"Monsieur Gaston, you must wait outside with the other gentlemen. The birthing room is no place for fathers."
Gaston looked into Belle's pleading, brown eyes. "Stay with me," she begged.
He turned back to the physician and drew himself up to his full and considerable height. "I will stay with my wife, Doctor."
The man threw his hands in the air and turned back to his bag grumbling something under his breath about "this impossible family."
Gaston winked at Belle and she managed a grin. The grin quickly turned to a grimace as a fresh birth pain overtook her. She reached for him. Gaston pulled a chair up to the bed and took her hand. The contractions were becoming more frequent and more intense. Belle's face shone with perspiration.
Gaston stroked her sweaty hair back from her brow. "You're doing wonderfully, darling. You're so strong."
The doctor turned back to them and stared at their linked hands with pursed lips. "Two fingers, Monsieur Gaston. I won't have time to tend your hand if she breaks it."
Gaston scoffed. Really, as if his petite wife could break his hand. Another pain came and Belle clamped down like a vice. He grimaced, gently extracting his hand and giving her two fingers instead. The doctor smirked, but wisely chose not to comment.
He began an internal examination. "Hmm, yes, almost the…" The doctor stopped mid-word. His eyes widened and his face paled.
"What?" Gaston demanded. "What's wrong?"
"The child is breech."
"But at the last examination, you said the baby was in the correct position!" Belle's voice trembled.
"So the baby was at that time. However, occasionally babies will turn days before birth. It's too late to try and turn the child back now. We'll have to proceed. However, it is now vital that you do exactly as I say, Madame. Do you understand? No more stubbornness. Exactly as I say! Do not push until I tell you to, no matter how strong the urge becomes."
Belle nodded, her eyes wide and terrified. Gaston hated to see that fear, and knew it must be mirrored on his own face. His strong, brave wife was frightened out of her wits, and so was he.
"Go and tell the others," Belle whispered, releasing his fingers.
Gaston didn't want to leave her side for a second, but their family needed to know. Everything seemed surreal as he walked out to the sitting room. How could this have happened?
The room thrummed with excitement and the three men were chatting merrily. They stopped immediately on catching sight of his face.
Maurice stood quickly. "What is it, son?"
"The baby is breech." Gaston choked on the words.
There were several moments of stunned silence. Then LeFou jumped up. "I'm going to fetch Père Robert. We're all going to pray. Gaston, return to your wife, she needs you."
LeFou strode from the house with more purpose than Gaston had ever seen his friend possess.
Maurice seemed on the verge of tears, but he cleared his throat and straightened. "He's right, Gaston. Go back to Belle."
Gaston returned to the bedroom to find Belle panting through her teeth. She threw her head back and screamed in pain. He rushed to her and took her hand. "You scream, my love. If it helps, scream all you like."
For another hour and a half that seemed like an eternity, Belle labored, panting and screaming in pain. Each sound cracked Gaston's heart a little more. There was nothing he would not have given to take all this away from her.
Finally, the doctor checked her and announced she could begin pushing with the next contraction. When the time came, Belle screamed even lounder, but Gaston could tell she was pushing with all her might.
"You can do this, my love. There's nothing you can't do."
Gaston looked down between Belle's knees and noticed a small but steady trickle of blood.
"She's bleeding!"
"Yes, that's quite common."
Gaston could tell the man was concerned, despite his calm exterior. He turned back to his wife, and following LeFou's advice, he prayed.
The minutes ticked by and each one seemed to last for hours. Gaston continued to encourage Belle through each contraction until finally one came that made her scream so loud it rattled the windows. When it finally passed, she turned to him sobbing. "I can't do this, Gaston. I can't!"
He felt on the verge of breaking down himself, but he knew he had to stay strong for her. "You can. You're the strongest person I know. You can and you will."
He had no more than finished saying this when another pang came, causing Belle to throw her head back and shriek in pain. All the tendons and veins in her neck stood out. Gaston glanced hopelessly at the doctor. He had never felt so powerless.
The bleeding that until that point had been a steady trickle became a stream. The puddle of blood reached an alarming size. He had seen enough on the battlefield to know they were quickly reaching the point of no return. Gaston watched in horror as Belle's eyes rolled back in her head and she lost consciousness.
"We're going to lose her!" the doctor exclaimed.
A/N: We have almost reached the end, dear readers. There's one more chapter left. I appreciate all those who came back after the inexcusably long wait to review last chapter.