Chapter 30

Amelia

"Her contractions are a minute apart, she's nine and a half centimeters dilated now, she's about to have this baby," the nurse from earlier announces to Colson, who is standing at my side. Another two nurses have been brought on to assist with the birth. They wheeled in an incubator and everything, which has eased some of my worries about Kingsley's safety. He may hate me, but he needs my daughter alive to torture my dad, so I know he will do everything in his power to save her.

"What do you need?" Colson snaps.

"I need to prep and get her ready for the birth. The moment the baby is out we will need to move fast. These cuffs on her ankles need to be removed for better access. We need to get her on a ventilator because her lungs will most likely not be fully formed, which is the biggest worry here about her going into labor."

"I don't give a fuck, get the fucking kid out now!" Colson roars. The nurse reels back, but before she can respond, the door opens and one of his men sticks their head inside. "What is it?"

"We have a situation," the man replies. Colson scrubs a hand down his face, clearly annoyed at how long this process is taking. I'm exhausted, sore and clinging to my sanity by a string.

"Get that fucking baby out, now!" he snarls before tossing some keys to Kim and storming out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him. The other two nurses are busy setting everything up on the other side of the room, leaving me to tend with the nurse from earlier. She leans in close as if she is checking my pulse.

"You weren't keeping the baby from him out of spite, were you?" I shake my head, my bottom lip begins to tremble when regret swims in her deep brown eyes. "You weren't beaten by your drug addict boyfriend either, huh?" Again, I shake my head. A whoosh of air escapes her as she rounds the bed and keeps her back to the other nurses who speak quietly between themselves, effectively ignoring us. "I will do whatever I can to save your baby and help you." I'm unable to speak as another contraction rips through me. I cry out in agony. "Breathe through it, it's nearly over. I'll help you through this, Amelia. My name is Kim." I nod my head, unable to utter a single word through the pain. As a doctor, we are taught that all women can endure childbirth but until you have experienced it yourself, you will never know what the definition of bringing life into this world means.

"We're all set for the arrival," one of the other two says to Kim.

"Once this contraction has passed I am going to check you, is that okay?" she asks the last part quietly. I take a deep breath after the pain subsides.

"Yes." My voice is hoarse to my own ears.

"Crap, we need to head out to the rig, we're missing the tubes." Kim turns to the other two women.

"Hurry," she snaps in an angry tone. The second the nurses are out of the door and we are alone, she faces me again. "Is there someone I can call?" Tears fill my eyes, I nod as she hands me the phone. I manage to enter Nos's number before the next contraction hits. Kim takes the phone from me and makes the call. She is risking a lot to help me and that shows she is a good person, I am grateful to have her on my side.

"Who the fuck is this?" I hear Cronos growl. Kim doesn't place the call on speaker but I can hear his voice just fine from how close she is to me.

"My name is Kim and I am with Amelia," she says quietly.

"If you fucking hurt her, I will slaughter everyone you love?—"

"I'm the one helping her deliver her baby, we don't have long before they come back."

"She's in labor?" I hear the hurt and worry in his tone. I know he wanted to be here for our baby's arrival.

"She's nearly ready to deliver. Colson plans to take the baby and kill her. I don't know who you are but you need to hurry, trace my number if you can. We must go?—"

"Wait!"

"What is it?" Kim asks.

"Can you just… just tell her I love her and I'm coming for them both. I won't let history repeat itself." A lone tear treks down my cheek. He understood my message and is coming for me! Kim ends the call and places her phone in her pocket just in time as the other two nurses return with Colson who looks… stressed.

"Is she having it yet?" His tone is laced with annoyance and that shit pisses me off.

"I'm about to check," Kim replies as she gloves up and resumes her position at the foot of the bed. Unlike the first time, she doesn't lift my gown. She inserts her fingers right as another contraction hits. My back arches off the bed as a pain-filled scream tears out of me. "She's still at nine and a half."

"Fuck it, we need to move," he snaps.

"We can't move her, everything is in place?—"

"I don't give a fuck, you're here to keep that baby alive. Do your fucking job and you may just survive the night." Kim swallows audibly and nods. "Pack your shit, I want her ready to move in three minutes." Colson rushes out of the room. The other nurses begin packing their things as Kim does the same. I breathe in and out trying to rest as much as I can between contractions.

"After you deliver, I am going to give you a shot which will stop you contracting and make it so you are unable to pass the placenta, buying us more time for your rescue party to arrive." She begins to undo the cuffs on my ankles.

"Thank you," I croak out.

"Don't thank me, I should have tried to stop your labor when I arrived but I misjudged you." I understand her reasoning and why she did this but I'm not sure my family will feel the same. Just as the two nurses return ready to wheel me out, a strange cramp forms in my lower belly and the urge to push overcomes me. I cry out.

"She's coming!" I grit out through clenched teeth. Kim's eyes widen and she darts between my legs and lifts my gown.

"Shit. She's crowning, get all the gear back in here now," she barks at the other two. I become dizzy as the pain starts to consume me. I feel light headed and nausea becomes a new kind of torture as I gag continuously but unable to throw up. I can hear shouts and feel hands touching me but my mind is hazy. I can't make out any words as I scrunch my eyes closed and scream out in pain.