Not as long as the more recent chapters, but it's definitely an important one. Hopefully I'll get writing more consistently. Sorry for the wait!
Chapter 36: Henrik
Sweat shimmered on Evangeline's forehead as she sat against several propped up pillows on the couch.
Meredith sat beside her with a cool damp washcloth and patted her head gingerly. "How are you feeling?"
Evangeline bit her lip as an intense pressure seared her lower back. "Not good."
"Don't worry," Meredith sighed. "That baby will be out of there in a couple weeks, and you won't even remember the pain you went through."
"I hope you're right." Evangeline closed her eyes and fought the urge to cry. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"I've done everything possible to prepare for the delivery. It's going to be fine," Meredith reassured with a smile.
Elijah appeared silently at the entryway and gazed tenderly at Evangeline. The months had flown by, and Evangeline was nearly full term, yet he could still hardly imagine what would soon take place.
Meredith set the washcloth down and stood swiftly. "I'll give you some time alone."
Elijah nodded politely to Dr. Fell as she exited. Then, sitting on the ottoman beside Evangeline, he picked up the washcloth and tenderly stroked her forehead. "How is your pain?"
"I'm okay," Evangeline winced slightly. "It's just my back."
"You'll be more comfortable in the bed." Elijah took her hand. "Come, let me carry you."
"No, I can walk," Evangeline insisted as she rose and stepped into the hall. Suddenly she gasped.
"What is it?" Elijah immediately implored, concern etched in his face.
"I think… my water just broke," Evangeline hesitated, "But…" She lifted her hand from her leg in frozen trepidation. Blood soaked the edge of her hand, and Evangeline trembled.
Elijah caught her in his arms and shouted desperately for help. Evangeline glanced around dizzily as Meredith ran into the room, but the blackness soon overtook her senses.
Elijah stood pensively withdrawn at the window while Meredith combed through the plethora of medical supplies. She got out what looked like a pale knitting needle and approached the hospital bed where Evangeline lay unconscious.
"She's losing a lot of blood, so I'm going to break her water," Meredith stared at Elijah gravely. "If she doesn't start having contractions then I'll have to give her pitocin." She worked over Evangeline's slackened figure as Elijah watched in mute anxiety.
Minutes passed, and Dr. Fell now had pitocin running through an IV into Evangeline's body. Contractions began, and Evangeline stirred painfully in her sleep. Finally she blinked, and Elijah rushed to her side.
The pain from the contractions seared every inch of Evangeline's body, but she felt so weak. She'd lost so much blood that, although every inch of her insides screamed in agony, she could only let out a whispered moan of the torture she truly felt.
Three hours passed, and Meredith glanced at the monitor tracking her contractions anxiously. "Evangeline, you're doing great. You can almost start pushing, okay?"
Evangeline meant to nod, but she was fairly certain she had merely answered with an exaggerated blink. Finally Meredith helped her get positioned, and told Evangeline to start pushing. Nearly twenty minutes passed, and Evangeline was beyond exhaustion, but mercifully she was able to push the baby's head.
No sooner had she reveled in her success of another push when Dr. Fell screamed, "Stop! Stop pushing!"
Evangeline froze in fear as Meredith carefully extricated the umbilical cord from the baby's neck, then the left shoulder, and finally the right wrist. The stark silence filled Evangeline with dread as she stared at the child's purple face. Meredith was in a frenzy as she shouted at Elijah, "Get back, and sit over there until I tell you," she pointed frantically at a chair by the window. Then she quickly extricated the child from Evangeline and hurried over to a heat lamp where she suctioned blood out from its nose and mouth.
Evangeline could feel her heart pound as she fixed her eyes on Dr. Fell with dread. All she could do was hope with every fiber of her being that the little baby she had just given birth to would be okay. Nothing else even registered in her mind. The baby had to be okay, and at that moment it was the only truth that mattered in the world.
Finally the sound of newborn crying broke the rigid silence, and relief swept over Evangeline's body like an ocean wave. Meredith wrapped the baby adoringly in a towel and approached Elijah as he rose from the chair. "Congratulations," she beamed, "You have a son."
Elijah held the child in awe, gazing at the prominent features that so closely resembled his own. Then he brought him to Evangeline and set him tenderly in her arms. Evangeline cried from sheer happiness and sighed, "Henrik."
Elijah held Henrik again while Meredith took care of Evangeline. "Your placenta abrupted, and you had several blood clots," Meredith stared at Evangeline seriously. "But you're lucky to have Elijah's blood to clear things up so easily."
Evangeline sipped from a vial of Elijah's blood, and instantly she felt the color return to her cheeks.
Everyone rushed to Elijah and Evangeline's cottage to meet Henrik. Even Kol and Rebekah had gone to great lengths to be civil toward Evangeline's family.
Jeremy was the last to arrive, but as he hurried to the front door he spotted movement between two of the trees that caused him to halt abruptly. He squinted into the brush and shook his head. "Elena?"
She simply stared at him curiously, but when Jeremy blinked she was gone. He backed hesitantly toward the cottage door and stepped in to join the others.
I feel that real life experiences make for some of the best stories. Minus the vampires and a few other gory details I didn't include... I pretty much gave you the labor and delivery story of my second child, so it's a very heart-wrenching chapter for me. I may not have had vampire blood, but gratefully I had the most wonderful doctor I could have asked for. He saved my life and my sweet daughter's life that day.