Haunted Dreams

Chapter 9

Nellie is now 9 months pregnant and due at any moment. Her mind was a lot better, thank the heavens, but she was extremely jittery and nervous. Even terrified, she's never giving birth before and she was a bit freaked out. Sweeney's been trying his best to calm her down and get her to rest as much as possible. But with the woman's nerves it was impossible for her to sit still.

Sweeney left her sleeping on the couch and went outside to clear his head. The icy chill of the winter air always helped to clear his mind and clam him down. He leaned against the porch rail with a sigh. I Cannot wait for this baby to come he thought. Nellie has been driving him nuts with all her worrying and complaining. The hormones and mood swings weren't helping either.

After a few minutes Sweeney couldn't stand the cold air anymore and went back inside to check on his wife. He found Nellie pacing in the living room. Running her hands through her tangled hair.

"What are you doing? You were suppose to be resting."

"I can't" Nellie replied. She was shaking all over. "It's coming Sweeney. I checked the calendar and it was suppose to be due last night, so it'll be any second now."

"I know Nellie I know. Just calm down."

"And I've been feeling all these pains." Nellie continued.

"Wait! What? You have? Is it contractions? Nellie are you in labor?"

"I guess, I mean I don't know." Nellie said as she hysterically paced back and forth. "I've never really been through something like this before. I don't... just... what if..."

"Shhh" Sweeney tried desperately to calm his wife down. "Shh Nellie it's alright, everything will be alright. Here lets go to the bedroom, you can lie down. Okay?" Sweeney grabbed Nellie gently by the arm and lead her to the bed. He pulled the covers up on her and made sure she was comfortable.

"Thank you love." She said a bit sheepish.

Sweeney smiled and kissed her on the forehead, just as he did Nellie let loose a scream, and grabbed her stomach. "What!? Nellie what is it?"

"UGH! The baby. What else would it be?" Ugh those mood swings, Sweeney was so prepared to be rid of them.

"Would you like some tea?"

He left the room before she could even answer, knowing she'd give him another cold remark. Sweeney knew she was in a lot of pain, he wished he could help more.

You'd think he'd remember what to do after seeing Lucy give birth, but the truth was he couldn't remember everything. He remembered Lucy being in pain, and he remembered how Johanna got stuck and almost didn't make it, and Sweeney remembered how scared he was that Lucy and Johanna might've died. He was the one to deliver Johanna, as he would deliver this baby. He didn't trust the doctors. Plus since he was a barber he had his surgeon license. If he could preform small surgeries on customers he should be able to deliver his own children. Though all he had to do with Lucy was just tell her to keep pushing and eventually after an hour Johanna came.

As he grabbed a tea cup from the cupboard he heard Nellie screaming his name. He dropped the cup to the floor where it shattered to pieces. Sweeney remembered that scream all too well. Nellie's water just broke.

Sweeney ran and grabbed all the items he would need, a bucket of warm water and a cloth. Good thing he bought some new sheets, they'll need them after what's about to happen to the current ones. He closed the bedroom door. Nellie laid on the bed, gripping the sides of the mattress her teeth gritted. Sweeney pulled off the covers so they wouldn't be in the way, lifted up Nellie's dress and pulled her stockings and underwear off.

He took a quick peek. Not crowning yet.

"Shouldn't you get the doctor?" Nellie asked. She looked like she was about to cry her eyes out from the pain and fear. Sweeney leaned up and kissed her on the lips to reassure her that everything would be okay.

"No Nellie, we don't need a doctor."

She looked at him like he was psychotic. "What do you mean, we don't need a doctor!? Sweeney I'm about to give birth!" Nellie screamed at him.

"I delivered Johanna."

"What? I never knew you did that."

"Yes I did. And she turned out fine, and so will this baby." The fear still remained in her eyes and something else. Doubt. "Nellie! Everything will be fine! It's simple. You push. I catch it."

"I'm pretty sure there's more to it that, love."

"You'll be fine." He reassured her.

She let loose another scream, and Sweeney could feel that she was ready. He couldn't see the head yet but he knew it would appear any second. "Okay Nellie push."

"What" she muttered nervously.

"Push!" He said sternly.

And so she pushed. And pushed. And screamed. And pushed, and screamed some more. It's been twenty minutes so far. Sweeney could see the baby's head, but it wasn't coming. Why wasn't it coming? Then an old memory hit him. Oh shit! The bloody thing is stuck!

Yeah I don't know how birthing works. So this and the next chapter will be probably inaccurate to science. But deal with it because it's fiction :D and review please, reviews are nice :)