Page 92 of Certified Pressure 4
Her expression didn’t change. If anything, she looked entertained. “Oh, Kashmere,” she said. “You know I can’t let that happen.”
My eyes widened in fear. “Please–”
She held up her hand like she was silencing a child. “Don’t worry. I brought someone who can help you.”
The door behind her opened, and my heart sank even lower. A woman walked in, tall and calm, dressed in cream-colored scrubs. Her hair was tied up neatly, and in her arms were a few things that made my stomach twist. She had clean towels, gloves, a stainless-steel tray, and what looked like medical scissors.
“This is my sister-in-law, Treasure. She will be taking good care of you.”
I stared at her in disbelief, shaking my head. “No… no, you out of your mind if you think I’m about to let you or anybody else deliver my baby! I got a doctor! I have a hospital!”
Abeni’s smile didn’t fade. “You will deliver your baby,” she said. “And it will be here, at home. I told you I brought help. Treasure is one of the best doulas in Trill-Land. You’re in capable hands.”
Capable hands? My whole body felt like it was collapsing on itself. My mind was spinning too fast to think straight. The pain in my stomach kept coming in waves now, stronger each time. I wanted to stand up, to run, but my legs felt weak.
Before I could say anything else, two large men walked into the room. They looked like they worked for her. Both had broad shoulders, dark suits and no emotion on their faces. One of them pulled out a gun and pressed it against my head.
“Get up,” he said coldly.
My heart felt like it stopped. Tears ran down my face as I slowly tried to stand. My knees buckled, and another contraction hit so hard I cried out. Abeni turned to them, still calm. “Be gentle with her,” she said softly. “She’s a first-time mother.”
They held me by my arms and half-dragged, half-walked me toward the living room. My feet felt like they weren’t even touching the floor. The pain came again, sharper this time, radiating from my stomach down to my thighs. I cried out, clutching my belly, but they didn’t stop.
When we reached the living room, I gasped. Treasure was already there, laying down thick blankets and clean sheets on the floor. There were towels folded neatly, a bowl of warm water, medical gloves, and a small suction bulb. The smell of disinfectant mixed with the metallic scent of fear in the air.
And then I saw Lyrick…
He was sitting on the couch with a gun pressed to his temple. His face was swollen, his lip busted, his eyes tired and defeated.He looked up when he saw me, his face crumpling in pain and confusion. “Kashmere…” he whispered, his voice hoarse.
I screamed. “Oh my God, Lyrick!”
One of the men shoved me down toward the pallet. My body was shaking uncontrollably. Treasure crouched beside me, her tone calm but firm. “Kashmere, listen to me,” she said. “You’re going to have to breathe through it, okay? Just breathe. I know you’re scared, but your body knows what to do.”
I couldn’t hear her. Everything felt distant, like I was underwater. My whole body was consumed by pain. My hands gripped the sheets beneath me, and I tried to focus on the rhythm of my breathing, but every time I exhaled, a sob broke through.
Treasure put on her gloves and checked me, her face calm but focused. “She’s three and a half centimeters,” she said, glancing toward Abeni.
Abeni nodded slowly, folding her arms. “Right on time.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight, but my body was in so much pain. The contractions kept coming, each one stronger than the last, until I thought I might pass out. Treasure was by my side the whole time, pressing a cool cloth to my forehead, whispering for me to breathe, rubbing my lower back, and adjusting me into positions that were supposed to help the baby move down.
Hours passed. The sun went completely down, and the living room filled with the glow of a lamp. I was drenched in sweat, crying, gripping Treasure’s arm so tight I left marks.
When she checked me again, her tone shifted. “She’s ten centimeters. It’s time.”
Abeni moved closer, her expression unreadable. Lyrick was still on the couch, shaking his head, tears in his eyes. “Please, just let her go,” he begged, his voice broken.
“Push, Kashmere,” Treasure said firmly.
“I can’t,” I sobbed. “I can’t?—”
“You can,” she said, her voice strong now. “You have to. Do it for your baby.”
I pushed with everything I had left. Pain tore through me like fire, ripping my vagina open from the inside. I screamed until my throat burned. Treasure kept her voice calm, guiding me, telling me when to push, and when to breathe. Lyrick was crying on the couch, whispering prayers under his breath.
Then I heard the sound of my baby crying.
My whole body went limp. Tears ran down my face as I reached my arms out, desperate to hold him. But instead of handing him to me, Treasure lifted him carefully, cut the umbilical cord, and turned to Abeni.
