I shook my head as another contraction hit me. “That has to have been faster,” I gasped out.
Axoular grimaced as he looked at his watch. “Three minutes.”
“Call the healer!” I yelled.
He grabbed his phone and stepped out into the hall.
Anthony tucked himself behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “Do you want to get in the tub?”
“Maybe it'll help,” I said as the contraction waned.
Elias climbed out from around me and went into the attached bathroom to run the water in the huge tub.
“Why does she already have a birthing room here?”
“Well, she's got six kids, and three of us are grown and already having kids of our own. Plus, she opens this place up for any Supay that needs it if they ask. We've had a lot of women choose to spend their last few weeks of pregnancy here. Like a little vacation before having the baby and returning to reality.”
Elias came back into the room and picked me up as easily as he would the baby when it was born.
Having vampire husbands had its perks, and their strength was one of them. No pickle jar would ever go unopened in our home.
The round tub was positioned in the middle of the room, with a toilet in one corner and a shower in the other. Elias sat me on the toilet, and since I had no undies on, I took the opportunity to pee, flashing Anthony a grin when he chuckled at me. When I was done, I slipped the gown off and stepped into the tub naked. As I sank into the warm water another contraction hit.
It was slightly less painful in the deep tub. I was underwater up to my chest, and the warmth and slight pressure of the water helped with the pain, if only minimally. I managed not to cry out, at least.
Anthony stepped out and was gone for several minutes. He finally returned wearing swim trunks and carrying some for Elias and Axoular.
He climbed in the tub with me, and Elias changed so he could join us. We didn't talk much. I tried to meditate and find a peaceful place to endure the pain.
Axoular returned several contractions later, followed by Healer Rakesha. She knelt by the tub and put her hand on my stomach, eyes closed. “The baby is anxious to be born, yes?”
“Yes,” I grunted as another contraction swept through my peaceful place. I was having a hard time finding a place of calm to help bring my baby into the world. “You said something for pain? Will the baby be affected by it at all?”
She patted my stomach. “I've delivered many babies where the mother took the potion and many where she didn't. I've noticed no difference to the babies.”
I nodded. “If they trust you, I do, too.” I didn't know if I could endure any more of the pain.
She bustled out the door, leaving the smell of cloves behind her.
“She smells good,” I whispered.
Anthony, sitting behind me, ran his hands down my arms. “I didn't smell anything,” he said.
She returned with a mug of liquid. “It tastes awful, but you'll be glad to have it soon.”
I waited for my contraction to pass and took a sip. It burned.Holy cannoli that tastes like warm pee.Not that I'd ever tasted pee.
Choking down the potion was difficult, but I finally got it down. Waiting on it to work was even more torturous than before because I knew relief would be coming.
Thirteen contractions later, I still had no relief. “How much longer?” I asked through clenched teeth. I'd long since given up on finding a happy place and I'd left the tub behind, opting to try lying in bed again. Those women I'd watched online having babies in tubs were superheroes. I couldn't do it. “I can't keep this up. It hurts.”
She checked my cervix. “You're only dilated to six.”
“That's not enough. Not with the contractions this close together.”
“I agree,” she said. “Time for a more extreme approach.”
“What do you mean?” I said, almost yelling at her. My contractions were so close together they were almost continuous, and I'd only been in labor for about four hours.
