His eyes returned to hers when he told her, “With your next contraction I need you to push just like you were doing, okay?”
And just as he was instructing, another contraction rolled through, holding Rylee tight around her belly and sending a wave of pain throughout her.
Rylee bared down and pushed, screaming through the whole thing and only having enough energy to catch her breath and do it again. Not that she had a choice. Her body was pushing her to do only that… push.
“Good, baby,” he said, his voice a little higher. “You’re doing incredible. Just breathe. Big breath in and blow it out.”
She did and pushed again when her body signaled her to. Her hand gripped the headrest as she bared her teeth, feeling like she’d shatter them but committing to being okay with that if it meant getting her and their son through this in one piece.
It was in her next push that she felt the sting that always felt like it would rip her in half. The ring of fire stretch she’d felt when Nova and LJ’s heads were right there.
“Oh myGod!” She screamed. “His head.”
“I know, baby,” Xander shouted back. “I know. You got this?—”
“He’s coming,” she said over him. “I can feel him?—”
“Yeah, he’s coming,” Xander said, peeking down between her legs, his voice catching. “I see him, Snoop. He’s right there, baby.”
His voice was heavy in emotion but still guidance, and somehow, that gave Rylee more comfort than panic in the moment.
Another contraction built from the base of her spine, traveling up her stomach and seeming like it was holding her by her throat.
“One more push, Rylee,” Xander coached. “Give me one morebigpush.”
Rylee bared down with a scream, this one straining her vocal cords. It was mixed in with crying and sobbing, but still, determination. Her voice echoed around them as her body tensed. Her hand flew to the dashboard to brace herself.
“Okay… okay…” Xander shouted, voice breaking, his hands steady. “I got his head. I got it in my hand. The cord’s not around his neck, so you’re good, baby. You’re good. Give me one more, Rylee. One more, mama.”
Rylee screamed and pushed as hard as she could this time, holding the position and her breath. The moment she felt tiny limbs move out of her, she dropped back against the truck’s center console behind herself, chest rising, breaths heavy.
There was silence… until the baby’s cries pierced the moment.
And the cry made Rylee exhale all the air inside of her.
“Oh, God,” she heard Xander express, his voice heavy in emotion as the baby’s cry challenged any sound around them. “You did it, baby. You did it.”
Rylee’s head was spinning, her eyes heavy. She felt lightheaded but ignored it. And it was easy to, with the adrenaline pulsing through her veins, her mind on a natural, intense high.
A chill washed over her, starting at her toes and slowly traveling up her legs.
“Rylee?”
Xander’s voice sounded distant, more like an echo than his actual tone. He suddenly seemed so far away, even though he was standing right in front of her.
She couldn’t move. Couldn’t open her eyes either.
“Rylee?!” Xander shouted in a panic.
She felt him lift her head but she had no energy to hold it up herself. Her vision blurred, her hands trembling, the sweat on her lip now cold.
“Oh, God, Rylee, stay with me,” Xander said in a panic, his voice echoing even more. “Open your eyes, baby. Look at me, Rylee.”
She couldn’t.
Warmth seemed to pour out beneath her, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
“Shit,” Xander hissed low, almost to himself. “Shit. Shit. Shit! The placenta hasn’t even detached yet and there’s blood everywhere. You’re bleeding out. Fuck.”
