Chapter Fifty-Five ~ The Birth

After Marty went into labor, everything moved swiftly, but as though somehow it was also caught up in some sort of bizzare slow motion. Todd lifted the woman he loved into the strength of his arms as Tina looked on in great concern. "I have a carriage waiting right outside," Todd said to his sister. "Let's get Marty to the hospital."

"No hospital," Marty grumbled as Tina opened the door of the little shack and Todd carried Marty into the sunshine.

"Shhhh... everything will be alright," Todd crooned to Marty, his lips against her ear.

She felt his warm breath on her soft skin. "Don't leave me," she begged him. "I am afraid."

Todd placed Marty in the carriage and climbed in beside her. Tina entered as well and sat on the bench across from her brother and his wife. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked as Todd held Marty close to his side.

Todd shook his head, then he yelled out to the driver to take them to the nearest hospital as quick as he possibly could. The driver gave out a command and the horses began to gallop away from the home where Todd had lived long ago as a small child. His heart thundered in his chest as Marty lay her cheek upon it. She closed her eyes, trying not to think of the pain she was feeling from her sudden and intense contractions. "No! No! No!" her heart was crying out, but God didn't seem to listen.

As they raced to the hospital, Todd tenderly spoke words of comfort into Marty's ear. Hot tears slid down her cheeks like fiery beads. She was fighting the deep, dark pain that was twisting away inside her belly. It felt as though the child - the little intruder - was ripping its way out of her unwilling body. Maybe the violence of it would take her and kill her and she and Todd would be separated forever. She clung to him even more tightly as though he were her lifeline.

They arrived at St. Catharine's Hospital as the carriage came to a sudden stop. Todd lifted Marty from the seat and carried her inside the hospital as Tina trailed close behind. "Can you help me?" Todd asked a nurse passing by. "My wife is in labor."

Moments later, Marty was set up in a materity room and lying in a bed. She looked so small and pale as Todd gazed at her and clutched her hand. "Don't leave me," she said again as she had begged him in the carriage. "I need you, Todd."

"I love you," he said as he looked at her and brushed away her tears.

"I am so sorry, Sir, but you'll have to go now," said the nurse. "No fathers are allowed in the delivery room."

Marty let out a scream of terror when she heard the nurse's words. She became absolutely hysterical. She was in great distress when the doctor entered the room. He took one look at Marty's contorted face and said, "Nurse, give this woman some Laudanum for her pain. We need to calm her. We must deliver this baby now."

The doctor then looked at Todd who was standing next to Tina. "I am afraid that you and this woman will have to go."

The nurse administered the Laudanum to Marty as the doctor had instructed. Todd looked on helplessly as Tina took his hand, lightly tugging on it. "Todd, we have to listen to the doctor," Tina urged.

"I have to go now, baby," Todd whispered to Marty as he placed a loving kiss upon her cheek. "This will all be over soon and I will be waiting right outside."

Then he reluctantly left because the doctor and nurse were practically throwing him out the door. Marty's small hand was torn from his as they were separated and to Todd, it felt like an intense physical ache - as if a vital part of him had been severed from his body.

He was so tense as he started to pace the hallway right outside her room. "Todd, please sit down," Tina said softly. "Marty will be alright. They'll take good care of her here."

Todd stared at his sister as she couldn't possibly know all that Marty had been through and the depth of the pain they had suffered at the hands of Peter Manning. He wasn't about to explain it either. The baby in Marty's body was HIS. The unborn child did not belong to that evil monster.

Todd let out a deep sigh, practically melting onto the nearest bench. His sister sat next to him, lending him her strength and comfort. "Marty needs me," he said softly. "We've been through so much together. Nothing can happen to her or our baby."

"Ohhh Todd, you love her so much. That is one thing that is definitely apparant. Try not to worry so. As you told Marty, it will all over soon."

Minutes turned into hours as Todd waited with Tina in a crowded hallway upon lumpy bench. As each second ticked away, Todd wondered how Marty was fairing.

Meanwhile, in the delivery room, the doctor washed his hands in a basin and prepared for the birth. The Laudanum they had given Marty made her groggy and confused. It was so potent that it nearly knocked her out completely. She was struggling to remain focused as the doctor was giving her commands, telling her to "bear down and to push." For the most part, she was beyond awareness, just going through the motions of the delivery. She didn't even hear the infant's cry, although somehow even in her delusional state, it had been expected. The pain had been incredibly fierce - then all at once it was over, leaving her with an aching soreness and a profound emptiness.

The baby was gone. It was no longer occupying space inside her unwiling body. Feeling exhausted, she closed her eyes and drifted off into slumber.

When she was awakened, she was disoriented and full of fear. "Todd!" she cried out.

As her eyes searched the room, she saw him sitting in a nearby chair, holding a small bundle wrapped in a white blanket. The baby inside let out a soft whimper, gurgling quietly as Todd whispered soothing words.

"Marty," he said when he realized she had awakened. Marty yet struggled with grogginess which was a side effect of the medicine as Todd moved closer and took her hand. "I am here, baby. I love you so much."

Marty was quite sore from the child's birth, but the awful pain of the excruciating contractions had blessedly faded into nothingness. She placed a hand on her stomach to find that it was nearly flat. She never had gained much weight during the pregnancy due to nausea and lack of appetite.

She wasn't looking at the baby. She just couldn't. Instead she was staring at Todd, her eyes haunted.

"Marty, please, will you look at our son? Just once," Tood pleaded. "Once you do, you'll fall in love with him... just as I have."

Todd pulled back the corner of the blanket to show Marty the newborn's tiny face. Marty couldn't help it. Her eyes were riveted on the wriggling baby boy. He had light blond hair and bright blue eyes (Marty's eyes). Thankfully he looked absolutely nothing like Peter Manning, her rapist. Marty started to cry as she thought about how she wanted to give the child away and how she had not wanted him all those months of her pregnancy. He was hers - her baby!

Todd gently brushed away her tears. "Can we keep him?" Todd asked as he gazed at the infant with love.

Marty nodded 'yes.' Yet when he offered to let her hold the baby, she refused. "But he's getting hungry," Todd said gently. "He needs you to feed him."

Marty looked at the baby who was innocent and helpless. Reluctantly she reached out for her little son. Todd felt waves of relief as Marty cautiously held the newborn. Wordlessly he helped her unbutton her nightgown so she can feed the little one at her breast. Watching the child nurse, maternal feelings flooded Marty's heart and soul. "He's ours," she said to Todd. "But I don't know what to name him."

"Ours," Todd repeated. "We'll think of a name soon."