A/N: To my readers - this story does not end here. But I may not update for a bit as I have a pretty huge family emergency.
Ch. 22
The day progressed into evening. Mello and Watari had gone on a brief trip back to Watari's house. They planned to shower and change their clothes. Once they returned, Matt and Near would go and do the same.
Now, though, it was only Matt, Near and Light in the room with L.
L had been sleeping for the past hour, apparently exhausted from the stresses of the morning. Near had sat by L's side while he slept, watching over him. Light and Matt sat towards the back of the room.
Both had their eyes glued on the television, which was currently on mute but had subtitles showing. They were watching the news when they heard it: L had screamed.
Light and Matt immediately stood up.
"What's wrong?" Matt asked, coming to L's side. His older brother had begun to curl up, apparently trying to get the pain to stop.
"Hurts so bad," L managed to get out.
"I'm going to get the doctor," Matt said. "Near, you watch Light and stay with L."
Near nodded in agreement then turned back to his brother.
"L, does it hurt like it did before?"
"Y-yes," he grunted, "So painful…"
"Here," Light held out his hand. "Squeeze my hand. It might help."
L looked at him, carefully studying him. Finally, he took Light up on his offer. Light almost cried out in pain at how tight L's grip was. He wouldn't be surprised if some of his fingers were broken.
As Near and Dr. Yamada returned, the rest of L's water broke.
"Ah!" He cried out. The pain was intensifying.
Dr. Yamada frowned. She'd hoped to delay labor for at least another day or two, but that didn't seem to be possible.
"L," she said, calmly as she could, "You're having contractions again. I need to page the other staff. You're going to have your baby very soon."
L didn't answer. Tears were rolling down his face yet again. Near wiped them away with a tissue and tried to reassure him that everything would be fine.
00
As had happened previously, the cramping subsided shortly after it began. However, it soon returned.
For the next several hours the majority of the maternity ward could hear L screaming on and off. He'd never felt such pain before!
"Make it stop!" He begged Watari, once the old man had returned.
"Oh, L, I wish I could. Once you're closer to having the baby, the doctor's going to give you something to take the pain away."
"Give it to me now, dammit!" L hissed.
"You're not dilated enough yet," Light explained. "Just a little bit more time and I'm sure they'll give it to you."
"This. Fucking. Hurts!" L yelled. "Make it stop!"
Light looked over at Watari.
Watari, not wanting to see his son in such pain, decided to take action.
"I think they can probably give it now. Let me go get the doctor and see what she can do."
00
Dr. Yamada agreed to give the anesthesia so long as L allowed a nurse to remain in the room so that he was continually monitored.
Following the doctor's instructions, Light and Near helped L turn on his side. He was still crying and had again taken to gripping Light's hand as if his life depended on it.
"Okay, L," Light said. "The doctor's going to put the catheter in to deliver the medicine. You'll need to keep perfectly still."
L nodded and sniffled.
"Hey, it's going to be just fine," Light reassured him. "Right, Near?"
Near nodded, "It will be."
"On the count of three," the doctor - a male anesthesiologist - warned.
"Okay…"
"One, two-" And with that, he slid the catheter and needle into L's lower back and injected the medicine. L winced in pain, but managed to keep from screaming.
"You'll be feeling much better very soon."
L sniffled again, and Mello came over, holding a tissue. He held it to L's nose.
"Blow," he instructed.
L was in no mood to argue. He could barely breathe because of how runny his nose was. He ignored the fact that he was being treated like a child and did as his brother told him.
"There," Mello said, wiping away any remaining snot. "You can probably breathe better now right?"
"Mhmm." L looked like he was trying his hardest to stop crying.
After several tense minutes, he finally began to calm. The epidural was working.
'Thank god', Light thought to himself.
00
The hours passed slowly. Every thirty minutes, the nurse would check L's dilation and vital statistics.
It was a few minutes after midnight when the nurse announced that L was fully dilated and that the baby would be born soon. Dr. Yamada was called back in and began to coach L on what to do.
The whole time, Light stood by. The whole scene seem surreal. He watched as the doctor told L to push, then breathe, then push again. L didn't seem to be in that much pain due to the epidural, but he seemed uncomfortable.
Watari surprised Light by moving next to him.
"Why are you just standing there? Go hold his hand!"
"I.. uh. Okay," Light answered. He moved closer to L. "Watari said you might want to hold my hand."
Without answering, L reached out and took Light's hand again, gripping it just as hard as he had previously.
"Okay. She's crowning," the doctor told him. "One more push…"
"Can't!" L protested. "I can't! Too tired…"
"Come on, L. You have to do it," Light told him. "Just one more, so you can see our daughter."
L glared at Light, but complied. Seconds later Dr. Yamada removed their daughter.
L had collapsed back on the bed, tired and sweaty.
"Is she alright?" He asked, after what felt like forever.
He was answered by the sound of the baby crying.
"She's very tiny," the doctor told him, "But I think she's going to be fine."