Page 76 of Bad Duke

“OOOHHH!!” Her body turns stiff as she bends over again, and we both look at each other in shock when a gush spills from between her legs onto the floor.

“Come on, we need to get you to the hospital.” I wrap my arm around her back and help her to my car.

OLIVIA

Alex calls DCS Winslow while he’s driving me to the hospital and I brace myself against the door as each contraction gets stronger and closer together.

“We’re almost there. You doing okay?” Alex takes his eyes off the road to check on me and I scream at him to watch where he’s going. I’ve already had one near-death experience tonight, I can’t handle another.

“I’m sorry Liv, I’m sorry you had to go through that, but you're going to be okay,” he keeps assuring me, stroking my thigh and sounding scared himself.

“I’ll believe you when you get me to the drugs.” Despite the situation we’ve just come out of, I manage a smile, because despite all the odds we’re somehow still alive.

“Oh fuck!” I bite my lip and clutch my stomach when I feel another pain, only this one is combined with immense pressure and an overwhelming urge to push.

“Alex, she’s coming!”

“I know, sweetheart, and we’re really close, okay? Just keep breathing.”

“No, I mean she’s coming now! I need to push.”

“No…No. Don’t do that.” He shakes his head in panic. We only have a few more miles.

The pain lets up, but only for a few seconds before it strikes again.

“ALLLLLLLEEEEXXXX!” I scream his name when I feel that pressure become too intense to hold off.

“Olivia, you can not push our baby out in this car. We have to be at the hospital!” he yells at me.

“I can do what I damn well, fucking like.” I grip his shirt as I bear down and start to push.

“Shit.” Alex quickly pulls up to the pavement and rushes out of the driver’s seat. A few seconds later he’s ripped open my car door and is standing beside me. “Is anyone around here a doctor?” he shouts out at the street. I can see all the people staring as they walk past, some have even stopped, but I’m in too much pain to care.

“Here, call an ambulance.” He hands off his phone to some random woman before he starts taking off his shirt.

“What are you doing?” I ask, trying to catch my breath before the next contraction comes.

“Our baby’s coming and we’re going to have to wrap it up in something.” He places it on the dash, before steadily helping me to turn my legs so they’re facing out the door. And when he notices the woman looking over his shoulder at me, he throws a look at her. My body tenses up again and as I start to scream, he lifts my dress up over my stomach and pulls down my panties.

“Fuck, Liv, I can see it’s head.” He takes my hand in his and grips my thigh tight with the other. “Put your feet here.” He taps both his shoulders before helping me lift my legs

“An ambulance is coming.” The woman adds, “I have the operator on the phone.”

“The baby’s coming now, Liv.” Alex ignores her and looks at me like he’s scared.

“I’m very aware of that,” I growl back while tucking my chin into my chest and pushing as hard as I can to release the pain.

“You're doing good, really good.” He looks up at me and smiles. “You’ve got the whole head out, now.” He strokes my thigh, encouraging me. “You need to push really hard for the next one, okay?” I squeeze his hand when it starts to build and put all my energy into pushing against the pain.

“AAAHHHHHHH!!” I cry out at the burning sensation between my legs. “Liv, you're amazing, just keep doing that,” Alex tells me. “I need my hand back now. Okay, it’s almost here.”

I nod back at him steadily, releasing him from my grip and straining to push. Suddenly, I feel the pressure release and Alex stares up at me in shock.

“You did it!” He smiles and I let myself fall back, and cry happy, relieved tears as I listen to the tiny, little cry that’s coming from his arms.

“Liv, you did it,” he repeats, quickly wrapping our baby up in his shirt and placing it on my chest. I look down at the tiny, little thing and snuggle my arms around it, holding it tight.

“I did.” I smile up at him as he rubs both my arms to stop them from shaking. “You’re so fucking clever.” He wraps us both up in his arms and when the baby stops crying and its eyes look up at me, they’re just like Alex’s.

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