep as they came online. Dr. Joe handed off the crying baby to Susan and lifted the quiet baby up. He swept his mouth with his pinky finger, patted him on the back, and turned him over to continue rubbing his back vigorously. As he continued to try and resuscitate the pup he was oblivious to the rest of the room.

Running footsteps could be heard from the hallway before Alpha Greg burst into the room. He was wet from the deluge outside and smiling from hearing the healthy cries of his daughter. As his eyes met his mate's expression he followed her gaze to Dr. Joe. His features turned dark as he saw he was holding the limp body of his pup in his hands. Greg looked from the Dr. to Marny as he reached for her hand. He held it tightly, feeling his body hold his breath while they waited.

Marny was watching Dr. Joe with a pained expression, she wanted nothing more than to hear her son cry. She looked up to her mate and whispered desperately.

"Make him cry Greg, just tell him to wake up!" Marny's words were frantic while she squeezed Greg's hand.

"Come on my pup, wake up now! As your father and Alpha, I command it!"

A weak and gurgling cry was heard from the small form in Dr. Joe's hands. He laid the pup to the warmer as it finally came online. He began to work on him even more vigorously, trying to get the pup's heart up to speed. He felt the shift in the body in his hands as the pup's heart stopped. 

Their daughter held in Marny's arms as both Marny and Greg watched with shallow breaths as Dr. Joe tried to bring their son's heart back. His efforts continued for twenty minutes before he looked at the clock and then over to Susan the midwife to call time.

"I'm so sorry Luna, Alpha, he didn't make it." Dr. Joe wrapped up their pup in a receiving blanket, then carried him over to the couple.

Marny and Greg's faces held similar confusion. How could there be so much emotion for one moment? Their daughter was safe, and crying aloud. She was mourning her brother, no doubt. But their son? Their sweet new son? Marny took the little lifeless pup in her arms alongside his crying sister. Her shoulders began to shake in silent sobs as she looked at his perfect little face.

"Oh, Greg." Marny whispered through tears that had trailed down over her lips.

Greg had no time to respond before the power went out again. He leaned down, pressing the side of his head against Marny's as he reached to caress his forever quiet son. After his fingers tenderly pressed to the pup's chest a pale pink light began to glow softly from the babe. 

Greg pulled his hand back while small tendrils of pink light that resembled flames began to lift from the pup's chest and dance around the room, illuminating it softly in their pale pink light.

As they all watched in wonder, the pieces of pink light began to organize over the still crying pup. The light arranged itself over her face, illuminating her brightly and revealing a dark pink stain over her left eye. The light formed over the mark, stretched out and up toward the ceiling and then slowly sunk into the pink stain.

The hospital lights flickered on again, the machines in the room coming back to life with beeping and alarms. Pack members started to crowd the hallway of the hospital, having heard the Luna had delivered.

Marny looked into her daughter's face and gasped softly. She realized that the stain where the light had entered her face, was the shape of a heart.