Page 74 of Redemption's Inferno

She gritted her teeth. “If I wasn’t in so much pain, I’d smack you!”

“How’s Chains?”

“Sleeping,” she panted.

“We should wake him,” he said, carrying her towards the nurse’s station. “Even if he can’t be with you, he’s going to be pissed if he wakes up and there’s a baby.”

“You’re right!” Emilie tried to smile but groaned through another contraction. She could barely breathe; the pains were coming so fast. She’d taken birthing classes but couldn’t remember a damn thing about them now and she was squeezing Viggo’s hand for all she was worth.

Jamie came racing back with two nurses and a wheelchair. Viggo set her in it and followed as they headed towards the elevator.

“One of you go tell Chains,” Emilie ground out. “He should be…with…me—ohh!” She practically shouted the end as her stomach clenched tightly and she felt a rush of liquid between her legs. “Shit, my water just broke!”

“Hang on, honey!” one of the nurses said, smiling at her. “We’re almost there!”

“I need to push,” she hissed. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

“Not yet, love.” Viggo squeezed her shoulder from behind as he dialed Dr. Diaz’s number.

“Go get Chains,” Jamie said to Viggo. “I’ll go with her.”

“Don’t start without me!” Viggo called over his shoulder as he ran towards Chains’ room.

“Which one is the father?” the nurse asked, looking down at Emilie.

“Uh…” They hadn’t planned on an emergency like this and Emilie and Jamie exchanged a look.

“They both are!” Emilie grunted. “And a third will be there too.”

“You have…three fathers for your baby?” The nurse looked confused.

“All three are in my birthing plan,” Emilie nodded, trying to concentrate on what she was saying as a strong contraction ripped across her abdomen and tightened into a hard crescendo between her legs. “Oh-my-fucking-God-he’s-coming-now!”

The nurse was running as she pushed her down the hall, yelling over her shoulder, “This baby is coming!”

“Oh shit!” Jamie muttered to himself.

“Dr. Diaz just called and said she’ll be here in ten minutes!” one of the nurses called out. “Get her prepped and ready!”

“I’m going to call everyone,” Jamie said, paling slightly. He needed to let a few people know; Karl and Kate, Emilie’s mother, and his own. They would call everyone else after the baby was here.

* * *

Dr. Diaz, Viggo and Chains arrived in the room at the same time. Dr. Diaz looked down with a frown at Chains, who was in a wheelchair.

“Where do you want us?” Viggo asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable now that they were in the middle of everything.

“That’s up to Emilie,” she said, her eyes still on Chains. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’ll be fine,” he grunted. “But my girl needs me and that’s all there is to it.”

“Jamie should be where he can see,” Emilie panted. “Chains?”

“Right here, love.” Chains wheeled to her side and took one of her hands in his, leaning as close to her as he could from the wheelchair.

“Ahhh!” She let out a shriek as the pressure between her legs became unbearable. “I have to push!”

“Just a second, honey,” Dr. Hillary Diaz, who’d delivered the babies of many of Emilie’s friends, smiled at her. “Your contractions are literally one on top of the other, so I’m going to need you to prepare yourself and when I tell you, push.”

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