[Author's Note: I think the Dawn chapter was sort of boring. I
was in a rush to do it, although I don't know why. I didn't have a deadline to
meet or anything. I'll probably redo it, but in the meantime, hope you enjoy
this one. I spent a lot of time on it.
Warning: This may contain things that are insulting towards
certain people, so if you are very young or easily offended, I advise you to
close it. I will not take responsibility for people or happenings that occur
due to the content of this particular chapter.]
Abby Stevenson came to a halt on the slippery sidewalk, drawing
her coat tightly around her. It was winter in Australia, where she had migrated
at the age of twenty-one, and the air was chilly.
Rubbing her heavily pregnant belly, Abby heaved a sad sigh. Her
talent for soccer had proven to be useful after all, because she had been
recruited in the Sydney woman's soccer team, the Sydney Serpents. But now,
thanks to her fooling around with an unfaithful married guy, she was
about to be a single mother. She was on three months' maternity leave, but she
had no idea what to do about childcare once she went back to work.
The baby, whom she wasn't sure of the gender, kicked her hard.
"Ouch," Abby muttered, exhaling. The baby kicked again, twice, and harder.
Abby bit her lip, trying not to scream. The baby pushed and
struggled, while tears of pain filled her eyes. She had been on her way to the
general store, but now she wasn't too sure if she had the energy to make it
there.
People rushed by in winter jackets, but took no notice of her.
Abby breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself down. The pain in her stomach
didn't subside.
Abby sank to her knees slowly, her thick mop of chocolate curls
gathering around her. She grasped the concrete surface of the pavement,
crawling over to the edge farther from the road.
"Miss, are you okay?" a kind young man with a beard and wire
glasses asked, stooping down with a look of concern on his face.
"No," Abby gasped, clutching her stomach. "I feel terrible."
"What month are you in now?" he asked politely.
"Almost ninth," she fought the words out as the pain became
excruciating.
"Listen, Miss, my name is Rob. I'm going to help you." He knelt
down and rubbed her arm soothingly.
"Just…do…something…please!" she begged, grabbing her stomach
tightly.
Rob whipped out his cell phone and dialed for an ambulance. When
he hung up, his face was grim. "They'll need a long time to get here, because
some car with six passengers skidded off the ice and are stuck in a ditch."
Abby shut her eyes tightly and scrunched up her face. She tried
to breathe deeply.
Rob clamped a hand around her wrist. "Miss, what's your name?"
"Abby." She was nearly crying now.
"Abby, do you mind if I help to deliver your baby? I'm a medical
student, not a professional, of course, but I can try. Do you want that?"
Abby nodded. At this point, she was so desperate that she didn't
even care that this stranger, what more a male, was going to look at her in
that way.
"Okay. If you really want." He rolled up the sleeves of his
parka, and unbuttoned Abby's jeans. When she didn't object, he pulled them down
slightly.
Her underwear was starting to stain with blood. He paused,
closing his eyes briefly, then took a deep breath and yanked it down.
Abby tried not to wince as cool wind blew on her bare crotch. Rob
pulled her jeans and underwear down to her ankles and placed his hands on the
spot in between her legs.
"Push," he ordered. Abby, whose eyes were still closed, pushed
hard. But the baby didn't budge.
People were stopping and starting to stare now, and luckily one
woman had a bath towel with her. She spread it around Rob and Abby, so they
would have privacy.
"Try again," Rob urged. Abby moved her pelvis downwards, pushing
hard. She felt the baby move an inch or two.
Rob slid two fingers into her slit and massaged. "Come on," he
whispered. Abby inhaled sharply, then exhaled again as she felt something slip
past her opening.
"Yes!" Rob cheered under his breath. "The head is out. Abby, come
on, you know you can do it."
Abby's eyes flew open as she pushed harder and the baby began to
move.
Rob held the head and tugged gently to help things along.
Abby pushed with all her might, one last time. The baby spilled
out of her and into Rob's hands. He wiped the beads of cold sweat from his face
and smiled.
"Good job. Here's your baby. It's a girl." As he handed the
infant to Abby, the newborn's wail blended with the siren of the ambulance as
it came into view.
Rob stood up, dusting his hands off. "Well, Abby, you're off to
the hospital. I hope your baby will be fine."
"Wait!" Abby called, as paramedics loaded her onto a stretcher.
"Can I have your number?"
"Sure," Rob said, as his features broke into a soft smile. He dug
out a piece of scrap paper and a ballpoint, scribbled his name and number down,
and gave it to Abby. "Here you go."
"Thank you, Rob," Abby waved as she was put into the ambulance.
"I'll call you." His eyes twinkled and he waved back. "I'm sure you will."
Eight months later, Abby and Rob were engaged. She was so
grateful to him for saving her that day she had fallen in love with him. Never
mind the three-year age gap. Besides, he told her he had liked her since that
day too.
She was back with the soccer team and Rob was just starting out
as a doctor, while her daughter, Ophelia, was looked after by Rob's Aunt Kayla.
It was a happy ending for all of them.