"Alright, Riley," the doctor spoke. "One more push."
"You can do this, Riley. You can do this!"
"I-I can't..."
"Yes you can, Riley! Do it! Do it for me!"
As soon as those words left Danny's mouth, Riley whined once more as she let out the hugest push she could. And just like that, with a quick tug of the shoulders, the doctor was able to pull the baby out in no time. However, it didn't take long for them to realize that something was wrong. The baby wasn't crying and the umbilical cord was wrapped right around its neck. It appeared to be blue in the face and its arms and legs were still fixed in their original positions.
"Uh oh..." the doctor muttered. "I think we might have a problem. Just give us a moment."
He snipped the cord almost immediately before whisking the infant away for examination.
The parents waited for several minutes and were curious to know what exactly was going on in the other room, but at the same time, they couldn't bear to think about it. At one point, Riley even felt the urge to shed some tears, but Danny was right there to wipe them away before they could leave her eyes. He couldn't bear to see her like this, especially while their child's life was on the line. He wanted to hug her and assure her that everything would be okay, but instead, he kept silent. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the doctor re-entered the room with his head hung low and his hands crossed with one another.
"We did everything we could, but unfortunately, we weren't able to save your baby. I'm sorry..."