Chapter 22: Through Hell

Rachael's POV

I closed my eyes and bit my lip as the pain was starting to grow.

"I'm on hold! Stupid people…." Collins uttered. I heard Mark hesitate before telling him, "Collins ummm, just call Cindy. She's a nurse so she should be able to help."

I opened my eyes and looked up at him as I breathed deeply, "Mark….are…are you sure?"

I saw the how scared he was as he nodded, "I'm sure Rachael."

Collins went to hang up when they came off hold, "Yeah I need a doctor please….."

I held Marks hand tightly and squeezed it as another contraction came, "Ahhh!"

Roger knelt beside me and took my other hand, "Did the doctor tell you about those breathy things you're supposed to do? I remember seeing on some doctor show, this girl was in labor and they made her do this." He demonstrated the quick breathing for me. "Try it with me."

I tried to follow along with him until the throbbing started to wane. "Thank…thanks Roger." I panted

"Mark, whats your sister's number?" Collins asked the phone still in hand. "But I thought the hospital-" "They're sending a doctor, but I figure it would be better to have two people helping." Collins explained. "Oh ok, thanks man…" Mark stood to find the number for him.

Roger stayed next to me, "Excited?"

I nodded slowly, "Yes, but right now...the pain is all I can r-really think about."

Mark appeared back at my other side, "Helps on the way."

Another contraction came unexpectedly and I grabbed onto Mark, gripping him as I shook. "Shit...this hurts." They both held onto me as the contraction passed.

There was a knock on the door Collins ran to it. There stood a lanky black haired man in white coat and a medical bag in hand. I turned away and dug my head into Mark's chest: the doctor's face reminded me vaguely of Eric's.

"I need to set up, do you have a table?" The man's voice was stuffy and small, like a midget with a cold. I heard footsteps as he walked away towards the table. I turned my head around again as Mark whispered soothing things into my ear.

Roger looked at the doctor strangely then whispered to us, "You guys, that man's coat doesn't look real. It looks like the one's you can get at costume shop a couple streets over."

Mark's eyebrows rose, "How would you know what the costume looks like?"

Roger blushed slightly before replying, "Mimi and I played doctor once." He continued more seriously, "It looks the same, are we sure we can trust this guy?"

"We have to." Mark said firmly, "We have no other choice."

The doctor came over and sat in front of my legs. He held them open as he looked, "You're at about 5 centimeters. Very close."

He brushed his hand through his hair and opened his medical kit, snapping on some gloves he took out some sort of instrument. It was shiny and looked very painful.

I looked at it hesitantly, "W-what are you doing?"

"I need to check something quickly, hold on tightly to them." He said, something about his voice was very unnerving. I closed my eyes in anticipation and held onto both Roger and Mark. I screamed out in agony as I felt it come inside of me. I dug my nails into their skin as I held onto them, "Stop please!!! Ahhhhh, please stop stop stop!!!" I yelled as I went through excruciating pain.

It came out and I opened my eyes as tears streamed down my face to see them shooting glares at the doctor. "It's my job miss, you have to let me do my job."

I clung to Mark and shook my head, whimpering, "No, no more."

A contraction came again and I kept my head in Mark's chest, his fabric muffling my anguished cries. When it finally ended, I released my grip and looked up at ceiling, panting.

"Miss, please I need to check again." The doctor said, holding my legs wider this time.

I reluctantly resumed my death grip and let him use the instrument. Maybe it won't hurt as much this time, I thought. It came inside, causing a searing pain. I screamed again much louder this time with hot tears on my cheek. "Stop!!"

He removed it with a disgruntled look on his face. There was a merry ringing sound and the doctor looked down at his phone, "Sorry I need to take this."

Before Mark could protest he picked up his phone and walked to the other side of the room.

"Some doctor." Collins said under his breath.

"M-Mark, I think, I think, he's doing it on purpose. It hurts so bad, whatever he does it doesn't feel right." I said shakily

He looked over at the doctor who was pacing and talking quietly on his phone, "You sure?"

I nodded and Roger whispered in animatedly, "I was right, this guy is some kind of phony. He has to be."

There was a knock on the door and Collins opened the door again, but this time Cindy was standing there, looking shocked.

She ran over to me and carefully placed her hands on my knees. Her skin much softer than the doctors, and the simple comfort of that made me relax a little.

"Cindy. We think he's a fake doctor, can you talk to him please?" Roger asked, making sure to get his theory to her before anything else was said.

"Why do think so?" She asked, looking confusedly at us all. "He's hurting her on purpose and I'm positive that his coat is a costume." Roger said, "Please?"

She got up and went over to him as he hung up on his phone. Their conversation was out of my hearing range so I looked up Mark.

"She's going to help me right?" I asked, my voice smaller than normal. Before he could answer I cried out as another contraction came, "Owwwww!"

Roger tried breathing with me but I shook my head, I couldn't do that anymore. I just screamed and held on to Mark tightly as the baby moved foreward.

Mark's POV

I held her close to me as she screamed, it was terrible to see her in so much pain, but I knew I had to stay strong for her.

The doctor rushed by us, picking up his stuff and left, shutting the door loudly. What was that man up to? Cindy sat down again, looking troubled.

"Well, what was it?"

"I pretended that I was 'taking over his shift for the job'. With some lies and stuff I got out of him that 'our boss'' name is Eric, and that 'we're' instructed to put you through hell." She said, finishing quietly.

That bastard. Rachael clung tighter and cried into me, "H-How did he find me?"

Collins looked stunned while Roger was angry. How could he do this to her? She didn't deserve this. I stroked her hair, I couldn't lose it, I had to try and stay calm or else everything would be chaos.

"Can you help us?" I asked, turning to Cindy.

She pinned back her bangs, "I'll do everything I can." She gently opened Rachael's legs, "Hmmmm, well whatever he did, it tore her up really badly. Collins can you grab me some ice and towels."

Collins went to grab everything and quickly returned with it. Rachael looked up at me, "Mark, it hurts." I wiped her tears, "I know, she's going to make it better."

Cindy took one of towels and left it under her legs, then handed the ice to Roger, "Rub some on her stomach and some on her lips.

Rachael's grip tightened and she winced, "Contraction."

"As the pressure mounts I need you to try and push." Cindy instructed calmly.

She nodded and held onto me even tighter almost cutting off my circulation. She screamed out in pain her fingers digging into me. Cindy held onto her, "That's it Rachael, your doing good. Keep pushing, the heads coming."

A layer of sweat started to form on her skin, she moaned and cried out. Cindy looked and smiled, "The heads out." But then her smile fell, "Collins, towels now!!!"

I wiped her sweaty forehead as she gazed up at me, her eyes hazy with pain. "What's wrong?" she asked her voice breathy.

Cindy bit her lip, "Rachael, I need to clean you so hold onto Mark, ok?"

"What's going on?" I whispered to her, but she ignored me. Rachael kept her hand intertwined with mine. As Cindy cleaned her, she winced and squeezed my hand.

"Ok, on the next contraction, do the same thing, when you feel the pressure, push." Cindy said, setting down the towel down. It was all stained red. I felt myself pale, if that was possible, "Cindy…."

She just glared at me to stay quiet. Rachael nodded slowly then Roger rubbed some ice on her lips. After a moment or so, she began breathing heavily and held onto us tighter. Cindy nodded, "That's it Rachael, little pushes like that."

She screamed out and closed her eyes tightly, "Owwww! Ahhh, make it stop!"

"Its ok, just a little more keep going, this baby's coming fast. The stomach is coming now! Wait….stop, stop now!" She said, the tone of her voice alarmed me.

"Cindy, what is wrong? Tell me, please!" I begged her silently

"She's bleeding a lot, more than I've ever seen. That doctor did a lot of damage." She whispered hurriedly as she cleaned her. As I watched her clean in worry, I barely noticed as Rachael grew heavier in my arms.

I looked down at her, she had her eyes closed and her hair was stuck to her sweaty forehead. I shook her slightly, "Rachael…Rachael?!" But she wasn't responding.

"Cindy, something happened to her!" Cindy looked up from her legs, and her eyes widened. "Shit! Collins, call an ambulance now."

I looked down at her again, she almost looked at peace. I couldn't lose her, "Rachael, come on Rach, wake up!"

Roger had his hand on her wrist and said under his breathe, "Her pulse is going."

"No! We're not – I can't… no!" I sputtered and held her closer, kissing her forehead.

The paramedics burst open the door, one of them pushing me away from her. "No, I need to stay with her. I'm not leaving her!" I followed them desperately as the carefully lifted her and took her down to the ambulance.

-------- (hours later)

I heard a loud voice overhead, "Rachael Cohen's party may now see her in room 122."

I shook my head, clearing my vision as we walked to her room. I smiled as she lay there with a baby in her arms. Rachael was just staring down at the baby. She looked over to us, "It's a girl." Her eyes had bags under them and she looked exhausted, but she was alive and that was all that mattered.

I went to her side and held her close to me, then looked down at my family. The baby gazed back up at me with curious eyes. She had a small tuft of dirty blond hair and green eyes. She cooed and squirmed about.

"I guess that's her hello." Rachael said softly.

"I guess so." I kissed her forehead. "She's beautiful like her mother." I said which make her blush.

"I like the name Evelyn." Rachael mumbled, looking down at our gorgeous girl.

"I like it." She looked like an Evelyn.

"Evelyn Rose Cohen." She finished.

Everyone moved into the room slowly, relief on their faces. "Thanks Cindy." I said as Roger and Collins looked at the baby.

"Its no problem" She said with a small smile, "I was surprised that you wanted me to come, but I'm glad to help. She's adorable."

"Thanks." I sat on the edge of the bed next to Rachael as she passed the baby to me.

Evelyn squealed and held onto one my fingers tightly, her tiny hand barely wrapping around it.

I had everything I ever needed.

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One chapter left! Ahh so sad, I love this story so much. Well I to break it to you, but do the EVIL finals I won't be able to post for maybe 2 weeks: which is why this chapter came today.

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