She was the very image of agony. Her face was contorted, her eyes pressed tightly shut while her mouth was open seemingly wider than its ability. Her entire body shook, from the legs propped up in an inverted V to her clenched, dainty fists. She was not breathing, but breath would surely escape soon in a howl of misery that would tear the heavens. Normally pale, she was as red as wine, nearing purple. If she did not find release soon, she would die. Naruto knew it to be true, and he suffered with her in his heart.
"Eep!"
Hinata fell back as if all the energy was gone from her body, panting heavily, her eyes still closed but much more relaxed. "Oh, that was a bad one."
"Eep?!" Naruto stared wide eyed at his wife. "Eep, Hinata? That's it? Just eep?"
Hinata blinked, her face soaked with sweat. Her expression was stormy, as if she would burst into tears in the blink of an eye. "Yes, but, Naruto, it hurt! A lot!"
Naruto mirrored her blink, but instead of looking ready to cry, he looked like he was going to fall over from shock. "Hin-a-ta!" He drew her name out, each syllable a testament to incredulity. "You looked like you were going to die! I thought I was going to die, just because you looked like you were going to die! You're obviously in a lot of pain! Let it out!"
Hinata lifted her hands, bringing her two fore fingers together at the point, seemingly very interested in how many times she could touch them together without missing. "I don't want to be a bather, Husband..."
"Well, then you shouldn't have married me," Naruto quipped, and found himself rapidly backpedalling. "I don't mean I don't want you to be married to me!" Hinata's face had screwed up tight, and Naruto simply knew that she was going to burst out into a wail of abject sorrow.
"Eep!" Hinata lay back down again. "Oh, that was just as bad as before! I think I'm close!" She gave a tired smile to her husband, and this time Naruto did fall over.
"Honestly, Hinata! You should be carrying on! Scream! Yell! Cry! It's OK to do this when you're in labor!"
Hinata giggled, putting a dainty hand over her mouth. "I said, Husband, I don't want to be a bother."
Naruto smiled at her. "Do you really think anyone here expects any kid of mine to come into this world without raising some kind of fiasco?" Hinata giggled again, and Naruto put his hand in hers, leaning down to kiss her lips.
That's when the next contraction hit.
* * * * *
"AAAUUUUUUUWOOOOOOOOAAAAUUUUUUUUGHHH!!!"
Sakura dropped her medical supplies and rushed to Hinata's room, intent on giving Naruto a good scolding. She had expected Hinata to scream and yell. After all, she thought fondly, she was bearing Naruto's child. The spikes in his or her hair alone must be painful. But a woman in labor was given certain allowances. Husbands were not allowed to scream, if only for the fact that he couldn't possibly be going through the same pain that his wife was.
Another blood-curdling scream filled the air, and Sakura burst through the doorway. There lay Hinata, peaceful, if a bit tired, smiling benignly at her husband, who looked... frightened. "What in the name of the Nine-Tail Demon is going on here," demanded Sakura.
"It ain't my fault," Naruto started. Sakura rounded on him, until Hinata cleared her throat.
"Naruto is helping me with my labor, Sakura. He is being very helpful, don't you think?"
Before Sakura could answer that, no, screaming in her hospice was not being helpful, Hinata tensed and shook slightly, squeezing her eyes shut. Naruto howled loud and long as Hinata's hand squeezed his for all her might. Sakura thought she could hear bones grinding together, which was a feat over Naruto's yells. Finally she relaxed with a sharp yet soft "eep!" and relaxed.
"Thank you again, Husband. You're right. It does help to scream!"
* * * * *
I know. It's short. But I couldn't get the idea out of my head, so here it is!