Ike's POV

"I can't push," she says as the midwife aims to spread her legs.

"Yes, you can Ana, just give it a try," I urge, holding onto her wrist.

"No, I can't," she shakes her head and bites her lips, sweat dripping down her face that's covered with the bruises inflicted on her by Emily.

"Why can't you?" The man who claims to be the gynecologist implores, peeking between her legs which causes me to grit my teeth in resentment.

"Can't you morons see that my baby is in a transverse position?" She throws the question at them, her palms causing me to wince as a contraction runs through her. "Ike where is Helena?"

"Helena is not here baby," I explain. "You are at a teaching hospital."

"Why the fuck was I brought here and not to the hospital Helena works at?" She interrogates in between curses she's dishing out due to her state.

"I'll explain later hun, just focus on the moment, focus on--- fuck!" We both scream her from the pain and me from the pressure she's applying to my hand.

"Doctor, you heard her, the baby is in a transverse position, why don't we do it through Cesarean Section?" I inquire in a glare.

"You mean CS?" He dumbly questions, and I calmly tame the urge to fire him a blow.

"Yes dumbass!" Ana screams at him, not having the restraint as I do. "Ike please give Helena a call, I want her in the theater with me, if not I might be cut in the wrong place."

"Yes ma'am," I concur, retrieving the phone from my pocket.

"Don't you fucking take a step further!" She commands as I make a move to disentangle our fingers.

"You know, if you were this commanding in bed, you'll be giving birth to triplets right now," I smirk, getting turned on, regardless of the event going on.

"Shut the hell up!" She shrieks as the medical personals in the room get their shit together.

"I won't say a word," I lift the free arm with the phone in the air.

"Tell her I need her with me in the operation room so she can bring her squad with her if possible," she grunts, eying the midwife. "Because I don't trust these people."

"Okay," I bob my head, and dial Helena, the phone on my ear as I observe the white paint of the private room I brought Ana to after the incident, the newly painted iron bed she's positioned on, a single yellow bulb hanging from the ceiling and the nose wrenching stench of disinfectant which must have been mistakenly put higher than average.

"Hello Helena," I speak as she answers after three rings. "Ana is in labor."

"Where is she?" She investigates. "There's no record of her in the hospital at the moment."

"We are at the Federal Medical Center," I inform, noticing Ana take in deep breathes. "Be here ASAP!"

"I'll arrive in thirty minutes," she responds and ends the call before I can say anything more.

"I'm not shifting from here until she arrives," Ana declares, scratching her weaves through the hair cap she's donning, the same hue as the grey coverall on her body.

Alright," I agree, channeling a fierce gaze at the man in the room as he peers at Ana's bare thighs. To others that glance may seem professional but to me, it raises red flags that I murmur "pervert," in an inaudible volume.

******

"Don't worry, she will be fine," Helena assures as I follow them out of the hospital room unto the hallway, Helena clad in a white lab coat, a green Ankara knee-length dress peeking from beneath the professional material.

"Be good Ana," I say to the love of my life who isn't able to respond as a result of the pain she's undergoing.

She only nods, and I stare helplessly as her figure is being carted off, away from my sight, leaving me sad as there's no possible way I can help her at this moment.

Releasing a sigh, I twist the other way and walk to an empty roll of seats kept at the side of the wall close to the stairs. The metal chair making a noise as my butt touches it, my expression warranting pitying glimpses from the people stationed in the one opposite me.

I ignore them and bend my head downwards, gliding my fingers into the curls as I close my eyes. "Dear Lord, please let the process be successful. I beg you to make Ana and our unborn child safe and healthy after everything is over."

"Amen," I exhale and unfold my lids, straightening my posture to slant back, my knees covered in blood-stained ripped jeans which I haven't had the luxury to change pulled up due to my tall build and the short level of the chair.

I take in deep breathes while I rest the back of my skull on the cold blue walls. My prantsy hands rubbing on each other in tension and boredom, causing my memory to shift back to early this morning.

No matter how hard I try, I can't help but recall the terror that ran through me in that precise moment when I saw Ana drop to the ground, blood smearing my clothes as well as hers in respect to our proximity.

That feeling is one I haven't experienced and one I hope to never experience for the second time. The instant the bullet left the gun, my heart left with it as I heed Ana and Emily's piercing screams before all hell broke loose.

I crouched to her unconscious body on the floor, shaking her profusely in panic, words not leaving my mouth the same way tears were leaving my ears as my breathing accelerated and blood pressure picked up.

What jeered me out of existence was the evidence of her water breaking as the wetness spread from between her legs to her dress and slowly soaking my trousers.

I barely noticed the police come in to apprehend the culprit and the cause of all the commotion as she shouted profanities while shedding waterworks from her grey eyes.

Only able to gain control of my voice in that second, I screamed at Max who was standing in shock to go drive Joe's car as close as it can get to make it possible for me to carry her into it.

Most of my fear faded as Oluchi came to me and assured me that Ana is alright as we waited for Max to do my bidding.

She further went on to explain to me that the blood spread around wasn't Ana's but that of Emily's as Brian made use of the revolver I gave to him for safekeeping by shooting Emily on the arm before she could shoot Ana.

The blood from her arm spraying and hitting Ana and me because of our close distance, causing Ana to faint because of the shock and image of seeing someone get shot plus blood coming at her.

Still, that didn't help as much as she expected it to like the thought of Ana unconscious and possibly going into labor in that condition scared me to stupor.

Max rushed in afterward and helped me carry Ana into the car, he took on the task of driving, Oluchi whom I didn't sight following us, took the position in the front seat while Ana laid beside me in the back. The others were left to find their way and I haven't seen them since then which should be three hours ago.

Ana thankfully became conscious as Max was steering into the parking lot of the Federal Medical Center, and Oluchi jumped out immediately to alert the nurses and doctors of an emergency.

Once Max and Oluchi made sure we were alright and I told them I could take things from there, they drove back to meet the rest, thereby leaving me alone with her as we were both taken into the labor room, Ana insisting I should be present.

"Where is she?" A hand touches my shoulder, startling me back to the moment, and I swerve at the impact to see my mother's features encased in a brown long dress and leaning on crunches, a concerned look on her still beautiful face with my sisters at either side of her.

"She's been in the theater for a while now," I tell, my right arm going around her waist as she struggles to sit in the space left.

"Hello brother," Cecilia greets, standing in faded jeans and a black vest.

I bob my head in acknowledgment while Mirian offers me a comforting hug I didn't know I need until this moment as I exhale, letting my worries out in that one breathe, and shut my lids for a few seconds.

"Thank you," I let out, as she lets go of me to sit on the small table on my left after she places the flower vase with dusty artificial rose flowers in them on the floor.

I note her dressing of a black crop top and a ripped boyfriend jean trouser, her slippers the same shade as Cecilia's brown leather one. I'm certain they would have argued about the coincidence of their uniformed attire, except if they were in a hurry or were too lazy to fight about it.

"Why a theater?" Mom asks after catching her breath.

"Her baby is in a transverse position, so she can't deliver through the normal procedure," I convey, fright gripping at my inside as I say, "I'm scared mom, what if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will my dear," she consoles, bringing my forehead to her chest and skidding her palms along my backbone.

"Why did you bring her here and not to the hospital she's registered with?" Mirian inquires. "I thought Helena is her gynecologist."

"She is," I affirm, staring at my palms. "It's a long story."

"We've got time my son, what happened?" Mom asks worriedly sighting the change in my mood. "We are your family, you can tell us anything."

To that, I tell them everything, from the instant I phoned Emily down to the last detail before Helena showed up.

"I always knew that woman was heartless," Mom sneers, her hands gripping the tool she uses to walk, hard, as if wanting to hit something.

"I can't believe Emily could do that to someone, not to talk of her former best friend," Cecilia muses, her voice coming off as timid and filled with fear.

"Some people are just born wicked," Mirian grunts.

"Mom, Mirian, I'm sorry you are both going to meet Ana in this situation," I apologize for not doing things the right way. "I should have introduced her earlier to you."

"It's fine Ike, I understand," Mom admits, squeezing my palm as I lift my head from her body.

"I just can't wait to meet her," Mirian grins, rather that gets wiped off as Ana's parents' badge in, Max and Nuel aiming to restrain their father as he barrels in my location.

"Where is my daughter?" His voice booms in query, and I rise hastily in respect and defense as he arrives at my spot. "What is this I hear happened to my daughter? I'll need an explanation now."

"Sir, I'm confident your sons must have told you the whole story so I don't know what you want to hear from me," I pronounce, gesturing at the two young men beside him as I don't grant him the pleasure of seeing me fumble below his glare.

"What I expect to hear from you is an apology!" He howls, discarding the red chieftaincy cap from his head in a sign of outrage.

"And what I expect to hear from you is a note of thanks!" I retort in like tone. "I saved your daughter's life for crying out loud."

"It is because of you she was in that situation in the first place so I'm not willing to listen to that your cock and bull story!" He spits, the fast breathing he's doing provoking the heavy red beads he's donning atop a plain black long-sleeved shirt and slacks to jingle.

"Calm down Alex, this is no place or time for such a discussion, be thankful our daughter is fine and that's the only thing that matters in this instant," his wife who's dressed in a colorful butterfly styled ankle-length gown aims to pacify as she grasps hold of his arm.

"There is no way I can do that woman," he declines, his eyes not moving from me. "What if our daughter had died?"

"But she didn't and for that, we should be happy," Mom speaks for the first time since their arrival, the environment going quiet as even the other people hanging around, wait to see his response.

Luckily it doesn't come as Helena shows up with a grin on her face.
"Ike, you have a son." She beams, "and Ana is alright."

As that statement exits her mouth, I can't explain the amount of joy that enters me as I sense my tummy flutter, my eyes becoming watery while I gasp, chuckles escaping my lips, and dampness starting from my right eye.

"They are both healthy," she answers my silent query, and before I know it, I rush to engulf her in a hug. "God has done it."

Author: This isn't the end of the story, yet.

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