Chapter One-Hundred and Fifty-Eight
Chance laid over Frank's lap as his panic grew with every passing second, trying to calm the man's anxiety as her master kept himself calm while they sped through the city. She whimpered as John pinched her tail between the shifter and his hand, gently licking Frank's arm in an attempt to calm him.
"Oh God." Frank gasped, noticing that John had been completely silent for a majority of the drive. "What if we can't get to the hospital in time? I don't know the first thing about delivering a baby."
John popped the clutch, shifting into the next gear as he raced the yellow light. "Don't worry about it." He stated gruffly, starting to slow as Frank motioned to a building to the right.
"That's it." He stated, his hand trembling as John pulled the parking break and jumped out of the truck. "John… what if it dies…"
John shook his head, waiting for Frank to unlock the door. "It won't." He growled, taking the keys from Frank's hand as a woman's pained cry reached his ears. "Give me those." He unlocked the door, shoving it open only to see that Julia was knelt beside she and Frank's bed holding her stomach as the contractions seized her. "Julia?" He knelt beside the young woman, looking into her eyes as he forced himself to remain calm. "How close are they?" He asked, taking her hand as she reached for him.
Frank hovered in the doorway to their studio apartment, unsure of what to do. "How can I-"
"Get clean towels and start warming them up on the heater." John ordered, wrapping his skinny arms around Julia's torso and lifting her onto the bed. "We don't have time." He pressed her shoulders into the pillows, clearing the blankets away from her body as she began to push. "Call 911!" He called, rushing to the small kitchen to wash his hands and take his flannel off so that any of Chance's hair didn't contaminate the birth.
Julia screamed, a small amount of blood seeping onto the bed as John tied a rag to the headboard and guided her hands to grip the loose ends. "Fuck!" She sobbed, looking up as the young man who'd come with her husband prepared to deliver her baby. "It burns!"
John nodded, locking eyes with Julia as he waited for the baby's head to appear. "You're doing great. I can see the head already. Just long, slow pushes, and remember to breathe in between."
She swallowed, forcing herself to push through the pain. "AHH!" She screamed as she felt the head being squeezed out and the young man's gentle hands support her child and check to see if the cord was cutting off the airway. "HURTS!"
John pulled the cord from around the child's neck, smiling as it took it's very first breath. "One more good push and it'll be over." He was vaguely aware of Frank speaking to the 911 dispatcher, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. "Hey." He lifted his gaze to her face, meeting her eyes with a stubborn determination that only a man meant to become a father could have. "Focus on me." He smiled, letting her rest for a moment. "You can do this." He moved his hands as they started to become slick with blood and birthing fluid, glancing down as she began to push again. "There you go!" He cheered, pulling the baby toward his body and wrapping her in a towel that Frank supplied. "Little girl!" He grinned, handing her to Julia as she slowly sat up. He picked up a small snot-sucker to help clear the newborn's airways. "Hey little one." He touched his fingers to her chest, counting the beats of her tiny heart as he listened to the clock on the wall tick. "Welcome to the world."
Julia's tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at her daughter, kissing her husband's lips as John checked to make sure the baby and she were both doing well. "She's perfect…"
Frank nodded, gently rubbing his fingers over his daughter's headful of hair. "Just like you."
John gave a little smile, sitting at the end of the bed as he waited for Julia's body to deliver the placenta and for the EMTs to arrive and make sure he'd done everything correctly. "Congratulations."
Julia reached toward him, taking his hand as he tried to clean himself up. "Thank you." She cried, realizing that she didn't even know his name. "What's your name?"
He chuckled, a small smirk crossing his lips as the adrenaline began to fade. "John." He sighed, standing to wash himself up in the sink. "But you can call me Bender."