Page 56 of Refuge (The Wanderers 2)

Ariel shook her head. “No. You’re going to give birth.” She smiled. “You’ll be fine.”

Rush palmed Grecia’s belly. His expression was tight. “I’m going to have to turn the baby, Grecia. I need you to be brave and strong for me.”

Grecia nodded. “Okay.” Her lip was trembling.

“It’s going to hurt, but we don’t have a choice.” Rush glanced at Kester. “Can you hold her other hand?”

“Of course.” Kester took her palm.

Ariel leaned to one side to look at his arm. It wasn’t bleeding, so she didn’t say anything. At the very least, he needed a compression bandage on the wound, but it didn’t have the urgency that this baby had, and Kester wasn’t paying attention to it. It would have to wait.

Another contraction consumed Grecia, making her arch her head back and scream yet again. Ariel prayed no one was in the area because there was no way she was going to ask this woman to keep her voice down. She couldn’t imagine the pain she was in. Nor the fear.

Rush leaned over her, his hands on her belly, and pushed hard, grunting as he tried to turn the baby. It didn’t look like anything budged.

When the contraction ended, Grecia dropped back onto the mattress. She started moaning and rolling her head back and forth. “Can’t do it,” she murmured.

Ariel leaned in closer and wiped her head again. “You can, Grecia. I know you can.” Ariel had never in her life seen a woman give birth, and frankly, she was glad she had those birth control shots. She had no interest in being in this position any time in the near future.

Ariel glanced at Rush. His face was strained. He looked concerned. He met her gaze and winced. “I need to try again, Grecia,” he told her. “On the next contraction, I’m going to push really hard. I know it’s uncomfortable, but we have to turn that baby around before it gets down into the birth canal.”

Grecia rolled her head back and forth. “Can’t. Too tired. Hurts.”

Kester stroked her shoulder. “You’ve got this. Soon you’re going to have this perfect little human in your arms. You can do it.”

Ariel pursed her lips. What if Rush couldn’t turn the baby around? She didn’t want to know the answer.

Grecia gasped as the next contraction took over.

Rush crawled up closer, set his hands on her belly, drew in a breath, and pushed like he was forcing a clock to change its time.

Ariel held her breath as Grecia let out a long moan that didn’t sound human. Suddenly, the baby moved. Ariel could see it. She wanted to shout with joy.

Rush breathed out a sigh of relief as he sat back on his heels. “You did it, Grecia. You did it.”

She was shaking as she lifted her head. “Really? Its head’s down now?”

“Yes.” Rush nodded.

Suddenly a gush of fluid ran out of Grecia and she panicked. “What’s that? What happened?”

Rush smiled. “Your water broke. It’s okay. It means you’re almost there.”

Grecia dropped her head back down. “So tired.”

Rush spread her legs. “It’s going to be fast. This little gal or fella is in a hurry now. The head is coming down. On the next contraction, I want you to push.”

Grecia didn’t respond.

Ariel hoped she had the energy to push. She looked totally depleted. She was out of it, moaning and rolling her head as if in denial.

She seized up on the next contraction, her body going stiff again.

“Now, Grecia. Push,” Rush commanded.

“Bare down,” Kester ordered, holding her arm.

Ariel did the same on her side.

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